History Main / HighConcept

* ''LetsPlay/UnoTheMovie'': Four accounts log into a game of ''Uno'' which ends up lasting [[ThisIsGonnaSuck way]] [[OverlyLongGag longer]] [[ComedicSociopathy than]] [[YankTheDogsChain it]] [[DespairEventHorizon should]].

** ''Jadeclaw'': A ''{{Wuxia}}'' film roleplaying game... [[CaptainObvious with furries]].

* ''Anime/AssassinationClassroom'': School children have to assassinate their octopus-like teacher before he blows up the Earth.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Danganronpa}}'': Sixteen students are trapped in a prestigious school and forced into a DeadlyGame.

* ''Anime/Steins;Gate'': A self-styled MadScientist accidentally invents a time machine and is hunted by a mysterious organization.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Danganrona}}'': Sixteen students are trapped in a prestigious school and forced into a DeadlyGame.

* ''Manga/SailorMoon'': ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' for girls.

* ''Manga/BackStreetGirls Gokudolls'': After a [[NoodleIncident failed mission]], 3 {{Yakuza}} Mooks are forced into sex change operations by their BadBoss in order to become Japanese Idols

* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}: Two warring factions of alien robots (one good, one evil) come to Earth and fight one another.

* ''Series/{{Transparent}}:'' It's about a [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Trans]] Parent.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': A boy goes to a WizardingSchool while trying not to get killed by an EvilOverlord who killed his parents.

--> "You are [[Series/Angel a vampire detective]] now? What's next? Vampire cowboy? Vampire fireman? Oh, vampire ballerina!

* ''Manga/SailorMoon'': SuperSentai for girls.

* ''SpaceBattleshipYamato'': [[StarTrek ''These are the voyages..'']] or at least Japan's version.

* ''Film/StarTrek'' (2009 reboot):
-->'''Spock:''' [[BigBad Nero]]'s very presence has altered the flow of history... thereby creating an entire new chain of incidents that cannot be anticipated by either party.
-->'''Uhura''': [[AlternateTimeline An alternate reality]]?
-->'''Spock''': Precisely. Whatever our lives might have been, if the time continuum was disrupted, our destinies have changed.

* ''Literature/TheWishList'': A recently deceased girl [[BarredFromTheAfterlife cannot enter Heaven or Hell]] due to having a neutral soul, and decides to help an Old Man whom she helped rob when she was still living in order to get enough good karma to get into heaven

* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': DistaffCounterpart ''HoratioHornblower'' in space

{{High Concept}}s can take several specific forms like: "[[JustForFun/XMeetsY Show A meets Show B]]", "[[WunzaPlot One's an X, the other's a Y]]: TheyFightCrime", or "Film X in the style of Creator W" as well as the labored [[RecycledINSPACE IN SPACE!]] and DieHardOnAnX. Sometimes a High Concept can be based entirely around ''who's'' in it as opposed to what it is, with the implication that the star's unique style or talent will carry the premise - [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} a sitcom starring Jerry Seinfeld]]; [[Series/{{Frasier}} a sitcom based around Kelsey Grammer's character from]] ''Seires/{{Cheers}}''. And of course you can combine headliner talent with a fantastic or unusual situation: [[Series/ThatsSoRaven Raven Symone has psychic powers]]; [[Series/HannahMontana Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter lives a double-life as a normal teenager and pop icon]]. Sometimes a high concept can become so influential and imitable that it becomes a format trope in its own right, as is the case of ''Film/DieHard''; see also TheMagnificentSevenSamurai trope, (based on ''Film/SevenSamurai''), WagonTrainToTheStars (named for the high concept pitch for ''Franchise/StarTrek''), and ABoyAndHisX.

* Pretty much any sci-fi by Creator/JulesVerne or Creator/HGWells were High Concept, especially for their time. In Verne's case, the Concept [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is often stated in the title:]] ''Literature/FiveWeeksInABalloon'', ''Literature/JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth'', ''Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays'', etc. (Wells had ''Literature/TheTimeMachine'' and ''Literature/TheInvisibleMan'', himself.)

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' was actually described verbatim by Creator/JossWhedon as a HighConcept show - What if the [[TheDitz ditzy]] [[DumbBlonde blonde]] followed by a [[BuffySpeak creepy crawly]] in a [[AlwaysNight dark alley]] is not only [[GenreSavvy ready for it]], but also [[ActionGirl kicks the monster's ass?]]

Occasionally, as in the page quote, a line of dialogue or narration from a film [[LampshadeHanging will sum up]] its High Concept for us - it sometimes seems like [[ExecutiveMeddling Meddling Executives]] demanded a good soundbite to put in [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil the trailer]]. LetMeGetThisStraight is a frequent contributor.

{{High Concept}}s can take several specific forms like: "[[JustForFun/XMeetsY Show A meets Show B]]", "[[WunzaPlot One's an X, the other's a Y]]: TheyFightCrime", or "Film X in the style of Creator W" as well as the labored [[RecycledINSPACE IN SPACE!]] and DieHardOnAnX. Sometimes a High Concept can be based entirely around ''who's'' in it as opposed to what it is, with the implication that the star's unique style or talent will carry the premise - [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} a sitcom starring Jerry Seinfeld]]; [[Series/{{Frasier}} a sitcom based around Kelsey Grammer's character from]] ''Seires/{{Cheers}}''. And of course you can combine headliner talent with a fantastic or unusual situation: [[Series/ThatsSoRaven Raven Symone has psychic powers]]; [[Series/HannahMontana Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter lives a double-life as a normal teenager and pop icon]]. Sometimes a high concept can become so influential and imitable that it becomes a format trope in its own right, as is the case of ''Film/DieHard''; see also ''TheMagnificentSevenSamurai'' (based on ''Film/SevenSamurai''), WagonTrainToTheStars (named for the high concept pitch for ''Franchise/StarTrek''), and ABoyAndHisX.

[[IThoughtItMeant Not]] the kind of concept invented [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs while stoned.]]