Sitcom cliches you're sick of.

[Chocoholic]

We have a thread for favorite sitcom cliches. Now, let's discuss the ones we're sick of.

Personally, I'm tired of the whole lazy slob husband/father character. To me, it's just as bad as the ditzy housewife of the 50's. Homer Simpson is funny to me, but Ray Barone, Tim Taylor, and their ilk are not.

I'm also tired of the whole "smart kids are weird and/or ugly" cliche. It sends the wrong message to children that in order to be popular, you must be dumb and that there is somethring wrong with being intelligent and wanting to succeed in life.

[Goldilocks]

Even though it's not or wasn't on every sitcom; the whole "Kids are smarter than the parents" schtick. (i.e., Family Ties, Married with Children and in some cases, Home Improvement...well, just about everyone was smarter than Tim, but I digress)...kids outsmarting their clueless parents is not funny. Now, kids attempting to outsmart the parents and getting caught, IS funny.

[catlover79]

Dressing in drag - enough said.

[Chocoholic]

Dressing in drag - enough said.

Especially since no one can do it like Klinger from MASH! :lol:

[Jude The Obscure]

^or get away with showing that much amount of body hair! :lol:

[catlover79]

Especially since no one can do it like Klinger from MASH! :lol:
Now THERE was an ugly "woman". :rofl:

[Marvo301]

At least when Klinger dressed in drag their was a valid reason.(trying to get out of the army)

[jimpickens]

Conservatives, gun enthusiasts/owners, hunters, and people of southern and Appalachian decent are portrayed as bumbling buffoons, jerks, and downright clueless uneducated imbeciles.

[catlover79]

Conservatives, gun enthusiasts/owners, hunters, and people of southern and Appalachian decent are portrayed as bumbling buffoons, jerks, and downright clueless uneducated imbeciles.
You forgot to add toothless. :eek: And I'm not even from the South!!

[jimpickens]

Thanks I forgot about that and while I'm at it might well include inbred as well.

[catlover79]

Thanks I forgot about that and while I'm at it might well include inbred as well.
You're welcome.

[Big C]

Ditzy and/or vain girls obsessed with beauty and looks

(I know I sounds like a hypocrite here- Karen Foster from Step By Step was exactly that, and I absolutely loved Angie- but still, the types of characters are a dime a dozen, and Karen had other good qualities.)

[catlover79]

Ditzy and/or vain girls obsessed with beauty and looks

(I know I sounds like a hypocrite here- Karen Foster from Step By Step was exactly that, and I absolutely loved Angie- but still, the types of characters are a dime a dozen, and Karen had other good qualities.)
You mean, like Mallory Keaton (Family Ties)? Don't get me wrong, I like FT and Justine Bateman, and Mallory certainly had her good points. Having said that, Mallory was not the sharpest knife in the drawer and was indeed a mallrat obsessed with hair and clothes. :lol:

[ekkostar]

Young mother is in labor and stuck in an elevator with the one jerky guy that doesn't like kids, suddenly he's taken away with the "miracle" of birth and changes his mind entirely. Seeing as it's a sitcom, everything but the baby will be rebooted in the next episode and guy will go back to being his jerky self.

[janet42]

Kids who are rude to their parents.

[browneyes106]

Two characters being handcuffed to each other.

[dawsongirl]

Young mother is in labor and stuck in an elevator with the one jerky guy that doesn't like kids, suddenly he's taken away with the "miracle" of birth and changes his mind entirely. Seeing as it's a sitcom, everything but the baby will be rebooted in the next episode and guy will go back to being his jerky self.
Women delivering everywhere BUT a hospital. I think I'd die of shock if one made it to the hospital without anything odd happening. Frankly, there just aren't enough elevators around for all these pregnant women.

[steevo]

The "very special episode" where sitcoms forget they are supposed to be funny and tackle a serious subject. :rolleyes: I find it annoying because when I watch a sitcom, I do so to get away from life and it's problems, not be reminded of them.

[catlover79]

Women delivering everywhere BUT a hospital. I think I'd die of shock if one made it to the hospital without anything odd happening. Frankly, there just aren't enough elevators around for all these pregnant women.
Full House, oddly enough, is the only sitcom I can think of at the moment, is where the woman actually gave birth in a hospital! :eek: They actually got Becky there on time. :lol: Oh, I just remembered, Murphy Brown did, too.

[Ohio8]

Houses with two stairways to the second floor. :mad:

[catlover79]

Houses with two stairways to the second floor. :mad:
:brent

[dawsongirl]

Houses with two stairways to the second floor. :mad:
OMG, I hate that too.

[Tweety]

Even though it's not or wasn't on every sitcom; the whole "Kids are smarter than the parents" schtick. (i.e., Family Ties, Married with Children and in some cases, Home Improvement...well, just about everyone was smarter than Tim, but I digress)...kids outsmarting their clueless parents is not funny. Now, kids attempting to outsmart the parents and getting caught, IS funny.


Very true.

In a show such as "Leave it to Beaver", Wally and/or the Beaver were always trying to get away with something. But it was great the way Ward and June would always find out what they were up to. Many times, it wasn't even the boys' fault that their scheme was exposed.

Even when they did get away with something (like the time they broke a car window and then left it open, hiding the fact it was broken. Ward actually thought HE broke it when he slammed the door) later, the boys would confess anyway. They were actually capable of feeling shame.

Today, parents are clueless...actually, the fathers are clueless, the mothers are perfect. Even when the father is a doctor (e.g. The Cosby Show), it doesn't matter...he's still clueless compared to the Mom. (Cliff wasn't always clueless, there was the classic scene when Theo got the earring).

[Heidi Dawn]

Full House, oddly enough, is the only sitcom I can think of at the moment, is where the woman actually gave birth in a hospital! :eek: They actually got Becky there on time. :lol: Oh, I just remembered, Murphy Brown did, too.

Same with Lori Beth on 'Happy Days', Quon Le on 'Night Court', Charlene on 'Designing Women', Gloria on 'All In The Family', Samantha on 'Bewitched', Julie on 'Welcome Back, Kotter', Sondra on 'The Cosby Show'. They all gave birth in hospitals.

Elyse got stuck at Steven's TV station on 'Family Ties' when she gave birth to Andrew. There's a couple of TV births where the father to be got struck with appendicitis while the wife was in labor - Mac on 'Night Court', Jesse on 'Full House'.

Here's a cliches I'm sick of - the way the industry portrays Canadian characters on American sitcoms. They think it snows year round everywhere in Canada and that all we do is shoot moose, drink beer, play hockey, etc., for activities. Most Canadians are very intelligent and no, it doesn't snow year round everywhere here.

[browneyes106]

Houses with two stairways to the second floor. :mad:

LOL
Full House
Family Matters
Step By Step

I remember those sitcoms having two stairways in the houses.

[browneyes106]

Wedding receptions at houses.

[browneyes106]

A misfit child character suddenly becomes a talented athlete

[catlover79]

Same with Lori Beth on 'Happy Days', Quon Le on 'Night Court', Charlene on 'Designing Women', Gloria on 'All In The Family', Samantha on 'Bewitched', Julie on 'Welcome Back, Kotter', Sondra on 'The Cosby Show'. They all gave birth in hospitals.

Elyse got stuck at Steven's TV station on 'Family Ties' when she gave birth to Andrew. There's a couple of TV births where the father to be got struck with appendicitis while the wife was in labor - Mac on 'Night Court', Jesse on 'Full House'.

Here's a cliches I'm sick of - the way the industry portrays Canadian characters on American sitcoms. They think it snows year round everywhere in Canada and that all we do is shoot moose, drink beer, play hockey, etc., for activities. Most Canadians are very intelligent and no, it doesn't snow year round everywhere here.
Duh - how could I forget Sam?? :doh:

[catlover79]

LOL
Full House
Family Matters
Step By Step

I remember those sitcoms having two stairways in the houses.
Didn't the big Victorian house the last episodes of Perfect Strangers have two stairways, too??

[steevo]

LOL
Full House
Family Matters
Step By Step

I remember those sitcoms having two stairways in the houses.

I believe the Drummond penthouse on Diff'rent Strokes had two stairways too.

[dawsongirl]

LOL
Full House
Family Matters
Step By Step

I remember those sitcoms having two stairways in the houses.
The house on Life With Lucy had two stairs.

[C_ME]

Wives withholding sex from their husbands as a form of punishment. That cliche is soooo played.

[James]

Is it me, or does it seem that everytime the characters are baking pies, a pie fight eventually ensues? Talk about LAME!!! ticked: I mean, why can't they have the bake sale of whatever--and let the pies serve their intended purpose instead of get destroyed in the name of tired comedy? No wonder reality TV is so big now!

[treky]

whenever a man and woman go out on a date, they always go to bed together that night.

[esl]

The nerdy/geeky character suffers from some allergy, usually they are lactose intolerant. Why is that so funny? (And no, I do not suffer from that.)

I await the day when the most non-geeky character, say the high school quarterback (and no he cannot turn out to be gay – another cliché) has some weird allergy – peanuts, strawberries or sulfite agents, etc.

Oh, and the nerdy/geeky characters usually have braces and no one else does. Right, because all the non-geeky people have amazingly perfectly straight teeth. Based upon my class mates in high school that premise has no basis in reality.

[Torgo]

LOL
Full House
Family Matters
Step By Step

I remember those sitcoms having two stairways in the houses.

Hogan's Family

[Sal]

Here's a cliches I'm sick of - the way the industry portrays Canadian characters on American sitcoms. They think it snows year round everywhere in Canada and that all we do is shoot moose, drink beer, play hockey, etc., for activities. Most Canadians are very intelligent and no, it doesn't snow year round everywhere here.


I guess this explains why the average American won't watch hockey. It's not an American sport it's Canadian so it can't be any good. Wrong again, people!

I would say that the worst offender of the anti-Canadian sitcom cliche would be "How I Met Your Mother". I hate how all the guys are always picking on poor Robin just because she's Canadian. It gets so bad sometimes that I have to turn my set off just to restrain myself from breaking it. The best example is the episode where the cast goes to a new bar/hangout that doesn't allow Canadians. In the end, Robin finally snaps and says, "In Canada, we don't care where you're from." That's not just another snappy sitcom line. It so happens to be true!

[phoebe7165]

Full House, oddly enough, is the only sitcom I can think of at the moment, is where the woman actually gave birth in a hospital! :eek: They actually got Becky there on time. :lol: Oh, I just remembered, Murphy Brown did, too.

Actually there are more than you think!!

Jackie & Darlene on Roseanne

Roz on Frasier

Phoebe & Rachel on Friends

Miranda on Sex & the City

Just to mention a few more!!

[Chocoholic]

I'm actually surprised that on Wings, Antonio the cab driver never had to deliver a baby in his cab :lol:

[jimpickens]

Whenever a female character get pregnant in real life they find away to write into the show.

[browneyes106]

Another cliche is having a nerd kid help a sports competition.

[browneyes106]

The nerdy/geeky character suffers from some allergy, usually they are lactose intolerant. Why is that so funny? (And no, I do not suffer from that.)

I await the day when the most non-geeky character, say the high school quarterback (and no he cannot turn out to be gay – another cliché) has some weird allergy – peanuts, strawberries or sulfite agents, etc.

Oh, and the nerdy/geeky characters usually have braces and no one else does. Right, because all the non-geeky people have amazingly perfectly straight teeth. Based upon my class mates in high school that premise has no basis in reality.

I agree it bothered me that only geeks on TV had braces.

[ThomasE]

Somebody is always finding a bag of money. That idea was used in "The Brady Bunch", "What's Happening", "Good Times", "House of Payne", "Saved by the Bell".

[Stuck In The '70's]

Somebody is always finding a bag of money. That idea was used in "The Brady Bunch", "What's Happening", "Good Times", "House of Payne", "Saved by the Bell".
Three's Company, Alice...it goes on and on. lol

[catlover79]

Three's Company, Alice...it goes on and on. lol
It happened on Barney Miller, too. :lol:

[browneyes106]

Somebody is always finding a bag of money. That idea was used in "The Brady Bunch", "What's Happening", "Good Times", "House of Payne", "Saved by the Bell".

Family Guy sort of spoofed that cliche once.

[BensonFan]

Going away for a vacation and something happening there (being kidnapped or something like that). Can't anyone ever have a relaxing vacation? :cool:

[browneyes106]

Going away for a vacation and something happening there (being kidnapped or something like that). Can't anyone ever have a relaxing vacation? :cool:

The Brady Bunch and Full House vacations always seemed to never be relaxing or peaceful.

[Ohio8]

Two other shows that had houses with two stairways: Still Standing and 8 Simple Rules.

[Marvo301]

Actually there were at least 2 stairways on Still Standing but there may have been 3. There is one stairway in the living room that goes to the second floor where the bedrooms were located. There was also a stairway in the kitchen that also went to the second floor. There was also a doorway in the corner of the kitchen that went to the basement and I believe there were one or two episodes where those stairs were seen as well.

[Tweety]

Ever notice how anyone who attends the first class of the school year in a psychology course is immediately able to psycho-analyze everyone in the family, and they immediately become experts on every aspect of psychology and relationships?

Some notable examples: In the "Gidget" TV show, Gidget's brother-in-law John Cooper was a psychology student, and was always referring to psychological terms and anecdotes to describe everything that was going on.

On "The Cosby Show", Sondra Huxtable took a psychology course at Princeton, and she'd psycho-analyze some family members (e.g. Denise) when she was home on vacation.... ("Hmmmm....strong defensive reaction")

On "Home Improvement", Jill did the same thing, after taking one lousy course.

Even on "The Brady Bunch", Marcia felt she had to explain to Carol and Mike the meaning of "sibling rivalry".

Everyone except Marcia Brady was really annoying whenever they did that.

[Marvo301]

For her first Psychology project at Grant College, Mallory Keaton (Family Ties) decided to prove that Skippy Handleman exists! Alas she was unable to prove that Skippy existed and got a D on the project.

[MoMo19947]

Actually there are more than you think!!

Jackie & Darlene on Roseanne

Roz on Frasier

Phoebe & Rachel on Friends

Miranda on Sex & the City

Just to mention a few more!!

well.. this is one more I can think of..
Fran from The Nanny who actually got stuck in an elevator with CC before getting to the hospital.

[BensonFan]

Two other shows that had houses with two stairways: Still Standing and 8 Simple Rules.

There was a second stairway added in Bewitched in the later seasons.....in the kitchen, of all places (yeah, that was REALLLLY necessary. :rolleyes: )

[catlover79]

There was a second stairway added in Bewitched in the later seasons.....in the kitchen, of all places (yeah, that was REALLLLY necessary. :rolleyes: )
I know -it looked so awful, fake and cheesy. :eek: :lol:

[browneyes106]

Ever notice how anyone who attends the first class of the school year in a psychology course is immediately able to psycho-analyze everyone in the family, and they immediately become experts on every aspect of psychology and relationships?

Some notable examples: In the "Gidget" TV show, Gidget's brother-in-law John Cooper was a psychology student, and was always referring to psychological terms and anecdotes to describe everything that was going on.

On "The Cosby Show", Sondra Huxtable took a psychology course at Princeton, and she'd psycho-analyze some family members (e.g. Denise) when she was home on vacation.... ("Hmmmm....strong defensive reaction")

On "Home Improvement", Jill did the same thing, after taking one lousy course.

Even on "The Brady Bunch", Marcia felt she had to explain to Carol and Mike the meaning of "sibling rivalry".

Everyone except Marcia Brady was really annoying whenever they did that.

I never really thought about it. But I agree that is a definite cliche. I even remember on "Becker" Reggie sometimes would be become an expert after taking classes in certain subjects.

[littlebelle]

The "ugly duck" story. A not so cute girl or guy hits puberty and transforms into an attractive teenager. Usually the character completely changes too.

[Marvo301]

There's also the related cliche of giving the ugly duckling friend a makeover and then their new look/popularity goes to their head and they become hard to live with.

[littlebelle]

There's also the related cliche of giving the ugly duckling friend a makeover and then their new look/popularity goes to their head and they become hard to live with.

You got it! So tired of that.

[browneyes106]

Finding a cat or a dog, getting attached to it and saying goodbye when the owners find the pet. This a pretty common storyline for a lot of family sitcoms.

[Big C]

Pretty girls not being good at school subjects.

[ThomasE]

Let's see...

"There's a mouse/rat in the house!"

"I stayed on the sports team for you dad! Love me! Accept Me!"

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

In family sitcoms where there always seems to be a good looking bimbo daughter and a doofus type son.

[BensonFan]

The pretty, younger-looking wife with the older, dorky-looking husband.

[jimpickens]

Every time a main character buys a gun everyone freaks out and starts preaching about how bad it is followed by jokes revolving around accidental discharges ending in the character getting rid of it.

[King Kupp]

Hi guys.

One that I'm very sick of is the "Fat Husband/ Hot Wife" complex. You see it everywhere from "King Of Queens" to "Family Guy."
I think it's time for something new, for a change. :wave:

[King Kupp]

WOW!!! I'm just admiring your 65,000+ posts. You're amazing.

[browneyes106]

Every time a main character buys a gun everyone freaks out and starts preaching about how bad it is followed by jokes revolving around accidental discharges ending in the character getting rid of it.

I hated that cliche. I couldn't stand the episode of BH 90210 in which they had a storyline like that.

[catlover79]

In family sitcoms where there always seems to be a good looking bimbo daughter and a doofus type son.
So I take it you're not a Married With Children fan?? :lol: (Neither am I.)

[Tweety]

Re: Next door neighbors.

Next door neighbors ALWAYS entering the house without even bothering to knock on the door or ring the doorbell.

[catlover79]

Re: Next door neighbors.

Next door neighbors ALWAYS entering the house without even bothering to knock on the door or ring the doorbell.
Yes!!! :lol:

[browneyes106]

Re: Next door neighbors.

Next door neighbors ALWAYS entering the house without even bothering to knock on the door or ring the doorbell.

I totally agree.

[browneyes106]

Teen characters screwing up on their first jobs.

[jimpickens]

Whenever a character goes hunting there is either a mishap or they get cold feet and refuse to kill the animal or you get the same preachy bull**** that you get with guns.

[Ohio8]

Actually there were at least 2 stairways on Still Standing but there may have been 3. There is one stairway in the living room that goes to the second floor where the bedrooms were located. There was also a stairway in the kitchen that also went to the second floor. There was also a doorway in the corner of the kitchen that went to the basement and I believe there were one or two episodes where those stairs were seen as well.

The "two stairways" we've been talkin about are the ones that go to the SECOND FLOOR.

[Ohio8]

Ever notice how anyone who attends the first class of the school year in a psychology course is immediately able to psycho-analyze everyone in the family, and they immediately become experts on every aspect of psychology and relationships?

Some notable examples: In the "Gidget" TV show, Gidget's brother-in-law John Cooper was a psychology student, and was always referring to psychological terms and anecdotes to describe everything that was going on.

On "The Cosby Show", Sondra Huxtable took a psychology course at Princeton, and she'd psycho-analyze some family members (e.g. Denise) when she was home on vacation.... ("Hmmmm....strong defensive reaction")

On "Home Improvement", Jill did the same thing, after taking one lousy course.

Even on "The Brady Bunch", Marcia felt she had to explain to Carol and Mike the meaning of "sibling rivalry".

Everyone except Marcia Brady was really annoying whenever they did that.

It was also in a first season episode of 8 Simple Rules.

[ThomasE]

The character goes into oblivion and is never referred to.

The child talks about going to all these far away colleges and their butt winds up going to some local school.

Some woman is wearing some lingerie or nothing underneath a fur coat.

Uh-oh! Someone's having an affair!

I think the school bully has already been mentioned. LOL.

Somebody's wedding is crashed or ruined.

[Tweety]

The character goes into oblivion and is never referred to.

The child talks about going to all these far away colleges and their butt winds up going to some local school.

Some woman is wearing some lingerie or nothing underneath a fur coat.

Uh-oh! Someone's having an affair!

I think the school bully has already been mentioned. LOL.

Somebody's wedding is crashed or ruined.


Yup, good ones!

I don't know if this next one qualifies as a sitcom cliche or not, and I'm only thinking of one particular instance (maybe two) when it happened.

There was a Cosby Show episode in which Rudy played football on some pee-wee league team that was, I think, all boys except for her.

Has this kind of thing happened on other shows, where some little girl turns out to be the best athlete (by far) on what otherwise is an all-boys team or an all-boys league? Such a thing would probably only happen with kids under the age of six or seven, because by the time kids get to that age, the best boy players will always be better than the best girl players.

I understand the purpose of doing a show like that... Rudy was cute in a football uniform complete with oversized helmet. But has this kind of thing happened on other shows as well?

For some reason, I'm thinking that even Ruthie on 7th Heaven was a star football player on HER all-boys team early in the series, but I'm not positive about that.

[ThomasE]

Yup, good ones!

I don't know if this next one qualifies as a sitcom cliche or not, and I'm only thinking of one particular instance (maybe two) when it happened.

There was a Cosby Show episode in which Rudy played football on some pee-wee league team that was, I think, all boys except for her.

Has this kind of thing happened on other shows, where some little girl turns out to be the best athlete (by far) on what otherwise is an all-boys team or an all-boys league? Such a thing would probably only happen with kids under the age of six or seven, because by the time kids get to that age, the best boy players will always be better than the best girl players.

I understand the purpose of doing a show like that... Rudy was cute in a football uniform complete with oversized helmet. But has this kind of thing happened on other shows as well?

For some reason, I'm thinking that even Ruthie on 7th Heaven was a star football player on HER all-boys team early in the series, but I'm not positive about that.

That cliche does come up every now and again. :lol: This is not as original as it used to be. What else?

Someone preaching to you about how recycling is for preservation of the planet.

Somebody cheated on their test.

The Cyrano De Bergiac storyline. LOL.

I might have metioned the "Who Dunnit" storylines.

Somebody is always on a game show with the ACTUAL HOST.

Some lawyer tries to prove that the plaintiff has no talent and then pushes them to successfully "sing" or "dance" in the courtroom. The lawyer then loses the case because the plaintiff actually proves their abilty.

The child is always coming home late past their curfew.

Someone gets sick from somebody else's cooking.

[Tweety]

That cliche does come up every now and again. :lol: This is not as original as it used to be. What else?

Someone preaching to you about how recycling is for preservation of the planet.

Somebody cheated on their test.

The Cyrano De Bergiac storyline. LOL.

I might have metioned the "Who Dunnit" storylines.

Somebody is always on a game show with the ACTUAL HOST.

Some lawyer tries to prove that the plaintiff has no talent and then pushes them to successfully "sing" or "dance" in the courtroom. The lawyer then loses the case because the plaintiff actually proves their abilty.

The child is always coming home late past their curfew.

Someone gets sick from somebody else's cooking.

Very true :lol:


OH!!!! Just thought of one...I don't know if anyone has mentioned this one yet, but it's kind of an offshoot of the "whodunnit" theme. I'm sure we'll all recognize this one:

___________________________________

"Gee, I'm not sure about exactly what happened that night"

"Well, why don't we just re-enact everything that happened that night so you'll remember?"

"Great idea!!!"

And it ALWAYS works!

(Later)

"Oh wow, I just remembered something!!!!"
___________________________________

And of course, when it's first suggested that everyone re-enact everything they did that day/night, everyone always looks at the person who suggests it and asks "what do you mean?"

[ThomasE]

Very true :lol:


OH!!!! Just thought of one...I don't know if anyone has mentioned this one yet, but it's kind of an offshoot of the "whodunnit" theme. I'm sure we'll all recognize this one:




Actually, I mentioned that one in my last post. LOL. But you can have if you want.

[Tweety]

Actually, I mentioned that one in my last post. LOL. But you can have if you want.


lol, you're right. A lot of the whodunnit stories did involve recreating the "crime" scene.

But what I was thinking of was when someone can't remember something that happened, so the entire family recreates everything they did that night. That's what that little dialog was all about ("Gee I'm not sure what happened that night", etc)... e.g. "Lost Locket, Found Locket" on the Brady Bunch, also, recreating the scene of Carol's fender bender in the parkling lot.


Hey, here's another one...

A married couple is in bed at night, when one of them has an idea about something, or just wants to say something.

Instead of simply talking to their spouse, they first must sit up in bed AND turn on the light!! God forbid anyone talks with the lights out.

[BensonFan]

How about how easy it seems to be to get personal contact with a celebrity and in many cases, get them to come over to your house? (All In The Family with Sammy Davis Jr, the Brady Bunch with Davy Jones, Joe Namath AND Don Drysdale, etc). I'm sure there are many more instances I'm just not thinking of at the moment.

If only it was that easy!

[Tweety]

How about how easy it seems to be to get personal contact with a celebrity and in many cases, get them to come over to your house? (All In The Family with Sammy Davis Jr, the Brady Bunch with Davy Jones, Joe Namath AND Don Drysdale, etc). I'm sure there are many more instances I'm just not thinking of at the moment.

If only it was that easy!


lol, yeah! It used to be that the celebrity would get a flat tire or something and have to use the phone at the family's house, but now, the kids go after the celebrities and always manage to meet them...often by disguising themselves as hotel staff. or sneaking into an obscure recording studio just when the celebrity is recording an album.


Look-alike cousins is another thing that used to get me. Nah, no twin siblings in the family, but so-and-so's cousin is an absolute dead ringer for them.

I understand family resemblances, but families with absolutely identical cousins happen a little too often on TV! They even have the same voice. :)

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

So I take it you're not a Married With Children fan?? :lol: (Neither am I.)
No I like it actually lol, I'm just sick of seeing the same old formula used in so many shows.

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

The pretty, younger-looking wife with the older, dorky-looking husband.
Ugh, agreed times ten. How often do you see it the other way around?

[browneyes106]

lol, yeah! It used to be that the celebrity would get a flat tire or something and have to use the phone at the family's house, but now, the kids go after the celebrities and always manage to meet them...often by disguising themselves as hotel staff. or sneaking into an obscure recording studio just when the celebrity is recording an album.


Look-alike cousins is another thing that used to get me. Nah, no twin siblings in the family, but so-and-so's cousin is an absolute dead ringer for them.

I understand family resemblances, but families with absolutely identical cousins happen a little too often on TV! They even have the same voice. :)

I agree the look alike cousins thing bugs me too. I like how Married With Children spoofed with Marcy's cousin Mandy.

[esl]

There was a Cosby Show episode in which Rudy played football on some pee-wee league team that was, I think, all boys except for her.

Has this kind of thing happened on other shows, where some little girl turns out to be the best athlete (by far) on what otherwise is an all-boys team or an all-boys league? Such a thing would probably only happen with kids under the age of six or seven, because by the time kids get to that age, the best boy players will always be better than the best girl players.

I understand the purpose of doing a show like that... Rudy was cute in a football uniform complete with oversized helmet. But has this kind of thing happened on other shows as well?


It happened in an early (b&w) episode of My Three Sons. A girl tries out for the track team and beats all the boys. In return, Chip joins the girls' lacrosse team.

How about how easy it seems to be to get personal contact with a celebrity and in many cases, get them to come over to your house? (All In The Family with Sammy Davis Jr, the Brady Bunch with Davy Jones, Joe Namath AND Don Drysdale, etc). I'm sure there are many more instances I'm just not thinking of at the moment.

If only it was that easy!

The entire last few seasons of The Lucy Show were pretty much just one celebrity after another appearing at Lucy's house or work.

[ThomasE]

How about when someone buys a car with his/her friends and then hey have problems sharing it?

[Tweety]

How about when someone buys a car with his/her friends and then hey have problems sharing it?

:lol: Definitely! Nice one!

Who the heck ever does that in real life? But it happens all the time on TV shows!

[Tweety]

One person saves another person's life, and the person who was saved is so grateful that they become impossible to live with.

So naturally, the only way to undo the situation is to have the first person who was saved save the hero's life. So the Saver puts together an elaborate plan which will enable the savee to save their lives, so they're even.

Often, the plan backfires, and the "saver" ends up saving the "savees" life again.


__________________________________________________________________________________________


Also, all ex-military persons retired either as a Sargent or as a Colonel. There are no other ranks.


__________________________________________________________________________________________



Family members will be recruited to take part in a "talent" show for "charity". Who's gonna pay to see that crap?

[browneyes106]

A character wins tickets to a concert and can't decide who to take.

Two or more characters win a car or money and decide how to share the prize.

[catlover79]

Have we mentioned driving a car into a house yet?? :eek: :rolleyes: :mad:

[BensonFan]

Ok, here's the one I have never understood, and I've seen this in numerous sitcoms.

Someone is talking on the phone and when they think they've lost the connection with the other party, they start hitting the disconnect button repeatedly. Now why in the world would you think this would help when all it does is guarantee that if you did still possibly have them on the line, you have now permanently disconnected the conversation by pressing that button? :confused: DUH?

[catlover79]

Ok, here's the one I have never understood, and I've seen this in numerous sitcoms.

Someone is talking on the phone and when they think they've lost the connection with the other party, they start hitting the disconnect button repeatedly. Now why in the world would you think this would help when all it does is guarantee that if you did still possibly have them on the line, you have now permanently disconnected the conversation by pressing that button? :confused: DUH?
:rofl: That's a good one. Oh, I'm thinking of you right now, Lisa. I checked the first season of Charlie's Angels out of the library, and our very own Rene is a guest in the ep I'm watching right now. He's a bad dude in this one - not unlike Clayton! :cool: Speaking of, I need to go on imdb later and watch some more of S2 of Benson. :D

[ThomasE]

Ok, here's the one I have never understood, and I've seen this in numerous sitcoms.

Someone is talking on the phone and when they think they've lost the connection with the other party, they start hitting the disconnect button repeatedly. Now why in the world would you think this would help when all it does is guarantee that if you did still possibly have them on the line, you have now permanently disconnected the conversation by pressing that button? :confused: DUH?

:rofl: :rofl:

[BensonFan]

:rofl: That's a good one. Oh, I'm thinking of you right now, Lisa. I checked the first season of Charlie's Angels out of the library, and our very own Rene is a guest in the ep I'm watching right now. He's a bad dude in this one - not unlike Clayton! :cool: Speaking of, I need to go on imdb later and watch some more of S2 of Benson. :D

Ah yes, Rene plays that menacing role so well. :lol:

[catlover79]

Ah yes, Rene plays that menacing role so well. :lol:
He does - and he seems like such a nice guy in real life. :D

[Tweety]

Ok, here's the one I have never understood, and I've seen this in numerous sitcoms.

Someone is talking on the phone and when they think they've lost the connection with the other party, they start hitting the disconnect button repeatedly. Now why in the world would you think this would help when all it does is guarantee that if you did still possibly have them on the line, you have now permanently disconnected the conversation by pressing that button? :confused: DUH?


Great point! :lol:

I have a feeling that might go back to the days when operators connected all calls manually. Hitting that switch repeatedly might have been a way to try to raise the operator. I've seen that in some old movies. But you're absolutely right, it certainly holds no purpose today to do that.


On a related note, on some shows I've seen, when one person hangs up on another person, the person who was hung up on immediately hears a dial tone, rather than just having silence on the other end of the phone. I've never used a phone that did that.

[catlover79]

Ah yes, Rene plays that menacing role so well. :lol:
He ended up getting the kung fu treatment by Farrah. :rofl:

[BensonFan]

He ended up getting the kung fu treatment by Farrah. :rofl:

I HAVE to see that. :lol:

[catlover79]

I HAVE to see that. :lol:
Ask and you shall receive, Lisa!! :cool: :D

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0539260/

[browneyes106]

secret admirer storylines

[Tweety]

I don't think anyone's mentioned "Jury Duty" story lines


You pretty much know what the plot will be:

1) Star cast member receives Jury Duty Summons

2) The trial will always be such that the jury will be sequestered in a hotel, rather than just reporting each day

3) The evidence against the defendant will overwhelmingly prove their guilt

4) The jury will repeatedly vote 11-1 for conviction. The "not guilty" ballot will ALWAYS be the last ballot to be opened, to be followed by groans
from all 11 "guilty" voters

5) The star cast member will be the lone holdout voting "not guilty"

6) The jury deliberations will drag on for days

7) At least one jury member will have tickets to a sporting event which they will be forced to miss

8) New evidence will be presented at the last minute, proving the innocence of the defendant

9) The jury members are now best friends, and vow to all get together in the near future

10) None of the jury members will ever be seen, heard from, or referred to, ever again

The End

[Marvo301]

Ah yes, Rene plays that menacing role so well. :lol:
Another role Rene played very well was that of Odo, the shape shifting security chief on Star Trek: Deep Space 9.

[catlover79]

Another role Rene played very well was that of Odo, the shape shifting security chief on Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
I also loved his voiceover role as Louis, the French chef in the Little Mermaid - he actually SANG in it!! :cool: :D

[browneyes106]

A character gets robs or mugged and then buys a gun for protection but the gun ends up getting misused.

[catlover79]

A character gets robs or mugged and then buys a gun for protection but the gun ends up getting misused.
Like...*coughGoodTimescough*

[KurtfromPitts]

Husbands and/or fathers depicted as idiots, buffoons or people simply put into place by their female counterparts.

[caladon]

1) Member(s) of a household or roommate(s) overhearing part of conversation and jumping to a ridiculous conclusion (affair, terminal illness etc.) about the character; and instead of just asking the person, the devise some moronic plan to "help."

BTW, in cases where an affair or other type of elicit behavior has been assumed due to this type of situation; I always thought it extremely annoying that sitcom characters are ready to believe the worst of their family or friends instead of giving them the benefit of the doubt or a chance to explain.

2) Planning a surprise birthday where eveything goes wrong and the guest of honor takes off "unexpectedly."

3) Inviting the boss or someone of importance to dinner and everything goes wrong.

4) Having an important item being tossed in the trash on the same day as the trash being picked up.

5) Husbands forgetting anniversaries and birthdays.

Of all the people I've known, I've never heard of this happening.

6) Wives desperate to lose weight when they suddenly realize their high school reunion is only days away.

7) Patients getting the wrong test results and believe they're dying.

8) Putting something valuable in a pocket and then that item gets donated to a charity.

[jimpickens]

People who own semiautos AKs, AR-15s, ect are always portrayed as nuts, criminals, tinfoil hat wearers (paranoid), or flat out idiots with an itchy trigger finger. Well actually all gun enthusiasts are portrayed as such but people with the big bad assault weapons get it worst.

[catlover79]

People who own semiautos AKs, AR-15s, ect are always portrayed as nuts, criminals, tinfoil hat wearers (paranoid), or flat out idiots with an itchy trigger finger. Well actually all gun enthusiasts are portrayed as such but people with the big bad assault weapons get it worst.
Here, at least, is one episode of a sitcom that turns the "gun enthusiast" cliche on its ear:

http://www.imdb.com/video/sony/vi3721265945/

[jimpickens]

The 70s was the worst decade followed by the 90s for that crap.

[browneyes106]

Shoplifting storylines.

[Ohio8]

Washers and dryers that are on the first floors of houses that have basements. Basement and second floor stairways that don't match.

Parents who meddle in their grown children's lives.

[Tweety]

Washers and dryers that are on the first floors of houses that have basements. Basement and second floor stairways that don't match.

Parents who meddle in their grown children's lives.

Along the washer/dryer line, lots of shows had characters try to do laundry who somehow got the idea that it takes an entire box of detergent to do a load of wash.

Also, a lot of TV characters think it takes an entire box of rice to make one serving.

[catlover79]

Along the washer/dryer line, lots of shows had characters try to do laundry who somehow got the idea that it takes an entire box of detergent to do a load of wash.

Also, a lot of TV characters think it takes an entire box of rice to make one serving.
:rofl: You are so right.

[browneyes106]

Along the washer/dryer line, lots of shows had characters try to do laundry who somehow got the idea that it takes an entire box of detergent to do a load of wash.

Also, a lot of TV characters think it takes an entire box of rice to make one serving.

I used to hate those kinds of episodes.

[Chocoholic]

How about two people who don't like each other and end up trapped somewhere together?

[catlover79]

How about two people who don't like each other and end up trapped somewhere together?
*coughBensoncough* ;) :lol:

[browneyes106]

Christmas episodes where characters are obsessed with gifts until they meet homeless people or people struggling financially.

[Raisingdad2004]

A small thing that sitcoms do, but something I've seen way too often. A character wearing another character's bathrobe. The response is always "Keep it" or something to that effect. It's gotten old.

[KurtfromPitts]

Also, female characters causing physical harm [e.g. slapping, kicking, punching] to their male counterparts and getting away with it, yet when it's the other way around it's treated like a Lifetime TV-movie topic.:mad:

[browneyes106]

Another cliche that bothered me is that often most sitcoms took place in major cities and often when there were high sporting events the events were held in small gyms and there weren't that many people in the gyms.

[catlover79]

Christmas episodes where characters are obsessed with gifts until they meet homeless people or people struggling financially.
Again...*coughSavedByTheBellcough*

[Tweety]

Ever see two people play "Gin" in a sitcom?

I guarantee that one player will either:

A) Be dealt "Gin" directly OR
B) Obtain "Gin" after the first discard of the opponent!

(Often, they'll be lectured by their opponent about the "right" way to play Gin, only to be given Gin by the lecturing opponent)

[Chocoholic]

Also, female characters causing physical harm [e.g. slapping, kicking, punching] to their male counterparts and getting away with it, yet when it's the other way around it's treated like a Lifetime TV-movie topic.:mad:

That always bothers me too.

[jimpickens]

Bush jokes he's no longer president time to break out the Obama jokes.

[Chain Gang Member]

Characters admiting that they're gay.I'm all for equal rights and everything but it's getting to be rediculous

[Chocoholic]

I'm sick of the dimwitted husband/father character. Homer Simpson is funny to me. Ray Barone, Tim Taylor, and their ilk are not.

[browneyes106]

Episodes where one or more characters babysits a baby or child with bad results.

[Goldilocks]

The airport goodbyes, mixups, departures. It seems like "Friends" did this ALOT.

[browneyes106]

The airport goodbyes, mixups, departures. It seems like "Friends" did this ALOT.

I agree I love Friends but often overdid stuff like that.

[BensonFan]

Someone being depressed about something and someone else coming in to comfort them and always having the perfect thing to say to instantly pull the person out of it. I don't know about you but when I'm down there's nothing anyone can say to instantly make it better. I mean, it's nice to know people care but ultimately I have to work it out on my own, and that takes time.

[Rosslover]

the geeky nerdy character wants / gets the hot girl....in laws from hell although the classic Bewitched is the best of this one. births that become a comic nightmare due to one event or another. two characters after the same guy/ girl...

[Rosslover]

here is some more after i got of i thought of....playing Poker....every sitcom has characters that have played poker...dumb blondes and idiots...as of late have been male gigolos ....men who date a lot...

[Tweety]

...playing Poker....every sitcom has characters that have played poker...

And often, a hand of 4 Kings will be beaten by a hand of 4 Aces

[catlover79]

And often, a hand of 4 Kings will be beaten by a hand of 4 Aces
I do like the one episode of Bewitched when Darrin and Abner are playing gin. Darrin's hand is not a good one, so Sam twitches it into a winning one. Then Abner sees it and says, "What luck." Sam says, "That wasn't luck. It was skill", as she and Darrin share a knowing smile. :lol:

[Tweety]

All of a sudden, out of the clear blue sky, a main character will be portrayed and referred to by other cast members as someone who is an incessant practical joker who absolutely must be cured of the habit, even though the character has never been shown playing a practical joke on anyone during the run of the show (prior to that particular episode, that is...the person will usually pull several practical jokes in the beginning of the episode to establish the premise).

Someone in the cast will accuse the character of "always playing practical jokes".

[browneyes106]

Teen characters beings singers or being in bands that practice in the garage.

[basenjib123]

Making the White Male out to be a dummy, etc. This crosses all aspects of TV shows, commercials, etc.

[Tweety]

Characters ending up with two dates on the same night... and rather than fessing up, they'll try to run back and forth between their two dates, always making sure to keep them on opposite sides of the room/restaurant/dance floor.

Now, besides Peter on the Brady Bunch, one instance of this that I remember as being a good episode was on "Family Ties" when Alex had two dates to what I think was the prom. Skippy was trying to help him out that night, and he and Alex divided the gym into "Area A" and "Area B" to keep Alex's dates separated... when it came time for the Prom King (Alex) to dance with his date, both girls came forward, kind of eying each other, until Alex fainted or something... anyway, I liked that episode.

Speaking of proms, why are so many TV proms held in the high school gym?? Growing up, I never knew any school to do that... proms were always held at country clubs or resorts, or places with a very nice atmosphere.

[basenjib123]

My HS did hold the prom in the Gym. Not sure what thats says but....

[C_ME]

It probably doesn't get any more cliche than the "flashback" episode, where we see a number of clips from previous episodes. I guess sitcom writers need their time off.

[browneyes106]

It probably doesn't get any more cliche than the "flashback" episode, where we see a number of clips from previous episodes. I guess sitcom writers need their time off.

Some flashback episodes can be good but most of the time they are sort of boring.

[Ohio8]

Live music at a wedding. Anger management. Lawsuit abuse. High school reunion. An adult who was in a music group when they were young and the group reunites.

[oz615]

When (insert character's name) gets his or her own talk show and eihter he or she exposes their friends deep dark secrets and intentionally make up stuff for the sake of getting more viewers .

[KurtfromPitts]

Making the White Male out to be a dummy, etc. This crosses all aspects of TV shows, commercials, etc.
That has long bugged me too. It's this P.C.B.S.

[browneyes106]

I also didn't like the white male dummy cliches either. I think sitcoms and other shows homogenized minorities too much. A lot of sitcoms will portray Hispanic/Latino families as recent immigrants or living in bad areas. In real life there are many Hispanic families who have long histories in the United States and many live in rural areas and nice city neighborhoods. Also not all Hispanics are dark skinned or have dark hair.

[Ohio8]

There was a second stairway added in Bewitched in the later seasons.....in the kitchen, of all places (yeah, that was REALLLLY necessary. :rolleyes: )

[ThomasE]

What about someone that is thrown into showbusiness and is fired because they made so many problems on set.

[mike145]

On every sitcom where someone turns the age of sixteen there will always be an episode where they do their drivers test.

[browneyes106]

Hi mike145 welcome to SO.

[jimpickens]

The camping trip where everything that can possibly go wrong does or the main characters is out in the woods and either one of them gets lost or starts freaking out.

[catlover79]

The camping trip where everything that can possibly go wrong does or the main characters is out in the woods and either one of them gets lost or starts freaking out.
There's only about 10 million episodes with that theme out there. :eek: :lol:

[browneyes106]

I never really cared for the camping episodes either.

[catlover79]

I never really cared for the camping episodes either.
I actually like most of them. I guess the one that stands out the most to me was the camping trip on Three's Company. Jack trying to get into the hammock was classic. :rofl: