The Sitcom Study

The Home Improvement Mixtape & Al Borland Knowledge Bowl

This week we're looking back on our discussions of the greatest tool-based sitcom of the 90s and debuting The Al Borland GameTM, a new pastime based on knowledge of America's cuddliest ToolTime sidekick that's sure to sweep the nation... It's the Home Improvement Mixtape!
With these segments from past podcasts:
From Visits From The Ex: S2 E22 "Ex Marks the Spot:
From Chain Letters: S1 E19 "Unchained Malady"
From Shoplifting: S4 E25 "A Marked Man"
From Save Our Hangout: S8 E21 "A Hardware Habit to Break"

Going to the Beach! [RERUN]

Tony Danza rides the waves, Mister Ed soaks up the sun, and Monica Geller has a fateful run-in with a jellyfish... this week's trope is Going to the Beach! Here's what we're watching:
Mister Ed S2 E23 "Ed the Beachcomber"
Who's the Boss S2 E6 "Custody Part 1"
Married with Children S3 E21 "Life's a Beach"
Friends S4 E1 "The One with the Jellyfish"
This is a good old-fashioned RERUN! We'll be back with another episode next week!

Fake IDs!

Blossom poses as a 24-year-old socialite, Tia and Tamara practice walking like adults, and young Chris Rock bends the law for a chance to see the Fat Boys... This week's trope is Getting Fake IDs! Here's what we're watching:
Blossom S3 E7 "Only When I Laugh"
Sister Sister S5 E17 "Young At Heart"
Everybody Hates Chris S4 E13 "Everybody Hates Fake IDs"
American Dad S9 E7 "Faking Bad"

Favorite Sitcom Moms!

Mothers Day is upon us and we're counting down the all-time great sitcom moms, from the wild and crazy to the stern and sensible!
 
Let us know your favorite sitcom moms sitcomstudypodcast@gmail.com or https://instagram.com/sitcomstudypodcast and we'll be back to investigate a new sitcom trope in two weeks!

Frauds & Scams! [crossover w/The Fraud Complex]

Jerry Seinfeld donates to a fake charity, Mac and Dennis make some shaky investments, and the King of Queens dips his toe into the lucrative world of water filter sales and licensing... This week's trope is Frauds and Scams and we're joined by Garth and Josh from the Fraud Complex podcast! Here's what we're watching:
Seinfeld S3 E2 "The Truth"
King of Queens S2 E22 "Soft Touch"
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia S9 E4 "Mac and Dennis Buy a Timeshare"

Jury Duty!

Edith Bunker takes a stand for justice, Liz Lemon cosplays to avoid civic duty, and Felix and Oscar reveal that their origin story is actually a courtroom drama... This week's trope is Jury Duty! Here's what we're watching:
The Odd Couple S1 E4 "The Jury Story"
All in the Family S1 E9 "Edith Has Jury Duty"
Sanford S2 E9 "Jury Duty"
30 Rock S3 E14 "The Funcooker"

Saying No To Drugs!

Zack Morris and friends take a stand for clean living, Webster witnesses the deadly effects of cocaine, and Moesha is embroiled in a sordid household marijuana scandal... This week's trope is Saying No To Drugs! Here's what we're watching:
Growing Pains S2 E15 "Thank God It's Friday"
Webster S5 E20 "Basketball Blues"
Saved By The Bell S3 E21 "No Hope With Dope"
Moesha S4 E3 "Hello, What's This?"

The Mary Tyler Moore Mixtape & Trivia Exposé!

Whether she's running the newsroom, organizing a dinner party or locked in a prison cell, Mary Tyler Moore is one of the all-time sitcom greats and this week we're revisiting the discussions we've had of her iconic show across four different tropes:
From Snowed In For Christmas: S5 E9 "Not a Christmas Story"
From Dinner Parties: S4 E10 "The Dinner Party"
From Going to Jail: S5 E1 "Will Mary Richards Go To Jail?
From Babysitting: S2 E18 "Baby Sit-Com"
Plus we'll stumble through a trivia quiz and see what kind of Mary-cred we've really got!

Surprise Parties!

Major Dad is ambushed with a birthday hoedown, Sheldon purchases his first birthday present, and Dick Van Dyke matches wits in a clandestine party-planning chess game with his wife... This week's trope is Surprise Parties! Here's what we're watching:
The Dick Van Dyke Show S2 E30 "A Surprise Surprise is a Surprise"
Major Dad S1 E20 "Officer of the Day"
Big Bang Theory S1 E16 "The Peanut Butter Reaction"
The Middle S7 E13 "Floating 50"

Sitcom Olympics! (w/David Smith) [RERUN]

The doctors of MASH get whipped into shape, Dharma and Greg embark on equally inspirational quests, and the Goldbergs triumph in sports that don't exist... This week we're talking about the Olympics in sitcoms with sports professional David Smith! Here's what we're watching:
M*A*S*H S6 E11 "The MASH Olympics"
Dharma & Greg S1 E17 "The Official Dharma & Greg Episode of the 1998 Winter Olympics"
The Goldbergs S3 E16 "Edward 'Eddie the Eagle' Edwards"
Superstore S2 E1 "Olympics"
This is a good old fashioned RERUN! We'll be back with a new episode next week!