DECEMBER, 2023 TVXOF - IT'S A WONDERFUL CROSSOVER PART TWO

We continue the salute to "It's A Wonderful Life" as the latest inductee into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame....

Even if scenes from the movie were never incorporated into various TV shows, there were plenty of mentions of this holiday classic in other shows which validate its existence in Earth Prime-Time.

 

from
'3rd ROCK FROM THE SUN"

  

 
from
'THE MADAME BLANC MYSTERIES'

These TV characters citing the "Lasso the Moon" quote are just two visuals of such lines from the film.  (I have to believe that variations on Zuzu's quote that an angel gets its wings whenever a bell rings must be the most-used reference to the movie overall.)

Here are just some of the other TV shows which make reference to "It's A Wonderful Life":

• "Rumpole of the Bailey" - Rumpole and the Case of Identity (TV Episode 1979)
• ‘St. Elsewhere’ - Santa Claus Is Dead (TV Episode 1985)
• "Remington Steele" - Small Town Steele (TV Episode 1984)
• "St. Elsewhere" - Schwarzwald (TV Episode 1987)
• "Perfect Strangers" - Couch Potato (TV Episode 1987)
• "Cheers" - Take My Shirt... Please? (TV Episode 1986)
• "Cheers" - Christmas Cheers (TV Episode 1987)
• "Newhart" - Shoe Business Is My Life (TV Episode 1989)
• "Murphy Brown" Phil's Not So Silent Partner (TV Episode 1992)
• "Quantum Leap" - It's a Wonderful Leap: May 10, 1958 (TV Episode 1992)
• "Roseanne" - It's No Place Like Home for the Holidays (TV Episode 1992)
• "Roseanne" - The Parenting Trap (TV Episode 1994)
• "Wings" - The Customer's Usually Right (TV Episode 1992)
• "Wings" Happy Holidays (TV Episode 1993)
• "Nurses" - Jumpin' Jack Flash (TV Episode 1993)
• "Married... with Children" - The Worst Noel (TV Episode 1993)
• "The Nanny" - Christmas Episode (TV Episode 1993)
• "The Nanny" - Ode to Barbra Joan (TV Episode 1994)
• "Baywatch" - The Life You Save (TV Episode 1994)
• "Due South" - One Good Man (TV Episode 1996)
• "Everybody Loves Raymond" - Look Don't Touch (TV Episode 1996)
• "Caroline in the City" - Caroline and the Monkeys (TV Episode 1997)
• "Caroline in the City" - Caroline and the Decanter (TV Episode 1997)
• "Caroline in the City" - Caroline and the Fright Before Christmas (TV Episode 1998)
• "Millennium" - Midnight of the Century (TV Episode 1997)
• "Melrose Place" - A Tree Talks in Melrose (TV Episode 1997)
• "Team Knight Rider" - Home Away from Home (TV Episode 1998)
• "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" - Christmas Amnesia (TV Episode 1998)
• "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" - Dream a Little Dreama Me (TV Episode 1999)
• "Jonathan Creek" - The Curious Tale of Mr. Spearfish (TV Episode 1999)
• "Dawson's Creek" - Weekend in the Country (TV Episode 2000)
• "Dawson's Creek" - ...Must Come to an End (TV Episode 2003)
• "Farscape" - Won't Get Fooled Again (TV Episode 2000
• "The Zack Files" - It's a Wonderful School (TV Episode 2000)
• "The Wonderful World of Disney" - Santa Who? (TV Episode 2000)
• "Twice in a Lifetime" - The Night Before Christmas (TV Episode 2000)
• "Angel" - Epiphany (TV Episode 2001)
• "The Drew Carey Show" - What's Wrong with This Episode IV (TV Episode 2001)
• "Just Shoot Me!" - The Two Faces of Finch: Part 2 (TV Episode 2001)
• "Friends" - The One with Ross's Step Forward (TV Episode 2001)
• "Gilmore Girls" - Richard in Stars Hollow (TV Episode 2002)
• "Teachers" - Episode #2.10 (TV Episode 2002)
• "Everwood" - Friendly Fire (TV Episode 2002)
• "The West Wing" - Game On (TV Episode 2002)
• "Scrubs" - My Big Brother (TV Episode 2002)
• "8 Simple Rules" All I Want for Christmas (TV Episode 2002)
• "JAG" All Ye Faithful (TV Episode 2002)
• "The Practice" - Choirboys (TV Episode 2003)
• "That '70s Show" - Winter (TV Episode 2004)
• "EastEnders" - Episode #1.2941 & Episode #1.2944 (TV Episode 2005)
• "Bewegte Männer" - Das Wunder von Köln (TV Episode 2005)
• "Smallville" - Lexmas (TV Episode 2005)
• "One Tree Hill" - Pictures of You (TV Episode 2007)
• "Reaper" - Charged (TV Episode 2007)
• "Nip/Tuck" Duke Collins (TV Episode 2007)
• "House" Joy to the World (TV Episode 2008)
• "30 Rock" Christmas Special (TV Episode 2008)
• "How I Met Your Mother" The Front Porch (TV Episode 2009)
• "Sonny with a Chance" Sonny with a Chance of Dating (TV Episode 2009)
• "Parks and Recreation" Ron and Tammy (TV Episode 2009)
• "Californication" The Apartment (TV Episode 2009)
• "Supernatural" Abandon All Hope (TV Episode 2009)
• "Supernatural" Caged Heat (TV Episode 2010)
• "Supernatural" I'm No Angel (TV Episode 2013)
• "Psych" The Polarizing Express (TV Episode 2010)
• "iCarly" iPity the Nevel (TV Episode 2011)
• "General Hospital" Episode #1.12275 (TV Episode 2011)
• "General Hospital" Episode #1.12637 (TV Episode 2012)
• "General Hospital" Episode #1.13981 (TV Episode 2017)
• "Bones" The Finder (TV Episode 2011)
• "Gossip Girl" Petty in Pink (TV Episode 2011)
• "90210" O Holly Night (TV Episode 2011)
• "Warehouse 13" The Greatest Gift (TV Episode 2011)
• "The Closer" Relative Matters (TV Episode 2011)
• "Glee" Extraordinary Merry Christmas (TV Episode 2011)
• "Rules of Engagement" Audrey's Shower (TV Episode 2012)
• "The Newsroom" Amen (TV Episode 2012)
• "Sparkling Girls" Episode #1.98 (TV Episode 2012)
• "Castle" Secret Santa (TV Episode 2012)
• "Castle" The Time of Our Lives (TV Episode 2014)
• "The Office" Dwight Christmas (TV Episode 2012)
• "Glee" Glee, Actually (TV Episode 2012)
• "Holliston" The Christmas Special (TV Episode 2012)
• "NCIS" You Better Watch Out (TV Episode 2012)
• "Arrested Development" Colony Collapse (TV Episode 2013)
• "Modern Family" The Big Game (TV Episode 2013)
• "Raising Hope" Murder, She Hoped & The Chance Who Stole Christmas (Both TV Episodes 2013)
• "The Big Bang Theory" The Cooper Extraction (TV Episode 2013)
• "Anger Management" Charlie and the Christmas Hooker (TV Episode 2013)
• Veronica Mars (2014) (The movie sequel to the series, but absorbed into the TV Universe)
• "Mom" Forged Resumes and the Recommended Dosage (TV Episode 2014)
• "Mom" Higgledy-Piggledy and a Cat Show (TV Episode 2019)
• "Hot in Cleveland" Cold in Cleveland: The Christmas Episode (TV Episode 2014)
• "The Hotwives of Las Vegas" You Make Me Wanna Drought (TV Episode 2015)
• "Scandal" Baby, It's Cold Outside (TV Episode 2015)
• "The Originals" Savior (TV Episode 2015)
• "Person of Interest" .exe (TV Episode 2016)
• "The Flash" Flashpoint (TV Episode 2016)
• "Arrow" What We Leave Behind (TV Episode 2016)
• "Snowfall" Baby Teeth (TV Episode 2017)
• "Absentia" The Emily Show (TV Episode 2017)
• "Ash vs Evil Dead" Unfinished Business (TV Episode 2018)
• "Maniac" Larger Structural Issues (TV Episode 2018)
• "Fresh Off the Boat" Cousin Eddie (TV Episode 2018)
• "Criminal Minds" Night Lights (TV Episode 2019)
• "Riverdale" Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam (TV Episode 2019)
• "Mr. Robot" 404 Not Found (TV Episode 2019)
• "Fuller House" Ready Player Fuller (TV Episode 2019)
• "Young Sheldon" Contracts, Rules and a Little Bit of Pig Brains (TV Episode 2020)
• "Coronation Street" Episode #1.10000 (TV Episode 2020)
• "Amazing Stories" The Heat (TV Episode 2020)
• "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" The One Where We're Trapped on TV (TV Episode 2020)
• "Euphoria" Trouble Don't Last Always (TV Episode 2020)
• "Last Man Standing" Meatless Mike (TV Episode 2021)
• "NCIS: New Orleans" Once Upon a Time & Choices (Both TV Episodes 2021)
• "Dynasty" Everything Looks Wonderful, Joseph (TV Episode 2021)
• Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas (2021)
• "9-1-1" In Another Life (TV Episode 2023)

As ingrained as the movie is in most people’s minds, not everybody can remember the details exactly….

"Lou Grant" - Libel (TV Episode 1980)
Lou recalled Janet Hart starring in "It's a Wonderful Town" with James Stewart. Donovan tells him that the film was called "It's a Wonderful Life" and starred Donna Reed.

“Beverly Hills 90210” – It’s A Totally Happening Life (TV Episode 1992)
I don’t know who the blonde girl was in this scene – I didn’t watch this show.  But she must have been the cliché of a true blonde – she thought the star of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ was Cary Grant.

We've got one last post for this celebration of the latest member of the TVXOHOF.

And as with the first post, I'm dedicating this to my sister Leah.  (She's also my goddaughter.)  "It's A Wonderful Life" is her favorite movie....