Interesting things about TV shows that get noticed but we do not talk about

[roadman65]

We all know that TV has its own world where many things happen that do not happen in real life.  We all see these things and find it humorous and interesting, but we never note it mostly in conversations.

Things like Breaking the Fourth Wall, where the character looks at the camera and talks like the person knows he is not a real character.

Then you have the famous swinging door on all sitcom kitchen entries from the living rooms of their show set.

More such as:

People returning from the dead on Soap Operas (AJ Quartermaine on General Hospital was killed twice and came back from the dead both times)
Writers bringing in characters that should not exist in later show episodes (Fraiser having a dad in his show, but on the parent show his character originated that was Cheers  his father was dead).
Some sort of supernatural thing in at least one episode of non sci-fi shows.
Forgetting about previous characters after their departure even when they were close to the main characters.
Personality changes or mode of operation traits of characters.
Fights over the stupidest stuff (Although Seinfeld is king of that one, many shows have made big deals over nothing as well)

Did I forget anything?

[Jardine]

The forgetting about previous characters was notable many times:

The grandparents on The Brady Bunch, seen on first episode, and never seen or mentioned again, EVER.

Seems like Married With Children dropped a kid or a pregnancy, or maybe both.

[jeffandnicole]

Items that are not found in most homes (Yes, I said most.  Don't give me the example of a house you know these conditions exist):

Couches that are always in the middle of the room rather than against the wall.

Phones that are always answered on the first ring.

Stairways that always lead to the middle of the living room.  (Many houses they lead to the front doorway).

[1995hoo]

The forgetting about previous characters was notable many times:

The grandparents on The Brady Bunch, seen on first episode, and never seen or mentioned again, EVER.

Seems like Married With Children dropped a kid or a pregnancy, or maybe both.

Chuck Cunningham on Happy Days gave rise to the term "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome" in reference to characters who inexplicably disappear.

As far as characters returning from the dead, Bobby Ewing must remain the classic example of one of the most insane retcons ever.

[Brandon]

The forgetting about previous characters was notable many times:

The grandparents on The Brady Bunch, seen on first episode, and never seen or mentioned again, EVER.

Seems like Married With Children dropped a kid or a pregnancy, or maybe both.

Chuck Cunningham on Happy Days gave rise to the term "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome" in reference to characters who inexplicably disappear.

As far as characters returning from the dead, Bobby Ewing must remain the classic example of one of the most insane retcons ever.

Ah fuck, an entire fucking season was just a fucking dream.  Dallas jumped the shark majorly with that one.  I think that's where we stopped watching the show.

[Thing 342]

www.tvtropes.org

[sammi]

www.tvtropes.org

DO NOT click on that.

[roadman65]

The forgetting about previous characters was notable many times:

The grandparents on The Brady Bunch, seen on first episode, and never seen or mentioned again, EVER.

Seems like Married With Children dropped a kid or a pregnancy, or maybe both.

Chuck Cunningham on Happy Days gave rise to the term "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome" in reference to characters who inexplicably disappear.

As far as characters returning from the dead, Bobby Ewing must remain the classic example of one of the most insane retcons ever.

Ah fuck, an entire fucking season was just a fucking dream.  Dallas jumped the shark majorly with that one.  I think that's where we stopped watching the show.

Actually Doris Day did that first.  Her show was not as popular in syndication, so hardly everyone heard of it, but each season you would have Chuck Cunningham Syndrome, as the premise and story line would change.  It was on for five seasons from 68 to 73, and she originally was a widow with two sons who later became a single unmarried woman later on with no explanation where her family disappeared to.

Then My Three Sons and Bonanza both had the elder sons leave the show, without later being referred to ever again!  I do not think Adam Cartwright was ever mentioned again after Pernell Roberts left and you would think that Ben had only two sons all along then.  Mike Douglas on MTS, never got mentioned even when Robbie and Steve got married where you would expect an older brother to be.  Hey at least they explained why their house (both interior and exterior) changed between one particular season change as they moved from one state to another when ABC cancelled the show and CBS picked it up the remainder of its run.  Unlike Happy Days and The Odd Couple who had different show sets that changed during production and never wrote in a premise change when you saw the new living rooms of both respected main scenes.  It was business as usual between the seasons as if both dwellings were the same place.

[Pete from Boston]

Unlike Happy Days and The Odd Couple who had different show sets that changed during production and never wrote in a premise change when you saw the new living rooms of both respected main scenes.  It was business as usual between the seasons as if both dwellings were the same place.

It's called The Odd Couple — it's not supposed to make sense.

[english si]

Parenthood spent most of the last season and a half forgetting one of the main characters entirely (she'd gone off to college on the other side of the country). Then about 3 episodes from the end, there was a brief mention of her fees and she appeared in the last episode of the series. I mean it was major "she's there, but we're ignoring her syndrome": she rushed back to college to be at her mum's side when the mum was going through chemo, then wasn't mentioned for a season and a half after, at the end of that one flying visit episode, she returned to college for the end of semester exams.

She missed two Christmases and a summer and a ton of significant family events. Perhaps she was pissed at not being told her mum's fine? Perhaps its linked with how they never mention her at all that she didn't come home? Perhaps it's the other way around: she didn't come home therefore, she's almost forgotten. But these grudges didn't seem to exist when she popped in to say hi again.

Total and utter 'forget that the character exists' syndrome.

---

Another one is Rickon Stark in Game of Thrones - he had some lines last season and the actor tweeted something along the lines of "I'd forgotten I was in it too". More funny is that he was in lots of scenes, with only 5 or 6 people, but had next-to-no lines. Given the big departures from the books this series, I doubt we'll see Team Shaggy Dog again and they'll make up some shit like someone sailing around the entire continent to save someone, only to run away meekly without them after 2 minutes. And to make it more fun, they'll involve the character with the most plot to fit in these next two seasons on such a wild goose chase filler just so episode 9 can be the big budget one. 

[roadman65]

Unlike Happy Days and The Odd Couple who had different show sets that changed during production and never wrote in a premise change when you saw the new living rooms of both respected main scenes.  It was business as usual between the seasons as if both dwellings were the same place.

It's called The Odd Couple – it's not supposed to make sense.

Yeah like Oscar Madison having two completely different moms.  One mom was unaware of Oscar and Blanche's separation, while the other mom was on the steps of the courthouse the day of her divorce.  Not only did you have two different actresses play the role of Oscar's mom, but both episodes aired the same season where you think Garry Marshall would have remembered once scenario when the second one was written into story being so closely produced.

I know with recasts is a common thing. Starting with the two Samantha Darrins in Bewiched.  Both actors brought totally different MO's to the character Darrin Stephens.  Dick York portrayed Darrin to be a cry baby, while Dick Sargent made Darrin to be mean and cold.  Then how many Carly's did General Hospital have?  As many as the other character AJ Quartermaine had?  Then again Soaps age a child rapidly and have 4 day weeks considering Friday and Monday are the same day with the typical weekend cliffhanger. 

Therefore that on the Odd Couple is not unusual as much as the catchphrase "Oh Oscar, Oscar, Oscar" in season one that never made it the rest of the show's run is as most shows keep the phrases of many characters in the industry.

[Brandon]

Another one is Rickon Stark in Game of Thrones - he had some lines last season and the actor tweeted something along the lines of "I'd forgotten I was in it too". More funny is that he was in lots of scenes, with only 5 or 6 people, but had next-to-no lines. Given the big departures from the books this series, I doubt we'll see Team Shaggy Dog again and they'll make up some shit like someone sailing around the entire continent to save someone, only to run away meekly without them after 2 minutes. And to make it more fun, they'll involve the character with the most plot to fit in these next two seasons on such a wild goose chase filler just so episode 9 can be the big budget one. 

We haven't seen Team Shaggydog in the books either since Rickon and Osha supposedly went to Skagos.

[Mr_Northside]

Seems like Married With Children dropped a kid or a pregnancy, or maybe both.

It was both. 
They wrote Katey Segal's pregnancy into the show... but she ended up having a miscarriage.  After she took a few weeks off, they ended up making it just a dream.  Which is one of the few times I've been fine with the whole "just a dream" thing, since it would have been kind of dicked up to ask Ms. Segal to act (on the show) as if the kid were born and all that.
Someone must have liked the idea of adding a kid, or have had some stuff written, cause they then introduced the character of Seven, who just kind of disappeared.  (The show did poke fun of this fact once or twice in later seasons, including his face on a milk carton).

I guess, somewhat related, would also be instances where shows had characters having kids that grow up faster than possible or "jump years".

[Brandon]

I guess, somewhat related, would also be instances where shows had characters having kids that grow up faster than possible or "jump years".

Sort of like Breaking Dawn?
Oh, wait, that's a movie. 

[Stephane Dumas]

Long before VCR, some shows for a final episode of the series got what we call "the clip show" alias "the flashback episode" to remember some past episodes in one episode.

In the case of the 1967-70 Spider-man cartoon, there also lots of filling time by seeing Spidey going away over the building besides talking to a young kid about past adventures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwBzF8Ylbn4

South Park did a parody of the clip show/flashback episode by showing different ending to each flashbacks like this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYtXSHU9CFc

There also the catching opening credits theme giving you a sound stuck to your ears like the opening credits of Speed Racer, Stingray, Spider-man, Rocket Robin Hood, Thunderbirds, Flintstones, All in the family, Get Smart, Dukes of Hazzard, Mission Impossible, A-Team, Fat Albert, Space 1999, Dr. Who, Bonanza, etc....

Edit: Gilligan's Island got lots of theories hard to explain like why the Professor can built a radio but can't fix the boat or why the Howell got a briefcase full of money for a cruise who was supposed to be a short 3 hour trip and it even menaged to be "recycled in space" with the spin-off cartoon "Gilligan's planet" made by Filmation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sGOfWP2bWk

[english si]

We haven't seen Team Shaggydog in the books either since Rickon and Osha supposedly went to Skagos.

Pretty sure I had some 1 point sized font in there about the incomplete book plot involving them, making what I said make more sense. Maybe I deleted it when removing my big rant about the filler that is useful for Bran, but makes no sense for Jon, whose has so much to get through.

Anyway, totally forgotten, unlikely to ever be seen again in the TV series, likely to show up in the books again though, even if briefly.

[vdeane]

Long before VCR, some shows for a final episode of the series got what we call "the clip show" alias "the flashback episode" to remember some past episodes in one episode.

Even after the VCR in some cases.  Home Improvement had a clip show in its three part finale, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended with half of one.

[Laura]

I guess, somewhat related, would also be instances where shows had characters having kids that grow up faster than possible or "jump years".

Parks and Recreation is jumping three years for its final season, skipping all of the Leslie pregnant and having babies bit (mostly because these are plot lines the show has already covered with Ann's pregnancy and Ron's baby). I'm curious to see how it works out.