It turns out that the characters in your favorite TV shows and the like are actually dead, dreaming, dying or don't exist.
AI Summary
# Stuff You Should Know Episode Summary
Josh and Chuck dive into a wild collection of TV fan theories that'll make you want to rewatch your favorite shows—like the mind-bending idea that Saved by the Bell is actually Zach Morris daydreaming in Indiana, complete with proof hidden in the theme song lyrics and the impossible SAT score. They explore everything from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air being a journey through the afterlife to Gilligan's Island representing the seven deadly sins (which the creator actually confirmed!), plus some genuinely disturbing theories about beloved shows like Garfield and Scooby-Doo that might ruin or enhance your nostalgia depending on how you look at it.
Movies Discussed
30 Rock
"And he was on 30 Rock. Any show he pops up on, he's obviously in the same universe as St. Elsewhere. — John Munch's final mentioned appearance, showing how his character connects disparate shows to the Tommy Westfall Universe."
— Chuck
AfterMASH
"You can't say the A-team were always getting in these crazy adventures like they were hired to each one. — Used as comparison to explain why Murder, She Wrote fan theory makes more sense than random adventures."
— Josh
Breaking Bad
"There is a theory that the blue meth from breaking bad is what caused the zombie outbreak in the walking dead. — Fan theory connecting Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead through the blue methamphetamine."
— Josh
Cheers
"Some of the doctors from St. Elsewhere went to Cheers one time. So that means Cheers is in Tommy Westfall's mind. — Part of the Tommy Westfall Universe theory where multiple shows are connected through character crossovers."
— Josh
Doctor Who
"The TARDIS is in the Hanger Bay of the ship Red Dwarf. That means Doctor Who is in Tommy Westfall's mind. — Final connection showing how even Doctor Who is part of the Tommy Westfall Universe."
— Josh
Firefly
"Whelan Utani made tech on the TV show Firefly. Firefly is in Tommy Westfall's mind as well. — Another show connected to the Tommy Westfall Universe through the Whelan Utani company."
— Josh
Frasier
"Frasier was a spin off of Cheers. That means Frasier isn't real. — Continuation of Tommy Westfall Universe theory explaining how Frasier is also in the autistic boy's imagination."
— Chuck
Gilligan's Island
"Gilligan's Island is hell, or at least in purgatory. Each character represents one of the seven deadly sins. — Discussion of fan theory that the shipwreck caused everyone to drown and they're in hell with each character representing a sin."
— Chuck
Good Morning, Miss Bliss
"Pre-Saved by the Bell, there was a TV show called Good Morning, Miss Bliss. It was unbearably bad. — The precursor show to Saved by the Bell, featuring the same character Zach Morris in Indiana before his transformation."
— Josh
Homicide: Life on the Street
"John Munch was Belzer's character on Homicide Life on the Street. That was apparently a spin-off from St. Elsewhere. — Discussion of John Munch's character who appears across multiple shows, connecting them all to St. Elsewhere."
— Josh
Law & Order
"Munch was on Law and Order. He was on 30 Rock. — More appearances of John Munch character linking Law & Order to the Tommy Westfall Universe."
— Chuck
M*A*S*H
"Same with M.A.S.H. too. When you fly into LA, you can see the helicopter in the opening montage. — Discussion of how M.A.S.H. opening helicopter footage was actually filmed in California mountains, not Korea."
— Chuck
Murder, She Wrote
"Murder She Wrote. She was really a serial killer because you never found out what happened to her husband. — Discussed as an example of a bad fan theory, though the hosts acknowledge it has some supporting evidence."
— Josh
Red Dwarf
"Whelan Utani ship was in a spaceship graveyard on Red Dwarf. The TARDIS is in the Hanger Bay of Red Dwarf. — Connections showing how Red Dwarf, Doctor Who, and Firefly are all linked in the Tommy Westfall Universe."
— Josh
Saved by the Bell
"We'll start with Saved by the Bell. The granddaddy of fan theories. — The hosts discuss the famous fan theory that Saved by the Bell is Zach Morris's daydream fantasy while he's in Indiana at John F. Kennedy Jr. High."
— Chuck
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
"Scooby-Doo takes place after the world economy has shattered. Everything's abandoned and run down. — Fan theory that the show is set in a post-apocalyptic world where skilled people commit crimes out of desperation."
— Chuck
St. Elsewhere
"St. Elsewhere was very famous for its ending in a snow globe held by a boy. All 137 episodes took place in Tommy Westfall's mind. — Discussion of the famous ending where the entire hospital drama is revealed to be the imagination of an autistic boy."
— Josh
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
"In Star Trek six, the undiscovered country, when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains however improbable must be the truth. — Referenced to discuss fan theory that Spock is related to Sherlock Holmes based on a quote from The Sign of Four."
— Chuck
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
"Angel, Josh Whedon's Angel. Whelan Utani, a tech company, appears in Angel and also in Firefly. — Part of the Tommy Westfall Universe theory showing connections between Joss Whedon shows."
— Chuck
The Andy Griffith Show
"Andy Griffith is the pre-apocalyptic world that leads into Star Trek. — Fan theory that the Star Trek episode M.I.R.I. takes place on Mayberry, the setting of Andy Griffith Show, in post-apocalyptic times."
— Chuck
The Flintstones
"The Flintstones and the Jetsons take place at the exact same time. The Flintstones are actually set in a post-apocalyptic future. — Fan theory that The Flintstones depicts post-apocalyptic Earth below a smog line while The Jetsons live above it."
— Josh
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the theory is that he was actually killed during this fight and everything else is his journey in the afterlife. — Fan theory that Will Smith's character died in the opening fight and everything after is the afterlife."
— Josh
The Jetsons
"The Jetsons take place at the exact same time as The Flintstones, built in the clouds above a smogline. — Fan theory that The Jetsons live above the smog line in wealthy Orbit City while The Flintstones survive below in post-apocalyptic Earth."
— Josh
The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones
"There was a movie called The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, and George Jetson visits the past. — Movie that somewhat undermines the simultaneous timeline theory by showing George visiting the past."
— Josh
The John Larroquette Show
"The John Larroquette Show, John Larroquette's character called in to Frasier's talk show. — Another connection in the Tommy Westfall Universe linking The John Larroquette Show to St. Elsewhere."
— Josh
The Parent Trap
"The actress who played the two twins in the original Parent Trap was Hayley Mills. — Mentioned as a reference to the actress Hayley Mills who appeared in Good Morning, Miss Bliss."
— Chuck
The Sign of Four
"That quote was from Sherlock Holmes himself from the sign of four from an 1890 book. — Referenced as the source of the logical reasoning quote attributed to Spock in Star Trek."
— Josh
The Walking Dead
"The blue meth from breaking bad is what caused the zombie outbreak in the walking dead. — Fan theory suggesting the blue meth from Breaking Bad caused the zombie apocalypse in The Walking Dead."
— Josh
The Wire
"He was on The Wire. And he was on 30 Rock. — John Munch's character appearances connecting various shows to the Tommy Westfall Universe."
— Chuck
The X-Files
"Munch popped up on X-Files and that was Fox. He was on The Wire. — Multiple appearances of John Munch across different networks and shows, linking them to the Tommy Westfall Universe."
— Chuck
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