The origins of "Dinner at Eight"

[MichaelMartinD]

I just realized that the plot of "Dinner at Eight" was cribbed from a 1958 episode of THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW called "Take a Message." Danny's wife takes several calls for Danny at home, one of which is from a donor to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital, who invites the couple to dinner. She gets the messages mixed up, and they wind up eating three lasagna dinners that night.

I am struck by how often sitcoms in the 1950s and 60s recycled plots. Maybe other shows did variants of this plot as well.

[stevea]

There must be a non-plagiarism clause among TV writers, because there are so many plots repeated over and over. Kid allergic to dog, visit to cabin in the woods, etc., and now the one above.

Maybe they avoid plagiarism by making slight changes to each "same" script.

[Willbo]

I think a lot of these shows used the same writers. It was their own ideas anyway when they were reusing on another show.

[MichaelMartinD]

Originally Posted by Alan Brady's Hair

Sometimes you can see personal connections in these. There's a Dick van Dyke where Rob and Buddy invest as silent partners in a shoe store, alienate the regular salesman, and end up running the store themselves. The Odd Couple steals that when Oscar and Felix invest as silent partners in a Japanese restaurant, alienate the staff, and end up running the restaurant themselves. Garry Marshall wrote the Dick van Dyke episode and Bill Idelson (who played Herman on DvD) wrote the Odd Couple episode.

Also, Danny Thomas and Andy Griffith had a personal connection (TAGS started as a spinoff of Thomas' show, after all) and that may explain the borrowing.

[stevea]

Bratty kid is another one many sitcoms had. From Lucy to the Hillbillies to Mama's Family to Raymond.

[MichaelMartinD]

Originally Posted by stevea

Bratty kid is another one many sitcoms had. From Lucy to the Hillbillies to Mama's Family to Raymond.

Also TAGS ("Opie and the Spoiled Kid").

Another plot line I've seen across many sitcoms goes like this:

The main character meets up with a friend of theirs that has become very successful. The main character feels insecure, makes up a lot of stuff about how successful THEY are. Then in the end it turns out the friend was making everything up too. I've seen variations on this plot on LUCY, THE HONEYMOONERS, LITB, and probably others. On LITB, they had Wally bragging to a girl that he was rich and had Frank Sinatra perform at his birthday party.

[vitoscotti]

The plots are rehashed, and recycled but for the most part they work. I noticed it as a kid watching. But takes nothing away from the humor. Shows how talented classic sitcoms were to pull it off. Reminds me of "All Along the Watchtower" written by Bob Dylan, and performed by him. But Jimi Hendrix version was great. And, Dave Mason's version was great. They took a little, and gave a little. Each version, they all clicked. Three talented people.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by MichaelMartinD

Also TAGS ("Opie and the Spoiled Kid").

Another plot line I've seen across many sitcoms goes like this:

The main character meets up with a friend of theirs that has become very successful. The main character feels insecure, makes up a lot of stuff about how successful THEY are. Then in the end it turns out the friend was making everything up too. I've seen variations on this plot on LUCY, THE HONEYMOONERS, LITB, and probably others. On LITB, they had Wally bragging to a girl that he was rich and had Frank Sinatra perform at his birthday party.

On TAGS they had one near the end of the series, where Goober had this plot. When he went with the Taylors to the auto show in Raleigh, and Goober connected with an old friend who bragged it up about his success, but he turned out to work as a grease monkey at a fillin' station.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by vitoscotti

The plots are rehashed, and recycled but for the most part they work. I noticed it as a kid watching. But takes nothing away from the humor. Shows how talented classic sitcoms were to pull it off. Reminds me of "All Along the Watchtower" written by Bob Dylan, and performed by him. But Jimi Hendrix version was great. And, Dave Mason's version was great. They took a little, and gave a little. Each version, they all clicked. Three talented people.

True, but I hated the bratty kids episodes. EXCEPT the TAGS one, somehow this one works. Probably because the kid got his comeuppance in the end--the others don't.

I vaguely remember one on I Dream of Jeannie--she probably got him with her magic, so maybe he got his, too.

Oh, I agree about music covers. Covers become hits in their own right because they're good too.