It seems like a pretty weird concept, but sometimes there’s nothing better than watching a TV show that is literally about a fictional TV show.
Some of the best ones are about producing the news, and others have focused on reality television or sitcoms. Aaron Sorkin even did it more than once.
From classic sitcoms to modern dramas, here are 18 TV shows that are about TV shows.
UnReal
UnReal took everyone by surprise. A Lifetime original scripted series, it follows a group of producers working on a show that is almost exactly like The Bachelor. And the things the producers have to do to make the show happen? It gets dark, guys.
Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown is a CBS classic. The show follows investigative journalist and news anchor Murphy Brown, who is also a recovering alcoholic. She’s tough, successful, and doesn’t back down.
Notorious
Notorious is currently the replacement for Scandal while it’s on hiatus. It follows a criminal defense attorney and a news producer who work together to manupulate the media in order to win cases.
The Newsroom
Created by Aaron Sorkin, HBO’s The Newsroom focuses on Will McAvoy and the rest of the team at ACN, a fictional news channel, as they try to put out honest, real news in a world where media is changing.
Sports Night
Another Aaron Sorkin classic, Sports Night revolves around a sports news show which is called, you guessed it, Sports Night. Check out that cast — see any familiar faces?
30 Rock
We obviously can’t forget 30 Rock, a quirky comedy that follows Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) as the head writer of an NBC show that’s a lot like Saturday Night Live (only more bizarre).
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Who can turn the world on with her smile? Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? Yep, those are lyrics to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, another classic that revolves around the production of the news. This one follows Mary Richards as she becomes the associate producer and eventually the producer of the Six O’Clock News.
American Dreams
This NBC drama takes places in the mid 1960s, and it gives us a look at Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. Meg Pryor is a dancer on the show, along with her best friend, Roxanne.
Episodes
Showtime’s Episodes features Matt LeBlanc as a fictionalized, over-the-top version of himself as the lead of an American remake of a popular British show — only he’s not what the husband and wife team of writers planned on. The final season of Episodes is set to premiere in January 2017.
American Horror Story: Roanoke
American Horror Story Season 6 has done something a little different this time around. It features a paranormal documentary titled “My Roanoke Nightmare” which follows a married couple who move to Roanoke, North Carolina.
The Grinder
The Grinder only lasted one season (why did you do this to us, Fox?) but it won a special place in our hearts. It followed Rob Lowe as Dean Sanderson, former star of a procedural drama about a lawyer — also called The Grinder. After the show ends, he finds himself living with his brother, who is an actual lawyer, and he’s convinced that acting the part was enough to help him cases in real life.
It’s Garry Shandling’s Show
It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, which aired on Showtime from 1986 to 1990, is another one that features a lead actor who plays a fictionalized version of himself. Only this time, all of the characters are aware they’re on a TV show.
The Comeback
Ironically enough, here’s another former Friends star playing the role of a TV star. Lisa Kudrow doesn’t play herself on The Comeback, though. She plays sitcom actress Valerie Cherish who tries to return to the television industry after being out of the spotlight for many years.
The Hour
The BBC drama series The Hour is similar to The Newsroom in a lot of ways, and is yet another series on our list that follows the production of a fictional news show. This one, however, is set in the 1950s.
Life With Bonnie
Maintaining a perfect public image can be hard, especially when you’re juggling roles as a wife, mother, and daytime TV host. But that’s exactly what Bonnie Malloy does on “Life With Bonnie,” which aired on ABC from 2002-2004.
The Larry Sanders Show
Starring Garry Shandling (who is also one of the creators), Jeffrey Tambor, and Rip Torn, The Larry Sanders Show is about a fictional late night TV show. It aired on HBO from 1992-1998. Note that this is Shandling’s second appearance on this list!
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Dick Van Dyke stars as television comedy writer Rob Petrie in this classic sitcom (which, incidentally, also stars Mary Tyler Moore). The Dick Van Dyke Show aired on CBS from 1961 to 1966.
Home Improvement
“Does everybody know what time it is?” Home Improvement follows Tim Taylor and his family in this 90s sitcom. Tim and his friend Al host their own home improvement show called “Tool Time,” which can be seen on every episode of Home Improvement.
The post 18 TV Shows About TV Shows appeared first on TV Fanatic.