# Right / Left Sitcom Game **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 29, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481 "2005-10-29T18:49:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/1 "2005-10-29T18:49:55Z")
My brother and I occupied ourselves with this for the better part of an hour the other day (and only stopped because we had to run). So I thought I’d see if there were enough people on the SDMB as easily amused as my brother and me. Sitcoms. There’s many ways to label them. Some are great ensemble pieces. Others are star vehicles. There are sharply written sophisticated efforts and broadly written farces. But I think we’d all agree that there’s really only one definitive way to categorize a sitcom. From what direction did people enter the main set, right or left. Of course. So, the rules are simple: [ol] [li]Offer a sitcom.[/li][li]Name the main set, the one where most of the action took place (don’t be wishy-washy–pick one). In the sitcom universe, a large majority of these will be the living room, but it doesn’t have to be.[/li][li]Identify the direction (from the audience’s perspective) from which people entered that main set. This should generally be how people entered it from the “outside world”–in other words, the front door. No debates about whether more people entered that set from the kitchen or from the street. The front door wins.[/li][li]Last but most important, you can’t pick a sitcom that has the same direction as the one immediately prior in the thread. No consecutive righties, no consecutive lefties.[/li][/ol] Got it? OK, here goes the first (which happens to be a righty, which must be followed by a lefty): Sitcom: **All in the Family** Main set: **Living room** Direction: **Right** (people came into Archie’s living room from the right, see?) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/2 "2005-10-29T18:51:55Z")
Sitcom: **Home Improvement** Main Set: **Dining/Family Room/Kitchen** (open-plan area) Direction: **Center** (the front door was directly upstage) ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/3 "2005-10-29T19:03:39Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Sitcom: **Home Improvement** > Main Set: **Dining/Family Room/Kitchen** (open-plan area) > Direction: **Center** (the front door was directly upstage) So what now? Do we have to find a sitcom where the characters enter from downstage? That would be cool, but I can’t think of any. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/4 "2005-10-29T19:06:05Z")
Sitcom: **Friends** Main set: **Monica and Rachel’s apartment** Direction: **left** ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/5 "2005-10-29T19:08:11Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > So what now? Do we have to find a sitcom where the characters enter from downstage? That would be cool, but I can’t think of any. No. I hadn’t considered “center,” but so long as the next pick isn’t “center,” it’s OK. Clarification of rule #4: No consecutive directions, whether it be right, left, center, or whatever (anticipating that sitcom where people drop from the ceiling). By the way, I would have categorized Home Improvement as a righty, myself, but I’ll defer to jayjay. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/6 "2005-10-29T19:26:12Z")
Sitcom: **Married… With Children** Main set: **Living room** Direction: **Right** ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/7 "2005-10-29T19:31:57Z")
Sitcom: Cheers Main Set: Cheers Direction: Left Sitcom: Seinfeld Main Set: Jerry’s Apartment (also the diner) Direction: Right ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/8 "2005-10-29T19:41:08Z")
Sitcom: _Roseanne_ Main set: Connor house Direction: Left (since the rules specify living room; I’d estimate over the course of the show more people entered the Connor house through the kitchen but rules is rules) ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/9 "2005-10-29T19:45:26Z")
To clarify, the rules don’t demand that you pick the living room as the main set. But if you do, then the proper entrance is the front door (hence your post is perfectly acceptable according to established international sitcom direction game rules). ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/10 "2005-10-29T19:54:22Z")
Sitcom: Mad About You Main Set: Paul & Jamie’s Living Room Direction: Right ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/11 "2005-10-29T20:29:35Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Sitcom: Mad About You > Main Set: Paul & Jamie’s Living Room > Direction: Right Sitcom: My Favorite Martian Main Set: Tim’s Living Room Direction: Left ---
**Author:** ![Fringe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5a626/32.png) [@Fringe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fringe)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/12 "2005-10-29T20:40:09Z")
Sitcom: _Happy Days_ Main Set: _Cunningham Home_ Side: _Right_ ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/13 "2005-10-29T20:52:17Z")
Sitcom: _Only Fools and Horses_ Main Set: \* Living room\* Direction: _Left_ ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/14 "2005-10-29T20:52:35Z")
Sitcom: _The Jeffersons_ Main set: _The Jefferson’s Living Room_ Direction: _Right_ ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/15 "2005-10-29T20:54:25Z")
The Honeymooners Main Set: One room in a Brooklyn apartment, which served as kitchen, dining room and living room. Kramden and Norton always entered via the front door, which was located on the back wall of the studio set. So, as they entered, they walked directly toward the audience. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/16 "2005-10-29T20:56:26Z")
Who’s the Boss? Living Room Stage Left ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/17 "2005-10-29T20:56:42Z")
Sitcom: Third Rock From the Sun Main set: The Living Room Direction: Left (sort of… actually people came up from downstairs, left center) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/18 "2005-10-29T20:58:58Z")
Show: _The Donna Reed Show_ Set: The Anderson Living Room Direction: Right ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/19 "2005-10-29T21:00:06Z")
Show: _The Bob Newhart Show_ Set: Pick it (the Hartley’s apartment Bob’s office, _or_ the receptionist desk) Direction: Left ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481/20 "2005-10-29T21:08:43Z")
Show: _Are You Being Served?_ Set: \*Menswear/Ladies Apparel \* Direction: _Center, from either elevator_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-left-sitcom-game/328481.md?page=2)