Staircase in the Kitchen - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

jehobden · 06-08-2003, 05:05 AM

I have noticed by watching Bewitched, and by reading the excellent blueprints for the Stephens house in the book TV Sets, that the interior of the house matches the exterior perfectly, which is amazing, considering other sets, The Brady Bunch comes to mind first, where the interior doesn't look like the exterior at all, or like any kind of layout resembling a real house. Bewitched did mess up its perfect layout though around the 7th season by putting a staircase into the kitchen. I can't figure out why it was added, and according the the architectural layout, it would go up to an edge of the house where the roof meets the first floor, so I have no idea where in the house it goes. I guess maybe it could go up to that patio over the garage. In any case, I can never figure out why so many sitcom kitchens have staircases going into them. I have only been in one house that I can remember w/ multiple staircases, and it was about the size of a mansion, certainly not a typical middle-class house that would be depicted in a sitcom. Does anyone remember anyone ever using this staircase or when it was introduced? I gave the 7th season as a date when I think I first saw it because it showed up in the 7th season Christmas ep "Sisters at Heart".

Mysty Eyes · 06-08-2003, 12:14 PM

My sister & brother-in-law have a house where there is a staircase that pretty much leads into the kitchen. It actually leads down to the little entryway of the back door entrance off of the driveway, but you have to turn left at the bottom of the stairs in order to leave the house. If you simply continue to walk straight ahead as you finish descending the steps, you walk right into the kitchen. The staircase was an add-on feature made by the previous owners, who had added a second story to the original house.

As far as the Stephens' house, hmm... I don't really remember the back stairway, except as a brief fleeting thought recollected by your post. So... nope, I don't remember any explanation for it in the show.

Maybe they remodeled?

Arfies · 06-08-2003, 03:50 PM

I like how Bewitched made the extra effort to have the exterior and interior match up pretty well, even duplicating the front door and walkway on the indoor sets to have it be more realistic.

It irks me to see shows like "Full House" or "Smart Guy" with those HUGE living rooms, a front door leading to nowhere on the side, stairs leading up to nowhere, and you NEVER see ceilings. They don't fit up with the "establishing" shot of the outdoor house in the least- which the cast never actually goes outside of it or anything.....

TV Guy · 06-08-2003, 05:32 PM

I think it's a bit harder to have the interiors and exteriors match up when the show is filmed in front of a studio audience, because the set designers have to be careful of obstructing the audience view. (That's why you also don't see ceilings on the three-camera/studio audience shows.) Look at how the "Happy Days" house matched until it started filming in front of an audience and the set was redesigned. "Bewitched" was filmed with one-camera and without an audience.

That said, I agree -- the "Full House" set isn't even close.

hch · 06-09-2003, 10:48 AM

Go to http://www.harpiesbizarre.com and find out about the consistencies and inconsistencies of the entire Stephens house throughout the show.

jehobden · 06-10-2003, 01:28 AM

Thanks for the www.harpiesbizarre.com link. I always did wonder why no one came down the kitchen stairway. The site also shows a lot of the reuse of props and sets both on Bewitched and between Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. It also shows a still pic from Sisters at Heart, which I mentioned previously, where you can see the phony staircase in the back.

catlover79 · 01-10-2008, 06:18 PM

That kitchen staircase, like the rest of the Stephens' decor in the 1970s, was HIDEOUS!!

Give me the old look anyday!!

Jude The Obscure · 01-11-2008, 06:20 PM

Tis true! And the fact we never had an on-air explanation for the set changes really gets my goat!

catlover79 · 01-11-2008, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude86

Tis true! And the fact we never had an on-air explanation for the set changes really gets my goat!

Good point.

Jude The Obscure · 01-11-2008, 06:29 PM

Glad to see another BW lover!

catlover79 · 01-11-2008, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude86

Glad to see another BW lover!

Same to you!!

comedyfreak · 01-12-2008, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude86

Tis true! And the fact we never had an on-air explanation for the set changes really gets my goat!

I understood that there was a fire on the set and the kitchen got damaged. Seems like they could have put it back instead constructing something new that didn't seem to match.

catlover79 · 01-12-2008, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

I understood that there was a fire on the set and the kitchen got damaged. Seems like they could have put it back instead constructing something new that didn't seem to match.

I agree - the whole 1970s decor looked awful. I too would've tried to reconstruct that set to look the way it did before.

Jude The Obscure · 01-12-2008, 02:27 PM

To me, an explanation of "Darrin got a big bonus at McMann and Tate, so we decided to remodel the kitchen" etc would have sufficed.

McGillicuddy · 02-02-2009, 02:03 AM

Heres something interesting-- In the early 1970's movie Brian's Song about Football players Brian Picallo and Gale Sayers, The Sayers' Are living in the Stephens' house. Brian goes to visit Gale, and I remember seeing the entryway, the stairs and the hallway, and they go down to the basement through what was a closet door in the hallway.

06-08-2003, 05:05 AM	#1
jehobden Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2002 Location: DFW Area, TX Posts: 2,004	Staircase in the Kitchen I have noticed by watching Bewitched, and by reading the excellent blueprints for the Stephens house in the book TV Sets, that the interior of the house matches the exterior perfectly, which is amazing, considering other sets, The Brady Bunch comes to mind first, where the interior doesn't look like the exterior at all, or like any kind of layout resembling a real house. Bewitched did mess up its perfect layout though around the 7th season by putting a staircase into the kitchen. I can't figure out why it was added, and according the the architectural layout, it would go up to an edge of the house where the roof meets the first floor, so I have no idea where in the house it goes. I guess maybe it could go up to that patio over the garage. In any case, I can never figure out why so many sitcom kitchens have staircases going into them. I have only been in one house that I can remember w/ multiple staircases, and it was about the size of a mansion, certainly not a typical middle-class house that would be depicted in a sitcom. Does anyone remember anyone ever using this staircase or when it was introduced? I gave the 7th season as a date when I think I first saw it because it showed up in the 7th season Christmas ep "Sisters at Heart".

06-09-2003, 10:48 AM	#5
hch Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 07, 2001 Location: Montross, VA 22520 Posts: 983	Good explanation fo the kitchen Go to http://www.harpiesbizarre.com and find out about the consistencies and inconsistencies of the entire Stephens house throughout the show.
	__________________ "You don't own the rights or the patent on scuffling!" Willona from "Good Times"

01-10-2008, 06:18 PM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	That kitchen staircase, like the rest of the Stephens' decor in the 1970s, was HIDEOUS!! Give me the old look anyday!!
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

06-08-2003, 12:14 PM	#2
Mysty Eyes Dreaming... Senior Member Join Date: Feb 04, 2002 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 1,144	My sister & brother-in-law have a house where there is a staircase that pretty much leads into the kitchen. It actually leads down to the little entryway of the back door entrance off of the driveway, but you have to turn left at the bottom of the stairs in order to leave the house. If you simply continue to walk straight ahead as you finish descending the steps, you walk right into the kitchen. The staircase was an add-on feature made by the previous owners, who had added a second story to the original house. As far as the Stephens' house, hmm... I don't really remember the back stairway, except as a brief fleeting thought recollected by your post. So... nope, I don't remember any explanation for it in the show. Maybe they remodeled?

06-08-2003, 03:50 PM	#3
Arfies Memberific Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: There beneath the blue suburban skies, in summer, meanwhile back.... Posts: 481	I like how Bewitched made the extra effort to have the exterior and interior match up pretty well, even duplicating the front door and walkway on the indoor sets to have it be more realistic. It irks me to see shows like "Full House" or "Smart Guy" with those HUGE living rooms, a front door leading to nowhere on the side, stairs leading up to nowhere, and you NEVER see ceilings. They don't fit up with the "establishing" shot of the outdoor house in the least- which the cast never actually goes outside of it or anything.....

06-08-2003, 05:32 PM	#4
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	I think it's a bit harder to have the interiors and exteriors match up when the show is filmed in front of a studio audience, because the set designers have to be careful of obstructing the audience view. (That's why you also don't see ceilings on the three-camera/studio audience shows.) Look at how the "Happy Days" house matched until it started filming in front of an audience and the set was redesigned. "Bewitched" was filmed with one-camera and without an audience. That said, I agree -- the "Full House" set isn't even close.

06-10-2003, 01:28 AM	#6
jehobden Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2002 Location: DFW Area, TX Posts: 2,004	Thanks for the www.harpiesbizarre.com link. I always did wonder why no one came down the kitchen stairway. The site also shows a lot of the reuse of props and sets both on Bewitched and between Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. It also shows a still pic from Sisters at Heart, which I mentioned previously, where you can see the phony staircase in the back.

01-11-2008, 06:20 PM	#8
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,520	Tis true! And the fact we never had an on-air explanation for the set changes really gets my goat!

01-11-2008, 06:29 PM	#10
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,520	Glad to see another BW lover!

01-12-2008, 02:27 PM	#14
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,520	To me, an explanation of "Darrin got a big bonus at McMann and Tate, so we decided to remodel the kitchen" etc would have sufficed.

02-02-2009, 02:03 AM	#15
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	Heres something interesting-- In the early 1970's movie Brian's Song about Football players Brian Picallo and Gale Sayers, The Sayers' Are living in the Stephens' house. Brian goes to visit Gale, and I remember seeing the entryway, the stairs and the hallway, and they go down to the basement through what was a closet door in the hallway.