Does Adding an Additional Kid Really Make a Show Start Going Downhill?

[GCW]

A lot of sitcoms tend to write another child into the script. Do you think that makes the show go downhill? It always seems to be a jump the shark moment. Name shows in which you feel the addition of a another child ruined the show.

Here are some shows that added an additional kid.

The Cosby Show - Olivia
Fresh Prince - Nicky
Growing Pains - Chrissy
Step By Step - Lilly
Good Times - Penny
The Jeffersons - Jessica
All In The Family - Stephanie
The Brady Bunch - Cousin Oliver
Family Ties - Andrew
Family Matters - 3J
Who's The Boss? - Billy
My Wife and Kids - Franklin


I don't think all of these shows suffered but some did. What are your thoughts? Feel free to list any other shows.

[catlover79]

You forgot to add Adam from Bewitched, Annie from Family, and Sam (shudder) from Diff'rent Strokes. I think that additional kids are added when the writers run out of ideas and they figure a cute kid will freshen things up. It almost always reeks of desperation, and you have these "cute" obnoxious kids hogging up all the airtime. So adding a new kid is almost always a jump the shark moment.

[Brian Damage]

I think always adding a kid on a sitcom is a death knell.

[APPLEI]

Originally Posted by GCW

A lot of sitcoms tend to write another child into the script. Do you think that makes the show go downhill? It always seems to be a jump the shark moment. Name shows in which you feel the addition of a another child ruined the show.

Here are some shows that added an additional kid.

The Cosby Show - Olivia
Fresh Prince - Nicky
Growing Pains - Chrissy
Step By Step - Lilly
Good Times - Penny
The Jeffersons - Jessica
All In The Family - Stephanie
The Brady Bunch - Cousin Oliver
Family Ties - Andrew
Family Matters - 3J
Who's The Boss? - Billy
My Wife and Kids - Franklin


I don't think all of these shows suffered but some did. What are your thoughts? Feel free to list any other shows.

i would like to add a few more shows
Too Close For Comfort-Andrew(the new baby)
Married With Children-Seven
The Partridge Family-Ricky
One Day At A Time-Alex
The Donna Reed Show-Trisha
Hazel-Susie

[GCW]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

I think always adding a kid on a sitcom is a death knell.

You would think that these writers would learn that, but I guess when they do it on their particular show they think that their "kid" can make it better and not fall into the downhill trap.

[comedyfreak]

Originally Posted by catlover79

You forgot to add Adam from Bewitched, Annie from Family, and Sam (shudder) from Diff'rent Strokes. I think that additional kids are added when the writers run out of ideas and they figure a cute kid will freshen things up. It almost always reeks of desperation, and you have these "cute" obnoxious kids hogging up all the airtime. So adding a new kid is almost always a jump the shark moment.

I think adding children to a show that is already on the decline will not help, most often it hurts a show. Below for example.

Don't forget:
Pippa-The Facts Of Life
Andy-The Facts Of Life
Flip Phillips-Happy Days
Heather Pfister-Happy Days
Alex Handris -One Day At A Time

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

I think adding children to a show that is already on the decline will not help, most often it hurts a show. Below for example.

Don't forget:
Pippa-The Facts Of Life
Andy-The Facts Of Life
Flip Phillips-Happy Days
Heather Pfister-Happy Days
Alex Handris -One Day At A Time

So true, so true.

[clj2]

Not a sitcom, but 'James' and 'Cassandra' on Little House didn't exactly improve the series. They were downright annoying, IMO. The Ingalls kept getting all of these new kids!

[comedyfreak]

Originally Posted by TV Land Fan

Not a sitcom, but 'James' and 'Cassandra' on Little House didn't exactly improve the series. They were downright annoying, IMO. The Ingalls kept getting all of these new kids!

True, but it does prove the point. I think a show that starts performing poorly should either, go back to its roots or should just end.

[mstewart]

When Family Ties added Andrew to the mix Meredith Baxter Birney was pregnant and given it was a family show it was decided to make Elyse pregnant. The show was at its peak when Andrew was born. It was when they instantly aged him from a baby to preschool that hurt the show with the Alex episodes getting repetitious added more insult to injury. Plus they were trying to make Andrew a mini Alex and that's what hurt the show at the end along with Meredith Baxter Birney being unhappy with her role deminishing when she was originally the star along with Michael Gross.

ALF was another one that did not need to add a child into the show when Eric was born. Anne Schedeen, who played Kate Tanner, was expecting and the show decided to write her pregnancy into the storylines. The show was beginning to sag in that season and it did not help any. She did not hardly looked pregnant so they could had pulled off hiding the pregnancy.

Too Close for Comfort should not added Andrew to the mix but Nancy Dussault was unhappy with underdevelopment of her character Muriel Rush so they made her pregnant to give her some laughs. What they should had done is explore more of her singing background and give us a treat to hear Nancy's voice more. She have quite a voice.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air was a bad situation where an actress gets pregnant and added a baby into the storyline. It was good but when they instantly aged Nicky that was when the show was getting bad. The issues that Janet Hubert-Whitten had with Will Smith and the producers filtered out on screen and that what hurt the show. I did not like Daphne Maxwell Reid in that role. Janet was Vivian and she was a more flashier dresser than Daphne.

Bewitched added Adam when the show was already on the decline with Dick York having to leave due to health issues and the Dick Sargent replacing DY. There was no chemistry between Dick Sargent and Elizabeth Montgomery. She had better chemistry with DY. But they added Adam because Elizabeth was expecting in real life. Notice that Bewitched is the only show where the lead actress was expecting twice and it was incorporated into the storylines.

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by catlover79

You forgot to add Adam from Bewitched, Annie from Family, and Sam (shudder) from Diff'rent Strokes. I think that additional kids are added when the writers run out of ideas and they figure a cute kid will freshen things up. It almost always reeks of desperation, and you have these "cute" obnoxious kids hogging up all the airtime. So adding a new kid is almost always a jump the shark moment.

The exception being I Love Lucy, the addition of Little Ricky made the show receive higher ratings and fans loved the episodes.

As for the Little House reference above, there is even an episode where James is feeling a "bit overcrowded" with the five kids living in that damn Ingalls home, which by the way, was TOO DAMN SMALL to begin with.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

The exception being I Love Lucy, the addition of Little Ricky made the show receive higher ratings and fans loved the episodes.

As for the Little House reference above, there is even an episode where James is feeling a "bit overcrowded" with the five kids living in that damn Ingalls home, which by the way, was TOO DAMN SMALL to begin with.

Why DID Pa never add on to the house!??

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by mstewart

When Family Ties added Andrew to the mix Meredith Baxter Birney was pregnant and given it was a family show it was decided to make Elyse pregnant. The show was at its peak when Andrew was born. It was when they instantly aged him from a baby to preschool that hurt the show with the Alex episodes getting repetitious added more insult to injury. Plus they were trying to make Andrew a mini Alex and that's what hurt the show at the end along with Meredith Baxter Birney being unhappy with her role deminishing when she was originally the star along with Michael Gross.

ALF was another one that did not need to add a child into the show when Eric was born. Anne Schedeen, who played Kate Tanner, was expecting and the show decided to write her pregnancy into the storylines. The show was beginning to sag in that season and it did not help any. She did not hardly looked pregnant so they could had pulled off hiding the pregnancy.

Too Close for Comfort should not added Andrew to the mix but Nancy Dussault was unhappy with underdevelopment of her character Muriel Rush so they made her pregnant to give her some laughs. What they should had done is explore more of her singing background and give us a treat to hear Nancy's voice more. She have quite a voice.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air was a bad situation where an actress gets pregnant and added a baby into the storyline. It was good but when they instantly aged Nicky that was when the show was getting bad. The issues that Janet Hubert-Whitten had with Will Smith and the producers filtered out on screen and that what hurt the show. I did not like Daphne Maxwell Reid in that role. Janet was Vivian and she was a more flashier dresser than Daphne.

Bewitched added Adam when the show was already on the decline with Dick York having to leave due to health issues and the Dick Sargent replacing DY. There was no chemistry between Dick Sargent and Elizabeth Montgomery. She had better chemistry with DY. But they added Adam because Elizabeth was expecting in real life. Notice that Bewitched is the only show where the lead actress was expecting twice and it was incorporated into the storylines.

Yes, you're right on all counts. Without DY, Bewitched was sinking fast and I think the only reason Adam was written in was because Liz was pregnant. As for Nancy Dussault, I also LOVED her guest turn on Barney Miller as a sassy hooker.

[James]

I noticed nobody mentioned Jeffrey and Serena Burton from The Waltons, with their grandmother Rose, to boot. They came on board during the eighth (1979-80; second-last) season and had a much more devastating effect on the show than Cousin Oliver did The Brady Bunch. The show should have renamed itself The Burtons since they took over all of the storylines.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by James

I noticed nobody mentioned Jeffrey and Serena Burton from The Waltons, with their grandmother Rose, to boot. They came on board during the eighth (1979-80; second-last) season and had a much more devastating effect on the show than Cousin Oliver did The Brady Bunch. The show should have renamed itself The Burtons since they took over all of the storylines.

By 1980, Michael Learned and Richard Thomas had left for greener pastures, Ellen Corby had left because of her health problems, and Will Geer had passed away. All four had won Emmy Awards for their roles on The Waltons. The higher-ups should've packed it in and called it a day because Ralph Thomas and the remaining kids just couldn't pull it off. The chemistry was gone by then and the falling ratings showed it. At least the reunion movies featured many of the original cast.