10 Best Times Star Wars Appeared In Other TV Shows
Dwight Schrute: top salesman, beet farmer, and Dark Lord of the Sith.
The Star Wars movies are some of the most influential pieces of cinema in history, with George Lucas' iconic galaxy inspiring many a creative to pursue their own filmmaking dreams.
It's no surprise then that Star Wars is probably the most referenced, parodied, and ripped-off film series of all time, with so many different movies tipping it the hat in their own unique ways, from recent hits like Free Guy, to classics like Indiana Jones.
But it isn't just the Hollywood stage where you'll find nods to droids, Death Stars, and Dark Lords of the Sith, because the small screen realm is also packed with countless awesome references of its own.
Of course, Star Wars is a TV superstar in its own right, whether you're talking fan-favourite animated fare like Rebels and The Clone Wars, or Disney Plus premium content like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. However, this list will discount those offerings and instead focus on the very best Star Wars cameos, easter eggs, and cheeky references in non-Star Wars shows, from smash-hit adult cartoons, to the most legendary sitcoms in television history.
10. How I Met Your Mother
With lead characters Ted, Marshall, and Barney being huge fans of the Star Wars franchise, comedy juggernaut How I Met Your Mother contained dozens of references to the iconic sci-fi property throughout its nine season run.
From Lando Calrissian being used as Ted's fake name in the season one episode Drumroll Please, to the life-size Clone Trooper armour visible in Barney's apartment, Star Wars is an important part of these characters' lives - so much so that season seven's Trilogy Time even sees Marshall and Ted make a pact to rewatch the original trilogy once every three years.
One of the funnier Star Wars references in the show occurs in another season seven episode, Field Trip, where Barney's girlfriend Nora comments "I hate the Ewoks... the only good thing about Ewoks in that movie? You got to see some of them die."
This results in Barney creating a slideshow all about those furry little Endor inhabitants, including a graph called "The Ewok Line", which theorises that anyone born before 25 May 1973 (meaning they'd be at least ten when Return of the Jedi released in 1983) will have a lower appreciation of the Ewoks than those born after.
It's so tinfoil hat crazy that it almost makes sense.