We’ve all seen them. In order to make a particular movie or television show seem more “lived in,” they would occasionally show the characters watching little clips of fictional movies and television shows. It’s a nice little touch to make their world seem a little more real. If you really think about it, it’s incredibly unnecessary as they’ll have to actually put together a set, hire actors and even produce a quick script just for this one-off gag. Yet they’re appreciated because, if they work, they work well.

However, sometimes they work a little too well as sometimes you just kind of wish they made an actual movie or television show based on that one brief clip. So, in no particular order, here are five fake movies and television programs you wish were real.

#1 McBain (from The Simpsons)

Sorry, Itchy and Scratchy fans! I have to give McBain the best fictional movie/TV show because, if you really think about it, you’ve seen every Itchy and Scratchy short in the actual show! But, McBain, well, you haven’t seen the whole film… kinda. The Simpsons already produced a series of small clips that do “spoil” the entire plot. But, then again, that was just one movie! The McBain series has a lot of films!

Now, the thing with McBain is that it may not work for today’s sensibilities. However, the series would have worked like gangbusters if it was released in the late ’80s or ’90s. It definitely would’ve been a film series I would want to watch as it would have been filled with all the cliches like his partner dying before retirement, him being a cop on the edge and over-the-top villains for McBain to take down.

If the McBain films were made today, I guess it would work if they made it a tongue-in-cheek parody of action movie tropes of yesteryear. I know I would want to see it!

#2 Sick, Sad World (from Daria)

Because trashy television programs have a place in our own sick, sad world.

While we all like to claim to be intellectuals who only want to watch cultured and smart programs, we all know we’re lying. At least once in a while, we want to watch some really stupid tabloid programs that supposed to insult our intelligence. Just ask Daria and the rest of the kids in her high school as they all seem to be watching Sick, Sad World.

Sick, Sad World is basically a tabloid news program that features surreal but “newsworthy” information, such as monkeys trying to corrupt children via the Internet, using toilet paper to counterfeit dollar bills and, my personal favorite, stating the actual true fact that honey is “bee vomit.” Sure, it’s sensationalism at its best/worst. But it’s very entertaining sensationalism. I mean, Daria loves it and she probably knows how stupid it really is! That’s a testament to how good Sick, Sad World must be!

#3 Kickpuncher (from Community)

His punches now have the power of kicks!

Community has had their share of “fake” TV shows and movies popping up in their show. There was Cougarton Abbey and Inspector Spacetime. Those two items could have easily made the list but I wanted to only have one entry per show or movie. So, call me weird, but I really want to see a Kickpuncher film, B-movie budget and all!

Kickpuncher is a series of mockblusters that Troy and Abet love watching. It’s obviously a spoof on another futuristic film where a cop becomes a cyborg to fight crime. But, in the Community version, the police officer is transformed in such a way that his punches are now as powerful as kicks! This is the same kind of “so bad it’s good” kind of films I loved watching as a kid and I would definitely watch all three Kickpuncher movies back-to-back!

Oh, while we’re talking about cyborg cops…

#4 It’s Not My Problem! (from Robocop)

AKA I’ll buy that for a dollar!

Robocop did a very good job of making their world real because of all the news programs and commercials the people in the film would watch. While they were all fantastic, none of them stood out as much as much as It’s Not My Problem! The show is a staple of most male viewers of Old Detroit as practically every hot-blooded male, including store owners, high powered executives and street criminals have been seen watching the show.

Not much is really known about the program. From what I seen, it’s kind of like a raunchy, slapstick comedy featuring a balding, horny, middle-aged mad with glasses who gets embroiled in a lot of hijinks featuring sexy women in skimpy outfits. Did I mention it was popular with the male population in the Robocop universe? The “hero” would then reply “I’d buy that for a dollar!” as some kind of catchphrase. I really want to know the origin of the catchphrase, don’t you?

#5 The Terrance and Philip Show (from South Park)

I may not really care for fart jokes… but I do like the Terrance and Philip Show’s brand of fart jokes!

On the surface, South Park’s Terrance and Philip Show just features the duo doing a variety of skits with the punchline inevitably being either Terrance or Philip farting directly into their companion’s faces. In reality… that’s just it. It’s childish humor that’s meant to make kids laugh. And, honestly, that can be hilarious under the right mindset.

I know the idea of having the same punch line, someone farting on another person’s face can get old, but there is some creativity with how they get there. Besides, there’s just something, well, charming about Canadians doing the same joke over and over again to the delight of children all over the world.

BONUS: Ghandi II (from UHF)

Finally, the sequel that we all wanted to see!

If you haven’t seen UHF starring “Weird Al” Yankovic, you really need to see it, you are missing out. It featured Yankovic’s odd style of humor perfectly and the man of song parody’s can clearly make movie parodies as well. Sure, Wheel of Fish, Raul’s Wild Kingdom and Conan the Librarian would be fun to see in real life. But the “fake” movie to see is easily Ghandi II.

This was the commercial from UHF that had me laughing uncontrollably when I saw it as a kid. There’s just something so hilarious about seeing the peaceful pacifist just straight up murdering fools, Shaft-style. That scene where Ghandi punches a guy and his fist pops through his body is something I bust a gut laughing at! I can’t help but think the guys who programmed Civilization saw this and said, “yeah, this is how we’ll make Ghandi in our game!”

What other fake movies or television shows would you want to watch for real? Let me know in the comments section below!