Who Does All The Work? Syndrome - This is related the the Who’s Minding The Store? Syndrome already discussed; it is when a business manages to operate with a significantly smaller staff than would normally be required. Examples include Cheers (2 bartenders and 1 or 2 waitresses keeping the place open 7 days/week, at least 12 hours/day) and Just Shoot Me (entire staff for a magazine is 1 chief editor, a photographer, a writer, and 2 other random people who don’t really do anything).
No Visible Means of Support Syndrome: Where characters manage to live decent lives and have money despite no apparent job, savings, or personal wealth. Typical examples are Bo and Luke Duke.
The Very Special Syndrome: There will be at least one episode where someone is raped, almost raped, offered drugs, hit on by an uncle or suffers some other serious event. This only seems to happen to shows with kids and no matter how traumatic the event, it’s effects will last only one episode. Two, if it’s a two parter.
The Time Dilation Syndrome Historical eras that the show is set in last as long as the show. Longer, in fact, than they did in real life. MASH is the example for this.
I think they did make light of it in one of the season ending segments where the camera pans to each character and the narrator says something about what they are thinking or doing.
But how about this? Though one sister appeared and disappeared, there was another sister referenced. Donna mentions her sisters! So, there was one sister that disappeared without ever appearing!
It was still better than Jessie’s addictions to No-Doze on Saved By The Bell! :smack:
The worst offender of this one has to be Alice. It took place in a dingy Waffle-House-like diner in (Phenix or Tucson) and yet their clientele over the years included Art Carney, George Burns, Telly Savalas, Robert Goulet and Joel Grey among others. (Though not apropos to the syndrome, they also had a cross-over from Boss Hogg and Enos of Dukes of Hazzard fame, one of the worst in TV history.)
Speaking of Alice,
The Linda Lavin Syndrome (though it didn’t originate with her, she was one of the worst abusers)- a star of the sitcom really sees themselves as a singer, so they work it into the plot at every given opportunity. Examples include Gimme a Break (which was the exception to the rule in that Nell Carter’s musical numbers were actually a welcome respite from the terrible plots), Blossom (when Joey took to singing in real life and on the show) and Designing Women (where Julia sang everything from Amazing Grace to Sweet Georgia Brown in various episodes). Speaking of D.W.,
The “BLACK MAN! BLACK MAN!” SYNDROME- an all white show has one non-white cast member and seemingly all of his/her plotlines and dialogue are directly based on race and “isn’t it funny when a black guy says white people are weird?” paradigm. Anthony of Designing Women is the obvious example from the title, but also includes Silver Spoons (the sassy black maid in a few episodes) and a reverse case with Officer Hoppy (and mom) in Sanford and Son. Luckily, Jack Benny and Rochester came around too early for this one.
Yes but when Taxi did this to Rev Jim it was a classic hillarious moment and one of the first sightings of Tom Hanks.
James Brooks reused the almost exact flashback, instant addiction for Barney on the Simpsons and it was almost as funny.
I only saw it once but there was a multipart episode with the Wedding. But they did stop talking about him completely and that does qualify as lame.
This one was mentioned in its own thread a while back, but
*The Special Date syndrome- a character has a date, often blind, with someone who turns out to be a really great person, but has a noticeable demerit in appearance (either they’re obese or in a wheelchair or have CP or something similar). Invariably the main character, who at first has reservations, goes with the date and ends up having a wonderful time and realizes the person is actually wonderful beneath their difference. After which, the character is never seen or referred to again. Examples: Alex’s date with the obese operator on Taxi, Suzanne’s date with the blind guy on D.W., Charlene’s date with the really fat guy on D.W., Zack’s date with the girl in the wheelchair on Saved by the Bell.
I think this one may qualify as a different category then:
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND- When a cast member leaves (often to do movies) and though they were a huge part of the characters’ lives, they are rarely,if ever, mentioned again. Fortunately a new, SIMILIAR character will magically appear to fill that void.
The Why Are You Friends With Him/Her? syndrome- when a character is friends with a totally obnoxious person who is always using them and offers absolutely nothing and is in fact mean and totally selfish, but said character never just tells them to go straight to hell and never come around again. Examples include Charlie the obnoxious neighbor on Empty Nest, Donna’s friendship with (what’s her name- the snooty one) on That 70s Show and anybody’s friendship with the title character on Roseane).
At least on JSM, they always had a bunch of extras wandering around in the background, pretending to work.
I think the worst offenders are Wings and Becker. Could two brothers run a commuter airline all by themselves? Aren’t there regulations about how many hours pilots are allowed to fly? Roy’s airline was even worse - you never saw any of his employees, yet he supposedly had a whole fleet of planes. Lowell was apparently the mechanic for both of them - would that even be possible, one mechanic for two commuter airlines? And the lunchcounter. Helen ran that all by herself, making food, serving customers, cleaning up (not to mention all the other things involved in running a small business, like accounting and ordering), and she often did it in stylish outfits that never got dirty or mussed. And with Big Hair!
On Becker, Reggie (and then Chris) runs a diner, also all by herself, and apparently does the same thing as Helen on Wings. She cooks, takes orders, cleans, does all the ordering, and whatever else is needed. And she also is neatly dressed - never an apron in sight.
OK, I’ll acknowledge that Just Shoot Me apparently had other workers. (I really shouldn’t make generalizations about shows I only ever watched a couple times.) But I stand behind my Cheers characterization. I also like jrfranchi’s note about staff meetings - they never seem to involve the whole staff, and the folks invited to the meetings are never even vaguely the decision-makers at a company.
Another office one: Where’s the Receptionist? - where the receptionist (or the low-level employee who should probably be serving that function) sits nowhere near the entrance, and there is apparently no other staff member performing that function. Visitors thus have to wander around until they find someone who can tell them where they’re supposed to be going. Abusers include Newsradio and possibly Just Shoot Me.
The Maybe The Kids Have Cars? Syndrome - the children, no matter the age, never need to be driven to school, sports practices, or friends’ houses.
The “I have four friends ONLY” syndrome
See Friends, That 70s Show and numerous others. These friends are always together, will go to college together if they graduate from high school, and rarely, if ever, mention anyone else. Sometimes, a new friend will be introduced, only to be cast aside when the main character realizes they’re taking time away from the character’s FOUR TRUE FRIENDS. I understand writers don’t want to clutter up the focus, but sheesh.
Who Knew That College Was There?
If characters graduate from high school, they not only stay together, but they also attend the heretofore unmentioned university conveniently located in their hometown. Sunnydale sprouted UC Sunnydale, California University popped up for both Saved by the Bell and 90210.