Does anybody else find “The Family Planning” hard to watch?

[TVLegend]

This was an episode that didn’t need to be Americanized or remade at all. I don’t care for it. I think it’s really disturbing to do an episode on a sitcom where a woman apparently having dementia is made light of. I was not amused by Mrs. Roper’s mother having a hard time telling Mrs. Roper from Mr. Roper. And then, to make matters worse, everyone was really awful to the mother in this episode. Mr. Roper acts as if his mother-in-law living with him is going to kill him. And then Mrs. Roper’s sister Ethel acts like she doesn’t even want her mother alive. I mean, really? Who would laugh at this stuff?

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

This was an episode that didn’t need to be Americanized or remade at all. I don’t care for it. I think it’s really disturbing to do an episode on a sitcom where a woman apparently having dementia is made light of. I was not amused by Mrs. Roper’s mother having a hard time telling Mrs. Roper from Mr. Roper. And then, to make matters worse, everyone was really awful to the mother in this episode. Mr. Roper acts as if his mother-in-law living with him is going to kill him. And then Mrs. Roper’s sister Ethel acts like she doesn’t even want her mother alive. I mean, really? Who would laugh at this stuff?

In 1980 Alzheimer's disease was not really known so it was just laughing at someone old and feeble. There are far more extreme examples of what you are trying to point out. What about Good Times when Penney starts beating her doll imitating what her mother does to her and the audience is laughing on cue. Nothing about child abuse is funny.
But the most extreme example is the Different Strokes episodes about child molestation. Nothing about that episode was funny but they have the laugh track/studio audience cued up laughing at the worst times. The bike repair guy was grooming them to be molested showing them nude magazines, etc and everyone is laughing.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

In 1980 Alzheimer's disease was not really known so it was just laughing at someone old and feeble. There are far more extreme examples of what you are trying to point out. What about Good Times when Penney starts beating her doll imitating what her mother does to her and the audience is laughing on cue. Nothing about child abuse is funny.
But the most extreme example is the Different Strokes episodes about child molestation. Nothing about that episode was funny but they have the laugh track/studio audience cued up laughing at the worst times. The bike repair guy was grooming them to be molested showing them nude magazines, etc and everyone is laughing.

I’m late responding to this, but yeah, I get it. Trust me, I know all too well about how different the 80s were compared to today. I suppose making humor out of an elderly woman being old and feeble could slide considering when this episode was made, but having to watch how the family members treat her was crossing the line a bit, even in the 80s. I’m pretty sure the audience got the memo that Mrs. Roper’s mother was not well and seriously needed someone to care for her.

Speaking of this episode, I’ve discovered the original version from George and Mildred (the British counterpart of The Ropers) on YouTube. There’s some noticeable differences, and I must admit, despite the fact that “Family Planning” is a bit difficult to watch on The Ropers, the original version is much less funny than the remake. The actress who plays Mrs. Roper’s mother in the original version isn’t nearly as over-the-top as Lucille Benson. I think this might be the only episode that The Ropers did better than George and Mildred. I’ve posted the episode below if you care to watch:

[TVFactFan]

aside from the appearance of Larry and trio, all the eps was hard to watch

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

This was an episode that didn’t need to be Americanized or remade at all. I don’t care for it. I think it’s really disturbing to do an episode on a sitcom where a woman apparently having dementia is made light of. I was not amused by Mrs. Roper’s mother having a hard time telling Mrs. Roper from Mr. Roper. And then, to make matters worse, everyone was really awful to the mother in this episode. Mr. Roper acts as if his mother-in-law living with him is going to kill him. And then Mrs. Roper’s sister Ethel acts like she doesn’t even want her mother alive. I mean, really? Who would laugh at this stuff?

I just tried watching it on tubi and it put me to sleep lol Soon as i saw Helens mother i started fallign asslep0 lol

[BestTVever]

It was a running joke on the show that Helen's mother never knew Stanley's name and confused him with her daughter's other husband. Every time she appeared she called him by a different name and Helen would try and correct her.
The joke is not about making fun of an old woman. The joke is how forgettable Stanley is. Helen's mother is pretty sharp with everything else. It's done to annoy Stanley.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

It was a running joke on the show that Helen's mother never knew Stanley's name and confused him with her daughter's other husband. Every time she appeared she called him by a different name and Helen would try and correct her.
The joke is not about making fun of an old woman. The joke is how forgettable Stanley is. Helen's mother is pretty sharp with everything else. It's done to annoy Stanley.

Her old a$$ put me right to sleep I was wide awake before I watched the episode

[dee2364]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

This was an episode that didn’t need to be Americanized or remade at all. I don’t care for it. I think it’s really disturbing to do an episode on a sitcom where a woman apparently having dementia is made light of.

As someone who's passed the half century mark, I can tell you that back in the oh, so clueless 1980s, there was no such thing as Alzheimers, dementia, aphasia, etc. Back then, dementia patients were just "going senile" or "becoming eccentric in old age." It wasn't until the late 80s when we started hearing about Alzheimers and not for another decade or so until all of these new sophisticated medical terms became more prominent.

But I know what you mean. There's a character on Are You Being Served that used to upset me, Mr. Goldberg (played by Alfie Bass). The joke about that character is that he'd always walk blindly into closets and other unusual spaces out of confusion, and what was upsetting is that this is how my father was before he started going blind. So, when it came to aging and stuff, the Brits were even more clueless than we were, and enough to make jokes out of it.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

I just tried watching it on tubi and it put me to sleep lol Soon as i saw Helens mother i started fallign asslep0 lol

Oh, come on, TVFactFan. You mean to tell me Mrs. Roper’s mother telling Mrs. Roper that she was looking awfully well while mistaking her for Ethel didn’t crack you up? LOL. Or what about the part where she stole Mr. Roper’s lamb chops?

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by dee2364

As someone who's passed the half century mark, I can tell you that back in the oh, so clueless 1980s, there was no such thing as Alzheimers, dementia, aphasia, etc. Back then, dementia patients were just "going senile" or "becoming eccentric in old age." It wasn't until the late 80s when we started hearing about Alzheimers and not for another decade or so until all of these new sophisticated medical terms became more prominent.

But I know what you mean. There's a character on Are You Being Served that used to upset me, Mr. Goldberg (played by Alfie Bass). The joke about that character is that he'd always walk blindly into closets and other unusual spaces out of confusion, and what was upsetting is that this is how my father was before he started going blind. So, when it came to aging and stuff, the Brits were even more clueless than we were, and enough to make jokes out of it.

Yeah, tell me about the Brits being even more clueless than we were. Did you see the original version of “Family Planning” from George and Mildred that I posted above? They were even talking about putting Mrs. Roper’s mother down like a dog in that episode. At least the actors aren’t playing it for laughs as much in the original version.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Oh, come on, TVFactFan. You mean to tell me Mrs. Roper’s mother telling Mrs. Roper that she was looking awfully well while mistaking her for Ethel didn’t crack you up? LOL. Or what about the part where she stole Mr. Roper’s lamb chops?

Her appearance just put me to sleep instantly lol when I woke up the episode Opportunity Knocks was on with Larry LOL