# Cliched "problems" in sitcoms that wouldn't bother you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 18, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073 "2018-02-18T19:58:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/61 "2018-02-25T16:27:10Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > according to wiki it was on their wedding night so it would be after the ceremony. Oh, I love the pilot episode of Bewitched. I suspect it was rather racy for 1964. It opened with a montage that about how Darrin and Samantha met. Then it talks about their common interests. Radio - a shot of Darrin and Samantha intensely making out while a radio plays. TV - a shot of Darrin and Samantha intensely making out in front of a TV set. Trains- a shot of Darrin and Samantha intensely making out in a car while a train goes by. Then the wedding night scene, Samantha tell Darrin she’s a witch as they are literally just about to jump into bed for the first time. And Darrin decides he doesn’t mind. Of course. Mild by today’s standards, but this was filmed in the days when sitcom couples typically slept in twin beds. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/62 "2018-02-25T23:17:26Z")
> [@Miss\_Mapp](#): > > This was the pilot episode. \*\*\*Bewitched \*\*\*was about a mixed marriage, a topic that was becoming very _au courant_ in 1964. The whole point was that Darrin and Samantha loved each other so much, they were willing to overlook their, uhm, idiosyncracies (Sam’s heritage and Darrin’s chauvinism). Not that it ever slowed Samantha down much or prevented Darrin from backpedaling a bit whenever necessary. There was indeed an early episode (second season, maybe) in which Endora bet Darrin would have cut and run if he had known beforehand that Sam was a witch. They went back to before they were married, and of course **[SPOILER ALERT!]** Darrin, who was a bit freaked out at first, eventually came around because he loved Samantha so much. (Bet you didn’t see THAT coming, eh? :rolleyes: ) For Sam, I’d’ve done the same thing. :o ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/63 "2018-02-26T05:56:06Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Then the wedding night scene, Samantha tell Darrin she’s a witch as they are literally just about to jump into bed for the first time. And Darrin decides he doesn’t mind. Of course. > > Mild by today’s standards, but this was filmed in the days when sitcom couples typically slept in twin beds. The whole gag of that episode was Darrin being zapped down to the bar in the hotel over and over again while Endora and Samantha argue about him. Indeed, a pretty good episode. Their mutual virginity dates the show also. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/64 "2018-02-26T05:57:18Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](#): > > Pretending to be the boss in your work place when your out-of-town parents/relatives/significant other visits because you _might_ have inflated your job title. Could that ever happen in real life? This was so prevalent that the Addams Family did an episode about Lurch lying to his mother about being the master. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/65 "2018-02-26T06:23:47Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > The whole gag of that episode was Darrin being zapped down to the bar in the hotel over and over again while Endora and Samantha argue about him. Indeed, a pretty good episode. > > Their mutual virginity dates the show also. Sam was at least 300 years old, and Darrin had been a lieutenant in the Army. At which point was it claimed they were both virgins? :dubious: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/66 "2018-02-26T06:29:32Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Sam was at least 300 years old, and Darrin had been a lieutenant in the Army. At which point was it claimed they were both virgins? :dubious: 😕 If you mean they hadn’t “done it” _with each other_ before marriage … well, that’s another matter. Believe it or not, I’ve known couples who abstained until after their nuptuals, so it does happen. In many cases, I think it’s actually a wise thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/67 "2018-02-26T06:35:29Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > This was so prevalent that the Addams Family did an episode about Lurch lying to his mother about being the master. In _ **The Honeymooners** _, Ralph Kramden inflated his status when an old buddy came to town. He was caught out when it was time to pay the bill at a fancy restaurant. In the end, everything turned out okay because his buddy had inflated his status too. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/68 "2018-02-26T06:42:27Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Mild by today’s standards, but this was filmed in the days when sitcom couples typically slept in twin beds. My brother, who was kind of fixated on Mary Tyler Moore, used to laugh whenever he saw Rob and Laura’s twin beds on _ **DvD** _. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/69 "2018-02-26T12:20:47Z")
It was funny if you were watching on VhS, too. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/70 "2018-02-26T13:18:41Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Sam was at least 300 years old, and Darrin had been a lieutenant in the Army. At which point was it claimed they were both virgins? :dubious: 😕 One member of my brother’s writers’ group was very conservative and writing an historical novel about a platoon in Viet Nam, all of whom were virgins – I don’t remember how it came up. The whole group told him, “You’re going to have to explain that one,” being a real strain on the suspension of disbelief. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mr.Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Bill)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/71 "2018-02-28T02:10:27Z")
I’ve been watching old Andy Griffith Show episodes. There are at least three episodes where Andy and Barney break a date with Helen and Thelma Lou because they have to work late. Then up pop the “Fun Girls” – a pair of hard partying girls from a nearby town who insist that the boys have to party with them. Inevitably, Helen and Thelma Lou come back to comfort their hard-working men and find shenanigans going on, leading to almost willful misunderstanding on Helen and Thelma Lou’s parts. Now, how hard would it really have been for the guys to tell the Fun Girls that they were not interested and to go away? Instead the guys pussy-foot around it and try to keep it from H and T L, invariably weaving a tangled web which comes crashing down. Secondly, are H and T L so insecure that they actually think Andy and Barney would ditch them for this pair of frankly hideous women? How about cutting them a little slack until you KNOW what is going on? And seriously? The same story three times? It wasn’t that good the first time! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/72 "2018-02-28T03:33:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Sam was at least 300 years old, and Darrin had been a lieutenant in the Army. At which point was it claimed they were both virgins? :dubious: 😕 I’m pretty sure that Darren’s reaction showed they had not slept together before. Plus, this is early '60s TV. Don’t know about Durwood’s history, but Samantha was played innocent. Certainly with mortals. Endora on the other hand. ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/73 "2018-02-28T14:46:07Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > This STILL comes up in some Hallmark movies – the CEO prefers men who settle down so the interloper proposes to the heroine as she is meeting her twoo wuv. Or the American guy has to impress a foreign businessman who wants to deal only with a “family man”. (Then the businessman turns out to be Santa Claus, but I digress.) Hey, how about a spoiler alert? You just gave away the plot to all of Hallmark programming between the months of October and January!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/74 "2018-02-28T22:12:47Z")
My ex is getting married!! And I am: _a)_ so jealous that I have to invent or artificially accelerate a relationship to prove I have moved on just as much, _b)_ invited to the wedding and will undoubtedly humiliate myself there somehow, _c)_ still in love with them and scheming to break them up, or _d)_ some combination or all of the above. (I’m looking at you, Rachel on _Friends._) There’s a reason exes are exes. I have never in my life stayed in contact with an ex, much less gone to any of their weddings. Many people undoubtedly have, but that’s a pretty clear sign that they’re on good terms and are not going to make a scene. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/75 "2018-02-28T23:11:40Z")
> [@Mr.Bill](#): > > And seriously? The same story three times? It wasn’t that good the first time! What really got me was when they started recycling recognizable _ **Andy Griffith Show** _ scripts for _ **Gomer Pyle, USMC** _. :smack: Recycling also happened on \*\*\*Bewitched \*\*\*starting around the sixth season, but they should have wrapped anyway when Dick York was forced to leave. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/76 "2018-02-28T23:14:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It was funny if you were watching on VhS, too. Oho! Is funny because \*\*\*DvD \*\*\* could mean video disk, too! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073/77 "2018-02-28T23:21:04Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > However, the Roseanne episode where Becky farted at school is dead on. No one at my school would ever forget that. I remember the time in 8th grade when one guy in my American History class—I’ll call him “Steve”—let a humungous rip on library day. Our teacher, who had absolutely no sense of humor—I’ll call her “Old Mrs Weir”—scowled and said “Alright, everybody, just keep on working.” I’ll never forget the look of blithe satisfaction on “Steve’s” face when he got away with it. :o [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cliched-problems-in-sitcoms-that-wouldnt-bother-you/809073.md?page=3)