10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Famous TV Shows
#10: Getting All of the Answers Matters
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“The Leftovers” (2014-17) On a normal day, 2% of humanity suddenly disappears. Although this drama hooks us in with a mystery, answers are inconsequential here. The show is more concerned with the fruitless search for answers that many of us embark on in the wake of tragedy. While the premise calls the rapture to mind, it just as easily could be applied to 9/11 or global events that the show predated like the COVID-19 pandemic. Above all else, “The Leftovers” is about how grief divides and unites us. The ending doesn’t provide the most open-and-shut explanation. It’s not even clear if this was the rapture. Those expecting answers missed the point, however. The central question isn’t “why did this happen?” It’s “how do we work through it?”
#9: Farrah Fawcett Was In Every Season
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“Charlie’s Angels” (1976-81) If there’s one name that everyone associates with the original “Charlie’s Angels,” it’s the late Farrah Fawcett, who rose to fame as Jill Munroe. Watching a random rerun, you might find yourself asking, “Why wasn’t Jill in this episode? Isn’t she the main character?” Firstly, all Angels are equal. Second, despite being synonymous with the show, Fawcett was only a regular for the first season. After exiting, she’d return for another six episodes as a guest star. Co-stars Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith had longer tenures. Even Cheryl Ladd, who stepped in as Jill’s sister Kris, appeared in more episodes. Maybe it’s because Fawcett’s star continued to rise after leaving, but the show that made her famous lasted four additional seasons without her constant presence.
#8: It’s a Romantic Comedy
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“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (2015-19) A musical about a young woman searching for love… sounds like a rom-com to us. If you still think that after a few episodes, however, you’re not paying attention. The series kicks off with Rebecca going to extreme lengths to reconnect with an old boyfriend, even though they’re wrong for each other. There are other potential love interests in Rebecca’s life, although they’re not the healthiest choices either. That seems typical for the rom-com genre, but unlike some of the heroines you’d see Julia Roberts or Kate Hudson play, Rebecca’s actions have consequences. As Rebecca confronts those consequences, the show evolves into an exploration of mental health. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is a love story, but one of self-love with romance ultimately being an afterthought.
#7: It’s a Low-Brow “Star Trek” Satire
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“The Orville” (2017-) Some people are quick to hate on Seth MacFarlane, assuming he’s a one-trick pony. (Xref) “American Dad!” is often written off as a “Family Guy” clone, although both shows have different comedy styles and tones. Before “The Orville” even premiered, many expected the standard “Family Guy” humor in a “Star Trek” setting. Early reviews reflected this, but those who stuck with the show found it was more of an homage than a sendup. With detailed lore and involving characters, various fans argued that “The Orville” was actually better than the “Star Trek” shows they were getting at the time. While it maintains a comedic edge, “The Orville” has gone to bolder places than assumed, showing MacFarlane’s range as an actor and storyteller.
#6: It Was Always the Steve Urkel Show
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“Family Matters” (1989-98) Steve Urkel stole the show in ways that a lot of people don’t even realize. If you watch “Family Matters” from the beginning, you’ll recognize several of the sitcom’s mainstays. There’s Carl, Laura, Eddie… but how come there’s next-to-no Urkel? You’ll keep asking that until episode 12 when Urkel finally plays a prominent role. Urkel was initially meant to be a one-off role, but the character was so well-received that actor Jaleel White quickly became a series regular. When “Family Matters” entered syndication, the creators reshot several cold opens from the earlier episodes to include Urkel, making it seem as if he was always there. It’s hard to imagine this sitcom without Urkel, but the truth is that the Winslows almost had more peaceful lives.
#5: Leslie Knope is a Female Michael Scott
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“Parks and Recreation” (2009-15) When “Parks and Recreation” premiered, it inevitably drew parallels to “The Office,” both being workplace mockumentaries with some of the same creative figures. With Amy Poehler playing another quirky boss figure, it was labeled “The Office” with a woman. Admittedly, those first six episodes struggled to find their footing. By Season 2, though, “Parks and Rec” established a distinct voice with Leslie getting out from under Michael’s shadow. While both can be naive, Leslie proves herself to be much smarter and more selfless than Michael. Both are passionate about their jobs, but there’s no denying that Leslie is more competent at hers. If these two ever met, we imagine they’d hit it off, although Leslie may take issue with Michael’s “that what she said” jokes.
#4: A Show to Babysit Your Kids
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“Dinosaurs” (1991-94) With cute puppetry, a plethora of merchandise, and catchphrases like, “I’m the baby,” we can see why “Dinosaurs” is generally seen as a kids’ show. Rewatching this sitcom, though, people are usually shocked to find just how adult it was. We’re not just talking about innuendos, although some jokes are more suggestive than we initially realized. The show regularly tackled serious issues, from war, to sexual harassment, to divorce. Some topics are more relevant now, namely how the dominant species takes the environment for granted. This comes to a head in the final episode when the dinosaurs usher in an Ice Age, marking the beginning of their extinction. It’s one of the darkest series finales ever, but hey, they’re puppets! Therefore, it’s for kiddies, right?
#3: Nothing After Season 10 is Worthwhile
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“The Simpsons” (1989-) If we made a list of the best “Simpsons” episodes (which we have), an emphasis on the first ten seasons should be a given. It’s unfair to say that everything afterward is disposable, however. Seasons 11 through 14 are consistently funny with standouts like “Behind the Laughter.” It’s debatably around Season 15 when the humor became less character-based. For every misfire, though, there are plenty of gems to unearth, from “Gone Maggie Gone” to “Angry Dad: The Movie.” Even more recent offerings contain some of the series’ sharpest satires. “Simpsons” does “Death Note,” anyone? We may be past the golden years (or yellow years), but many post-Season 10 episodes are still worth watching for their witty dialogue, slick animation, and ability to predict the future.
#2: It’s About Nothing
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“Seinfeld” (1989-98) “Seinfeld” promotes itself as a show about nothing, even making this a focal point of Season 4 when Jerry and Geroge create a series within a series. While we wouldn’t say that “Seinfeld” deals with important problems, we wouldn’t say it’s about nothing either. The setup isn’t that different from other sitcoms where a group of friends hang out and go on dates. The difference is that “Seinfeld” is rooted in more mundane issues, but they’re usually tied together in a well-structured plot where everything coincidentally collides. As the series progressed, the stories also became much more eccentric. Kramer fries himself with butter and Newman nearly eats him? That old sitcom storyline! Even the creators have acknowledged that there’s more to the comedy than nothing.
#1: They’re All Corny & Dated
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Multi-Camera Sitcoms With single-camera comedies taking over much of the TV landscape, modern audiences seem to look down upon multi-cam sitcoms as a lesser art form. Just because a show possesses a laugh track doesn’t mean it’s a relic of a bygone era. “I Love Lucy” is grounded in the 50s, but its writing holds up decades later. “All in the Family” sparked debates that we’re still having today. “Friends” continues to dominate in reruns for a reason, we can thank “Will & Grace” for the LGBTQ+ shows that followed, and yes, “The Big Bang Theory” is smarter than it looks. Single-camera comedies are taking sitcoms to unprecedented places. However, anyone who assumes that the multi-cam setup is outdated should revisit half a century’s worth of brilliant television.
