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Crossovers have been around almost as long as television itself. Either for artistic reasons or financial ones, network executives have leapt at the chance to cross-promote their shows. Whether it was the Jetsons meeting the Flintstones or Jessica from "New Girl" running into Jake from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," writers have always found ways to shoehorn characters from one TV show into another. But just because they made it happen doesn't mean it was successful.
For every TV crossover that worked, there are several others that came across as puzzling, contrived, or money-grubbing. At the end of the day, many crossovers are meant to serve as free promotional material for another show on the same network, whether there's any logical connection between the two or not. This has led to some truly head-scratching crossovers over the years, with some ranking among the absolute worst episodes of whatever show they're a part of.
Here are the 15 worst TV crossover episodes, ranked.
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15. Murder, She Wrote / Magnum, P.I.
While most TV crossovers occur within a single series, "Magnum, P.I." and "Murder, She Wrote" stretched theirs across both shows, requiring audiences to tune into a two-part story. In the Season 7 "Magnum, P.I." episode "Novel Connection," mystery writer and sleuth Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) arrives in Hawaii to investigate an attempt on the life of Magnum's (Tom Selleck) right-hand man, Higgins (John Hillerman). This was followed four nights later by the third season "Murder, She Wrote" installment "Magnum on Ice," in which Jessica must help clear the mustachioed private eye's name when he's framed for murder.
As far as crossovers go, this one is inoffensive, albeit strange. There's no real connection between the two shows, aside from the fact that both center on CBS crime-solving protagonists. Perhaps executives thought spreading a crossover across two shows airing on different nights would boost ratings, because there's little other explanation for why Jessica Fletcher paid a visit to Thomas Magnum.
14. St. Elsewhere / Cheers
For such a serious show, "St. Elsewhere" wasn't above the occasional flight of fancy. Take, for instance, the Season 3 episode "Cheers," which finds Drs. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders), Daniel Auschlander (Norman Lloyd), and Mark Craig (William Daniels) grabbing a beer at — where else? — the place where everybody knows your name. During their visit, the top surgeons from Boston teaching hospital St. Eligius trade quips with Norm Peterson (George Wendt), Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger), and Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman), who has a few complaints for Dr. Craig about the treatment she received during the birth of her second child.
Suffice it to say, it's bizarre seeing the cast of "Cheers" tell jokes without a laugh track. It's even stranger to watch Westphall, Auschlander, and Craig debate the meaning of life and weigh their futures in such an iconic sitcom setting. To call this a clashing of tones and styles would be an understatement, and it feels like a weird attempt to bring a sense of whimsy to a realistic medical drama (or perhaps a sense of gravity to a multi-camera sitcom).
13. I Love Lucy / Superman
Crossovers date back to the earliest days of television, as "I Love Lucy" crossed over with none other than "Adventures of Superman." In the Season 6 episode "Lucy and Superman," Superman (George Reeves) is coming to town and Lucy (Lucille Ball) wants to get him to appear at Little Ricky's (Richard Keith) birthday party. When the Man of Steel can't make it, Lucy decides to surprise her son by dressing up as him and arriving at the party through the window. Of course, that's easier said than done, and Superman has to rescue Lucy when she gets trapped on the ledge.
"I Love Lucy" was always farcical, as Lucy went to great lengths to achieve stardom despite the protestations of her husband, Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz). Yet "Lucy and Superman" takes that to an even more absurd level, playing coy about whether viewers are watching actor George Reeves playing Superman or the actual Man of Steel. It's a bit of meta-comedy that's confusing enough to make your head spin, undermining the fragile reality that kept "I Love Lucy" grounded despite all the hijinks.
12. Alice / The Dukes of Hazzard
Of all the truly inexplicable crossovers in television history, few are as unjustifiable as when "The Dukes of Hazzard" invaded "Alice." In the Season 8 "Alice" episode "Mel Is Hogg-Tied," corrupt Georgia lawman Boss Hogg (Sorrell Brooke) travels all the way to Arizona to convince Mel (Vic Tayback) to sell his diner for $1. Hogg's loyal deputy Enos (Sonny Shroyer) is along for the cross country ride from Hazzard County.
What possible explanation could there be for "Alice" to cross over with "The Dukes of Hazzard"? The writers try to explain it by making Boss Hogg a distant cousin of Jolene Hunnicutt (Celia Weston), who joined the series after sassy waitress Flo (Polly Holliday) departed for her short-lived spinoff. But that's a real stretch, and it's even more unlikely that Hogg would make a long trek just to buy a diner in Arizona. It seems the only real justification was to boost ratings for both shows as they neared the ends of their runs in 1985.
11. Family Guy / The Simpsons
Among the most controversial episodes of "The Simpsons" was "A Star Is Burns," which served as a vehicle to promote "The Critic" after it moved from ABC to Fox. "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening was so outraged that he had his name removed from the episode's credits, yet it's a surprisingly seamless integration of the two animated programs. That's less true of the later crossover with "Family Guy," which finds the Griffins fleeing Quahog and winding up in Springfield. Although they're at first cordial, things turn sour when it's discovered that the Quahog Brewery has been imitating Duff Beer, leading to an epic fistfight between Homer (Dan Castellaneta) and Peter (Seth MacFarlane).
For some, "The Simpsons Guy" is among the 15 funniest episodes of "Family Guy." But for others, it's an unsuccessful attempt to blend two very different styles of humor into one. Whereas "Family Guy" is rude and crude, "The Simpsons" is sly and witty, and it's strange to see the latter engage in the type of vulgarity critics accused it of trafficking in during its early seasons. To its credit, the episode pokes fun at crossovers by having Fred Flintstone show up, but too many of the jokes feel like either fan service or cheap attempts to shock viewers, especially the "sexy" carwash scene with Homer and Peter decked out in cut-off jeans and white T-shirts.
10. Ultimate Spider-Man / Jessie
If there's one thing the crossover between "Jessie" and "Ultimate Spider-Man" proves, it's that not all kids shows are a good match. In the Season 3 "Ultimate Spider-Man" episode "Halloween Night at the Museum," Jessie Prescott (Debby Ryan) and the Ross kids take a museum tour on Halloween and end up in possession of a medieval sword that frees the supernatural supervillain Morgan le Fay from imprisonment. Jessie teams up with everyone's favorite web-slinger to keep le Fay from ruining Halloween with her evil plans.
The animated "Ultimate Spider-Man" was an attempt to bring a wise-cracking sense of fun to the Marvel superhero that would appeal to young viewers. That's a weird fit with the more sitcom-driven "Jessie," which takes a totally different comedic approach to its story of a young nanny caring for some rich kids. It also makes you wonder whether every other Disney Channel live-action sitcom has some strained connection to the MCU beyond sharing the same parent company.
9. Homicide: Life on the Street / St. Elsewhere
Before there was the MCU, there was the "St. Elsewhere" television universe. The NBC medical drama crossed over with several other TV shows, even after it left the airwaves in 1988. Ten years after its final season, "St. Elsewhere" was resuscitated thanks to "Homicide: Life on the Street," which shared a connection thanks to executive producer Tom Fontana. In the Season 6 episode "Mercy," St. Eligius physician Dr. Roxanne Turner (Alfre Woodard) is suspected of euthanizing a terminally ill patient, leading Baltimore homicide detectives Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher) and Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor) to debate the morality of her actions.
On its own, "Mercy" isn't a bad episode of "Homicide: Life on the Street," as evidenced by Woodard earning an Emmy nomination for her performance. But as a crossover, it raises a ton of questions. "St. Elsewhere" famously wrapped up with a twist ending revealing that the entire series existed within the imagination of Dr. Donald Westphall's (Ed Flanders) autistic son, Tommy, as represented by his toy snow globe. For many, this was a series finale that completely ruined the show, but more than that, it calls into question whether or not the shows it crossed-over with also took place inside Tommy's mind. Furthermore, since "Homicide" detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) later joined "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," does that mean its universe was also trapped inside that snow globe? Make it make sense!
8. iCarly / Pawn Stars
If ever there were two shows that shared almost zero audience overlap, it's "iCarly" and "Pawn Stars." So what possible reason was there to cross the two over? Perhaps Nickelodeon wanted to encourage teenagers to check out The History Channel. Or maybe they figured that by the time "iCarly" was hitting its sixth and final season, its audience was aging out of the shows adolescent hijinks.
In "iLost My Head in Vegas," Sam (Jennette McCurdy) gets word that her mom is being held in a Las Vegas jail and needs some bail money. Spencer (Jerry Trainor) gets the bright idea to pawn some of their possessions to raise the money, so Sam and Carly (Miranda Cosgrove) travel to Las Vegas and meet the "Pawn Stars" crew. The setup is flimsy at best, and it's even stranger considering "Pawn Stars" is a reality series that contrasts sharply with the multi-camera format of "iCarly."
7. Bones / Sleepy Hollow
"Bones" was never the most realistic show, but a two-part Halloween-inspired crossover with "Sleepy Hollow" stretched credulity to its breaking point. Things kick off in the Season 11 "Bones" episode "The Resurrection in the Remains," which finds Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) working with time-traveling investigator Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) and FBI Agent Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) to investigate an 18th-century murder. The crossover concludes in the Season 3 "Sleepy Hollow" episode "Dead Men Tell No Tales," in which Booth and Brennan use newfangled technology to solve the 200-year-old crime.
Even if "Bones" wasn't exactly a grounded police procedural, it still largely operated within the real world. Bringing in the mythical Ichabod Crane disrupts the show's universe too much, and ultimately it comes across as an attempt to use "Bones" to get more eyes on "Sleepy Hollow." Considering the supernatural series ended just one season later, that attempt appears to have been in vain.
6. Boy Meets World / Sabrina the Teenage Witch
At its best, "Boy Meets World" was a surprisingly nuanced and insightful look at adolescence geared towards young audiences. So it was shocking, to say the least, when the series jumped the shark with a two-part crossover featuring "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." In part one, "The Witches of Pennbrook," Jack (Matthew Lawrence) quite literally falls under the spell of a sorceress (Candace Cameron Bure). In part two, "No Guts, No Cory," Salem the Cat transports Cory (Ben Savage) back to the 1940s, where he's drafted into World War II before finding his way back to Topanga (Danielle Fishel).
While certainly a young adult sitcom, "Boy Meets World" dealt with some heavy issues that came along with growing up. Placing it within the magical world of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" felt like a compromise of that show's integrity, especially considering it came so late in its run. Although there might be witchcraft involved, there's nothing magical about this crossover.
5. The X-Files / Cops
There's a lot to praise about the Season 7 "X-Files" episode "X-Cops." Written by Vince Gilligan, it's a postmodern conceit built around constantly reminding viewers they're watching an episode of television. Self-conscious and self-reverential, it predicted the reality TV craze that would dominate the 21st century. In that same way, it presaged the wave of found footage horror films that helped make the genre faster and cheaper to produce, not to mention scarier. At the same time, it's an episode of "The X-Files" crossed-over with a vastly inferior TV show, "Cops."
In "X-Cops," Agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) are tracking down a monster that feeds on fear when they find themselves working alongside police officers and a production crew filming an episode of "Cops." While Mulder is a natural in front of the cameras, Scully is annoyed by their presence. The episode is filmed in the style of a "Cops" episode, complete with handheld cameras and jump cuts. It's an interesting concept, and the "X-Files" team pulls it off stylistically. Yet presenting the sci-fi series through a documentary lens strips away some of the mystery that made it so intriguing.
4. Blossom / The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
There were many times throughout its run when "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" jumped the shark, from the Donald Trump cameo to Chris Rock appearing in drag. It shouldn't be that surprising, considering the series showed a willingness to chase cross-promotion from the very beginning with a "Blossom" crossover. Since the two shows aired back-to-back for a time, Will Smith appeared as the Fresh Prince in the Season 2 "Blossom" episode "I'm with the Band," offering Blossom (Mayim Bialik) and her friends advice during a school band trip.
There's no real reason for The Fresh Prince to cut it up with Blossom, other than to remind viewers that they shouldn't change the channel so quickly. It made even less sense when Karyn Parsons popped up as her "Fresh Prince" character, Hilary Banks, in another Season 2 "Blossom" episode, "Wake Up Little Sister." But it's especially embarrassing to see Smith, who was on his way to becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, shamelessly debase himself for the sake of corporate synergy.
3. Mad About You / Seinfeld
NBC dominated the '90s with "Must See TV," a lineup that featured some of the best sitcoms ever made airing back-to-back on the same night. Among the jewels in its crown was "Seinfeld," which was used as a way to launch another "Must See TV" hit, "Mad About You." In the first season episode "The Apartment," newlywed Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser) decides it's time to finally let go of his bachelor pad, which is currently being sublet by a jittery eccentric named Kramer (Michael Richards). Desperate to fully let go of his past, Paul lets Kramer keep the apartment free of charge, which answers the longstanding question of how Jerry's (Jerry Seinfeld) serially unemployed neighbor can afford a one-bedroom apartment in New York City.
There are a ton of problems with this "Seinfeld"/"Mad About You" crossover, not least of which are the clashing comedic styles. While "Mad About You" was pitched as a small-scale romantic comedy, "Seinfeld" was more idiosyncratic, and Kramer was its quirkiest player. Worse still, the connection between the two shows is contradicted by George Costanza's (Jason Alexander) irritation over having to watch "Mad About You" with his fiancée, Susan (Heidi Swedberg), in the Season 7 "Seinfeld" episode "The Engagement." It makes you wonder what the point of the crossover was.
2. Bones / Family Guy
Bad as the "Bones" crossover with "Sleepy Hollow" was, it looks downright brilliant next to the inexplicable one with "Family Guy." In the Season 4 episode "The Critic in the Cabernet," the body of a wine critic is found inside a barrel of his favorite vintage, leading investigators to suspect he was killed for writing a bad review of the vineyard. Meanwhile, Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) decides the time is right to become a mother, and asks FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) to be the father.
All of this sounds like a typical "Bones" episode until Booth starts having hallucinations of "Family Guy" baby genius Stewie Griffin (Seth MacFarlane), who pops up at inopportune times. At first, it's easy to explain this away as Booth suffering from stress in his personal and professional life. Instead, it turns out the cartoon tyke is there to warn him about a brain tumor. Crossovers have always been a cheap promotional gimmick, but using one to explain a potentially life-threatening medical diagnosis feels especially misguided. It's especially galling considering audiences didn't exactly need a reminder to tune into "Family Guy."
1. Roseanne / Absolutely Fabulous
"Roseanne" had gone off the rails long before it crossed over with "Absolutely Fabulous," but that didn't make it any less tough to stomach. The final season, in which the Conners win the lottery and assimilate into the upper class, was so reviled that the series finale dismissed much of it as a fiction Roseanne devised to cope with the death of her husband, Dan (John Goodman). That despised twist ending was then retconned with the 10th season revival and "The Conners." Yet that final episode, long regarded as one of the worst series finales of all time, pales in comparison to what just might be the poorest crossover ever to air.
In "Satan, Darling," Roseanne and Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) explore Manhattan's Upper West Side and enjoy drinks with Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) from "Absolutely Fabulous." Later that night, Roseanne has a "Rosemary's Baby"-inspired nightmare about Darlene (Sara Gilbert) giving birth to Satan. What makes this crossover so awful is the same thing that made "Roseanne's" final season such a disappointment: a complete abandonment of the grounded, truthful examination of blue-collar life that made the show a groundbreaking success.
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