The Sitcom Study
Welcome to the Sitcom Study, where we contemplate the TV shows we grew up with and search for the truth and wisdom amidst the tropes and clichés. Each week we’ll compare and contrast several TV episodes that share a common theme, be it characters plagued by amnesia, pop star guest spots, jump-the-shark moments, or women giving birth in elevators. It happens more than you think...
Episodes
5 days ago
5 days ago
Bob Newhart returns to primetime for his least essential sitcom, The Simpsons anticipates the superhero movie craze, and the ladies of Big Bang Theory visit the comic shop and debate the subtleties of Thor's hammer... This week we're discussing comic books in sitcoms with Marvel Comics senior editor Jordan D. White! Here's what we're watching:
Bob S1 E1 "Mad Dog Returns"
The Simpsons S7 E2 "Radioactive Man"
Big Bang Theory S6 E13 "The Bakersfield Expedition"
Woke S1 E1 "Rhymes with Broke"
Wednesday May 08, 2024
Hidden Musical Talents w/Dave Russell!
Wednesday May 08, 2024
Wednesday May 08, 2024
Benson takes the stage, Gomer Pyle makes a grown man cry, and the town of Schitt's Creek witnesses the open mic of a lifetime... This week's trope is Hidden Musical Talents, and we are joined by the sweeniest todd in the greater Tampa area, actor/musician/chum Dave Russell! Here's what we're watching:
Gomer Pyle S3 E25 "Sing a Song of Papa"
Benson S6 E17 "Solid Gold"
Martin S4 E3 "Blow, Baby, Blow"
Schitt's Creek S4 E6 "Open Mic"
Wednesday May 01, 2024
Don't Date My Sister!
Wednesday May 01, 2024
Wednesday May 01, 2024
Joannie Cunningham takes a ride with Fonzie's mini-me, the Bosom Buddies come to blows, and Alex P. Keaton is up all night worried sick, young lady... We're back for YEAR TWO of The Sitcom Study and this week's trope is Don't Date My Sister! Here's what we're watching:
Happy Days S2 E8 "Not With My Sister You Don't"
Bosom Buddies S2 E17 "Not With My Sister You Pig"
Family Ties S1 E2 "Not With My Sister You Don't"
Herman's Head S1 E25 "Twisted Sister"
Wednesday Apr 10, 2024
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Mixtape
Wednesday Apr 10, 2024
Wednesday Apr 10, 2024
This week we're chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool and revisiting the three Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episodes we've covered so far:
S4 E5 "It's Better to Have Loved and Lost It" from our Losing Virginity podcast
S4 E7 "Hex and the Single Guy" from Halloween Séances
S2 E11 "The Butler Did It" from Early 90s Hip Hop Guest Stars
It's not a clip show... It's a mixtape! Plus we'll test our knowledge of His Freshness by taking a FPoBA trivia quiz...
We'll be back with new episodes in a few weeks!
Wednesday Apr 03, 2024
The Golden Girls Mixtape
Wednesday Apr 03, 2024
Wednesday Apr 03, 2024
This week we're celebrating the finest ladies to ever slice a cheesecake by revisiting the three Golden Girls episodes we've covered so far:
S2 E26 "Empty Nests" from our Backdoor Pilots podcast
S3 E6 "Letter to Mr Gorbachev" from Sitcoms Tackle the Cold War
S3 E5 "Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself" from Fear of Public Speaking
It's not a clip show... It's a mixtape! Plus, we'll take an online quiz to discover which Golden Girl we truly are!
We'll be back with new episodes in a few weeks!
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
Season One Finales
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
M*A*S*H gets existential, How I Met Your Mother leans into romantic psychosis, and Living Single and Brooklyn 99 both go out with an unexpected bang... To celebrate a full year of the Sitcom Study podcast, we're talking Season One Finales! Here's what we're watching:
MASH S1 E24 "Showtime"
Living Single S1 E27 "What's Next?"
How I Met Your Mother S1 E22 "Come On"
Brooklyn 99 S1 E22 "Charges and Specs"
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Going on Strike!
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Murphy Brown plays hardball, Benson saves the city, and Mr Cooper must find a new workplace in which to hang... This week's trope is going on strike! Here's what we're watching:
Benson S1 E13 "One Strike You're Out"
Murphy Browns S3 E4 "Strike Two"
Hangin' with Mr Cooper S1 E14 "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"
Workaholics S1 E6 "The Strike"
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Will They / Won't They Romances ACT FIVE: Happily Ever After(?)
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Sam and Diane gaze into the future, Jim and Pam finally take the plunge, and Ross pulls an airport love confession for the ages... Our epic Will They / Won't They case study concludes with ACT FIVE: Happily Ever After(?)...Here are SOME of the episodes we're watching...
Cheers S5 E26 "I Do, Adieu"
Friends S10 E17 "The Last One"
The Office S5 E1-2 "Weight Loss"
New Girls S6 E22 "Five Stars for Beezus"
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Sadie Hawkins Dances!
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Donna Reed dishes out sage advice, Parker Lewis riles up the student body, and Punky Brewster dodges the advances of another young sociopath... This week's trope is Sadie Hawkins Dances! Here's what we're watching:
The Donna Reed Show S4 E37 "The Man in the Mask"
Punky Brewster S3 E16 "This Spud's For You"
Parker Lewis Can't Lose S1 E6 "G.A.G. Dance"
Strangers with Candy S1 E5 "Bogie Nights"
Wednesday Feb 28, 2024
Early 90s Hip Hop Guest Stars!
Wednesday Feb 28, 2024
Wednesday Feb 28, 2024
Bobby Brown stops by 227, Kriss Kross jump-jumps their way into a Different World, and the Bell Biv Devoe boys never trust a big butt and a Carlton... This week's trope is early 90s Hip Hop Star Guest Spots! Here's what we're watching:
227 S5 E7 "Video Activity"
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air S2 E11 "The Butler Did It"
Drexell's Class S1 E17 "Cruisin"
A Different World S6 E11 "Original Teacher"