The thread about Athiests and Agnostics on TV (here) got me wondering about the other side of the coin. How many recurring characters belong to or believe in specific denominations or sub-sects? I imagine there are some specific examples (I think the Simpsons and the Hills from King of the Hill are Lutheran) but in general, it seems that most characters fall into three broad catagories:
TV shows where religion is essential to the central concept (Amen, Father Murphy, Big Love). The denomination is specifically set out as part of the shows premise. These shows are few and far between.
The characters religious belief and group affiliation is implied (a clergy-man comes over for dinner, they seem to celebrate Christmas), but seems to be some general non-specified protestant (little p) group.
Any religious belief is never addressed (the vast majority of TV shows (IMHO).
Other than the King of The Hill and Simpsons mentioned above, I remember that the family on Just the Ten of Us went to a Catholic School where the Dad was a teacher, but I really can’t think of any more.
Can any dopers think of any specific denominational identification of any TV characters that are not central to the show’s concept? Any minority or non-traditional groups?
The Simpsons (and the Flanderses and most other characters in the show) belong to an unspecified Christian church – presumably Protestant, since Rev. Lovejoy is married.
On that Tim Allen series…can’t recall the name…the one where he does “Tool Time” as a show within the show…the family is somewhat religious. Christmas shows have shown the family attending a protestant church–possibly Methodist…but fairly sedate, low key stuff. Think one of the kids is an acolyte or something.
The Barrones (Everybody is annoyed by Ray) are Catholic.
As is Carla on Cheers
Donna went to catholic school (though you don’t have to be catholic to go to catholic school, I’m guessing Pinciattis are)
The Fishers in “Six Feet Under” were Episcopalian. On Law and Order, in addition to Ben Stone being Catholic, so was Jack McCoy. The Hills in King of the Hill aren’t Lutheran…they attend Arlen First Methodist, as do most of the other main characters (except for Kahn, who’s Buddhist).
I thought the Simpsons were Episcopresbylutheran or somesuch amalgamation. I maintain that The Simpsons is one of the most religious shows on TV (in a positive sense).
Michael Schofield from Prison Break is apparently Catholic (he went to confession in one recent episode). Come to think of it, his friend Fernando Sucre is also apparently Catholic.
If memory serves, The Waltons went to church regularly (except for the father). Was it established that it was a Baptist church or another denomination?
On The West Wing, the religion of some characters were mentioned. Jed Bartlett and Matt Santos were Catholics. Josh Lyman and Toby Ziegler were Jewish.
It’s explicitly Protestant, even if you ignore the marriage and the fact that he’s Reverend Lovejoy, not Father Timothy. There was an episode where Bart was sent to Catholic school and he and Homer both converted.
Their specific denomination - and specific it is! - is named in that episode: The Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism.
Oh, it just occurred to me - everyone in South Park who’s not Jewish or Mormon (and maybe the dude who runs City Wok), are apparently Catholic. Or at least Christian of sufficiently generic faith that they don’t mind attending the Catholic church.
The Sopranos are Catholic, as are the Gavins on Rescue Me. In general, Italian, Irish, or Hispanic characters tend to be portrayed as Catholics or lapsed Catholics.
In Picket Fences, it was expressly stated that the Brock family were Congregationalists. There was also a Catholic church in the town, naturally*, and the Pope even came to visit.
The Finnertys in Grounded for Life were Catholics (natch) and sent their kids to Catholic school.
Peter Griffin of Family Guy is Catholic and Lois is Protestant – I remember that from the episode where his incredibly bigoted father came to visit. (When Peter and Lois got married, Dad added “To a Protestant whore!” to the “Just Married” sign on the back of their getaway limo.)
On Cheers, both Woody and Kelly were Lutherans – and there was a big blowup when it turned out they were different kinds of Lutherans!
Jerry Seinfeld was – Methodist, right? No, Presbyterian.
To be even more specific, the Presbeylutherans broke away from the Catholic Church on an argument about whether or not you can attend church with wet hair.