Every FOX Easter egg in New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam hides plenty of visual jokes in plain sight. Some concern medicine, New York or the characters’ troubled personal lives, while others point towards programmes broadcast by FOX. Counting every Easter egg referencing another FOX show requires more than spotting familiar faces; deliberate references can appear through props, costumes, background television, music and throwaway dialogue.
The range stretches from animated favourites to medical dramas and action series. The Simpsons, Family Guy, 24, The X-Files, Bones, 9-1-1 and The Resident all leave traces of varying sizes, encouraging attentive viewers to pause and examine the frame again.
For Australian viewers, these discoveries can be tricky because imported American programmes often arrive through Prime Video, catch-up platforms or condensed schedules rather than a regular nightly FOX slot. The Simpsons has also had an unusually long Australian life, appearing on SBS and Network Ten, so its presence in New Amsterdam feels particularly recognisable.
New Amsterdam: Forever is an independent fan site and is not affiliated with FOX or the show’s cast and crew. The references discussed here come from the finished episodes, with ordinary hospital equipment excluded unless it forms an unmistakable link to another FOX programme.
What counts as a FOX Easter egg
A meaningful Easter egg should point to something specific. A yellow object is not automatically a Simpsons reference, and a skeleton in a medical drama does not prove that Bones is being invoked. The stronger examples involve a recognisable logo, title, catchphrase, character silhouette or carefully reproduced piece of design.
Several references work like miniature visual puns. A red countdown display can suggest 24, while a red X attached to a case or file may recall The X-Files. Such details are more convincing when other clues support them, particularly in a wide shot that briefly reveals an entire apartment or hospital office.
Identifying familiar performers also requires care. Before assuming that a guest appearance is a deliberate crossover, check the cast list and consider whether the person has a speaking role, a specific connection to the patient or merely a fleeting background presence.
Animated shows leave fingerprints
The Simpsons is the easiest animated reference to overlook because Springfield yellow is also part of the hospital’s visual palette. A unmistakable character silhouette, family-shaped graphic or recognisable joke provides the confirming detail. Family Guy follows a similar route through cutaway-style artwork or merchandise placed where a character can plausibly have bought it.
The animated trail also includes Bob’s Burgers and American Dad, particularly through posters, novelty items and background screens. Their appearances are small enough to reward frame-by-frame viewing without interrupting the medical story. These references often land in staff rooms, apartments and hospital corridors, where a television or piece of décor remains visible during wider conversations.
Food props can complete the joke or draw attention to another familiar face, as explored in the role of food. Australian families also understand the Easter-egg tradition literally, whether through backyard hunts, community events, Woolworths’ Easter Bilbies campaign or the hollow chocolate eggs sold by Coles.
Older dramas hide in plain sight
Among the live-action references, 24 is identifiable through its red digital timer and urgent countdown imagery. The X-Files uses a different visual language: government folders, a prominent X, the phrase “I Want to Believe” or a reaction suggesting that truth has been obscured. Prison Break references tend to rely on orange clothing, escape plans and institutional imagery.
Bones is especially natural within a medical setting, although a skeleton model alone is not conclusive. A forensic pun, a reference to Temperance Brennan or a deliberately arranged laboratory display supplies the context. Glee connections often arrive through musical notation, performance imagery or a line of dialogue that borrows the energy of a rehearsal-room joke.
Lie to Me adds another possible layer through microexpressions, concealed motives and observations about body language. These references tend to be less obvious than a poster, but they can be just as deliberate when a character notices a discrepancy that everyone else has accepted. The Fox lineage also makes 24 and The X-Files natural companions for viewers who grew up with FOX’s identity dramas.
Medical shows sharpen the clues
The clearest medical connection comes from 9-1-1, whose Los Angeles firefighters and paramedics offer a direct comparison with New Amsterdam’s emergency medicine. Insignia, rescue equipment, dispatch terminology and references to first-response work can all signal the programme, particularly when a scene emphasises the difference between hospital treatment and work performed before arrival.
The Resident requires finer contextual clues because it concerns another hospital, just as New Amsterdam does. References can come through Atlanta terminology, the Chastaine Park setting or language associated with doctors such as Conrad Hawkins. The connection is about shared medical subject matter rather than the shows sharing actors or sets.
For Australian viewers, both programmes can prompt comparisons with public emergency and hospital systems without losing the original dialogue. Even a simple coffee order can add local flavour: Melbourne’s flat white and Sydney’s long black feel natural on screen, while hospital vending machines and staff-room drinks provide familiar visual territory. For background notes beyond the episodes, the FSN archive can assist with checking chronology and recurring details.
Following references scene by scene
Most FOX Easter eggs sit in environments with enough visual repetition to reward a second viewing. Dr Goodwin’s office, hospital corridors, staff break areas, patient rooms and characters’ apartments all receive regular establishing shots. Background televisions and shelves can change the meaning of an entire scene after the dialogue has finished.
Downloads also help when an episode contains several rapid references. The episode downloads section makes it easier to revisit a sequence, pause on the relevant frame and check whether the clue came from dialogue, wardrobe or scenery. Comparing a full-screen view with the original broadcast avoids mistaking compression artefacts for hidden artwork.
A useful method is to record the episode, approximate timestamp, screen direction and the FOX programme being suggested. A confident entry should identify the visible evidence rather than merely naming the show. Screenshots can then distinguish a deliberate Easter egg from a resemblance created by ordinary medical décor.
Join the hunt
Start with an episode, choose one FOX title and inspect the setting before pressing play. Look beyond the centre of the frame, check background monitors and notice how music, jokes and costume details reinforce one another. Repeated references often reward the rewatch more than a first viewing.
Share timestamped discoveries, screenshots and alternative interpretations in the fan forum or chat area. Every careful observation adds another piece to the collective record and keeps the hunt growing.