Sitcom Cliches

[James]

What about the unseen but often talked about character.

The Golden Girls had Phil (Dorothy's brother and Sophia's son)
Will & Grace had Karen's husband...Stan(?)

That's a good one! There must be tons of examples of this. Right off the top of my head is Maris, Niles' wife/ex-wife from Frasier, and Peg's mom from Married With Children. As far as I know neither of them were ever shown, elevating them both to legendary levels of horribleness through dialogue.

 

[Hellion]

That's a good one! There must be tons of examples of this. Right off the top of my head is Maris, Niles' wife/ex-wife from Frasier, and Peg's mom from Married With Children. As far as I know neither of them were ever shown, elevating them both to legendary levels of horribleness through dialogue.

I had trouble coming up with other ones, but after reading yours I'm like How could I forget those two?!

 

[PyroChamber]

That's a good one! There must be tons of examples of this. Right off the top of my head is Maris, Niles' wife/ex-wife from Frasier, and Peg's mom from Married With Children. As far as I know neither of them were ever shown, elevating them both to legendary levels of horribleness through dialogue.

How about Howard's mother from Big Bang Theory?

Speaking of which, how about the character that everyone hangs out with yet no one truly understands why; Sheldon, Fez, Screech, Billy (kinda), Budnick, etc. There's probably more that I forgot.

 

[Hellion]

How about Howard's mother from Big Bang Theory?

Another one to add to my Obvious list.

 

[Mace Dolex]

This has probably been mentioned but newborn baby ages 5 years during season break, but other cast-members stay the same age.

Yeah I saw this on Too Close For Comfort, Family Ties, Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, the cool thing is that on Fresh Prince they made an inside joke of it.

 

[Mace Dolex]

In older sitcoms I guess it was common for actors to re-appear on a show sometimes playing totally different characters especially in long running sitcoms in which the audience wouldn't probably remember their earlier roles.

For example in Three's Company and it's spin-off The Ropers character actor Jeffrey Tambor would do guest spots playing 4 different characters.

I'd think the viewers would get wise and start thinking "didn't he show up before?"

 

[PyroChamber]

In older sitcoms I guess it was common for actors to re-appear on a show sometimes playing totally different characters especially in long running sitcoms in which the audience wouldn't probably remember their earlier roles.

For example in Three's Company and it's spin-off The Ropers character actor Jeffrey Tambor would do guest spots playing 4 different characters.

I'd think the viewers would get wise and start thinking "didn't he show up before?"

I remember the guy who played Bernie from Weekend at Bernie's was on Three's Company twice as two different characters, one was a jealous boyfriend and the other was a mobster.

 

[ReTrO JuNkIe 42]

Vera, Norms wife on cheers also talked about but never seen

 

[SoulManX]

The best was Drew Carey Show boss that you never saw till he got fired...classict:

 

[Mace Dolex]

I remember the guy who played Bernie from Weekend at Bernie's was on Three's Company twice as two different characters, one was a jealous boyfriend and the other was a mobster.

yep that was Terry Kiser always a reliable actor.

 

[Artistsean]

Here is one
The show is about a group of 30 somethings who all have great jobs, relationships, great apartments in the city, and have nearly no contact with their families. In this economy, and from what I hear about kids who have to move back in with their parents after college, its very unrealistic.

 

[Mace Dolex]

The boss who is a grouch and yelling at his employees but deep down has a heart of gold.

 

[PyroChamber]

- A character is constantly being picked on and they spend the episode thinking of a plan to get back at their tormentor, with help from their friends; and right when they're about to let the person have it they suddenly have a change of heart because they made the tormentor cry or feel bad.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

- A character is constantly being picked on and they spend the episode thinking of a plan to get back at their tormentor, with help from their friends; and right when they're about to let the person have it they suddenly have a change of heart because they made the tormentor cry or feel bad.

- a similar one is the sensitive main character goes hunting for the first time with his alpha-male neighbor or friend and just when he's about to shoot his first deer or duck he looks it in the eye and puts his gun down without firing.

 

[SoulManX]

crappy you really want me to believe series ending like...

Roseanne I'm looking at you

 

[PyroChamber]

- A group of girls have a slumber party that a group of boys eavesdrop and spy on, either through a secretly place mic or a secretly place camera.

 

[SoulManX]

- A group of girls have a slumber party that a group of boys eavesdrop and spy on, either through a secretly place mic or a secretly place camera.

Oh Zack u so crazyt:

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Character goes to hospital for (usually minor) surgery. As he recovers, he befriends old man in bed next to him (usually played by old comedian). Man leaves hospital after surgery. He comes back to hospital with flowers or present to visit his new old friend. But there's only an empty bed and the nurse regretfully informs saddened character that the old man has passed away.

 

[Mace Bloodstone]

Vera, Norms wife on cheers also talked about but never seen

She came to the bar once but got hit in the face with a pie when she was entering.

 

[Artistsean]

Character goes to hospital for (usually minor) surgery. As he recovers, he befriends old man in bed next to him (usually played by old comedian). Man leaves hospital after surgery. He comes back to hospital with flowers or present to visit his new old friend. But there's only an empty bed and the nurse regretfully informs saddened character that the old man has passed away.

Saw that episode recently too. What annoys me is the star/patient flips out and runs acting like its life and death and its just a simple thing.

Howard's mother on Big Bang
Al's mother on Home Improvement
Nile's wife on Frasier
At 1st Mysterion on South Park
its an actual plot device. Has a name and everything.
It's like whats in the briefcase on Pulp Fiction. It's something completely left to the viewer's imagination. Descriptions may add to it. But its never shown.
annoying to think about, but what the viewer imagines is way better than what could be shown. Plus its different for each viewer.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Saw that episode recently too. What annoys me is the star/patient flips out and runs acting like its life and death and its just a simple thing.

'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' had a clever twist (again, while Fresh Prince was guilty of cliches they usually gave them funny or clever spins) on this one. Willy was in the hospital getting his tonsils removed and befriended I think a guy played by George Burns. But when the nurse tells him he's gone and Will starts losing it thinking he died, she corrects him and says something like "no, gone to his retirement home in Boca Raton." And then he's just like "oh."

 

[Artistsean]

There seem to be different cliches for different eras. In the 80/90s (Full House, Fresh Prince, Perfect Strangers, Family Matters, Saved by the Bell) era they had theirs, and in the older TV shows their had their own too. But now there are newer ones. Like how if a man and a woman are introduced on a TV show and aren't related they will eventually get those two together at some point and hint at it for a long time with a will they wont they thing.
They may even have them date, break up, then get back together and maybe even break up again. But still have the whole they might get back together vibe on the show.

Scrubs, Big Bang Theory, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and various other shows have done this.
Thats why I liked how they had Chandler and Monica get together, stay together, and get married, and have kids, it was new.

 

[Slushy]

When in doubt, use a laugh track.

 

[PyroChamber]

When you can't dance, do the robot.

 

[Mace Dolex]

'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' had a clever twist (again, while Fresh Prince was guilty of cliches they usually gave them funny or clever spins) on this one. Willy was in the hospital getting his tonsils removed and befriended I think a guy played by George Burns. But when the nurse tells him he's gone and Will starts losing it thinking he died, she corrects him and says something like "no, gone to his retirement home in Boca Raton." And then he's just like "oh."

I think I saw that rerun on TBS just weeks ago and it was Milton Berle.

Another funny one is when Will is in the hospital from a gunshot wound and Carlton feeling the guilt in anger throws out the hospital food with Will saying "I was gonna eat that".