I'm very curious as to how the guest stars [Meredith Baxter (Family Ties), Jackee Harry (Sister, Sister), Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch), Marion Ross (Happy Days), Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show)] were selected for this episode... did the producers see who was available and then have the writers craft the jokes from there? I mean, Jackee Harry is perfect for this, but Meredith Baxter and Marion Ross in particular are very interchangeable with the dozens of other sitcom mothers over the years. Tempestt Bledsoe seemed like a fill-in... like maybe Phylicia Rashad was supposed to be there but then they re-wrote it for whichever Cosby kid they could manage, and Tempestt is the most sitcom-oriented these days? Regardless, I loved the catchphrases ("jump the shark"!!) and jokes (haha, younger, cuter kids), particularly Tempestt's about how perfect Cliff and Clair were as parents... a doctor and a lawyer with unlimited time to teach their children lessons in the most creative ways! This series is gonna be fine... and might even pick up a larger audience now that Trophy Wife has been cancelled!
facebook.com/InstantMom
Instant Mom "Not Your Mother's Day" (S01E22): Stephanie expects the full Mother's Day treatment from the kids, but they didn't really get anything for her, so they cover by claiming that Stepmother's Day is the following Sunday. [I looked it up... apparently it's not really a thing.] She takes her own mother to a day at a spa to celebrate the day but they wind up arguing over who is a better mother, but Maggie's anger is actually stemming from the fact that Stephanie didn't write a mushy message in her card. [I'm doing my "not impressed" face over Maggie's issue here.] Stephanie gets some advice from other mothers (the guest stars), but she and Maggie still wind up slinging mud at one another. All is made well again when Stephanie says something that would be sweet in a card, and Maggie forgives her. [is Maggie really the type of mother who will read a card over and over?] Meanwhile, back at the house, Charlie and the kids put together a hodgepodge Mother's Day for Stephanie, including someone else's cake, off-holiday balloons, a solution of various perfumes, and a poorly constructed poem. [you win some, you lose some.]
Here we go, the sequel to our Top 10 Television Democrats! No pairs today, so it's truly ten characters listed below, including one who is very new this season but she's so staunch that we couldn't make the list without her!
all images pulled from wikisand IMDB
10. Lucille Bluth, Arrested Development. Out of touch with the
economic problems surrounding her, Lucille doesn't believe that it's
her responsibility to take care of anyone she doesn't have to. She also
has no concept of economics or poverty, believing that the poor must
certainly be able to afford food, bananas are only like ten dollars.
Humorously, she won't respond to to questions she doesn't understand,
has a Bush/Cheney 2000 sweater, and the internet has created a Mitt Romney/Lucille Bluth tumblr, (and a Lucille Bluth/Mitt Romney one) if you need some laughs about her conservatism.
9. Ned Flanders, The Simpsons. It's not difficult to see that Homer's neighbor is a pretty conservative guy... in fact, he might top the list for Springfield. He has said that he wished they "lived in a place more like the America of yesteryear that only exists in the brains of us Republicans," solidifying his stance against change and the desire to turn back the clock, as many see Republicans to believe. When his son, Todd, asks him what taxes pay for, Ned explains that the go toward "policemen, trees, sunshine. And let's not forget the folks who just don't feel like working," another quote showing his anti-handout grounding. It's difficult to get beyond that because his Christian outlook begins to mingle with his political affiliation.
8. Cindy Sanders, Freaks and Geeks. Cindy is the head of the
Young Republicans club at McKinley High, and receives the honor of
introducing Vice President George H. W. Bush when he comes for an
assembly. Cindy stops dating Todd partly because he is a Democrat, and
she annoys Sam with her political rants to the point where he becomes
disinterested in her. One of her key conservative lines may be, "poor people shouldn't get handouts; they should get jobs."
7. Jane Forrest, The New Normal. A new character this year,
Jane is very proud of her Republican upbringing and beliefs. She forced
her daughter to keep her baby at age 18, because she needed to face the
responsibility of her actions. She also stole Goldie's ballot in 2008
and is shocked when Goldie might not vote Republican in 2012. She's very against the "definition of marriage" changing, so when Shania has a pretend wedding to classmate Wilbur, Jane organizes a protest with some of the girls at the school whose parents have Romney stickers on their cars. Not bad for a character who has only been in six episodes so far!
6. Howard Cunningham, Happy Days. Late in the second
season, "The Not Making of the President" (which can be seen on Bing)
has Howard as an Eisenhower
supporter. That's not much, but when Richie decides to campaign for
Adlai Stevenson because a girl he likes is the President of the Junior
Democrats, Howard is upset that Richie isn't respecting his opinion.
He's also upset that other people are putting Stevenson bumper stickers
on his car, but he flips his lid when Richie makes a speech for a
Democrat when the Cunningham family is a long line of Republicans. When
Fonzie is also shown to support Ike in the 1956 election, Howard is
intrigued, though he later admits that he respects Richie for thinking
for himself. When Marion admits to voting for Stevenson, however, Howard
again erupts!
5. Carlton Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He doesn't miss an opportunity to remind people that he's a Republican. He thinks that wealthy people should be left alone and not have to pay higher taxes, that everyone should look out for their own interests, and that laws should have strict interpretations. He's not big on environmental protection like his sister, Hilary, and thinks that environment in which you're raised shouldn't affect your outcome too much - everyone knows right from wrong and has the ability to work hard. He follows that party line pretty hard...
4. Stan Smith, American Dad. Stan is a very impulsive guy,
latching onto and then abandoning beliefs as they fit his situation,
though he doesn't sway from being a card-carrying member of the NRA.
He's pro-surveillance (of course, he works for the CIA), patriotic to
the bitter end, and opposed homosexuality and gay marriage for the first
season of the show. He's offended when he's not chosen to give a speech
at the Republican National Convention, and is an authoritarian to the
point where he'll brainwash his family into obeying him. He quotes
Reagan, considers George Bush to be a hero, and opposes abortion. Am I
missing any glaring Republican traits?
3. Charles Winchester from M*A*S*H. He's an
uber-conservative. What's interesting, though, is that rather than
adoring Republicans, he just really hates Democrats, like Franklin
Delano Roosevelt and Harry S Truman. Charles is so conservative that he
says things like "a lot of people dribble soup on their chins and vote
for Democrats," that he'd rather "share his toothbrush with a Democrat"
than ask to borrow Margaret's record player, and "he's so conservative
that he'd make McCarthy look like a New Dealer.
2. Alex P. Keaton, Family Ties. In contrast to his "hippie"
parents, Alex is a staunch Republican, idolizing Nixon (both framed on
his wall and appearing on his lunchbox!) and voting for
Reagan and George H. W. Bush during the run of the show. Alex has a keen
interest in economics, belongs to the Young Republicans, and dreams
about the Declaration of Independence being written. A good chunk of the
entire series features Alex being conservative in one way or another,
actually. 1. Archie Bunker, All in the Family. As the only Republican in his household (Edith voted for Carter in 1976 and Mike donated to the McGovern campaign, just for the tip of the iceberg), Archie maintains a conservative stance on many things, causing regular tension with his family. Though he is also seen as an extreme bigot, his Republican perspectives led him to support Nixon and Reagan, and oppose peace protestors and civil rights movement organizers. Additionally, when his neighbor, George Jefferson, runs for a local office on the Republican ticket, Archie supports him, regardless of his George's African-American heritage.
Here, take a look at him rail the Democrats.
Some honorable mentions include Matt Camden on 7th Heaven, Spinner Mason on Degrassi: The Next Generation, Charlotte on Sex and the City, and Leon Carp on Roseanne. Who is missing?
With the 2012 Presidential Election upon us, I
thought that it would be cool to take a look at some openly political
television characters. Today we'll look at Democrats and tomorrow we'll look at Republicans. No special reason that we're doing one
before the other.
all images pulled from wikis, except Family Ties from IMDB
10. Joe Quimby, The Simpsons. Mayor Quimby is largely
portrayed as an animated collage of political Kennedys, with an accent, a
passion for womanizing, and uses money to solve as much as possible.
9. Grace Adler, Will & Grace. She wastes no time in declaring her political affiliation - in the fifth episode, "Boo! Humbug," she says, "I'm a Democrat" when she has to take Harlin's children trick-or-treating and one is dressed as Richard Nixon!
8. Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan, Friends. Though the show never
gets very political, it would be difficult to peg Phoebe as
conservative! She's a vegetarian, respects the environment, loves all
animals (even smelly cats and rat babies!), donates to the homeless, and
is really a free spirit in many ways. She's a lover of peace, not a big
fan of Western medicine, doesn't like mass-manufactured products, and
generally doesn't worry about how others see her. One very liberal thing
she does is after she gets married she legally changes her name to
Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock for an episode!
7. Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H. Hawkeye was drafted and opposes
the war, often disagreeing with everything the army stands for and
disregarding their policies. In "Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde," he sends a
telegram to President Truman, asking "Who's Responsible?" for the
insanity taking place. Many seasons later, in "Give 'Em Hell, Hawkeye,"
he writes a letter to Truman, begging for him to stop the Korean war. He
explains how dire the situation is and that the peace talks need to
take place.
6. Christine Campbell, The New Adventures of Old Christine.
For someone who is hardly motivated about anything, Christine founded
her college's Democrats group. She doesn't talk about her political
beliefs specifically all that much, though in the early season 4 episode
"White Like Me," she does point out to Richard that she's a Democrat
(and also says that's why she won't take alimony). She also drives a
Prius, liberally drinks wine, and marries a woman for a short period of
time, if you want to further stereotype a character who thoroughly
stereotypes throughout the series.
5. Winnie Cooper, The Wonder Years. Winnie genuinely cares about stopping the war, as it took away her brother far too early. So, she works for the McGovern campaign in 1972 ("Politics as Usual" in season six), and is genuinely sad that there are folks who won't take a leaflet about a guy who wants to end war, poverty, and pollution. She is swept up in wanting to see change in the world, and even meets the Senator, who loses by a landslide. The local head honcho, Mike, depresses Winnie further when he says that McGovern never stood a chance, and Kevin says their political views were forever changed that night.
4. Dorothy Zbornak, The Golden Girls. Though she never comes
out and says it, Dorothy is implied to be a Democrat - she supported
both Mondale and Dukakis and planned to "tell off" George H. W. Bush
about the educational system's flaws. Dorothy also believes in female
independence and allowing immigrants to stay in the country as long as
they're productive members of society.
3. Rory & Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls. In "Dear
Emily and Richard," Lorelai thinks back to being pregnant with Rory,
when she planned to register as a Democrat because it's so far from her
parents' ideals. Multiple times throughout the series, Rory and Lorelai
talk about their liberal thinking, solidified toward the end of the
series as Rory goes to work as a reporter on Obama's campaign.
2. Brian Griffin, Family Guy. A supporter of Dennis Kucinich,
this dog is anti-religion, hates George W. Bush, served in the Peace
Corps, believes that marijuana should be legalized, and supports gay
marriage. He considers himself an intellectual (attended Brown
University and all) who thinks global warming is man-made, yet he drives
a Prius. Surprisingly, he did vote for John McCain.
1. Steven & Elyse Keaton on Family Ties. This show
depended on the liberalism of the Keaton parents being contrasted with
the conservatism of their children (except maybe Jennifer). They married
young, joined the Peace Corps, had their first child, THEN went to
college at Berkeley, when they had their second child. They often speak
of protesting, Elyse is a hardcore, independent feminist, and Steven
works in public television. Imagine his cries as Mitt Romney tries to
assassinate Big Bird!
Honorable Mentions include Brian and Joe Hackett from Wings, Mary Richards from Mary Tyler Moore, Lindsey Weir from Freaks and Geeks, Eric Camden from 7th Heaven, and Shirley Feeney from Laverne & Shirley. Am I missing anyone?
by Amy K. Bredemeyer
Quite some time ago I was flipping through the channels late at night and caught the episode of The Flintstones where Fred and Wilma have Pebbles. It really is hilarious if you haven't seen it. I saved it to my DVR and later showed a friend. He asked if the same thing happens when Bamm-Bamm is born, and I pointed out that Bamm-Bamm was adopted. He didn't know that, and I think that many people probably don't. So, I wanted to take some time to draw attention to some of the great adopted characters on television. I'm specifically looking at adopted characters whose stories are told or addressed in the show.
10. George Camden from 7th Heaven. Although not a major character, George is adopted by Eric's parents, the Colonel and Ruth. In the same episode, Eric and Annie also consider adopting the child, which would have been interesting since the Camden kids did not particularly take to him. His real father shows up later in the series, and after some strife, gets along with everyone.
9. Arnold Jackson (and Willis) from Diff'rent Strokes. Mr. Drummond's housekeeper was the boys' mother, and after she died, he took them in. It's a real rags-to-riches story, and while the fact that the boys weren't Drummond's biological children popped up from time to time, it wasn't a big issue for arcs at a time.
8. Rose Nylund from The Golden Girls. I didn't know that Rose was adopted until I had seen thirty or forty episodes of the show. Turns out, her mother died in childbirth and her father was a monk who chose to return to the monastery (weird, huh?). She lived in an orphanage until she was 8, then was adopted by St. Olaf's favorite dairy-farming couple, the Lindstroms. There's an amusing storyline about Rose thinking that Bob Hope was her biological father, too.
7. Natalie Green, from The Facts of Life. She grew up knowing that she was adopted, and while she was at the boarding school she decided that she wanted to meet her birthmother. Blair (who had the money and the connections) tracked down the woman, but Natalie ended up not showing to meet her, deciding that she was grateful for the parents who raised her. Later in the series she does meet her birthmom, but ultimately decides that she's very thankful for her adoptive parents.
6. Skippy Handleman from Family Ties. Skippy accidentally found out he was adopted when he saw the papers in his mother's drawer. Skippy is determined to meet his birthmother, and brings Alex to see her. Skippy and his mother have a lot in common, and Skippy is excited to being a long-lasting relationship... only to have his mother tell him that she doesn't think that they should see one another again, and that he reminds her of a painful past. Skippy returns home to his loving parents, who have been heartbroken about the whole matter at the Keatons' home.
5. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore Seville; Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor Miller from Alvin & the Chipmunks. Going off of the cartoon stories of the chipmunks' & chipettes' origin, the guys were placed in a basket and their mother left them on Dave's doorstop. Dave struggled with them at first, but as soon as they got him a job with their recording of "Witch Doctor," all was well. The Chipettes, on the other hand, came from an orphanage in Australia, where they were a pet of a girl named Olivia. When Olivia was adopted, the chipettes were about to be exploited by the woman running the orphanage, but they ran away in a kangaroo's pouch, then stowed away on a ship to America. They lived in the park and worked in a restaurant, then rode a bus to California and got a singing job. They moved into a treehouse, but when they went to school, the school was upset that they had no guardian... so Dave's neighbor, Mrs. Miller, adopts the girls.
4. Steve Sanders from Beverly Hills, 90210. So this is a tricky one. He doesn't know he's adopted until the end of the first season. He went crazy trying to find his "real" parents, only to find just his mother's father, as his birthmother had died. Later we find out that his adoptive dad is his real dad as well, and only his mother, actress Samantha Sanders, was not actually a blood relative.
3. Punky Brewster from Punky Brewster. Her father abandons the family, then her mom leaves Punky and her dog (Brandon) at a shopping mall, never to return. Punky takes shelter in an empty apartment, but is found by the building's manager, who ends up jumping through a lot of hoops to adopt her. He fosters her for a while, she gets sent to an orphanage, but eventually the two live happily, and his curmudgeon ways disappear.
2. Bamm Bamm Rubble, from The Flintstones was the very first adopted child on television. He was left in a basket (as an orphan) at the Rubble's house, with a note revealing his unique name. Betty and Barney Rubble want to adopt him,and head to the Child Welfare office to make it official... only to discover they have to wait a week while their application is processed. They end up being denied, since someone was ahead of them on the waiting list. Betty and Barney take the other couple (rich folks) to court. Turns out, the woman from the other couple is pregnant, so they let the Rubbles have Bamm-Bamm. In case you've never seen this one, I've added a couple clips:
1. Albert Ingalls, from Little House on the Prairie. Charles wanted a son so badly, but a biological one just wasn't in the works (the only son Caroline birthed, died). They find Albert living on the streets when they live in Dakota Territory, and he comes back to Walnut Grove in the end. His biological father does come back into the picture for a short time, but it is ultimately the Ingalls who love the boy despite his faults... like burning down the school for the blind with his niece inside, getting addicted to morphine, having the town believe that he was an illegitimate father, and ultimately dying of cancer before he could achieve his dream of becoming a doctor.
I know I'm missing another dozen or so adopted characters, but I really enjoy these stories (I mean, wasn't Webster just a copy of Diff'rent Strokes, LoL?). What adoption stories come to your mind?
Well, since I'm sitting here snowed in in Pennsylvania, my husband actually suggested today's topic. But, for some reason, most of the episodes that I thought of with blizzards and snowstorms are Christmas episodes. It took me a while, but I finally found some that fit! Here are my favorite ten episodes in other snowy conditions!
10. Family Matters: "Just One Date." Steve has officially asked out Laura 1,000 times. He's at the point of desperation, and he decides to camp out on the Winslow roof... during a blizzard. Both parts are on Youtube, but here's the more relevant half (all you've missed is Steve's declaration that he's camping out):
9. Daria: "Antisocial Climbers." As per the usual with this show, they tried an atypical teaching method: field trip to the wilderness. Well, the boys pay more attention to Quinn than the supplies, and the principal cares more about publicity than safety. After everyone is trapped in a cabin, we find out that Daria's parents are also trapped in a different cabin. Both parts are on Youtube, here's the second half:
8. 3rd Rock from the Sun: "Frozen Dick." Dick and Mary are supposed to fly to Chicago for work. Dick freaks out and they have to drive. Then he freaks out because it starts snowing, and wrecks the car. So, he and Mary are snowed in at a truck stop. This is the first time the main four see snow on Earth, so they all respond really differently. All three parts are on youtube, here's the middle section:
7. The Simpsons: "Skinner's Sense of Snow." Skinner keeps the school open, and students still go, but not the teachers. So Skinner and Willie show the kids a bad movie, and end up getting trapped inside. Skinner becomes a drill sergeant in making the kids do what he wants. Homer and Flanders try to rescue the kids, but end up frozen in their car, passed out. Skinner eventually gets trapped by the kids, and sends out a hamster for help. it's a strange episode, not gonna lie. Simpsons episodes are not on youtube, but I found it on another site. The first 4 minutes aren't snowy.
6. Everybody Loves Raymond: "Snow Day." Ray, Debra, and Amy are stuck at Frank and Marie's during a snowstorm. They're all having a good time until Debra accidentally insults Frank, and that's when Marie decides to tell the truth about how she feels about Debra. I could only find it in other languages, haha.
5. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: "The Snow Must Go On." It's election night and Mary is stuck broadcasting her first show: the results. However, the results aren't coming in, and the show must stay on until the results are in. This one's on hulu.
4. Family Ties: "Birth of a Keaton." Everyone goes to the station to help with an annual telethon. However, things take a turn for the worse when Elyse goes into labor on-air. Steven, a plumber, and Skippy try to make it to the hospital, but eventually Elyse just pleads on TV for them to come back to the station. This is only part 1, sadly. The good stuff's in part 2.
3. King of Queens: "Ice Cubed." Carrie goes out to buy an ipod, isn't charged correctly, and ends up stuck at a church waiting out the storm with an ethical dilemma on her hands. Meanwhile, Doug is delivering packages in the storm, and gets invited in by a couple who are about to invite her father to live with them... just like Arthur. Part 1 and Part 2.
2. How I Met Your Mother: "Three Days of Snow." Ted and Barney are in charge of MacLaren's during a storm, and end up partying with a college marching band. Marshall and Lily deal with keeping traditions alive when he makes Robin drive him to the airport in a snowstorm while she goes all over trying to find a microbrew for him. In the end, the marching band shows up at the airport as well. It's all a bit more complicated, but I can't find a video of any of it anyway. :(
1. Friends: "The One With Phoebe's Wedding." Phoebe and Mike are getting married during a snowstorm. The officiant can't make it, so Joey fills in. Therefore, Chandler fills in for Joey in walking Phoebe down the aisle. Ross is stuck holding a stinky dog. Meanwhile, many other things go wrong, but tyrant Monica saves the day. It's all on Youtube, but here's the part that deals with the snowstorm:
Honorable Mention:The Simpsons: "Mr. Plow." Some may argue that this definitely deserved to be in the top ten, but I didn't want to repeat any shows, and I like "Skinner's Sense of Snow" much better than this one, although it is the more memorable and iconic of the two episodes. You can find it here.
I know that there is another Monday after today that takes place before Thanksgiving, but I'm going to be out of town, so I can't guarantee anything. And, I honestly am tapped out as far as good Thanksgiving episodes go. There's a ton more that I could throw on a list, but I wouldn't be backing them fully. So, without further ado, here are the final five Thanksgiving episodes that you should try to catch this season.
Home Improvement: "A Frozen Moment." While Jill is making Thanksgiving dinner, Tim goes overboard building a Christmas village for the family to take a Christmas card photo in. He even makes the kids dress as elves! I couldn't find any clips of most of the episode, but I did find a short segment featuring the Tool Time part of the show: The Man's Bathroom.
Cheers: ''Thanksgiving Orphans." The gang all goes to Carla's for Thanksgiving. Diane wasn't invited, but she shows up anyway, in a pilgrim costume. The first half of the episode actually isn't all that special, but the second half is hilarious. First, Diane's list of things she's thankful for is good, the food fight is fun, eating while covered in food is even funnier, and the icing on the cake is the chance at seeing Vera, but her face gets smashed with a pie as soon as she arrives.
Family Ties: "No Nukes is Good Nukes." The conservative kids (and the grandparents) can't stand that the parents want to go to an anti-nukes rally on Thanksgiving. Jennifer makes some good jokes. THe ongoing gag about Grandma being a bad cook was funny, too. Definitely a different holiday when Elyse and Stephen are arrested at the protest. It's on CBS's website, watch it in full here.
Friends: "The One Where Ross Got High." Ross tells Chandler that the Geller parents don't like him because Ross blamed pot on him once. Rachel makes a trifle with beef. Joey and Ross are trying to get to a party. Monica and Ross end up telling on eachother for all kinds of things... truly a great clip. But, you get the spliced trifle storyline here. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to catch the whole thing on TBS on Thanksgiving Day, LoL.
Friends: "The One with the Late Thanksgiving." Monica and Chandler don't want to host Thanksgiving, and then when Monica is challenged, everyone comes really late. The guys go to a game, and the gals take Emma to a beauty pageant. Monica gets really upset and locked them all out. Joey gets stuck in the door. The adoption agency calls. In the end, all is well. Check out the first part of the episode.
Today's list will feature my favorite television show homes.
10. Family Ties: The Keaton Home. It was actually unique in comparison to many of the other two-story homes of the 80s sitcoms. You could come in through the front door and have a couple steps (like a miniature balcony) and go upstairs from the living room. Or, you could come in through a hallway into the kitchen (and I loved their kitchen), then into the living room.
Video for this one, shows a lot of the house:
9. The Torkelsons: The Torkelson Home. It was SO BIG when you consider how little the family made. I loved the antiquey look, and Dorothy Jane had such a beautiful room and a great oriel window. The furniture was old and some was even repossessed in the first season of the show. Of course, the entire house was only in the first season... the second season took place in Seattle, not Pyramid Corners, Oklahoma. And it was also changed to Almost Home... but that's a different story.
8. The Cosby Show: The Huxtable Brownstone. Talk about a huge living room. And tons of rooms upstairs. And a basement from the kitchen and another from the back hallway towards the front of the house, where Heathcliff did his office appointments. And a nice yard with a privacy fence out back. There were a lot of neat props throughout the house, and I always loved the multiple fireplaces. Plus, the artwork that Claire had was nice, and even changed a bit over the years. Additionally, the idea of I found a great floorplan of the place, but it was only available in Italian and Spanish, so here you go. It's done really well... a lot of detail went into the furniture placement and such.
7. Friends: Monica's Apartment. While the apartment itself isn't all that great (I hated their bathroom setup, and both bedrooms were rather tiny), they did seem to have a great location within the City (I think they were in the West Village?), and always having people surrounding you is nice. I found this great artsy drawing that's purchasable in poster format.
6. Full House: The Tanner Home. While the backyard is unrealistically large for the home, it's nice. I love the stairs that have a balcony at the top (which served the purpose of DJ's egg-twinkie experiment AND the great TV-fall of trying to watch two programs at once), and the attic apartment is rather amazing. Plus, have you ever seen an alcove that well utilized before?? Let's not forget the garage, which became a bedroom, which became a studio. All that AND four bedrooms. There were several makeovers of various rooms throughout the series, most notably the remodeling that Vicki's mother did for Stephanie and Michelle.
5. 7th Heaven: The Camden Home. While the exterior doesn't match the interior (no balconies in any of the bedrooms, yet the facade indicated that there should be two), the place is LARGE. I especially enjoy the dining room AND the large kitchen table, the "garage apartment" that we never see the downstairs to, the multitude of rooms yet rarely is there only one person in each, and the gigantic attic situation which they really should have always had. And let's not forget Ruthie's Hello Kitty decor.
4. Home Improvement: The Taylors. First, two points for not being a standard set-up. You enter the front door and have the choice to go upstairs or through a faux-hallway which leads by the dining area to either the living room or kitchen (which are completely unseparated which is unusual). You can go out into the side yard through three different glass doors. And with all of Tim's household improvements (intercom system, central vac, etc.), tons of extras!
3. Beverly Hills, 90210: The Walsh House. There were a ton of sets for this show, dear God. Res Hall rooms, apartments, parents' houses, parents' offices, schools, stores, beaches, workplaces, it's really and truly ridiculous. Please point out another show that utilizes as many different spaces! But the Walsh House remained in use even after Brenda, Jim, Cindy, Brandon (and even Valerie) are gone. I loved the arched door. The kitchen was cozy. The twins had large rooms. Heck, they hosted multiple weddings there, so obviously it was spacious!
2. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Banks Mansion. First of all, who has a poolhouse that large? While there are some structural discrepancies through the years, the place was still rockin'. Nobody had to "bunk in" with a sibling when company came, plus Geoffrey had his own room, too... so that's AT LEAST six bedrooms, easy. And while we never see the garage (to my knowledge), unless they frequently bought new cars, they had at least six of those floating around someplace! And then there's closet space... at one point Hillary lists her purse/coat/hat/shoe wardrobe, and it seems large enough to warrant a few closets alone!
1. Boy Meets World: The Matthews Place. Another house that doesn't even remotely match its facade (this might be one of the worst ones out there, actually). Still, I loved their staircase (I've always been a fan of the twisty ones). And I always thought it was nice that they had some sort of "office area" behind the living room, that allowed for two entrances into the kitchen. Let's not neglect their cool treehouse (which was accessible from Cory & Eric's bedroom), AND the fact that the neighbor was Mr. Feeny. This is a darned funny episode. The first clip shows the living room and Cory's room, while the second shows the backyard and the kitchen.
