The Sitcom Study

Valentine's Day Gone Awry!

Fran the Nanny risks life and limb for love, Nell Carter dishes out highly questionable romantic advice, and Mike and Molly's plans are derailed by baker-related jealousy... this week's trope is Valentine's Day Gone Awry! Here's what we're watching:
Gimme a Break S3 E16 "Valentine"
Wings S2 E17 "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places"
The Nanny S3 E19 "Love is a Many Blundered Thing"
Mike & Molly S1 E16 "First Valentine's Day"

I.Q. Tests!

Night Court gets brainy, Good Times tackles racial bias, and Seinfeld presents a testing "caper" for the ages... This week's trope is I.Q. Tests! Here's what we're watching:
Good Times S2 E7 "IQ Test"
Night Court S6 E10 "Mental Giant"
Seinfeld S3 E7 "The Cafe"
Keenan & Kel S3 E7 "IQ Can Do Better"

Road Trips!

Bart Simpson takes the wheel, Grace heads for Memphis, and Joey takes his ill fated spin-off on the open road... this week's trope is Road Trips! Here's what we're watching:
Grace Under Fire S2 E21 "Memphis Bound"
The Simpsons S7 E20 "Bart on the Road"
Joey S1 E11 "Joey and the Road Trip"
Parks & Recreation S3 E14 "Road Trip"

Crossovers!

Ricky Schroder and Arnold Drummond join forces for the scoop of the century, Urkel drops by the Tanner house, and Lucille Ball crosses paths with the man of steel himself... This week's trope is Crossover episodes! Here's what we're watching:
I Love Lucy S6 E13 "Lucy and Superman"
Silver Spoons S1 E7 "The Great Computer Caper"
Full House S4 E16 "Stephanie Gets Framed"
Abbott Elementary S4 E9 "Volunteers"

Going to Jail!

The Golden Girls are mistaken for sex workers, Mary Tyler Moore refuses to name names, and Ellen's antics fail to amuse the penitentiary crowd... This week's trope is Going to Jail! Here's what we're watching...
The Mary Tyler Moore Show S5 E1 "Will Mary Hart Go to Jail?"
Golden Girls S2 E2 "Ladies of the Evening"
Ellen S2 E21 "Three Strikes"
Everybody Loves Raymond S7 E21 "The Shower"

"A Christmas Carol" Episodes!

Sanford and Son bring Dickens to the junkyard, Sophia makes the perfect Tiny Tim, and Mr. Belvedere gets a lot of use out of the old-timey sleeping cap and night gown that he already owned... This week's trope is episodes that spoof "A Christmas Carol!" Here's what we're watching:
The Odd Couple S1 E12 "Scrooge Gets an Oscar"
Sandford & Son S5 E12 "Ebenezer Sanford"
Mr Belvedere S6 E11 "A Happy Guy's Christmas"
Golden Palace S1 E12 "It’s Beginning to Look a Lot (Less) Like Christmas"

The New Sitcoms of 2024!

Damon Wayans and Reba McEntire triumphantly(?) return to prime time, an Oregon hospital becomes the setting for the latest "Office"-style mockumentary, and we boldly attempt to watch a second-degree Big Bang Theory spinoff while skipping Young Sheldon entirely... This week we're casting nostalgia aside and talking about the new sitcoms of 2024! Here's what we're watching:
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage S1 E1 "The 6:10 to Lubbock"
Happy's Place S1 E1 "Pilot"
Poppa's House S1 E1 "Pilot"
St Denis Medical S1 E1 "Pilot"

Threesomes & Orgies!

Grace gets kinky with Jeremy Piven, Ted rides the sweet tricycle of love, and the gals of Absolutely Fabulous relive the swinging sixties, all with smoldering guest stars galore! Plus, Party Down provides an unofficial sequel to Eyes Wide Shut... This week's trope is Threesomes and Orgies! Here's what we're watching"
Absolutely Fabulous S3 E3 "Sex"
Will & Grace S3 E6 "Love Plus One"
How I Met Your Mother S3 E3 "Third Wheel"
Party Down S2 E3 "Nick DiCintio's Orgy Night"

Shoplifting!

The Facts of Life gals pull a classic department store caper, Danny Partridge helps himself to a corner store yoyo, and Tim the Toolman Taylor must ferret out the Swiss army thief among his children... This week's trope is Shoplifting! Here's what we're watching:
The Partridge Family S3 E22 "The Partridge Connection"
Facts of Life S2 E6 "Shoplifting"
Small Wonder S2 E11 "The Shoplifter"
Home Improvement S4 E25 "A Marked Man"

Going on a Diet!

Bob Newhart vows to eat nothing but water, Old Christine breaks down the science of the protein shake, and my sister Sam takes on body-shaming in a mildly special episode... This week's trope is Going on a Diet! Here's what we're watching:
The Bob Newhart Show S2 E11 "The Fit, the Fat and the Forty One"
Gimme a Break S1 E5 "Do or Diet"
My Sister Sam S1 E8 "Mirror Mirror on the Wall"
New Adventures of Old Christine S4 E20 "He Ain't Heavy"