The big game. Depending on what kind of sports fan you are, the competition itself may not be what you’re most excited about. There are some who thrive in the very anticipation and buildup over the weeks prior to the game. There are others who cannot wait to get their initials written inside those little grid office-pool Super Bowl boxes, hoping to make a few bucks from the scores at the end of each quarter. Oh, and you can’t leave out those people who are tuning in simply because they want to see those commercials that almost always feature a controversial celebrity ad or a highly anticipated movie trailer.

However, for the past few decades, the Super Bowl has been the lead-in to some of the most highly anticipated TV show episodes ever. Whether it’s a series premiere, finale, or just a stand-alone chapter of a highly popular series, fans know that whatever flips over from that final Super Bowl celebration shot is going to be something special.

Let’s take a look back at some of the best TV episodes that were featured directly after the Super Bowl.

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7. The Simpsons "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" (Season 16, Episode 8)

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Image via FOX

Already a decade and a half on the air by the mid-2000s, The Simpsons had already ingrained themselves into America‘s DNA. In fact, it’s pretty surprising that at this point, The Simpsons only had one post-Super Bowl episode prior to 2005. The second go-around, however, premiering after Super Bowl XXXIX, was much more anticipated and enjoyed.

Paired up with the series premiere of American Dad, this episode found Homer publicly humiliated when Ned Flanders records a victory dance of his while celebrating a carnival-game win. Naturally, with the sudden popularity of his broadcasted boogying skills, Homer is asked to choreograph the Super Bowl halftime show. With guest appearances by Tom Brady, Michelle Kwan, Yao Ming, Warren Sapp, and LeBron James, along with learning Comic Book Guy‘s real name (which is Jeff Albertson), this second Super Bowl Simpsons episode definitely out-witted its predecessor.

6. Undercover Boss "Waste Management" (Season 1, Episode 1)

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Image via CBS

Picture it. Super Bowl Sunday; the food came out great, everyone had a great time, the game was exciting, and your team was victorious. Now that the Lombardi trophy is out, it’s time to kick back and relax with the first episode of a brand-new show. However, much to your dismay, the show evokes a new fear inside you. The fear is simple; tomorrow is Monday, and now anyone you work with may actually be the owner of the company, looking to weed out all of his/her businesses’ bad seeds. That’s what the average worker experienced after Super Bowl XLIV, when they watched the first-ever episode of Undercover Boss.

For those who haven’t seen this reality show that is currently in its 11th season, owners of large businesses pretend to be brand new, bottom-level employees, in order to go undercover and see how the company actually works from within. In this first ever episode, president and CEO Lawrence O’Donnell, of Waste Management, gets right in the thick of it, collecting garbage and scrubbing porta-potties amongst his employees. Plenty of cringe worthy “don’t say that it’s the boss!“ moments highlight this foundational episode that left fans wondering who really is in the workstation next to them.

5. The X Files "Leonard Betts" (Season 4, Episode 12)

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Image via FOX

By the time the Super Bowl rolled around, the ongoing debate of whether we’re alone in the universe was hitting a fictional-renaissance period of its own. With The X-Files now in its fourth season, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) were now neck-deep in paranormal investigations of otherworldly beings visiting Earth. Being the most watched episode of the entire series, Fox rolled out this installment directly after the big game, giving fans a reason to stay glued to the TV.

The episode focuses on the character Leonard Betts, who is killed at the beginning in a bad truck accident. But Betts isn’t leaving this world too easily as this EMT paramedic’s dead decapitated body is seen leaving the morgue on its own. The duo's investigation reveals that Betts had an incredible ability to detect cancer in other people. In fact, Betts, with a newly-grown head, needs to consume tumors to survive. As shocking and grotesque as the plot of this episode was, fans were more blindsided by the fact that Scully possessed something Betts needs: in turn revealing to fans that she has cancer.

4. Friends "The One After The Super Bowl" (Season 2, Episode 12 & 13)

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image via NBC

By Season 2, Friends was already becoming a smash hit. Rivaling Seinfeld as Prime Time’s must-watch sitcom, NBC made the no-brainer decision to air a special double episode after Super Bowl XXX. And boy, what a decision! Almost half of America watched what is now the most viewed Friends episode ever. The double episode features Joey being stalked by a fan of his, Erika, (Brooke Shields), who thinks Joey is really the very character he plays on Days of Our Lives.

Meanwhile, after Ross decides to visit his old pet Marcel at the San Diego Zoo, it is revealed to him that the monkey has been kidnapped and is now being forced to act in a movie back in New York. As the double episode continues, Super Bowl-weary fans were energized to see a special appearance by Julia Roberts, who plays a production assistant named Susie on the very movie Ross’ monkey is being forced to perform in. Susie subsequently plots revenge on Chandler, who pulled up her skirt back in high school in front of the whole class. Fans got to end the night enjoying Chandler stuck at a restaurant in Susie’s panties.

3. The Office "Stress Relief" (Season 5, Episode 14 & 15)

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Image via HBC

In Season 5, The Office was just about everyone’s favorite show in America. An incredible 23 million people tuned into the double episode following Super Bowl XLIII. The episode was fittingly entitled “Stress Relief,” with plenty of viewers feeling that now that the big game was finally over, it was time to join Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) place of business.

In this episode, split into two parts, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) puts his colleagues through a safety fire exercise, essentially putting them in mortal danger. The shock of the situation causes Stanley (Leslie David Baker) to suffer a heart attack, albeit a mild one. Michael believes he is the cause of the office stress and decides he needs to fix the issue. Then we have the now infamous “comedy roast in the warehouse” scene. Of course, Michael ends up being annoyed and upset by all the employees’ roast-jabs at him. The episode itself features a phony film starring Jack Black, Jessica Alba, and Cloris Leachman.

2. Survivor “Stranded” (Season 2, Episode 1)

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Image via CBS

The battle didn’t end when the Lombardi was hoisted after Super Bowl XXXV. In fact, almost 44 million people tuned in to watch a whole new battle of its own, with ref Jeff Probst. The phenomenon that was the first season of the reality show Survivor, set a precedent for reality competition shows from then on. Over-advertising created a fever pitch anticipation level with fans gearing up for an outback-clash.

The premiere of Season Two, unlike the tropical surroundings of its predecessor, was set in the dry Australian outback. Like all the seasons to come after it, this first episode introduced all the players and gave an overview of what was to come. The game itself kicked off with a brutal five-mile hike ending at two different camps. Right off the bat, we had an illness, issues with starting a fire, and first-time challenges. With one contestant still feeling sick, Deb was sent home in time to see Super Bowl highlights.

1. The Wonder Years “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1)

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image via ABC

Taking a risk, ABC decided to air the very first episode of The Wonder Years after Super Bowl XXII. The gamble paid off, despite it being a show that no one's seen before, viewers not only tuned into the pilot episode, but it was an immediate smash hit. The clash of the top two football teams smoothly transitioned into the story of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), his best friend Paul (Josh Saviano), and Winnie (Danica McKellar), who are just entering junior high school at the end of the summer of 1968.

With the ongoing tension of the Vietnam War going on during this time period, Kevin and friends are battling their own adversary: puberty. At home, both parents and children were able to relate to this first episode of this fantastic series with the same awkward, yet timeless junior high moments. This sweet and feel-good episode took an emotional turn when word came that Winnie’s brother had been killed in Vietnam. Of course, that tragedy leads beautifully into one of TV’s most famous first kisses.