History Main / ItsALongStory

* This is ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}'''s CatchPhrase; Henry says it [[{{Bookends}} both]] in the pilot and in the final episode, and it gets several uses or references in between. When Jo confronts Henry with a photo of [[TheAgeless Henry]], [[TheLostLenore Abigail]], and a baby [[CoolOldGuy Abraham]], and asks for an explanation, this is how Henry's reply starts.

* This is ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}'''s CatchPhrase; Henry says it [[{{Bookends}} both]] in the pilot and in the final episode. When Jo confronts Henry with a photo of [[TheAgeless Henry]], [[TheLostLenore Abigail]], and a baby [[CoolOldGuy Abraham]], and asks for an explanation, this is how Henry replies.

* Besides being ''Series/Forever2014'''s catchphrase, Henry says this to Jo when she decides she wants the truth about his strange past.

--->'''Xander:''' Oh, God, what'd you do to each other?\\

* In ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'' (the anime adaptation, at least), after her introductory arc and a few other episodes, the role of Ruby the witch is basically to appear with a NewJobAsThePlotDemands, the other characters ask what she's doing there, and she says "It's a long story" before going off into a monologue with a [[ShoujoDemographic sparkly-bubbly background]]--[[RuleOfFunny which is even shown around just her when the camera shows her from further away]]--while everyone ignores her. When she's preempted in the ski trip episode, she becomes upset since [[MediumAwareness it's pretty much the only thing she gets to do in each episode]].

* "ComicBook/TheSuperSteedOfSteel": When Supergirl asks Comet the Super-Horse where he came from, Comet prefaces his tale (involving centaurs, witches, sorcerers, magic potions and a many-millenia-long banishment) with "It's a long story!"

* Subverted in ''Franchise/TheAdventuresOfTintin'': in ''Recap/TintinLandOfBlackGold'', Haddock meets Tintin at the end, and is very adamant in his repeated attempts to explain what happened to him offscreen ("It's quite simple - and, at the same time, rather complicated..."), only to be interrupted every time. Eventually, he gives up, BreakingTheFourthWall to tell the reader "you'll never know!" The real reason for this was that that ''Land of Black Gold'' was an adaptation of a story concept Herge developed before he invented the Haddock character.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** ''ComicBook/WarWorld'': When ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} comes around after her "trip", she asks her cousin Franchise/{{Superman}} what happened to her.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'': Ayu tells Yuuichi several times that the reason she's stole Taiyaki is a really long story. He keeps pestering her about it until she gives up and tells him ''I was hungry.''

* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'':
** When the gang are in Christmastown, SantaClaus asks [[IdiotHero Jack]] "What sort of trouble did you bring ''this'' time?" Sora asks Jack about it, and Jack replies, "[[WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas It's a long story!]]"
** [[JigsawPuzzlePlot The same could be said for the entire series' plot in general.]]
** Played for laughs in the [[Manga/KingdomHeartsII manga adaptation]] when Sora uses his Keyblade to open a barrier and allow himself and his allies to escape.

** At one point in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', Lea moans that he'll have to explain "all of this to [Roxas], which is in ''itself'' a crazy long story." With "all of this" being basically everything Roxas wasn't physically present for, which is A LOT.
** In the Epilogue of the same game, when the Fortellers ask [[spoiler:Luxu, who is Xigbar]] what his role was during the saga, he responds "I hope you like long stories."

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'', the protagonist insists that there’s a reason why Henry’s as dumb as he is. He just doesn’t tell it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

** "[[Recap/DoctorWho2014CSLastChristmas Last Christmas]]": "Long story" is a {{catchphrase}} used by the polar scientists for what the lab is studying and how any of them got there. The Doctor and Clara use it as well. PlayedForDrama as [[spoiler:these are all details that they ''can't'' provide because the lab doesn't exist. They're all trapped in a DyingDream.]]

* Besides being ''Series/Forever2014'''s {{Catchphrase}}, Henry says this to Jo when she decides she wants the truth about his strange past.

* Functional equivalent: In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E18DistantVoices Distant Coices]]", Dr. Julian Bashir awakens from a coma (in which he has had a vivid dream about his crewmates and battling through the station to save his own life) with the words "You will never believe where I've been." ''[=DS9=]'' uses it several times, but only rarely plays it straight. Worf in particular uses it more than once -- because he doesn't ''like'' talking.

* ''{{Series/Arrow}}''

--->'''Diggle:''' Sorry I couldn't help out. It's a long story.
--->'''Felicity:''' Oh, my God, it is not a long story. It is the shortest story in history. Two guys go take on criminals without asking for back-up and nearly get killed in the process!

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
** Spoofed (what else?):

** And later in the same season:
--->'''Xander:''' Oh God, what'd you do to each other?\\

** And then next season on ''Series/{{Angel}}''. (Yes, all three episodes are by the same writer too.)
--->'''Angel:''' It's complicated how this all happened, Buffy, you know? It's kind of a long story.\\
'''Buffy:''' Your new sidekick had a vision, I was in it, you came to Sunnydale?\\
'''Angel:''' Okay, maybe not that long.
** [[RunningGag And then]] during Buffy's final season.

** When Oz learns about the town's true nature.
-->'''Oz:''' Did anybody just see that guy turn to dust?\\
'''Xander:''' Vampires are real. There's a lot in Sunnydale. Willow will fill you in.\\
'''Willow:''' (preparing to give a long story) I know it's a lot to take in at first.\\
'''Oz:''' Actually it explains a lot.
** From the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' spin-off. In "Fredless", Wesley has to bring the Burkles up to speed whilst Angel is fighting a big demon bug.
--->"Angel's a vampire. He has a soul, but it's a long story. I'll tell you about it if we don't end up dying."
** {{Inverted|Trope}} in "The Puppet Show".
--->'''Buffy:''' [[CreepyDoll [Dummies] give me]] [[TotallyRadical the wig]]. Ever since I was little.\\
'''Willow:''' What happened?\\
'''Buffy:''' I saw a dummy. It gave me the wig. There... really wasn't a story there.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E4TheTimeOfAngels "The Time of Angels"]]: The Doctor about his TimeTravelRomance with River Song: "It's a long story and I don't know most of it."
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E13TheBigBang "The Big Bang"]]: Amy says this to her younger self, who's just opened the Pandorica to find her adult self inside. Adult Amy then sees a timeline on the museum wall showing she's been stuck inside the Pandorica for almost 2000 years, and quips that the story is a lot longer than she thought.
** [[Recap/DoctorWho2011CSTheDoctorTheWidowAndTheWardrobe "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe"]]: Madge Arwell tells her son to let dad know she's found a spaceman in a field (the Doctor) but he's injured and can't get his helmet off, so she has to take him to find a police telephone box. When dad asks where mum is, her son wisely replies, "Out."
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E11TheCrimsonHorror "The Crimson Horror"]]: The Doctor only shows up halfway through the adventure (which is told from the view of the Paternoster Gang). He gives this trope, then adds, "I'll keep it short." Cue HowWeGotHere [[RetrauxFlashback kinetoscope movie]]. However it's then played straight because the Doctor doesn't have an explanation for the Clara who's his current companion being the same woman the Paternoster Gang saw get killed in [[Recap/DoctorWho2012CSTheSnowmen "The Snowmen"]].
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS34E9Flatline "Flatline"]]: Clara responds with this trope after her boyfriend Danny [[KindaBusyHere hears her]] do a SuperWindowJump after she's told him [[BlatantLies she's not doing any more adventures with the Doctor]], who notes sarcastically: "And what long story are you going to tell Danny, huh? Or haven't you made it up yet?"
** [[Recap/DoctorWho2014CSLastChristmas "Last Christmas"]]: "Long story" is a {{catchphrase}} used by the polar scientists for what the lab is studying and how any of them got there. The Doctor and Clara use it as well. PlayedForDrama as [[spoiler:these are all details that they ''can't'' provide because the lab doesn't exist. They're all trapped in a DyingDream.]]
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E1TheWomanWhoFellToEarth "The Woman Who Fell To Earth"]], the Doctor gives this to explain [[FallingIntoThePlot how she just smashed though a train roof]]. She might have mentioned it was a long fall too.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E4ArachnidsInTheUK "Arachnids in the UK"]], Yasmin Khan's mother demands to know [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend how the Doctor knows her daughter]].
--->'''Yaz:''' Oh, not now.
--->'''Najia:''' Yes, now! It's not a difficult question.
--->'''The Doctor:''' It is a bit of a long answer.
--->'''Najia:''' Well, I've got time.
--->'''The Doctor:''' [[KindaBusyHere But I haven't.]] Not right now.
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS39E4FluxChapterFourVillageOfTheAngels "Village of the Angels"]], several people get thrown back in time and it looks like they'll end up taking TheSlowPath to where they came from. When one of them demands an explanation Dan Lewis quips, "Mate, it's a long story. Unfortunately, you've got enough time to hear it."
* Played with somewhat in ''Series/{{Eureka}}'' where Sheriff Carter is stuck in a time-loop, but every time the loop resets the energy effect injures him. At first it's minor, but after one of the later resets he comes out of his bathroom covered in cuts and scratches and tells his daughter it's a long story and he'll explain later.

** In "Out of Their Minds", Aeryn-in-John's-body does this, realising the futility of explaining the FreakyFridayFlip to Zhaan who's been LockedOutOfTheLoop for the entire episode.

'''D'Argo:''' Well, the restaurant, it, uh, sort of burned down - I don't want to talk about it, it's a long story.
** In "Unrealized Reality", John Crichton responds this way when the SufficientlyAdvancedAlien he dubs "Einstein" asks Crichton how he got his knowledge of wormholes. Suddenly Crichton experiences a flashback montage as Einstein examines his memories for a more informative answer.
* The scene in the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' episode "Heart of Gold" where Nandi kisses Mal, doubling as a CallBack to "Our Mrs. Reynolds":

* Besides being ''Series/{{Forever|2014}}'''s CatchPhrase, Henry says this to Jo when she decides she wants the truth about his strange past.
* ''Series/ForeverKnight''. At the end of an AmnesiaEpisode, [[VampireDetective Nick Knight]] goes to his maker [=LaCroix=] to get filled in on his BackStory. [=LaCroix=] says it's a [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld long, long, story]], but they have all day to talk about it.

-->'''Lorelai''': Well, okay, you're 16. You have a whole house to yourself for the evening. I expect that you're going to have your boyfriend over. (''starts to laugh'') But what is with the apron?\\
'''Rory''': It's a long story.\\
'''Lorelai''': Did it involve a sharp blow to the head?

* On the ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' series finale, Peter rescues Sylar from a nightmare prison inside Sylar's head. When Parkman, who had put Sylar in the prison, demanded how they escaped, the two of them curtly reply that it's a long story.

* Sometimes, an episode of ''Series/OurMissBrooks'' will end with Miss Brooks returning home in the evening, to discuss the events of the day with her landlady, [[CoolOldLady Mrs. Davis]].
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''. Root has a RunningGag where she's involved in various [[NoodleIncident bizarre and unexplained]] missions she's [[HeroOfAnotherStory carrying out for the Machine]], so this trope tends to come up. The irony is that Root often doesn't know the full story herself, because [[YouWillKnowWhatToDo that's how the Machine works]]. In "Nautilus", she's meeting with Finch in her car when there are [[PunkInTheTrunk sudden noises from the trunk]].

* ''Series/RedDwarf:'' In the extended version of "Ouroboros", as ''Starbug'' is under attack, the alternate universe Kristine Kochanski stops and asks where the boys' version of ''Red Dwarf'' is. Kryten responds by saying this. Repeatedly. (It had been stolen before the previous season, and they'd given up looking for it.)
* Functional equivalent: In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', Dr. Julian Bashir awakens from a coma (in which he has had a vivid dream about his crewmates and battling through the station to save his own life) with the words "You will never believe where I've been." ''[=DS9=]'' uses it several times, but only rarely plays it straight. Worf in particular uses it more than once--because he doesn't ''like'' talking.
* In the ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' episodes "Affliction" and "Divergence" Lieutenant Reed keeps getting into awkward conversations due to getting caught running a black op for Section 31 and being thrown in the brig for it. Since everyone is busy dealing with the Klingons, both he and Captain Archer have no time to explain why he's in the brig to anyone... except when one of the Klingons who attacked the Enterprise gets tossed into the cell next to him. When Reed replies to his inquiry on [[WhatAreYouInFor why he's in the brig]] with "That's a long story," the Klingon prisoner in turn replies "Entertain me." Reed then manages to give him a minimal-details summary in one line.

** In the pilot episode, EnsignNewbie Harry Kim wants to know why everyone is snubbing [[BoxedCrook Tom Paris]].

** In "Projections" this line is spoken by the Doctor to Captain Janeway because the [[DreamWithinADream events that have happened are all so convoluted]]. When Janeway does insist on an answer, she quickly loses patience and orders the Doctor thrown in the brig.
** Played straight in "Cold Fire".

** In "Parturition", Janeway summons Tom Paris and Neelix to be briefed on an away mission, only to find them covered in the results of the food fight they've just had in the mess hall.
--->'''Janeway:''' Would anyone care to explain?\\
'''Paris:''' It might be too long to go into right now, Captain.
** In "Message In a Bottle", the Doctor is transmitted to a Starfleet ship in the Alpha Quadrant to make contact with the Federation. By this point, it's the height of the Dominion War, but Voyager has been out of the loop for so long that the Doctor has never even heard of the Dominion, so when a fellow EMH mentions the Dominion, he's totally lost. The EMH just tells him it's a long story.

* Besides being ''{{Series/Forever}2014}}'''s CatchPhrase, Henry says this to Jo when she decides she wants the truth about his strange past.

[[quoteright:350:[[Comicbook/WarWorld https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dc_comics_presents_029_page0023.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:A long story of alien overlords, Death Star expies, stubborn angels and SuperDickery, [[Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]]]]

-->-- ''FanFic/TheVictorsProject''

* In Comicbook/CaptainAmerica #282, when asked how he escaped, Captain America tells Nomad it's a long story. A really short explanation comes soon.

** In ''Comicbook/KryptoniteNevermore'', ComicBook/LoisLane asks Superman why he crash-landed behind her with strength enough to make a crater and why he seems so tired.

* ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', Fit the Eleventh:

* ''Series/RedDwarf:'' In the extended version of "Ouroboros", as ''Starbug'' is under attack, the alternate universe Kristine Kochanski stops and asks where the boys's version of ''Red Dwarf'' is. Kryten responds by saying this. Repeatedly. (It had been stolen before the previous season, and they'd given up looking for it.)

* In ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', The Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, describes each of his stories as this and advises the group to get snacks before he starts. Once he's done with overly long tales, Shake and Meatwad listened to the whole thing while Frylock and Carl got tired and sleeped during it.

* In the ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' comics, when asked how Soldier became a public defendant by Miss Pauling, Spy simply retorts with this trope.

'''Cordelia:''' Got hunted.\\

* PlayedForLaughs in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. In one episode, [[MadScientist Doofenshmirtz]]'s FreudianExcuse is unusually long and complicated, including [[CallBack tying in to backstories from previous episodes]]. At one point he notes that there's a part that he doesn't want to even get into, but short version: he'd been disowned by [[AbusiveParents his family]] and was temporarily [[RaisedByWolves raised by ocelots]].

-->'''Spy:''' It's a ''long'' story, but chapter one: [[AWizardDidIt his rommate is a magician.]] Should I continue?\\

-->'''Axonn''':Just so you know... Brutaka's [[IAmLegion his own "we"]] now. Long story."

''Dumbledore:''' Or eight movies.

-->'''Chiana:''' What happened to you guys? Why... why didn't you call in?\\

** In "Unrealized Reality", John Crichton responds this way when the SufficientlyAdvancedAlien he dubs "Einstein" asks Crichton how he got his knowledge of wormholes. Suddenly Crichton experiences a flashback montage as Einstein examines his memories for the answer.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E11TheCrimsonHorror "The Crimson Horror"]]: The Doctor only shows up halfway through the adventure (which is told from the view of the Paternoster Gang). He gives this trope, then adds, "I'll keep it short." Cue HowWeGotHere [[RetrauxFlashback kinetoscope movie]].

** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E4ArachnidsInTheUK "Arachnids in the UK"]], Yasmin Khan's mother demands to know [[HeIsNotMyBoyfriend how the Doctor knows her daughter]].

* Besides being ''{{Series/Forever}}'''s CatchPhrase, Henry says this to Jo when she decides she wants the truth about his strange past.

* This is a {{running gag}} in the MultiCrossover ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8194810/1/The-League-of-Interdimensional-Heroes The League of Interdimensional Heroes]]''.