[[quoteright:350:[[Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/and-now-for-something-completely-different_2729.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"And now for [[TropeNamers something completely different."]]]]

An episode which departs dramatically from the show's general formula. Events are played out from the point of view of the family pet, or are presented completely out of order, or it's an A&E biography of one of the characters, etc. May feature a SpecialEditionTitle. Favored by ''Series/{{Mash}}'' in its later seasons.

The TropeNamer is ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'', where sketches opened with the famous {{Catchphrase}}, "And now for something completely different." A rather fitting trope namer, considering that something completely different happened in every episode and it had no general formula.

By definition, a BackDoorPilot is a subtrope of Something Completely Different.

Some flavors of this:
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment
* BizarroEpisode
* CreatorsOddball
* CryptidEpisode
* ADayInTheLimelight
* DocumentaryEpisode
* {{Elseworld}}
* FairyTaleEpisode
* GroundhogDayLoop
* LimelightSeries
* LowerDeckEpisode
* MusicalEpisode
* NoirEpisode
* OutOfGenreExperience
* ParanormalEpisode
* ParodyEpisode
* PoorlyDisguisedPilot
* RashomonStyle
* RealWorldEpisode
* StorybookEpisode
* SuperheroEpisode
* TrappedInTVLand
* VerySpecialEpisode
* VignetteEpisode
* VillainEpisode
* VisionsOfAnotherSelf

...And genre pages for the broader examples:

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/{{Anime}}
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/ComicBooks
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/{{Film}}
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/{{Literature}}
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/LiveActionTV
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/{{Magazines}}
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/{{Music}}
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/NewMedia
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/{{Theater}}
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/VideoGames
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/{{Webcomics}}
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/WebOriginal
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent/WesternAnimation
And now for something completely different: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVq7w2j-6iw Two Irish puppets singing Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" in the style of Elvis.]]