Which show uses meta storytelling best?

Submitted by unitedfan6191 t3_113cwk4 in television

Hey.

Hope you’re doing well.

Meta’s awesome when done well, am I right?

The creators talking to us through the characters and us nodding and smiling in approval, it can be amazing.

30 Rock, Community, Seinfeld and Stranger Things have done it best in my opinion and feel really well throughout and funny and are whip-smart.

For me, though, I don’t like it when it it goes overboard and feels overly cheesy or desperate and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (in my personal opinion) did some really cringeworthy fourth-wall breaking. Great show, but wasn’t a fan of some of certain moments like Carlton crying and running off set or Will literally talking to the audience about the opening theme. That just makes me question whether Will (the character) and his “family” know they’re characters and have scripts and it just becomes too confusing.

What are your favorite examples of meta done right?

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_laoc00n_ t1_j8phi40 wrote

If it’s breaking the 4th wall, no one has ever done it better than Fleabag, particularly the twist in season 2.

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Archamasse t1_j8pqn45 wrote

The Arrested Development episode with the Bluth fundraiser that was also kind of about whether the show was going to survive was terrific.

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TARSrobot t1_j8preg7 wrote

Such a great episode! The 3D scene, the shocking character death, the “live” ending, and let’s not forget this gem of a line:

“The HBO doesn’t want us.”

“Well then it’s Showtime!”

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Archamasse t1_j8prlw8 wrote

Character: "I can't believe it's come down to begging."

Narrator: "Please tell your friends about this show."

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inksmudgedhands t1_j8pp8v2 wrote

Legends of Tomorrow. I loved Nate's running gag of hating "crossovers."

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SerDire t1_j8pky3s wrote

American Vandal. It’s not to too obvious but they’re “self aware” in the second season and say that thanks to Netflix and season 1 being a huge hit, they got more money to “investigate” more crimes. It’s hilarious all around

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BusinessPurge t1_j8psfxl wrote

In season two, the before and after drone shots, explaining how season 1 was re-edited with a higher budget, just brilliant stuff that explains while being hysterical

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BigPoppaPuff t1_j8pq9db wrote

SCREAM (it's a film whatever)

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deadpool902 t1_j8pvu3h wrote

Y'all are sleeping on It's Garry Shandling's Show

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_Verumex_ t1_j8sccvs wrote

My favourite example has to be Legends of Tomorrow, which in season 3 was dealing with a Big Bad that was a literal demon that spoke to people as a voice in their head.

This demon was voiced by John Noble, and after the main characters heard him for the first time, they identify that he sounds weirdly like the actor John Noble, time travel to New Zealand during the filming of Lord of the Rings, pop into Noble's trailer with a quick page for him to read for "Peter Jackson", so that The Atom could shrink down and fly into one of the demon's follower's ears, play the recording and trick them.

The entire sequence was nuts.

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bookant t1_j8te5i4 wrote

Gary Shandling's Show.

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theyusedthelamppost t1_j8r0899 wrote

Rick and Morty

the show encourages viewers to speculate that Rick is aware that he is someone else's interdimensional cable program

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Jay105 t1_j8t5cc6 wrote

In the beginning it was good. Now it's just hack as they constantly play the Meta card. I wish they would come up with something new

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Cocaine_Turkey t1_j8seh38 wrote

Always Sunny's The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award is 100% meta

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