TV Shows where continuity doesn't matter...

[OpalCat]

Yes, but there is far, far less plot carried through from episode to episode than in a standard format tv show. That’s the point I was making. The vast majority of stuff that happened each episode didn’t and couldn’t affect continuity. As I said, the way I took the subject of the thread was trying to find shows where (generally) continuity didn’t matter, and that is what came to mind.

[Diceman]

The Simpsons has so little respect for continuity, you might say it has anti-continuity. They deliberately screw around with the viewers, especially concerning the location of Springfield.

[OpalCat]

yeah and how many years have those kids been in the same grade now?

[Voyager]

@KneadToKnow

That’s not why I’d say continuity on TOS is so weak. I’d point to things like the fact that when they first travelled through time via a slingshot effect (ep. 1.19, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday”), they acted like it was a complete shock to them that this was even possible, but the next time they did it (later that same freaking episode, for crying out loud), it not only had suddenly become little more than a science project, but they could maintain control through the course of the slingshot and operate their transporters to boot.

Fancy writin’ there, D. C.

Now, now. Don’t you remember that Spock was doing calculations while waiting at the transporter when Kirk and Sulu were at the Air Force Base? Spock always invents new fields of physics during an episode.

A bigger problem with them being surprised is that they went back in time already, during The Naked Time, by doing some gobbledy good with antimatter.

My beef is that they are always finding some super advanced technology, but it never makes a difference. On the other hand, for the time they had a rare good piece of continuity - the Organian Peace Treaty mentioned in Trouble with Tribbles.

[el_nombre]

In Married With Children the “Dodge” would always be restored to working condition and Bud would revert back to a virgin at the start of each episode.

[Sean_Factotum]

Re: MAS*H

@Miller

There was some other continuity stuff. Hot Lips’ engagement, marriage, and subsequent to Col. Penobscott played out (mostly off screen) over the course of one or more seasons. And Klinger gave up the dresses towards the end, donating his wardrobe to dispossessed Korean prostitutes.

The reason that the prostitutes got displaced was because the 4077 had to move, and Potter chose their building for the new hospital. And they would only leave if they could take the dresses. So klinger basically traded his wardrobe for a plot of land that the 4077th ended up not using.

As for continuity breaks with that show, there was a major one. Harry Morgan played the insane Maj. Gen. Bartford Hamilton Steele in one episode, and then a year later was in the saddle as Col Potter. One year later.

[Miller]

@OpalCat

yeah and how many years have those kids been in the same grade now?

Does that count as not enough continuity, or way too much continuity?

[Otto]

@Sean Factotum

As for continuity breaks with that show, there was a major one. Harry Morgan played the insane Maj. Gen. Bartford Hamilton Steele in one episode, and then a year later was in the saddle as Col Potter. One year later.

That’s not a continuity issue. Same actor playing a different role isn’t continuity.