The Sitcom Study

From the coffee shop with Jerry and George to the oval office, we're breaking down the career of the most spongeworthy comic actor in town and her four very distinct sitcoms! Here's the lineup: Seinfeld S7 E9 "The Sponge" Watching Ellie S1 E1 "Pilot" New Adventures of Old Christine S1 E1 "Pilot" Veep S1 E1 "Fundraiser"

Arnold and Willis keep their cool, Fran the nanny tries hostage negotiation, and Carl Winslow goes deep undercover as a Rastafarian pizza man... This week's trope is Bank Robberies! Today we're watching... Diff'rent Strokes S3 E1-2 "The Bank Job" Family Matters S2 E7 "Dog Day Halloween" The Nanny S4 E16 "The Bank Robbery" Bob's Burgers S2 E2 "Bob Day Afternoon"

Beaver cuts the grass, Screech disrupts the spaghetti sauce market, and iCarly disregards child labor laws... This week's trope is Kids starting a business!  Here's the lineup: Leave it to Beaver S4 E36 "Beaver Goes Into Business" The Patty Duke Show S1 E18 "The Tycoons" Saved by the Bell S4 E3 "Screech's Spaghetti Sauce" iCarly S4 E4 "iSell Penny Tees"

Sam meets Diane, Ross rediscovers Rachel, and Jim lollygags around Pam's reception desk... Welcome to the first in our 5-part exploration of the most iconic will-they-won't-they romances in sitcom history! This week we're watching:  Cheers S1 E1 "Give Me A Ring Sometime"  Friends S1 E1 "The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate"  The Office S1 E1 "Pilot" New Girl S1 E1 "Pilot"

Lucy strikes back, Herman Munster draws the line, and the Hey Dude gang learns to respect indigenous peoples... This week's trope is dividing the room in half!  Here's the lineup: I Love Lucy S1 E8 "Men Are Messy" The Munsters S2 E29 "A House Divided" The Addams Family S2 E17 "Morticia and Gomez v. Fester and Grandmama" Hey Dude S2 E4 "Bunkmate Battle"

Peg Bundy holds a grudge, Martin seeks vengeance, and Andy Griffith pines for a lost love... We're talking High school class reunions!   This week we're watching:  The Andy Griffith Show S3 E19 "Class Reunion"   Married with Children S3 E17-18 "Married with Prom Queen"   Martin S2 E2 "Really Gina's Not My Lover"   30 Rock S3 E5 "Reunion"

Sanford and Son take flight, Carla faces her fears, and Jack Tripper soars to new (dance) heights... This week's trope is characters who are afraid of flying!   Here's the lineup:   Sanford & Son S3 E8 "Super Flyer"   Three's Company S6 E25 "Up in the Air"   Cheers S6 E19 "Airport V"   Blackish S2 E7 "Charlie in Charge"

Marge takes the stage, Moira brings the drama, and Andy Bernard neglects to silence his cellphone... This week's trope is Putting on a play!  Today we're watching:   The Brady Bunch S5 E3 "Snow White and the Seven Bradys"   The Simpsons S4 E2 "A Streetcar Named Marge"   The Office S7 E3 "Andy's Play"   Schitt's Creek S5 E14 "Life is a Cabaret"  

Richie Cunningham meets Laverne and Shirley, Fonzie prowls the supermarket, and the Golden Girls are sidelined by Rita Moreno in their own season finale! We're talking Backdoor pilots and the spinoffs they launched! Today we're watching:  Happy Days S3 E10 "A Date with Fonzie"  Laverne & Shirley S1 E1 "The Society Party"  Golden Girls S2 E26 "Empty Nests"  Empty Nest S1 E1 "Pilot"

Whether you're Vinnie Delpino or Tim the Toolman Taylor, you never know when you'll be called upon for that age-old rite of passage: Delivering a baby in an elevator or other tiny space!  Today we're watching:   Night Court S7 E24 "The Blues of the Birth"   Doogie Howser M.D. S2 E4 "C'est la Vinnie"   Home Improvement S6 E9 "The Toolman Delivers"   Community S2 E21 "Applied Anthropology and Culina...

Screech wagers his dog, Wayne takes the heat, and Urkel gets stuffed in a couch. Things escalate quickly when we discuss: Parties when the parents leave town!   Today we're watching...  Family Matters S1 E16 "The Party"   Saved by the Bell S2 E5 "The House Party"   The Wonder Years S5 E20 "The Lost Weekend"   That 70s Show S1 E6 "The Keg"

Ross meets Russ, Judith meets Edith, and the myth of identical cousins is debunked- we're talking Doppelgangers!   Today we're watching...  Bewitched S3 E18 "And Then There Were Three"   I Dream of Jeannie S5 E12 "My Sister the Homewrecker"   All In the Family S9 E15 "A Girl Like Edith"   Friends S2 E10 "The One with Russ"   3rd Rock From the Sun S2 E1-2 "See Dick Continue to Run"

DJ breaks curfew, Natalie faces reverse peer pressure, and Carlton becomes a man in our first ever episode: Losing virginity!  Today we're watching... Facts of Life S9 E16 "The First Time" Head of the Class S3 E11 "Arvid's Sure Thing" Full House S7 E2 "The Apartment" Fresh Prince of Bel-Air S4 E5 "It's Better to Have Loved and Lost It"