# Finish the TV SITCOM cliche... **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 17, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198 "2008-11-17T22:59:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/61 "2008-11-19T20:36:11Z")
…the charts will get switched and he/she will think they’re dying/pregnant. Any sitcom police officer will… ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/62 "2008-11-19T20:44:03Z")
> [@Wargamer](#): > > Any sitcom police officer will… Let the relieved characters go, despite their incredibly shifty/suspicious behavior from the moment they got pulled over. Picking one up that got lost earlier: In a sitcom when a guy has two girls who like him at the same time he… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/63 "2008-11-19T21:06:06Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > In a sitcom when a guy has two girls who like him at the same time he… will end up having a mixup where he has dates with both of them at the same time and he either screws it up with both or ends up with a third girl that seems less glamorous but is actually prettier and a better fit for him anyway. Speaking of which, on any show with two major young women characters the one that is less glamorous will be … ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/64 "2008-11-19T21:54:50Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Speaking of which, on any show with two major young women characters the one that is less glamorous will be … the smarter, always. There are few things funnier to the writers of sitcoms than the mere concept of old people… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/65 "2008-11-19T22:28:42Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > There are few things funnier to the writers of sitcoms than the mere concept of old people… Having sex. Given the obvious answer, let’s go for two. Other than having sex, there are few things funnier to the writers of sitcoms than the mere concept of old people… ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/66 "2008-11-19T22:32:50Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Having sex. > > Given the obvious answer, let’s go for two. > > Other than having sex, there are few things funnier to the writers of sitcoms than the mere concept of old people… Acting in ways of today’s ‘extreeeeeme’ youth, be it rapping, talking jive, or breakdancing. When the kid(s) run away from home… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/67 "2008-11-19T22:35:18Z")
…they miraculously survive until the happy reunion at the bus station. When a sitcom single mom has a blind date, he shows up at the door wearing… ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/68 "2008-11-20T02:03:04Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > … > When a sitcom single mom has a blind date, he shows up at the door wearing… A plaid polyester sports jacket. If a sitcom character decides that he needs to lose some weight… ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/69 "2008-11-20T02:55:50Z")
> [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](#): > > If a sitcom character decides that he needs to lose some weight… You’ll see them in a sweatsuit and having misadventures with exercise equipment for that episode, then it’ll never be mentioned again. In the special episode where a character learns to deal with death, the deceased will usually be a friend or relative they loved very much buut who strangely has… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/70 "2008-11-20T03:10:11Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > In the special episode where a character learns to deal with death, the deceased will usually be a friend or relative they loved very much buut who strangely has… never been seen before and will never be seen again. Every military sitcom has to have one character that is a … ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/71 "2008-11-20T07:34:48Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Every military sitcom has to have one character that is a … …loveable screwup whose charm and innocence means that he’s the “pet” of the squad and the noncoms, who take great pains to protect him from the brass. Any character who has to go to the doctor visits a physician who is… ---
**Author:** ![AllWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@AllWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllWalker)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/72 "2008-11-20T10:22:44Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Any character who has to go to the doctor visits a physician who is… … embarrasingly familiar with the character outside the context of the doctor/patient relationship. If they are awkward friends/family, the character will be wearing a grimace when they return. If they are an enemy, they will be grimacing and limping. Sitcoms often start each ep with a healthy push of the ‘reset button’, and rarely go through any meaningful and lasting plot progression or character development. Exceptions to this include… ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/73 "2008-11-20T11:54:24Z")
…any [single-camera sitcom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_single-camera_sitcoms) Any alien-on-earth sitcom will feature at least one scene/episode where the alien tries to… ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/74 "2008-11-20T14:12:51Z")
> [@critter42](#): > > … > Any alien-on-earth sitcom will feature at least one scene/episode where the alien tries to… Eat something totally inedible. When a sitcom woman is walking out of the bathroom naked… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/75 "2008-11-20T16:30:32Z")
> [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](#): > > When a sitcom woman is walking out of the bathroom naked… She will run into her husband’s brother, kid’s school principal, boss, (male) next door neighbor or other character who really has no business being in her house at that particular moment. When male sitcom characters decide to have a bonding experience, they… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/76 "2008-11-20T16:36:47Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > When male sitcom characters decide to have a bonding experience, they… Go on a fishing/camping trip. While on said trip at least one of the characters will … ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/77 "2008-11-20T17:02:08Z")
Fall in the lake/river or collapse the tent. If a sitcom character has an important job interview the next day: ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/78 "2008-11-20T17:24:06Z")
> [@jali](#): > > Fall in the lake/river or collapse the tent. > > If a sitcom character has an important job interview the next day: Their best suit will be ruined at the dry cleaner, they will throw out their back, they will be arrested on a minor charge (thus ensuring they have ‘a criminal record’), their hair will be inadvertantly dyed bright orange, they will get handcuffed to an obnoxious supporting character and the key will be lost, and their free hand will be smeared with some type of superglue, and they will touch some large object that will become bonded to their hand. And ttheir spouse/romantic interest will have a personal dilemma, and DEMAND that the main character give him/her their full attention. None of these things will be resolved before the interview takes place. When a character is seen carrying a bag of groceries… ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/79 "2008-11-20T17:49:30Z")
…there’s always a loaf of French bread sticking out of it. When a sitcom character wants to propose to his girlfriend… ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198/80 "2008-11-20T18:07:05Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > When a sitcom character wants to propose to his girlfriend… Something bad will happen to the ring. When a character has a baby, the “newborn” will… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finish-the-tv-sitcom-cliche/473198.md?page=5)