The Youngest Child is Usually Ignored

[fullhousefan91619]

Does anybody notice how a lot of sitcoms have very few plots for the youngest child of the family. Here's who I think, you can add more!

Judy Winslow (Family Matters)
Jake Hart (Reba)
Mark Taylor (Home Improvement)
Brendan Lambert (Step by Step)
Henry Finnherty (Grounded for Life)

[Madame X]

Tracy (Partridge Family)
Dewey (Malcolm in the Middle)
Morgan (Boy Meets World)
Jonathan (Who's the Boss?)
Jennifer (Family Ties, before Andrew)
Ross (Patty Duke Show)
Prudence (Nanny and the Professor)
Wednesday (Addams Family)
Carrie (Little House on the Prairie), not a sitcom but often included in discussion

[catlover79]

Baby Grace Ingalls - Little House on the Prairie

[tv star collector]

Molly (EVENING SHADE)

This character was so overlooked that my sister didn't even notice when
a different actress (Candace Hutson) replaced the original (Melissa Martin).

[Furienna]

Originally Posted by fullhousefan91619

Does anybody notice how a lot of sitcoms have very few plots for the youngest child of the family. Here's who I think, you can add more!

Judy Winslow (Family Matters)
Jake Hart (Reba)
Mark Taylor (Home Improvement)
Brendan Lambert (Step by Step)
Henry Finnherty (Grounded for Life)

Judy, Brendan and Henry were even cut from the show, weren't they?

But I think I know the reason why things are this way. You can only have a limited number of plots for a baby. That's the reason why many babies are aged several years between two seasons. Because by then, the child is old enough and still small enough to add a "cute kid factor" to the show. But by the time the child is a pre-teen (between 10 yo and 13 yo), they're to old to be used for that, and they're also still too young to be a teenager with teenage problems to make plots about. As a result, babies and toddlers AND pre-teens are often overlooked, and the focus is on the "cute kids", who are between 5 yo and 10 yo in age, and of course on the teenagers, who are easier to make plots about.

[catlover79]

Baby Adam Stephens was often in the shadow of his older sister, Tabitha, on Bewitched.

[Buffyboy323]

Originally Posted by fullhousefan91619

Does anybody notice how a lot of sitcoms have very few plots for the youngest child of the family.

Not in the case of Full House!

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by Buffyboy323

Not in the case of Full House!

In the case of Full House, the youngest child MONOPOLIZED the storylines!!

[Buffyboy323]

Originally Posted by catlover79

In the case of Full House, the youngest child MONOPOLIZED the storylines!!

YEP!

[Furienna]

Yeah, but DJ and Stephanie had their storylines too.

[DTF955]

Thing is, writers don't seem to realize that if you're going to have a character, that character doesn't have to be an intrinsic part of a storyline to appear. If they would be creative, they could keep children in even when there isn't the cuteness factor.

Writers of many shows, from what I've observed, tend to think that "if a character is there, they have to be involved." I can see where that comes into play with adults - contracts specify they be in every episode, certain number of lines may be specified with some, etc. - on "FUll HOuse" it almost seemed like they specified every character be in each half, before and afte the commercial break, as the Chronology makes realistic some things that - when done as episodes - clearly had scenes shifted around in an order that was not logical at all from a time sequence.

But, look what you can do with preteens, for instance. 10YO just pops in for a minute or two on his or her way to socer practice. Parents talking during a scene can mention the child's ball game. They can be seen in the background doing homework or even doing something that might get them noticed but not detract from a scene. And, even with toddler/preschoolers; they can be seen in a scene coloring or playing with blocks or something.

In fact, you might call me silly, but I dont' see why a small child's part has to be totally scripted. I know - you've likely got that look as you worry about what could happen. But think about it.

Let's say the typical family is having a discussion in the living room, on the ubiquitous sofa and chairs arrangement. A child is allowed to come into the room if he/she pleases, but doesn't have to. The only rule is thta if they do, they are not to bother the others.

So, partway through a scene, the child does what he/she wants; they come in and start coloring, or playing with some blocks laying there, and guess what. Others go on with the scene. Maybe they even crawl into the TV dad or mom's lap. They leave to go potty whenever they need.

This would make it much mroe normal, and I would say the number of takes you'd need wouldn't be that much worse than if you tried to script a child into it. At times, it would be much better. WIth a preteen, you actually have almost no worries.

That would make it look more like normal life. And, you wouldn't get the problem of aging characters or anything.

I know, I'd make a *very* radical director. But, it would be fun to try.

[Furienna]

Good post!

[Ireneparalegal]

Madame X and Monika, you both hit it on the head with Carrie and Grace from LHOTP.

Along with the Olsen Twins we had to endure Olivia from The Cosby Show. I would have loved to see her get ignored.

[Buffyboy323]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

we had to endure Olivia from The Cosby Show. I would have loved to see her get ignored.

.....I mean...THAT'S SO MESSED UP!

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

Madame X and Monika, you both hit it on the head with Carrie and Grace from LHOTP.

Along with the Olsen Twins we had to endure Olivia from The Cosby Show. I would have loved to see her get ignored.