20 Best Crossover Episodes Of All Time, Ranked

Many of the most popular TV shows of all time have had crossovers, fulfilling the imaginations of those who wonder how their favorite characters would interact. These TV mash-ups have resulted in iconic episodes, combining the strengths of both shows for what sometimes becomes a movie-length event. On other occasions, crossovers have been as simple as a quick stop-by from one character offering advice to the cast of a different show.

Crossovers make for excellent fan service, and TV networks have commonly used them to boost ratings and expose audiences to more of their shows. A well-designed TV crossover should offer the best of both worlds, not leaning too heavily into the tone of one or the other. These episodes also shouldn’t alienate fans who are only familiar with one of the shows.

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20 NCIS

January 9, 2023

In 2023, the NCIS shows finally had their massive, three-part crossover on NCIS, NCIS: Hawai’i, and NCIS: Los Angeles. The crossover allowed for relationships to form between characters from the different shows and was celebrated for expertly meshing the different personalities. For a movie-length segment of television, tensions run high as several kidnappings ensue, moving between each city.

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19 The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air/The Jeffersons/Diff’rent Strokes

March 20, 1996

The finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air saw the return of two famous TV families. Sherman Hemsley makes a guest appearance as George Jefferson, who drops by for the open house when the Bel-Air mansion goes up for sale. Arnold Jackson and Mr. Drummond from Diff’rent Strokes also appear. Both shows had been off the air for over ten years at the time, and seeing the familiar faces offered some surreal nostalgia.

18 iCarly/Victorious

June 11, 2011

In 2011, Nickelodeon released the television movie iParty with Victorious, which saw two of the network’s most popular shows come together. Through the internet, Carly discovers that her boyfriend may be dating another girl, Tori Vega, in Los Angeles, so she and her brother set out to find the truth. The crossover is hilarious, and among other great moments like the rap battle, the highlight is Carly and Tori teaming up to publicly embarrass the boy for dating them both simultaneously.

17 Phineas And Ferb: Mission Marvel

August 16, 2013

Season 4 of Phineas and Ferb featured a crossover episode with Earth’s mightiest heroes: The Avengers. The two-part episode features Marvel heroes Spider-Man, Nick Fury, Thor, Iron Man, and Hulk, as well as a group of villains. The crossover makes for a randomly fun bit of television, with jokes for fans of both the cartoon and Marvel comics. Like in any good superhero crossover, the villains of both worlds team up, and Phineas and Ferb are left to help the Avengers set things straight.

16 The X-Files/Cops

February 20, 2000

The X-Files season 7 featured a crossover episode with the reality TV series Cops, resulting in one of the best and most unique episodes of the show. The episode idea was pitched by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, who ultimately wrote the script as an experiment as the network believed The X-Files was coming to an end. While Cops technically wasn’t a show that could lend any characters, The X-Files uses its premise brilliantly, making for a humorous, self-reflective episode that’s one of its most daring and celebrated.

15 The Jetsons/The Flintstones

November 15, 1987

Two of Hanna-Barbera’s most prominent cartoons collided on the 1987 The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones crossover. The made-for-television film offered two hours of time travel crossover, where the Jetsons find themselves stuck in the past after a time travel trip gone wrong. Meanwhile, Fred Flintstone ends up in the future, and both classic cartoon characters have a chance to explore each other’s worlds.

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14 The Simpsons/Futurama

November 9, 2014

Homer Simpson and Bender are a perfect comedic match, and The Simpsons fulfilled that crossover dream in the season 26 episode “Simpsorama.” Over a decade after Futurama ended, the characters of Matt Groening’s popular shows meet, linking present and future. While it was a good episode of The Simpsons for its era, it didn’t completely fulfill the desires of those craving more Futurama. The thrill of seeing beloved characters interact made for entertaining television, but they deserved more than twenty minutes to mesh.

13 CSI: Trilogy

November 9, 2009

CSI has had several crossovers through the years, but 2009 was the only time all three shows came together for a big event. The crossover involves CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, though Laurence Fishburne’s Ray Langston is the only character who crosses over, traveling to each city to lead an investigation into a massive criminal organization. It’s one of the best CSI crossovers and certainly the biggest, but it could’ve been better if more characters had crossed over rather than just one.

12 World’s Finest (Superman: The Animated Series)

October 4, 1997

Before DC’s cartoon universe branched out with Justice League, Batman and Superman first met in Superman: The Animated Series. The episode involved Batman and the Joker in their The New Batman Adventures art styles, in a crossover with Superman and Lex Luthor. Batman: The Animated Series is one of the best animated TV shows ever, and to see Kevin Conroy’s Batman interact with an animated Superman was a delight. The episode demonstrates the duality of both its hero and villain pairs in what’s still one of the best screen portrayals of two of the world’s most famous heroes.

11 I Love Lucy/Adventures Of Superman

January 14, 1957

The classic I Love Lucy episode, “Lucy and Superman,” saw George Reeves appear as the Man of Steel, or, at least, an actor who plays the Man of Steel. Reeves famously portrayed him in the ’50s show Adventures of Superman as the second actor to play the famous hero. In “Lucy and Superman,” Lucy has TV’s Superman attend Little Ricky’s birthday party. When it seems that Reeves might have to cancel, Lucy plans her own Superman attire to save the party. Reeves does show up, making for a wholesome crossover combining two classic shows.

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10 Friends/Mad About You

February 23, 1995

The NBC sitcoms Mad About You and Friends had several small crossovers. In a Mad About You episode that sees Jamie cause a citywide blackout, the effects are seen in Friends. The Mad About You character Ursula also appears on Friends several times as the twin sister of Phoebe, also played by Lisa Kudrow. In the Friends episode “The One With Two Parts,” Mad About You leads Jamie and Fran make a brief appearance. The crossovers between the two sitcoms are minor, but these moments are fun for fans of both shows.

9 New Girl/Brooklyn Nine-Nine

October 11, 2016

In an effort to increase viewership, New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine had a crossover in 2016. The event occurs in “The Night Shift” in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and “Homecoming” in New Girl. The first episode sees Andy Samberg’s Jake meet up with Zooey Deschanel’s Jess, offering a fun blend of their personalities. The New Girl episode sees each show’s cast getting involved, demonstrating how their senses of humor differ yet also complement one another.

8 How To Get Away With Murder/Scandal

March 1, 2018

In the 2010s, Viola Davis and Kerry Washington each starred in massively popular TV shows. In the 2018 Scandal episode “Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself,” Davis and Washington’s iconic female TV protagonists team up to work on a class-action case. The pair have fantastic chemistry, shown by an episode packed with brilliant dialogue and drama. The episode contains some emotional moments for both characters, as their time together helps them through respective character arcs like Olivia helping Annalise avoid relapse with alcohol.

7 That’s So Raven / The Suite Life of Zack & Cody / Hannah Montana

July 28, 2006

The Disney Channel sitcoms were wildly popular for 2000s kids, and a special three-part crossover episode saw the characters of That’s So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Hannah Montana come together. The mid-2000s were a golden age for Disney Channel shows, and its pinnacle was the beloved crossover between three iconic series. Each episode is filled with great banter as personalities collide, and they’ve become adored nostalgic episodes.

6 Infection (One Chicago)

October 16, 2019

The One Chicago television franchise on NBC consists of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and most recently, Chicago Justice. The series has been known to crossover, and 2019 saw a one-night, three-hour event called “Infection” between the original three shows. A deadly bacteria spreads in Chicago, and first responders from the three shows work together to solve the crisis. The movie-length TV event is thrilling, action-packed, and filled with great character moments from each series.

5 Power Rangers/Ninja Turtles

February 27, 1998

In 1998, the bizarre Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers episode aired, and it’s one of the goofier crossovers. “Shell Shocked” happens in Power Rangers in Space, crossing over with Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, and it’s got everything a nostalgic ’90s superhero mash-up needs. The 20-minute episode has great campy banter, a wild fight scene where the two squads team up to fight the villain, and the Ninja Turtles surfing in space.

4 Full House/Family Matters

January 25, 1991

As two of the biggest sitcoms of the early ’90s, the Full House crossover with Family Matters was a lot of fun. A season 4 episode of Full House is visited by Steve Urkel, making for some classic TV moments. John Stamos’ Jesse hilariously teaches the nerdy Urkel how to strut, and then Urkel sits with Stephanie to cheer her up about having to wear glasses. The episode kicked off a series of Family Matters crossovers where Urkel visited various other ABC sitcoms, showing how popular the character was for its time.

3 Supernatural/Scooby-Doo

March 29, 2018

With a TV series as long-running as Supernatural, there eventually comes a time when it’s vital to try fun new things. In season 13, Sam, Dean, and Castiel are transported into animation, where they link up with Scooby-Doo and the mystery gang. The episode blends the chemistry of both casts, allowing for a zany, goofy mystery adventure filled with hilarious quotes, making for a highlight in one of the worst Supernatural seasons.

2 The Simpsons/Family Guy

September 28, 2014

It took a surprisingly long time for The Simpsons and Family Guy, two of the most successful adult cartoons ever, to crossover. Given that they’ve both run on FOX on the same night for years with a similar premise, the two have constantly drawn comparisons. In a Family Guy episode titled “The Simpsons Guy,” Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson crossed paths, resulting in one hilarious scene after another. The episode brings out the best of each show, demonstrating the cultural importance each has had.

1 Crisis On Infinite Earths (Arrowverse)

December 2019 – January 2020

The Arrowverse is one of the most significant accomplishments in superhero media, putting together many of DC’s most iconic heroes on television shows like Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. They outdid themselves with the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, bringing dozens of heroes together, including those from beyond the CW’s shows, like Kevin Conroy’s Batman, Brandon Routh’s Superman, and many more. The massive crossover combines five different TV shows to adapt a legendary comic storyline, offering a wonderful treat for DC fans, perfectly culminating years of television and previous crossovers.