I was listening to a sports talk program this weekend. One host said people he knew often confused "That's My Mama" with "What's Happening" because they were both black sitcoms with plus-sized women playing the mother. What sitcoms, if any, do you or your friends often mistake for each other?

I was listening to a sports talk program this weekend. One host said people he knew often confused "That's My Mama" with "What's Happening" because they were both black sitcoms with plus-sized women playing the mother. What sitcoms, if any, do you or your friends often mistake for each other?
Most people I talk to don't even remember "That's My Mama" and they refer to "What's Happening!!" as 'that show with Rerun'.

In Living Color and True Colors, both were on FOX
Different Strokes and Webster

The Munsters and The Addams Family.

Medium and Ghost Whisperer

confused :
perfect strangers &Laverne & Shirley
the twilight zone & the amazing stories
Goosebumps & are you afraid of the dark?
Thundarr The Barbarian &He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
tiny toons & mummpet babies I used t o get them confused
ghost buster & the real ghost busters I realized one of them had an ape in it.
power rangers & vr troopers
Chico and the man & Sanford they both took place in 70s and one was in gas station one was junk yard
California Dreams & saved by the bell used to get confused they both came on at the same time
Hercules & Xena
I dream of Jennie & bewitched

Most people I talk to don't even remember "That's My Mama" and they refer to "What's Happening!!" as 'that show with Rerun'.


I remember What's Happening a lot more. I vaguely remember That's my Mama. I think the son owned a barber shop and was played by Cliffton Davis? And he had 2 buddies too like on What's Happening? And I'm thinking on That's My Mama the guys were older than the guys in What's Happening ;)

That is just by memory, I'm not really sure though? :)

Chico and the man & Sanford they both took place in 70s and one was in gas station one was junk yard


Chico And The Man took place in a mechanic garage.

Gimme a Break, What's Happening

I've heard "Gimme a Break" was confused with "All in the Family", surprisingly Mort Lachman and Hal Cooper worked with Norman Lear as well as GAB.

I've seen people confuse That's My Mama with Mama's Family.

I remember What's Happening a lot more. I vaguely remember That's my Mama. I think the son owned a barber shop and was played by Cliffton Davis? And he had 2 buddies too like on What's Happening? And I'm thinking on That's My Mama the guys were older than the guys in What's Happening ;)

That is just by memory, I'm not really sure though? :)
correct; and he lived with his widowed mother, had a sister named Tracy whose husband was named Leonard and the show was set in Washington D.C.

What's Happening and Good Times for me... mostly because I haven't seen more than 1-2 scenes of either one.

Webster and 'Different Stokes.

Sanford and Son and The Jeffersons; both 70's show that I never watched...

and though it's not a sitcom, I used to when I was young get confused between the soap opera Another World and the NBC sitcom A Different World. Also, would confuse the two soaps, Another World and As the World turns.

The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family
Bewitched and I Dream Of Jeannie
The Addams Family and The Munsters
The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart
Diff'rent Strokes and Webster
Sabrina The Teenage Witch and Bewitched
The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy
Saturday Night Live and SCTV
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Laugh-In


Drama series:

Homeland and Heartland
CSI and NCIS
Dr Kildare and Ben Casey
Twilight Zone and Outer Limits
Gunsmoke and Bonanza
Eight Is Enough and 7th Heaven
Star Trek and Lost In Space

Others:

Full House and Barney & Friends
NFL on FOX and America's Most Wanted

Sal, great list. I'm surprised that I forgot some, especially Twilight Zone and Outer Limits.

There really aren't any shows I confuse for one another. I tried thinking of some but I'm generally pretty good at knowing which sitcoms are which, lol.

There really aren't any shows I confuse for one another. I tried thinking of some but I'm generally pretty good at knowing which sitcoms are which, lol.
I'm with you on this one but I do know several people who aren't as educated make a few mistakes.

Friends and How I Met Your Mother

I'm with you on this one but I do know several people who aren't as educated make a few mistakes.

Yeah, I have a co-worker who once said he was talking about "The Munsters" but he was describing "The Addams Family." When I corrected him, he said "Well they're basically the same show." Of course there are differences but to a casual viewer of either show, I could see them thinking they're the same.

I just think this thread is off-topic, talking about shows that are similar rather than shows they personally confuse for one another. But who cares, it's just a thread on a message board, lol.