The much-beloved Arrested Development was characterized by its complex, multilayered narrative jokes; here the A. V. Club analyzed a 50-second-long clip and tried to map out all its references (including one very subtle three-part joke about eggs). Luckily for you, there’s a very exhaustive web site, The Balboa Observer-Picayune, which documents the show’s obscurest jokes (H. Maddas, Blackstool, GOB’s ice obsession), its cleverest callbacks (Hello’s revenge, ”Mom says”, pilot/finale callbacks), its visual gags (yearbooks, newspapers, cartoons, Amazon), and its longest-running gags (I’ve made a huge mistake”, “Her?”, Cloud Mir, ”Hey, brother!”, and the chicken dance). Complete index of references at the Bluthcyclopedia. Complete transcripts of every episode. Bonus songs! All You Need Is Smiles. Yellow Boat. Big Yellow Joint. Hot Cops. It Ain’t Easy Being White. Discipline Daddy. Motherboy. Balls in the Air. You Here With Me. I Get Up. Finally, Fonzie jumps the shark again. [more inside]
posted by Rory Marinich on Jun 16, 2011 - 301 comments

A Very Special Episode: On July 20, 1985, ABC aired a "Too Close For Comfort" episode titled: "For Every Man, There's Two Women" in which Monroe Ficus (played by "unabashed gay icon" Jim J. Bullock) is kidnapped and raped by two bikers (possibly in a bathtub of jello). In recent years, stories have surfaced of individuals traumatized by the repressed memories of this mysterious episode. This is one of those stories. A film by Ethan Duff. (via The Retroist) [more inside]
posted by mrgrimm on Mar 16, 2011 - 294 comments

Make an independent sitcom? These guys did. On a shoestring budget, a collection of very funny folk have created a 22-minute-long pilot episode of Break a Leg. Heavily influenced by Arrested Development, I found it funnier than most sitcoms I see on TV. The next episode is apparently a few months away.
posted by Wataki on Dec 1, 2006 - 35 comments

Fast Time at Blogger High. The pilot will stink, and it will end up on TV
posted by growabrain on Jun 8, 2005 - 20 comments

Okay, the numbers are in. Now that die hard fans of the UK edition have vented, I'm curious to know what those who have not yet had the pleasure of Ricky Gervais' company make of the American version of The Office. Comments?
posted by IndigoJones on Mar 31, 2005 - 49 comments

"Come and knock on my door..." Actor John Ritter dies of aortic dissection, an unexpected rupture of the aortic wall.
posted by mischief on Sep 12, 2003 - 44 comments

Although such records weren’t kept prior to 1968, it is widely accepted that had they been, Uncle Tonoose would be the hands down leader in the category of "most spit takes caused."
It's The Top 10 Uncles in TV Comedy History, guaranteed to bring back TV memories (including many justifiably repressed ones). Regrettably, with one glaring omission that any MeFite should notice. But hey, what about an equivalent list of notable TV Aunts? Or are there any beyond Aunt Bee (or as most Mayberry residents pronounced it, Aint Bee)?
posted by wendell on Sep 5, 2003 - 8 comments

With Friends Like This.... Hate tv like I do? Do you rail at the idea of "must see tv"? OK....NYTimes link. But it is not NewsFilter! - more inside
posted by lampshade on Mar 3, 2003 - 20 comments

Best. Episodes. Ever. Though I think they're wrong about the worst. In honor of the upcoming 300th episode of the Simpsons, Entertainment Weekly looks back at the 25 best episodes and 1 worst. May the arguments, and uneeded meme generation, begin.
posted by eyeballkid on Feb 1, 2003 - 128 comments

Dictator and/or Television Sit-Com Character Remember this site? For two years now it's been sitting there, growing stronger. Are there other game sites where you should just forget it, they know too much?
posted by kablam on Oct 20, 2002 - 72 comments

TV's reality: Everyone is thin, and fat people are often ridiculed Overweight characters on TV are less likely to date and have sex than their slimmer counterparts, and they are more likely to be the butt of jokes and be seen chowing down, fueling possible bias against the heavyset, according to research being presented today. The question is: Is television reflecting reality?
posted by Rastafari on Oct 8, 2001 - 82 comments

Chuck Lorre's TV Journal ... Anybody who's ever watched one of my favorite TV shows, Dharma and Greg, has noticed the 2 second "vanity card" that appears after the credits roll (usually where the production company's logo appears). This appears to be the TV equivalent of an online journal, with a mix of insights, personal commentary, and random rambling from the show's executive producer, Chuck Lorre. Some of them are mind-numbing, while others are fairly interesting. Influence of the Web or creative coincidence?
posted by yarf on May 1, 2001 - 9 comments

Wassup beer commercial actors are to be given their own sitcom. I am going to smash my TV after work today.
posted by john on Nov 15, 2000 - 10 comments

Sports Night No Go on HBO. Despite the fact that Aaron Sorkin (the creator) had already made plans on an HBO-ized show, ABC and HBO have called off talks due to "financial issues which couldn't be resolved." If you were a fan of Sorkin (Sports Night), you may enjoy "The West Wing." I do.
posted by chrish on Jun 22, 2000 - 2 comments