Sitcom logic

[Deja Q]

1. When two characters go into the adjacent room, they talk in normal voices and act as if nobody else can hear them
2. Weddings ALWAYS take place in their home
3. The problem is always solved by the episode's end. Unless it's a 2 parter, in which case it happens by the end of it
4. Doesn't matter where they live; they're always wealthy despite having entry level jobs such as waiters
5. The same hospital lobby set is used as a hotel lobby
6. Matt LeBlanc is not funny
7. The family-themed sitcoms, since "Silver Spoons" onward, show punishment for misbehavior as a lovey-dovey talk and not even payback of the deed - this makes life confusing for impressionable children, who think their role models can get away with whatever they want
8. Fashions never last long
9. Everybody looks like a model or porn star
10. If it's on FOX, don't expect it to last more than 6 episodes

[YellowRubberDuckie]

1. I agree with most of it except for Number 4...

In recent years they've stopped doing this. Roseanne, Friends, Grounded for Life....I realize they are all defunct now, but they all address not being able to afford stuff. And remember the Friends episode where Phoebe, Rachel and Joey get mad at Chandler, Monica, and Ross for never taking into account that they don't make much money, and always want to go someplace...nice? Roseanne was ALWAYS Broke.
Duckie

[Wcross]

3. I doubt that the characters on "Friends" could have afforded the rent.

Those apartments were HUGE for New York & the rent would have been equally huge.

[Orangepeel]

4. they did address that, although perhaps not adequately

Monica's apartment was rent controlled and still in the name of her grandmother. (There was an episode where they had to bribe the super not to turn them in). Chandler, apparently, made a lot of money doing some sort of job in logistics (which they were purposely vague about because none of the other characters understood it).

(I have way too good a memory for sitcom trivia. What a waste of brain space!)



edited because bribe and bride aren't the same thing

[JBoy]

5. Chandler prepared the WENIS report

Weekly Estimated Net Income Statistics :D

[Deja Q]

6. In 1999, "Weekly" was acceptable. In 2007, they'd use "Primary"

[Orangepeel]

13. I did remember the WENIS

although I couldn't remember what it stood for. :hi:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

19. They were rent controlled and "sublet" from her grandmother.

Chandler made really good money doing whatever he did with the WENUS and paid for it.
I am a Friends GEEK!
Duckie

[mitchum]

2. Sitcom writers are monkeys with filing cabinets...

not monkeys with typewriters

[CreekDog]

7. Don't forget the "Sitcom Diet"

This consists of 2 carrot sticks, some celery and 5-7 peas, preferably among the rest of the family who are eating Porterhouse Steaks and mashed potatoes gravy, and corn on the cob with butter.

[TommyO]

8. This goes back to earlier years.

Can anybody forget Herman Munster's "diet" in Low-Cal Munster?

[CreekDog]

11. I think they all go back to I Love Lucy's and Honeymooners

You'd think they could update the concept a little.

[TommyO]

17. You're right, but the Thanksgiving rampage is definitely worthy of the Munsters.

[MonkeyFunk]

9. re: #6

Married With Children and the Simpsons are two of the longest running comedies on TV - both on Fox.

[Deja Q]

10. He only had guest spots on those shows, plus being a regular on the sensational "Top of the Heap",

and I needn't cite any more evidence.

[MonkeyFunk]

15. I'm sorry...

I meant #10, not #6.

[CreekDog]

12. And the old "I'm not speaking to you" charade

"I'm not speaking to you"

"Tell so and so, to pass the salt, I'm not speaking to them" etc etc

I liked when a Simpsons made fun of this when Homer and Lisa were fighting and not speaking to each other.

Over dinner, Homer got confused and stopped speaking to Marge after not speaking to Lisa. Marge had to correct Homer, "Homer, you are speaking to me..."

[CreekDog]

14. Nobody says "um" unless they are lying n/t

[Ivan Sputnik]

16. Suspension of disbelief

is what they hope the audience will indulge in. They figure nobody wants to see shabby living conditions, even if the characters are supposedly poor. The sets have to be large, even for shows set in New York, so the camera crews can move around.

[JTG of the PRB]

18. Isn't "sitcom logic" an oxymoron?

:shrug:

[Aristus]

20. #11 When two characters kiss, the studio audience brays a "Woooooo-OOOOOO!"

as if they've never seen people kiss before.

Especially prevalent in the poorer quality shows.

[mwooldri]

21. #9 doesn't work on anything British.

British comedies tend to have more "realistic" people in them. Heck, British anything TV wise has more realistic people in them. Compare a British soap to an American one and my argument speaks for itself.

Mark.