History Main / ForgottenFramingDevice

[[AC:[[FilmAnimated Film - Animated]]]]

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' movies tend to start with narration that helps explain the nature of the Pokemon world for any newcomers, before introducing Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, and the [[GuestStarPartyMember companions-of-the-season]] and his goals to become a Pokémon Master (some movies just cut straight to Ash after about 10 seconds of explaining the nature of the world). Unlike episodes of the show, the narrator doesn't come back at the end. Some of the movies, strangely enough, place the "Welcome to the world of Pokemon" narration at the ''end'' of the film.

** The first four ''WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror'' episodes utilize a FramingDevice, but only the third (WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons throwing a Halloween party) and fourth (Bart hosting a Series/NightGallery) episodes end without concluding their own frame stories.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' has the [[http://spongebob.wikia.com/wiki/SpongeBob%27s_Runaway_Roadtrip_(event) SpongeBob's Runaway Roadtrip]] episodes, also known as the vacation miniseries. Each episode begins with the same framing device of a character showing pictures of a vacation they were on, leading to a WholeEpisodeFlashback. However, the framing device for each epiosde is not revisited at the end, nor are they acknowledged in the other episodes.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' movies tend to start with narration that helps explain the nature of the Pokemon world for any newcomers, but unlike episodes of the show, the narrator doesn't come back at the end. Some of the movies, strangely enough, place the "Welcome to the world of Pokemon" narration at the ''end'' of the film.

* Justified in ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' season 4 episode 9. The episode starts with Princess Carolyn's [[KidFromTheFuture great great great grand-daughter Ruthie]] telling her class about her famous ancestor. As the story goes darker and darker ([[spoiler:she has a miscarriage, learns her assistant plotted to stab her in her back and that a precious family heirloom is fake, and breaks up with her boyfriend]]) Ruthie assures that it has a HappyEnding. At the end [[spoiler:Princess Carolyn tells Bojack that she imagines her hypothetical descendant telling stories about her when she feels down to convince herself that everything is going to be fine, even though its completely fake]].

* Justified in ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' season 4 episode 9. The episode starts with Princess Carolyn's [[KidFromTheFuture great great great grand-daugter Ruthie]] telling her class about her famous ancestor. As the story goes darker and darker ([[spoiler:she has a miscarriage, learns her assistant plotted in her back and that a precious family heirloom is fake, and break with her boyfriend]]) Ruthie assures that it has a HappyEnding. At the end [[spoiler:Princess Carolyn tells Bojack that she imagines her hypothetical descendant telling stories about her when she feels down to convince herself that everything is going to be fine, even though its completely fake]].

* ''Series/QuantumLeap'' spent its entire run utilizing a NarratingThePresent framing device, as if we're seeing Sam Beckett's memoirs acted out. But in the final episode it's revealed that he "never returned home." So how did he narrate all that time?

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' movies tend to start with narration that helps explain what the nature of the Pokemon world for any newcomers, but unlike episodes of the show, the narrator doesn't come back at the end. Some of the movies, strangely enough, place the "Welcome to the world of Pokemon" narration at the ''end'' of the film.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' movies tend to start with narration, but unlike episodes of the show, the narrator doesn't come back at the end.

* The ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' episode "Video Game References" starts with the Titans entering simulations to test their skills, but the episode ends as soon as Robin's simulation ends.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarepants'' has the [[http://spongebob.wikia.com/wiki/SpongeBob%27s_Runaway_Roadtrip_(event) SpongeBob's Runaway Roadtrip]] episodes, also known as the vacation miniseries. Each episode begins with the same framing device of a character showing pictures of a vacation they were on, leading to a WholeEpisodeFlashback. However, the framing device for each epiosde is not revisited at the end, nor are they acknowledged in the other episodes.

* ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' opens with Creator/JackBlack leading the viewer into a record shop and showing him the Brutal Legend record, which turns into game menu. You can beat the game, but you'll never see that record shop again.

** In season 17, [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS17E18TheWettestStoriesEverTold "The Wettest Stories Ever Told"]], while the Simpsons are waiting for their meals at the Frying Dutchman, a seafood restaurant, Marge, Bart, and Homer each tell a story with a nautical theme. The episode ends at the end of Homer's story and we don't see the Simpsons at the conclusion of the story.

* The pilot episode of ''Series/DadsArmy'' started in the 1960s with Captain Mainwaring addressing a Rotary Club dinner and reminiscing about his time in the Home Guard, before flashing back to the story of the founding of the platoon. This was never referred to again in the remainder of the series.

* In ''Film/IRememberMama'', we see Katrin in the opening scene flashing back to the events of the story. A couple of times during the narration are we returning back to present day but the story ends without another nod to the FramingDevice.

* ''Film/TheSaragossaManuscript'' ends without returning to the primary level of the Nested Story, the one where the two opposing soldiers discovered and read the manuscript during a battle.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': "Viewer Mail #2" starts with Brian and Stewie [[AnimatedActors out of character]] talking to the camera about the mail they've received, and the first [[ThreeShorts short]] shown is in response to a letter asking about the origin of the show. The framing device is dropped after that, showing two other unrelated shorts. This is in contrast to "Viewer Mail #1" where Brian & Stewie introduce each short, saying they were based on viewer suggestions.

** In season 17, "The Wettest Stories Ever Told", while the Simpsons are waiting for their meals at the Frying Dutchman, a seafood restaurant, Marge, Bart, and Homer each tell a story with a nautical theme. The episode ends at the end of Homer's story and we don't see the Simpsons at the conclusion of the story.

The story in introduced via some kind of FramingDevice, but when the story is over, the credits roll and the framing device isn't there to close things.

** The title itself was initially about the framing device of kids telling scary stories in a treehouse. It became an ArtifactTitle as soon as the second episode (which used a different framing device) and they stopped using framing devices altogether from the fifth episode onwards.

* The pilot episode of ''Series/DadsArmy'' started in the 1960s with Captain Mainwaring adressing a Rotary Club dinner and reminiscing about his time in the Home Guard, before flashing back to the story of the founding of the platoon. This was never referred to again in the remainder of the series.

* The opening of ''Literature/TheBorrowers'' has a child being told about the Borrowers by another woman, leading into the plot. This is forgotten about at the end of the novel and subsequent releases.

* In Disney's ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', the story opens with a merchant telling the viewer the story of the lamp. The movie ends with the Genie shouting "Made you look!" to the audience and the credits roll. The merchant eventually does show up again, however -- at the end of the direct-to-video movie ''Aladdin and the Prince of Thieves'', which closes out the spin-off TV series and ends the franchise.

* ''Literature/TheWormOroborus'' begins with a man from Earth who dreams his way to Mercury, where the bulk of the novel takes place. No sooner does this dream-traveler get a peek at the royal court of Demonland than the author forgets all about him, focusing on the adventures and intrigues of its nobles.

Related to the TethercatPrinciple, as it makes it seem like the framing device is forever stuck telling the story. Compare SchrodingersButterfly. Contrast NarratorAllAlong, where it's a plot twist that there ''is'' a FramingDevice.

!Examples

* In Disney's ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', the story opens with a merchant telling the viewer the story of the lamp. The movie ends with the Genie shouting "Made you look!" to the audience and the credits roll. The merchant eventually does show up again, however- at the end of the second direct-to-video movie.
* In ''Dino Time'', the main character [[BreakingTheFourthWall breaks the fourth wall]] when providing narration at the beginning of the movie, but after the third time, about 20 minutes in, he never does it again.
* ''{{Pokemon}}'' movies tend to start with narration, but unlike episodes of the show, the narrator doesn't come back at the end.

* Creator/WilliamHopeHodgson's novel ''TheNightLand''. The book starts with a 17th century gentleman mourning the death of his beloved in childbirth. He has a vision of a distant future where their souls will be reunited, and sees that world through the eyes of his future incarnation. The end of the novel doesn't mention anything about this.
* ''The Worm Oroborus'' begins with a man from Earth who dreams his way to Mercury, where the bulk of the novel takes place. No sooner does this dream-traveler get a peek at the royal court of Demonland than the author forgets all about him, focusing on the adventures and intrigues of its nobles.

* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOftheOpera'' opens with an elderly Raoul attending an auction of the opera house's items which segues into main story when they show the chandelier. Raoul's lines imply that Christine has died but the play ends with her still alive and never returns to the framing story. (the film version does but it's a silent scene adding no new elements)
* ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew''. Christopher Sly, a drunk, is found passed out on the street by a Lord who decides to play an ElaborateRuse on Sly, making Sly think he's a Lord who has only been dreaming that he's a drunkard. The Lord's attendants go along with the gag. The majority of ''Shrew'' is a play put on for Lord!Sly by a group of players. After a couple of interludes showing Sly's reactions to the play, it's dropped.

Related to the TethercatPrinciple, as it makes it seem like the framing device is forever stuck telling the story. Compare SchrodingersButterfly.

** In season 17, "The Wettest Stories Ever Told", while the Simpsons are waiting for their meals at the Frying Dutchman, a seafood restaurant, Marge, Bart, and Homer each tell a story with a nautical theme. The episode ends at the end of Homer's story and we don't see the Simpsons at the conclusion of the story.
Kind of one and half examples at this point. Any others?