History Main / PreviouslyOn

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' parodied this trope twice, once in a KTMA episode with Joel (''TheMillionEyesOfSumuru'') and once in a ninth season episode with Mike (''TheDeadlyBees'').

* Many ProfessionalWrestling programs, including ''[[Wrestling/{{WWERaw}} Raw]]'', ''[[Wrestling/{{WWESmackDown}} WWE [=SmackDown!=]]'' and pay-per-views, make extensive use of video recaps of feuds and storylines that have led to main-event matches. Wrestling/{{WWE}}, in particular, [[MundaneMadeAwesome produces extremely dramatic packages]], with big symphonic music stings and a deep-voiced OpeningNarration that talks about power, money, greed, glory, history, or whatever the overriding theme of the past month has been.

* On ''Series/{{Stargate SG-1}}'' in episode 200, "200". The "PreviouslyOn" sequence begins with several real scenes, but then a scene featuring a meeting with the Furlings, who are notable only for their absence. After being treated to a [[EarthShatteringKaboom planetary explosion]], we cut to Sam Carter saying, "But that never happened!" while reading a script.

* In the first episode of ''ClerksTheAnimatedSeries'', a voice says, "Previously on ''Clerks''", and then it cuts to a test pattern. The end of the episode also featured an OnTheNext with the same gag, implying that the makers expected to get canceled after one episode. They were wrong; they got canceled]] after ''two'' episodes.

* The pre-credits opening sequence of ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock'' replays [[spoiler:Spock's death]] from the end of ''Star Trek II''. The beginning of ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'' has a played-straight pre-credits "Previously On" sequence recapping ''Star Trek III'', complete with voiceover narration by Kirk.

* During its several long arcs, ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' would sometimes have a "Last time on [=DS9=]" that would cover the previous month or more of episodes

* Many ProfessionalWrestling programs, including ''MondayNightRaw'', ''{{Smackdown}}'' and pay-per-views, make extensive use of video recaps of feuds and storylines that have led to main-event matches. Wrestling/{{WWE}}, in particular, [[MundaneMadeAwesome produces extremely dramatic packages]], with big symphonic music stings and a deep-voiced OpeningNarration that talks about power, money, greed, glory, history, or whatever the overriding theme of the past month has been.
** Some of the earliest "previously on" examples were used at [[WrestleMania WrestleMania 2]], when a clip of a match between HulkHogan and the Magnificent Muraco – with King Kong Bundy running in and seriously injuring Hogan – was shown. WrestleMania III expanded this use, with clips highlighting several feuds: RandySavage vs. Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat, RoddyPiper vs. Adrian Adonis and friends-turned-enemies Hogan vs. AndreTheGiant.

** Matt Wilson parodies this again in ''[[WebVideo/CartoonDriveThru Deadly Space Action]]'', where one episode begins with a normal PreviouslyOn, until the end of it, where a WhamLine is said that definitely happened.

* In the first episode of ''ClerksTheAnimatedSeries'', a voice says, "Previously on ''Clerks''", and then it cuts to a test pattern. The end of the episode also featured an OnTheNext with the same gag, implying that the makers expected to get canceled after one episode. They were wrong; [[TooGoodToLast they got canceled after]] ''[[TooGoodToLast two]]'' [[TooGoodToLast episodes]].

** The show was pretty heavy on Character Arcs in its first episodes (mainly surrounding the [[spoiler: murdered]] rookie and Warrick's gambling problems), which were why they were necessary. ''CSI'', ''{{NCIS}}'', and other procedurals that have season-long story arcs in addition to the Killer of the Week plots will use this when the episode is about to jump full speed into those arcs. It was also used in crossovers,to recap the events on the other member of the franchise.

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' did it in the Strong Bad Email "fingers", which has a {{Batman}}-style montage of lots of emails asking the one question Strong Bad hates to hear ("How do you type with boxing gloves on?"), complete with narration: "Frustration of frustrations! It's all they ever ask! ''Will they never cease?!'' Stay tuned to find out!"

* The TropeNamer was the StevenBochco cop drama ''HillStreetBlues'' which became for first show to ever use the phrase '' "Previously On" '' in this context midway through its second season. The phrase was chosen to make the show more comprehensible to new viewers while assuring existing viewers that the episode was not a rerun.

* A rather iconic one from the 80s: "Last time, on ''HillStreetBlues''..."

* {{WebVideo/Pewdiepie}}'s LetsPlay of ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'' always starts the videos off with this segment, showing clips of the LetsPlay. Whenever a new episode starts, it uses the game's Previously On segment instead, LetsPlay clips not included.

* ''KamenRiderOOO'' begins the episode with "These [[TwoLinesNoWaiting three things]] have happened last week...!" then it recaps 3 important key happenings to the previous episode that would lead to today's episode.

* For some inexplicable reason, the E3 2009 press conference on AlanWake used this. The "previously" part was a (not yet released) theatrical trailer, the "now" was the gameplay demo.
** This is because Alan Wake will be structured like a television series, like the aforementioned Alone In The Dark.
*** The game has been released. It is divided into "episodes", each of which (except the first one, obviously) begins with a "Previously on Alan Wake" segment that plays the trope straight.

** The original version had this in every season, always done by the Narrator ([[spoiler:a timeskipped Takeru]] for ''[[DigimonAdventure Adventure]]'' and ''[[DigimonAdventure02 Adventure 02]]'', MasakoNozawa not using her Guilmon voice for ''[[DigimonTamers Tamers]]'', MasamiKikuchi for ''[[DigimonFrontier Frontier]]'', and unnamed voice actors for ''[[DigimonSavers Savers]]'' and ''[[DigimonXrosWars Xros Wars]]''. Interesting fact is that the BGM used for the recaps was very calm and serene, which later would contrast a lot with the events that happenned (can you picture recaps of the darker episodes of the Vamdemon/Myotismon arc with calm music? It's like that).

** The show was pretty heavy on Character Arcs in its first episodes (mainly surrounding the [[spoiler: murdered]] rookie and Warrick's gambling problems), which were why they were necessary. ''CSI'', ''{{NCIS}}'', and other procedurals that have season-long story arcs in addition to the Killer of the Week plots will use this when the episode is about to jump full speed into those arcs.

* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' did this during its whole run. Two of them were recapped by a character from the previous season (Davis for ''[[Anime/DigimonTamers Tamers]]'', and Rika for ''[[Anime/DigimonFrontier Frontier]]'' until Melissa Fahn got a case of RealLifeWritesThePlot), the other three had each episode recapped by one of the characters.
** The original version had this in every season, always done by the Narrator. Interesting fact is that the BGM used for the recaps was very calm and serene, which later would contrast a lot with the events that happenned (can you picture recaps of the darker episodes of the Vamdemon/Myotismon arc with calm music? It's like that).

* ''{{The 4400}}'' being a very plot driven show had this every episode. As the show went on, and each episode tried to list EVERY relevant event, they started getting comedically long, as episodes from several seasons ago would be recapped.

* Used on every episode of ''Series/{{Soap}}''. It would sum up, quickly, what happened in the previous episode and ask "Confused? Well, you won't be after this episode of ''Soap''." It would also have a "next time on ''Soap''" at the end as well that didn't spoil the next episode but merely hinted at which storylines would be seen in the next episode.

* The classic soap opera parody ''{{Soap}}'' opened each episode with a comic recap of the events of the previous episode, with the narrator ending by saying something like "Confused? You won't be after this episode of... Soap!"

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' (which provides the page image) has the episodes "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E2ElementsOfHarmony Friendship is Magic, part 2]]", "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E2TheReturnOfHarmonyPart2 The Return of Harmony Part 2]]", "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2]]", and "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E2TheCrystalEmpirePart2 The Crystal Empire - Part 2]]" open this way. Notably, these sorts of two-parters are (up to this point, at least) saved for the bigger, darker adventures in the series - hence the "about to get REAL" caption. Also, unlike the other cartoon shows (where it's voiced over), this one just shows it, and it's done.

[[caption-width-right:350:Brace yourselves, it's about to get [[MadGod REAL.]]]]