Shows set in the same universe like Grey's Anatomy and Station 19, the Arrowverse, and One Chicago can frequently crossover.

Crossovers between shows airing on different networks or taking place in incompatible universes are harder to pull off.

Now and then some can cut through the red tape and pull off a mindblowing crossover between shows we never thought could crossover.

More then previous Arrowverse crossovers, Crisis On Infinite Earths had a lot to prove. It had to top the previous crossovers. It had to be as epic as the comic it took inspiration from. 

Most of all, since Arrow was ending, it had to be a fitting swan song for Oliver Queen.

Great as it was seeing characters from all Arrowverse shows act together, those in charge of making Crisis on Infinite Earths rightly recognized this story needed to be bigger than just the Arrowverse.

They got characters from shows long over — Smallville, Birds of Prey, and Adam West's Batman — to make appearances.

Movie versions of Superman and The Flash showed up, which was surprising because tv verses are usually kept very separate from movie verses.

Best of all, Diggle and Mia accompanied Constantine on a journey to visit the Devil himself — Lucifer, as played by Tom Ellis.

Rumors of it leaked before The Flash Season 6 Episode 9, aired, but it didn't take away what it represented.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was epic enough to cross network lines. Also, even if we didn't know it, we needed to witness Lucifer mispronouncing Constantine's name.

Will the Arrowverse and Lucifer ever cross paths again? It's unknown, but knowing it could happen adds another layer of excitement and possibility to those shows. 

Lucifer isn't the only character who has made the perilous journey across network lines.

Community Season 2 Episode 9 mentioned Abed was watching Cougar Town.

Abed delivered a monologue about being an extra on Cougar Town on Community Season 2 Episode 19. It served as an unexpected vehicle for the exploration of Abed and Jeff's characters and as a payoff to the joke of Abed liking Cougar Town.

Only it wasn't the end of the connection between Community and Cougar Town.

On Community Season 2 Episode 24, Cougar Town actors Busy Philipps and Dan Byrd were spotted in the background of a crowd scene.

Then things really became meta on Cougar Town Season 2 Episode 21 when Danny Pudi, Abed's actor, could be seen sitting near Laurie and Travis until he suddenly makes a run for it.

Obviously (and delightfully), Pudi was playing Abed as an extra on Cougar Town.

These were only cameo appearances, but the crossover was amazing for a few reasons. It happened between two shows on rival networks. It showed the admiration both shows had for the other.

Plus, it was a prime example of how Community and Cougar Town go the extra mile to deliver payoffs to recurring jokes — making you appreciate both shows all the more.

Community and Cougar Town are very much distinct, unique shows, but they complement each other well.

Something I wouldn't think to apply to Bones and Sleepy Hollow until the two shows crossed over on Bones Season 11 Episode 5 and Sleepy Hollow Season 3 Episode 5. 

Bones takes its share of artistic liberties, but it's a drama centered around using science to solve crimes. Introducing the supernatural would break the rules embedded into the show.

Meanwhile, the supernatural is crucial to Sleepy Hollow. It is, after all, a show about Ichabod Crane waking up in the 21st century to stave off the apocalypse.

How do Bones and Sleepy Hollow crossover without ruining the way their universes work?

When the Bones characters were involved, the crossover did a good job teasing the supernatural without actually revealing the supernatural (and without making Brennan and Booth look stupid for not putting the pieces together).

As fun as it was too see Brennan, Booth, Ichabod, and Abby figure a way out of an Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom-like trap, what makes the crossover special are the character moments.

Brennan and Ichabod debated magic versus science and the pros and cons of mixing work with pleasure.

Booth and Abby bonded over their shared feelings about their jobs and their respective relationships with Sheriff Corbin.

Compelling character dynamics can make even the most unlikely of crossovers work. 

The only thing wilder than a crossover between a supernatural show and a non-supernatural show is a crossover between a live-action show and an animated show.

Supernatural proved it was up for the challenge when it crossed over with Scooby-Doo on Supernatural Season 13 Episode 16.

Supernatural balanced both the absurdity of Sam and Dean getting pulled into a Scooby-Doo episode and how freaking awesome it was for the out-of-the-blue (even for them) thing to happen.

It's an intriguing episode because it challenges the characters from both shows. Dean, Sam, and Cas need to adapt to being animated.

The Scooby gang gets confronted with heavier subject matter — like their mortality — than they're used to dealing with while solving mysteries.

It was also a hilarious and affectionate Scooby-Doo tribute.

The risk of doing a crossover with Scooby-Doo paid off for Supernatural.

What could have been a disaster made for a great TV episode and demonstrated how a live-action show could go animated without losing its identity.   

17 Songs We Hear on TV Over and Over Again

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Over to you, TV Fanatics!

Which TV crossovers caught you by surprise?

What shows do you think would make for an unexpectedly good crossover?

Hit the comments below.

You can watch The Flash online at TV Fanatic.

The post We Never Saw These TV Crossovers Coming, But They Changed Our Lives Forever appeared first on TV Fanatic.

When the high school gym floods, the cul de sac crew decides to let the kids have their prom at Gray's Pub. Laurie and Jules get all dressed up and excited, but everyone else is less than enthused. 

At prom, Jules and Laurie prepare for a spectacular evening, but Laurie looses her urge to party when Jules reminds her that she's a mom. 

Meanwhile, Andy remember his own prom, when he allowed his best friend to be pantsed in front of the entire school. When he overhears a group of jocks planning to pull the same prank, he enlists Ellie's help to ensure history doesn't repeat itself. 

In the back room, Grayson and Travis find two boys fighting over the same girl. They try to help solve the problem, but both of them take a different boy's side.

Laurie ends up bailing on Jules, who gets trapped inside a dance circle. 

Andy approaches the nerds at prom, quickly and efficiently sneaking them out of the dance for their own safety. Ellie goes after the cool kids, directing them out to the parking lot with fake promises of booze and cigarettes. 

Jules has a heart to heart with Laurie, who admits she is afraid of being a "party girl mom" like her mother was. 

Back with the boys, Grayson and Travis argue over who should get the girl, both bringing their personal bias into the mix. The kids solve the debate on their own, leaving the adults behind. 

On the dance floor, Andy notices one of the boys Grayon and Travis "helped" approaching a group of girls. The jocks behind him clearly plan to pants him, so Andy dives in to save him and ends up getting pantsed himself. The kids all laugh, but Ellie is proud of his sacrifice. 

The post Cougar Town Season 6 Episode 7 Recap: The Wild One, Forever appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Let's face it, prom night is normally a total bust. But when the cul de sac crew is chaperoning, there's no such thing as a bust! Unless you count Laurie's ridiculous hairstyle that is…

On Cougar Town Season 6 Episode 7, the group volunteers to host the local high school's prom in Gray's Pub after a hurricane decimates their gym.

As expected, most of the crew is less than enthused at the prospect of chaperoning. Laurie and Jules', however, are more than ready to party it up and relive their glory days. 

Jules: You know, since the day that we met, I spent most of my craziest times with you.

Laurie: Oh like the time we broke all the penises off the statues! Or when we went bar hopping and we stole that scary cop’s gun? Or when we broke into Tom’s house and we locked his girlfriend in the closet!

Jules: Wow, we sound totally insane when you string them all together.

_{🔗 permalink: Wow, we sound totally insane when you string the all together.}

The night takes an unexpected turn when Laurie remembers how her own mother partied her way through Laurie's childhood. While mama drama is never fun for anyone, Laurie did a particularly good job of tying in the troubles of her past to the troubles of her present. Hearing how turbulent her upbringing was, I couldn't help but sympathize with her fears of being a terrible mother herself. When you drink as much wine as these guys do, it's probably pretty hard to find the line between responsible parent and drunken party girl. 

Jules reassures her that having a good time doesn't make her a bad mom, and returning to your kid every night is half the fun anyway. I love the throwback moments with these two girls because it really reminds you how the show started off. 

They might be boring old moms together now, but there was a time when they were both pretty rowdy.

Travis and Grayson have their own bonding moment when they realize that they might be holding on a little too tight to their own high school baggage. A nerd will always be a nerd, and a cool kid will always be a cool kid, and you can pretty easily guess which guy falls into which category.

They both realize that their stereotypes won't keep them from being friends though, even if they're probably never going away. I think what I love most about this relationship is that Grayson never tries to be a dad with Travis. They're buddies, family, pals, and fellow wine drinkers, but they never push the stepfather vibe too much. 

Andy's subplot was probably the silliest, but it was also the funnest. Not only did we get a story about Andy's high school trauma, we got to hear Ellie's hilarious prom tale too. Even if Andy ended up getting de-pantsed in front of a bunch of teenagers, it was still a good night. 

Whose prom outfit did you like best? Did anyone's high school history surprise you?

Don't forget to watch Cougar Town online via TV Fanatic to catch all the prom poses! 

Quotables from Week Ending Feb. 12, 2015

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It's the time of the week to bring your attention to some of the most memorable quotes of the week!

This week Capt. Lance spoke from the heart to his remaining daughter on Arrow, The Big Bang Theory guys discussed the realities of celebrity and Lisbon likens her family to cavemen on the series finale of The Mentalist. 

To find out what else we have in store for you, just scroll through the slideshow and enjoy! 

Quotables from Week Ending Feb. 19, 2015

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The post Quotes of the Week: Francis Forbids, Sherlock Supposes and More! appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Grayson's bar closes down for the week due to termites, and Jules starts to wonder where he is going during his days instead.

Travis receives a baby gift of $300 from his old coworkers, and Andy convinces him to keep it a secret from Laurie so that he can spend the money on himself. 

Laurie finds out that matching mommy and baby outfits bother Ellie, so she starts dressing baby Bobby in them.

Andy teaches Travis that a man is only happy if his wife wins every fight. The secret to losing all the time is secret treats. Travis takes the advice to heart and uses the $300 on a PS4. He's less excited when he realizes he has no place he can play the game without Laurie finding out. 

Jules' curiosity gets the better of her, and she and Ellie end up going through Grayson's duffle bag for clues about where he goes during the day. 

Travis and Andy decide to hook up the PS4 in Grayson's fumigated bar. 

Jules follows Grayson and finds out that he's performing musical comedy in a nightclub. They get in a fight over who is more in the wrong: Grayson for lying or Jules for snooping.

Laurie tweets out to her many followers that they should all dress in matching outfits with their kids, and the neighborhood becomes a real life nightmare for Ellie. 

Jules finally apologizes to Grayson when she finds out that he only lied because she's such a bad secret keeper.

When Laurie finds out about the PS4, she more than understanding about it, which bums Andy out. 

The post Cougar Town Season 6 Episode 8 Recap: This One’s For Me appeared first on TV Fanatic.

I love it when sitcom characters have fake acting jobs. It's always so hilariously cheesy.

This week on Cougar Town Season 6 Episode 8, Grayson provides the cheese when Jules' finds out about his hidden stand up comedy quartet. 

It's a timeless tale; the boy lies, which causes the girl to snoop, and suddenly both parties are in the wrong. Personally, I think you never know what you're going to find when you go snooping through your significant other's stuff, so Jules' really took her life in her hands there.

Jules: At least none of these are weird sex things.

Tom: Uh, two of them can be.

Jules: Which one? No, I don’t want to know. It’s the fedora, right?

_{🔗 permalink: Which one? No, I don’t want to know. It’s the fedora, right?}

Jules' and Grayson's conflict was decidedly silly, but it was rooted in the deeper issue of him not trusting her with his secrets. Jules is a bit of a blabber mouth after all. I thought it was definitely a touching moment that she ended up lying for his dignity at the end of the episode, even if everyone could see right through her excuses. 

Even sillier than a Rigatoni Quartet, was Andy's concept of "secret treats" for men who always let their women win fights. A happy wife might make a happy home, but Andy might be kidding himself if he thinks stale marshmallows are the only thing keeping him sane.

Travis' secret PS4 purchase turns out to be way more stressful as a secret than an open admission, which is why he ends up telling Laurie about it. I'm not all that surprised that she wasn't angry with him, even after he lied. For all her hysterics, Laurie really seems like she'd be the most chill girlfriend/wife of the bunch. 

Ellie, the poor darling, spent most of the night being tormented by Laurie and her band of mommy twitter followers as they dressed up in identical outfits with their kids.

Laurie: We’re even wearing the same unisex cologne. “Both” by Bruce Jenner.

_{🔗 permalink: We’re even wearing the same unisex cologne. “Both” by Bruce Jenner.}

I have to side with Ellie on this one; matching outfits are weird and borderline bad parenting. I don't care if it's an Armani suit, if a kid rolls up wearing the same exact clothes as his mom, he's going to get beat up on the playground that afternoon. Harsh truth. 

Tonight's episode was a bit of ridiculous fun, which was an nice break from the slightly heavier episodes we've had the past few weeks. I'm all ready for more touching moments between our favorite characters, but every now and then you just need a good fluff episode. 

Don't forget to watch Cougar Town online via TV Fanatic to figure out where exactly Andy hides all his marshmallows and check in next week for a review of Cougar Town Season 6 Episode 9!

Quotables from Week Ending Feb. 19, 2015

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The post Cougar Town Season 6 Episode 8 Review: This One’s For Me appeared first on TV Fanatic.

It's that time of the week again!

Even with a relatively slow week on TV, our Fanatics still managed to find some great quotes. After all, Ra's al Ghul has something important to say to Oliver Queen on Arrow, Agent Carter went out with her head held high and Leonard was talking about love on The Big Bang Theory.

So flip around our slideshow and see what quotes made an impact on us this week!

Quotables from Week Ending Feb. 26, 2015

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The post Quotes of the Week: Oliver Begs, Harvey Professes and More! appeared first on TV Fanatic.

It's that time of the year again.

The time where television viewers around the nation wonder whether they'll be saying farewell to their favorite dramas or comedies for good come spring…

… or whether they'll be welcoming them back with open, excited arms in a few months.

From now until the network Upfronts in May, we'll be keeping you apprised of the fates of … well… pretty much every single show on TV, as the following photo gallery will accompany an endless number of renewal and cancelation articles.

2015-2016 Renewal Scorecard

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The statuses of these shows will be updated on a continual basis, but you can click around above and get an idea of where your most DVR-worthy programs stand.

Have they already received the axe? Have executives already passed along the news you've been dying to hear?

Find out now. Complain or cheer later.

The post Renewed or Canceled: What’s the Fate of Your Favorite Show? appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Some of our favorite TV characters, like Olivia Pope, are sophisticated, responsible drinkers. Others? Hahaha. Not so much.

Plus, red wine is basically cardio, so she's just eliminating the need for a swim sesh, right?

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, we thought we'd take a look at some of the TV characters who are seldom seen without an adult beverage in their hands.

Take a look at 17 TV characters who love to drink!

17 TV Characters Who Love to Drink

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From bourbon to beer and every alcoholic beverage in between, the above 17 characters are steady drinkers. Yes, even the animated characters!

What would Homer Simpson be without a can (or 12) of Duff beer? Is Archer EVER sober? 

Damon Salvatore and Alaric Saltzman have done so much drinking together on The Vampire Diaries that their bourbon swilling became a running gag. So what if it was noon on a Tuesday? You'd find them at the Grill knocking back tumblers of their favorite honey colored nectar. 

Damon drank to temper his, well, temper. Alaric had a lot of sorrows to drown. Dude was seriously the most unlucky character ever.

And let's not forget our wine lovers!

The girls of Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce make every occasion a drinking occasion, much like the ladies of Sex and the City did once upon a time. Their love of a good glass of grape juice is part of their charm.

How thorough was our list? Who's missing? Sound off in the comments below to let us know!

The post 17 TV Characters Who Love To Drink: Bring On the Bourbon! appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Are you looking to watch Cougar Town online? This is your chance to check out Cougar Town Season 6 Episode 13, the finale of the series.

The post Cougar Town Season 6 Episode 13: Full Episode Live! appeared first on TV Fanatic.