Whatever it may be: TV shows , plots , types of characters , etc... , what are things that were once commonly seen on television , that you just don't see anymore?

Light dramas - Unlike Bonanza or Highway to Heaven, Many of today's dramas are quite "heavy" to stomach and a bit depressing to watch(I.E. Law And Order). Light Dramas always ended on a sweet or bittersweet note , and it is easier to stomach.

Laugh tracks - Yes , there are some still around , but mostly , they've been on the out in recent years. Call me stupid , but I enjoy the laugh tracks. It makes me feel as if I'm laughing along with real people. Unfortunately , sitcoms are leaning towards a format without a laugh track(which makes it feel more like a drama\comedy in my opinion).

Sitcoms being shot on video tape - This one has been gone for a while now. My guess is that as time went on , better filming techniques were invented , therefore, leading to the demise of the video tape sitcom. You don't see them anymore.

Two things come to mind immediately: quicksand and whirlpools. Both of these natural phenomena used to be a staple of adventure shows, with people getting sucked in to one of them and them having a terrible time getting out.

How long has it been since anyone has used either of them? It's weird, really. It's not like they went away or something. Maybe they just sort of wore out their narrative welcome?

Also, getting lost. With all the digital media, phones, GPS, etc. it's getting harder and harder for horror films to find a way to make their characters lost. They can always used the old "no coverage out here" but there aren't many places where there's no coverage anymore.

Half-hour dramas (cop/detective shows, Westerns, the like): now every dramatic show is an hour (or +/- 42 min. w/o commercials).

Also, getting lost. With all the digital media, phones, GPS, etc. it's getting harder and harder for horror films to find a way to make their characters lost. They can always used the old "no coverage out here" but there aren't many places where there's no coverage anymore.

This is why there's many horror films being set in the 70's and 80's- "retro horror".
Also, I see characters either drop their phone so it breaks, or they forget their phone back at the car, or they decide to all gather up their phones and keep them locked up, plotwise the characters are doing this so they won't be distracted, but in reality it's to do away with the whole call for help/GPS thing.

dramas: keep my interests
comedies: consistently funny

This is why there's many horror films being set in the 70's and 80's- "retro horror".
Also, I see characters either drop their phone so it breaks, or they forget their phone back at the car, or they decide to all gather up their phones and keep them locked up, plotwise the characters are doing this so they won't be distracted, but in reality it's to do away with the whole call for help/GPS thing.

You're also seeing the end of the "cut the telephone line" trick like they did in the Halloween; doesn't do any good if nobody has a landline and cell phones are in every purse!

You're also seeing the end of the "cut the telephone line" trick like they did in the Halloween; doesn't do any good if nobody has a landline and cell phones are in every purse!


True. Always thought it was funny though that the killer waited until they try to use the phone to cut the cord, at least Jason did. I guess he stood outside the window watching the phone haha

True. Always thought it was funny though that the killer waited until they try to use the phone to cut the cord, at least Jason did. I guess he stood outside the window watching the phone haha

Hey, just because these guys are hulking, mute, indestructible supernatural killing machines doesn't mean they don't have a flair for the dramatic! :lol:

Hey, just because these guys are hulking, mute, indestructible supernatural killing machines doesn't mean they don't have a flair for the dramatic! :lol:

Haha! They have pizzazz!

For sitcoms...a serious moment!

Up until the 1990's, there's a serious moment in an episode where someone dies, someone gets wronged, or someone tell a character "look at my side of the story"! That really doesn't happen anymore!

Flashback clip shows - used mostly in sitcoms as a cost saving tool to add a filler episode but now you rarely see them used anymore, I guess with TV shows getting a quicker DVD release a person can just pop in their favorite episode.

There are still some sitcoms that have laugh tracks. 2 on ABC Last Man Standing and Dr. Ken and the others on CBS which include The Big Bang Theory. Not all sitcoms work with a laugh track.

Actresses in sitcoms hiding their pregnancy behind big purses or couches. Mostly because there aren't as many sitcoms anymore.