History Main / WeirdnessSearchAndRescue

* In the short "A Matter of Minutes" from the second incarnation of ''Series/TheTwilightZone'', the foreman of a group of people (played by Adolph Caesar) takes time to explain to a couple who ended up 'outside time' how time really worked, even showing them an animated computer graphic prepared for such an event.

* In ''FanFic/MyImmortal'', Ebony briefly ends up trapped in the past until [[Film/BackToTheFuture Marty McFly]] turns up to rescue her.

* ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''

* The Guild of Temporal Adventurers plays this role in some of MichaelMoorcock's stories.

Some heroes have the misfortune of ending up in a strange place: maybe in the past, or in a world [[UnPerson where they never existed]] or (if they're really unlucky) a world where they're a completely different person (and their best friend hates their guts, while the villains have them under their thumb). From the narrative's point of view, TheHero's predicament is usually important to ''them'', but mean a lot less in the bigger picture. Luckily, people who are [[TimeTravel thrown back in time]] or TrappedInAnotherWorld will find a member of the TimePolice, another traveler (with more experience) or even a ''god'' who'll help them get safely home. This invokes a bit of FridgeLogic, as anyone who can help them has to be extremely powerful (being capable of travelling to and fro) and is usually implied to have more important things to worry about than one displaced peon (assuming that one person out of place ''isn't'' considered a [[ForWantOfANail serious problem]], of course).

This can often be a type of BigGood. If TimeTravel is involved you can expect them to be a member of the TimePolice. This sort of character may overlap with MrExposition. Contrast OrpheanRescue, when the hero fulfils this role for someone else.

* In ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' Sailor Pluto is the Soldier of Space-Time and is described as "a goddess, eternally guarding the Portal of Space and Time". Chibi-usa finds her at the gates of time while attemping to go back to the future. Subverted at first, considering she has specific orders NOT to open the gates, [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight but she helps anyway]].
* Played with in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' when the goddess Othinus decides to deal with Touma Kamijou, the only person who was the potential to stop her. She sends him tumbling through the multiverse, going through several worlds hostile and alien to him, including a world where he's Public Enemy #1, a world where someone else is in his place, and a world where he never existed. She explains that she intends to break his will by showing how insignificant he is in the universe, but he lampshades how she never abandons him and takes time to explain the situation in each world, when all she had to do get rid of him is to abandon him. Eventually, she comes to care for him, pulls a HeelFaceTurn, and returns them to the original world.

* In ''FanFic/MyImmortal'', Ebony briefly ends up trapped in the past until [[Film/BackToTheFuture Marty McFly]] turns up to rescue her.

* Played with in ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' when the goddess Othinus decides to deal with Touma Kamijou, the only person who was the potential to stop her. She sends him tumbling through the multiverse, going through several worlds hostile and alien to him, including a world where he's Public Enemy #1, a world where someone else is in his place, and a world where he never existed. She explains that she intends to break his will by showing how insignificant he is in the universe, but he lampshades how she never abandons him and takes time to explain the situation in each world. Eventually, she comes to care for him, pulls a HeelFaceTurn, and returns them to the original world.

Some heroes have the misfortune of ending up in a strange place: maybe in the past, or in a world [[UnPerson where they never existed]] or (if they're really unlucky) a world where they're a completely different person (and their best friend hates their guts, while the villains have them under their thumb). From the narrative's point of view, TheHero's predicament is usually important to ''them'', but mean a lot less in the bigger picture. Luckily, people who are [[TimeTravel thrown back in time]] or TrappedInAnotherWorld will find a member of the TimePolice, another traveller (with more experience) or even a ''god'' who'll help them get safely home. This invokes a bit of FridgeLogic, as anyone who can help them has to be extremely powerful (being capable of travelling to and fro) and is usually implied to have more important things to worry about than one displaced peon (assuming that one person out of place ''isn't'' considered a [[ForWantOfANail serious problem]], of course).

When dealing with authority figures it can be justified (after all, the ruler of a country still has some responsibility to all their subjects and the police are supposed to serve the public, why should the ruler of a multiverse or the TimePolice be any different?) as well as heroes (a good hero will always help the needy, time travellers should be no exception) however when gods or [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien other higher beings]] are involved it can invoke a bit of FridgeLogic (although they might have their reasons). The helper in question might not actually be that more powerful than the protagonist, but have a job dealing with much more important problems.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "Future's End" ''Voyager'' finally gets back to Earth after falling through a space-time rift, but in 1996. At the end of the episode a member of Starfleet from the future appears to send them back to the correct timeline. Subverted when Captain Janeway asks if they can return to the correct time, but stay on Earth. Citing the Temporal PrimeDirective he has to refuse, and they're [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption sent back to the Delta Quadrant on the other side of the galaxy]].

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "Future's End" ''Voyager'' finally gets back to Earth after falling through a space-time rift, but in 1996. At the end of the episode a member of Starfleet from the future appears to send them back to the correct timeline. Subverted when Captain Janeway asks if they can return to the correct timeline, but stay at Earth. Citing the Temporal PrimeDirective, he has to refuse, and they're [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption sent back to the Delta Quadrant on the other side of the galaxy]].

* In ''Manga/SailorMoon'' Sailor Pluto is the Soldier of Space-Time and is described as "a goddess, eternally guarding the Portal of Space and Time". Chibi-usa finds her at the gates of time while attemping to go back to the future. Subverted at first, considering she has specific orders NOT to open the gates, [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight but she helps anyway]].

Some heroes have the misfortune of ending up in a strange place: maybe in the past, or in a world [[UnPerson where they never existed]] or (if they're really unlucky) a world where they're a completely different person (and their best friend hates their guts, while the villains have them under their thumb). From the narrative's point of view, TheHero's predicament is usually important to ''them'', but mean a lot less in the bigger picture. Luckily, people who are [[TimeTravel thrown back in time]] or TrappedInAnotherWorld will find a member of the TimePolice, another traveller (with more experience) or even a ''god'' who'll help them get safely home. This invokes a bit of FridgeLogic, as anyone who can help them has to be extremely powerful (being capable of travelling to and fro) and is usually implied to have more important things to worry about than one displaced peon (assuming that as much one person out of place ''isn't'' considered a [[ForWantOfANail serious problem]], of course).

* In ''Discworld/NightWatch'', Lu-Tze helps Sam Vimes after he's sent back in time (even as much as telling the other Time Monks he just feels like helping him out) even though they're pretty busy fixing the world's {{Continuity Snarl}}s.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'' (as well as the comic) there's a character called Lord Simultaneous who holds the time scepter and generally manages time with his incompetent assistant Rene. He's even voiced like a New York tour guide, and has been key to helping our heroes out of time displacement related predicaments more than once (to the point of DeusExMachina). Read more [[http://tmnt.wikia.com/wiki/Lord_Simultaneous here]].

* In ''FanFic/MyImmortal'', Ebony briefly ends up trapped in the past until [[BackToTheFuture Marty McFly]] turns up to rescue her.

* In ''Series/DoctorWho'' this is The Doctor's entire raison d'etre. He travels through time and space in the TARDIS SettingRightWhatOnceWentWrong and serving as a sort of {{Time Police}}man.

* In the ''EerieIndiana'' episode "The Lost Hour" an old Milkman saves Marshall from [[TimePolice The Garbage Men]] in an empty, alternate dimension of Eerie. [[spoiler: The milkman implies that he's an older version of Marshall.]]

* When the group in ''Videoagame/ChronoTrigger'' first winds up at the End of Time, an old man there [[spoiler:actually the guru Gaspar]] gives a basic explanation of the time travel system and latter keeps track of what you are supposed to do. Conveniently, this is the first time the party has a chance to time travel freely, rather than being pushed into the gates by outside events.

When dealing with authority figures it can be justified (after all, the ruler of a country still has some responsibility to all their subjects and the police are supposed to serve the public, why should the ruler of a multiverse or the TimePolice be any different?) as well as heroes (a good hero will always help the needy, time travellers should be no exception) however when gods or [[SufficentlyAdvancedAliens other higher beings]] are involved it can invoke a bit of FridgeLogic (although they might have their reasons). The helper in question might not actually be that more powerful than the protagonist, but have a job dealing with much more important problems.

Some heroes have the misfortune of ending up in a strange place: maybe in the past, or in a world [[UnPerson where they never existed]] or (if they're really unlucky) a world where they're a completely different person (and their best friend hates their guts, while the villains have them under their thumb). From the narrative's point of view, what TheHero's predicament is usually important to ''them''. However their own conflict might mean a lot less in the bigger picture. Luckily, people who are [[TimeTravel thrown back in time]] or TrappedInAnotherWorld will find a member of the TimePolice, another traveller (usually one who volunteered) or even a ''god'' who'll help them get safely home. This invokes a bit of FridgeLogic, as anyone who can help them has to be extremely powerful (being capable of doing so of their own free will) and is usually implied to have more important things to worry about than one displaced peon (assuming that as much one person out of place ''isn't'' considered a [[ForWantOfANail serious problem]], of course).

When dealing with authority figures it can be justified (after all, the ruler of a country still has some responsibility to all their subjects and the police are supposed to serve the public, why should the ruler of a multiverse or the TimePolice be any different?) as well as heroes (a good hero will often take time out from their quest to help the needy, time travellers should be no exception) however when gods or other higher beings involved it can invoke a bit of FridgeLogic (although they might have their reasons). The helper in question might not actually be that more powerful than the protagonist, but have a job dealing with much more important problems.

* In the Literature/TimeScout series, getting stuck in the past (downtime) isn't common, because it's an industry and everyone involved is very, very careful. However, it does happen occasionally, and when it does, the best are sent after them. The best being, basically, Indiana Jones, only with a much better ability to blend in. Time scouts and guides are trained to be invisible anywhen they go.

* In the Literature/TimeScouts series, getting stuck in the past (downtime) isn't common, because it's an industry and everyone involved is very, very careful. However, it does happen occasionally, and when it does, the best are sent after them. The best being, basically, Indiana Jones, only with a much better ability to blend in. Time scouts and guides are trained to be invisible anywhen they go.

* In the ''EerieIndiana'' episode "The Lost Hour" the old Milkman saves Marshal from [[TimePolice The Garbage Men]]. [[spoiler: He implies that he's an older version of him.]]

* In ''SailorMoon'' Sailor Pluto is the Soldier of Space-Time and is described as "a goddess, eternally guarding the Portal of Space and Time". Chibi-usa finds her at the gates of time while attemping to go back to the future. Subverted at first, considering she has specific orders NOT to open the gates, [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight but she helps anyway]].

* In ''MyImmortal'', Ebony briefly ends up trapped in the past until [[BackToTheFuture Marty McFly]] turns up to rescue her.

* The guy in ''HotTubTimeMachine'' who fixes the hot tub and acts like he knows about time travel. However, he doesn't ''tell'' them about the time travel.
* ''{{Pleasantville}}'' had the TV Repairman, who instigated the TrappedInTVLand plot, and then ineffectually tried to stop the fallout from it.

* In ''[[TheDivineComedy Inferno]]'', the living poet Dante is given a free pass into and out of Hell to report on what he sees there, and is given the soul of Roman poet and satirist Virgil (a man who was in hell because he had the misfortune to live and die before the mission of Christ), as his tour guide.
* The Three Bald Doctors in StephenKing's ''{{Insomnia}}''. Two of them, Clothos and Lachesis, were benevolent; the third, Atropos, was decidedly not.

* In the short "A Matter of Minutes" from the second incarnation of ''TheTwilightZone'', the foreman of a group of people (played by Adolph Caesar) takes time to explain to a couple who ended up 'outside time' how time really worked, even showing them an animated computer graphic prepared for such an event.
* In ''QuantumLeap'' it was implied that [[MysteriousBacker some conscious force]] (possibly even God) was guiding Sam' jumps to ensure that he did the most good. This was a {{deconstruction}} since this mysterious guide was [[UnknownCharacter never actually seen or had a voice]] (although they met someone who ''might'' have been them). It only made itself known by directing events like an actual deity would and, of course, when it did more or less directly interact with the main character, it was a total MindScrew.
* When ''LoisAndClark'' started having story arcs involving time travel and alternate universes, none other than H.G. Wells himself arrives to advise the heroes.

* In ''DoctorWho'' this is The Doctor's entire raison d'etre. He travels through time and space in the TARDIS SettingRightWhatOnceWentWrong and serving as a sort of {{Time Police}}man.

* Rachel Alucard from ''BlazBlue'' helps [[spoiler: Makoto get back to the "main" timeline (after being trapped in one of the many timelines where Noel never existed)]] in Story Mode. Her reason for doing this apparently being that [[spoiler: Makoto]] has "moxie".
* When the group in ''ChronoTrigger'' first winds up at the End of Time, an old man there [[spoiler:actually the guru Gaspar]] gives a basic explanation of the time travel system and latter keeps track of what you are supposed to do. Conveniently, this is the first time the party has a chance to time travel freely, rather than being pushed into the gates by outside events.

* Teddie is set up to fill this role in ''{{Persona 4}}'' but he's just as clueless as everyone else as to what's going on. Still, he does lead the group to the people inside the TV until [[spoiler:Rise]] takes over the job.

* Rufus gave ''BillAndTed'' the time machine, showed them how to use it, and tended to turn up for advice when the boys found themselves in trouble. He was from the future of prosperity, peace, and excellence that they ushered in, and had a vested interest in helping them because without them his future would not exist.
* Miss Information from ''{{Histeria}}'' would guide people through historic events and describe them, usually getting some details hilariously wrong and needing to be corrected.

This can often be a type of BigGood. If TimeTravel is involved you can expect them to be a member of the TimePolice. This sort of character may overlap with MrExposition.

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