I really like the literary device that all stories exist in the same universe, no matter how insane or ridiculous, or how many elements of plot, narrative, decoration, or even how untenable the continuity needs to be. If every story, regardless of narrative, genre, author, style, time period, or place, are all interconnected, then in theory characters can appear in any other story, encounter objects, fragments, plots devices, et cetera, from other stories, and cross over everywhere.
This is why I think that Star Wars with Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin is a First Doctor story, because Peter Cushing played Doctor Who in the movies; why Red Dwarf is also in that universe as the Tardis is parked on the outside of Red Dwarf in the opening titles; and why Star Trek is also is also in that universe as various iterations of Captains of the Enterprise have met the Doctor in comics. The Thick of It is a Twelfth Doctor story. Broadchurch is a Thirteenth Doctor story. Withnail and I is an Eighth Doctor story. On that note, Red Dwarf is doubly in that universe as Brian Williams and Father Brown are actually just what happened to Petersen.
The Pixar theory also makes use of this same concept; which is why Dinoco frequently appears across various films, and is the explanation of how we get from sentient toys in Toy Story, to the world being trashed by the time that Wall-E happens; to the homunculus explanation of what is actually going on inside the cars of Cars.
Most recently I was alerted to the fact that Eiichiro Oda was inspired by the 1974 series Vicki The Viking, to write One Piece. There are even hints to this in One Piece on several occasions where Vicki, Halvar, Faxe, Gorm, Ylvie, and Tjure, have all appeared. That sent me down yet another trail of investigation and I ended up here:
On the left is Vicki The Viking. Vicki The Viking is the titular protagonist of the 1974 German/Japanese anime series which bears his name. On the right is Mr Benn. Mr Benn the titular protagonist of the 1972 British series. Side by side, these two shows look like they could be connected because of the same kind of claire ligne art style but that doesn't do very much by way of explanation. If we are going to get the grand theory of literature that all stories exist in the same universe, no matter how insane or ridiculous, then we're going to have to work harder to find the connection.
As if by magic... the shopkeeper appeared. I've got it! I've found the solution!
We are perpetually unsure of how old Vicki The Viking is. We know that he is at least ten because that is his stated age in the very first episode but beyond that, weeks, months, and maybe years pass in the show. In that time frame, the crew of seemingly the village of Flak's only ship, sails to: Denmark, Greece, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, England, Greenland, Iceland, America, and Alaska. At least canonically, this one ship has travelled far and wide across the Baltic, North, and Mediterranean Seas, and across the Atlantic Ocean. Even now, that's a very long distance to travel and is worthy of its own saga. Take careful note of the fact that they have been to England.
I would like to posit that at some point, Vicki marries Ylvie. It is straight up stated by Ylvie that she wants to grow up and marry Vicki at least three times in the series. That's fine. By the end of the 78th episode, there is still plenty of time for that to happen in their future.
We also know that the Viking invasions of Britain, happened in several waves from about 850 up until just before the Norman invasion and conquest in 1066 (which is the only date in English history that anyone can remember). And since it is never stated exactly when Vicki The Viking is set, then this gives us a two hundred year window. I would like to suggest that Vicki The Viking is set in 972 because that means that the 1974 German/Japanese anime series is set a thousand years ago.
Since Mr Benn is set in 1972 because we have to assume that it is contemporary of the day, then we have just found out connection. At fifteen years per generation, then this means that Mr Benn is the Great 62x Grandson of Vicki and Ylvie.
In the very first episode of Mr Benn, we learn that he has been invited to a fancy-dress party but does not like parties. Having exhausted the normal shops, he stumbles into the costume shop, puts on the costume of the Red Knight, is whisked away to have an adventure which involves defeating a dragon; and then decides that he does not want to go to the fancy-dress party after all. He does promise to return to the costume shop to try on other costumes and have other adventures.
The fact that Mr Benn does not like parties but still wants to go on adventures, parallels nicely with Vicki who is a very strict pacifist and does not like fighting but still wants to go on adventures. If Mr Benn is the Great 62x Grandson of Vicki and Ylvie, then we have a very nice explanation for Mr Benn's latent adventure seeking desire.
Mr Benn as the thousand year descendent of Vikings, which even though he likely works in The City at a bank (he does wear a bowler hat), still retains a very small spark of that adventuring spirit that wants to come out.
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