It’s like it a required schtick that they all have to do at least once, right? Offhand, I can think of half a dozen (Frasier, Home Improvement, That 70’s Show, Yes Dear, Family Matters) and I am sure there are more. But why? Does staging a show in a small room over a hole in the ice present such irresistable comic possibilities that no writer can resist? Or did some seminal TV show like I Love Lucy do it, and now all of them are paying homage?
“Blossom” had the best ice-fishing episode ever! Six looked so cute in her winter gear!
Maybe there are a lot of writers from the Great Lakes Regions and Northern climes. It is a unique and interesting scene to write around as well- isolation, cold, fishing. Easy set to build too.
I grew up in Pennsylvania, and ice fishing was pretty popular, since we had the two necessary ingredients, cold and lakes.
We didn’t have what the lucky kids in California had, namely ski boats and sharks. 
Small set, easily acquired props, situation that lends itself to both the “locked in a small place with an idiot” plot and the “high potential for physical harm” plot…
Seems a no-brainer for when the writers need an easy episode.
I always thought going to Hawaii was the universal episode for most sitcoms.
Time for me to re-iterate my Pet Theory about sitcom plots – whenever you see a lot of sitcoms doing the same plot, it’s the result of the writers having attended screenwriting school at the same place. The teacher/professor assigns the class an assignment like – “everybody goes ice fishing” (as noted above, confined set, small space focring characters to interact, etc.) “How do your characters react to this? Be sure to show their individual characteristics!”
Years later, they’re writing for a show, and they come up with writer’s block. What the hell am I going to do with my two doctors, one secretary, and the gay robot this week? Inspiration! Pull out that old writing assignment, dust it off, and use that. Of course, some people have just seen others doing the “ice fishing” episode, and copied the idea.
Just for the record, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ice-fishing episode of a sitcom. But I have seen more than my share of “X gets audited by the IRS” episodes. The writing assignments definitely change with time.
Because it’s the wrong season for the ubiquitous batting cage episode.(For a while it seemed like every other TV program had characters at a batting cage.)
Because “ice hole” puns never get old?
I think it’s required by law in Hollywood. As is the eponymous “overheard pregnancy” episode. You know, the one where the husband hears his wife on the phone and thinks she’s pregnant when in reality it’s the dog/cat/hamster, or her best friend.
Why? Because wacky hijinks ensue, of course!
Because it’s part of the list, which also includes:
A cabin in the wilderness
A roadtrip
A visit from the In-Laws
Meeting a ‘famous’ sportsperson or actor (who isn’t particularly famous in real life)
An episode designed to show off the major landmarks of the city it’s supposedly set in
Let’s not forget about the absolute gold standard episode which every single sitcom that’s been on a few years has: the “everyone’s going on vacation so let’s have the cast film two minutes of new material and surround it with ‘flashbacks’ to previous episodes.”
I hate this. Absolutely hate it. I don’t care that they’re trying to bulid their fan base by showing off some of their best earlier episodes, it’s still lazy bullshit. I couldn’t believe my eyes when they actually dusted that off for a TNG episode.
Yep, that’s totally lazy. It’s like that time when Fear Itself said, “Does staging a show in a small room over a hole in the ice present such irresistable comic possibilities that no writer can resist?”
Or that other time when bienville said, “Blossom had the best ice-fishing episode ever!”
Then there was that one when devilsknew said “Easy set to build too.”
So lazy…
Eh, Blossom’s ice fishing episode was okay, but my money’s on MASH* for the sheer hilarity of Frank stealing Hawk & Beej’s ice fishing map (which they’d purposely faked & planted as a prank), hiking unknowingly into enemy territory, and walking into the “ice shack” that had been carefully placed over a landmine. KaBOOM! Now that was comedy gold!
I think “trapped in the elevator” is most common. (also basement, freezer, vault, delivery truck, etc etc etc)
Theres also “bad weather” which shows up on dramas too. Like when the hurricane struck Dallas.
“Night Court” and “TNG” show natural disasters cause Asian women to give birth.
My personal favorite Ice Fishing Episode was from Coach, when Luther was determined to catch some mythical giant fish that lived in the lake. He ended up reeling in the burial urn of a character who had died several episodes before. It was great!
Too bad the comedy genius of Jerry Van Dyke is now being wasted on “Big Lots” commercials.
I had forgotten about the natural disaster episodes. The best one of those IMO was when the tornado struck on WKRP. “Cincinnati has been attacked by the Godless…tornados! Citizens are advised to arm themselves immediately.”
Then there’s the obligatory episode where the characters appear on a TV game show.
Don’t forget poker game and bowling episodes…