The Sitcom Study

Pranks & Practical Jokes!

Stephanie Tanner gets even, Jan Brady goes full American Psycho, and iCarly drags her brother back into the depths of prank addiction... This weeks trope is Pranks and Practical Jokes! Here's what we're watching:
The Brady Bunch S2 E13 "The Impractical Joker"
Coach S5 E20 "Dirty Tricks"
Full House S7 E14 "Is It True About Stephanie?"
iCarly S4 E3 "iGet Pranky"

Chain Letters!

Edith Bunker plays it safe, Mrs. Garret lays down the law, and Tim the Toolman Taylor ends up with a classic case of black eye and green hands... This week's trope is Chain Letters (and the misfortune they cause)! Here's what we're watching:
All in the Family S6 E6 "Chain Letter"
Facts of Life S5 E13 "The Chain Letter"
Home Improvement S1 E19 "Unchained Malady"
3rd Rock From the Sun S4 E16 "Superstitious Dick"

Homemade Movies!

Doogie Howser portrays a zombie, Ben Seaver adds a touch of eroticism to the killer alligator genre, and the It's Always Sunny gang fail to make an impression on fellow Philadelphian M. Night Shyamalan... This week's trope is Making a Movie! Here's what we're watching:
Growing Pains S5 E25 "Ben's Movie"
Doogie Howser S2 E8 "Revenge of the Teenage Dead"
Community S1 E3 "Introduction to Film"
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia S5 E11 "Mac and Charlie Write a Movie"

Ripped From the Headlines! (w/Eric Paul)

Punky Brewster unpacks the Challenger explosion, Murphy Brown takes on Dan Quayle (in real life, somehow) and Brooklyn 99 tackles the many societal woes of 2020 New York City... This week we're talking Ripped From the Headlines Sitcoms with Eric Paul of Everything is a Primary Source! Here's what we're watching:
WKRP in Cincinatti S2 E19 "In Concert"
Punky Brewster S2 E22 "Accidents Happen"
Murphy Brown S5 E1-2 "You Say Potatoe, I Say Potato"
Brooklyn 99 S8 E1 "The Good Ones"

Dinner Parties!

Mary Tyler Moore loses control of the guest list, George Jefferson busts out a new tuxedo, and the Michael Scott / Jan Levinson household serves up a feast of delicious cringe (it must marinate for at least 3 hours)... This week's trope is Dinner Parties! Here's what we're watching:
The Mary Tyler Moore Show S4 E10 "The Dinner Party"
The Jeffersons S2 E1 "A Dinner for Harry"
The Wonder Years S4 E13 "Dinner Out"
The Office S4 E13 "Dinner Party"

Obsessed with Chess!

Frasier is driven to madness by his dad's effortless victories, Bernie Mac delivers age-old wisdom in metaphors of knights and bishops, and Felix Unger falls back into the depths of his childhood obsession... This week's trope is CHESS! Here's what we're watching:
The Danny Thomas Show S5 E13 "The Chess Game"
Frasier S3 E18 "Chess Pains"
The Bernie Mac Show S2 E16 "Chess Wars"
The Odd Couple S2 E9 "Chess Nuts"

Going to College! (w/Doug McCambridge)

Alex P. Keaton, Zack Morris and Will Smith all make spectacularly bad first impressions on their professors, and the Hogan Family faces an angry wolverine in a typical freshman prank gone wrong... This week's trope is Going to College and we're joined by college professor and fellow podcaster Doug McCambridge of Good Times Great Movies and Schitts and Giggles! Here's what we're watching:
The Hogan Family S4 E1 "Animal House"
Family Ties S3 E3 "Little Man on Campus"
Saved by the Bell: The College Years S1 E3 "Zack, Lies and Videotape"
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air S4 E3 "All Guts No Glory"

The Family Matters Mixtape

This week we're going deep on the Winslows and their clumsy, catch-phrase prone neighbor by revisiting four of the times we've covered Family Matters on the podcast so far:
S1 E16 "The Party" from our Party When the Parents Are Away podcast
S2 E7 "Dog Day Halloween" from Held Hostage in a Bank
S7 E14 "Life in the Fast Lane" from Hooked on Pills
S1 E1 "The Mama Who Came to Dinner" from The Very First TGIF
It's not a clip show... It's a mixtape! Plus, we'll stumble through a fairly intense Family Matters trivia quiz...
We'll be back with a new episode next week!

Comic Books in Sitcoms! (w/Jordan D. White)

Bob Newhart returns to primetime for his least essential sitcom, The Simpsons anticipates the superhero movie craze, and the ladies of Big Bang Theory visit the comic shop and debate the subtleties of Thor's hammer... This week we're discussing comic books in sitcoms with Marvel Comics senior editor Jordan D. White! Here's what we're watching:
Bob S1 E1 "Mad Dog Returns"
The Simpsons S7 E2 "Radioactive Man"
Big Bang Theory S6 E13 "The Bakersfield Expedition"
Woke S1 E1 "Rhymes with Broke"

Hidden Musical Talents! (w/Dave Russell)

Benson takes the stage, Gomer Pyle makes a grown man cry, and the town of Schitt's Creek witnesses the open mic of a lifetime... This week's trope is Hidden Musical Talents, and we are joined by the sweeniest todd in the greater Tampa area, actor/musician/chum Dave Russell! Here's what we're watching:
Gomer Pyle S3 E25 "Sing a Song of Papa"
Benson S6 E17 "Solid Gold"
Martin S4 E3 "Blow, Baby, Blow"
Schitt's Creek S4 E6 "Open Mic"