12 TV Shows You Didn't Know Were Linked

The world of the small screen can often feel familiar in ways you wouldn't expect. Thanks to a wealth of creators and the industry's interconnectedness, it's not rare to see crossovers, inspirations or deliberate references to other titles in your favourite shows.

While there are plenty of obvious crossovers, such as New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine or The Simpsons and Family Guy, there's also plenty that you might not have noticed. These small nods and references to other productions are often blink and you'll miss it, with only the most eagle-eyed of fans catching them. However, no matter how minuscule these connections are, the knowledge that two - or possibly more - shows are narratively linked is an enjoyable thought.

The following entries group together pairs of TV shows that you'd never expect to be connected, but secretly are. Whether it's because the showrunners were fans or simply saw a great opportunity, the coming projects made a deliberate effort to treat fans by creating in-jokes and nods to other beloved properties.

This article will contain spoilers for some of the shows discussed, so be warned.

It's hard to think of any shows more contrasting than Lost and The Office.

Ricky Gervais' groundbreaking BBC sitcom was a substantially popular series that relied on awkward situational comedy and annoying characters. In contrast, Lost was a dramatic and often horrifying tale of a supernatural island and its doomed castaways. However, despite their differences, there is a swift and subtle connection between them.

In Lost's episode Homecoming, we see Charlie's attempts to swindle a rich girl out of some money. As she gives the failing Rockstar a tour of her house, she references that her father is purchasing a paper company up in Slough.

Wernham Hogg - the setting for The Office - was clearly the organisation that she was referring to. Although it isn't namedropped, the deliberate choice to reference its location in Slough was clearly an effort to establish the connection.

It's a minor and tenuous link, but it's there for a reason and was an excellent in-joke for those who caught it.