1970s Situation Comedy

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1970s Situation Comedy
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Familiar Roles

• The rebel - The Fonz, Hawkeye /Trapper /B.J.,
  Meat Head, Keith Patridge
• In-charge father figure - Archie Bunker, Howard
  Cunningham, George Jefferson, Colonel Potter (and
  his horse)
• The patient mother Marianne Cunningham, Edith
  Bunker, Carol Brady
• Bombshells - Hot Lips Houlihan, Marcia Brady,
  Ginger, Chrissy
• The zany comic-relief characters Gilligan,
  Mr. Furly,
• Ralph Malph, Alice the Maid, Lenny and Squiggy
• The Ineffectual Authority Figure
• Mr. Woodman (Kotter), Henry Blake (MASH),
• Mr. Roper (Threes Company)

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Familiar Settings

• Middle class family home All in the Family,
  Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, The Brady Bunch.
• The urban African American home Good Times, The
  Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Whats Happenin,
  Diffrent Strokes.
• The workplace Barney Miller,
• Taxi, Welcome Back, Kotter.

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Familiar Problems

• A terrible but humorous misunderstanding
• Romantic problems
• Dealing with annoying relatives
• Trying to fool some authority figure
• Learning some social lesson.

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Familiar Value Assumptions

• Things work out in the end
• Family values
• The importance of friendship
• The importance of individualism
• Anti-racism
• The importance of heterosexual relationships/marri
  age

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A Terrible but humorous misunderstanding
Romantic Problems A Very Brady Study

• The Brady Bunch My Sister, Benedict Arnold
  (Friday, October 15, 1971)
• Greg comes home furious when he is replaced on
  the basketball team by Warren Mulaney. When he
  discovers Marcia is dating Warren, he hits the
  roof and demands that Marcia stop seeing him.
  When she refuses, Greg tries to get revenge and
  begins dating the woman who beat Marcia out in
  cheerleading. Meanwhile, the Bradys prepare a
  dunking booth for a carnival.

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Lessons Learned The Jeffersons and the
Importance of family friendship

• What are Friends for? Wednesday, November 22,
  1978
• George is thrilled to get a visit from his
  favorite cousin, Dusty. George's thrill turns to
  shock when Dusty asks George for a kidney since
  his are failing. This leads George to take a long
  hard look at the pros and cons of parting with
  one of his organs, which of course he eventually
  does.