Importance of economy and wealth in live-action sitcoms

[george ho]

The likes of Married... with Children, Taxi, Roseanne, Grace Under Fire, and The Middle made income, wealth, and budgeting more prominent. Of course, they focus primarily on the working-class.

I read an article saying that there aren't enough shows about working-class characters: https://www.vulture.com/2018/05/work...-timeline.html

This inspires me to create a thread about how a sitcom can make wealth and budgeting prominent or irrelevant, no matter how much "escapism" is inserted.

I've been thinking: A show like Gilligan's Island displays an economic system (or lack of it) on an uncharted island. Well, it focuses more primarily on finding available resources and survival than about economy itself... because it is about the island itself and characters on the island.

What about shows, like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie? They must have episodes tackling budgets and economy, right?

I don't know what to say about Modern Family and Friends, which doesn't make wealth a prominent issue very much. How does Seinfeld make economy an issue?

[Steve_uk]

Don't viewers wish to dispense with the concept of income disparity for half an hour whilst lying on the settee in front of the television?

[TSMIV]

The list is flawed because any list of working class sitcoms has to include Mama's Family.

A list of current working class shows should include Young Sheldon. George is a high school football coach and Mary is a church secretary. Part of the premise of the show is that they can't afford to send Sheldon to an expensive private school so he goes to public high school at 9 years old.

What about shows, like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie? They must have episodes tackling budgets and economy, right?

I don't think so. Darrin was an advertising executive and Tony was an astronaut at a time when that was the most glamorous job in the country. Plus, the women could blink or nose wiggle any money woes away.

How does Seinfeld make economy an issue?

George was on unemployment and living with his parents in the early seasons, but it was mostly because George was lazy not because of a bad economy. Jerry always said he was working harder at being unemployed that he would if he just got a job. Once he fell into the job with the Yankees, he never had money problems again.

On Friends, Joey always had money problems until he got the gig on DOOL. He was basically living off of Chandler.

[favoriteshow]

Originally Posted by george ho

The likes of Married... with Children, Taxi, Roseanne, Grace Under Fire, and The Middle made income, wealth, and budgeting more prominent. Of course, they focus primarily on the working-class.

I read an article saying that there aren't enough shows about working-class characters: https://www.vulture.com/2018/05/work...-timeline.html

This inspires me to create a thread about how a sitcom can make wealth and budgeting prominent or irrelevant, no matter how much "escapism" is inserted.

I've been thinking: A show like Gilligan's Island displays an economic system (or lack of it) on an uncharted island. Well, it focuses more primarily on finding available resources and survival than about economy itself... because it is about the island itself and characters on the island.

What about shows, like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie? They must have episodes tackling budgets and economy, right?

I don't know what to say about Modern Family and Friends, which doesn't make wealth a prominent issue very much. How does Seinfeld make economy an issue?

I think it's very apparent that the Modern Family family is well off, especially Jay and Gloria's family. With Blackish, it was also likely an intent to not show a struggling Black family but pretty upper income.

Friends was more unrealistic in what was showing, but there were theories that Monica inherited a rent controlled apartment.

Bewitched was middle class leaning upper income. Darrin always made Samantha try to do tasks like cooking the hard way without help. And there was no housekeeper on the show.

[favoriteshow]

Would The Wonder Years count?

There was a really good episode "Christmas" from Season 2, where Kevin and Wayne want a color TV. One of my favorite episodes. Kevin's mom and sister were also memorized by color TV, but the dad is reluctant to spend on buying one. Wayne even says "everyone else has one." The dad had an office job but the family didn't live a have all lifestyle.

I always enjoyed the episodes of The Wonder Years where it was more about Kevin and his family, than too much on Kevin and Winnie.