The Sitcom Study

The Family Ties Mixtape

This week, Alex P. Keaton's middle name is Podcast as we revisit four of our past discussions of the legendary 80s sitcom Family Ties, including a rendezvous with an older lady, an unsupervised boy-girl party, and indeed a child who ages several years between seasons... It's not a clip show, it's a mixtape! Plus we'll try our hand at a couple of Family Ties quizzes which may or may not have been created by humans...
Segments in this episode:
Family Ties S1 E2 "Not With My Sister You Don't"
Family Ties S3 E3 "Little Man on Campus"
Family Ties S5 E1 "Be True to Your Pre-School"
Family Ties S2 E7 "Sweet Lorraine"

Accidental Fires! [rerun]

Webster plays with matches, Urkel gets things cooking, and Drew Carey passes down his "wood burning kit" to the next generation of pyros... This week's trope is Accidental fires!
Here's what we're watching:
Webster S2 E5 "Burn Out"
Family Matters S2 E1 "Rachel's Place"
Drew Carey Show S9 E19 "Burning Down the House"
Abbott Elementary S2 E15 "Fire"
This is a good old fashioned RERUN! We'll be back with a new episode next week!

Murder Mysteries!

The Golden Girls enter the mind of a killer, Zack Morris sees through several dastardly disguises, and the Jeffersons set sail on the bloody seas... This week's trope is Murder Mysteries! Here's what we're watching:
The Jeffersons S9 E8-9 "Death Smiles on a Dry Cleaner Part 1 & 2"
Golden Girls S7 E2 "The Case of the Libertine Belle"
Saved by the Bell S6 E10 "Mystery Weekend"
The Office S6 E10 "Murder"

Boy Band Guest Stars!

iCarly contaminates One Direction, David Spade gets fired from 98 Degrees, and the New Kids of the Block endure flagrant sexual harassment on Fuller House... this week's trope is Boy Band Guest Stars! Here's what we're watching:
Fuller House S2 E10 "New Kids in the House"
Sabrina the Teenage Witch S2 E18 "The Band Episode"
Just Shoot Me S5 E2 "A Night at the Plaza"
iCarly S5 E2 "iGo One Direction"

Run-ins with the Mafia! [rerun]

ALF catches a backyard assassin, the bosom buddies land a client with connections, and Howard Hesseman attends a "family" wedding... This week's trope is run-ins with the mafia! Here's what we're watching:
Bosom Buddies S2 E12 "The Grandfather"
ALF S3 E13 "Hideaway"
Head of the Class S4 E25 "Cement High Tops"
Everybody Hates Chris S2 E19 "Everybody Hates Gambling"
This is a good old fashioned RERUN! We'll be back with a new episode next week!

Getting a Pet!

Beaver and Wally raise a mail-order alligator, Will and Grace vie over puppy parenting styles, and Webster orchestrates a vast web of manipulation to procure the dog of his dreams... this week's trope is Getting a pet! Here's what we're watching:
Leave it to Beaver S1 E2 "Captain Jack"
What's Happening S1 E10 "Puppy Love"
Webster S2 E13 "It's a Dog's Life"
Will & Grace S1 E9 "The Truth About Will and Dogs"

100th Episodes!

A city-wide Frasierversary, a Blackish tribute to Prince, and Lucy bound and gagged in the basement... just a few of the ways that sitcoms celebrate their 100th episodes, and on the 100th Sitcom Study podcast, we're diving in to them all! Here's what we're watching:
I Love Lucy S4 E3 "Lucy Cries Wolf"
Frasier S5 E4 "The 1000th Show"
The Middle S5 E4 "The 100th"
Blackish S5 E4 "Purple Rain"

Fifteen Minutes of Fame!

Kate and Allie take local TV by storm, Liz Lemon gets the network glow-up, the Wings boys pull a Sully, and Sally Solomon achieves celebrity by tossing Mark Hammill across a restaurant... this week's trope is 15 minutes of fame! Here's what we're watching:
Kate & Allie S4 E10 "Stage Mother"
Wings S8 E14 "Just Call Me Angel"
3rd Rock from the Sun S2 E23 "Fifteen Minutes of Dick"
30 Rock S4 E7 "Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001"

Hooked on Pills! [rerun]

Alex P. Keaton is strung out on speed, Jessie Spanno has descended into drug-fueled madness, and both Urkel and Horshack are high as a kite on "vitamins!" This week's trope is sitcom characters hooked on pills...Here's the lineup:
Welcome Back Kotter S3 E22 "What Goes Up"
Family Ties E2 E6 "Speed Trap"
Saved by the Bell S2 E9 "Jessie's Song"
Family Matters S7 E14 "Life in the Fast Lane"
This is a good old fashioned RERUN! We'll be back with a new episode next week!

Superpowers!

Gilligan and friends feast on radioactive veggies, Zack and Cody wish upon a star to supercharge their suite lives, and Earl Sinclair will make you believe a dinosaur can fly... This week's trope is Superpowers! Here's what we're watching:
Gilligan's Island S3 E3 "Pass the Vegetables Please"
Bewitched S6 E20 "Super Arthur"
Dinosaurs S4 E2 "Earl, Don't Be a Hero"
Suite Life of Zack & Cody S3 E4 "Super Twins"