“Inspector Spacetime” (“Community”)

“Community” has built entire episodes around parody, but the longest running one is a note-for-note copy of “Doctor Who” called “Inspector Spacetime.” Since its introduction into the series, it has become a favorite running joke, prompting callback after callback after callback. However, while completely ridiculous, it’s certainly persistent. In fact, “Inspector Spacetime” actor Travis Richie was so enthralled by the fictional series that he created a full season on YouTube, all without the network’s permission.

“Scandalmakers” (“Arrested Development”)

“Arrested Development” fans know that the show was packed with many funny fictional shows. But few survived the entire arc of the series like “Scandalmakers.” Created in the mold of “A Current Affair,” “Scandalmakers” followed the Bluth family’s many public embarrassments, often reenacting them with guest stars such as Carl Weathers and Dave Attell. The show eventually went full-meta, having the aspiring actor character Tobias Fünke (David Cross) play his father-in-law in an episode.

“Johnny Bananas” (“Entourage”)

As a rule, shows within shows never end in lawsuits. But for “Entourage” show “Johnny Bananas,” they somehow found a way.  Beginning as a plot point in the final season of the HBO show, “Johnny Bananas” was established as a foul-mouthed cartoon vehicle for Andrew Dice Clay and Kevin Dillon. Enter MTV’s “The Real World” contestant John “Johnny Bananas” Devenanzio, who felt his “brand” was tarnished by unauthorized use of his nickname.  Of course, you can’t copyright a nickname that only your mother calls you, so his lawsuit was thrown out and Devenanzio went back to doing shots of vodka for attention.

“Pawnee Today” (“Parks and Recreation”)

In “Parks and Recreation,” Joan Callamezzo is the most powerful media personality in all of Pawnee, Indiana, and “Pawnee Today” is her vehicle. One word from Joan can make or break your career. Never mind that’s she’s usually drunk when hosting. Ignore the fact that she’s always misinformed and never impartial. Forget that she can’t tell opinion from fact. She’s a first rate news woman!

“Ya Heard? With Perd!, The Final Word With Perd” (“Parks and Recreation”)

Another “Parks and Recreation” favorite, “Ya Heard? With Perd” stars the cluelessly affable Perd Hapley, whose wonderfully redundant speaking pattern makes his scenes some of the funniest moments on the entire show.

“Big Shot” (“Cowboy Bebop”)

“Big Shot” is a seminal fixture of the “Cowboy Bebop” world, providing a larger take on the space-western world that these characters inhabit. In a future depicted by this anime classic, bounty hunters find their work through the “Big Shot” program, giving them names and prices of the wanted criminals. Most memorably, as the series comes to a close, “Big Shot” gets cancelled, revealing the cowboy caricature hosts as merely underpaid actors.

“Precious Roy’s Home Shopping Netwerk” (“The Sifl & Olly Show”)

Without senile infomercial king Precious Roy, this sock puppet masterpiece was already one of the most random shows on television. With him, “The Sifl & Olly Show” reached legendary status. “Precious Roy’s Home Shopping Netwerk” usually served as a fake commercial break between “Sifl & Olly” skits hawking products such as Civil War corpses, CAT scan glasses, and chicken flavored air conditioning.  Precious Roy’s only goal is to make suckers out of girls and boys, by any means necessary.

“Everybody Loves Hypnotoad” (“Futurama”)

ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD.