An explosion occurs off screen, causing several characters to take notice. The character that caused the explosion appears, disoriented, with soot all over his face and his hair sticking straight up. It always gets a big laugh from the studio audience even though it’s not very funny.
The designated “tough guy” in the cast shows his tenderness when he falls for a handicapped woman. (A.J. in Simon & Simon, Fonzie in Happy Days, Louie in Taxi, many more)
STATLER: You know what I can’t stand about those Muppets? They think explosions are funny!
WALDORF: Right! Explosions aren’t funny. . .
[Statler’s cigar explodes ]
WALDORF: . . . although some of them can be quite droll!
I grasp your point, I really do- but you ARE aware that Susan Clark and Alex Karras were married in real life, aren’t you? So, it’s not THAT implausible she’d be married to him on “Webster.”
THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: A main character (or a one-shot neighbor/friend) becomes a jerk right before the holidays. It’s revealed that the way this character learned there was no Santa Claus was by not received a certain gift (often a trivial toy, especially one no longer available) that he/she had desperately wanted as a child. At the end of the episode, that exact gift is mysteriously delivered to the character. Two or more main characters perform the “I thought you did it” scene after the now-reformed jerk leaves, ending with everyone running to the window and looking out and up. If the jerk was a main character, this issue is never mentioned before or since (even in prior Christmas episodes, in which said character enjoyed the holiday with no problem).
Okay, this has happened in every single sitcom this past year, I’m pretty sure:
“I want to break up with you.”
“No, you can’t.”
“Oh, okay.”
It’s gonna happen again in the new show, “Couplings.” Gee, I can’t wait.
If a noise is heard downstairs in the middle of the night, someone sleeping upstairs will get out of bed, put on robe and slippers, and go to investigate, rather than picking up the phone on the nightstand and call the police.
If there’s a fire in the middle of the night, everyone will appear outside in robes and slippers.
Actually, (and maybe you already knew this), but “Coupling” is a remake of a British show- the episode you’re referring to first aired in 2000 (I believe anyway).
Seinfeld did the rejected breakup proposal in 1998, which was the first time I saw it.
One cliche that really bugs me is the Deceptive Non Sequitur.
A: Her boyfriend just dumped her.
B: That really hurts.
A: It sure does.
B: No, I mean you’re standing on my foot.
People change the subject all of a sudden without giving any indication of it, just for the “funny” reveal that they did so.
couples not trying to get pregnant get pregnant due to a single lapse.
couples trying to get pregnant have a hell of a time.
and the most irritating cycle: Two people ‘meant’ for each other circle around each other for 90% of the season and eventually get together in a way no couple ever would. (one of the things that drew me into Newsradio was the couple hooked up by the second show)
unfortunately when they finally get together the next part of the cycle begins. Break up for no reason. This used to happen in one show but a relatively new development is that they’ll have problems in one show then finish off the relationship in the next on.
Then we go back to step one rinse repeat. The worst offender is obviously friends, but newsradio fell into it, Mad About you handled it the best with them slowly growing apart then sniping at each other then an utter melt down. It was spread through a record 4 shows if I remember correctly.
-While celebrating a holiday, characters can only have hijinks and or “fun” if it’s a christian or a secular holiday. All other holidays (Like Kwanzaa, Passover, etc.) are observed with the solemnness and reverence of a funeral.
-Lying never never helps someone “win” in the end, but that won’t stop them from trying. Again and again and again.
-Cops generally come in two varieties: bumbling yet good natured incompetants; or merciless jackbooted enforcers.
-No one who gets sued actually deserves it.
-Not that spirituality really comes up a lot, but when it does…no athiests. At least, they won’t stay athiests by the end of the episode.
Almost all pregnancies end up with twins being born.
All men must be bumbling fools and all women wise beyond their years, and they never do anything wrong.
Wasn’t Ross from Friends an atheist? Regardless, i know what you mean. Not nearly enough atheists on TV.
The portrayal of husbands on TV particularly grates me. And it annoys me that no one complains about it. They are all overweight slobs or bumbling idiots. They are always wrong and the wife is always right. None of them wear a shirt that tucks in. They all wear annoying T shirts with an unbuttoned button down shirt over it. God forbid they’d have to cook.
Every single pregnaency has to involve a trip to the doctor with some hilarious moments where the guy has to give a sperm sample and has trouble doing so. I thought Frasier may be better than this, but no. They did it once already with Frasier and Lillith, though they backed out. Now I can almost guarrantee Niles with have a similar experience.
You can be in a coma or in the hospital and still look GREAT, apparently. Do writers realize that people in a coma don't usually get to take a bath? And they swell up? And they have more than just a heart monitor on? And you can't just flip a switch to turn off "life support?". This is the one thing that annoyed me about the first season of 24. The guy kills the girl in a hospital room. She has a heart monitor on. SOMEBODY would be wataching the monitor and rush in. Or at least watching the oxygen saturation.
Newborns either require so much work that the parents NEVER get a bit of sleep or they are so easy to take care of that they practically raise themselves (Friends....how much do you ever see them with that kid, really.)
There are a whole lot of cops that are "bringing down" other bad cops....and the whole department hates them for it. Again, this is a premise in 24. I do have to hand it to them though. It took them until the 4th hour to refer to Jack Bauer as a "loose cannon" that "makes his own rules", although they did only do it once.
Everyone gets married either at home or in their backyard. Movies do this too. Did you ever know ANYONE that got married at their house?Nope, Ross and Monica are Jewish. It’s been referred to a couple of time, but not much. And Monica always puts up a Christmas tree.
A stomach ache is always appendicitis. Nobody ever gets sick from eating a bad burrito and has to take an antacid to settle their stomach, they get appendicitis and have to be rushed to the hospital seconds before the appendix blows.
Stock teenage girl characters include the tough girl who is street, the ditzy chatterbox, the irritatingly pushy vegetarian, the makeup and clothing obsessed girl who underneath her vain exterior really has a heart of gold, the brainy nerd, and the pragmatic sensible girl whose job it is to keep these characters from clawing each others’ eyes out.
Foreigners have thick accents, are confused by American ways, and often come across as bumbling peasants but ultimately have much more wisdom than their American friends. (example: Perfect Strangers)
How is it that these cliches have been left off the list?
In school, kids arrive in class, hassle the teacher or each other, open a book, have a ‘moment’ where something dire/funny/important happens, the bell rings…everybody goes home. Each class period is something like 6 minutes long!
OR…another favorite of mine, is a restaurant setting where the characters order food or drink, it arrives, and they leave. They may pay for it, but they never eat it. That’s how everyone in Hollywood stays so thin. They never eat or drink ANYTHING.
ask why, wonder how
-Probably the biggest cliche these days. The man is ALWAYS a bumbling, overweight, alchoholic borderline sociopath and the wife is always a gorgeous perfect angel who is too good for him. (Home Improvement, King of Queens, Raymond, Grounded for Life, Simpsons)
-Maintaining the same 6 friends all through high school, college, your 20s and beyond. This is in spite of the fact that all 6 are completely different and by all rights should grow apart during the college years. (Friends, Beverley Hills 90210)
-Partners or Managing Directors of law firms or investment banks who are under 30 (usually way under). Typical career path - graduated college, went to Harvard for law degree of MBA, partner in 4 years.
-No matter what your job, you live in a nice big house or appartment. Money is never an issue unless it is part of the episodes plot.
It seemed to me that every one of Bill Cosby’s long lost relatives was a famous jazz musician.
The young son will be beaten up by an unseen classmate named “Tony” or “Frankie” or “Charlie.”
The father will encourage his son to fight back, and when he doesn’t, will go to the kid’s house to see why.
It will turn out the kid beating him up is actually a girl, named Antonia or Francesca or Charlene, who’s beating him up because (gasp!) she likes him.
Also, Ross dressed up as the “Chanukah Armadillo” and attempted to explain the story of the Maccabees and the menorah to son Ben, who was more enthralled by “Santa” Chandler.
Ross did once react with utter disbelief when Phoebe announced she didn’t believe in the theory of evolution, but I don’t recall him denying the existence of God.