The Sitcom Study

The First Ever TGIF!

Full House goes to Hawaii, Family Matters debuts with a notable absence, and Larry and Balki strap on the roller-skates to start their fifth season... This week we're turning the clock back to the historic evening of September 22, 1989 and watching the first ever official TGIF lineup! Here it is:
Full House S3 E1 "Tanners Island"
Family Matters S1 E1 "The Mama Who Came to Dinner"
Perfect Strangers S5 E1 "Good Skates"
Free Spirit S1 E1 "Pilot"

Makeovers!

Green Acres goes glam, Scott Baio salvages a glow-up gone wrong, and iCarly reminds us that fighty gals can land a floppy-haired boy just as well as anyone else... This week's trope is Makeovers! Here's what we're watching:
Green Acres S2 E5 "The Ugly Duckling"
Charles in Charge S1 E8 "A Date with Enid"
iCarly S2 E14 "iMake Sam Girlier"
Rules of Engagement S6 E2 "Bros Before Nodes"

The Many Sitcoms of Melissa Joan Hart

She explained it all, wielded witchcraft with a talking cat, and employed Joey Lawrence for four seasons in a highly Charles-in-Charge-esque situation... This week we're tracking the career of Melissa Joan Hart from the early days of Nickelodeon to the cutthroat world of streaming and TV holiday movies and beyond! Here's what we're watching:
Clarissa Explains It All S1 E1 "Revenge"
Sabrina the Teenage Witch S1 E1 "Pilot"
Melissa & Joey S1 E1 "Pilot
No Good Nick S1 E1 "The Catfish"

Will They / Won’t They Romances ACT FOUR: The Breakups!

Ross and Rachel take a break, Sam and Diane come to slaps, and Jim and Pam just can't get on the same page (of Dunder-Mifflin paper)... We've reached ACT FOUR of our Will They - Won't They case study and dark days lie ahead... Here's what we're watching:
Cheers S3 E21-22 "I'll Be Seeing You"
Friends S3 E15-16 "The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break" & "The One With The Morning After"
The Office S3 E8 "The Merger"
New Girl S3 E20 "Mars Landing"
 
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Fear of Public Speaking!

Sheldon takes the stage, Blossom masters debate club, and the Golden Girls conquer terrors at 20,000 feet... This week's trope is fear of public speaking! Here's what we're watching:
Golden Girls S3 E5 "Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself"
Blossom S2 E17 "Losers Win"
Herman's Head S2 E12 "Feardom of Speech"
Big Bang Theory S3 E18 "The Pants Alternative"

Snowed In For Christmas!

Betty White makes merriment mandatory, Scott Baio orchestrates Christmas a la The Shining, and from a relentless snowstorm "Balki Clause" is born.... This week's trope is getting snowed in for Christmas! Here's what we're watching:
The Mary Tyler Moore Show S5 E9 "Not a Christmas Story"
Perfect Strangers S2 E11 "A Christmas Story"
Charles in Charge S3 E1 "Yule Laff"
Roseanne S5 E12 "No Place Like Home for the Holidays"

Meeting the Ex!

Bob Newhart proceeds with caution, Coach gets a blast from the past, and Tim the Toolman Taylor may have invented "ghosting!" This week's trope is getting a visit from the ex! Here's what we're watching:
The Bob Newhart Show S1 E5 "Goodnight Nancy"
Coach S1 E8 "Parents Weekend"
Home Improvement S2 E22 "Ex Marks the Spot"
My Name is Earl S1 E21 "The Bounty Hunter"

Romantic Getaways Gone Awry!

Martin and Gina head to "Chilligan's Isle," Kate and Allie lay low in a cabin in the woods, and Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore match wits with a hotel bathtub... This week's trope is romantic getaways gone wrong! Here's the lineup:
The Dick Van Dyke Show S4 S27 "Never Bathe On A Saturday"
Kate & Allie S5 E15 "Almost Married" / "And Then There Were None"
Mad About You S1 E14 "Weekend Getaway"
Martin S3 E24 "The Romantic Weekend"

Hooked on Pills!

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"

Sitcom Thanksgivings!

As God is our witness, we thought turkeys could fly... We're watching classic Thanksgiving episodes from the seventies to the aughties! Here's the lineup:
WKRP in Cincinnati S1 E7 "Turkeys Away"
Seinfeld S6 E8 "The Mom and Pop Store"
King of Queens S6 E9 "Thanks, Man"
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia S9 E10 "the Gang Squashes Their Beefs"