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[Ecotic]

So tonight I was watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns on Nick at Nite and I had caught the episode where George and Louise Jefferson attend marriage counseling with Will and Lisa. Now, this crossover was known to me since I was a child, but it's led me to investigate just how many shows The Fresh Prince shares the same fictional universe with as a consequence of this appearance. I've investigated to the best of my ability just how large the fictional universe is, but with so many shows I could easily be missing a key crossover that could expand the universe even further.

Let's start with The Jeffersons crossover. Later The Jeffersons cast makes a second appearance on the show during the finale and buy Uncle Phil's Bel-Air mansion. The Diff'rent Strokes cast also appears in this episode as prospective buyers:

The count of shows sharing the same fictional universe: 3

The Jeffersons however, was a spin-off of All in the Family. All in the Family also had the following spin-offs (and spin-offs of spin-offs):

Archie Bunker's Place
Maude
Good Times
Checking In
Gloria
704 Hauser
Hanging In
Mr. Dugan (cancelled after pilot)

The count: 12

George Jefferson also made an appearance on many other shows. He appeared on E/R starring George Clooney (This one, the 1980's show). George also appeared on Tyler Perry's House of Payne in an episode, which means The Jeffersons and House of Payne now shares its fictional universe, which includes the spin-off Meet the Browns.

The count: 15

Diff'rent Strokes had its own spin-off, The Facts of Life, and had crossovers with Silver Spoons and Hello, Larry.

The count: 18

But wait, Carlton and Ashley Banks guest star on In the House, which also ran on NBC at the time (youtube clip). Hilary Banks also appears in an episode of Out All Night (imdb episode link).

The count: 20

Now, it gets even more complicated. NBC aired the show Blossom at the same time as The Fresh Prince and the two shows crossed over. Both Will and Hillary Banks made appearances on the show.

The count: 21

Blossom however, critically had its own crossover with the character Sophia Petrillo from The Golden Girls, which means the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air now shares the same fictional universe as The Golden Girls! The Golden Girls also has its own 2 spin-offs:

The Golden Palace
Empty Nest (a show which had its own spin-off Nurses)

The count: 25

This marks the end of the undisputed links between The Fresh Prince and other shows. However, there is one debatable crossover. Uncle Phil did make a cameo on Family Matters (video), although it's questionable if he was playing Uncle Phil or the actor James Avery. If he was playing Uncle Phil, then The Fresh Prince would share the same fictional universe as Family Matters, a show which was a spin-off of Perfect Strangers and had crossovers with the following shows:

Full House (and therefore Fuller House and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper)
Step by Step
Meego
Boy Meets World (and therefore Girl Meets World)

If this crossover with Family Matters is legitimate then it definitely melds The Fresh Prince with Boy Meets World and therefore Girl Meets World. This is because Steve Urkel and Corey Matthews are pen-pals. This would mean The Fresh Prince shares the same fictional universe as the modern Disney Channel universe, with possibly dozens of shows. Here's the full list.

Possible count: 55 minimum

What's amazing about all these links is you have the same fictional characters crossing over between major rival networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, and Disney), sometimes inadvertently. Even without the Family Matters link this is a bizarrely huge, accidental fictional universe.

Is any fictional universe larger, in terms of interweaving between many differently produced and largely independent material, and spanning multiple rival media companies?

 

[ascii42]

I was thinking Law and Order through John Munch

Munch has become the only fictional character, played by a single actor, to physically appear on 10 different television series. These shows were on five different networks: NBC (Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, and 30 Rock); Fox (The X-Files and Arrested Development); UPN (The Beat); HBO (The Wire) and ABC (Jimmy Kimmel Live!). Munch has been one of the few television characters to cross genres, appearing not only in crime drama series, but sitcom (Arrested Development), late night comedy (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) and horror and science fiction (The X-Files).

But I think you've got me beat.

 

[RadioJoNES64]

What the fuck.

Better response, I consider myself a family matters efficiado and was unaware of the boy meets world cross over. I would also debunk the fresh prince cross over because the little adopted kid near the end of the series jokes that Carl looks like Uncle Phil. Oddly enough, I also recall Will jokingly referring to Uncle Phil as Carl Winslow.

 

[ST2K]

I was thinking Law and Order through John Munch



But I think you've got me beat.

Law & Order itself also crosses over into other shows (Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, In Plain Sight, and every Law & Order spinoff).

That's the closest I'm aware of as well.

 

[Dali]

The family matters connection is a stretch. He wasn't playing a role. He even waived to the audience. Plus uncle Phil wouldn't wear that.

 

[sprsk]

Yo stop what you're doing before you open a portal to another dimension with this shit.

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

The president of the United States is in this shared universe.

 

[SpaceWolf]

Factually incorrect.

The largest TV universe would be the Tommy Westphalll Universe.

 

[ascii42]

Factually incorrect.

The largest TV universe would be the Tommy Westphalll Universe.

Right, yeah. My answer of Law & Order would be a part of that.

 

[Shaanyboi]

St Elsewhere tho

 

[Blues1990]

Where's Rick when you need him?

 

[MCN]

Factually incorrect.

The largest TV universe would be the Tommy Westphalll Universe.

So all of Star Trek is in Tommy Westphall's mind?

 

[Sinfamy]

How many hours did this research take?

 

[Ecotic]

Factually incorrect.

The largest TV universe would be the Tommy Westphalll Universe.

This is the first I've heard of this, but this can't be right. I mean I'm looking at the 'master list' and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alf, The Andy Griffith Show, and Seinfeld can't exist in the same fictional universe. I don't know what mental contortions are behind such a grouping.

 

[Thornton Reed]

It's st elsewhere. Pretty sure the fresh prince is actually in that universe

 

[Thornton Reed]

This is the first I've heard of this, but this can't be right. I mean I'm looking at the 'master list' and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alf, The Andy Griffith Show, and Seinfeld can't exist in the same fictional universe. I don't know what mental contortions are behind such a grouping.

For example. X files and Malcom in the middle are connected through the same fictional cigarette brand

 

[Jintor]

Fresh princes crosses into real world via 4th wall breakage

leaving that aside, i think St Elsewhere might be a good one. I understand not only does it crossover with something like 40 shows, but since St Elsewhere turned out to be all just a dream, every tv universe it crossed over with (and every universe they crossed over with) must also likewise just be a dream. fitting.

leaving that aside, i think Super Sentai shows all canonically take place in the same universe, so probably that.

 

[WedgeX]

Detective John Munch by himself has the largest personal fictional universe, not counting times that the shows he's appeared in has crossed over with others:

Homicide Life on the Street
Law & Order + SVU + Trial by Jury
The Brady Bunch (so also Gilligan's Island and I Dream of Jeannie)
The Wire
The X Files (so also the Lone Gunmen and the Simpsons)
Sesame Street (so also the Muppets and associated)
Paris Criminal Inquires
30 Rock
Arrested Development
The Beat
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
not to mention real life (Jimmy Kimmel)

 

[vikki]

I didn't remember Sherman playing George on the show, just him playing Uncle Phil's rival judge. But I looked it up and he appears in five different episodes as either the judge or George Jefferson.

Also, if Fresh Prince is connected to all of those shows, doesn't that mean all of those shows share the largest fictional universe? You can't be counting shows that the Fresh Prince never showed up in if you don't do so for the other shows as well.

 

[Thornton Reed]

 

[Apathy]

Factually incorrect.

The largest TV universe would be the Tommy Westphalll Universe.

Correct answer

 

[Jorok Goldblade]

Factually incorrect.

The largest TV universe would be the Tommy Westphalll Universe.

Yup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCeZbrvvDmc

 

[LordRaptor]

Detective John Munch by himself has the largest personal fictional universe, not counting times that the shows he's appeared in has crossed over with others:

Homicide Life on the Street
Law & Order + SVU + Trial by Jury
The Brady Bunch (so also Gilligan's Island and I Dream of Jeannie)
The Wire
The X Files (so also the Lone Gunmen and the Simpsons)
Sesame Street (so also the Muppets and associated)
Paris Criminal Inquires
30 Rock
Arrested Development
The Beat
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
not to mention real life (Jimmy Kimmel)

Also Luther

 

[Grizzlyjin]

Also Luther

I was just about to post that lol

 

[jwk94]

Factually incorrect.

The largest TV universe would be the Tommy Westphalll Universe.

Came in here to say this lol

 

[Apt101]

This is kind of insane.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Where's Norfair?

 

[jwk94]

Fresh princes crosses into real world via 4th wall breakage

leaving that aside, i think St Elsewhere might be a good one. I understand not only does it crossover with something like 40 shows, but since St Elsewhere turned out to be all just a dream, every tv universe it crossed over with (and every universe they crossed over with) must also likewise just be a dream. fitting.

leaving that aside, i think Super Sentai shows all canonically take place in the same universe, so probably that.

Hell you might as well lump in Kamen Rider, Metal Hero and Ultraman due to their crossovers.

 

[TissueBox]

Great dissection lol!

 

[Ecotic]

Okay the Tommy Westphall hypothesis is most definitely mind-blowing and now I'm going to be fascinated with learning all about it for days. The theory has some obvious flaws though. For starters the ending to St. Elsewhere itself is open to interpretation.

Secondly the theory also overreaches in trying to ensnare too much that isn't directly connected by more tangible things like the same fictional character in two or more series. Anyone who has had statistics knows that remarkable coincidences happen quite regularly. People regularly win the lottery twice despite million to one odds. For example, referencing Yoyodyne doesn't necessarily mean anything. It could just be a remarkable coincidence and the burden of proof should lie with the Tommy Westphall hypothesis to prove that the Yoyodyne of one series is definitively the Yoyodyne from another fictional universe.

The Yoyodyne reference then leads to ensnaring the show Angel and its in-series law firm Wolfram and Hart. Wolfram and Hart then had a client named Weyland-Yutani which ensares the Alien and Predator series. Again, it could just be a coincidence that there's a Weyland-Yutani in the Angel series and it's not the Weyland-Yutani of the Alien series.

Also just because one series references another series does not mean they are linked! Does Joss Whedon putting Weyland-Yutani as a business in the Buffyverse mean the Aliens series now belongs within it? Obviously no, unless the creator and owner of the Aliens series were to specifically say so.

 

[manzoman96]

I'm definitely keeping my eye on this thread! Why have I never heard of this Tommy Westphall universe before but I always hear about a billion pixar universe theories.

 

[mhayes86]

Where's Norfair?

Oh, good. I'm not the only one who saw that!

 

[LordRaptor]

Also just because one series references another series does not mean they are linked! Does Joss Whedon putting Weyland-Yutani as a business in the Buffyverse mean the Aliens series now belongs within it? Obviously no, unless the creator and owner of the Aliens series were to specifically say so.

Writers who are aware of the St Elsewhere universe deliberately throw in easter eggs to put their work into that universe - like, the Luther shout out to Munch is because the writer of Luther is aware of the Munchverse and wanted to add to that.

 

[Rymuth]

I was thinking Law and Order through John Munch



But I think you've got me beat.

Munch was even mentioned on the UK show, Luther

 

[AMUSIX]

To add to the tommy westphall universe, there is a small chanc that it also contains the entire MCU...

 

[oneils]

Dude, great fucking post. You just blew my mind.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

The real world is part of the Tommy Westphall universe.

 

[airmangataosenai]

I feel like back in the old days, all ABC shows were obligated to do a cross over of some kind eventually in their run. I am sure there are some insane links there as well.

 

[GaijinZero]

While I applaud and commend you, please, for the love of God, go outside now and get some fresh air. I can't believe you've been able to link all these series together. I can only imagine your bedroom wall at this point

 

[Plumbob]

Factually incorrect.

The largest TV universe would be the Tommy Westphalll Universe.

The issue with this theory is that if St. Elsewhere is in Tommy's mind, he could have drawn elements or characters for it from anywhere, including other TV shows. Referring to a work of art does not include it in the universe (e.g. Star Wars in Captain America).

Also two shows sharing the same cigarette brand is a bit of a stretch. That seems more like an Easter Egg.

 

[Epsilon-delta]

It's St Elsewhere, since the Fresh Prince universe is in there as well.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

It probably doesn't count because it's animated, but you could probably count a huge amount of crossovers with the Simpsons.

 

[Fox Mulder]

I love this kind of shit.

 

[biggersmaller]

Any show that breaks the 4th wall has the largest, as it includes the real world, fiction created by said world, and the actual universe itself.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Factually incorrect.

The largest TV universe would be the Tommy Westphalll Universe.

Correct

Tommy Westphall universe is the best

 

[excelsiorlef]

Okay the Tommy Westphall hypothesis is most definitely mind-blowing and now I'm going to be fascinated with learning all about it for days. The theory has some obvious flaws though. For starters the ending to St. Elsewhere itself is open to interpretation.

Secondly the theory also overreaches in trying to ensnare too much that isn't directly connected by more tangible things like the same fictional character in two or more series. Anyone who has had statistics knows that remarkable coincidences happen quite regularly. People regularly win the lottery twice despite million to one odds. For example, referencing Yoyodyne doesn't necessarily mean anything. It could just be a remarkable coincidence and the burden of proof should lie with the Tommy Westphall hypothesis to prove that the Yoyodyne of one series is definitively the Yoyodyne from another fictional universe.

The Yoyodyne reference then leads to ensnaring the show Angel and its in-series law firm Wolfram and Hart. Wolfram and Hart then had a client named Weyland-Yutani which ensares the Alien and Predator series. Again, it could just be a coincidence that there's a Weyland-Yutani in the Angel series and it's not the Weyland-Yutani of the Alien series.

Also just because one series references another series does not mean they are linked! Does Joss Whedon putting Weyland-Yutani as a business in the Buffyverse mean the Aliens series now belongs within it? Obviously no, unless the creator and owner of the Aliens series were to specifically say so.

Could be buy it isn't.

It's all connected man.

Westphall is a TV god. Creating his people for our benefit.

 

[Isotropy]

Now for the big money - have any of these shows ever alluded to any videogame characters being real?

We need an entry point.

Then we can find out which Donkey Kong timeline the Brady Bunch Variety Hour was a part of.

 

[nekkid]

The issue with this logic, OP, is that you inevitably end up having someone playing themselves. Once you do that you also include the whole actual universe into the show's universe.

 

[Jintor]

The issue with this logic, OP, is that you inevitably end up having someone playing themselves. Once you do that you also include the whole actual universe into the show's universe.

fresh prince already takes place in a studio!

 

[nekkid]

fresh prince already takes place in a studio!

Damn this show is so good.