TWAS Sitcom Trope Library

A collection of tropes from the podcast about failed & forgotten sitcoms from the 80s and 90s

[thatwasashow]

Welcome to the Trope Library!

No library card required...

This is the official blog of the podcast That Was a Show?

This is an evolving list of narrative storytelling tropes that appear in sitcoms from the 80s and 90s, organized by episode.

That Was a Show? is the podcast about failed or forgotten sitcoms from the 80s and 90s. Many sitcoms have stood the test of time and have millions of adoring fans—but those shows were diamonds in the rough. This podcast is not about those diamonds, it's about the rough. Some sitcoms were briefly popular in their time, some were cancelled almost immediately. You probably won't recognize most of these, and you'll say 'that was a show?'

Listen to the Podcast

Apple  |  Spotify  |  Stitcher  |  Google  |  Anchor

...and follow on Instagram for info about upcoming episodes.

Here’s the latest episode:

[thatwasashow]

Episode 15: Out of This World

TROPE #27: Single Moms

1980s and 1990s sitcoms featured many single moms! We’ve seen them so far in a few of the failed or forgotten sitcoms we’ve covered in previous episodes. Some single moms are sweet like Judy Beauchamp in Teen Angel, and some are sassy like Elaine from Hi Honey, I’m Home! In Out of This World, Donna Garland is technically not single… her husband Troy is fighting some space war in his home planet called Antares Prime. Nevertheless, she is very much raising Evie on her own and juggling multiple careers while she does it. The only help from Troy is his sage advice to Evie transmitted through a giant crystal cube. In our episode we wonder whether this element of the show was the writers exploring their childhoods with fathers away fighting World War 2 or Vietnam.

TROPE #28: Aliens

Aliens also featured prominently throughout 80s and 90s sitcoms.      It really does seem like North American TV makers were obsessed with Aliens. They were in shows you’ve seen like Mork & Mindy, ALF and Third Rock From the Sun. Extra Terrestrials were also the basis for more forgotten shows like Aliens in the Family and Out of This World. The alien characters are often from a fictional planet. In the case of Out of This World, Evie Garland, the teenage lead, was half human and half alien from the planet “Antares Prime.”

TROPE #29: Fat Shaming

Unfortunately all kinds of body shaming and outright fat shaming is sprinkled throughout 80s and 90s sitcoms. The most notable examples are the flashback scenes in Friends with “Fat Monica” and Will’s constant ribs to his uncle Phil’s size in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In Out of This World, Evie’s sweet uncle Beano is relentlessly the butt of eating or fat jokes.

TROPE #30: Blind Dating

While we didn’t see any blind dating in Out of This World, we made a point to call out this trope in the podcast episode. We probably just wished that Donna Garland would leave absent Troy and “get some.” Blind dating is featured in pretty much all of the iconic 80s and 90s sitcoms. According to TV, this was how singles got around before Tinder!

Listen to the episode on Anchor: Out of This World 

[thatwasashow]

Episode 14: Stark Raving Mad

TROPE #25: Odd Couples

In Stark Raving Mad, Ian Stark and Henry McNeeley (played by Tony Shalhoub and Neil Patrick Harris respectively) are a prototypical sitcom odd couple. This is a trope where two characters with opposite personalities and qualities unite with hilarious results. The pair can be a romantic couple, co-workers, roommates or any other contrived relationship. Read more about this classic trope here. In this short-lived 1999 sitcom, Henry is a neurotic, waspy book publisher and Ian is an eccentric, volatile and morbid novelist. The two clash, and bond and seemingly get very little work done. While this trope has been around for decades, the 80s and 90s TV seemed to love it. Other notable odd couples are Balki and Larry in Perfect Strangers, and the titular couple from Dharma & Greg.

TROPE #26: Glamourized Urban New York Lifestyles

Many popular sitcoms of the 1980s and 1990s were set in Manhattan. The apartments were unrealistically large and the characters are barely ever shown riding the subway. This version of New York is definitely romanticized and is certainly not relatable for most North Americans… even New Yorkers themselves. This trope provides an escape for viewers and a dynamic or sophisticated backdrop for low concept stories. You know what shows we’re talking about Seinfeld, Mad About You, Friends— the list goes on! Friends is maybe the biggest offender of unrealistic depictions of New York life. Monica would obviously not be able to afford her apartment, the young people are rarely bar-hopping and the cast including minor characters are mainly (overwhelmingly) white. Stark Raving Mad, features two palatial Manhattan apartments but at least offers some sort of explanation for the characters being able to afford them.

Listen to the episode on Anchor: Stark Raving Mad

[thatwasashow]

Episode 13: Big Wave Dave’s

TROPE #23: A Woman character is a Type-A “Straight Person”

This trope refers to a woman character who is positioned in the cast or story world of a sitcom as a foil to the zany or oafish male characters. This trope is alive and well in many 90s era shows. These characters are generally uptight and often have many Type-A personality traits. Generally a source of nagging or eye rolls in scenes, these characters are often one-dimensional peacemakers, or fixers. Common catch-phrases include: “Oh you guys” “You’re an idiot!” In Big Wave Dave’s Jane Kaczmerek’s character Karen is definitely a Type-A straight person (although she delivers funny zingers). She essentially swoops in to clean up the messes of the hapless (and thankless) trio of men in her life in every episode. She is basically there to remind the audience that they are numbskulls but she is forced to follow all of their whims. Other notable examples of this trope are Debra Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond, and Topanga Lawrence in Boy Meets World. Interestingly, Topanga started the series as an eccentric cerebral character, only to evolve into a work-horse people pleaser keeping Corey Matthews “in-line.”

TROPE #24: Homophobic Jokes

Sadly, these types of homophobic, or “gay panic” jokes were pretty standard for sitcoms from the 1990s. There has been much written about homophobia peppered throughout the series Friends and even squeaky clean Full House made mild gay jokes. Another series we explored Teen Angel, was full of brash immature gay panic jokes. In Big Wave Dave’s the trope takes on a weirdly pretentious form with a reoccurring joke comparing the Marshall character to Truman Capote.

See also: Episode 2—Teen Angel

Listen to the episode on Anchor: Big Wave Dave’s

[thatwasashow]

Episode 12: Hi Honey, I’m Home!

TROPE #21: Self-Defence Class

In so many sitcoms of the 1990s there was an episode that featured its female characters participating in self-defence classes. On one hand this can be seen as empowering for these characters, while on the other hand it’s hard to not see it as presenting the toxic fear based “tough on crime” narratives that were so popular at that time. However you you view this trope, it’s still satisfying to see all the physical comedy that inevitably ensues. Two memorable examples of this trope are the “Unagi” episode of Friends and Moe Szyslak of The Simpsons led a class in funk dancing as self-defence. One of the MANY things we liked about Hi Honey, I’m Home! was how this trope came into play and had a great payoff! Ultimately sweet and innocent Honey Neilson kicked the ASSES of a couple of home intruders. 

TROPE #22: Male Trench Coat Flasher

This one is rough... clearly someone who flashes their genitals to unsuspecting people is committing sexual assault. This act was always sexual assault, but in previous eras it was often used as an edgy punchline. From Monty Python, to The Gremlins 2, this trope has unfortunately been quite prevalent. In Hi Honey, I’m Home!, the Flasher trope is used in a cringeworthy context. Sweet and innocent Honey Neilson is flashed  attacked to further establish the rampant crime and seedy element of her new neighbourhood. This attack is also one of many things that pushes Honey to go to self defence class. Elaine, who introduces Honey to feminism oddly doesn’t report the flasher to authorities and explains him away as a bit of a neighbourhood nuisance. 

Listen to the episode on Anchor: Hi Honey, I’m Home!

[thatwasashow]

Episode 11: The Charmings

TROPE #17: Problematic Depictions of Middle Age Female, Black, and Little Person Characters

Ooooh boy leave it to an 80s sitcom to have all sorts of cringeworthy moments and token characters that would not hold up today! In The Charmings, Lillian White, the only female character (over 40) is an antagonistic “shrew.” Although presenting a middle aged woman as a villain is not inherently sexist, she is written very one-note and her evil motives are unclear. Sigh...

The magic mirror is the only black character and he is blatantly written as “magical” and his primary purpose is to help a white character. See #8 in this article about Black Character Stereotypes. 

Luther, played by a little person is one of Snow Charming’s dwarf friends who is sadly treated as a gimmick or human prop and is often the subject of a punchline. These types of characters/roles have been a challenge for many LP actors over the decades. Read this article for more on Little Person actors in Hollywood. 

TROPE #18: HORNY AF Mom and Dad

Snow and Eric Charming are constantly pawing at each other and making out. It’s sort of understandable because they were in that mystical coma for all those years without any contact ... but it does get real awkward to watch them drool all over each other after a while. Other horny moms and dads who embarrassed their kids were Frank and Carol Lambert on Step By Step, Gomez and Morticia Adams, and Al and Peg Bundy (although the Bundys were not necessarily horny for each other!).

TROPE #19: Multi-Generational Households 

Lillian despite her toxic relationship with her Step-daughter Snow, lives with her and her family. A live-in grandparent/aunt/cousin was more common in 1980s and 1990s TV than it probably was “IRL.”

See also: Episode 6 — Davis Rules & Episode 1—Aliens in the Family

TROPE #20: The Annoying and/or Nosy Neighbour 

Don 'King of Carpets' Miller, and his wife Sally embody this trope in The Charmings! The suspicious neighbours with no boundaries are hallmarks of a sitcom with a supernatural twist. They are always about to expose the family harbouring an alien (think Alf) or practicing witchcraft. These busybody characters have been around since the 1960s, one of the first examples being Gladys Kravitz on Bewitched.

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “The Charmings”

[thatwasashow]

Episode 10: A Very Special Episode: Jonathan Wolff

TROPE #16: Distinctive “ear worm” theme songs!

1980s and 1990s sitcoms all had opening theme music that many people STILL remember for better or worse. These songs were often, written specifically for the sitcoms with lyrics relevant to the show’s theme. Iconic sitcom composer Jonathan Wolff calls his efforts creating sonic brands. He definitely succeeded with the legendary Seinfeld theme music! Jonathan also called out how there were a lot of “silly theme songs with melodic sassy saxophones” popularized by ABC’s family friendly Miller-Boyett empire. 

Listen to the episode on Anchor: A Very Special Episode: Jonathan Wolff

[thatwasashow]

Episode 9: AfterMASH

TROPE #15: One-dimensional Female Characters

This trope is inevitable for sitcoms with a misogynist writer’s room. It may sound harsh to call the writers of AfterMASH misogynist... but the treatment of the Alma Cox and Bonnie Hornback characters proves that they are. They are the colleagues of the show’s main male characters at General John Pershing Veteran Hospital. Alma and Bonnie are basically one-note props positioned to create obstacles for the men in the workplace. Alma is the hardworking and methodical office manager and constant antagonist to the Klinger character. she has extremely high standards for office practices and frequently calls Klinger out for being lazy or entitled (how dare she!). The way she interacts with the rest of the staff is unnecessarily prickly and combative. Alma is essentially depicted as a “shrew” or “battleaxe” and there’s no deeper exploration of her motivations. They also harmfully connect her need for order with negativity. Bonnie on the other hand, is portrayed as the ditzy temptress. The married men at the hospital  are constantly commenting on how she is a distracting presence because of her appearance. Bonnie seems to be completely oblivious to them objectifying her and is pretty much a bumbling receptionist. The audience gets no sense of bonnie’s internal life except for maybe her being flustered when she makes a mistake! The writers of this show are ultimately saying that women in the workplace are EITHER attractive or competent but never both. 

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “AfterMASH”

[thatwasashow]

Episode 8: The Golden Palace

TROPE #14: The Disappearing Child Character

Don’t panic, we’re not talking about kidnappings and predators. This is not about true crime shows. The disappearing child is the sitcom phenomenon of young characters being written right out of the show! One of the most egregious examples of this trope is evident in TGIF classic Family Matters. The youngest daughter, Judy Winslow seemingly vanished after season 4 without an explanation. In Davis Rules, the oldest son Robbie Davis and his best bud Rigo were deleted and replaced by the more precocious teen Skinner Buckley. Foster child Oliver (we know the name is a bit on the nose) is one of the main characters in The Golden Palace. Unfortunately as the trope dictates Oliver disappears after episode 14. There is at least an explanation for Oliver’s exit as his Mother comes to reclaim him. Why were 80s and 90s sitcoms so quick to pull this maneuver? This trope must have been born from production needs. Child actors have a reputation to be grating and they can’t be on set as much as adult performers. Though practical for producers, the results of this erasure can be jarring and even devastating to fans. That Was a Show? host Brynn Byrne admits that she’s had many sleepless nights over the mysterious fate of Judy Winslow.

See also: Episode 6 — Davis Rules

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “The Golden Palace”

[thatwasashow]

Episode 7: Joanie Loves Chachi

This covering this failed spinoff of Happy Days was a such wild ride that we forgot to call out tropes in the episode! 

TROPE 13#: Time Setting Confusion…

Joanie loves Chachi is set in the early 60s, so why does it look and sound like the late 70s/early 80s?! The hairstyles and costume choices just SCREAM contemporary 1982 fashion and beauty style. Joanie is sporting a mullet and Chachi is basically wearing disco era leisure suits. Also the production and instrumentation of the music throughout the episodes is very typical of the early 80s. This trope is more evident in period films of the 80s than sitcoms but it’s a fun trope to call out nonetheless! 80s classic Dirty Dancing was set in the early 60s but a few of the key background actors had teased and feathered bangs. The Madonna vehicle flop Shanghai Surprise took place in the 1938 but featured cartoonish 30s/40s inspired fashions with 80s neon aesthetics. Why were these odd choices made? Maybe it was too difficult to change 80s permed hair and big bangs… or maybe all the craftspeople and art department were doing too much cocaine. 

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “Joanie Loves Chachi”

[thatwasashow]

Episode 6: Davis Rules

*WARNING: Trope-Heavy Episode!

TROPE #9: Harmonica Musical Score = Blue-Collar Show 

Harmonica is featured heavily in the opening theme and in transitional bits throughout the episodes to let everyone know that it’s a down-to-Earth folksy kind of show. The most famous example of this from the 80s and 90s is the immortal comedy Rosanne. In Davis Rules, the opening theme song is composed primarily of harmonica and even has a sight gag of Jonathan Winters’ “Gunny” miming playing along with it… HILARIOUS! Harmonica in a sitcom connotes sassy irreverence and families with eat-in kitchens. 

TROPE #10: A Bumbling Single Dad

A dad is left to raise his children, usually because he is widowed, and hijinks ensue. Danny Tanner from Full House is perhaps the most famous 90s sitcom single dad. In the sitcom world, a father can’t possibly take care of his kids without struggling and calling in reinforcements. Danny Tanner actually doubles down and recruits not one but two single men to help him raise his daughters. In Davis Rules, Dwight Davis has his father Gunny and later, his sister Gwen, move in with him although neither seem super helpful!

TROPE #11: The Teen Who Comes to Stay

This refers to a teenage character who comes to live with a sitcom family usually to “spice things up” in a later season. An example of this trope is Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Luke Bower in Growing Pains. Skinner Buckley, played by Giovanni “Vanni” Ribisi, is Davis Rules’ teen who comes to stay. His abandonment by his parents is justified by Dwight Davis owing them a favour. 

TROPE 12#: The Edgy 90s Teen 

On the topic of Skinner Buckley, he could also be classified as an edgy 90s teen. An edgy 90s teen is often seen wearing at least one of the following articles of clothing: a plaid shirt, ripped jeans, a leather jacket, a backwards baseball cap, a bolo tie etc. The edgy teen is usually precocious and always wants to do adult things. Skinner Buckley is caught galavanting with a much older woman in a nightclub. He’s very cocky in these scenes and is wearing quite possibly the world’s boxiest blazer. Other edgy teens in sitcoms include Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World, and Spit from Aliens in the family. 

See also: Episode 1—Aliens in the Family

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “Davis Rules”

[thatwasashow]

Episode 5: Muddling Through

TROPE #7: Bowling Team

Much like how country club membership represents status as a member of the upper middle class (Trope #2), participation in an after-work bowling league signals that this individual is a “down-to-earth” member of the so-called working class. Most often this is presented as a male pastime that women don’t find appealing (as depicted in The Simpsons, Season 1, Episode 8 “Life on the Fast Lane”). However in the case of Muddling Through, it’s the series’ female protagonist Connie Drego who rolls.

TROPE #8: Shower Curtain Embarrassment

If a sitcom has a bathroom with a shower, it’s almost inevitable that eventually one character will accidentally walk in on another character naked. Both of them will be equally embarrassed, and either resentment or revenge will ensue. Noteworthy examples include Urkel seeing Laura naked in the shower, Tony seeing Angela naked in the shower, Kramer seeing Jerry naked in the shower, everyone in the cast of Friends seeing each other naked in the shower...and in the case of Muddling Through, Connie repeatedly sees Duane naked in the shower. Duane is bother her son-in-law, and the police officer who arrested her and testified to put her in prison. It’s also worth mentioning that apparently Duane’s penis is “not normal,” although we don’t know if the implication is that it’s very large, or just strange.

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “Muddling Through”

[thatwasashow]

Episode 4: Townies

TROPE #5: Gen-X Angst

Gen-Xers began to hit their late 20s and 30s in the 90s, and seriously question relationship goals, marriage, career ambition and many other lifestyle choices that past generations simply took for granted. This plays out in the plot lines of many a 90s sitcom—especially Friends, and thus also Townies, which is Friends’ blue-collar fishing village equivalent.

TROPE #6: Conchata Ferrel

She’s the mustard on every sandwich; she adds that much-needed zing! Since we first began discussing her important presence in the sitcom landscape in Episode 2 (Teen Angel), she’s back again as Marge in Townies...and thus officially inducted into the Trope Library. With well over 100 television credits to her name, Ferrel steals every scene with her snappy one-liners and sharp delivery. Don’t know how to get that joke to land? Don’t know where to end a scene? How do you drop in that comedic button before an act break? Cut to Conchata!

See also: Episode 2—Teen Angel

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “Townies”

[thatwasashow]

Episode 3: Woops!

TROPE #4: Giant Creatures

When a show appears to be grounded in reality, or at least some form of reality, and then a giant monster appears out of normal, like the giant spider in Woops! Sitcoms from the 80s and 90s rarely if ever had the budgets or resources to visualize these creatures in any way that actually works, so the action will happen mostly off-screen, with awkward tidbits being revealed quickly through screen projection or obviously fake props.

See also: Episode 1—Aliens in the Family

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “Woops!”

[thatwasashow]

Episode 2: Teen Angel

TROPE #3: The Live-In Aunt/Uncle/Grandparent

This is when a single parent has one of their adult relatives living with them. We assume it’s to help raise the children, but usually it seems to be mainly to give the writers the opportunity to have two adults playing off each other. This live-in relative will often either have youthful personality traits that render them a fun and playful “Peter Pan,” or they provide the comic relief through sarcasm and heckling. In the case of Teen Angel, we experience the latter by way of Conchata Ferrel’s Pam.

See also: Episode 6—Davis Rules

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “Teen Angel”

[thatwasashow]

Episode 1: Aliens in the Family

TROPE #1: Hot Mom / Schlubby Dad

Nearly every heteronormative coupling in an 80s or 90s sitcom features a woman who is vastly more conventionally attractive than her male counterpart. Her perfect hair, athletic physique and well-honed attire stands in stark contrast to his disheveled appearance, reminiscent of an aging man-boy. Aliens in the Family takes this to its theoretical conclusion, where the mom in this case is actually an alien from another planet, but nevertheless appears predominantly humanoid and vastly out of her husband’s league.

TROPE #2: The Country Club

In sitcom land, being a member of a country club, or even receiving an invitation to an event at a country club, symbolizes success. You are now an official member of the ranks of successful businesspeople or families. It conveys an elite status, often with troubling yet unspoken implications of class and privilege. If you get to go golfing with the boss, you’re moving up the corporate ladder! If your family has membership, you’re part of the “in” crowd, like the adult version of being the popular kids in a high school clique.

Listen to the episode on Anchor: “Aliens in the Family”