The Sitcom Study

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

From bars and restaurants to attics and garages, we're celebrating all the places where the gangs congregate and the zany schemes are hatched... This episode is all about our favorite sitcom hangout spots! Let us know what we missed at [email protected] or instagram.com/sitcomstudypodcast Next week's trope is Going on a Diet!

This week is all about the new boy in the neighborhood, who lives downstairs and it's understood... You know the rest- the hunky housekeeper and sage advice-giver has come up four times on the podcast so far, and we're revisiting all of our discussions about Charles, Buddy, the Powell Family, and to a lesser degree the Pembroke Family! Plus we'll face off in a brutally intense trivia challenge on all things Charles! Here's what we're watching: Charles in Charge S4 E14-15 "Charles Splits" from our Bonked On the Head, New Personality podcast Charles in Charge S3 E1 "Yule Laugh" from Snowed in for Christmas Charles in Charge S1 E8 "A Date with Enid" from Makeovers Charles in Charge S2 E19 "U.F. Oh No!" from UFO Sightings It's not a clip show; it's a mixtape! We'll be back with a new episode next week!

Martin and Gina dive into debauchery, Lucy goes undercover at Ricky's "Daddy Shower," and Archie and Edith head upstate for a politically polarized wedding weekend (not to mention the back-door pilot for Maude)... This week's trope is Bachelor Parties! Here's what we're watching: I Love Lucy S2 E14 "Ricky Has Labor Pains" All in the Family S2 E24 "Maude" Martin S3 E25 "The Bachelor Party" Parks & Rec S5 E10 "Two Parties"

The immortal Fonz takes on the immortal Bard, Gilligan and the gang turn Hamlet into an opera, and Frasier and Niles stage a must-miss production for the ages... This week's trope is Shakespeare in Sitcoms! Here's what we're watching: Gilligan's Island S3 E4 "The Producer" Happy Days S2 E10 "A Star is Bored" Head of the Class S1 E8 "Critical Choices" Frasier S8 E12 "The Show Must Go Off"

Cheers forms a rivalry that will last for generations, How I Met Your Mother gets slap-happy, and the Community campus engulfs itself in paintball apocalypse... for the first of many times! This week's all about storylines that became beloved every-season traditions! Here's what we're watching: Cheers S4 E9 "From Beer to Eternity" & S6 E23 "Bar Wars" Community S1 E23 "Modern Warfare" How I Met Your Mother S2 E9 "Slap Bet" Brooklyn Nine-Nine S1 E6 "Halloween"

The Tanners return after three decades, Boy Meets World spawns a new generation, and the Fresh Prince is FINALLY reimagined as a gritty, melancholy drama... This week we're discussing 90s REBOOTS! Here's what we're watching: Girl Meets World S1 E1 "Girl Meets World" Fuller House S1 E1 "Our Very First Show Again" Bel-Air S1 E1 "Dreams and Nightmares"

From the Keatons to the Seavers to the rich tapestry of Modern Family, sitcoms have a habit of blithely skipping over the terrible twos and playing fast and loose with the ages of their youngest cast members... This week's trope is kids who age several years between seasons! Here's what we're watching: Family Ties S5 E1 "Be True to Your Preschool" Growing Pains S6 E13 "The World According to Chrissie" Step by Step S6 E19 "The Facts of Life" Modern Family S3 E13 "Little Bo Bleep"

Beaver packs the perfect pipe, Arnold Drummond hits tobacco road, and Hank Hill employs the age-old parenting technique of making your child smoke the whole carton... This week's trope is Getting Caught Smoking! Here's what we're watching: Leave it to Beaver S2 E9 "The Pipe" Diff'rent Strokes S6 E12 "Where There's Smoke" King of the Hill S1 E10 "Keeping Up With Our Joneses" Abbott Elementary S3 E4 "Smoking"

Blimey! This week we're skipping across the pond to check out two iconic British sitcoms and the American remakes/imitators they inspired! Here's what we're watching: Man About the House S1 E1 "Three's a Crowd" Three's Company S1 E1 "Man About the House" Absolutely Fabulous S1 E1 "Fashion" Cybill S1 E1 "Virgin, Mother, Crone"

Dick Van Dyke spots a flying saucer, Bob Newhart contemplates the likeliness of aliens, and Scott Baio solves the mysteries of the universe... This week's trope is UFO Sightings! Here's what we're watching: The Dick Van Dyke Show S5 E3 "Uhny Uftz" Newhart S1 E19 "Heaven Knows Mr. Utley" Charles in Charge S2 E19 "U.F. Oh No!" The Hogan Family S3 E21 "Close Encounters"

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"

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"

We've covered the gang from Bayside four times so far, so we've extracted all of our Saved by the Bell discussions and combined them into one scheming, class-cutting, Belding-defying sensation! From our past episodes, we're listening to: SBTB S2 E5 "House Party" from our Party When the Parents Are Away podcast SBTB S4 E3 "Screech's Spaghetti Sauce" from Let's Start a Business SBTB S2 E9 "Jesse's Song" from Hooked on Pills SBTB College Years S1 E3 "Zack, Lies and Videotape" from Going to College It's not a clip show... It's a mixtape! We'll be back with a new episode next week!

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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!

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"

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"

Joannie Cunningham takes a ride with Fonzie's mini-me, the Bosom Buddies come to blows, and Alex P. Keaton is up all night worried sick, young lady... We're back for YEAR TWO of The Sitcom Study and this week's trope is Don't Date My Sister! Here's what we're watching: Happy Days S2 E8 "Not With My Sister You Don't" Bosom Buddies S2 E17 "Not With My Sister You Pig" Family Ties S1 E2 "Not With My Sister You Don't" Herman's Head S1 E25 "Twisted Sister"

This week we're chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool and revisiting the three Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episodes we've covered so far: S4 E5 "It's Better to Have Loved and Lost It" from our Losing Virginity podcast S4 E7 "Hex and the Single Guy" from Halloween Séances S2 E11 "The Butler Did It" from Early 90s Hip Hop Guest Stars It's not a clip show... It's a mixtape! Plus we'll test our knowledge of His Freshness by taking a FPoBA trivia quiz... We'll be back with new episodes in a few weeks!

This week we're celebrating the finest ladies to ever slice a cheesecake by revisiting the three Golden Girls episodes we've covered so far: S2 E26 "Empty Nests" from our Backdoor Pilots podcast S3 E6 "Letter to Mr Gorbachev" from Sitcoms Tackle the Cold War S3 E5 "Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself" from Fear of Public Speaking It's not a clip show... It's a mixtape! Plus, we'll take an online quiz to discover which Golden Girl we truly are! We'll be back with new episodes in a few weeks!

M*A*S*H gets existential, How I Met Your Mother leans into romantic psychosis, and Living Single and Brooklyn 99 both go out with an unexpected bang... To celebrate a full year of the Sitcom Study podcast, we're talking Season One Finales! Here's what we're watching: MASH S1 E24 "Showtime" Living Single S1 E27 "What's Next?" How I Met Your Mother S1 E22 "Come On" Brooklyn 99 S1 E22 "Charges and Specs"

Murphy Brown plays hardball, Benson saves the city, and Mr Cooper must find a new workplace in which to hang... This week's trope is going on strike! Here's what we're watching: Benson S1 E13 "One Strike You're Out" Murphy Browns S3 E4 "Strike Two" Hangin' with Mr Cooper S1 E14 "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" Workaholics S1 E6 "The Strike"

Sam and Diane gaze into the future, Jim and Pam finally take the plunge, and Ross pulls an airport love confession for the ages... Our epic Will They / Won't They case study concludes with ACT FIVE: Happily Ever After(?)... Here are SOME of the episodes we're watching... Cheers S5 E26 "I Do, Adieu" Friends S10 E17 "The Last One" The Office S5 E1-2 "Weight Loss" New Girls S6 E22 "Five Stars for Beezus"

Donna Reed dishes out sage advice, Parker Lewis riles up the student body, and Punky Brewster dodges the advances of another young sociopath... This week's trope is Sadie Hawkins Dances! Here's what we're watching: The Donna Reed Show S4 E37 "The Man in the Mask" Punky Brewster S3 E16 "This Spud's For You" Parker Lewis Can't Lose S1 E6 "G.A.G. Dance" Strangers with Candy S1 E5 "Bogie Nights"

Bobby Brown stops by 227, Kriss Kross jump-jumps their way into a Different World, and the Bell Biv Devoe boys never trust a big butt and a Carlton... This week's trope is early 90s Hip Hop Star Guest Spots! Here's what we're watching: 227 S5 E7 "Video Activity" The Fresh Prince of Bel Air S2 E11 "The Butler Did It" Drexell's Class S1 E17 "Cruisin" A Different World S6 E11 "Original Teacher"

Dwayne Wayne brings a touch of congeniality, the Designing Women debate the politics of the pageant world, and Leslie Knope endeavors to make sure the best woman wins... this week's trope is Beauty Pageants! Here's what we're watching: Designing Women S1 E2 "The Beauty Contest" A Different World S1 E17 "Mr. Hillman" Malcolm in the Middle S6 E22 "Mrs. Tri-County" Parks & Recreation S2 E3 "Beauty Pageant"

Homer Simpson fends off seduction at the energy convention, Roc resists the wiles of a horny lady-garbage-collector, and The Seavers are steeped in marital strife and it's only their third episode! This week's trope is being Tempted by a sexy coworker! Here's what we're watching: Growing Pains S1 E3 "Jealousy" Roc S1 E 20 "A Piece of the Roc" The Simpsons S5 E9 "The Last Temptation of Homer" Til Death S1 E14 "The Colleague"

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" Next week we're tempted by sexy coworkers! Let us know your sitcom trope ideas at [email protected]!

Tootie learns the facts of automatic transmission, Tia and Tamara light up the parking lot, and Reverend Jim gets his license by any means necessary... This week's trope is Learning to drive! Here's the lineup: Taxi S2 E3 "Reverend Jim: A Space Oddysey" The Facts of Life S7 E14 "Tootie Drives" Sister, Sister S2 E9 "Two For the Road" 8 Simple Rules S1 E4 "Wings" Next week is Run-ins with the Mafia! Let us know your sitcom trope ideas at [email protected]!

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"

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"

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"

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" Have your own sitcom trope ideas? Let us know at [email protected] or instagram.com/sitcomstudypodcast

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"