Cliches that sitcoms love to use - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

PhoenixAcres · 02-12-2017, 10:43 PM

Some standard storylines are used by sitcoms as a go-to for ideas. How many can you think of?

Two (or more) characters get trapped in a room and have to put up with each other for the episode's duration.

Someone gets bumped on the head and gets amnesia.

The husband can't remember when/how long he and his wife have been married.

Two unlikely characters get handcuffed together.

PhoenixAcres · 10-22-2017, 06:00 PM

Some character's birthday is coming up, and the other characters try to throw a surprise party without him/her knowing.

A character injures their foot or whatever and has to stay at someone's house for days as an overbearing houseguest.

A guy accidentally invites two girls to the same dance.

Edward216 · 10-22-2017, 06:09 PM

Two good male (or female) friends will be attracted to the same person and jealousy and fighting over said person will happen. That's also done with 2 brothers or 2 sisters.

Ed.

Bonniegirl · 10-22-2017, 07:51 PM

Over hearing conversations and getting information very wrong ! Two that commonly happen are thinking somebody is very gravely ill when they are not, or thinking a woman is pregnant when she's not !

MA · 10-22-2017, 08:14 PM

I can't seem to think of any!

DJM77 · 10-22-2017, 08:19 PM

Someone's pet dies and then someone tries to replace it without the pet's owner noticing.

Bonniegirl · 10-22-2017, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM77

Someone's pet dies and then someone tries to replace it without the pet's owner noticing.

Yeah! Or kids bringing an animal/pet in the house and trying to hide it from parents. Or people that rent apartments trying to keep a pet from the landlord knowing!

MikeLutton · 10-23-2017, 12:37 AM

dont forget the clip shows they was everywhere

biffbronson · 10-23-2017, 11:13 AM

Automobile driving lessons: oftentimes it's the husband becoming frustrated trying to teach the wife, and lots of bad feelings result, or a son or daughter learning (Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, Bewitched, Green Acres, I Dream of Jeannie...) -- even older adult learners (Aunt Bee on TAGS).

Bonniegirl · 10-23-2017, 12:42 PM

How about being mad at someone and dumping food or drinks over that person's head ? That happens a lot in Sitcom land!!

MrCleveland · 10-23-2017, 01:08 PM

When an actor/actress leaves the show or they die...their character gets killed-off.

opus · 10-23-2017, 02:41 PM

Someone has a doppelgänger.

biffbronson · 10-23-2017, 03:00 PM

One of the children destroys something of value (and usually there's a cover-up attempt):

LITB: Beaver & Larry and Ward's baseball signed by Babe Ruth
TAGS: Opie and friend and Bee's prize rose
Family Affair: Buffy & Jody and a pre-Columbian statuette
Brady Bunch: Carol's lamp, earrings

principehomura · 10-23-2017, 03:32 PM

Something valuable is lost and one or more characters try to rescue it before the owner realize it's lost.

Surprise party, the room is dark and supposedly empty and the celebrated one talks bad about the hidden guests. (I hate this one)

Pet must be send to the vet to be castrated, the father doesn't want to.

tvfan25 · 10-23-2017, 07:06 PM

Characters trying to be someone they're not

Mistaken identity

Man dates a woman, then the woman's ex comes to confront the "new" boyfriend

Hiding from bill collectors

02-12-2017, 10:43 PM	#1
PhoenixAcres Member Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 26, 2016 Location: United States Posts: 6,824	Cliches that sitcoms love to use Some standard storylines are used by sitcoms as a go-to for ideas. How many can you think of? Two (or more) characters get trapped in a room and have to put up with each other for the episode's duration. Someone gets bumped on the head and gets amnesia. The husband can't remember when/how long he and his wife have been married. Two unlikely characters get handcuffed together.

10-22-2017, 08:14 PM	#5
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127,545	I can't seem to think of any!
	__________________ ~-Mikaela-~

10-22-2017, 08:19 PM	#6
DJM77 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: May 15, 2001 Location: Missouri Posts: 5,564	Someone's pet dies and then someone tries to replace it without the pet's owner noticing.
	__________________ Marge: There are only 49 stars on that flag. Abe: I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Missouri!

10-23-2017, 12:37 AM	#8
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,886	dont forget the clip shows they was everywhere
	__________________ Tv And DVD Addict got over a hundred dvds in my collection more than anyone in the neighborhood. also huge Animal lover family man

10-23-2017, 01:08 PM	#11
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,224	When an actor/actress leaves the show or they die...their character gets killed-off.
	__________________ Thank God for kids that love Obscure Things. Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007) You ARE Special to God! Rev. Ernest Angely (August 1921-May 2021)

10-22-2017, 06:00 PM	#2
PhoenixAcres Member Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 26, 2016 Location: United States Posts: 6,824	Some character's birthday is coming up, and the other characters try to throw a surprise party without him/her knowing. A character injures their foot or whatever and has to stay at someone's house for days as an overbearing houseguest. A guy accidentally invites two girls to the same dance.

10-22-2017, 06:09 PM	#3
Edward216 Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 18, 2014 Location: Central Time Zone Posts: 4,648	Two good male (or female) friends will be attracted to the same person and jealousy and fighting over said person will happen. That's also done with 2 brothers or 2 sisters. Ed.

10-22-2017, 07:51 PM	#4
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,758	Over hearing conversations and getting information very wrong ! Two that commonly happen are thinking somebody is very gravely ill when they are not, or thinking a woman is pregnant when she's not !

10-23-2017, 11:13 AM	#9
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,493	Automobile driving lessons: oftentimes it's the husband becoming frustrated trying to teach the wife, and lots of bad feelings result, or a son or daughter learning (Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, Bewitched, Green Acres, I Dream of Jeannie...) -- even older adult learners (Aunt Bee on TAGS).

10-23-2017, 12:42 PM	#10
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,758	How about being mad at someone and dumping food or drinks over that person's head ? That happens a lot in Sitcom land!!

10-23-2017, 02:41 PM	#12
opus VB Forum Superstar Join Date: May 16, 2015 Location: VB Galaxy Posts: 32,468	Someone has a doppelgänger.

10-23-2017, 03:00 PM	#13
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,493	One of the children destroys something of value (and usually there's a cover-up attempt): LITB: Beaver & Larry and Ward's baseball signed by Babe Ruth TAGS: Opie and friend and Bee's prize rose Family Affair: Buffy & Jody and a pre-Columbian statuette Brady Bunch: Carol's lamp, earrings

10-23-2017, 03:32 PM	#14
principehomura Member Forum Regular Join Date: May 24, 2010 Location: SEA, Napa, Lanford, NY \| Rome (WI), Coeur d'Coeurs, Stars Hollow, Sunnydale \| Twin Peaks, BAL, Deadwood, WA \| Tardis, Galactica Posts: 757	Something valuable is lost and one or more characters try to rescue it before the owner realize it's lost. Surprise party, the room is dark and supposedly empty and the celebrated one talks bad about the hidden guests. (I hate this one) Pet must be send to the vet to be castrated, the father doesn't want to.
	__________________ Frasier, Mom, Roseanne, The Conners Picket Fences, Pushing Daisies, Buffy, Gilmore Girls Twin Peaks, The Wire, Deadwood, X-Files - Frasier, Niles and Martin Crane, Dale Cooper, Fox Mulder Christy Plunkett, Buffy Summers, Rory Gilmore, Becky Conner, Dana Scully - Roseanne Barr, David E. Kelley, David Milch, Amy Sherman, Bryan Fuller, Steven Bochco - Anna Faris, Marlee Matlin, Jane Levy, Lecy Goranson, Jennifer Esposito, Melissa J. Hart - Kelsey Grammer, David H. Pierce, Michael J. Fox

10-23-2017, 07:06 PM	#15
tvfan25 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 10, 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 634	Characters trying to be someone they're not Mistaken identity Man dates a woman, then the woman's ex comes to confront the "new" boyfriend Hiding from bill collectors