View Full Version : Storylines that have been done to death


Jokerette
06-18-2004, 10:40 AM
I do love sitcoms but with EVERY show there's always the same tired old episodes that have been used a billion times since Sitcoms came into existence. The kind of storylines I'm talking about...:

- Someone tries/is forced to try and quit smoking/pills/drink or something they're addicted to.

- Someone's pet (usually a kids) die and the other characters often try to cover up and lie by replacing it with a new pet that looks the same, but the kid finds out somehow by the end of the episode.

- A character's friend/relative who we've usually never seen or heard of until that point dies and then the character spends the episode trying to live life to the fullest or somehow going a bit crazy.

- A chacter thinks they are a great singer/musician and the other characters struggle to tell him/her that they are actually really bad.

- Someone's guardian angel somehow shows up.

- Characters who hate each other find themselves trapped/stuck somewhere.

- A character gets embarrassed to bring friends to their house and try to cover up where they live.

I know there are a ton more and I'll post them when I think of them but those ones listed are driving me NUTS. I'm so bored of seeing these kind of storylines in sitcoms all the time. They especially seem popular in sitcoms with teens (any given Peter Engel show for example) or 80s/90s sitcoms.

Can you come up with any repetitive storylines you feel have been done to death? Post them here.

Mrs. Ducky
06-18-2004, 11:08 AM
How about:

One Character (usually male) has two dates and tries to keep both of them by going back and forth. In the end it all turns out badly.

Ant-Lox
06-18-2004, 11:10 AM
every show has a christmans episode...or an episode where they get stranded somewhere...

Jokerette
06-18-2004, 11:18 AM
Or Thanksgiving episodes. Just thought of another:

- The gang forget a character's birthday and character is really upset but in the end it turns out the gang were planning a special birthday surprise all along.

hawaii five-o
06-18-2004, 12:39 PM
The Famous "Will They or Won't They" Storyline. (Cheers, Who's the Boss, Friends, etc.)

db108108
06-18-2004, 01:06 PM
I hate the following storylin,e and I've seen it done on MANY different shows.

The female is going into labour, but a male (usually her husband) close to her is having stomach pains also. Turns out he has appendicitis.....

As seen on Full House, For Your Love, Friends..... (all beginning with F, how odd....)

JT
06-18-2004, 01:17 PM
A character gets a large ego and starts being snobbish towards the other characters.

EmoJoe
06-18-2004, 01:30 PM
~A character goes through a midlife crisis
~A character dates a younger guy/girl

Mrs. Ducky
06-18-2004, 01:35 PM
Originally posted by Rurry007
~A character dates a younger guy/girl

Or an older guy/girl

EmoJoe
06-18-2004, 01:37 PM
Originally posted by Mrs. Ducky
Or an older guy/girl

Yeah, either way

barwars
06-18-2004, 02:53 PM
Originally posted by Kameko
- Characters who hate each other find themselves trapped/stuck somewhere.

haha
My family and I were just talking about that yesterday, and its true.

I think that may be the most common one.

dawsongirl
06-19-2004, 02:37 AM
AMNESIA. The list of shows that haven't done an amnesia storyline would be much shorter.

Weddings that are far from uncomplicated (groom or bride is late, something happens to the dress, etc.)

Births that aren't abnormal. Seems like the pregnant woman is always stuck in traffic or in a hurricane or on an elevator.

treky
06-19-2004, 02:55 AM
or how about when a pregnant woman is stuck in traaffic or an elevator or something, goes into labor, and someone (ussuaaly a stranger), wwith very little or no medical experience mannges tto deliver the baby-who of course is PERFECTLLY heaalthy!!

Someeone has an accident and breaaks their lleg, or arm or something, aand spends the rest of the epissode trying to hide it and not let anyone know.

At Chrismas or Thanksgiving, some gets stranded somewwheree.

EmoJoe
06-19-2004, 09:18 AM
"Stay out of my life!" is often said in TV shows.