List of references in live-action television

This article is about references to the Super Mario games in live-action television. For shows based on the Super Mario games, see List of television series and films.

The following is a list of cameos, references, or strong allusions to the Super Mario franchise appearing in live-action television programs that are not officially related to Super Mario. For a list of television shows officially starring Super Mario characters, see List of television series and films. For a list of references in animated television programs, see List of references in animated television.

2010 Asian Games

During the fourth quarter of the match between South Korea and China on November 25, 2010, a Level Clear sound from Super Mario Bros. was heard.

30 Rock

In the episode "Mamma Mia," television writer Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) makes an allusion to the arcade game Donkey Kong and Mario's Italian heritage when talking to her boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), who is of Irish descent. She says to him, "Really? You're going to do the repressed Irish thing? Be Italian for like one second." She then, in a faux Italian accent, begins to mock Jack: "I'm-a Jack. I don't know who my father is. I'm-a so emotional. I'm gonna smash these barrels!"

In another episode, "Brooklyn Without Limits," Liz walks up to Jack wearing blue and white striped "shorteralls", which Jack responds to by making a remark about the Mario Brothers.

31 Minutos

In the episode "El despido", a remix of the Super Mario Bros. Ground Theme plays in the intro of Odiando mucho a 31 Minutos.

100 latinos dijeron

In one of the episodes, one of the contestants from the Super Team is named Super Mario. Also, one of the questions on the October 12, 2015 episode is about the tools the Mario Bros. use when they are working at a construction site.

100 Things to Do Before High School

Crispo dressed like Mario.

In the episode "Have the Best Halloween School Day Ever," Crispo dresses up in a costume similar to Mario, with a C on his cap, while Mindy dresses up as Princess Peach.

Adam Ruins Everything

In the episode "Adam Ruins Malls", when host Adam Conover insults the clerk of the supplements store by calling him an ape, the show turns into an 8-Bit spoof of Donkey Kong. The clerk begins acting like Donkey Kong and rolls barrels toward Adam, his guest Emily, and another customer.

After Midnight

In the January 17, 2024 episode, contestants Kurt Braunohler, Aparna Nancherla, and Whitney Cummings participate in a segment called "To Smash or Not to Smash" where the first round features Mario and Luigi. The contestants end up ultimately agreeing they would rather smash Luigi.

Al Derecho y al Derbez

In one of the program sketches, two frozen boys can be seen playing Super Mario Bros. They are in World 1-1 near the flagpole.

Al Rojo Vivo

In the WOW! segment from the May 20, 2011 edition, there are cakes based on Mario, Bowser, a 1-Up Mushroom, and other characters and items; Maria says that the cakes are based on the world of Mario.

All Round to Mrs. Brown's

In the second episode of the third series, Agnes Brown refers to her son's husband, Dino Doyle, as Donkey Kong.

American Housewife

In the episode “The Mom Switch”, a box of Honey Bunches of Oats with Mario and Cappy on it is seen in the background of the department store.

America's Funniest Home Videos

In one episode, a kid is seen playing an underground level from Super Mario Bros. In another, a kid can be seen getting Super Mario Bros. 2. In yet another episode, some boys are playing with barrels, and the host Tom Bergeron jokingly warns them that Donkey Kong was never meant to be played in real life. In another video, a cat swats at Mario while its owner uses the Check Mii Out channel, prompting Tom to comment "Super Mario, meet super cute."

Angel

The episode "You're Welcome" has Spike playing a game heavily implied to be Donkey Kong ("Gorilla with barrels! Stupid plumber!") on an Xbox.

A.N.T. Farm

At the beginning of the episode "ReplicANT," Fletcher plays what seems to sound like a Super Mario Bros. beat on his trumpet. Later in the episode, Darryl challenges Olive and Cameron at the arcade to see who can get the highest score on the game "Donkey King" (a parody of Donkey Kong). Near the end of this episode, Wacky the Wolf (in a donkey costume over his wolf costume) is at the top of a stairway and throws barrels at Olive. She jumps over them and climbs a ladder, where she finds a hammer and uses it to hit Wacky on the head.

Are We There Yet?

On the TBS sitcom, based on the Ice Cube movie of the same name, in one episode the family is playing a boxing game (most likely Wii Sports) on the Wii. After an argument after the mother defeats his son, the family decides to have a card game night. The son responds with "It's on like Donkey Kong!"

Austin & Ally

In the episode, "Ferris Wheels & Funky Breath", a Donkey Kong plush can be seen at a carnival.

Australia's Funniest Home Videos

At one point in the July 23rd, 2011 episode, a young boy is seen playing a Playstation 2. The announcer's voice implies that the kid's favorite game is "Super Mario Over Excitement 5000." The boy then starts screaming in excitement.

Australia's Got Talent

In the 2011 series final, host Grant Denyer said it was "on like Donkey Kong."

Australian Ninja Warrior

2017 contestant Alex Matthews had the "Ninja name" of "Super Mario".

BBC News

Donkey Kong was featured alongside various other arcade games on the 06/01/23 edition of BBC Points West.

Beakman's World

Mario and Princess Toadstool are mentioned in the episode explaining how video games work.

Beef

In episode 5, "Such Inward Secret Creatures", while Michael and Bobby are buying tools for Danny's plan for them to disguise themselves as plumbers and enter Amy and George's house, Bobby suggests dressing up in overalls, to which Michael responds, "This ain't a video game."

Big Time Rush

Carlos & James dressed as Mario & Luigi respectively.

In the episode "Big Time Songwriters," Gustavo hires two new songwriters, who get in a huge fight and are injured. As they are taken away on stretchers, they argue about which hospital to go to. The hospitals they mention are "St. Mario's" and "St. Luigi's", a reference to the Mario Brothers.

In the episode "Big Time Rocker," Carlos and James dress up in Mario and Luigi costumes.

Black Mirror

In the episode "Playtest", Katie implements Cooper with a small device which she calls it a "mushroom", to which Cooper asks if it is similar to a Super Mushroom from Super Mario Bros..

In the episode "Loch Henry", Davis is seen playing as Toad on GBA Bowser's Castle 3T in Mario Kart Tour on his phone while he is in the hospital.

Bones

The episode, "The Gamer in the Grease," features a fictitious arcade game entitled Punky Pong where the player controls an explorer battling a Donkey Kong-inspired giant gorilla.

The Book of Jer3miah

In one of the episodes, Jeremiah's guardian is using Super Mario Bros. to teach a lesson.

Boy Meets World

In the episode "Quiz Show", Mr. Feeny talks about how technology is wasted and mentions how it is used to play Super Mario Bros., namely to beat Bowser (or, more accurately, "King Koopa") and rescue the Princess.

In the episode "Torn Between Two Lovers", Feeny and Eric mention something called "Donkey Kong King".

BrainRush

In one of the episodes, Lamorne Morris asked which job Mario had originally. The contestant doesn't know, with the correct answer being "plumber".

BrainSurge

In one of the episodes, Jeff Sutphen tells a story about his family: He says that his aunt has a bigger mustache than that of a video game plumber. The aunt is then portrayed with an outfit similar to Mario's with a V on the cap, with purple mushrooms in the background.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

• In the episode "The 9-8", Jake accuses Stevie of "Donkey Kong punching" him as they fight in the closet.
• In the episode "The Venue", Rosa criticizes Charles for supposedly showing her several pictures of his son dressed as Wario for Halloween.
• In the episode "Cinco de Mayo", Jake compares Terry to "Birdo from Super Mario 2" when he is eating a bowl of eggs. Terry corrects him, noting she spits them instead.
• Season 7 features a recurring gag of Jake being unable to beat Wario on Super Mario Party. In the episode "Trying", Amy asks Jake to avoid stressful situations such as playing video games, followed by a cut to Jake playing the Nintendo Switch and shouting, "Wario cheats!" The episode "Ransom" has Jake complaining about Wario to Charles at the start of the episode. Later on, a criminal has captured Jake and threatens to cut of his fingers, which Jake protests against as he needs them to beat Wario. The criminal says beating Wario is easy and is about to name a button the player has to tap when Wario approaches, but he is interrupted by the arrival of the NYPD, with Jake demanding the answer as he is dragged into the criminal's car.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The episode "Doomed" has Buffy ask "Is this really the time for Donkey Kong?" after bumping into Riley, who is using an electronic gizmo.

Cake Wars

In the July 20, 2015 episode called "Nintendo", the contestants made cakes inspired by the Super Mario franchise in honor of Super Mario Maker. In addition, the episode is dedicated to Satoru Iwata, who passed away on July 11th.

Cash Cab

On the Canadian version of the trivia show Cash Cab, one of the $25 questions asked for the name of the kingdom that Mario had to journey through to rescue Princess Toadstool from the Koopas. Despite claiming to have played the games many times, the contestants did not remember the name of the Mushroom Kingdom and incorrectly guessed "Bowser's Kingdom" instead, earning a strike.

Cash Explosion

In one of the episodes, hosts Alicia Henry and David McCreary assume the roles of Mario and Luigi.

CBS This Morning

In the December 9, 2016 broadcast, in a segment called "The Gilmore Guys," a Yoshi hat could be seen on the table.

Celebrity Name Game

In the category Nice Asphalt from the first season, Super Mario Bros. is one of the possibly answers.

Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe

In a form of comedic irony, Charlie Brooker's critique of the announcement of the PlayStation 4 in Episode 5 of Season 1 is set to the music of the Super Mario Bros. ground theme and is concluded by his declaring Quantic Dream's tech demo as being "not quite Mario, is it?"

Clash of Karts: Mario Kart 8

Teams compete for a trophy on the broadcast.

In the Disney XD special aired on December 5, 2015, four pairs of top teenage gamers play and compete in a Mario Kart 8 round-robin tournament with four YouTube personalities, Mari Takahashi, Meghen Camarena, SethBling, and Andre Meadows serving as teammates and coaches for a chance to win the Championship Trophy. This special competition was hosted by Alison Haislip and Matt Rife.

Comedy Central Roast

During the roast of Justin Bieber, Pete Davidson thanked Shaquille O'Neal for taking time out of throwing barrels at Super Mario to appear at the roast.

Community

• In a scene in the episode "Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism", a foosball player says to Jeff and Shirley, "Oh, you are so on that things have now become very much like Donkey Kong."
• In the episode "Queer Studies & Advanced Waxing", Elroy claims that Donkey Kong is a clear rip-off of a game he created called Construction Snake, with Mario having originally been a snake, Donkey Kong a palm tree, and the barrels eggs. Britta responds to this by asking why a tree would throw eggs at a snake, which Elroy counters by asking angrily why a plumber would be fighting a monkey.

Crank Yankers

In Episode 17 of Season 2, one of the segments has Special Ed calling two different people, whom he nonsensically rambles on to about Donkey Kong.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

In "Crime After Crime", the arcade game Donkey Kong can be seen at the beginning being played on a big screen.

Cunk on Britain

• In Episode 3 of Series 1, Philomena Cunk asks computer historian Doron Swade whether it was possible to play Mario Kart on the first computer ever made.
• In Episode 4 of Series 1, as Philomena Cunk sums up the achievements of the 1950s, she mentions how Mario 64 had revolutionized the platforming genre; her guest quickly informs her that computer games had not been invented in the 1950s.

Dancing with the Stars

Sadie and Mark dancing to the special Super Mario theme

In the final round for season 19 of the U.S. version of the show, Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas' freestyle routine was based on the Super Mario franchise, with Green Shell, Banana Peel, and Super Mushroom set pieces. An animated background based on New Super Mario Bros. Wii accompanied them as well. Sadie took in the role of Peach, while Mark assumed the role for Mario. Two more dancers came in the routine as Luigi and Toad. A Super Mario Bros. medley composed by Koji Kondo was made specifically for the show.

Dear White People

In Chapter VIII of Volume I, Lionel and Troy play a version of Super Smash Bros. During the game, Lionel remarks how it's "weird" that Mario "still dresses as a plumber. It's been three decades since he did any form of plumbing." Troy then expresses annoyance at being hit with a Hammer, but Lionel hits back, saying Troy wanted "to play with Items on." Later in the same episode, Lionel says that he enjoys playing Smash Brothers on his dating profile.

Designing Women

In the fifth season episode "Working Mother," Mary Jo tells a story about how her son broke into a neighbors house in order to play Super Mario Bros. 3.

Die Geissens – Eine schrecklich glamouröse Familie

In the first season, Robert Geiss lets his daughters Davina and Shania play New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Die Millionenshow

In Series 21 episode 11, host Armin Assinger asked the contestant the following: "Which of these video game characters is not created in Japan?" The possible answers were Lara Croft, Donkey Kong, Super Mario, and Pikachu. The contestant walked away with €15,000.

Dino Dan

In the episode "Show and Dino," one of the students introduces their pet as "Mario the hedgehog," which may be a combined nod to Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Disney Cruise Line

When the show is talking about an arcade room for the kids in the cruise ship, one kid in the background can be seen playing Diddy Kong Racing.

Doc Martin

Martin's aunt Joan tells a group of children that "Life isn't all about Space Invaders and Super Mario".

Doctor Who

In the episode "Extremis", the Twelfth Doctor discovers that a group of aliens are using a simulation of Earth to plan an invasion, and that people who discover this commit suicide in order to escape. When explaining it to Bill Potts, he compares it to "Super Mario figuring out what's going on, deleting himself from the game because he's sick of dying."

Dr. Ken

In the episode "The Wedding Sitter", Connor and Clark talk about how Super Mario Bros. got its name if Mario and Luigi are the only playable characters and if Mario and Luigi are the same person.

Drake & Josh

In the episode "The Bet", Josh is implied to be playing a Super Mario Bros.-like game, with Drake telling Josh to "jump the mushroom", most likely a Goomba; Mario's running and jumping sounds from Donkey Kong can be heard. Earlier in the episode, Josh plays a game on a Game Boy Advance SP and says, "Yeah! Look out, red turtle shell, you ain't no match for Joshie!", most likely a reference to a red Koopa Troopa.

In the episode "Blues Brothers", Drake turns on the TV to watch Josh's embarrassing twitch he experienced during his time being a weatherman. On top of the TV are VHS tapes, one of which is a VHS copy of Super Hoop Bros., which appears to have a similar style to The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

Duck Dynasty

The unscripted reality show Duck Dynasty opens its Season three episode "Bass Man Standing" with a scene known as "Donkey Commander," in which Jep plays on a Game Boy Color while Uncle Si watches, asking for a turn and periodically advising him to jump. While Jep's brother Jas is initially skeptical of the Game Boy, he remarks "that's pretty cool" when Si tells him it was "old school" Donkey Kong (although the distinctive yellow cartridge indicates it was actually one of the Donkey Kong Land games). Si also declares "It's on like Donkey Kong!", referencing a popular phrase based on the original arcade game.

Dumbest Stuff on Wheels

In the episode "Collisions, Demolitions, and Dunderheads," one clip features a small green car leading a race on the last lap, with the driver, Luigi, being close to winning his first race. The car suddenly spins out and crashes, just feet before the finish line, with the announcer rewinding a clip of the crash to discover a banana on in front of the car.

El diario de Daniela

Daniela's best friend Martin can be seen playing Super Mario 64 on a black Nintendo 64 with the Atomic Purple Controller in his bedroom. For unknown reasons, later in the soap opera the N64 was replaced with a SNES.

El gran juego de la oca

One of the challenges on the show in the first season is the "Super Mario" Challenge. Also, Mario makes an appearance on the show.

Engine Sentai Go-onger

When Go Roader GT is in Wheel Mode in episode 29, the power of the engines from Engine-Oh G9 will go to Go Roader GT in order to charge up and while it does, a countdown sound effect can be heard, just like in the Mario Kart series. When the Go-ongers shout "Go on!", the go sound is heard and the Roader Strike is ready to attack.

ESPN

Liverpool F.C. striker, Mario Balotelli, is nicknamed "Super Mario."

Everybody Hates Chris

In the episode "Everybody Hates Corleone," Chris wants to go play Ms. Pac-Man with a pretty girl. When they get there, Caruso says "Surprise, Donkey Kong!" and pelts him with water balloons.

Eén tegen 100

One of the questions in this game show was "Based on their profession, which item in the house would the Super Mario Bros. best be able to fix?". The possible answers were the microwave, the furnace, or the toilet. The correct answer was the toilet; the contestant got it right, but four people from his mob got it wrong.

Family Game Night

During an introductory Guess Who? game in one of the Season 1 episodes, a team guessed that Mario was originally called Jumpman. Host Todd Newton used Mario's Italian accent for the right answer, and said that he appeared in more than 200 games.

Figure It Out

The It Board with ? Panels.

On the revived edition, in Season 5, one of the prizes on the game show was a Nintendo 3DS with Mario Kart 7, Mario Tennis Open, and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, whereas later in Season 6, the said prize was also given but with New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario 3D Land instead of the last two games mentioned above.

Also, some of the screens on the It Board has similar-looking ? Panels.

Freddy's Nightmares

The first segment of the episode "Missing Persons" depicts two children playing Super Mario Bros. They get a Game Over in World 1-2 when the new babysitter blocks their view of the television.

Fresh Off the Boat

In the episode "Gotta Be Me", Eddie has school problems and decides to play Super Mario Bros. to console himself for it. Later, Jessica decides to make him feel better and then plays the game with him. While playing, Jessica refers to Mario and Luigi as janitors, and at the time, she already lost the game.

In the episode "Huangsgiving," after Jessica hangs up from a call with her sister Bonnie, with whom she is competing to host a Thanksgiving dinner superior to hers, she says, "It's on like Donkey Kong."

In the episode "How to Be an American", Eddie talks to Emery and Evan about driving, with Evan saying none of them knows how to drive. Eddie claims that he knows how to drive due to his skills in playing Mario Kart.

In the episode "Living While Eddie," Eddie is seen playing Rainbow Road on Super Mario Kart.

In the episode "Be a Man", Honey and Louis bring up the show, The Sopranos saying that it's good, but Jessica comments by saying that she'd rather watch real Italians being cruel to each other by watching her sons play Super Mario Bros..

Frontline

In the episode The Soufflé Rises, which is the first episode, Mike is seen playing a Game Boy in his office. When one of his fellow employees walks in he quickly hides it away, forgetting to pause it. The other employee asks Mike if he can hear something, which turns out to be the main theme of Super Mario Land. Mike is also seen playing Super Mario Land later in the episode.

In episode 5, The Siege, a boy is seen playing another Game Boy, and Mike notices him and tries to start a conversation; interestingly, the sounds are from Super Mario Bros. instead of Super Mario Land or any other Game Boy game.

Full House

In the Season 3 episode “Aftershocks”, Stephanie Tanner asks her therapist if she has Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Game Boy, and her therapist quips that she will put it on her shopping list.

GameCenter CX

The following Super Mario games have been featured on the show over the years:

• Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2 (Season 1, episodes 10 and SP)
• Super Mario Bros. 3 (Season 2, Episode 10)
• Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (Season 3, Episodes 15)
• Super Mario World (Season 3, episodes 17 and 18)
• Super Mario 64 (Season 4, episodes 27 and 28)
• Super Mario Bros. and Dr. Mario (Season 9, Episode 66)
• Super Donkey Kong (Season 10, episodes 75 and 76)
• Wrecking Crew (Season 12, Episode 100)
• Super Mario Kart (Season 16, GameCenter CX in Vietnam special episode)
• Super Mario: Yossy Island (Season 16, episodes 152 and 153)
• Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy (Season 17, episodes 162 through 164)
• Mario & Wario (Season 17, GameCenter CX in Paris special episode)
• Super Mario Bros. (Season 17, Arino no Chousen in Budokan special episode)
• Super Mario Land (Season 18, Episode 184)
• Super Mario Land 2: 6 no Kinka (Season 19, Episode 216)
• Super Mario Bros. 2 (Season 22, Arino no Chousen in Makuhari Messe special episode)
• Super Mario RPG (Season 22, episodes 273 through 275)
• DanceDanceRevolution with MARIO (Season 26, Episode 350)
• Mario Kart 64 (Season 27, Episode 362)
• Made in Wario and Atsumare! Made in Wario (Season 27, Episode 369)
• Super Mario Bros. 3 (Season 27, Arino no Chousen in Saitama Super Arena special episode)
• Donkey Kong (Nintendo 3DS eShop exclusive episode)
• Famicom Remix and Famicom Remix 2 (Wii U eShop exclusive episodes)
• Super Mario Maker (Wii U eShop exclusive episode)

Other Super Mario games were featured as part of minor segments.

Gary Unmarried

In one episode where Gary's brother comes to town, Gary asks him if he would like to start off their video game montage with Mario Kart.

George Lopez

Vic, looking like Mario.

In the episode "George's Relatively Bad Idea", George's father-in-law, Vic, dyes his hair and mustache black in order to impress George's sister (whom he was dating at the time). He incidentally also wears a red shirt and blue pants. When Vic asks her if she likes his hair, George says "Yeah that's smooth, put her on the spot there, Super Mario!"

Gene Simmons Family Jewels

In the episode "Geeks Will Inherit the Earth", Gene and Nick go to Comic-Con, where Boo Mario can be seen amongst the crowd.

Get the Picture

The show features a couple of questions about Mario and Luigi, as well as Bowser. During a Power Surge game, a rebus containing Super Mario Bros. would show up at random.

In a season 2 episode, Mike asked contestants to name four video games starring Mario; afterwards, he said he has never played any Super Mario games, but he has played Donkey Kong.

Glee

In the eighteenth episode of season one, Puck states the Star Worlds are what make Super Mario World so amazing.

Good Morning America

A March 1, 2010 segment compared Barack Obama to Mario; the segment uses music from Super Mario Bros. and sound effects from Donkey Kong.

Hamish and Andy's Gap Year

In the second episode during the "Food in New York in 100 Seconds", someone mentions that there is a deli where everything is made from hot dogs run by two Italians called Don and Tony Mario (who are actually Hamish and Andy dressed up), stated to be a reference to the Mario Bros.; this is followed with a set of pictures showing them dressed like Mario (Hamish) and Luigi (Andy).

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

In one episode, the boys can be seen playing an underground level of Super Mario World.

Hasta el Hoyo (Mexico)

In one episode, one of the questions was "Which of the following characters isn't an enemy of Mario?"; the possible answers were Bowser, Tatanga, Wario and Kirby.

Have I Got News For You

In the seventh episode of series 51, comedian Ross Noble compares a picture of the King of Bahrain to that of Super Mario and mentions there being a princess in danger.

Hazme reír y serás millonario

The team of Facundo did a sketch of Mario and other characters in some games.

Heartstopper

At one point in the show, Nick and Charlie are seen playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in split-screen multiplayer, with one playing as King Boo and the other as Toad on Wii Wario's Gold Mine. At another point, they are seen playing Mario Kart Arcade GP DX.

Henry Danger

In the episode "Sick & Wired", Schwoz pretends to be an "Italian plumber" by dressing up as Mario after he puts a bomb in the Harts' kitchen sink.

Hey! Spring of Trivia

Super Mario Sunshine and the Nintendo GameCube are shown at the start of one of the pieces of trivia about the Love Tester.

Hollyoaks

• In the episode broadcast on December 5, 2014, Lockie Campbell can be heard playing Moo Moo Meadows in Mario Kart 8.
• In the background of Price Slice, starting with the episode broadcast on March 4, 2015, a copy of Mario Kart DS can be seen; after Price Slice was redesigned on June 24, 2015, the game is no longer seen.
• In the episode broadcast on March 8, 2016, Tom Cunningham and Peri Lomax are seen playing Mario Kart Stadium as Koopa Troopa and Shy Guy in Mario Kart 8.
• In the episode broadcast on April 18, 2016, Mac Nightingale challenges his son, Alfie, to a Mario Kart tournament. Aflie also mentions "blasting" Mac off of Rainbow Road.
• In the episode broadcast on July 15, 2016, Grace Black refers to her brothers as the Super Mario brothers.
• In the episode broadcast on September 7, 2016, Peri Lomax jokes about her ex-boyfriend Tom Cunningham, being ill by saying he's got a disease that causes boys "not to shower, or dress, or do anything that isn't play Mario Kart."
• In the episode broadcast on April 19, 2017, as Tom Cunningham attempts to prove to Peri that they haven't changed, he brings up how they used to play Mario Kart together.
• In the episode broadcast on July 12, 2017, as Tom Cunningham and Alfie Nightingale search the Osbornes' attic, Alfie finds an NES, and lists some of the games on it, including Donkey Kong.
• In the episode broadcast on May 10, 2018, Milo Entwistle says that his brother, Theo Jones goes through women like he "goes through levels of Super Mario."
• In the episode broadcast on May 17, 2018, Tom Cunningham and Alfie Nightingale can be seen playing Mario Circuit on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In a later scene, the game is paused on Wario's Gold Mine.
• In the episode broadcast on June 4, 2018, a man that Cindy Cunningham is talking to on a dating app has the screen name of Super Mario.
• In the episode broadcast on January 2, 2019, Leah Barnes plays Sound Stage from Super Mario Party.
• In the episode broadcast on May 26, 2020, Oscar Osborne plays Luigi's Mansion 3, briefly distracting an intoxicated Kyle Kelly who subsequently crashes the van that they are in.

• 

  Mario Kart DS in the background of Price Slice.

• 

  Mario Kart Stadium from Mario Kart 8.

• 

  Mario Circuit from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

• 

  The screen name.

• 

  Super Mario Party reference

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show

In one episode, Wayne can be seen playing as Princess Peach on Luigi Raceway in Mario Kart 64.

House

On the season 6 episode, "Lockdown", when the parents of a newborn girl ask their older son - who is using a Nintendo DSi - which name he suggests for her sister, he replies "Toadette".

How I Met Your Mother

Bad Crazy

In the episode Columns, Marshall is playing Super Mario World on his SNES in a room while talking with Lily during a flashback scene.

In the episode Desperation Day, Marshall is playing Dr. Mario on his old Game Boy, and his mother mentions that he was having a great run. Later in the episode, Lily tells Marshall that it's best not to stay at his mother's for Valentine's Day playing Super Mario Kart, causing Ted to flip out a bit before the two begin to play.

In the episode Zoo or False Marshall confesses that he had been mugged by a monkey in the zoo. Barney retells that story to Robin, and the overdone scene sketched by him uses the Main Theme / Overworld music from Super Mario Bros. 2.

In the episode Bad Crazy, a Donkey Kong Jr. arcade cabinet can be seen.

Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala

In an episode of the Filpino series, a picture of Mario using his design from New Super Mario Bros. Wii can be seen in the kid's room.

iCarly

In the episode "iGo to Japan", the gift basket that Carly receives has a red Yoshi plush inside.

Impractical Jokers

In the episode "Damned If You Do", Q is told to get someone to sign a fake petition entitled, "The White House is Racist; Just Name it The House". The person who eventually signs the petition is a man wearing a hat with several spikes on it. Q comments on the hat, saying the man looks like a Koopa Troopa. This was part of the challenge for the jokers, to say something funny to the audience, but strange to the victim.

In the episode "Sneaking Number Twos, Going Number One", the Jokers have to put as many pencils as possible in a person's pockets or hood without them noticing. Joe sticks twelve of his into an eggplant, hoping to put the fruit, and all the pencils, in a pocket in one shot. Q states that his concoction "looks like a weapon from Mario Brothers". The Inside Jokes version of this episode mentions Eggplant Man and how they debuted in Wrecking Crew.

In one of the "Magic Mirror" segments in the episode "Speech Impediment", Sal can be seen sitting down in a subway wearing a Mario costume, refusing to let a pregnant woman wearing a Princess Peach costume take his seat. In the Inside Jokes version of this episode, it is said that "Mario" would not get up because it was Luigi's baby and that Peach is the apple of Mario's eye.

In the episode "Crickets" during the "Hat Tricks" challenge, the Jokers have Q begin listing several different Parms he has tried. After listing a few, Sal has Q say "Donkey Parm" prompting Q to add "Donkey Parm Jr." to the list, referencing Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. respectively.

In the episode "Spider Man" during the "Power Tools" challenge, Q dresses in a green hat, green shirt, and blue overalls and asks the Jokers on a scale of one through ten how much he looks like a Super Mario character. The Inside Jokes version of this episode mentions how Super Mario was named after Mario Segale who rented warehouse space to Nintendo.

In the episode "Puncture Perfect" during the "This Game Will Self-Instruct" challenge, several Super Mario-related items can be seen in the background, including Yoshi plushies, a Warp Pipe plushie, a cardboard cutout, and artwork advertising New Super Mario Bros. The Inside Jokes version of this episode says Q is imitating a Koopa when he puts his head in his shirt like a turtle.

In the Inside Jokes version of "Hitting the Wrong Note", the Donkey Kong game is mentioned and the show talks about how the character Jumpman was later renamed to Mario, during the "Game Boyz" challenge.

In the episode "Who Arted", the Jokers have Q do a Super Mario impression during the "Mistakery Bakery" challenge.

India's Got Talent

One of the auditions is a Mario-based level.

Intrusos

This Chilean live-action program uses a few sound effects from Super Mario World (e.g. the power-up sound as well as the Yoshi sound effect).

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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Dennis (played by Glenn Howerton) dressed up as Luigi.

In the episode "Who Got Dee Pregnant?", Dennis had dressed up as Luigi for a Halloween Party. Mac, who was supposed to have dressed up as Mario, instead arrives as Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings; Mac refers to him as Viggo Mortensen, the actor who portrayed Aragorn in the films). This upsets Dennis, who comments that being Luigi without Mario by his side makes him look like "some weird Italian plumber".

It Takes Two

As part of a question, four children – Timothy, Luke, Alex, and Drew – are playing Mario Kart 64 with racing helmets on their heads. The question is "How many laps will racers complete?"; the answer is 47 laps.

Japan with Sue Perkins

In the opening sequence for the second episode, some people driving in the real-life Mario Kart in Tokyo are seen. One person is dressed as Mario, while two others are dressed as Yoshi.

Jessie

• In the episode "Ghost Bummers", Ravi dresses up as Albert Einstein for Halloween, and Jessie comments that he looks like "Super Mario's retired grandfather."
• In the episode "Morning Rush", Ravi's mask bears a resemblance to Phanto.
• In part 2 of the episode "Rossed at Sea", Marco quips that "Super Mario was based on my grandmother, Maria. The woman loved her mushrooms."

Jetix Latin America

Under the sponsorship of Nintendo, a special "X-Cam" was made for Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. In another trade bloc in 2007, Diddy Kong Racing DS gameplay was presented.

Joe Lycett's Got Your Back

In the episode "Jess Phillips, Budget Airlines and Airbnb Scammers", Joe Lycett and one of his operatives pose as plumbers to confront a scammer, dressed as Mario and Luigi respectively. He refers to them as the "Super Mario Lovers", with a parody of the Super Mario logo, to "avoid being sued by Nintendo". Throughout the remainder of the segment, Joe Lycett also refers to Mario as "the most famous plumber of all time" and calls their van a Mario Kart, and the jump sound effect from Super Mario Bros. is played.

Kamen Rider Ex-Aid

Blocks that appear similar to Brick Blocks are seen often throughout the series.

Kevin Can Wait

In "Beat the Parents", Jack and his friend talk about playing Mario Kart.

Kickin' It

In the episode "Fawlty Temple", a fake plumber has "Mario" written on his name tag.

Kim's Convenience

In the season 3 premiere "New Appa-liance", one of the nicknames Appa gives to Jung is "Donkey Kong Jung".

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

Mario games have been nominated for the "Favorite Video Game" category numerous times throughout the various Kids' Choice Awards ceremonies over the years.

1995

Donkey Kong Country wins the "Favorite Video Game" category.

1996

Donkey Kong Country wins the "Favorite Video Game" category for the second year in a row.

1997

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest was nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

1998

Super Mario 64 wins "Favorite Video Game". Other nominees were Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Star Fox 64.

1999

Super Mario 64 wins the "Favorite Video Game" category for the second year in a row. Other nominees included Yoshi's Story and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

2000

Mario Party and Donkey Kong 64 were nominated for "Favorite Video Game", but both lost to Pokémon Yellow.

2002

Mario Kart: Super Circuit wins the "Favorite Video Game" category.

2003

Mario Party 4 was nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2004

Super Mario Advance 4 was nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2006

Mario Superstar Baseball was nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2007

New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart DS were nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2009

Mario Kart Wii and Mario Super Sluggers were nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2010

Mario Kart Wii wins the "Favorite Video Game" category. Other games nominated were The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Wii Fit and Wii Sports Resort.

2011

Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! were nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2012

Super Mario Galaxy and Mario Kart 7 were nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2013

During a segment with the mustache cam view, Josh Dunhamel asks if one of the spectators looks like Mario or Luigi.

In categories, Mario Kart 7 was nominated for "Favorite Video Game" once again, with other nominees including Wii Sports.

2015

Mario Kart 8 was nominated for the one-off "Most Addicting Game" award.

2016

Thomas Kuc about to reach the Goal Pole.

Mario & Luigi's appearance and the cast of Game Shakers in a Mario-inspired level.

During the broadcast, Mario and Luigi announced one of the awards with some help from the cast of Game Shakers, with a special level based on the Mushroom Kingdom on stage to determine the winner.

Super Mario Maker was nominated for "Favorite Video Game" category, while Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam was one of the event's sponsors.

2017

Paper Mario: Color Splash was nominated for "Favorite Video Game", other nominations included Pokémon Sun and Moon.

2018

The 2018 Kids Choice Awards features a segment with a Super Mario Odyssey-inspired obstacle course where a team of players must collect Power Moons.

In categories, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Odyssey were nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2019

The 2019 Kids' Choice Awards featured a segment with a Yoshi's Crafted World-inspired obstacle course.

Alongside that, Super Mario Party was nominated for “Favorite Video Game”.

2020

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart Tour were nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2022

Mario Party Superstars was nominated for "Favorite Video Game".

2023

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope was nominated for "Favorite Video Game". Other nominations included Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

La Jugada Olímpica

In this program from the Mexican network Televisa, in the first program of London's Olympic Games, showed a sketch called "Así se juega Mario y Sonic en los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012", where showed skills about the 100m event, with Sonic the Hedgehog as the example and winner character. Later on, a poster of the same game appeared in a serial sketch called "¿Qué pasión? Las Aventuras de un Clásico Aficionado".

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Oliver shows a sprite of Donald Trump, based off the sprite of Donkey Kong.

One segment of an episode briefly covers the backlash against Tomodachi Life for not allowing same-sex marriages in the game, as well as Nintendo's response that the company will be "more inclusive" in the future. This leads into an animated segment featuring several of Nintendo's characters reacting to the news, which includes Mario and Link kissing each other soon after hearing the news, Princess Peach and Princess Zelda doing much of the same, Toad and Yoshi getting married (with Peach serving as the pastor) and receiving the benefits of pension from a ? Block, and Bowser mourning over the death of his "longtime partner" Donkey Kong and receiving death benefits. The final event prompts John Oliver to comment that Donkey Kong dies multiple times in his games before asking the audience if they want him to restart the game. After receiving cheers, he immediately resets it, leading to Bowser and Donkey Kong appearing at a restaurant and enjoying brunch together.

In another episode, Oliver jokes about drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's ability to escape through bathrooms, saying that El Chapo is "just one 'M' on his hat away from looking like a psychopathic Super Mario."

During a segment of the Tuesday, October 9th, 2016 show, Oliver says, "If American democracy is a computer game, and Hillary Clinton is completing women's hundred-year quest to get to the Oval Office, it kind of makes sense that this would be the final boss," showing a graphic of a Donkey Kong-like sprite of Donald Trump.

John Oliver likens Melbourne's Fallen Fruit sculpture to a final boss from a Donkey Kong game.

On a web-exclusive video published in July 2021, Oliver compares Danish claymation character John Dillermand to Mario.

In the November 14, 2021 episode on Union Busting, Oliver comments that video game characters are a prime example of exploited labor. In particular, he mentions that "not once in 36 years of playing Super Mario have I ever seen him get to take a bathroom break... the Mushroom Kingdom must be absolutely littered with piss bottles at this point." Oliver shows a graphic of a disgusted Goomba surrounded with piss bottles.

In the July 24th, 2022 episode, John Oliver compares Melbourne's Fallen Fruit public art sculpture to "the final boss in Donkey Kong." A graphic appears onscreen of Donkey Kong battling the banana.

In the November 20th, 2022 episode, John Oliver shows a Tweet of Mario giving the middle finger, purportedly from Nintendo of America's official account (but in reality a parody account that had paid for a blue checkmark).

In the November 12th, 2023 episode, Oliver sarcastically remarks that Yoshi is "amazing in the sack" due to his long tongue. Later in. the same episode, he refers to a kiwi bird as "Donkey Kong's hairy testicle."

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

• In June 2013, Reggie Fils-Aime, then-president of Nintendo of America, came down to Jimmy Fallon's studio with his Wii U and played Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U with Jimmy.
• On March 19, 2013, Jimmy Fallon performed a cover of Sam Hart's "Mario Kart Love Song" alongside Selena Gomez, both donning mustaches and Mario's Cap and Peach's Crown, respectively.
• During his annual "Video Game Week" in June 2013, Fallon received a suggestion from one viewer asking him to add lyrics to the ground theme from Super Mario Bros., to which Fallon responded by asking Tariq from the Roots to improvise lyrics to the song.

Late Night with Seth Meyers

In an August 2019 segment of "Popsicle Schtick", Seth gives the joke, "What do the Mario Brothers use to communicate with the spirit world?" The answer is "a Luigi Board," a reference to Ouija Boards.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

In the episode "Care", when Captain Donald Cragen notices Sergeant Munch and Detective Tutuola playing a video game in the break room, he refers to them as "the Super Mario Brothers."

Let's Make a Deal

In one episode, one of the contestants is dressed up as Mario.

On the July 3, 2012 episode, an audience member is seen dressed up as Mario while Kaitlin was playing Car Pong.

In one of the episodes aired in 2020, Valerie took home the Big Deal of the Day which includes ice cream, a sauna, gym equipment, and a Nintendo Switch video game package with a television and six games including Super Mario Maker 2 and Yoshi's Crafted World for a total of $20,898.

Lip Sync Battle

In the December 21, 2016 Country Christmas special, after Dustin Lynch's second lip sync song, the co-host Chrissy Teigen took off her fake mustache (in honor of his second lip sync song) and placed it on LL Cool J's face. Afterwards, she commented that he "looks like Super Mario".

Liv and Maddie

In "Kathy Kan-a-Rooney", when Splat catches Parker watching "Linda and Heather", the video game controllers on Parker's shirt resemble that of a Nintendo GameCube's. In "Howl-A-Rooney", in some scenes, Joey is wearing a T-shirt with a bomb holding a jukebox on it. Said bomb looks very similar to a Bob-omb.

Live at the Apollo

In the third episode of series 12, Australian comedian Sam Simmons compares himself to a "Super Mario Brother who had sex with a Spaniard from Betfred."

In the first episode series 15, comedian Kae Kurd joked that the only Italian he knew was from Super Mario, before making a Warp Pipe noise.

Lock n' Load with R. Lee Ermey

When Gunny was testing an RC controlled AA-12 shotgun, he said it felt like playing Mario Bros.

Magical Zunou Power!!

In one of the "Search the Error" puzzles on the show, there is one based on Super Mario World.

Mare of Easttown

In the episode "Illusions", Ryan can be seen playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in handheld mode.

Married... with Children

In "Love Conquers Al,' Bud reluctantly agrees to keep company to Kelly's date's sister Esmeralda, whom he calls "Bowser" before meeting her.

Mike & Molly

In "Weekend at Peggy's," Mike is heard playing Super Mario Bros.. Despite playing the above-ground theme, he curses Lava upon losing a life and then is heard clearing a world.

Mirai Sentai Timeranger

When Timerobo Alpha used the Press Blizzard finishing slash, the enemy will freeze for a moment. Then, the sword will point up and while it does, a countdown sound is heard, just like the timer in the Mario Kart series. When the sword is at the top, the enemy is defeated.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

In a 1983 episode, a boy teaches Mister Rogers how to play Donkey Kong. After watching the boy play, Mr. Rogers plays for a little while. After that, a man comes by and shows Mr. Rogers and the boy the inside of the cabinet, and how the controls work.

Mock the Week

In the July 7th, 2011 episode, one of the topics of the quick-fire improv round, "Scenes we'd like to See" was "Things you wouldn't read on a Road Sign." Andy Parsons came in with "Throw Banana Peel in 200 yards. Mario & Diddy Kong closing in."

In the July 16th, 2015 episode, Rob Beckett compared a picture of a Mexican drug lord to Super Mario.

In the September 20th, 2016 episode, Ivo Graham made jokes about Mario Kart.

Modern Family

Phil with the mustache

In the episode "Run for Your Wife", the second episode in the series, Phil and his wife, Claire, race each other. To brag about how fast he is he asks his son if they would would like to play some Mario Kart afterwards. He replies with "Can't. I gotta work on my journal," then Phil calls him "Lame!". He then asks Alex the same thing but she refuses due to having a history paper.

In the episode "Moon Landing", someone draws a mustache on a poster of the main character, Phil, so he starts wearing a fake mustache. Because of this, his wife calls him "Mario".

In the episode "Dude Ranch", Alex is kissed by an Italian-American boy named Jimmy while at the dude ranch. Alex later tells him that she wanted her first kiss to be from someone with a high GPA and bright future, not with a Mario brother.

Modern Marvels

In episode 397, 80's Tech, Mario, Donkey Kong, Pauline, a Red Koopa Troopa, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and the ghosts make cameos. An Atari 2600, a Nintendo Entertainment System, a Game Boy, and a Nintendo GameCube are also briefly seen.

Ms. Marvel

In the episode "Crushed", Kamran jokingly asks Kamala if it was Bowser who taught her how to drive.

In the episode "Seeing Red", after Kamala and Kareem finish sparring, they question each other on their physical prowess, Kareem in particular mentioning Donkey Kong.

Mundo da Lua

In the episode "Muito Prazer, Blixto", Lucas appears playing a fictional game very similar to Super Mario Bros. 3 called "Blixto". The game character resembles Mario, although he is colored green like Luigi. In the same episode, Lucas imagines meeting with the character Blixto and receiving an item similar to a Super Star.

My Name Is Earl

In the episode "Foreign Exchange Student," Earl and his friends try to convince a Frenchman to stay in Camden County so Earl can cross him off his list. Randy, Earl's Brother, starts listing popular arcade games. Second on his list is Donkey Kong.

Mystery Science Theater 3000

• During an intermission in Moon Zero Two, the characters discuss what different games would be like in space. One of them mentions that Nintendo would become "Moontendo" and Super Mario Bros. would become "Super Lunar Mario Brothers".
• Also, during "The Castle of Fu Manchu", a woman is seen on a computer, and one character remarks, "She's up to level 3 on Super Mario Bros.!" They then begin humming the Super Mario Bros. overworld theme.
• In "Hercules Unchained", one character exclaims, "It's just like Super Mario World!" Another begins humming the "Level End" theme.
• In "Clonus", one of the scientist characters has a passing resemblance to Mario, which is repeatedly joked about by the characters.
• In "Tormented", Tom Servo mentions waking up in the world of Super Mario Bros. during the closing segment.
• In "The Beatniks", Crow riffs that the characters in the movie can "ride Yoshi to the Mushroom Kingdom".
• In "Prince of Space", the riffers make a reference of a mix between Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., remarking "two Italian guys dodge mushrooms thrown by a monkey".

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return

• In the episode about the movie "Time Travelers", as the movie's cast moves through a hole to the next room, Jonah mimics the sound effect of a Warp Pipe.
• In the episode about the movie "Beast of Hollow Mountain", during the conversation between characters Jimmy and Sarita in the graveyard, Crow states their "princess is in another castle."
• In the episode about the movie "The Land That Time Forgot", as one of the submarine crew members is rolling a barrel down the hill, Crow calls out "Donkey Kong!" and starts humming the level theme.
• In the episode about the movie "The Loves of Hercules", as Hercules is breaking into the gates of Ecalia, Crow references Mario's famous quote by saying in Mario's voice "It's-a me, Hercules!" Later, as a chariot is racing down a path in a forest, Crow makes a reference to Mario Kart.
• At the start of the episode about the movie "Yongary", Tom Servo talks about a dream of his, where Etcon looked like the sewers of Mario Bros.
• During the opening sequence of the episode about "The Christmas that Almost Wasn't", when Mr. Prune tries to cover a chimney, Crow states "Hey, he found the warp pipe to level 9!"

NCIS

In the episode "Blowback", after Abby pulls out an old laptop she wonders whether it has the original Donkey Kong on it.

NCIS: Los Angeles

In the episode "Search and Destroy", Sam Hanna says that he was "pretty money at Donkey Kong" when asked which of the team is good at video games.

NHK News

At the start of every newscast, there is a clock which shows the current time. In addition, a racing timer sound effect can be heard at three seconds to the top of the hour, which is identical to the one used in the Mario Kart series.

Nintendomanía / Power Up! Gamers

Nintendomanía was a Mexican program from March 1995 to July 2000 broadcast by TV Azteca in sponsorship with Nintendo showing the latest news, updates, tricks, moves, secrets, and other content about Super Mario and other Nintendo games. Gustavo "Gus" Rodríguez, one of the show's hosts, was also one of the first editors of the Latin American version of Club Nintendo magazine.

This program was revived at the end of February 2014 under the name Power Up! Gamers, this time broadcast by Televisa (FOROtv's channel) and transformed into a program of multi-platform video games for the eighth-generation consoles as well as the older-generation PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Also, the program integrated the original cast of Nintendomanía.

Only Connect

The British game show Only Connect has used Super Mario elements as clues several times.

• In the seventh episode of series 5, the Lion wall in the third round included the words "World", "64", "Land" and "Bros.", all of which pertained to the category "'Super Mario' games". The wall also contained the red herrings "Sunshine" and "Galaxy".
• A picture question in the tenth episode of series 6 was about items in the Mario Kart franchise. Clues involved were the Blooper, Koopa Shell, Banana and the Mushroom. The pictures shown are of the items' real life counterparts, and the items are referred to as "Squid", "Turtle shell", "Banana skin" and "Mushroom" respectively.
• One of the sequence questions in episode 13 of series 11 was "Captain Syrup → Wario → Mario → ?", to which the answer was Donkey Kong, the connection being video game characters who originated in the following character's game.
• A question in the first round of series 12, episode 30 had the word Kong as its hidden connection, leading to the clue "Devised by Shigeru Miyamoto: Donkey".
• A first round question in series 13, episode 6 had Mario as the final clue to the connection "Famous plumbers".

Outnumbered

In the episode "The Funeral", the first episode of the fourth series, a recurring theme throughout the episode is that Jake and Ben continually beat Pete at Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, causing him to strive to beat them.

Parks and Recreation

In the fourth episode of the first season, "Boys' Club," Andy is seen playing Mario Kart Wii as Toad on Luigi Circuit. However, the audio is different as Moo Moo Meadows' theme and Baby Mario's voice can be heard.

Pawn Stars

• In an episode from season 5, Chumlee bought a big Mario figurine for $550. Before the commercials began, a small question was shown asking what Mario's original name was, the correct answer being Jumpman.
• In the season 5 episode titled "Guns Blazing", a customer sells Corey a set of Game & Watch games. Among those games are Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong II. The customer mistakenly says that the Game & Watch series started around 1981, when in fact it started in 1980.
• The underground theme of Super Mario Bros. briefly plays in "Chum of All Fears".
• A Virtual Boy with Mario's Tennis is sold in the "Darth Pawn" episode, with the seller discussing the history of the system, Mario, etc.
• In the season 12 episode titled "No Pawn for You!", Corey and Chumlee go to a seller's house to examine a Donkey Kong arcade cabinet.
• In the season 17 episode titled "Pawn vs Ferrari", a customer tries to sell a rare, sticker-sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. that was sold during the NES's test market launch. After the customer says he wants to sell it for $1 million, Rick jokes, "I think Mario hit him on the head with a pipe wrench."

Peacemaker

In episode 5, "Monkey Dory", a plot point consists of Peacemaker's father being framed for a crime in which he was not involved. Peacemaker takes his frustration out on another character, John Economos, by listing off other celebrities and fictional characters that he could have framed. Many of them were cut from the main episode and are named in the post-credits scene and outtakes, including Mario, Super Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Princess Peach.

The Price is Right (UK)

On some occasions during the Bruce Forsyth era between 1997 and 1998, Nintendo 64 consoles often appeared as prizes for Pricing Games, also including titles such as Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing. Although, they were referred to as simply "Games Consoles" often with logos airbrushed out due to a law preventing brand names from being mentioned on UK television at the time.

Programa do Ratinho

One promo for the show was loosely based on the Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, using sprites, objects, backgrounds and sound effects from these games. It also included an Incoming Chomp from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Peach's Castle.

Puppy Bowl

In Puppy Bowl VII, during a "Kiss-Cam" moment, a dog is seen with a Mario Pinball Land toy.

Queer Eye

In Sloth to Slay, a member of an anime club asks Thomas if he played Mario Kart.

Quiz $ Millionaire

The money tree throughout the show resembles the tree from Mario Party Advance during Mini-Game Attack.

Repat After Me

In Episode 7, Wendi tells Mario Lopez to say, "I'm-a-Super-Mario" to his fans.

Repo Games

During one episode, host Tom DeTone asks one contestant the following question: "In the world of video games, what is the name of Super Mario's younger, thinner, taller brother?" The contestant correctly answers Luigi.

Richard Osman's House of Games

In the episode broadcast on 3 December 2020, one of the questions in the "Question Writers' Day Off" round was "Who is Donkey Kong's sidekick on Mario Kart." None of the contestants guessed the correct answer of Diddy Kong.

Rock of Love with Bret Michaels

In the Las Vegas episode, during a fight with one of the contestants, Jessica, another contestant states that "It was on like Donkey Kong."

Roseanne

In the episode "The Back Story", Roseanne plays on DJ's Super Nintendo towards the end. Although the screen is never shown, Super Mario World's title screen music can be heard. As the title screen can't actually be played on, it can be assumed that Roseanne was just pressing random buttons. When Dan asks Roseanne how she's doing, she responds by saying "Two more swords and I'm Queen of the Monkey People!", further implying that she wasn't actually playing Super Mario at all.

In another episode, Roseanne asks Dan about Super Mario Bros. 2.

Round the Twist

In the episode "Brainless", Bronson controls his siblings Pete and Linda after they lose their brains. He comments, "This is more fun than Mario Bros.!"

RuPaul's Drag Race

In Queens Behind Bars as the remaining contestants react to the elimination of The Princess, Sharon Needles says: "The Princess is in another castle," the line that the Mushroom Retainer says whenever Mario reaches one in Super Mario Bros.

Sábado Gigante

On the weekly Spanish-language variety show Sábado Gigante, there is a short character who dresses as Mario on the show.

Sam & Cat

In #FavoriteShow, one of the decorations for the set of the television show "That's A Drag" resembled a 1-Up Mushroom.

Saturday Night Live

The Wii Guys skit

Wario Land: Shake It! was referenced in the sketch "Wii Guys" on the 2009 Valentine's Day episode of Saturday Night Live. The sketch begins with two young men playing Wario Land: Shake It! in the basement of their family's house. They were eventually joined by their father, played by Alec Baldwin, who was not a big fan of video games until his sons introduced him to the unique Wii Remote. The sketch parodied the concept of shaking objects and enemies in-game via shaking the Wii Remote. The humor of the sketch was derived from the play-style of the father, who would hold the Wii Remote vertically and shake it with one hand, obviously playing on the similarities between shaking the Wii Remote and the hand motion of masturbating. However, it says that the game is two-player, which is not correct.

In Season 36's "Black Friday" skit, the Super Mario Galaxy 2 title screen is briefly shown on some televisions, presumedly for sale.

Wario Batali

On the 37th Season Finale, Bill Hader's character Stefon makes a reference to a chef called Wario Batali, who, according to him, is Mario Batali's evil brother. Wario Batali makes an appearance on Stefon's wedding during the 38th Season Finale.

In the sketch "Beat the Bookworm" that aired January 21, 2017, the Bookworm is asked by the game show host, "Name these Super Brothers, Mario and –." The Bookworm, who claims to have spent the 90s reading books, guesses "Devin."

In the October 14, 2017 sketch "Office Halloween Party," one of the office members is dressed up as Mario.

Jeff Bezos (Steve Carell) walks by a poster of Toad, a subtle jab at Donald Trump.

On the Saturday, November 17, 2018 episode "Message from Jeff Bezos," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (played by host Steven Carell) walks by a poster of Toad while subtly mocking the 45th United States President, Donald Trump. The Toad is a reference to a Stormy Daniels interview where she compared Donald Trump's penis to "that Toad from Mario Kart."

On a segment of the April 11, 2020 episode (shot from the cast members' homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Twitch streamer "Cam Playz Dat" (played by Mikey Day) attempts to speedrun Super Mario Bros., but dies after slowing walking into the first Goomba of World 1-1. The game's music is noticeably distorted.

In a sketch on November 7, 2020, fans share their favorite memories in honor of the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary. One fan, Josh Allen, explains how his friend Jake Cook "popped" his testicles after a bike accident on the way to purchase Super Mario Bros. Much to Jake's embarrassment, Josh goes into detail about the aftermath, such as how the two friends played Super Mario Bros. 3 while Jake was in the hospital for emergency surgery (having his groin "sanded down"). Throughout the sketch, other Mario fans express shock and confusion.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo speaks about Italian stereotypes while Wario testifies in court

In a sketch during the May 8, 2021 episode, Wario is on trial in a Toad Town court for Mario's murder. Luigi (played by Kyle Mooney) testifies that Mario was killed while "having a friendly race with a go-kart" after someone threw a Banana, causing Mario to wipe out. Luigi then accuses Wario (played by guest host Elon Musk) of the murder. The defense calls Wario to the stand, and as he is walking there, the theme from Wario's Battle Canyon plays in the background. Wario then testifies that he is not evil, while his lawyer points out that his "Super Mario Wiki fan page" (actually the Wario Wiki page) is overly defamatory. The article implies that Wario's only friend is Waluigi, the "evil Luigi." Waluigi, who is sitting in the spectator area of the courtroom and is played by Kate McKinnon, is then shown resenting the negative connotation in the article, preferring to be called "weird Luigi." Wario's lawyer further claims that Wario is unfairly portrayed as a villain, playing the theme song from Mario's castle (the final stage in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins) as evidence. Wario then accuses Mario of eating Super Mushrooms as recreational drugs and then accuses Luigi of sleeping with Princess Peach (who is present in the courtroom and played by Elon Musk's then-partner, Grimes). When Luigi and Peach both object, Wario's lawyer provides incriminating text messages and a video. Luigi, in anger, gets ready to throw a Red Shell, but New York governor Andrew Cuomo steps in to stop the scene, reflecting that he and Wario are two misunderstood Italian Americans. "Please don't believe the horrible stereotypes you see in Mario World. Some of the bad guys are even called Goombas," Cuomo says. Mario (played by Kenan Thompson) then appears in the courtroom, revealing that although he had died, he still has three lives left. The sketch is revealed to be a PSA from the Italian-American Anti-Defamation League. Throughout the sketch, other Mario references include the judge hitting her gavel on a ? Block, Toads comprising the entire jury, and various Mario-based sound effects. Elon Musk as Wario reappears in the Season 46 Finale Cold Open when the show replays "highlights from this season" (Wario is the only highlight).

On the November 6, 2021 cold open, Donald Trump (played by James Austin Johnson) rambles about Chris Pratt playing Mario, being friends with Luigi and Princess Peach, and Trump's support among Toads.

In a January 15, 2022 sketch, New York City mayor Eric Adams (played by Chris Redd) responds sarcastically to a reporter who is wearing a pink dress. Adams comments, "I'm glad you brought that back up, Princess Peach. And congrats on escaping that castle."

In the March 12, 2022 episode, Bowen Yang's character reacts to the Ohio State University marching band cover of Don't Stop Believin' by saying, "am I in heaven, or am I in Rainbow Road in freakin' Mario Kart 8?" He later remarks that the song inspires him to do better at Mario Kart.

In the April 16, 2022 episode, Andrew Dismukes' character mentions that he could make a living drawing Mario. He shows one of his recent drawings as an example. Mario's clothes in the illustration are notably green. The sketch later mentions that the character ran away to Japan to become Nintendo's "number one Mario drawer."

In the October 8, 2022 cold open, Chloe Fineman's character is competing in the "So You Think You Won't Snap" game show, where the premise is to hear about recent news without losing control. Fineman's character snaps after hearing Chris Pratt's Mario voice in the teaser trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, exclaiming, "He's supposed to be Italian! That's, like, his whole thing!"

The destroyed Mushroom Kingdom

In the February 4, 2023 episode, a parody trailer for an HBO drama series based on the Mario Kart series in the style of HBO's The Last of Us series was shown, set in a dystopian Mushroom Kingdom after Bowser took over. In the trailer, Mario (played by Pedro Pascal) needs to "smuggle" Princess Peach to Rainbow Road with the help of Luigi, Yoshi, and Toad. Some of the elements from the Super Mario and Mario Kart series shown in the trailer include a Banana, a Red Shell, signs similar to arrow fields, a Goomba, Piranha Plants, ? Blocks, Warp Pipes, Super Mushrooms, Lakitu's Clouds, and an Airship.

In the April 15, 2023 episode, the Weekend Update features an interview with Funky Kong (played by Kenan Thompson) about his appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He complains about his short appearance in the film, stating that he was cut from the rest of the movie after being kicked because he was in his trailer "drumming on booty cheeks like bongos in a minigame." The same episode's "Please Don't Destroy" sketch references a fictitious Xbox game called "Super Mario Batali."

SEC CBS 2012

In a replay during a match against Alabama and Mississippi State, the theme for Super Mario Bros. can be heard.

Sex Education

• In Episode 3 of the first season, Otis and Eric load up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and play as Toad and Yoshi on Shy Guy Falls. Eric makes a reference to Otis using a Blue Shell on him.
• In Episode 5 of the first season, when Otis says he's getting back to doing normal things, Eric asks if that means he's going to "Get sad and play Smash Bros..
• In Episode 8 of the first season, as they leave school, Otis asks Eric if he wants to go back to his and play Smash Bros..

¡Se vale!

During a broadcast of the program, one participant used a motley of Bowser.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

In one scene in the sixth episode of the first season, "Just Jen", the groomsmen at Lulu's wedding are seen playing Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch.

Smart Guy

When Floyd is giving advice to TJ Henderson in one episode, he references an incident in the past where TJ sprained his wrist while playing the game Donkey Kong.

Sooty

In the episode "The Runaway Bath", Sooty whispers to Richard Cadell (who is wearing a fake pair of donkey ears) "Hello Donkey Kong" much to the latter's annoyance.

Star Trek: Picard

In the episode "Penance", the skull of a Saurian named Y'Shi in reference to Yoshi appears in Picard's trophy room.

Storage Wars

In the episode "Super Bros. Shuffle" (season 4, episode 22), two of the hunters find a board game based on Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

Strange Days at Blake Holsey High

In the Season 3 episode "Transference", footage from the Donkey Kong Country animated series can briefly be seen on a television. However, generic cartoon sound effects are used in lieu of audio from the actual show.

Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two

In series 15 episode 52, when Zoë Ball is introducing a segment about motion capture being used for dancing in video games, she says "When you think of video game duos, you think of Mario and Luigi, Sonic and Tails, Chloe and Neil".

Studio C

End screen of Nintendo NES Will Save the World

During the Season 5 skit "If Rapunzel's Hair Was Real", the actor James Perry (under the alias "The Punz") claims he has the new Mario Kart. Later, he also mentions Yoshi.

In the Season 7 skit "Nintendo NES Will Save the World", a man (played by actor Jason Gray) wearing a shirt with Mario and Luigi on it has to save the Earth by playing a Star Wars game on the Nintendo Entertainment System. At the end of the skit, Mount Rushmore is shown with Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Toon Link, and a Battletoad's faces carved in.

In another Season 7 skit titled "A Stairway Chase", actor James Perry states that he wishes he had one of those "buckets you just float around in like Bowser Jr.", referencing both the character and the Junior Clown Car.

In the skit titled "Atari's Revenge on Nintendo", employees of Atari sneak into Nintendo's headquarters and releases a vial of laughing gas. Three Nintendo executives soon come into the room to discuss their next big game. Once the laughing gas takes effect, the executives begin throwing out ideas such as using a mushroom to grow, going down pipes, throwing turtle shells, and gaining invincibility, with actor Jason Gray even humming the "Super Star Theme". Actor Jeremy Warner's character is named Mario and claims the video game should be named after him, and Jason, wearing a green shirt, says he should have a younger, taller brother. At the end of the skit, actress Whitney Call in a blond wig and pink dress comes into the room and is called a "princess" by the executives. Once the laughing gas takes an effect on her, Whitney claims their boss, "Mr. Bowser", is trying to kidnap her.

In the skit "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Parody", Mario, played by Jeremy Warner, reprises the role of the boxing matches' referee.

In "Mario Doesn't Want To Be A Hero", Mario, again played by Jeremy Warner, answers a knock on his door. Toad, played by Steven Meek, runs in with three ? Blocks and tells Mario that Princess Peach has been kidnapped again. Mario tells Toad to breathe, referencing Kirby in the process. He then tells Mario to pick a ? Block, reciting a line Toad uses in the Toad Houses from Super Mario Bros. 3. Mario does not want to, claiming Peach likely just has her phone off, but Toad says Bowser took her in his Airship. Mario questions if he has to be the one to save her, also questioning their relationship and Toad's capabilities. Toad says, during the first time Mario rescued someone, he was the only one with experience, so they continued turning to him. Mario then tells Toad to get Luigi instead, to which Toad responds that no one wants him. Mario then suggests Yoshi, who was apparently sent to a glue factory to fix a pot Link broke. The door knocks again, and Mario answers to get pizza, who then pays the pizza boy with Coins he retrieves by headbutting a Brick Block. Toad says he is not going to leave until Mario agrees to save Peach, to which he reluctantly agrees and Toad says his line from Super Mario Bros. 3 again. Picking one, Mario hopes it does not have a leaf in it, saying he did not like the tail. Mario opens the ? Block and smells a dead Goomba, which Toad admits that the whole ploy of Peach getting kidnapped by Bowser was made up just so Mario would sniff a dead Goomba. Mario congratulates Toad and they head out to go give the box to Luigi.
Mario's house is filled with various decorations from the franchise, including a Warp Pipe, a Piranha Plant, 25m, a picture of Pauline, a Super Star, and a Super Mushroom pillow.

Supernatural

In the episode "Red Meat", the Reaper Billie tells Dean "time to say goodbye to Luigi, Mario" when the latter thinks that his brother, Sam, is dead, and is trying to negotiate a deal with Billie in order to bring back Sam in exchange for Dean's life.

In the episode "Twigs & Twines & Tasha Banes", Dean mentions "that Super Mario power-up crap".

Superstore

In the thirteenth episode of the third season, "Video Game Release", while discussing "innocent" video games, one of the games referenced is Donkey Kong. In addition, Myrtle brings up a glitch that makes Donkey Kong look like he has genitalia.

In the fourth episode of the fourth season, "Costume Competition", Amy wears a Mario costume.

Taskmaster

In the final episode of series 7, "I Can Hear It Gooping", Jessica Knappett's submission for the task 'Physically recreate a classic video game' was a recreation of Mario Kart with golf carts as karts. She was dressed as Mario and Alex Horne was dressed as Luigi.

Temptation (Australia)

In the Gift Shop on the August 3, 2006 episode, hosts Ed Phillips and Lavinia Nixon offer Michael a Nintendo DS Lite with games including Mario Kart DS, WarioWare: Touched! and more. Michael rejected the offer and decided to play on.

That's So Weird!

In one of the vampire sketches, Count Edwardo The 3rd mentions that the girl next to him is Princess Peach and he is Super Mario.

The Amazing Race

During the show's ninth season, during the episode I Think This Monkey Likes Me, BJ & Tyler, one of the teams, says that the race "is on like Donkey Kong".

The Amazing Race en Discovery Channel (series)

Mauricio (Mexico Team) with a Nintendo DSi. Seen in the details, is a gameplay of Mario Kart DS racing as Mario.

During a commercial of the second season of The Amazing Race Latin America, one of the teams (Edison Father & Edison Son, from Mexico) were seen playing with a Nintendo DS. Also during the first part of leg 12, over from La Paz, Bolivia to Guayaquil, Ecuador, on the plane appears Mauricio (Mexico) playing Mario Kart DS on a DSi.

Also, before the race, all the participants competed in the challenge "Wii Launch", in which all competed in a game of Wii Sports Resort (the winners were, likewise, Carlos & Mauricio). One of the sponsors of this season (as well as the first) is Nintendo.

The Apprentice (UK)

• In the ninth episode of series 11, Lord Sugar asks one of the candidates whether when they were asked to change their attire if they had done so, or if they had remained as "a plum with a mustache, like Super Mario."
• In the ninth episode of Series 12, when Lord Sugar criticized Sofiane Khelfa's lack of originality, he said "If it was up to you, Super Mario would've been called 'fat plumber'."
• In Gaming, when defending the simplicity of her game's design, Brittany Carter says it is like Mario Brothers.

The Apprentice: You're Fired!

In the fifth episode of series 14, host Rhod Gilbert compares an outfit that Sabrina Stocker was wearing to Super Mario.

The Big Bang Theory

A two-player Mario Kart Wii race at Mario Circuit during the episode "The Gorilla Experiment."

• In "The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation", Howard sits down at the lunch table with a new mustache. He says he calls it "the Clooney", while Raj replies "I call it the Mario and Luigi, but whatever."
• In "The Codpiece Topology", Sheldon's mother Mary sends him his Nintendo 64 along with Super Mario 64. He is later seen playing it on his laptop, using a "poorly coded Nintendo 64 emulator." He even says "Hop, you little plumber. Hop, hop, hop!" and "Everybody has a date. Even you, Mario, going after Princess Peach. And what am I doing? I'm just enabling you."
• In "The Gorilla Experiment", Raj and Sheldon are playing Mario Kart Wii with the Wii Wheel. Raj is shown playing with Yoshi in the Standard Kart M and Sheldon playing as Mario on the Standard Bike M in Mario Circuit. Raj wins and says to Sheldon, "Face it, dude, whether it's a real car or a virtual cartoon car, you can't drive." Sheldon says it was only because he hit a tree, and Raj adds, "And a cow and a penguin" (hinting that they were also racing on Moo Moo Meadows and N64 Sherbet Land). Raj tells him he really needs some cheat codes, motor skills, and a genie who grants wishes to little boys who suck at Mario Kart.
• In "The Bozeman Reaction", Leonard's and Sheldon's apartment is robbed, with several consoles and games mentioned as being stolen, including Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. When writing in a journal in bed, Sheldon also mentions, in his thoughts, that "outside, evil lurks, probably playing Donkey Kong on my classic Nintendo."
• In "The Staircase Implementation," Raj, Howard, and Leonard are seen playing a Nintendo GameCube game on the couch. The music and sounds emitted from the TV tell that they are playing Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, more specifically Waluigi Stadium or Wario Colosseum.
• In "The Shiny Trinket Maneuver," Howard, Raj, and Leonard are, in one scene, playing Donkey Kong Jenga. During this scene, Howard is talking to Raj and Leonard about him and Bernadette possibly not having children and states that "even Donkey Kong had Donkey Kong Jr." He also mused about how Donkey Kong would have taught his son how to "kidnap princesses and throw barrels at Italian plumbers", but this is actually an erroneous observation as Donkey Kong's damsel-in-distress, Pauline, was not a princess.
• In "The Launch Acceleration", during Amy and Sheldon's date at her house, part of Amy's attempt to make him love her more includes playing the Super Mario Bros. ground theme as "romantic music." Almost immediately after, Sheldon admits that playing the game was the happiest 600 hours of his childhood.
• In "The Itchy Brain Simulation", Leonard attempts to return a long-overdue copy of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie.
• In "The Indecision Amalgamation", when Sheldon and Amy are at Best Buy contemplating whether to buy a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, several advertisements for Super Mario games can be seen in the background. These are Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Super Mario 3D World, Mario Party: Island Tour, Mario Kart 8 and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.
• In "The Misinterpretation Agitation", during the scene when Dr. Lorvis invites Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj to see his collection of various types of memorabilia, arcade cabinets of Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. can be seen among them. Leonard is later seen playing Donkey Kong at the end of the episode.
• In "The Long Distance Dissonance", as Sheldon walks Ramona down the stairway to her car, the rest of the group follows them, passing each other along the way. Once they all reach the exit, Sheldon runs ahead of the group to get the door and remarks, "That was fun. It's like Mario Kart."
• In "The Celebration Reverberation", Penny comes from her room to see Leonard staring at a board of their accomplishments he made the previous day. At one point, he says he got bored and tried to beat his high score on Mario Kart, to which he says that he failed.

The Big Fat Quiz of the Year

In the Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2012, in answer to the question "What game was Prince Harry playing, in which he was caught naked?", Richard Ayoade answered, Donkey Kong.

The Chase

• In series 6 episode 71, one of the questions a contestant was asked was "In the Nintendo video game series, who is Luigi's brother?". The contestant correctly answered Mario.
• In series 8 episode 53, during the cash builder round the contestant was asked "Which video game gorilla appears in the game Tropical Freeze?", and correctly answered Donkey Kong.
• In series 10, episode 44, the contestant was asked The modern slang phrase meaning something is about to happen is "it's on like..." what?, with the possible answers being Donkey Kong, Mario and Lara Croft. The contestant correctly answered Donkey Kong, along with the Chaser.
  • This phrase then became a running joke throughout the episode, with the contestant saying it after the question, then before the Final Chase.
• In series 11 episode 66, host Bradley Walsh asked the contestant a question, "In the Nintendo game 'Luigi's Mansion', what kind of machine is the Poltergust 3000, used by Luigi to capture ghosts?", with the possible answers Electric fan, Leaf Blower and Vacuum Cleaner. The contestant incorrectly answered Leaf Blower, while the Chaser answered correctly.
• In series 11 episode 151, Bradley asked the question "An arrangement of the Russian folk song 'Korobeiniki' became the well-known music for what computer game?", with one of the possible answers being Super Mario Bros., alongside Pac-Man and the correct answer Tetris. The contestant incorrectly guessed Super Mario Bros., noting it had a distinctive theme tune, while the Chaser correctly answered Tetris.
• In series 12 episode 159, one of the questions in the cash builder round was "Rainbow Road appears in which Super Mario racing game?". The contestant correctly answered Mario Kart.
• In series 13 episode 100, during the cash builder round a contestant was asked "What color dungarees does the Nintendo character Mario usually wear?". The contestant correctly answered blue.
• In one of the episodes, Bradley asked the question, "In the Nintendo games featuring Mario, what creature is Yoshi?", with dinosaur, dog and dodo as possible answers. The player correctly guessed dinosaur.
• In one of the episodes, Bradley asked Mark Labett the question Which Japanese company makes the game Super Mario Maker?. Mark correctly answered Nintendo, catching the team with 33 seconds remaining, resulting in them losing the game.

The Chase: Celebrity Special

In series 4, episode 16, during the cash builder round the contestant was asked the question "In the Super Mario video game series, what royal title does the character Daisy hold?", which they incorrectly answered "queen".

The Chase Australia

In an episode aired on January 12, 2017, host Andrew O'Keefe asked the contestant a question, "Which video game allows players to create their own courses and share them online?", with the answers: Super Mario Maker, Donkey Kong Land, and Super Metroid. The contestant answered Super Mario Maker correctly.

The Daily Show

During the January 7th, 2010 episode, Jon Stewart talks about two recently retired Democrats. After he brings up the story, a picture of the Democrats' faces pasted onto Mario and Luigi's artwork from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga appears alongside the caption "Donkey Gone". During a May 4th, 2011 episode, Jon Stewart said "We can only make decisions about war if we see what war actually is and not as a video game where bodies quickly disappear, leaving behind a shiny gold coin," a reference to how enemies drop coins upon defeat in most Super Mario games.

During the November 17th, 2017 episode, senior correspondent Ronny Chieng remarks that "being number one sucks," in reference to how the United States may actually be in a better position after falling behind China during the Trump presidency. He mentions how in Mario Kart, "that asshole blue shell with wings isn't coming for number two." Onscreen, a video plays of a Spiny Shell hitting Mario and Luigi in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.

During the March 8, 2018 episode, host Trevor Noah talks about how Trump met with video game executives to discuss the effect of video games on real-life violence. Trevor plays "exclusive audio" of the meeting, in which Trump believes that Mitch McConnell is a Koopa Troopa. The "jump" sound effect from Super Mario Bros. plays as Trump jumps on McConnell.

In the episode following the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Trevor mockingly calls Senator Ted Cruz the "Wario version of Pee-wee Herman."

While covering US Representative Madison Cawthorn's sexual misconduct allegations, Trevor reflects on Cawthorn's "sexually harassing women while driving like a crazy person". Trevor then comments, "it's like if Mario Kart let you play as Harvey Weinstein." The cover of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe appears onscreen.

In an episode on the United States' aging water infrastructure, Trevor remarks that viewers likely do not think much about pipes unless they "live in Mario world."

In a segment reflecting on the 2022 Robb Elementry School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Noah criticized Uvalde Police's slow response, saying, "They had assault rifles, they had body armor, and ballistic shields. So, I'm sorry, what else were they waiting for - the invincible star from Mario?"

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Donkey Kong on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

To promote the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns, Donkey Kong made a special appearance in a November 2010 episode, scaring Kelly Osbourne. Ellen later gave everyone in the audience a Wii with the game.

The Flash (2014)

In several episodes, Cisco Ramon is seen wearing shirts with Super Mario characters on them. Additionally, in the sixteenth episode of Season 3 called "Into the Speed Force", Harrison "H.R." Wells of Earth Nineteen refers to the Speed Force as the Negative World. Surprised by his remark, Cisco then asks H.R. if there is Super Mario on Earth Nineteen, to which H.R. agrees and jokingly challenges Cisco to.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

In the 1991 episode "Love at First Fight," when Kayla Samuels asks Will if "He had ever memorized too many things at once that his head was going to bust," he responds, "No, but I once got up to the third level of Super Mario Bros., and yo it was hectic up there!"

The Goldbergs

• In the episode "Fonzie Scheme", after Murry comes home from his shopping spree, two boxes of Donkey Kong cereal can be seen on the counter.
• In the episode "I Coulda Been a Lawyer", while Murry is helping Barry with his resume, playing Donkey Kong became "unpaid assistant to a primate physician". Later, Barry describes the game to his interviewer.
• Advertisements for this show and its spinoff Schooled shown on E4 in March 2019 contained a screen reading "After Donkey Kong".
• In the episode "8-Bit Goldbergs", Adam is trying to come up with an idea for making a game, and he points out Donkey Kong playing behind him. He also mentions Mario being a hero and the Hammer power-up.
• In the episode "Lame Gretzky", Murry says "Did you know the Mario brothers aren't real? I thought they were some kids across the street!"

The Healing Powers of Dude

Noah's dad talks about Donkey Kong and wonders if he is related to King Kong.

The Kelly Clarkson Show

In the March 2, 2023 episode, the cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie appears as special guests with Jack Black dressing up as Bowser.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert, playing a younger version of himself during a July 2016 segment

• In a July 2016 segment of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Stephen Colbert travels back in time to the 1990s to retrieve his old jokes during the Bill Clinton presidency, due to President Clinton speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Right before Stephen arrives, a younger version of himself, with a Game Boy, says, "Okay, Mario, it's time to save Peach on my new Game Boy."
• In the April 28, 2017 episode, Stephen talks about Google's Kitty Hawk Flyer, a flying car. He goes on to say that he would "literally do anything to avoid the Lincoln Tunnel." Jon Baptiste, Stephen's bandleader, then plays a part of the Mario underground theme.

Mario meets with Donald Trump during the March 9, 2018 episode

• In the October 7, 2017 episode, the show runs a satirical advertisement for "Supreme Genetics," a DNA test for white supremacists. The ad says that the product can confirm that testers are related to "Wario, the evil Mario."
• In the March 9, 2018 episode, Stephen's animated cold open ("exclusive footage from the video game panel") satirizes President Donald Trump's meeting with top video game executives to discuss the effect of video games on real-life violence. While waiting for Trump to arrive, Mario says that he takes responsibility if kids start throwing turtles, eating magic mushrooms, or using "offensive Italian stereotypes." President Trump arrives, jumping over Mario and heading straight for Princess Peach's dressing room. After Peach asks Trump how he got into the dressing room, Trump loses a life.
• On August 5th, 2019, a similar cold open aired after the 2019 El Paso Shooting and the 2019 Dayton Shooting. Trump loses a life after saying that the Dayton shooting occurred in Toledo (a reference to a comment he made earlier, in which he misidentified the location of the Dayton shooting as Toledo).
• On May 6th, 2020, Colbert questioned if the Cuomo brothers (CNN anchor Chris Cuomo and New York State governor Andrew Cuomo) could be "more Italian" than the Mario brothers.
• On October 10th, 2022, Colbert creates a "Mario-only" sub-segment, "It's-a-mean-a-whil-a". In the segment, Colbert discusses Mario's apparent flat butt on the movie poster of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He compares the poster to a screenshot of Mario from Super Mario Odyssey, where Mario has a larger behind. Colbert also discusses Chris Pratt's vocal performance as Mario.
• On January 30th, 2023, Colbert criticizes Congressman Jim Jordan's remark that no law could have stopped the killing of Tyre Nichols. Colbert likens Jordan's approach to Batman saying, "real mess [in Gotham]... anywho, whaddya gonna do! Guess I'll go the Batcave and play Mario Kart with Robin." A graphic displays the phrase, "Alfred slays on Rainbow Road."

The Mash Report

In an episode broadcast on 7 December, 2018, the host Nish Kumar says that he resembles an "Indian Super Mario" when he grew a mustache.

The Middle

In the episode: "The Scratch"; Brick is hit with a beer bottle by accident. He says he wants to use the new Super Mario Band-Aids.

The Politician

In October Surprise, in the background at an arcade, two people are playing Mario Kart Arcade GP DX.

The Red Green Show

The "Adventures with Bill" segment from the episode where the lodge members attempt at converting their excess grapes into wine features Bill and his comrades trying to fix a roof. During their capers, Bill begins to climb up a ladderway not unlike the girders of Donkey Kong and Dalton ends up knocking several metal canisters down the staircase, resulting in a Donkey Kong parody as Bill climbs to the roof. As he sees this, Red exclaims, "Hey! Super Mario Brothers!"

The Sarah Silverman Program

In one episode, a commercial for a fictitious video game entitled Cookie Party: The Video Game is shown, which features a Super Mario-inspired level.

The Sopranos

Tony and AJ playing Mario Kart 64 on Nintendo 64.

In the fourth episode of the first season, "Meadowlands", Tony Soprano is seen playing Mario Kart 64 with his son, AJ. Tony plays as Luigi while AJ plays as Mario. Tony plays the game while only using the analog stick, and also covers AJ's eyes near the end, causing him to win 4th place over AJ (6th place).

In a later episode, "Down Neck", Carmela grounds AJ by telling him "You are not to play Mario Kart or go skateboarding for three weeks."

The Suite Life on Deck

In the episode, "My, oh Maya," Zack wears a green undershirt and blue overalls, similar to Luigi's typical attire.

The Substitute

In the episode "John Cena", in one of the scenes, a fan-made version of the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie poster was accidentally used instead of the original poster, which featured Bowser and Bowser Jr. The error was later fixed, though the Nickelodeon app still uses the original version of the episode.

The Thundermans

In the episode "Stealing Home," after Mrs. Wong calls Barb "mom jeans", Barb tells Billy and Nora, "O.K., now it's on like Donkey Wong", making Mrs. Wong's name similar to Donkey Kong's.

In the series finale "The Thunder Games," a villain called the Gamer forces the family to act out a game with a plot similar to Super Mario Bros., with each member (except the mother) wearing costumes based on Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Bowser.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Fallon, the Super Mario Bros. Movie cast, and Miyamoto performing the acapalla

• In an Avengers-themed parody of Ed Sheeran's song "Thinking Out Loud", Hawkeye (played by Jeremy Renner) claims that he "kick[s] ass in Mario Kart."
• On December 7, 2016, when Reggie Fils-Aime was invited to showcase the Nintendo Switch on the show, Jimmy played a demo of Super Mario Run, and Shigeru Miyamoto performed the Super Mario Bros. theme on guitar with the Roots.
• Fallon, the Roots, most of the main cast of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and Fred Armisen), Shigeru Miyamoto, and Chris Meledandri performed an acapella medley of the Ground Theme, Underground Theme, and Starman theme from Super Mario Bros. in a video released on March 9, 2023.
• In the October 30, 2023 episode, Fallon and Black Thought play a round of Super Mario Bros. Wonder by hosting a race through Piranha Plants on Parade.

The Voice (Australia)

In the second season's Blind Auditions, coach Joel Madden says "It is on like Donkey Kong" when commenting on Lyric McFarland's performance.

The Weakest Link

• In the Children in Need 2017 Special, Anne Robinson asked the question to Giles: "In video game characters, what is the first name of the younger twin brother of Super Mario?" Giles answered Lorenzo instead of Luigi.
• On the eighth episode of the first series of the reboot, Romesh Ranganathan asked: "In video games, which character who was initially called Jumpman has a brother called Luigi and is typically depicted wearing overall and a red hat?" Contestant Dianne Buswell incorrectly answered: "Super Nintendo."

The Wiggles

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is seen on the TV screen

During a commercial promotion for the Starlight Children's Foundation Video Month with the actors from the children's musical group, The Wiggles, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is seen being played on the television.

This Hour Has 22 Minutes

In a January 29, 2012 sketch, Mario and Luigi are interviewed about their reaction to Atari's bankruptcy. The Bros. talk about how the entire community is upset about the development, with Pac-Man swallowing a bottle of pills, Frogger throwing himself in front of traffic and the Pitfall! guy falling into a pit. When asked if Donkey Kong crushed himself with a barrel over the news, they tell the anchor he had actually became hooked on Oxycontin. Mario postulates that the reason for Atari's misfortune was that modern audiences only want violent games, and a distressed Luigi says "old fashioned" guys like them are in trouble, repeatedly punching a question block and asking "Why? Why? Why?" until his brother snaps him out of it. Mario says they can just go back to fixing toilets if the game business doesn't work out, but Luigi states that he doesn't want to go back to fixing toilets, as his hands are too delicate. Mario huffs about Luigi fancying himself "too good for fixing toilets anymore" and asks why his hands are delicate anyway. Luigi then says he uses them to caress the princess. Mario becomes enraged about Luigi "sleeping with [his] princess" and threatens to hurl a fireball in his face, punning that "this is Wario".

In a March 25, 2014 sketch, a fake video game called the "Super Ford Bros." was shown, referencing Toronto's notorious Mayor Rob Ford and his brother Doug Ford. Super Mario sound effects were used, and the music playing when Doug comes on screen to revive his brother is very reminiscent of the invincibility theme. A sequel was later created, and the original was included as one of the best sketches of 2014 in the year-end special.

This Is Us

In the episode "Brothers", when Jack, Kevin, and Randall are in the car ready to leave on a camping trip, Kevin tries to bring his Game Boy, but Jack takes it saying "There's no Mario in the wild."

This Morning

• On the November 4, 2020 broadcast of this British daytime programme, both LEGO Super Mario and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit are shown off as part of a segment featuring other sort-after toys for the Christmas season.
• A Christmas 2022 episode featured the LEGO Super Mario "The Mighty Bowser" set.
• On the March 2, 2023 episode, presenter Alison Hammond visits the Hollywood Instalment of Super Nintendo World. Hammond also showcases a brief retrospective on the franchise. Throughout the segment, various sound effects from Super Mario Bros. play.

Today

On the September 10, 2015 broadcast, the hosts of the show play Super Mario Maker in honor of the game's release.

Todo de Todo

The end credits from the first season features a cartoon parody of an underwater level from Super Mario Bros., while the song is a parody of the ground theme from the same game.

Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters

In some episodes, the Go-Busters use the Lio Blaster to attack. Before unleashing their finishing strike, the Lio Blaster will announce "It's time for Buster!" or "It's time for Final Buster!" in order to charge and while it does, the countdown sound effect can be heard just like in the Mario Kart series. When the blaster is fully charged, the rangers pull the trigger on the green light to finish the attack.

Toon In with Me

In the episode "Video Game Fever!", Donkey Kong and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! were shown.

Tosh.0

Daniel Tosh as Mario running through World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros.

In a Season 2 episode called "Prom Girl," Daniel Tosh shows a video of an individual unsuccessfully attempting to recreate a Super Mario level involving jumping over obstacles by stacking up multiple plastic containers, and then jumping from one to another. He responds to the video by asking "How do you die on the first level of Super Mario Brothers?" and saying that all you have to do is "...get the flag and get in the...castle." He then claims that he "could do that level in my sleep." Following this, a brief video shows Tosh dressed up as Mario, running through World 1-1 of Super Mario Bros. After collecting a Mega Mushroom, jumping into a Warp Pipe and collecting some coins, he successfully makes it through the level and grabs the Goal Pole at the end, then runs into the door of the Castle.

"Donkey Kong" helping the two girls practice their hurdle jumping.

In a Season 3 episode called "Hurdle Fail Girls," Daniel interviews two girls who appeared in an online video falling multiple times while attempting to jump hurdles. During the "Web Redemption" later in the episode, he introduces them to "celebrity trainer Donkey Kong" (who is really just a man dressed up in a gorilla suit) who, as Daniel puts it, is going to help them with their hurdling. "Donkey Kong" does this by rolling many barrels at the two girls, who must attempt to jump over them, armed with nothing more than an "oversized mallet" that Daniel had given them to hold. While they are jumping, music and sound effects from Donkey Kong play in the background, and words appear on the screen, giving them 100 points for each barrel they successfully jump. At the end, the words "YOU WIN!!!" flash on the screen.

At the beginning of a Season 4 episode called "Juggalo Kid," Daniel mentions Princess Peach and Mario Kart.

Turkey Drop

Lucy tells Leo not run into their mom Nancy and the cheese man Jerry "like a Mario Kart game".

TV's TV

The 46th "episode" of this Japanese late-night broadcast is gameplay footage of Super Mario Bros.. The player is shown going through World 1-1, and later dying to Fake Bowser in World 5-4. A split second of the footage can also be seen in the 100th and final "episode".

Two and a Half Men

In the episode "People Who Love Peepholes", a Donkey Kong arcade machine is seen in Walden's house. Later, as they are about to leave, Walden asks Bridget if he can play a little Donkey Kong with Alan before they go.

In the episode "Weekend in Bangkok With Two Olympic Gymnasts", Charlie takes Jake to the video store to rent the then-new Final Fantasy game. In some scenes in the video store, one can see Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Mario Power Tennis for the Nintendo GameCube in the background.

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps

In one episode, Gaz is seen trying to help his brother Munch know what is real and what is not real, at one point, Munch says "Not even the Super Mario Brothers?" and Gaz replies "Well okay, that's real!"

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

In the episode "Kimmy Sees a Sunset", Kimberly asks Andrea if Mario's last name is Mario as well since Mario and Luigi are known as the "Mario Brothers".

Uploaded

Throughout this TV series, Mario has been occasionally mentioned, sometimes shown.

VH1 Commercials

• In one commercial for VH1 Latin America, the VH1 logo can be seen on a Donkey Kong stage jumping barrels.
• In another commercial, Mario appears jumping a Piranha Plant coming out of a Warp Pipe while spinning on a phonograph.

Victorious

Donkey Kong's 25m on Robbie's shirt.

In the episode "Stage Fighting", Robbie wears a shirt with the 25m level design from Donkey Kong. It reads "My game is classic".

White Collar

In the season 2 episode, "Need to Know", Neal Caffrey makes fun of a photo of Peter Burke with a mustache, claiming he looked like Mario and even mimicking the plumber's jump and voice.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (United Kingdom)

In series 31 episode 3, host Jeremy Clarkson asked Chris Best the following: "In the 'Super Mario Bros' game franchise, what is the name of Mario's brother?". The possible answers were Leonardo, Lorenzo, Luigi, and Larry. Chris Best correctly answered Luigi.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (United States)

In one episode, host Meredith Vieira asked the contestant the following: "In the video game "Donkey Kong", the hero now known as Mario was originally called what?" The possible answers were Climbman, Runman, Jumpman, and Smashman. The contestant correctly answered Jumpman.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Australia)

In one episode, host Eddie McGuire asked the contestant the following: "Which series of games feature the bad guy Bowser?". The possible answers were Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, Pokémon, and Pac-Man. The contestant incorrectly answered Sonic the Hedgehog.

In a later episode, another contestant was asked, "How many brothers make up Nintendo's 'Mario Bros'?" The possible answers were 2, 3, 4, and 5. The contestant correctly answered 2.

Millionaire Hot Seat (Australia)

In 2014 season episode 36, host Eddie McGuire asked Sera Blair the following: "In Nintendo's classic Mario Bros. game series, what is Mario's occupation?" The possible answers were Plumber, Gondolier, Greengrocer, and Pilot. Sera Blair correctly answered Plumber.

In 2015 season episode 11, host Eddie McGuire asked Stewart Hendrie and Aisling O'Connor the following: "Which series of video games features a hero called Link?" The possible answers were Prince of Persia, The Legend of Zelda, Street Fighter, and Super Mario Brothers. Stewart Hendrie passed the question and Aisling O'Connor incorrectly answered Street Fighter.

Wer wird Millionär? (Germany)

In series 21 episode 17, host Günther Jauch asked the contestant a question to which the possible answers were Super Mario Kart, Angry Birds, Minecraft, and League of Legends. The contestant correctly answered Minecraft.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

In one of the games, Wayne Brady had to make up a song based on a random person's profession. A video game reviewer from The Daily Radar was chosen. Both Mario and Donkey Kong were mentioned.

Winter Wipeout

In the second episode of Winter Wipeout, a contestant made it halfway through the course before being faced with an obstacle called the "Yule Log Jam." Before taking on this obstacle, she remarked: "This looks like Super Mario Bros."

World Of Dance

In the second season of World Of Dance, namely episode 11, "The Duels Part 3", hip hop dance crew Funkywunks' dance routine involved one of the members briefly jumping up with his fist upwards, referencing Mario's famous jumping animation. When being judged, Derek Hough said that, "he liked the moment where one of the members jumped up Super Mario style." Hip hop dance group Electrobotz performed a routine to the remix of "Push Me To The Edge".

WWE Raw

On the Halloween 2011 broadcast, The Bella Twins dressed as female versions of the Mario Bros. while also holding a Princess Peach plush.

WWE Superstars

One broadcast of the 2010 reboot featured one of the crowd members holding a sign for wrestler Yoshi Tatsu that depicted the Super Mario character Yoshi.

Young Rock

In the season 3 episode "On the Ropes", when Dwayne Johnson mentions that he wanted to buy a Nintendo console as a child, Randall Park says: "Mario Bros.?"

Young Sheldon

At the end of the episode "An 8-Bit Princess and a Flat Tire Genius", one of the video game experiences the adult Sheldon shares via narration is battling "a dinosaur in a go-kart", referencing Yoshi in the Mario Kart series.

Younger

In an episode of season 1, Liza Miller goes to a bar that holds a trivia game, with one of the questions asking which Mario Kart game featured King Boo and Petey Piranha as partners together. One of the patrons in the bar correctly answers Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

You're Skitting Me

Agent Tracy Murray (played by Cosmo Renfree) tells Mario (Hayden McKertish) and Luigi (Rowan Hills) that they need to get a new look.

Luigi holding a razor blade and telling Mario to shave off his mustache.

Throughout many episodes of the Australian sketch comedy You're Skitting Me, Mario and Luigi can be seen having many comical disputes over various situations. The Bros. (Hayden McKertish as Mario and Rowan Hills as Luigi) own a plumbing company. During parts of the skit, 8-bit music similar to the Super Mario Bros. 3 overworld theme can be heard in the background.

In one episode, Mario and Luigi's agent Tracy Murray (played by Cosmo Renfree) says that after thirty years, the Mario Bros. are losing their touch. The "phones aren't ringing anymore" in the plumbing company, and Tracey says that the whole plumbing thing in a complete waste of their talent. He suggests that they need a new look in order to "get with the times" and to "get back into the game". Luigi is all for the idea, saying that it could be their big chance. But Mario is unsure, as he thinks their plumbing career is going well enough. Luigi suddenly gets mad at Mario, saying that he "wants to smash his head on to a Brick", and he's "not even looking for a Power-Up". Mario finally gives in, and says that it is worth giving a go. Agent Tracey then says that he'll get some fashion consultants in and bring in some stylists to do something with their hair. But first and foremost, he wants to get rid of their "ridiculous mustaches". He brings out some razor blades and places them on the desk. Mario, crossing his arms and shaking his head, is strongly against the idea. But Luigi says that they have to if they want to get with the times. Mario still refuses, and this leads Luigi into picking up the razor blade off the desk, and pointing it towards Mario's face. He says softy but firmly, "You shave your mustache". Mario then replies with "I no shave my mustache!". The dispute between them goes on for another few minutes, and agent Tracey tells them to stop arguing.

The next scene of the episode interviews the actors of the show and asks for their opinions of the last skit. They discuss whether Mario should shave his mustache or not. Some of the opinions given by the actors are "it's the only thing keeping him going" (Molly Daniels), "what is Mario without the mustache?" (Cosmo Renfree), "it's the reason I like him" (Jake Fehily) and "I think the mustache should shave off Mario" (Cosmo Renfree).