TV Does Groundhog Day: 24 Shows That Got Thrown for a (Time) Loop
Does Groundhog Day aka February 2 remind you of a certain Harold Ramis film starring a particularly beloved Ghostbuster? Same. But rewinds and replays happen all the time on the small screen as well, plopping favorite characters in perilous time loops that send them on missions to save family members, save themselves, avert tragedies and… defeat a monkey paw? Yes, that too.
From Mulder and Scully’s booming bank bomb and the Green Arrow‘s pre-Crisis test, to The Mindy Project‘s never-ending ride on the Hot Mess Express, time loops have become one of TV’s tried-and-true methods of storytelling.
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Team TVLine has picked 24 of the most memorable and twisted time loops that TV has thrown at us over the years. While some may have been comedic crests in a sea of larger storylines, others ended with devastating (read: fatal) consequences once the clock stopped rewinding. In a couple of cases (lookin’ at you, Russian Doll!), mind-bending loops comprise entire premises.
The attached gallery has it all, from witches (Charmed) and superheroes (Cloak & Dagger) to vampires (Angel) and not one but multiple Star Treks. Review our favorite time loop episodes in the gallery above — or click here for direct access — then tell us about the ones you remember best in the comments!
Stargate SG-1: Window of Opportunity. One of the best episodes of the series.
I was going to mention Stargate: SG-1’s Window of Opportunity, but you beat me to it! That one’s a classic.
Me too! I loved the times when Jack and Teal’c “take time off” during the cycles to do really funny things like hitting golf balls through the worm hole. One of the show’s best, indeed.
I was also going to mention that episode. Loved it! I especially liked the part when either Tealc or O’Neill (I forget which one) was steadily getting better at juggling.
Makes me want to watch Fringe and Person of Interest again.
I’m amazed that episode didn’t make the list. It’s perhaps not number one, but it’s certainly in the conversation for being number one.
Absolutely! That’s the very first example I thought of. Shocked it wasn’t on this list.
This has been added, by popular demand. –Mgmt.
Woo Hoo! Thank you!
I really usually don’t like that theme at all. Not even on Supernatural. But my favorite episodes of that list, beside Star Trek, is Fringe and 12 Monkeys. Both great Science fiction shows. But White Tulip was special.
The single greatest Time Travel episode of all time is Star Trek The Original Series: The City on the Edge of Forever.It is the standard by which all must follow.My opinion.
But the list isn’t about simple time travel. In that case the list would be a lot longer. And in that case, the episode would surely be included.
SG-1 and Futurama had really episodes
really cool
I’d argue Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “Cause and Effect” should really have a more prominent place on this list. Why? It came out almost a year BEFORE Groundhog Day. The other episodes on this list are likely inspired by either the Trek episode, or Bill Murray’s movie, but you can’t really say Cause and Effect is a knock off of a movie that came out a year later.
1) Not a ranking. Alphabetical by show title.
2) No one is saying these episodes were inspired by/knock-offs of The Groundhog Day. Simply a list of time loop episodes. –Mgmt.
Star Trek didn’t innovate the time loop storyline either. There have been Science Fiction/Fantasy stories about the concept for almost as long as the genre has existed. Cause and Effect is one of the earliest ‘modern’ tellings, and could be considered the innovator of the trope, but definitely not the first.
Eureka had one that included a major death that stuck.
The Misfits ep where we learned that Simon and Alisha were stuck in a tragic time loop, and it’s how the actors were creatively written out of the show. Devastated me.
That one immediately came to mind for me too. It was so sad how it ended for them
So happy to see 12 Monkeys Lullaby on the list. Yester-today is one of my favorite words. :)
The Librarians had an episode where Ezekiel Jones repeats a video game like scenario over and over where his friends continually die. If it had allowed the character growth to stick (a general complaint about The Librarians) the episode would have been perfect.
One of the best episodes of the Librarians. Oh Ezekiel Jones!
Finally some love for Person of Interest! The machine’s idea of what each person would say was brilliant. Cause & Effect was great on TNG as well, especially the Kelsey Grammer cameo at the end.
John Reese: Cooly delivered sadistic warning.
Lionel Fusco: Self-deprecating inquiry into the time necessary to infiltrate system.
Root: Funny yet insightful retort.
Harold Finch: Mildly agitated declaration of mission completion.
Harold Finch: Gentle exhortation to further action.
Root: [Root calls Shaw] Overly affectionate greeting.
Sameen Shaw: Greeting.
Root: Transparent rationale for conversation.
Sameen Shaw: Annoyed attempt to deflect subtext.
Root: Overt come-on.
Sameen Shaw: Mildly embarrassed defensiveness bordering on hostility.
Root: Playfully witty sign-off.
Right… Such a great episode
The Eureka one should have been included on this list. Also missing The Flash one, though I’m guessing it didn’t make it onto a “top” list as Nora wasn’t a generally liked character. But where was Doctor Who’s “Heaven Sent”? Or didn’t it count because it wasn’t time, but the Doctor himself arriving and dying a billion times?
Australian teen-com The Worst Year of My Life Again deserves a mention. Likable characters and cast pulled the silly Groundhog-Day-everyday stories off really well.
The series Finale of Futurama was another good one. With Fry continually falling to his death, unable to do anything but restart the loop so he wouldn’t die.
I liked the 12 Monkeys episode, but I wish they had explained latter that thing about destiny.
I’m glad Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire slayer and Angel got in. Absolutely amazing shows.
Dark Matter: All The Time In The World. (Season 3 Episode 4).
Really solid list. Dark Matter S3, Episode 4 – All the Time in the World would have been a nice addition to this list. Anthony Lemke was pretty great in that episode and just gave you more reasons to appreciate his character, Three and the rest of the Raza crew. Miss that show so much… I love that Cloak and Dagger made it onto here. A series that should have gotten more seasons but seeing it on here just reaffirms it left its mark on television. That episode of LOT was one of my favorites and Zari became one of my favorite characters because of it. I was quite shocked Arrow managed to throw a time loop episode in the final season and it was brilliantly done. Performances were great and how it tied into Crisis was just fantastic. Lastly, I totally forgot TVD had a time loop episode with Bamon. Vaguely remember it being very entertaining. Guess that’s to be expected since Ian and Kat had such great chemistry and it was the beginning of their growing friendship. A dynamic that came just in time as Nina would exit the series at the end of the season.
I’m in a previous time loop aka infinite loop right now. Nothing seems like it changed and no one believes me but I don’t care but I think I’m time looping because of the coronavirus, my sh*t life from childhood to mid high school of bullying not from students but teachers and principal as well, and most family are “gone” because my grandma want to give her house to my brother not to sell it off to some stranger and my uncles and aunts were very unsatified toward that answer and never talk to us ever again. I don’t believe in “God” like my parents do but I do beleive something’s out there. Learning all my mistakes through my 11th or more time loops and researching it, I have a solid answer to what is all is going on. Not just me but everyone around me is in trouble and no one is there to stop it. What’s there to stop? We can control our reality but how far could it go? No one believes in it but me.
If-Then-Else is one of the best episodes in television history, without a doubt. Brilliantly written and executed.
Yep, and for me it’s only the third best episode of PoI although I accept I’m probably in the minority there. I’d put it behing The Day the World Went Away (worth it just for Harold’s speech about killing Samaritan but great all round) and The Devil’s Share (mostly for Kevin Chapman’s stunning performance)
My favourite is the Stargate SG1 episode love everything about it
I’m a sucker for all of these.
The Time Tunnel, ABC 1966 – 1967, the pilot episode started on the decks of the RMS Titanic, and the last episode, (Town of Terror), ended on the deck of the RMS Titanic Douglas and Tony, and everyone else connected with the show was stuck in one endless loop.
I really enjoyed the mentioned episodes of Person of Interest, as well as the most recent series finale of Futurama.
Surprised no one mentioned what may be the first and perhaps the best of all time-loop stories – the classic 1961 Twilight Zone episode “Shadow Play” starring Dennis Weaver. Most modern day time loop stories follow the pattern established by the movie Groundhog Day, but Twilight Zone did it with a unique twist that has never really been duplicated.
Hmm, no updates to the list? Quantum Leap had a good one last season.
The X-Files “Monday” episode guest-starred Carrie Hamilton, ( Carol Burnette’s
daughter, who died of cancer in 2002)as the bank robber’s girlfriend.