History Main / BusmansHoliday

** One episode opened with the title character going to Tibet. First we see the other characters back home discussing it and one saying that Angel should have just "gotten drunk and gone to Vegas," only to be told that that's stupid. Then there is a delayed IronicEchoCut to the Tibetan monastery, where Angel is in an intense fight; someone walks in and is stunned by the carnage, to which Angel responds, "Demon monks. I should've gone to Vegas."
** In Season 4, they actually do all go to Vegas for a bit of a vacation and to visit Lorne. Of course, it ends up that Lorne has been held hostage for some time and is being forced to read destinies, so they have to rescue him. It is duly lampshaded:

* One Progressive commercial has the gang of sales reps at the beach, promising to not talk about insurance. Then two other beachgoers talk about their own insurance issues, and Flo cracks within seconds and rushes over to help.

** In one omake, [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] tries to ask for time off from his employer [[spoiler: Luvia]]. She tries to decline by pointing out that in addition to the 'vacation curse', since he's [[MysteryMagnet a detective]] he's probably going to end up having to investigate [[AlwaysMurder a murder]], and most likely a ClosedCircle LockedRoomMystery. Harry decides to take his chances, only to end up involved in a convoluted mystery at the mountain resort he vacationed to. He does initially think to avert this by bringing friends, only to realize that everyone he knows has reason to kill one another. He decides to never go on vacation again.
* In ''Fanfic/AvengerGoddess'', Diana wonders why she always ends up finding a disaster on holidays when a trip to Disneyland with Natalia in 1992 reveals that the park’s current Santa is part of a terrorist group attempting to provoke a new war.
* Downplayed in ''Fanfic/KimberlyTsGargoyles'' series; while the Manhattan Clan encounter a few problems while on vacation in New Orleans, in general they are able to focus on their original purpose of finding mates for Brooklyn, Lexington and Hudson (as well as Broadway finding a new mate and Angela acknowledging who she really wants).

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePiratesInAnAdventureWithScientists'' fanfic ''[[Fanfic/ThePiratesverse An Adventure with Napoleon]]'', the pirates have anchored their boat and are simply enjoying the nice weather when Napoleon finds them. Lampshaded at the end, when they sail off to find a "proper holiday."
* ''Fanfic/ThePrivateDiaryOfElizabethQuatermain'': They may not be called on to SaveTheWorld at any given point, but it seems [[Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen the League]] can't go anywhere without stumbling on some local mishap that has to be set right.
* ''Fanfic/TheSecretReturnOfAlexMack'': Alex's vacations typically end up encountering superpowered crime that requires Terawatt's help. Visiting Comic-Con? [[spoiler: A MasterOfIllusion tries to rob an armoured car.]] Going to Paris after graduation? [[spoiler: A bio-weapon is released.]] By the time of the Davenport cleanup, she's learned to expect it, and brings her Terawatt bag just in case.

* ''Fanfic/ThePrayerWarriors'' take a break from killing everyone who disagrees with them, particularly "evil gods", to observe St. Patrick's Day, but end up fighting [[CriticalResearchFailure a demon called St. George]], [[CurbStompBattle winning easily]] and helping the IRA gain independence for Ireland, before returning to London to save Ginny from Literature/HarryPotter.
* In Creator/AAPessimal's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}[=/=]Series/TheBigBangTheory'' crossover fic ''Fanfic/TheManyWorldsInterpretation'', Ponder Stibbons, accompanied by an Assassin, visit California and end up on a working holiday. Assassin Johanna ends up bodyguarding the Caltech crew against some of the usual perils and hazards. Ponder, meanwhile, ends up teaching Physics at Caltech. He finds it to be a place full of seething academic rivalry, inflated egos, and very eccentric academics. She finds Los Angeles to be a place with a pervading bad smell which is full of thieves, overworked cynical cops, and assorted mortal perils. It's just like home for both of them.
* Sort of a RunningGag in ''Fanfic/TheStepbrotherSitch'' series; Kim and Ron can't seem to go on vacation anywhere without running into their foes and teaming up with [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover other Disney characters]] to stop them.
* In ''Fanfic/{{Juxtapose}}'', Izuku and co. are about to head to a yakiniku party to celebrate a long week of hard work and training. [[spoiler:The League of Villains decides to invade all of Musutafu at that same moment.]]
* ''Fanfic/TheOneToMakeItStay'': Master Fu gives Marinette the Horse Miraculous so she has a way of getting back to Paris in case Hawkmoth attacks while she's at Summer Sesh with Kitty Section. Naturally, an akuma strikes ''at'' Summer Sesh instead, signaling that [[spoiler:Hawkmoth is in the area, since his powers have a limited range]].

The simplest explanation for this phenomenon is that a regular vacation [[WatsonianVersusDoylist would be boring.]] If the main character is fairly low in his job's hierarchy (i.e. a beat cop), it can also nicely justify the utter lack of backup and [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything why a rookie is handling an adventure that should properly go to someone way above his pay grade]].

* Happens unintentionally to JD in the ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' episode "My Way Home". On his day off, he's paged by an intern to answer a (rather easy and pointless) question. He spends the rest of the episode trying to leave the hospital and get home, but keeps getting caught and interrupted. In one of the audio commentaries, it was stated that during the production of one of the first season episodes, Bill Lawrence [[SnipeHunt managed to trick Zach Braff into running around the studio for about half an hour]] on an evening Zach was really eager to leave and go to a party. [[FridgeLogic Perhaps this was inspiration for the aforementioned episode?]]

* In ''Manga/LetterBee'', Lag gets a day off from his job as a Letter Bee(i.e. postman) in Episode 31/Chapter 21, but Sylvette, his housemate and a dollmaker, has a delivery to make. She ends up making the delivery herself, with Lag as her "dingo" (bodyguard and partner).

* Used to humorous effect in the BeachEpisode of DC's ''Comicbook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' comic; a thief grows increasingly nervous about the endless stream of Legionnaires showing up, convinced they're there to bust him. In fact most of them are only there to goof off, and even the two who are investigating his thefts aren't making much progress and have no idea he's involved; everyone is rather baffled when he finally panics and confesses all.
* Franchise/TheFlash, Franchise/GreenLantern, and Comicbook/GreenArrow once attempted to [[HoYay take a relaxing cruise together]]. The cruise ship just ''happens'' to be secretly transporting [[spoiler: a comatose supervillain]] and a gang of ''other'' supervillains on a recovery mission. HilarityEnsues.

* In her spare time, Ninjette from ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}'' likes to play videogames, where the hero is... a ninja.

* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha''[=/=]''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' [[AlternateUniverseFic AU]] {{crossover}} ''FanFic/BloodThatFlows'', Lina's return home was supposed to be just for reuniting with her old friends and family as well as introducing her new ones. However the Mazoku got wind of her return, and she just couldn't leave that be, knowing [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive that trouble could easily follow her back to Earth]].
* In the Franchise/{{Naruto}} [[AlternateUniverseFic AU]] fic ''[[FanFic/FirstTrySeries First Try: Team 7]]'', Kakashi's rationale for going on a C-Rank is for the group to relax and ease up on their constant fighting. You can guess what happens.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers''[=/=]''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' fanfic ''[[FanFic/TheMidnightverse Too Huge To Be True]]'', the Rangers visit Cape Suzette - where they get involved in a cargo job, and later, a treasure hunt with Higher for Hire.
* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePiratesInAnAdventureWithScientists'' fanfic ''[[FanFic/ThePiratesverse An Adventure with Napoleon]]'', the pirates have anchored their boat and are simply enjoying the nice weather when Napoleon finds them. Lampshaded at the end, when they sail off to find a "proper holiday."

* ''FanFic/TheOneToMakeItStay'': Master Fu gives Marinette the Horse Miraculous so she has a way of getting back to Paris in case Hawkmoth attacks while she's at Summer Sesh with Kitty Section. Naturally, an akuma strikes ''at'' Summer Sesh instead, signaling that [[spoiler:Hawkmoth is in the area, since his powers have a limited range]].

* In an example of the original definition, the FinalBoss of ''[[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Phantasmagoria of Flower View]]'', Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu, is a judge [[CelestialBureaucracy of the Dead]] who spends her working hours deciding whether to send a given soul to hell. She is [[AllThereInTheManual stated]] to spend her free time going around and lecturing sinners (so that she doesn't ''have'' to send them to hell).

** It happens again in the sequel when Edgeworth goes to a speech that the president of Zheng Fa gives in his honor, and there ends up being an assassination attempt [[spoiler:which was staged, as a way for the president to regain popularity and for the killer to murder his rival]].

** Most of the heroes' day-offs end up like this. There's the airport fire the Aces helped put out during their vacation four years before ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS'', the Forwards' one-day break in ''[=StrikerS=]'' which turned into a mission when they discovered a certain MysteriousWaif, the entire [[NightOfTheLivingMooks Marriage incident]] that occurred in ''Audioplay/StrikersSoundStageX'' around the same time Subaru arranged a reunion with the other Riot Force Six members, and even in ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'', [[FairCop Enforcer Teana]] found herself needing to help with a police report regarding Hegemon Ingvalt during her time off. Though, as the "Holiday Trip" arc of ''[=ViVid=]'' (in which the cast gets together for a chance to do some training) shows, the girls ([[TheOneGuy and Erio]]) themselves [[MarriedToTheJob wouldn't have it any other way]].

** Played with, where Billy asks Harry (a real-life professional wizard) to participate in their [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]] session. Harry declines, saying it "sounds too much like work." He eventually accepts, on the condition that he plays a [[DumbMuscle barbarian]] with 'mighty thews.' I demand thews!

* In an example of the original definition, the FinalBoss of ''[[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Phantasmagoria of Flower View]]'', Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu, is a [[TheJudge judge]] [[CelestialBureaucracy of the Dead]] who spends her working hours deciding whether to send a given soul to hell. She is [[AllThereInTheManual stated]] to spend her free time going around and lecturing sinners (so that she doesn't ''have'' to send them to hell).

* The WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck cartoon "Boston Quackie" lampshades it at the start. Quackie (Daffy) and secretary Mary are on vacation in Paris when Quackie's superior Inspector [[PunnyName Faraway]] (WesternAnimation/PorkyPig) arrives with an assignment.

In {{anime}}, {{Hot Springs Episode}}s and {{Beach Episode}}s often turn out to be busman's holidays, especially if the show in question happens to be an action show. If a character doesn't do the job as a calling, but finds trouble anyway, they're probably a MysteryMagnet.

* Youtuber WebVideo/TheMightyJingles was in Her Majesty's Royal Navy for over 20 years, serving in several roles, most notably as a comms tech for a destroyer, meaning a lot of Royal Navy ship talk. What does he do to stay busy now that he's no longer in armed service? He spends a lot of his time playing ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarships'' and commentating on videos of the same, with a particular fondness for the British tech tree... meaning a lot of Royal Navy ship talk. He's made a few jokes about never being able to ''really'' get away from the Royal Navy even though he's retired.

* In Creator/AAPessimal's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}[=/=]Series/TheBigBangTheory'' crossover fic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9812307/1/The-Many-Worlds-Interpretation the Many Worlds Interpretation]], Ponder Stibbons, accompanied by an Assassin, visit California and end up on a working holiday. Assassin Johanna ends up bodyguarding the Caltech crew against some of the usual perils and hazards. Ponder, meanwhile, ends up teaching Physics at Caltech. He finds it to be a place full of seething academic rivalry, inflated egos, and very eccentric academics. She finds Los Angeles to be a place with a pervading bad smell which is full of thieves, overworked cynical cops, and assorted mortal perils. It's just like home for both of them. See '''[[Fanfic/TheManyWorldsInterpretation here]].'''

** In Chapter 3, after defeating [[spoiler:Dogen and Orochi]], the girls decide to take a well-earned vacation and are hanging around, bonding with each other. Then a [[TheHeartless yoma]] invasion happens, forcing the girls into action to save Japan.
** Chapter 4 is a more comedic variant, in which the girls relax at the local {{hot springs|Episode}}, only to get into fights with each other for silly reasons.

* Whenever the protagonists in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series take an interest in anything, someone will die in connection to it. Many members of the EconomyCast actually [[LampshadeHanging pick up on this]], but think it's ''them'' with the bad luck.
** This continues in the GaidenGame, ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations.'' The second case has Edgeworth on an airplane. When he goes to use the in-flight elevator, there's a body inside. Yep, it's a murder. And poor Edgeworth's the first suspect. At least he'd already taken the vacation beforehand.
** It happens again in the sequel when Edgeworth goes to a speech that the president of Zheng Fa gives in his honor, and there ends up being an assassination attempt [[spoiler:which was staged, as a way for the president to regain popularity and for the killer to murder his rival]].
** Phoenix travels to a foreign kingdom just to check up on Maya in ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]'' when he winds up in their courtroom, defending a suspect of murder. At least in this case it's justified because their society's courts don't have defense attorneys (having been victims of ThePurge some time before) and court cases are done via spirit communication with the recently deceased. Phoenix is simply trying to fight back against the possibility of unjust verdicts.

* In ''VisualNovel/{{Demonbane}}'', the group take a vacation after Hadou mansion was damaged in previous battle. At first, it seem to be a {{Breather|Episode}} BeachEpisode, they do encounter the villains like [[MadScientist Dr.West]] and {{mooks}} - who are also on vacation and got beaten in comical way. Then something ''fishy'' occur, befitting the episode name ''[[Franchise/CthulhuMythos The Shadow Over]] [[TownWithADarkSecret Innsmouth]]''.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' has Mario and Princess Peach take a vacation on Delfino Island, only for Mario to get framed for messing up the place and tasked with cleaning it up as part of his sentence, and Peach to get kidnapped ''again''. And again.
** Pretty much the same thing happens in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', sans framing.
** And in ''Videogame/SuperMario64'', he thinks he's just there for some cake, at least until some Lakitu with a camera talks to him as if he knows he's going on an adventure.
** And then there's ''VideoGame/PaperMario'', where he's invited to attend a party.
** And that festival in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''. And ''again'' in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'', which Bowser also attacks.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' [[AllThereInTheManual starts off with the heroes falling asleep while on a nice outing]]...
** And ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' starts with the heroes at Princess Peach's birthday party. Cue attack by the Koopalings and Bowser Jr.
** For that matter, ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' starts with Mario simply heading to Rogueport to join Peach in searching for treasure. He runs into TheDragon the second his ship arrives, and it just gets worse from there.
** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'' has Peach, the Bros., and many Toads being invited to vacation on Pi'illo Island, and everything actually goes without a hitch aside from Luigi having a foreshadowing nightmare. It's not until they come across a stone pillow deep within Pi'illo Castle and accidentally use it to open the Dream World and free Antasma that things actually turn dangerous. Bowser himself wasn't even involved this time around until he heard that another villain had kidnapped Peach.
** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion3'' sees Luigi win an invitation to a luxury hotel to which he also brings along Mario, Peach and her Toad attendants. Unsurprisingly, the hotel is haunted and is a trap set up by the hotel owner [[BigBadDuumvirate Hellen Gravelly and King Boo.]] Everyone is captured except for Luigi who must once again don a new Poltergust and capture ghosts that [[CowardlyLion he's extremely terrified by.]]
* Whenever the protagonist in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series takes an interest in anything, someone will die in connection to it. Many members of the EconomyCast [[LampshadeHanging pick up on this]], but think it's ''them'' with the bad luck.
** This continues in the GaidenGame, ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations.'' The second case has Edgeworth on an airplane. When he goes to use the in-flight elevator, there's a body inside. Yep, it's a murder. [[spoiler: And poor Edgeworth's the first suspect. At least he'd already taken the vacation beforehand.]]

* A bit of a RunningGag in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII VideoGame/CrisisCore'' is that every time Zack attempts to take a vacation at Costa del Sol, he ends up having to save the town from some sort of monster attack and thus completely ruins his vacation. At least these missions allow for FanService...

** "The Pact" has Rossi spend his last vacation days of the year searching for the episode's Unsubs. [[spoiler:One gets away.]]