Strange things on TV sitcoms

[bandit957]

Schneider from 'One Day At A Time' constantly chewed gum, but he never blew bubbles.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Howard's mom in The Big Bang Theory is never shown as well.

Yup, and the character was killed off in the later seasons; thereby eliminating any chance of seeing the character at all in future episodes.

Didn't the woman die who did the voice of the mom? I think that's why they killed off the character.

Yes, she did; it was Carol Ann Susi.

As for unseen characters, Seinfeld has not one, but two: Bob Saccamano and Lomez.

George Steinbrenner was also somewhat not seen.

Voiced by Larry David; don't know who they used as the body double, though.

Didn't Steinbrenner ultimately appear as himself in an episode?

[roadman65]

Schneider from 'One Day At A Time' constantly chewed gum, but he never blew bubbles.

He also had a pack of cigarettes in his sleeve but you never saw him light up.

[roadman]

In the Brady Bunch, why did the architect father design a house with only one bathroom, and didn't include a toilet?

I don't recall that they ever stated in the series that Mike Brady designed the house they lived in. More importantly, for the exterior shots, why did they choose a house that obviously didn't match the floor plan implied by the interior sets.

[abefroman329]

In the Brady Bunch, why did the architect father design a house with only one bathroom, and didn't include a toilet?

I don't recall that they ever stated in the series that Mike Brady designed the house they lived in. More importantly, for the exterior shots, why did they choose a house that obviously didn't match the floor plan implied by the interior sets.

They did explicitly state it at least once (they were trying to get a Christmas tree through their front door and Mike said that he designed the house with a double front door for a reason). It was also a plot point in the 1990s movie; namely, that all Mike can design is that house.

[roadman]

In the Brady Bunch, why did the architect father design a house with only one bathroom, and didn't include a toilet?

I don't recall that they ever stated in the series that Mike Brady designed the house they lived in. More importantly, for the exterior shots, why did they choose a house that obviously didn't match the floor plan implied by the interior sets.

They did explicitly state it at least once (they were trying to get a Christmas tree through their front door and Mike said that he designed the house with a double front door for a reason). It was also a plot point in the 1990s movie; namely, that all Mike can design is that house.

Thanks for the clarification.  I recall the episode now, but don't remember that line.  As for the 1990 movie, no comment.

[abefroman329]

In the Brady Bunch, why did the architect father design a house with only one bathroom, and didn't include a toilet?

I don't recall that they ever stated in the series that Mike Brady designed the house they lived in. More importantly, for the exterior shots, why did they choose a house that obviously didn't match the floor plan implied by the interior sets.

They did explicitly state it at least once (they were trying to get a Christmas tree through their front door and Mike said that he designed the house with a double front door for a reason). It was also a plot point in the 1990s movie; namely, that all Mike can design is that house.

Thanks for the clarification.  I recall the episode now, but don't remember that line.  As for the 1990 movie, no comment.

Sorry, I meant the first of two Gary Cole/Shelley Long movies; I forgot the revivals with (most, if not all of) the original cast lasted into the early 1990s.  And I'll fight anyone who says the Gary Cole/Shelley Long movies aren't awesome.

[PHLBOS]

Discovered this one while reading a recent article regarding when the final episode of The Big Bang Theory will air (May 16 for those that don't know); was Penny's maiden name ever mentioned?

[SectorZ]

Discovered this one while reading a recent article regarding when the final episode of The Big Bang Theory will air (May 16 for those that don't know); was Penny's maiden name ever mentioned?

It was not, and on IMDB and the like her character name was just "Penny" until she married Leonard and took his last name.

[roadman65]

The dream on Married With Children as it was made to fit in with Katie Segal's miscarriage in real life.  Copied Dallas and Newhart with their episodes part of a dream of one of the characters.

[roadman65]

Seinfeld, which had mostly Self Contained episodes with each being in its own world, minus George's engagement to Susan there were no story arcs that spanned from one episode to the next.

However, in the series finale they showed the flashbacks of the nine seasons it was on the air as tribute to the show, so they did feature clips of the previous episodes to even bringing back the guest stars who appeared in those shown episodes.

[bandit957]

Seinfeld, which had mostly Self Contained episodes with each being in its own world, minus George's engagement to Susan there were no story arcs that spanned from one episode to the next.

However, in the series finale they showed the flashbacks of the nine seasons it was on the air as tribute to the show, so they did feature clips of the previous episodes to even bringing back the guest stars who appeared in those shown episodes.

I remember one episode where Elaine bubbled at Jerry's apartment and there wasn't any explanation of why.

[roadman65]

Also before George got hired by the NY Yankees, he was a bum.  He mooched off his parents as he had no talent nor his bedside manners for a job, yet Kramer also was unemployed getting into get rich quick schemes and such, but no one ever picked on Kramer for being unemployed like ole George was when he had no job.

[roadman65]

Oh yeah, I forgot the strangest situation on TV was both Mash and Hogan's Heroes which both lasted longer than the wars lasted that they both were in.

Plus Hogan's Heroes replaced Ivan Dixon with another actor Kenneth Washington, but kept the episodes of both sets of episodes self contained from each other as when Washington joined, his character of Baker was made to appear like he was with the clan the whole time and Klinchoe never existed at all.

[davewiecking]

Seinfeld, which had mostly Self Contained episodes with each being in its own world, minus George's engagement to Susan there were no story arcs that spanned from one episode to the next.

And of course the Season 4 story arc of Jerry and George becoming sitcom writers...

[bing101]

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/04/28/717595757/brady-bunch-episode-fuels-campaigns-against-vaccines-and-marcia-s-miffed

A Brady Bunch episode from 50 years ago is getting a second look over Measles.

[jon daly]

Howard's mom in The Big Bang Theory is never shown as well.

Yup, and the character was killed off in the later seasons; thereby eliminating any chance of seeing the character at all in future episodes.

Didn't the woman die who did the voice of the mom? I think that's why they killed off the character.

Great avatar.

[jon daly]

Schneider from 'One Day At A Time' constantly chewed gum, but he never blew bubbles.

Was it bubble gum? I chew gum sometimes, but it's usually not bubble gum.

[roadman65]

Seinfeld, which had mostly Self Contained episodes with each being in its own world, minus George's engagement to Susan there were no story arcs that spanned from one episode to the next.

And of course the Season 4 story arc of Jerry and George becoming sitcom writers...

Forgot that one.  Isn't that when Kramer got arrested also?

[bing101]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR6NEv6yCEg&feature=youtu.be

[roadman65]

Then you had Marcia get braces for one episode in Season One never to wear them again.
Yet in Season Four Jan wears them the entire season, and in Season Five you have Bobby wear them the latter half of that season with even Cindy having them in the final Cousin Oliver episodes.

[bandit957]

Then you had Marcia get braces for one episode in Season One never to wear them again.
Yet in Season Four Jan wears them the entire season, and in Season Five you have Bobby wear them the latter half of that season with even Cindy having them in the final Cousin Oliver episodes.

And that was in the '70s when hardly anyone else had them. I don't think I ever saw anyone with them until later.

[Rothman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR6NEv6yCEg&feature=youtu.be

Anti-vaxxers have seized upon this epsiode, for some idiotic reason.  Fun thing is that Marcia's not happy about that:

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/441142-actress-who-played-marcia-brady-blasts-anti-vaccination-groups-for-using

[GenExpwy]

Then you had Marcia get braces for one episode in Season One never to wear them again.
Yet in Season Four Jan wears them the entire season, and in Season Five you have Bobby wear them the latter half of that season with even Cindy having them in the final Cousin Oliver episodes.

I would assume that the one-off case was fake prosthetic braces for that week's story, while for the others, the actors had them in real life.

[roadman65]

Keep in mind that the Brady Bunch episodes are all self contained minus the Season 3 opener and the Season 5 opener which had a 3 episode story arc each.

Yes I think that was the case where Marcia and her braces as Maureen McCormick did not have them in real life so it was added as a one episode story line for a good topic that kids at the time faced.

Eve Plumb, Mike Lookiland, and Susan Olsen all did have them in real life so it was not that big an issue to feature it again in stories.  However, Jan and her glasses might of been Eve Plumb having to wear glasses in real life that the producers thought that would make a great story line for an episode and allow us viewers to see when Jan began wearing glasses.  However, in the last season the glasses were gone, but we can assume that Jan wore contacts.

However close to having two episodes share a common story was the bet episode where Greg did lose a bet to Bobby and Greg had to take his brother along to a drive in on his date with Sherwood Schwarz's real life daughter where later another episode featured Greg taking the girl out again, which did mention the previous season episode in the second time around.