I’m not looking for odd moments that are a part of the plot of an episode. I’m looking for things which you saw or heard and thought “what were they thinking” or “didn’t they realize what that looks like?”
Example: An episode of Designing Women has Charlene’s cousin in an abusive marriage. The cousin leaves the husband and meets Charlene at a talent show where the designers are performing. Charlene sees her come in, the msuic swells in the background and everyone tears up. The problem is, the music they’re performing to is “Ain’t no Mountain High Enough” by the Supremes, which includes the lyrics “Ain’t no mountain high enough, and no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough to keep me from you.” This is music to play in a scene celebrating a woman escaping from an abusive husband?!? What were they thinking?
In an episode of Alf*, the Tanner’s grandfather comes to town, so they hide Alf in the backyad in a little tent so as to keep away from controversy. The grandfather peeks into the tent, sees Alf, then has a heart attack and dies leaving Alf feeling guilty for killing the Tanner’s grandfather. Oh, how this weaked havoc on my young mind at the time.
Then there was that whole song-and-dance hobo act that Marsha and Mrs. Brady perform together on The Brady Bunch*. WTF was that??? I’m still having nightmares!!!
I don’t know if this counts, but I was watching a re-run of Drew Carey, the one where Kate leaves Oswald at the alter. Then, at the commercial break they have an ad for a bridal shop! :eek: Needless to say, someone was asleep at the switch.
Any time the actors in a show done in front of a studio audience actually acknowlege the audience on camera. I’ve seen this in Welcome Back Kotter and a few others.
I may be hallucinating this, but I seem to recall an episode of Different Strokes where Arnold has a run-in with a child pornographer/molester. I wish I were making this up. :eek:
That happened on Facts of Life. Tootie was doing some modeling and the photographer asked her to take her clothes off. Needless to say, Mrs. Garrett stepped in and saved the day.
I remember it too. Arnold went over to this guys house and they were watching cartoons and oops! The mouse’s pants fell down. I think he also got Arnold to take off his shirt.
It’s amazing how that Different Strokes episode comes rushing back … wow, what were they thinking?
I just saw an episode of Laverne and Shirley on Nick at Night that preyed on my mind. Laverne thinks she might be pregnant. She confides in Shirley that she went off with some guy at a staff party at the brewery, and she doesn’t remember whether or not they had sex, because she was so drunk. Of course, neither Laverne nor Shirley comes out and says “had sex,” but they exchange a lot of meaningful glances, and besides, how else do you get pregnant? The details of getting drunk, going behind the beer vats with some guy, and Laverne’s not knowing whether or not she actually had sex with him are repeated several times, and there’s a laugh track.
One episode of Married With Children, Al was having a dream that some babe was in his bed with him - except the babe unintentionally happened to be a dead-ringer for Christina Applegate.
Whooooops! The audience sure got the wrong end of the stick, just as I did. Major cock-up there.