Summary

• Missed Opportunities: Many exciting TV crossover ideas never made it to the screen due to budget, time, and feasibility constraints.
• Lost Potential: Characters like Dr. House and Dr. Cox or Sherlock and the Doctor could have created intriguing and entertaining crossovers.
• Imaginative Pairings: Fans missed out on the chance to see beloved characters from different shows come together in exciting storylines.

The TV crossover episode can be one of the most exciting events to occur on the small screen. Watching as worlds collided and characters from completely different series interacted with one another can be a fascinating and thrilling prospect, but for every crossover episode that did happen, there was another even grander and more ambitious melding of worlds that sadly had to remain in viewers' heads. From sitcoms to supernatural dramas, there were countless candidates for exciting crossovers, but due to issues of budget, time, and simple force of will, not every great idea for a crossover became a reality.

With so many beloved characters throughout the television landscape, any number of combinations can be made to create an interesting and unique crossover episode. To watch similar characters from different shows, such as the ladies’ men Joey Tribbiani from Friends and Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother share dating tips was a strong concept that, unfortunately, never made it to the writer’s room. There were plenty of dream TV crossovers that, although they would have made enjoyable viewing, never took place.

10 Scrub Up For House

Scrubs (2001 – 2010) & House (2004 – 2012)

The medical sitcom Scrubs was no stranger to crossovers as the nurse Laverne even showed up on Malcolm in the Middle, but one unmade crossover that would have been a treat was if Dr. Gregory House showed up to solve some medical mysteries at the Sacred Heart Hospital. As a sarcastic, stubborn, and single-minded doctor, to see how House would have stood up to Dr. Cox, went over chief of medicine Bob Kelso’s head, and been eternally frustrated by J.D., would have been a thrilling site. A missed opportunity, this crossover would have provided the best medicine, some serious laughs.

How House would have stood up to Dr. Cox, went over chief of medicine Bob Kelso’s head, and been eternally frustrated by J.D.

9 What’s The Deal With Paddy’s Pub?

Seinfeld (1989 – 1998) & It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005 – Present)

While crossover with Curb Your Enthusiasm, so although unlikely, it was never totally out of the question. To see Charlie with Kramer or Dee with Elaine, there’s no telling what kind of insane antics the disparate characters could get up to if given the opportunity.

8 Mulder And Scully Stuck In The Upside Down

The X-Files (1993 – 2002, 2016 – 2018) & Stranger Things (2016 – Present)

The sinister supernatural otherworldly dimension of the Upside Down seen in Stranger Things would be right at home in the world FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from The X-Files. Although the two series were set in different time periods, stranger things have happened than time travel on both shows, and it would have been a delight to witness how Mulder and Scully would deal with a visit to the Upside Down. No stranger to government conspiracies, the duo could have been important allies for Eleven after escaping from experimental government facility she had been kept in.

7 How I Met Your Mother Make Some New Friends

Friends (1994 – 2004) & How I Met Your Mother (2005 – 2014)

Just one year after Friends concluded its run as the most popular sitcom of all time, How I Met Your Mother premiered and filled the gap that was sorely left by Central Perk coffee-drinking pals. While the story Joey Tribbiani continued on the short-lived and disappointing spin-off series Joey, a better idea would have been to have him show up at MacLaren's Pub in How I Met Your Mother. A storyline that involved Joey and Barney Stinson in competition for the same girl would have made hilarious viewing and gone down as one of the most ingenious of comedy crossovers.

Joey and Barney Stinson in competition for the same girl would have made hilarious viewing.

6 The Office Park

The Office (2005 – 2013) & Parks and Recreation (2009 – 2015)

While Parks and Recreation was first envisioned as a spin-off of The Office it was soon developed into a stand-alone series and sadly the Pawnee Parks Department never had any dealings with the employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Despite this, an imagined meeting between Leslie Knope and Michael Scott would have been a match made in heaven and a storyline involving the development of Scranton public park could have easily brought these two worlds together. Just envisioning how Ron Swanson and Dwight Schrute would have reacted to one another already brought up a world of possibilities.

5 Ash Vs The Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003) & Ash vs Evil Dead (2015 – 2018)

Throughout Ash vs Evil Dead and its preceding film series, Ash Williams was consistently subjected to supernatural threats and otherworldly foes who had emerged from the Necronomicon book of the dead. This highly unpredictable world had a lot in common with the challenges faced by Buffy Summer in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the two would have made an excellent crossover. Perhaps Ash could have been taught the way of the Watchers and, similar to Giles, act as a temporary guide and role model to a young Buffy as she discovered her true destiny.

4 Holmes And The Time Lord

Doctor Who (1963 – Present) & Sherlock (2010 – 2017)

The contemporary adventures of Sherlock Holmes seen in BBC’s mystery series Sherlock and the time travel thrills of Doctor Who were both written at one point by Steven Moffat, and it was disappointing that during his tenure on both series the two characters did not meet. The insightful genius of Sherlock and the impulsive excitement of the Doctor would be a compelling double act if the two were embroiled in their own science-fiction mystery adventure together. While the Doctor has had many challenging companions over the years, Sherlock would likely have given him a run for his money.

3 Steven In The Land of Ooo

Adventure Time (2010 – 2018) & Steven Universe (2013 – 2019)

Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar got her start as a writer and artist on the Cartoon Network series Adventure Time and it would have been a fantastic experience to watch these two insanely creative worlds come together. A thrilling concept for a crossover, Steven could have entered the Land of Ooo in a battle against a wayward gem and encounter Finn and Jake on his quest to return to Beach City. Adventure Time and Steven Universe utilized music incredibly well and a crossover song sung by all the main characters would been a highlight on both shows.

2 Dexter Morgan’s Meth-Maker Murder

Dexter (2006 – 2013) & Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)

One thrilling way to bring the crime-filled worlds of Dexter and Breaking Bad together would have been if the serial killer with a code Dexter Morgan set his sights on the drug kingpin Walter White. Sadly, this crossover never happened but Walt’s excessive list of horrible crimes meant he would have no doubt met the criteria to end up a victim on wrapped in plastic in Dexter’s kill room. Although Walt’s clever nature meant he would have likely escaped, and this crossover could have turned into a clever game of cat and mouse between the two anti-heroes.

1 “Diane, 11:30 AM, February 24th. Entering Wisteria Lane”

Twin Peaks (1991 – 1992, 2017) & Desperate Housewives (2004 – 2012)

One television series that would never have existed without Twin Peaks was the soap opera-styled melodrama Desperate Housewives, both of which featured Kyle MacLachlan in a major role. However, this would not exclude the two shows from a crossover as Twin Peaks was no strange to doppelgängers as Special Agent Dale Cooper learned in Twin Peaks: The Return. With MacLachlan as both Cooper and Orson Hodge, this sadly unmade crossover could have seen the FBI agent investigating the mysterious goings-on of the always eventful Wisteria Lane.