History Main / ZanyScheme

* Both parodied and subverted in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', where Elan initially had an unknown scheme to get Thog and himself back to their respective teams. It is known that this involved [[NoodleImplements Thog dressing like a leprechaun, and filling a wooden llama with potato salad]], but they ended up getting a ride from someone else.

* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': The protagonist Jet is ''full'' of them. Many of them involve either machines, food, or science.

Contrast with ASimplePlan.

A SitCom plot where one or more characters tries to achieve some end -- usually extricating themselves from trouble -- by some kind of elaborate, unlikely plan, something like "You distract them by faking a heart attack while I sneak into the bedroom and switch the real ring for the fake one, and remember this whole time they think I'm you and you're me...". Often the plan isn't fully exposed and only NoodleImplements are given.

* ''Owl's Well That Ends Well'' of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has Spike getting jealous of Twilight Sparkle's new owl companion. He decides the best course of action would be to dress up like DastardlyWhiplash, cover a mouse-shaped cat toy in ketchup and frame the owl. HilarityEnsues.

* Most episodes of ''WesternAnimation/LeagueOfSuperEvil'' involve the titular villains pulling one in some effort to be evil.Of course, given that they're all {{Harmless Villain}}s, most of their "evil" schemes rarely involve anything more dangerous than annoying their neighbors or trying to prove a point to somebody (like a more competent supervillain, a superhero, or the neighborhood kids).

* ''WesternAnimation/TimonAndPumbaa'' frequently came up with these in their somewhat surreal Saturday morning cartoon show.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', Peter claims that his plan to get rid of the New York tourists who come during the fall is so brilliant that his brain would explode just by thinking about it. However, the following scene shows him behaving as silly as usual.
** In an early episode, Peter is trying to think of a way to get his visiting father, Francis, to express love for him. Francis is highly religious, and the Pope [[ContrivedCoincidence just so happens]] to be traveling in Rhode Island around the same time. When Peter sees the Pope on TV, he announces "I just got a crazy idea!"--and promptly [[SubvertedTrope sticks his hand in a working waffle iron]]. Once the pain fades, he [[DoubleSubversion realizes he can kidnap the Pope and get him to help with Francis]].

** In fact, the episode "Homer Goes To College" gave us the TropeNamer:

** And another from "Smoke on the Daughter":

* Used several times in ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''. In "The Boy Who Cried Rat", Ren dresses himself in a [[ShoutOut Mickey Mouse outfit]] ([[ShoutOut plus the episode being a parody of]] WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry), as Stimpy offers his rodent killing services to a couple that Ren made his mouse-hole in, just so they could earn [[MemeticMutation five bucks]].
** "Big Baby Scam", where Ren and Stimpy pretend to be babies so they wouldn't have to do any work and be fed and pampered. Oh, the victims of their plan are the exact same people.
** "Altruists" of ''Adult Party Cartoon'', to some extent. [[Film/TheThreeStooges Despite the whole plot]] [[ShoutOut being]] [[OutOfCharacter very unusual for the duo]], they attempt to break into a house to steal money and various other things from a rich family. Their plan included distracting the angry duck guarding the house with Stimpy disguised as a duck-woman, willing for a one night stand, beating the couple's kids with a blackjack, and stealing a painting of the Mexican Elvis, Mexa Canelves. Of course, the couple they rob is the afromentioned one.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark:'' In the episode "Stunning and Brave", when Cartman has finally had enough of the bros at [[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad P.C. Fraternity]]:

** "Altruists" of ''Adult Party Cartoon'', to some extent. [[Film/TheThreeStooges Despite the whole plot]] [[ShoutOut being]] [[OutOfCharacter very unusal for the duo]], they attempt to break into a house to steal money and various other things from a rich family. Their plan included distracting the angry duck guarding the house with Stimpy disguised as a duck-woman, willing for a one night stand, beating the couple's kids with a blackjack, and stealing a painting of the Mexican Elvis, Mexa Canelves. Of course, the couple they rob is the afromentioned one.

* Pops up a few times in the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse, particularly in the Literature/XWingSeries. Rogue Squadron proves surprisingly adept at coming up with unorthodox solutions to military problems, so much so that Wedge Antilles founds Wraith Squadron specifically to encourage such outside-of-the-box thinking. [[CrazyAwesome He succeeds beyond his wildest expectations]], resulting in stunts like converting a shuttle's smuggling compartment into a makeshift boarding pod to capture an enemy warship, breaking into an enemy base by starting a BarBrawl and disguising themselves as the shore patrol detail taking the losers home, and disguising themselves as stereotypical tourists as part of a plot to infect an enemy crew with a highly unpleasant but ultimately non-lethal disease.

** Don't forget when she decided she needed to wear the school's 'pacifist' and 'ultra-violent' armbands, and just switch off on different days. Generator is the ''definition'' of CrazyAwesome. Emphasis on the 'crazy'.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Generator's latest Zany Scheme in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''? Using her powers to create shoulder angels to torment Phase, because Phase was peeking at Generator's roommate in the bathroom. It goes FromBadToWorse
** [[spoiler: Eventually, the entire school was nearly wrecked.]]
** Note that, previously, she was involved in an actual 'NoodleIncident', she animated a stuffed cabbit doll as part of an epic chase, she later rigged that cabbit with enough weaponry to rip a man's arm off, she's obsessed with ''Franchise/HelloKitty'', and she's a trap! Zany Schemes are her forte. (Oh, and don't forget what she had to go through to go to a lesbian hot-tub thing. Even if she's not a lesbian.)
** Don't forget when she decided she needed to wear the school's 'pacifist' and 'ultra-violent' armbands, and just switch off on different days. Generator is the ''definition'' of CrazyAwesome. Emphasis on the 'crazy'.
* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic is always busy coming up with these for the [[Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses Channel Awesome]] staff- such as invading the micro-nation of [[WebVideo/{{Kickassia}} Molassia]] or [[WebVideo/SuburbanKnights searching for magical gauntlets in urban Chicago]]. The site members are now familiar and tired of his plots but they can't complain, or else they're fired. And they kinda enjoy it, even though they won't admit.
** Also deconstructed with the Critic. With Kickassia at least, it's heavily implied that he wanted power because he's miserable with his usual life.
* One [[Franchise/TouhouProject Walfas]] [[http://www.walfas.org/flash/nitori_flash.swf flash]] was about [[GadgeteerGenius Nitori]] intentionally creating a problem just so she could solve it and become a hero. The problem in question was the imminent collision of a ship and an iceberg (sound familiar?) which she attempts to solve by giving Shiki's hat and stick and one of [[CuteGhostGirl Youmu's]] swords to CatGirl Chen, then tossing her overboard so she could destroy the iceberg. She then realizes that Chen (a cat) [[OhCrap can't swim.]] [[spoiler: Luckily, it was AllJustADream.]]
* In ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'', Rarity comes up with a convoluted scheme to ruin Fluttershy's modeling career. Said plan involves building a fence, ignoring a blue-bellied pelican, and dancing a polka. Also, Rarity got a bit distracted while she was coming up with the scheme, so instead of punishing Fluttershy, the plan culminates in punching Rainbow Dash.
* Any given episode of ''WebVideo/{{Roadkill}}'', or as it could have been named, "Zany Scheme: The Series". Here's an abbreviated list of some of their over-the-top hot-rodding stunts:
** Buy a gutted 70’s Corvette with one of the weakest production V8 engines ever mounted in Florida, drive it to Kentucky to the Corvette Museum. Offer to place said Corvette in the giant sinkhole that had opened up there and swallowed several cars. The curators were not amused.
** Tow one dragboat with no engine to a lake. Take V8 engine out of truck that towed it there, Install on dragboat. Go racing with said boat next day. Take engine out of boat and reinstall on truck. Why? Because they can.
** Freiburger buys a car, while Finnegan decides what to do with it. Neither one knows what the other has chosen, resulting in having to drive to Vegas off-road in a 1980 Chevrolet Monte Carlo lowrider with adjustable suspension. Why? Because Roadkill.
** Take the body off of a Monte Carlo and stick it on a NASCAR frame to make it "road legal".
** Road trip to a convention just to perform an engine swap in the Crusher Camaro during the three-day convention, right on the show floor, for the sole purpose of demonstrating that the swap really was that trivial. Then roadtrip back using the new engine.
** Get a stock 1969 Impala and stuff the old engine from the Crusher Camaro into it, without changing anything else on the car, just to entertain two Aussies who came to visit them. Then have them race in it.
* In ''Fanfic/FarceOfTheThreeKingdoms,'' when Zhuge Liang's isn't using KillItWithFire, he's using one of these. They include building a replica of Stonehenge and hotboxing it, and performing an exorcism with tortellini. They always seem to work somehow, possibly because he's (in-universe) the CreatorsPet.
[[/folder]]

** The boys rely on these pretty often to try to get out of whatever trouble they've caused,with the plans usually being formulated by Malcolm.

* An episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' has Sheldon coming up with a fake couasin, including creating a blog and Facebook page and hiring an actor to play him, to [[FawltyTowersPlot cover a small lie]] Leonard told Penny.

** From "Homer Goes To College":

* ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'': Kramar and Newman are prone to these, alone or working as a team.

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' has Asakura and some of the girls from Negi's class come up with one of these (during the BeachEpisode) to help Negi and Asuna make up after a fight. The plan: rather than you know, talk it out, they decide to pretend that Negi is drowning so that Asuna can rescue him. Then [[GagBoobs Chizuru]] decides to embellish it a little by adding some [[EverythingsEvenWorseWithSharks fake sharks]], played by Natsumi and Ku Fei, to the mix. Naturally, they fail to tell Negi their plan, so he freaks out when he's suddenly pulled underwater and attacked by sharks. As such, he attacks a shark with Martial Arts, only to find that ''the shark knows Kung Fu''. The plan fails miserably, by the way.

* [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Reimu Hakurei]] in ''Manga/TouhouIbarakasenWildAndHornedHermit'' does this nearly OnceAnEpisode due to the manga's portrayal of her [[{{Flanderization}} overplaying her greed]]. Given her status as being in PerpetualPoverty when it comes to donations all these schemes are either interrupted by [[HermitGuru Kasen Ibaraki]] or backfire against her.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'': During one of the early Full Moon missions, the team is making preparations to break into the school when Junpei comments that he has everything "set to go." Because Junpei is [[IdiotHero just the sort of person who would try it]], everyone else assumes from the wording that he's rigged up some sort of bomb. His real plan is actually much simpler:

* One [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Walfas]] [[http://www.walfas.org/flash/nitori_flash.swf flash]] was about [[GadgeteerGenius Nitori]] intentionally creating a problem just so she could solve it and become a hero. The problem in question was the imminent collision of a ship and an iceberg (sound familiar?) which she attempts to solve by giving Shiki's hat and stick and one of [[CuteGhostGirl Youmu's]] swords to CatGirl Chen, then tossing her overboard so she could destroy the iceberg. She then realizes that Chen (a cat) [[OhCrap can't swim.]] [[spoiler: Luckily, it was AllJustADream.]]

* Any given episode of ''WebVideo/{{Roadkill}}'', or as it could have been named, "ZanyScheme: The Series". Here's an abbreviated list of some of their over-the-top hot-rodding stunts:

* ''WebComic/EerieCuties'': This is Cessily's schtick, in her attempts to gain popularity [[AllGhoulsSchool at Charybdis.]] As noted by the cast page: [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/cast/ "she's got a bajillion of 'em, all of them terrible".]] While Laura is noted as being "her hapless sidekick". They aren't kidding. Some of the plans they come up with are just [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/my_next_plan plain]] [[http://www.eeriecuties.com/strips-ec/football_field weird.]]
* Sam Starfall from Webcomic/{{Freefall}} absolutely ''loves'' these, though he has been known to take the more direct route on occasion.

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': There must be a course in zany schemes over at Madison High School. Everybody has had one in the works, one time or another. These are just a few examples. Remember, they all [[ItMakesSenseInContext make sense in context]].
** In "Two Way Stretch Snodgrass," Miss Brooks hatches a scheme to waylay Strech's transfer by having Mr. Conklin and her masquerade as the [[DumbJock dim athlete's]] equally dim parents.
** One of Walter Denton's schemes is a monstrous April Fool's Day joke, in "Wild Goose." He imitates a radio quizmaster, tricking Mr. Conklin into thinking he's won a TV from Sherry's Department Store. Cue Miss Brooks chasing down the stream of notes Walter left, in vain pursuit of the elusive television set.
** Mr. Conklin, pompous though he may be, isn't above the general zaniness either. In "The Big Jump," he plans to jump off the roof (onto a firemen's parachute) as part of a civil defense drill. He chickens out, and volunteers Miss Brooks to act as his stunt double.
** Mrs. Conklin gets into the act in "Non-Fraternization Policy." She's working to derail Mr. Conklin's newly imposed Islamic-style separation of the sexes at Madison.
** Even Mr. Boynton take part. "Clay City English Teacher" sees him try to imitate Sam Spade in an effort to lure Miss Brooks away from the eponymous teacher.
** Goody-two-shoes Harriet Conklin has a zany scheme now and again. In "New Girl", she tricks the titular girl's mother into believing Mr. Boynton is a serial killer.
** To Mrs. Davis, zany schemes are old hat. Perhaps her SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, at least as far as zany schemes go, occurs in the [[TheMovie cinematic]] [[GrandFinale series finale]]. Mrs. Davis brings about Miss Brooks' HappilyEverAfter through some clever manipulation of Mr. Boynton and his mother.

* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Grojband}}'', Corey always has "a crazy plan that might just work" whenever he and the band need lyrics for their songs. Amazingly, his wacky plans always succeed.

* One [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Walfas]] [[http://www.walfas.org/flash/nitori_flash.swf flash]] was about [[GadgeteerGenius Nitori]] intentionally creating a problem just so she could solve it and become a hero. The problem in question was the imminent collision of a ship and an iceberg (sound familiar?) which she attempts to solve by giving [[TheJudge Shiki's]] hat and stick and one of [[CuteGhostGirl Youmu's]] swords to CatGirl Chen, then tossing her overboard so she could destroy the iceberg. She then realizes that Chen (a cat) [[OhCrap can't swim.]] [[spoiler: Luckily, it was AllJustADream.]]

''(The plan is described in detail, and then the team somehow manages to turn this into a workable plan and pulls it off)''

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* [[WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends Bloo's]] bread and butter. Lampshaded by Harriman in ''Partying is Such Sweet Soiree'':
-->'''Harriman:''' I trust I can count on you to refrain from your usual numbskull plots and knuckle-headed shenanigans?
-->'''Bloo:''' [[InsistentTerminology Eh, they're really more like hare-brained schemes.]]
-->'''Harriman:''' If they were hare-brained, they'd be clever.

* In the first ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' movie, Chad and Taylor, along with their respective teams, cook up a plan to drive Troy and Gabriella away from the upcoming musical so they can focus on their own competitions instead. Namely, Troy's teammates exploit his [[WellDoneSonGuy desire of approval from his father]] and trick him into saying Gabriella and the musical are only distractions, while Taylor and the other nerds film the whole thing with a webcam they hid in the locker room, making Gabriella assume Troy doesn't really care for her. The whole thing works a [[GoneHorriblyRight tad too well]] and causes Troy and Gabriella to feel way too downhearted to properly focus on anything, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone much to the regret]] of the Wildcats and the nerds.

* In the first ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'' movie, Chad and Taylor, along with their respective teams, cook up a plan to drive Troy and Gabriella away from the upcoming musical so they can focus on their own competitions instead. Namely, Troy's teammates exploit his [[WellDoneSonGuy desire of approval from his father]] and trick him into saying Gabriella and the musical are only distractions, while Taylor and the other nerds film the whole thing with a webcam they hid in the locker room, making Gabriella think Troy doesn't really care for her. The whole thing works a [[GoneHorriblyRight tad too well]] and causes Troy and Gabriella to feel way too downhearted to properly focus on anything, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone much to the regret]] of the Wildcats and the nerds.