Supernatural, and 5 shows with great Groundhog Day episodes

Groundhog Day episodes have been a mainstay in sci-fi and fantasy shows for a while. But which episodes would viewers love returning to and why?

What day is it? This question has been repeated ad nauseum on social media, in emails, and in office group chats. Since nobody can keep track of days or times—is today Friday or was yesterday Friday? Who knows!—we decided to delve into pop culture to uncover more about this feeling.

Turns out, some of our favorite TV shows have expertly explored the feeling of living the same day over and over again. These episodes usually require the protagonist(s) to resolve one central issue before they can break the loop and go back to living a normal life.

The concept originated from the seminal Bill Murray film, Groundhog Day, where Murray plays a curmudgeonly character who is forced to live through the same day until he becomes a better person. It takes a while—hence an entire feature-length film being dedicated to the plot.

More from Editorial

• Show Snob’s Premiere Review: Watch, Pass, Wait and See (December 4, 2023)
• 5 Female Marvel characters we want to see return to the MCU
• Show Snob’s Premiere Review: Watch, Pass, Wait and See (November 27, 2023)
• 5 TV Show Advent Calendars you’ll want this holiday season (2023)!
• Show Snob’s Premiere Review: Watch, Pass, Wait and See (November 20, 2023)

On the small screen, Netflix’s excellent Russian Doll turned the concept on its head with Natasha Lyonne playing a fairly ordinary human—who isn’t all that bad—trying to make it through one evening without dying.

If you haven’t watched it, you definitely should. It’s hilarious, it’s emotional, and it’ll have you desperate for a second season.

But not all concept shows have space or time to dedicate whole arcs to time loops—though many have distilled the plot device to one singular episode that generally turns out to be everyone’s favorite.

We look at five sci-fi and fantasy shows that nailed their Groundhog Day episodes.