Cliché

Cliché 

Refers to elements within a story plot, setting, or characterization that are so common and overused as to become trite and stereotypical. Clichés can be annoying when encountered too often, but the important thing to remember is that they became clichés for a reason -- people like them! A new twist on an old cliché is almost always a guaranteed success. Closely related to the concept of Tropes.