What topics should FOL have done, but didn't?

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Sitcommania

A gay male character would have been interesting. As would a story about HIV/AIDS. Bullying would have been a good topic, too.

I think they covered bullying pretty well in "Kids Can Be Cruel".

By the time AIDS became a major concern on US television (finally!), FOL was doing very few Special Episodes. Tandem/Embassy's new owners wanted nothing to do with controversy. The series was no longer ground-breaking, and they, like most other sitcoms, avoided the AIDS crisis entirely. Of course it should have happened. But the series was owned by a beverage company, at this point. We're just lucky there was relatively little product placement.

[Sitcommania]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I think they covered bullying pretty well in "Kids Can Be Cruel".

I guess. That’s never been a go-to episode for me. Another one would have been good...

By the time AIDS became a major concern on US television (finally!), FOL was doing very few Special Episodes. Tandem/Embassy's new owners wanted nothing to do with controversy. The series was no longer ground-breaking, and they, like most other sitcoms, avoided the AIDS crisis entirely. Of course it should have happened. But the series was owned by a beverage company, at this point. We're just lucky there was relatively little product placement.

True, this is when other sitcoms did AIDS stories, if at all. I think it’s likely that there would have been one in the hypothetical 10th season.

[80s Dude]

One cast member who was affected by AIDS was the second Monica, Blair's mother. Her son died of AIDS in the early 90s.

[TV Guy]

Herpes