Sitcom Cliches You Detest

Fat guy marries smoke show.

The 6 year old that has the vocabulary and wit of a 64 year old.

The annoying neighbor who just comes over whenever they want, often without even knocking. Lock your damn door!

The single sister of the wife/main character who spends all of her time at her married sister's house. Also walks in without knocking.

Everyone dressed to the nines in the latest fashions, even though they're just hanging out around the house.

Character has deadly cat allergy for only one episode.

Character has serious gambling addiction for just one episode.

Monica and Rachel's ginormous apartment.

Accidentally sleeping with an underage guy

Colored maids with attitude.

“Detest” is a little too strong, but I’m over the mockumentary format.

Presenting an ANNOYING character as funny when in reality the annoying character is NOT funny he's just annoying.

An excellent example of this is Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He was never funny always annoying. I could not wait for him to say his lines and get out of the scene.

Another show that did this. The Jeffersons- which I happened to like at least when Mother Jefferson was on the show from 1975 to 1978.

Bentley- although not nearly as annoying as the Ted Baxter character he was annoying enough and NEVER funny.

R12 True, but Ted Knight was so talented

Gay husbands!

Spouses/neighbors/relatives that are spoken of often but never seen.

Maris Crane, Frazier

Howard Wolowitz's mother, Big Bang

Karen Walker's husband, Will & Grace

Pregnancy when the writers eun out of original ideas — if they ever had any.

As soon as the couple has a TV child thrpugh pregnancy or adoption the whole shitshow goes down the toilet.

r16 Ehh, I like not knowing what Maris looks like.

Kitchen to the left, front door to the right, sofa center stage and a staircase to the second floor flush against the back wall.

Outside shoes worn inside (and even on the bed). When you can tell they're not treating the set the way they would an actual house, my OCD kicks in.

The inevitable "Very Special Episode" (more popular in '80s and '90s sitcoms than now).

They have four kids, but the house is immaculate.

The sister (usually) who's a mess emotionally and romantically.

The man-hungry neighbor or coworker.

Children and teenagers who talk like Jewish men in their 30s who live in Los Angeles.

Asian nail technicians.

[quote] Kitchen to the left, front door to the right, sofa center stage

What are you talking about? Every sitcom I can think of has the kitchen to the right.

Making light of a character's alcoholism:

Lucille Buth

Karen Walker

Maryann Thorpe

Nina Van Horn

R4, I think Jackie is my exception to that rule. It was established pretty early on that Roseanne and Jackie were codependent so it made sense.

[quote]but I’m over the mockumentary format.

And the idiot cameramen on it who've never learned how to hold a camera because it's shaking every two seconds!

Choosing an outdoor view of the house, and then not even bothering to try and make the front portion look like the picture they want it to resemble.

[quote] I like not knowing what Maris looks like.

The descriptions were certainly vivid enough!

Being set in the south, but the cast is always in giant sweaters.

The same ol' mix of children - The pretty one who is dumb, the middle smart one who is awkward, the idiotic bumbling youngest.

8 simple rules, Modern family etc

Unseen characters often are the best.

Other cliches: Look alike relatives, wedding episodes, introducing orphans, long lost cousins, etc.

[quote]Choosing an outdoor view of the house, and then not even bothering to try and make the front portion look like the picture they want it to resemble.

Of course we all know the most egregious example of this.....

Middle-aged, middle class, middle manager room mates

Aspiring artists who get their own gallery space

Details about any blue or white collar position are vague (Outside of Actor, Director, Writer, or Intern).

Supervisors drop by the house without HR being notified.

[quote] Spouses/neighbors/relatives that are spoken of often but never seen.

I actually enjoy them a lot. Cannot name one of these unseen characters who didn't elevate a story. Specifically Maris was hilarious.

Characters walk in through the back door when a scene is in the kitchen. Characters walk in through the front door when a scene is in the living room.

Other unseen recurring characters:

*The Ugly Naked Guy from "Friends" (but then they killed him off)

*Norm's wife Vera Peterson on "Cheers" (seen only once, but her face was entirely obscured by a pie thrown right at it)

*Phyllis's husband Lars Lindstrom on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"

*Carlton the Doorman on "Rhoda"

*Dr. Richard Nygard, the therapist for many characters on "Parks and Recreation"

It's a major character's birthday, but he or she is depressed or upset so he or she refuses to see the guests.

It's the worst Thanksgiving celebration ever!

R41 with a food fight

Someone finds his or her doppelganger - funny identity tricks are set up for loved ones- hilarity ensues

Dads who are pretty much clueless about everything.

People being mean to each other as comedy

Hiding the pregnant actress's belly with boxes, chairs, giant bags, etc.

People make extremely vague plans for the following night got dinner. No restaurant specified but they are to meet at 8.

Bartender, I'll have a beer

"KISS MAH GRITS"

"Whatchu talkin bout Willis"

"Heeeeeeey"

"Dyno-MITE!"

"Did I do that?"

A main character leaves and is replaced by a sister/cousin/new roommate/waitress.

A character covers half their face.

R51...what do you mean?

The female leads losing way too much weight the second season.

The boisterous studio audience.

Two characters not known to be blackout drunks waking up in bed together after having a few drinks and somehow not remembering whether or not they had sex the night before.

*peeks under the covers*: "Oh my god--did we??"

The found positive pregnancy test whodunit episode.

The female lead who’s never seen in the same outfit twice. Her closet must be the size of a mansion.

The friend group who ostensibly have jobs but are almost never shown at them, choosing instead to lounge around each others apartments.

A family with four kids, and there's a quart of milk in the fridge or when someone comes home from the store.

The annoying neighbor who just comes over whenever they want, often without even knocking. Lock your damn door!

R3 - that was inconsistent on The Jeffersons. George was always slamming the front door on people but sometimes they would open it.

Extended family and friends regularly popping by for breakfast on weekday mornings.

A seemingly lifetime supply of tiny glass bottles of juice in the fridge that one character or another is always popping open.

“Honey, can I see you in the kitchen for a minute?”

The perpetually uneaten breakfast

The world for some reason thinks the main character is dead episode.

The high school reunion episode.

The labor and delivery episode where all manner of hijinks ensue that nearly prevent the father from making it in time.

The conveniently discovered pregnancy test leading to hijinks, misunderstandings and blessed relief.

Pouring about a tablespoon’s worth of coffee into a mug.

R66 meet R56

[quote]Character has serious gambling addiction for just one episode.

A character who has a serious gambling addiction for just one episode and also has chronic fatigue syndrome for a different episode.

Two dates on one night? At the same place? HIJINKS ENSUE!!

Husbands, often overweight, who are 2s--married to slender women who are 8s.

[quote] Two characters not known to be blackout drunks waking up in bed together after having a few drinks and somehow not remembering whether or not they had sex the night before.

Just because it happened one time on one specific show doesn’t make it a cliche.

[quote]Lucille Buth

Oh, dear.

[quote] The world for some reason thinks the main character is dead episode.

How often did that happen? I can recall only one episode.

The flawlessly lit and decorated apartment that looks like a showroom.

Doing a musical episode

r74 and that one episode is?

People just bump into each other all the time in places like NYC or LA, like it's Mayberry.

The catty mother-in-law who’s always clashing with her son’s wife.

The parents that slap their children!

When the maid/butler is offered some high paying dream job position and they decline because they can’t leave the family.

The ugly bridesmaid dress episode.

All of the above.

The 'central male character is thought to be gay and hilarity ensues' episode.

The main character who is now an Everyman or even a loser, was a big deal in high school. He/ she can’t get over it.,

Dragging your obviously sick, feverish, way too tired ass to work, or some stupid party, or some big inane event cause you gottttaaaaaa, for no real reason.

The filmed on location amusement park episodes.

R74 Off the top of my head, sitcoms that did the "character mistakenly pronounced dead" episode: Friends, Seinfeld, Schitt's Creek, Mad About You, Grace and Frankie, and All in the Family. I'm sure there are more.

The accidentally showing up fall-down drunk to your surprise party, birth of your own baby, work presentation, etc. and needing to be sobered up ASAP (a cup of coffee usually does the trick) plotline.

Middle class family living rooms in the 80's that had no carpeting.

I think Roseanne was the first to show actual carpet.

R89 coffee and a cold shower make a person go from blackout stupid back to their regular facilities

Phone conversations that never end with Goodbye. Or begin with hello.

R67- I have a similar one for you.

Character says- I'm dying of thirst. Can I please have a glass of water. The other character turns on the faucet in the kitchen and fills a tall glass with water. Said thirsty character takes one little sip and then starts talking about something like trying to get a date for Saturday night. When I 'm dying of thirst I cannot talk nor do anything else until I've quenched my thirst by guzzling down a large glass of water.

I hate new neighbors that appear to dominate a single episode, but are never heard of again. It seems most sitcom families live next door to an AirBnB!

R94 is Ginni Wroblicki.

Who??

Use Google, dear.

SAHMs who move to the big city and 3 episodes later are running the biggest ad agency in Indianapolis.

Wedding goes wrong. On again/off again romances. Double booked a date.

babies and young children are always quietly in their room.

The 'heartfelt talk with Dad' at the end of the episode with the schmaltzy music about the 'lesson learned'.

Hired on the spot, they are entrusted with the care of several photogenic children.

Estranged grandfather leaves house/money/magic box to precocious child nobody has drowned.

R78, I thought so too until I moved to NYC and it oddly happens a lot more than you would expect it to.

R78, I live in California, but I always run into people I know when I visit New York. Don't ask me why or how -but it happens every time.

One time I actually ran into a married work colleague who was clearly with his girlfriend. He turned absolutely purple when I said hello to him. Total sitcom moment -but it happened!

The overenthusiastic kid who’s every line reading screams “get ready for the punchline!”

[quote]Spouses/neighbors/relatives that are spoken of often but never seen.

Fuck you.

Everybody hugging and laughing with their fellow characters at the end of each episode, even if the previous scene involved their house or office having been struck by a nuclear bomb. 💣

The house lay out that makes no practical sense.

Has it been mentioned?

THE LAUGH TRACK

I apologize to anyone who mentioned it.

The best exterior to interior house was BEWITCHED. Other shows could have tried harder.

I think Maude became "manic-depressive " aka bipolar and it was never addressed again .

Just as two of the main characters are about to get together after a period of "will they, won't they?", one of the exes comes back to town.

[quote] When the maid/butler is offered some high paying dream job position and they decline because they can’t leave the family.

That’s because if they take the job, they won’t be on the show anymore and in the end it would turn out not to be higher paying then as the show’s salary would be higher.

I'm the backdoor pilot.

Me, R113? I always love a pilot in my backdoor.

The abortion episode

Weddings at the house. Has anyone ever been to one? The parking alone is a logistical nightmare.

You olds must live in the 70s and 80s. No sitcoms now have episodes about abortions or very special episodes.

I'm the uncomfortable chuckles coming from the laugh track as the kid almost gets molested by his neighbor

I'm the laugh track when men who might be destined for incarceration for petty larceny are told they will be raped in jail. No one ever laughs about the most evil female mass murderer being sexually assaulted in the pen.

I'm the mistake gay plot scene

Smarmy child actors with catchphrases such as "You got it, dude!"

The child star who ends up on drugs

Regardless of the characters' financial status, they always have the funds for whatever the plot demands. A random vacation in an exotic location? No problem!

Being on speaking terms with your neighbors

Accidentally locked inside the walk-in freezer

THE MAID is the smartest person in the room. That's why she's THE MAID.

R123 Bitch please.

One show r127

this is about sitcom cliches r127. they don't have to occur in ALL sitcoms,

It’s called a joke you stupid bitch.

What's going on here? If you want a contrary opinion to be funny like a joke add some wit. This site is overflowing with good examples from people better at it than I.

Successful professionals who never seem to go to work.

Characters with empty paper coffee cups pretending they are full of fresh, hot coffee. (There’s no reason a little water can’t be put in to give them a little weight).

I’m reminded of the short-lived sitcom That’s My Bush from the South Park guys that was a sendup of all of the clichés mentioned here. The two dates at once episode had him changing jackets every time he went back and forth between tables. The jackets were identical. Cue the laugh track.

The kids on sitcoms now don't seem to wind up as druggies or sex workers.

People that pop over to the house, unannounced, and then help themselves to coffee or something from the fridge.

R3 Was this about me?

R20 Never thought about it but you are right. They always have shoes or sneakers indoors. And not just in sitcoms

Apartments with different floor levels so that the characters upstage don't block the ones backstage.

I’ve said this before. No cunt better not tell me to take off my mafuckin shoes. Get wooden floors or don’t have guests. Plain and simple.

Sleeping with your boss

R141 That’s a very common occurrence actually.

It didn't take long for the replies on this thread to turn into reruns.

R140 No one is talking about the guests. Why do people that live in that house/apartment always have shoes on?

The annoying, insufferable MIL

I do that all the time, R141

"The kids on sitcoms now don't seem to wind up as druggies or sex workers."

Better child protection laws and enforcement.

That the real sleaze takes place 100 miles away in Capital City.

[quote] Why do people that live in that house/apartment always have shoes on?

If you wanted a reflection of real life, everybody would just sit in front of the TV all day, and you wouldn't have any situation that could be comedy. I rather see them with shoes in the house than barefoot in their stained "loungewear".

The most egregious case of this was Fresh Off the Boat. No way a family fresh from Taiwan would wear shoes in the house and on their beds.

The antagonistic mother-in-law who always happens to visit.

It was funny on 'Bewitched', it has grown tired over the past 60 years.

Wise (or wisecracking) Black Friend

The phone ring that only goes two seconds between rings

[quote]Sitcom Cliches You Detest

Everything. I hate sitcoms. All the jokes were told in the 1970s. Since then, it's just been the same recycled, tired jokes from the 1970s. These types of shows are for the lowest common denominator folks who turn on the one of the mainstream channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) at 8 PM and leave it on the entire night.

And that's why older people watch less TV and that why they usually produce shows for young people. There is a finite number of funny things, and we see them all by the time we turn 50.

But Angie is still good R154.