Time loop
Encyclopedia
A time loop or temporal loop is a common plot device
in science fiction
(especially in universes where time travel
is commonplace) in which time
runs normally for a set period (usually a day
or a few hour
s) but then skips back like a broken record
. When the time loop "resets", the memories
of most character
s are reset (i.e. they forget all that happened). The plot is advanced by having one or more central characters retain their memory or become aware of the loop through déjà vu
.
One well-known example of this is in the 1993 film Groundhog Day
, in which the main character is the only one aware of the time loop. Stories with time loops commonly center on correcting past mistakes or on getting a character to recognize some key truth; escape from the loop may then follow.
loops around to form several closed timelike curve
s. Since the time in that region is looped, you could only escape it by leaving the affected area. Also, there would be an infinite number of copies of any matter in the area, unless an object left the loop. In that case, there would only be as many copies of that object as many times it completed the loop. This type of time loop cannot be ended or destroyed.
could easily be violated.
Time loops have been featured in individual episodes of many TV series, including:
In the 2011 Beano annual, The Fred's bed comic strip shows Fred traveling back in time repeatedly to have some cake. Despite having the origanal cake in his stoumach, he does not have any doubles.
Time travel television series
Plot device
A plot device is an object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot....
in science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
(especially in universes where time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
is commonplace) in which time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
runs normally for a set period (usually a day
Day
A day is a unit of time, commonly defined as an interval equal to 24 hours. It also can mean that portion of the full day during which a location is illuminated by the light of the sun...
or a few hour
Hour
The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds...
s) but then skips back like a broken record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. When the time loop "resets", the memories
Memory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
of most character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s are reset (i.e. they forget all that happened). The plot is advanced by having one or more central characters retain their memory or become aware of the loop through déjà vu
Déjà vu
Déjà vu is the experience of feeling sure that one has already witnessed or experienced a current situation, even though the exact circumstances of the prior encounter are uncertain and were perhaps imagined...
.
One well-known example of this is in the 1993 film Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day (film)
Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
, in which the main character is the only one aware of the time loop. Stories with time loops commonly center on correcting past mistakes or on getting a character to recognize some key truth; escape from the loop may then follow.
Physical Time Loop
In a physical time loop (rarely seen in the media), the spacetimeSpacetime
In physics, spacetime is any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single continuum. Spacetime is usually interpreted with space as being three-dimensional and time playing the role of a fourth dimension that is of a different sort from the spatial dimensions...
loops around to form several closed timelike curve
Closed timelike curve
In mathematical physics, a closed timelike curve is a worldline in a Lorentzian manifold, of a material particle in spacetime that is "closed," returning to its starting point...
s. Since the time in that region is looped, you could only escape it by leaving the affected area. Also, there would be an infinite number of copies of any matter in the area, unless an object left the loop. In that case, there would only be as many copies of that object as many times it completed the loop. This type of time loop cannot be ended or destroyed.
Conscious Time Loop
In a conscious time loop, everyone's consciousness loops through time. In such a time loop, causalityCausality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
could easily be violated.
Television
The following series featured time loops as a main theme or at least fairly frequently:- Day BreakDay BreakDay Break is a television program for which one 13-episode season was produced. The series starred Taye Diggs as Detective Brett Hopper, who is framed for the murder of Assistant District Attorney Alberto Garza. Due to a time loop, Hopper lives the same day over and over...
- A police officer relives the same day over and over, and has to figure out how to save himself and those close to him from a host of threats. - Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
makes frequent use of time travel. A number of episodes involve or make mention of a time loop (also referred to as a "chronic hysteresis"): "Image of the FendahlImage of the FendahlImage of the Fendahl is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 29 October to 19 November 1977.-Plot:...
", "Carnival of MonstersCarnival of MonstersCarnival of Monsters is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 27 January to 17 February 1973....
", "The Invasion of TimeThe Invasion of TimeThe Invasion of Time is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 4 February to 11 March 1978...
", "The Armageddon FactorThe Armageddon FactorThe Armageddon Factor is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 20 January to 24 February 1979...
", "The Claws of AxosThe Claws of Axos-Writing:In late 1969, script editor Terrance Dicks contacted new writing duo Bob Baker and Dave Martin after reading a draft script they had sent around the BBC for another production, A Man's Life. After offering the duo a seven-part story in November 1969 for Doctor Whos eighth season, Baker and...
", "MeglosMeglos* Working titles for this story included The Golden Pentangle and The Last Zolfa-Thuran.* This is one of only two multi-part stories to feature all credited cast members in all episodes, the other being The Edge of Destruction....
" and "Father's DayFather's Day (Doctor Who)"Father's Day" is the eighth episode in series one of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on 14 May 2005...
" (a car is stuck in a time loop after history is changed as the universe seemingly tries to 'restore' history). In the episode "BlinkBlink (Doctor Who)"Blink" is the 10th episode of the third series of the new production of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 9 June 2007, and is the only episode in the 2007 series written by Steven Moffat; the episode is based on a previous short story written by...
" the Doctor knows exactly what clues to leave in the past in order to help a character in the present (Sally Sparrow) deal with an alien threat because she has carefully collected and preserved all the information and gives it to him after the fact. The Master'sMaster (Doctor Who)The Master is a recurring character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is a renegade Time Lord and the archenemy of the Doctor....
use of the term "time loop" in "The Claws of Axos" may be the first instance of its use to describe the phenomenon. Beyond the original TV series, the term also appears in the radio play "No More Lies", starring the Eighth DoctorEighth DoctorThe Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
, Paul McGannPaul McGannPaul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
. In the spinoff series Torchwood, in the first episode of the second series, another time loop is mentioned, where main character Captain Jack HarknessJack HarknessCaptain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
and his partner John Hart were trapped in a two-week time loop for five years. A recent Doctor Who episode to feature a time loop is "The Big BangThe Big Bang (Doctor Who)"The Big Bang" is the 13th and final episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the second part of a two-part season finale started with "The Pandorica Opens", at the end of which The Doctor is trapped, the TARDIS destroyed, and Amy Pond has been shot...
", in which River SongRiver Song (Doctor Who)River Song is a fictional character played primarily by Alex Kingston in the British science-fiction series Doctor Who. River Song was introduced to the series as an experienced future companion of series protagonist the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time in his TARDIS...
is put into a time loop within the TARDIS to keep her alive, the TARDIS 'freezing' itself in the moment of its own destruction. - Higurashi no Naku Koro niHigurashi no Naku Koro ni, known simply as When They Cry for the North American release of the anime adaptation, is a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft sound novel series produced by 07th Expansion. The games are built on the NScripter game engine and are playable on Microsoft Windows PCs...
- The story is shown in chapters, each one a variation of the same time period. Each chapter unravels part of an overarching mystery. The chapters typically end with the death of some or all of the main characters. The conclusion of the story comes when the mystery is solved and death is prevented. The reason for these time loops becomes part of the mystery as characters begin to remember scenes from previous time loops. - The Lexx - Stanley Tweedle, Zev, Kai and 790 travel the span of two universes on a Manhattan-sized living insect ship, in an effort to discover a way to defeat a villain called "His Divine Shadow". Kai is the lone survivor (technically animated dead) of a humanoid species called the Brunen-G, which were eradicated two-thousand years in the past by His Shadow. This event was prophesied by a now deceased Brunen-G Seer to have happened before, and expected to happen again, in a time loop referred to as the "Future-Past".
- The Tatami GalaxyThe Tatami Galaxyis a Japanese comedy-drama campus novel written by , originally published in December 2004 by in the tankōbon format and later reissued in March 2008 by Kadokawa Shoten as a bunkoban...
- An unnamed student relives the first two years of his college career repeatedly, choosing a different club to join at the beginning each time, unaware consciously of the time loop. One loop ends with two smaller jumps backwards, reliving the iteration's final hours a second and third time, before it fully resets. - Tru CallingTru CallingTru Calling is an American television supernatural drama series that premiered on Fox Network on October 30, 2003. It ran for two seasons before being canceled....
- A university graduate working in the city morgue is able to repeat the same day over again to prevent murders or other disasters.
Time loops have been featured in individual episodes of many TV series, including:
| TV Show Television program A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series... |
Episode | Comments |
| Andromeda Andromeda (TV series) Andromeda is a Canadian-American science fiction television series, based on unused material by the late Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, developed by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and produced by Roddenberry's widow, Majel Barrett Roddenberry. It starred Kevin Sorbo as High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt... |
"When Goes Around..." | It's also hinted that Trance Gemini has experienced the show's time-line several times. |
| Angel Angel (TV series) Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999... |
"Time Bomb" | The characters do not experience events in a single loop; one character begins randomly jumping through time and experiences events multiple times, sometimes out of order |
| The Angry Beavers The Angry Beavers The Angry Beavers is an American animated television series created by Mitch Schauer for the Nickelodeon channel. The series revolves around Daggett and Norbert Beaver, two young beaver brothers who have left their home to become bachelors in the forest near Wayouttatown, Oregon. The show premiered... |
"Same Time Last Week" | |
| Blood Ties Blood Ties (TV series) Blood Ties is a Canadian television series based on the Blood Books by Tanya Huff; the show was created by Peter Mohan. It is set in Toronto, Canada and has a similar premise to an earlier series also set in Toronto, Forever Knight, in which a Vampire assists Police in dealing with crime... |
"5:55" | The characters discover Pandora's Box, which ends the world whenever it is opened; due to the main character Vicki Nelson having been marked by a powerful demon, history is apparently 'reset' each time the box is opened to give the demon the chance to kill Vicki. |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer | "Life Serial" | One of a trio of geeks puts Buffy into a time loop when she's working at the Magic Box. She has to face the same customer over and over until she's able to satisfy her. |
| Cardcaptor Sakura Cardcaptor Sakura , abbreviated as CCS and also known as Cardcaptors, is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. The manga was originally serialized monthly in Nakayoshi from the May 1996 until the June 2000 issue, and later published in 12 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha... |
"Sakura's Never-Ending Day" ("Time and Again" in the Nelvana release) | |
| Charmed Charmed Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M... |
"Deja Vu All Over Again" "The Good, the Bad, and the Cursed" "Show Ghouls" |
In "Deja Vu", a demon tries to repeat the same day over and over again until he can find a strategy to defeat the sisters. Breaking a time loop that others are stuck in is a major plot element in "The Good, the Bad, and the Cursed", but we and the sisters themselves only go through it once. |
| Code Lyoko Code Lyoko Code Lyoko is a French animated television series created by Thomas Romain and Tania Palumbo. The series centers on boarding school students Jeremie, Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd who travel to the virtual world of Lyoko to fight against multi-agent computer program XANA with Aelita, a being originally... |
"A Great Day" "Temptation" |
Although the main characters have the ability to relive a day ("Return to the past" or "RTTP") and be the only ones who retain their memories, throughout the entire series these are the only two episodes in which the same day is repeated multiple times. |
| Crime Traveller Crime Traveller Crime Traveller is a 1997 science fiction detective television series produced by Carnival Films for the BBC based on the premise of using time travel for the purpose of solving crimes.... |
"Final Episode" | |
| D.Gray-man D.Gray-man is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino. The series tells the story of a boy named Allen Walker, a member of an organization of Exorcists who makes use of an ancient substance called Innocence to combat the Millennium Earl and his demonic army of akuma... |
"The Rewinding Town" | |
| The Dead Zone The Dead Zone (TV series) The Dead Zone, aka Stephen King's Dead Zone is an American-Canadian science fiction/suspense series starring Anthony Michael Hall as Johnny Smith, who discovers he has developed psychic abilities after a coma... |
"Deja Voodoo" | |
| Early Edition Early Edition Early Edition is an American television series that aired on CBS from September 28, 1996 to May 27, 2000. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois, it follows the adventures of a man who mysteriously receives each Chicago Sun-Times newspaper the day before it is actually published, and who uses this... |
"Run, Gary, Run" | |
| Eureka Eureka (TV series) Eureka is an American science fiction television series that premiered on Syfy on July 18, 2006. Since then four seasons have aired, and a fifth is currently being filmed. The second half of season 4 began on SyFy on July 11, 2011 and ended on September 19, 2011... |
"I Do Over" | The main character has to solve what is causing him to relive the same day repeatedly without the help of the geniuses in the town, and he finds that no matter what he changes throughout each repeated day, the end result is still the same. He then realizes that nothing simple he does will change anything, and that if he wants to stop reliving the same day, a drastic measure must be taken. |
| The Fairly OddParents The Fairly OddParents The Fairly OddParents is an American-Canadian animated television series created by Butch Hartman about the adventures of Timmy Turner, who is granted fairy godparents named Cosmo and Wanda. The series started out as cartoon segments that ran from September 4, 1998 to March 23, 2001 on Oh Yeah!... |
"Christmas Every Day" "Deja Vu" |
The main character wishes that it was Christmas every day. The main character wishes for a watch that allows him to reset a certain amount of time so that he can undo his mistakes. |
| Farscape Farscape Farscape is an Australian-American science fiction television series filmed in Australia and produced originally for the Nine Network. The series was conceived by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark Entertainment... |
"Back and Back and Back to the Future" | John Crichton's exposure to the energy of a black hole causes him to experience time jumps where he sees the future. |
| First Wave | "Gulag" | |
| Fringe Fringe (TV series) Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security... |
"White Tulip White Tulip "White Tulip" is the 18th episode of the second season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. It followed a scientist in his quest to time travel back and save his fiancée, while the Fringe team investigates the consequences of his actions, and Walter struggles to tell his... " |
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| Futurama | "The Late Philip J Fry" | Fry, Bender and Professor Farnsworth use a forwards time machine and after travelling through multiple times in the future, fast forward to the end of the universe where they witness a second big bang and discover that when the universe ends, another universe exactly the same as the old one is created. |
| Justice League Unlimited Justice League Unlimited Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the... |
"The Once and Future Thing: Time Warped" | The villain, Chronos, is trapped in a time loop at the conclusion of the episode and his actions thus undone. |
| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action American television series based on the Superman comic books... |
"'Twas the Night Before Mxymas" | |
| Lost Lost (TV series) Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island... |
"Flashes Before Your Eyes Flashes Before Your Eyes "Flashes Before Your Eyes" is the 8th episode of the third season of the American drama television series Lost, and the show's 57th episode overall. The episode was written by the series co-creator, show runner and executive producer Damon Lindelof and supervising producer Drew Goddard, and... " |
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| Medium Medium (TV series) Medium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005, and ended on CBS on January 21, 2011. Themed on supernatural gifts, its lead character, Allison DuBois , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office... |
"Be Kind, Rewind" | |
| The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya | The "Endless Eight" arc | Episodes where the characters relive the same two weeks of summer vacation Summer vacation Summer vacation is a vacation in the summertime between school years in which students and instructors are off school typically between 6 and 12 weeks, depending on the country and district.-Students:In some countries, students participate in programs such as organized sports, summer camps, and... , as the one behind it attempts to pack as much into these two weeks as possible, but is not satisfied, and thus the loop repeats |
| Monty Python's Flying Circus Monty Python Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series... |
Déjà vu (skit, a.k.a. "It's the Mind"), episode 16. | |
| The Outer Limits The Outer Limits (1995 TV series) The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002... |
"Deja Vu Deja Vu (The Outer Limits) "Deja Vu" is an episode of The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 9 July 1999, during the fifth season.-Introduction:A teleportation experiment goes wrong, the wormhole it created expands and engulfs the scientists. Suddenly they're back to the day before, but only one man seems to... " |
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| "The Refuge" | ||
| Painkiller Jane Painkiller Jane (TV series) Painkiller Jane was an American-Canadian science fiction and action television series based on the comic book character of the same name. Airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the US starting April 13, 2007 and Global in Canada, it starred Kristanna Loken as the titular character... |
"Playback" | |
| Pepper Ann Pepper Ann Pepper Ann is an American animated series created by Sue Rose and aired on ABC. It debuted on September 13, 1997.Pepper Ann starred cartoon adolescents and charted their ups and downs at Hazelnut Middle School. It aired as part of the Disney's One Saturday Morning block... |
"'T.G.I.F" | |
| Pet Alien Pet Alien Pet Alien is an American computer-animated series produced by Mike Young Productions and Antefilms Productions in 2005. It was created by Jeff Muncy and the episodes are mainly written by Dan Danko and directed by Andrew Young. The series centres around the 13 year old boy, Tommy Cadle, whose light... |
"The Day That Wouldn't End" | |
| Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which... |
"Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb, and the 72nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Disney XD in the United States on September 21, 2009... " |
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| Phua Chu Kang Phua Chu Kang Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, also known as PCK Pte Ltd or Phua Chu Kang for short , was a Singaporean sitcom on MediaCorp TV Channel 5. The show debuted in Singapore in 1997. A sequel, Phua Chu Kang Sdn... |
"Toto Day" | |
| "Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue is the 2000 incarnation of the Power Rangers TV franchise, based on the Super Sentai series Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive.... " |
"Yesterday Again" | |
| "Power Rangers: Zeo Power Rangers: Zeo Power Rangers Zeo is an American superhero television series and the second installment of the Power Rangers franchise that is a continuation of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, that aired in 1996. It is based on the Super Sentai series Chōriki Sentai Ohranger... " |
"A Brief Mystery of Time" | The Machine Empire traps Earth in a time loop; a recent brainwashing experience allows Tommy Oliver Tommy Oliver Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Oliver is a fictional character from the universe of the American children's television franchise Power Rangers. He is a main character in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series, as well as four of its successive incarnations Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo,... to be partly aware of the day repeating itself. |
| Totally Spies! | "Deja Cruise" | |
| Red Dwarf Red Dwarf Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series... |
"White Hole" | The crew are exposed to a white hole- the opposite of a black hole- which spews time into the universe, causing them to repeat various events as well as experiencing time out of order. |
| Red vs. Blue Red vs. Blue Red vs. Blue, often abbreviated as RvB, is a set of related comic science fiction video series created by Rooster Teeth Productions and distributed through the Internet and on DVD... |
"Have We Met?", "Same Old, Same Old" | |
| 7 Days | "Déjà Vu All Over Again" | Run Frank Run! Frank Parker must save Talmadge. The clock is ticking, he's far away, traveling on foot, but thankfully, if at first he doesn't succeed (and indeed he doesn't), he gets to try, try again. |
| Silver Surfer | "The Forever War" | Silver Surfer finds Adam Warlock Adam Warlock Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #66 and #67 Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel... trapped in a time loop where he defends his homeworld from the Kree. After leaving it they find that Warlock's true homeworld was destroyed long ago, so he returns to the time loop. |
| Smallville Smallville Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross... |
"Reckoning" | Having indirectly caused the death of Lana Lang, Clark Kent turns back time to avert the events that led to her death (Although the new timeline results in Jonathan Kent dying instead) |
| South Park South Park South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics... |
"Cancelled Cancelled (South Park) "Cancelled" is the season 7 premiere episode and the overall 97th episode, although intended to be the 100th, of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired on March 19, 2003.- Plot :... ", "Go God Go XII Go God Go XII "Go God Go XII" is episode 1013 of Comedy Central's South Park, which aired on November 8, 2006. The episode is a continuation of the previous episode, "Go God Go"... " |
In "Go God Go XII" the time loop is inescapable only because the person remembering it is incapable of understanding the problem. |
| Stargate SG-1 Stargate SG-1 Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich... |
"Window of Opportunity Window of Opportunity (Stargate SG-1) "Window of Opportunity" is the sixth episode from season 4 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, and first aired on the American subscription channel Showtime on August 4, 2000. The episode is based on a time loop scenario, with SG-1 team members Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c... " |
The episodes "The Gamekeeper Stargate SG-1 (season 2) Season two of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on June 26, 1998 on Showtime. The second season concluded after 22 episodes on February 10, 1999 on British Sky One, which overtook Showtime in mid-season. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan... " and "Avatar" also feature time repeatedly "resetting" itself, but they both take place within virtual reality Virtual reality Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds... universes, whereas "Window of Opportunity" takes place in the real world and is the only instance of the term "time loop" being used in the series, Earth and sixteen other worlds within a certain distance of the original machine apparently repeating the same eight hours for over three months. |
| Star Trek: Enterprise Star Trek: Enterprise Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001... |
"Future Tense" | |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production... |
"Cause and Effect" "Time Squared" |
The episode "Cause and Effect" demonstrates a localized time loop where time only loops for the main characters and those involved directly in the loop. The loop is caused by the destruction of the Enterprise, which in turn resets the loop. Once the ship's destruction is averted, the loop breaks, and the characters discover that quite some time has passed while they were trapped in the localized loop. "Time Squared" sees the Enterprise being destroyed and Captain Jean-Luc Picard Jean-Luc Picard Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis... being sent back in time to the moments before the ship was destroyed, but the past Picard is able to break the loop that would have led to him becoming his future self. |
| Star Trek: Voyager Star Trek: Voyager Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while... |
"Coda Coda (Star Trek: Voyager) "Coda" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 15th episode of the third season. It has an average fan rating of 4.4/5 on the official Star Trek website as of September, 2009.... " |
Captain Kathryn Janeway Kathryn Janeway Kathryn Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew, is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. As the captain of the Starfleet starship USS Voyager, she was the lead character on the television series Star Trek: Voyager, and later, a Starfleet admiral, as seen in the 2002 feature film Star Trek... apparently experiences multiple timelines resulting in her death, but the 'loop' is revealed to be an illusion generated by a life-form trying to trick Janeway into 'accepting' her death |
| Strange Days at Blake Holsey High Strange Days at Blake Holsey High Black Hole High is a Canadian science fiction television program which first aired in North America in October 2002 on NBC and Discovery Kids... |
"Thursday" | Corinne Baxter has what she considers the worst day of her life and repeats it over and over until she looks at it optimistically. |
| The Suite Life on Deck The Suite Life on Deck The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody... |
"International Dateline" | The time loop is caused by a lightning bolt that strikes while the boat passes the international dateline sending the S.S. Tipton back in a time loop that only Cody Martin Realizes, so he takes advantage to try and kiss Bailey Pickett, his crush. In the end, he doesn't manage to kiss her. |
| Supernatural Supernatural (TV series) Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they... |
"Mystery Spot (3.11)" | The time loop is caused whenever Dean Winchester is killed. The time loop was created by a Trickster Trickster In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. It is suggested by Hansen that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this... to teach Dean's brother Sam a lesson. |
| The Twilight Zone The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising... |
"Shadow Play Shadow Play (1961 The Twilight Zone episode) "Shadow Play" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It was remade under the same title as part of the 1980s series of the show.-Synopsis:... " |
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| The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series) The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series) The Twilight Zone is a 2002 revival of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1950/60s television series, The Twilight Zone. It aired for one season on the UPN network, with actor Forest Whitaker assuming Serling's role as narrator and on-screen host.... |
"Rewind" | Jonah is given a gift of a personal tape recorder that rewinds time and allows the holder to create a 5 minute Time Loop. |
| Weird Science Weird Science (TV series) Weird Science is a mid-1990s American comedy series made for television, based on the 1985 film of the same name.-Plot:The series follows the adventures of Gary Wallace and Wyatt Donnelly , two socially inept high school students in an unspecified town in California... |
"Universal Remote" | |
| Wizards of Waverly Place Wizards of Waverly Place Wizards of Waverly Place is a Disney Channel Original Series that premiered on October 12, 2007. It won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009... |
"First Kiss" | Alex Russo wants her brother, Justin, to get his first kiss. During the kiss, something wrong happens, so Alex set the time back so Justin could do it right. |
| The X-Files The X-Files The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s... |
"Monday" | A woman has to repeat the same day over and over, each ending with someone dead after a bank heist. She confronts Scully and Mulder on several occasions to try and stop the time loop, and Mulder gets the sense of Deja Vu. |
| Xena: Warrior Princess Xena: Warrior Princess Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001.... |
"Been there, Done that" |
Audio Drama
- In one episode of The ShadowThe ShadowThe Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
, "The Man Who Killed Time", the antagonist creates a time loop.
Music videos
- "RedundantRedundant (song)7-inchVinyl Box Set-Chart positions:*A *B -Music video:...
" (1997) by Green DayGreen DayGreen Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool... - "Feel It" (1997) by Neneh CherryNeneh CherryNeneh Mariann Cherry is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, and occasional DJ and broadcaster...
- "Looking For LoveLooking for Love (Karen Carpenter song)The music was written by Richard Carpenter. It was recorded in 1966 and released on the small label Magic Lamp. It was a small town label on a budget. Even though Richard Carpenter does participate on the recording, it is printed Karen Carpenter on the recording contract and record label...
" (1998) by Karen RamirezKaren RamirezKaren Ramírez is a female dance music singer . At age 6, she moved to Trinidad and Tobago and lived there for some time, before returning to London and entering university. In 1998 she had a nº1 hit single on the U.S... - "Otherside" (1999) by Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
- "7 Days7 Days (song)"7 Days" is the second single from Craig David's debut album Born to Do It. It hit number one in the United Kingdom and number ten in the United States. "7 Days" is David's biggest worldwide hit to date and received a Gold certification sale in Great Britain. The song was nominated for a Grammy in...
" http://www.rnbjam.com/video-clips-craig+david+-+7+days-213.html (2000) from Born to Do ItBorn to Do ItBorn to Do It is the debut album by English singer Craig David, released in 2000 via Wildstar and 2001 via Atlantic Records. It is highly revered and acclaimed by R&B critics, and contains some of his highest charting singles. The album was a huge commercial success eventually selling over 8...
by Craig DavidCraig DavidCraig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album... - "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out OfStuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" is the second single from U2's 2000 album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. The song, characterised by gospel-tinged melodies and saccharine lead guitar part, won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 2002...
" (2000) from All That You Can't Leave BehindAll That You Can't Leave BehindAll That You Can't Leave Behind is the tenth studio album by rock band U2. It was released on 30 October 2000 by Island Records in the United Kingdom and Interscope Records in the United States...
by U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
- The North American music video features the end of an American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game replayed repeatedly as a place kicker misses a field goal. - The European music video shows BonoBonoPaul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
being thrown from a van repeated times.
- The North American music video features the end of an American football
- "Grounded" (2001) from FinelinesFinelines (album)Finelines is the debut album released in 2001 by the British alternative rock band My Vitriol. The album spawned five singles and reached 24th on the UK Albums Chart and received huge critical acclaim...
by My VitriolMy VitriolMy Vitriol are an alternative rock band from London, England. The band name, which is often misinterpreted, is taken from the novel Brighton Rock by Graham Greene... - "Come Into My World" (2002) from "FeverFeverFever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
" by Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing... - "Ocean AvenueOcean Avenue (song)"Ocean Avenue" is the title of a song recorded by American pop punk group Yellowcard. It was released in September 2004 as the second single from Ocean Avenue and the third track. It is known for bringing them into the mainstream, as it received numerous spins on MTV and increasing radio airplay...
" (2004) from Ocean AvenueOcean AvenueOcean Avenue is the fourth studio album by the American pop punk band Yellowcard. It was produced by Neal Avron, and was released on July 22, 2003 through Capitol Records. The album is the major-label debut for the band...
by YellowcardYellowcardYellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles, California since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre... - "If I SurrenderBend to BreakBend to Break is the debut studio album by The Color Fred, the project of Fred Mascherino .It was released in digipak style on "a minimum of 80% post-consumer waste recycled paper". "I like to keep everything I do as close to carbon footprint zero as possible," he says...
" (2007) by The Color FredThe Color FredThe Color Fred is a band headed by former Taking Back Sunday guitarist and singer Fred Mascherino. The band got their name by a poll taken on the internet and The Color Fred was declared as the fans' favorite name. The band was started while he was in the band Breaking Pangaea. The Color Fred was... - "Time After TimeTime After Time (Elliot Minor song)"Time After Time" is a single from the rock band Elliot Minor. It combines traditional pop rock with classical instruments such as the piano. It is Elliot Minor's fifth overall single and comes from their self-titled debut album. The song debuted at 47 on the UK Charts on 5 July, 2008...
" (2008) by Elliot MinorElliot MinorElliot Minor are a classically influenced rock band from York, England. The group consists of Alex Davies , Ed Minton , Dan Hetherton and Ed Hetherton .-History and formation: 2000-2006 :... - "HeyHey (Mitchel Musso song)"Hey" is a cover song by American singer Mitchel Musso, originally sung by Gillmor, and second single from his debut album, Mitchel Musso. The song premiered on Radio Disney on May 15, 2009. A music video for the song premiered on Disney Channel the same day, May 15...
" (2009) by Mitchel MussoMitchel MussoMitchel Tate Musso is an American actor, singer-songwriter and musician. Musso is best known for his three Disney Channel roles as Oliver Oken in the Disney Channel sitcom, Hannah Montana, Jeremy Johnson in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb and his role as King Brady in the... - "The Island (Pendulum song)The Island (Pendulum song)The Island is the third single from Australian drum and bass/electronica band Pendulum to be released from their third studio album, Immersion. It was released on 19 September 2010. "The Island" is a song split into two parts; "Dawn" and "Dusk", with "Dawn" receiving the majority of radio airplay...
" (2010) by Pendulum (band)Pendulum (band)Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and... - "Luv Delux" (2009) by Cinnamon Chasers
Film
- 12:01 PM12:01 PM (1990 film)12:01 PM is a 1990 short film starring Kurtwood Smith. Directed by Jonathan Heap, it originally aired on cable television in 1990 as part of the Showtime 30-Minute Movie anthology series. It was nominated for an Academy Award....
and 12:0112:01 (1993 film)12:01 is a 1993 television film directed by Jack Sholder, and starring Helen Slater, Jonathan Silverman, Jeremy Piven, and Martin Landau. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States....
- two films (a 1990 short and a 1993 full-length), based upon Richard A. LupoffRichard A. LupoffRichard Allen Lupoff is an American science fiction and mystery author, who has also written humor, satire, non-fiction and reviews. In addition to his two dozen novels and more than 40 short stories, he has also edited science-fantasy anthologies. He is an expert on the writing of Edgar Rice...
's short story of the same name. - 14081408 (film)1408 is a 2007 American psychological horror film based on the Stephen King short story of the same name directed by Swedish director Mikael Håfström, who earlier had directed the horror film Drowning Ghost. The cast includes John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, and Mary McCormack. The film was released...
- A jaded writer is trapped in a hotel room that physically and psychologically torments him, unable to escape. Although the main storyline of the film is not a time loop, this device does appear as one of the many horrors inflicted by the room. At several points in the story, he thinks he has managed to leave the room, only to discover later he has been inside it all along. - Bless the ChildBless the Child (2003 film)Bless the Child is a 2003 Hong Kong film directed by Jones Ma Wah-Kon. It was released on October 6, 2003.-Plot:Boni is a frustrated advertising executive that becomes caught in a time loop .-Cast:* Belinda Hamnett* Hawick Lau...
, a 2003 Hong Kong film - Blind ChanceBlind ChanceBlind Chance is a Polish film directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski. Made in 1981, the film was suppressed by the Polish authorities for several years, until its delayed release in 1987...
- Krzystof Kieslowski's 1987 film following three different possibilities, all spouting from chance. Precursor to Tykwer's Run Lola RunRun Lola RunRun Lola Run is a 1998 German crime thriller film written and directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Franka Potente as Lola and Moritz Bleibtreu as Manni. The story follows a woman who needs to obtain 100,000 German marks in 20 minutes to save her boyfriend's life...
. - Christmas Do-OverChristmas Do-OverChristmas Do-Over is a TV movie starring Jay Mohr and Daphne Zuniga. It premiered on ABC Family in 2006 on their 25 Days of Christmas programming block. It is a remake of Christmas Every Day, but with an adult as the protagonist.-Plot:...
- A shallow ad executive finds himself reliving ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
day over and over. - Christmas Every DayChristmas Every DayChristmas Every Day is a 1996 American television movie, directed by Larry Peerce, starring Erik von Detten, and originally broadcast on The Family Channel during their first 25 Days of Christmas programming block...
- A 13-year-old boy relives ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
day again and again. - Donnie DarkoDonnie DarkoDonnie Darko is a 2001 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell...
- A 16-year-old boy is visited by a strange entity from the future who guides him into ending a time loop and thus preventing the destruction of our universe. - È già ieri - A man relives a day again and again
- Groundhog DayGroundhog Day (film)Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
- A jaded weather man relives the same day, Groundhog DayGroundhog DayGroundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter-like weather will soon end...
, over and over, while stuck in a small town due to the weather. - Il MareIl MareIl Mare is a 2000 South Korean film, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae. The title, Il Mare, means "The Sea" in Italian, and is the name of the seaside house which is the setting of the story. The Korean title, Siworae is the Korean pronunciation of Hanja characters "時越愛", which means...
and its Hollywood remake, The Lake HouseThe Lake House (film)The Lake House: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released in 2006.# "This Never Happened Before" - Paul McCartney# " Make You Mine" - The Clientele# "Time Has Told Me" - Nick Drake# "Ant Farm" - Eels...
- these two films share time-loop like features: Two characters exist in different time frames, and affect each other's lives. The ending of the film is a causality paradox, which if followed through would cause the timeloop to repeat. - The Last Day of SummerThe Last Day of Summer (film)The Last Day of Summer is a TV movie broadcast by Nickelodeon. It premiered on July 20, 2007. The film is inspired by the 1993 film, Groundhog Day.-Plot:...
- A boy relives his last day of summer after being repeatedly hit on the head. - Limbo 2004 - An attorney finds himself stuck in Limbo, neither alive or dead. He is in a unique time loop that lasts 1 hour and does not move him back to the same place when time resets. Then he finds others who are stuck in the same loop as him.
- Mickey's Once Upon a ChristmasMickey's Once Upon a ChristmasMickey's Once Upon a Christmas is a direct-to-video animated Christmas movie made by Walt Disney Home Video in 1999. The video features Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Pete, Goofy, Max, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey and Louie, Scrooge McDuck, Mortimer Mouse, Figaro the Kitten and Chip 'n...
- retells Christmas Every DayChristmas Every DayChristmas Every Day is a 1996 American television movie, directed by Larry Peerce, starring Erik von Detten, and originally broadcast on The Family Channel during their first 25 Days of Christmas programming block...
with Huey, Dewey, and Louie. - Mirror for a Hero - a 1987 Russian film. Besides Groundhog DayGroundhog Day (film)Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
's idea of living a perfect day it has a bundle of time, person and society related ideas. - Naked - Creative Swedish variation on Groundhog DayGroundhog Day (film)Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
where a man wakes up naked in an elevator after his bachelor party, and struggles repeatedly to reach his wedding in time. - NirvanaNirvana (film)Nirvana is a science fiction film, produced in Italy in 1997 by director Gabriele Salvatores, starring Christopher Lambert, Diego Abatantuono, Sergio Rubini and Stefania Rocca...
- time loop happens to a fictional person in a virtual reality game. - Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior - Dialga traps GiratinaGiratina, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Giratina first appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, but gained prominence in the remake, Pokémon Platinum, which it was made the mascot of. It later appeared in various merchandise,...
in a time loop, preventing it from leaving the Reverse World. The time loop is broken when Giratina is brought out of the Reverse World via artificial means. - PrimerPrimer (film)Primer is a 2004 American science fiction drama film about the accidental discovery of a means of time travel. The film was written, directed, and produced by Shane Carruth and was completed on a budget of $7,000...
- Film deals with a time loop that is described as being like a cul-de-sac with an "A end" and a "B end". - Reeds - similar to Triangle, a boat enters some reeds where mysterious events happen, however the main characters appear to be stuck in a cyclical loop, encountering past versions of themselves.
- Retroactive - A woman escapes a couple's captivity while traveling through a desert by car. She discovers a lab where a scientist is experimenting with time travel and is returned minutes before her escape. This cycle is repeated as she attempts to correct a series of violent events.
- Source CodeSource codeIn computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
- A film in which the protagonist repeatedly lives out the last eight minutes of a victim of a terrorist bomb in order to try to ascertain who the bomber is and to prevent them from detonating a dirty bombDirty bombA dirty bomb is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the explosion with radioactive material, hence the attribute "dirty"....
in central ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. - TriangleTriangle (2009 film)Triangle is a 2009 British-Australian psychological horror film, directed by Christopher Smith, and starring Melissa George, Rachael Carpani and Liam Hemsworth. It is set in the Bermuda Triangle. The film was released in the UK on 16 October 2009....
(2009) - this film involves a young woman trapped in a loop. There are copies of people and items, seemingly allowing many variations on the loop happening at the same time. - Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer - The day before Tomobiki High School's student fair is looped repeatedly.
Literature
- "Doubled and Redoubled", a short storyShort storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Malcolm JamesonMalcolm JamesonMalcolm Jameson was an American science fiction author. An officer in the US Navy, he was active in American pulp magazines during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. His writing career began when complications of throat cancer limited his activity. According to John W...
that appeared in the February, 1941 issue of UnknownUnknown (magazine)Unknown was an American pulp fantasy fiction magazine, published from 1939 to 1943 by Street & Smith, and edited by John W. Campbell. Unknown was a companion to Street & Smith's science fiction pulp, Astounding Science Fiction, which was also edited by Campbell at the time; many authors and...
. Accidentally cursed by a witch, the protagonist repeats a "perfect" day, including a lucky bet, a promotion, a heroically foiled bank robbery, and a successful wedding proposal. This story was a precedent to Groundhog day and 12:01 PM. - "Escapement", a 1956 short story by J. G. BallardJ. G. BallardJames Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
. - "12:01 PM12:01 PM"12:01 PM" is a short story by American writer Richard A. Lupoff, which was published in the December 1973 edition of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The story was twice adapted by Hollywood, first in 1990 as a short film, and again in 1993 as a television movie...
", a 1973 short storyShort storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Richard A. LupoffRichard A. LupoffRichard Allen Lupoff is an American science fiction and mystery author, who has also written humor, satire, non-fiction and reviews. In addition to his two dozen novels and more than 40 short stories, he has also edited science-fantasy anthologies. He is an expert on the writing of Edgar Rice...
. - The Dark TowerThe Dark Tower (series)The Dark Tower is a series of books written by American author Stephen King, which incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy, science fantasy, horror and western. It describes a "Gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical. King...
, a series of seven novels by Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
featuring many elements of time travel, including a time loop. - In a story in The DecameronThe DecameronThe Decameron, also called Prince Galehaut is a 14th-century medieval allegory by Giovanni Boccaccio, told as a frame story encompassing 100 tales by ten young people....
, a dead man (Guido degli Anastagi) is ordered to catch his dead recalcitrant beloved and tear her apart, every Friday. - The Details of Nikita Vorontsov's Life by Arkady StrugatskyArkady and Boris StrugatskyThe brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky are Soviet Jewish-Russian science fiction authors who collaborated on their fiction.-Life and work:...
. - "Genevieve Undead" by Jack Yeovil. While not a true time loop due to time still carrying on as normal outside the estate and the loop changing slightly with each playthrough it is still endless repetition for those who are caught in the curse.
- HELP! I'm Trapped In the First Day of School! by Todd Strasser. A boy keeps repeating his first day of school. A later book in the series features the same character being trapped in the first day of summer camp.
- I Am the CheeseI Am the CheeseI Am the Cheese is a novel written by American author Robert Cormier and first published in 1977. It is categorized as young adult literature.- Plot summary :...
. Technically not a true time loop novel, but the young main character, who is revealed to be insane, acts out the same week over and over. - In Lord SundayLord SundayLord Sunday is the seventh book concluding Garth Nix's The Keys to the Kingdom series. The book was released on 1 February 2010 . The description reads "Arthur Penhaligon must complete his quest to save the Kingdom he is heir to.....
, the last of the The Keys to the KingdomThe Keys to the KingdomThe Keys to the Kingdom is a fantasy–adventure book series written by Garth Nix, published in seven books between 2003 and 2010. The series chronicles the adventures of Arthur Penhaligon, an asthmatic 12-year-old boy who is chosen to become the Rightful Heir of the House, the epicenter of the...
, a series of seven young adult fantasy novels by Garth NixGarth NixGarth Nix is an Australian author of young adult fantasy novels, most notably the Old Kingdom series, The Seventh Tower series, and The Keys to the Kingdom series. He has frequently been asked if his name is a pseudonym, to which he has responded, "I guess people ask me because it sounds like the...
, the main character's mother is stuck within a time-loop. - "A Little Something for Us TempunautsA Little Something For Us Tempunauts"A Little Something for Us Tempunauts" is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick. It was first published in the anthology Final Stage in 1975.-Plot summary:...
", a 1975 short story by Philip K. DickPhilip K. DickPhilip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
. - Lost in a Good BookLost in a Good BookLost in a Good Book is an alternate history, fantasy novel by Jasper Fforde. It won the IMBA 2004 Dilys Award.-Plot introduction:It is the second book by Jasper Fforde and the sequel to the adventures of literary detective Thursday Next in The Eyre Affair...
, the second of the Thursday NextThursday NextThursday Next is the main protagonist in a series of comic fantasy, alternate history novels by the British author Jasper Fforde. She was first introduced in Fforde's first published novel, The Eyre Affair, released on July 19, 2001 by Hodder & Stoughton. , the series comprises six books, in two...
novels by Jasper FfordeJasper FfordeJasper Fforde is a British novelist. Fforde's first novel, The Eyre Affair, was published in 2001. Fforde is mainly known for his Thursday Next novels, although he has written several books in the loosely connected Nursery Crime series and begun two more independent series: The Last Dragonslayer...
. The title character travels back in time to save her husband from being eradicated and experiences a time loop before returning to her present-day 1985. (Time loops are also mentioned as a form of incarceration and punishment, confining the prisoner to a dull place such as a laundromat or in the line to checkout at a store over a span of a few minutes repeated for the duration of the sentence. Aornis Hades is incarcerated in an 8 minute loop in the checkout of a TJMaxx, Temporal J. Maximum security prison, never quite being allowed to checkout. Her enloopment could be lengthened as a reward or shortened as further punishment.) - Mathematicians in LoveMathematicians in LoveMathematicians in Love is a science fiction novel written by Rudy Rucker.-Plot summary:Bela and Paul are working towards their Ph.D's under the direction of a mad math genius named Roland Haut, they invent a para-computer called "GoBubble" that predicts the future...
, a novel by Rudy RuckerRudy RuckerRudolf von Bitter Rucker is an American mathematician, computer scientist, science fiction author, and philosopher, and is one of the founders of the cyberpunk literary movement. The author of both fiction and non-fiction, he is best known for the novels in the Ware Tetralogy, the first two of...
. - The Neverending StoryThe Neverending StoryThe Neverending Story is a German fantasy novel by Michael Ende, first published in 1979. The standard English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was first published in 1983...
, a book by Michael EndeMichael EndeMichael Andreas Helmuth Ende was a German author of fantasy and children's literature. He is best known for his epic fantasy work The Neverending Story; other famous works include Momo and Jim Button and Luke the Engine Driver...
- a time loop is deliberately set in motion at one point to force Bastian's hand. - The Plot to Save SocratesThe Plot To Save SocratesThe Plot to Save Socrates is a time travel novel by Paul Levinson, first published in 2006. Starting in the near future, the novel also has scenes set in the ancient world and Victorian New York.-Summary:...
, a novel by Paul LevinsonPaul LevinsonPaul Levinson is an American author and professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University in New York City. Levinson's novels, short fiction, and non-fiction works have been translated into twelve languages.... - In The Rashness of Haruhi Suzumiya there is a chapter Endless Eight in which Haruhi Suzumiya creates a time loop because she never wants their vacation to end.
- ReplayReplay (novel)Replay is a novel by Ken Grimwood first published by Arbor House in 1987. It won the 1988 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.The novel tells of a 43-year-old man who dies and awakens back in 1963 in his 18-year-old body. He then begins to relive his life with intact memories of the previous 25...
, a Ken GrimwoodKen GrimwoodKenneth Milton Grimwood was an American author who was born in Dothan, Alabama. In his fantasy fiction Grimwood combined themes of life-affirmation and hope with metaphysical concepts, themes found in his best-known novel, the highly popular Replay...
novel in which the main character suddenly shifts to much earlier in his life, then relives shorter and shorter periods. - Tales from the Time Loop, a book by David IckeDavid IckeDavid Vaughan Icke is an English writer and public speaker, best known for his views on what he calls "who and what is really controlling the world." Describing himself as the most controversial speaker in the world, he has written 18 books explaining his position, and has attracted a substantial...
. - "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in FrenchThat Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in FrenchThat Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French is a short story by Stephen King. It was originally published in the June 22, 1998 issue of The New Yorker magazine. In 2002, it was collected in King's collection Everything's Eventual...
", short story by Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
. - Time Trap and Back To The Time Trap by Keith LaumerKeith LaumerJohn Keith Laumer was an American science fiction author. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, he was an officer in the United States Air Force and a U.S. diplomat...
. - The Tunnel Under The World, a short story by Frederik PohlFrederik PohlFrederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
. in which the citizens of a town are seen to relive the same day over and over, seemingly unaware that they are doing so. At one point however a chance event results in one man retaining his memory of the previous day, allowing him to observe that history seems to be repeating; the rest of the story is concerned with his attempts to solve the mystery, which is resolved in a bizarre ending. - All You Need is KillAll You Need is KillAll You Need Is Kill is a Japanese science-fiction light novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka with illustrations by Yoshitoshi ABe. The novel was Sakurazaka's breakthrough science-fiction novel, earning wide praise from fellow novelists including Yasutaka Tsutsui and Chōhei Kanbayashi and was a entered in...
, a novel by Hiroshi SakurazakaHiroshi Sakurazakais a Japanese science fiction and fantasy light novel author. He originally began in a career in IT.-Life and career:Sakurazuka made his debut in 2002 at the second Super Dash Novel Rookie of the Year Award with the novel Mahō tsukai no netto, which was later published in December 2003 under the...
, featuring a soldier who relives an unwinnable battle endlessly, until he wins it. - Several stories from the Ijon TichyIjon TichyIjon Tichy is a fictional character who appears in several works of Stanisław Lem, including The Futurological Congress, Peace on Earth, Observation on the Spot, The Star Diaries and Memoirs of a Space Traveller .-Character:Tichy is a space explorer whose interplanetary...
series by Stanisław Lem. - Before I FallBefore I FallBefore I Fall is a young adult novel written by Lauren Oliver.-Plot summary:Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot...
is a novel by Lauren OliverLauren OliverLauren Oliver is an American author known for her young adult books.-Works:Lauren Oliver has published two young adult novels Before I Fall and Delirium . In 2011, it was revealed that Oliver's middle grade book, Liesl and Po, was scheduled for release on September 1, 2011...
, in which a teenage girl that dies in a car crash relives her last day seven times, unraveling the mystery of her death in the process.
Comic books
- Kid Gravity - Kid Gravity changes the clock to suit himself, but it causes a time loop. He ends up fixing it. As always, he gets in trouble for his wrongdoing.
- JoJo's Bizarre AdventureJoJo's Bizarre Adventureis a manga written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. Every main character's name in each part can be read as JoJo. The manga, published by Shueisha, first ran in the magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1987 to 2002, before being transferred to the seinen magazine Ultra Jump in 2004. The current story...
- At the end of the fourth partDiamond is Unbreakable, initially referred to as , is the fourth story arc of the long running manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki. The arc covers chapters 266 to 440 of the series, which spans volumes 29 to 47 of the Jump Comics collected edition...
of the manga, Kira YoshikageDiamond is Unbreakable, initially referred to as , is the fourth story arc of the long running manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki. The arc covers chapters 266 to 440 of the series, which spans volumes 29 to 47 of the Jump Comics collected edition...
gains a time looping power named Another One Bites the Dust. The originality of it is that Yoshikage doesn't manipulate the power by himself (he knows that time loops can occur, but he doesn't know how many times it has happened and what has happened before). - Nth Man: The Ultimate NinjaNth Man: the Ultimate NinjaNth Man: The Ultimate Ninja is a comic book about an American ninja set in an unspecified near future where World War III has started. It was written by Larry Hama between 1989 and 1990, based largely on his success writing the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic, which he wrote concurrently with...
- At the end of the series, both John Doe the Nth Man and Alphie O'Meagan realise that they are trapped in a time loop because of Alphie's manipulation of the Time stream.
In the 2011 Beano annual, The Fred's bed comic strip shows Fred traveling back in time repeatedly to have some cake. Despite having the origanal cake in his stoumach, he does not have any doubles.
Video games
- BlazBlue: Calamity TriggerBlazBlue: Calamity Triggeris a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The game's name is a portmanteau of "blaze" and "blue," with the "z" sound omitted in the Japanese pronunciation, rendering it similar to the word "brave" in pronunciation....
- The game's story mode is in a time loop. - BreakdownBreakdown (video game)Breakdown is a first-person action game released by Namco in 2004 for the Microsoft Xbox console. Views on the game are mixed, as it sold unspectacularly, and was criticized for the flawed gameplay mechanics...
- In one section of the game the main character experiences an illusion that causes him to repeat the last few seconds of what just happened. - Dragon Warrior VIIDragon Warrior VIIDragon Warrior VII, known in Japan as is a Japanese console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat and ArtePiazza, and published by Enix for the PlayStation in...
- One town in this game is placed under a curse so that the same day is repeated, with only the heroes, not native to the town being cursed, knowing that there is a time loop. - Ephemeral FantasiaEphemeral FantasiaEphemeral Fantasia is a RPG for the PlayStation 2 videogame console. The descriptive name of the title aptly gives away a key point in the story....
- The game centers around a five-day time loop, about which only the hero is aware. - Fate/hollow ataraxiaFate/hollow ataraxiais a Japanese visual novel game created by TYPE-MOON in 2005 which is the sequel to its earlier visual novel Fate/stay night. The word ataraxia in the title is a Greek term for tranquility, giving the title the combined meaning of "empty tranquility".-Plot:The plot of Fate/hollow ataraxia is...
- The main characters Shiro and BazettFate/hollow ataraxiais a Japanese visual novel game created by TYPE-MOON in 2005 which is the sequel to its earlier visual novel Fate/stay night. The word ataraxia in the title is a Greek term for tranquility, giving the title the combined meaning of "empty tranquility".-Plot:The plot of Fate/hollow ataraxia is...
are trapped in a four-day time loop. - Final FantasyFinal Fantasy (video game)is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
- Garland, once loyal knight of the Kingdom Coneria (Cornelia), is sent back 2000 years into the past. There he became Chaos, the Master of Evil, and sent the Four Fiends of the Elements ahead 2000 years into the future, where they would send him back in time. Garland/Chaos theorized that in 2000 years the time loop would close and he would cease to exist, which he thought would make him immortal. - GrimGrimoireGrimGrimoireis a real-time strategy video game from Vanillaware and Nippon Ichi for the PlayStation 2.-Plot:Lillet Blan is a young magician admitted to a prestigious magic school, the Tower of Silver Star. Though she attends normal classes for the first four days and meets the various professors and students,...
- The main character is stuck in a time loop and has 5 days to try to stop a disaster. - Higurashi no Naku Koro niHigurashi no Naku Koro ni, known simply as When They Cry for the North American release of the anime adaptation, is a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft sound novel series produced by 07th Expansion. The games are built on the NScripter game engine and are playable on Microsoft Windows PCs...
- Each chapter is a different iteration of the same month, with only one character being aware that she is living in a time loop, although some of the other characters begin to recall events from past time loops. - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's MaskThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Maskis an action-adventure video game developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on April 27, 2000, North America on October 26, 2000, and Europe on November 17, 2000. The game sold approximately 314,000 copies during its first...
- The entire game is set around a three-day time loop, which the main character and protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, Link, can reset at any time he needs to. - Little Busters!Little Busters!is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key which was originally released, rated for everyone as a limited edition version, on July 27, 2007 playable on a Windows PC; a regular edition, also rated for everyone, followed on September 28, 2007. Little Busters! is Key's sixth game, along with other...
- The entire visual novelVisual novelA is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
takes place within an artificial world—set at high school—that loops on itself every few months. The protagonists are unaware of the loop, but each time they return they are stronger and smarter, until finally hero and heroine fully regain their memories and are to ready to face the challenges of the real world. - Prince of Persia: The Sands of TimePrince of Persia: The Sands of TimePrince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person action-adventure computer and video game published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 21, 2003 and is a reboot of the landmark video game series Prince of Persia, created by Jordan Mechner in 1989.The Sands of Time, developed internally at...
- The player is given the "Dagger of Time", allowing them to continuously relive the previous ten seconds of game-play for a set amount of times, or until the player is satisfied with the way he or she played those ten seconds. The Prince is also sent back to the night before he stole the dagger, with the dagger of time in his possession, near the end of the game. - Shadow of MemoriesShadow of Memories, also known as Shadow of Destiny in North America, is an adventure video game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo for the PlayStation 2. Originally released for the PlayStation 2, it was later ported to the PC and Xbox in 2002 by the now-defunct Runecraft company...
aka Shadow of Destiny - The game begins with the death of the player, which the player then needs to prevent. - Timesplitters: Future Perfect includes many scenarios where the player works with past and future versions of himself that he meets through time loops.
- Escape from Monkey IslandEscape from Monkey IslandEscape from Monkey Island is a computer adventure game developed and released by LucasArts in 2000. It is the fourth game in the Monkey Island series....
(2000) - In one portion of the game, the player has to repeat the actions of the second Guybrush encountered earlier. If not performed identically (because at this point in time, the player is now the earlier second Guybrush), the player is returned to the start of the swamp. - Wild Arms: The Vth Vanguard (2006) - One of the characters, Avril Vent Fleur is obligated to relieve a 12,000 year old time loop in order to save Filgaia, the planet where the game takes place. Although she is unaware of the loop at first, she gains back her memories near the end and decides to return to the past to prepare for the future events. Otherwise, breaking the loop will result in a time paradox. This is one instance where only the character's consciousness travels through time, not the body.
- Flower, Sun, and RainFlower, Sun, and Rainis a video game developed by Goichi Suda for Grasshopper Manufacture. The game was initially released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan on May 2, 2001, while an enhanced Nintendo DS remake entitled Flower, Sun, and Rain: Murder and Mystery in Paradise was released in Japan on March 6, 2008, Europe on...
- In this game, "searcher" Sumio Mondo is assigned the task of defusing a bomb on an airplane. When he tries to make it to the airport, he is blocked by outside forces, and the plane explodes. Upon waking in the morning, he discovers that he is back in the previous day, with the bomb still waiting on the airplane. - XenosagaXenosagais a series of science fiction video games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco Bandai. Xenosaga's main story is in the form of a trilogy of PlayStation 2 video games. There have been three spin-off games and an anime adaptation. The Xenosaga series serves as a spiritual successor to...
- One of the series villains, Wilhelm, makes use of Zarathustra to create what he calls an Eternal Recurrence to prevent the universe to collapse, effectively creating a time loop, which the heroes tries to prevent in the end of the third episode of the saga. - WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation Portable , Wii and Xbox 360 systems. It is the seventh game in the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series and the final game under the SmackDown vs...
- In a portion of the "Vs. Undertaker" Road to WrestleManiaWrestleManiaWrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in late March or early April by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut...
story, the player has to win a 2-on-1 match against Mark HenryMark HenryMark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
and Big Show. During the match, an evil laugh can be heard and a flash of light is shown, automatically restarting the match and restoring Henry and Show. The time loop ends when your character/wrestler has either Henry or Show on the outside, counting them out during the 10-count and winning the match.
Repeated single loops
These are not time loops, but the repeated going-back results in many of the same story qualities emerging:- Seven Days (TV show) - Alien technology allows one person to go back in time seven days, typically to prevent a catastrophe shown in the opening scene.
- Tru CallingTru CallingTru Calling is an American television supernatural drama series that premiered on Fox Network on October 30, 2003. It ran for two seasons before being canceled....
(TV show) - A woman named Tru Davies works at a morgue, where dead bodies make requests for help. This sends her back to the beginning of the day so that she can attempt to save the person's life. - Galaxy QuestGalaxy QuestGalaxy Quest is a 1999 science-fiction comedy parody about a troupe of human actors who defend a group of aliens against an alien warlord. It was directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. Mark Johnson and Charles Newirth produced the film for DreamWorks, and David...
(Film) - The Omega 13 device allows the activator to jump back in time thirteen seconds. Everyone but the person who activated the device is unaware of the time jump. - 12 Monkeys (Film) - The character of James Cole is sent back in time to determine the origins of a pandemic that nearly wipes out mankind. He dreams of an episode where he remembers seeing his lover, Dr. Kathryn Railly running after him in an airport. In reality, this is a memory he had as a child where he witnessed his own death as an adult.
See also
- Time loop logic
- Butterfly effectButterfly effectIn chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state...
- Eternal returnEternal returnEternal return is a concept which posits that the universe has been recurring, and will continue to recur, in a self-similar form an infinite number of times across infinite time or space. The concept initially inherent in Indian philosophy was later found in ancient Egypt, and was subsequently...
- Grandfather paradoxGrandfather paradoxThe grandfather paradox is a proposed paradox of time travel first described by the science fiction writer René Barjavel in his 1943 book Le Voyageur Imprudent . The paradox is this: suppose a man traveled back in time and killed his biological grandfather before the latter met the traveler's...
- List of television series that include time travel
- Ontological paradox
- Predestination paradoxPredestination paradoxA predestination paradox is a paradox of time travel that is often used as a convention in science fiction. It exists when a time traveller is caught in a loop of events that "predestines" or "predates" them to travel back in time...
- Time slipTime slipA time slip is an alleged paranormal phenomenon in which a person, or group of people, travel through time via unknown means...
- Time travelTime travelTime travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
Time travel television series