Most of these are said by people who didn't even watch these shows! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at preconceived notions and misconceptions that people have about certain TV shows. A few spoilers for some of these programs.
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00:00 So you're saying I go into NBC and tell them I got this idea for a show about nothing.
00:05 We go into NBC.
00:06 We?
00:07 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at preconceived notions and misconceptions
00:12 that people have about certain TV shows.
00:14 A few spoilers for some of these programs.
00:16 It's so horrible.
00:18 No, it's not that bad.
00:19 Wayne.
00:20 Number 10.
00:22 Getting all of the answers matters.
00:24 The leftovers.
00:25 On a normal day, 2% of humanity suddenly disappears.
00:29 All of this drama hooks us in with a mystery.
00:31 Answers are inconsequential here.
00:33 Sam?
00:34 What's going on?
00:36 Daddy!
00:37 Sam!
00:38 The show is more concerned with the fruitless search for answers that many of us embark
00:44 on in the wake of tragedy.
00:45 While the premise calls The Rapture to mind, it just as easily could be applied to 9/11
00:50 or global events that the show predated, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:54 We really don't know how to feel, because we still wonder where they went and why.
01:02 Above all else, The Leftovers is about how grief divides and unites us.
01:06 The ending doesn't provide the most open and shut explanation.
01:08 It's not even clear if this was The Rapture.
01:11 Those expecting answers miss the point, however.
01:13 The central question isn't "why did this happen?"
01:15 It's "how do we work through it?"
01:17 If I told you what happened, that you would never believe me?
01:23 9.
01:24 Farrah Fawcett was in every season – Charlie's Angels
01:27 If there's one name that everyone associates with the original Charlie's Angels, it's
01:31 the late Farrah Fawcett, who rose to fame as Jill Monroe.
01:35 Watching a random rerun, you might find yourself asking, "Why wasn't Jill in this episode?
01:39 Isn't she the main character?"
01:41 Firstly, all Angels are equal.
01:42 Second, despite being synonymous with the show, Fawcett was only a regular for the first
01:47 season.
01:50 After exiting, she returned for another six episodes as a guest star.
01:53 Co-stars Kate Jackson and Jacqueline Smith had longer tenures.
01:57 Even Cheryl Ladd, who stepped in as Jill's sister Chris, appeared in more episodes.
02:07 Maybe it's because Fawcett's star continued to rise after leaving, but the show that made
02:11 her famous lasted four additional seasons without her constant presence.
02:21 8.
02:23 It's a romantic comedy – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
02:25 A musical about a young woman searching for love?
02:27 Sounds like a rom-com to us.
02:31 If you still think that after a few episodes, however, you're not paying attention.
02:37 The series kicks off with Rebecca going to extreme lengths to reconnect with an old boyfriend,
02:41 even though they're wrong for each other.
02:43 There are other potential love interests in Rebecca's life, although they're not the
02:46 healthiest choices either.
02:48 That seems typical for the rom-com genre, but unlike some of the heroines you'd see
02:51 Julia Roberts or Kate Hudson play, Rebecca's actions have consequences.
02:59 As Rebecca confronts those consequences, the show evolves into an exploration of mental
03:04 health.
03:05 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a love story, but one of self-love with romance ultimately being
03:08 an afterthought.
03:09 7.
03:10 It's a low-brow Star Trek satire – The Orville
03:16 Some people are quick to hate on Seth MacFarlane, assuming he's a one-trick pony.
03:20 American Dad is often written off as a Family Guy clone, although both shows have different
03:24 comedy styles and tones.
03:26 Before The Orville even premiered, many expected the standard Family Guy humor in a Star Trek
03:30 setting.
03:35 Early reviews reflected this, but those who stuck with the show found it was more of an
03:39 homage than a send-up.
03:40 With detailed lore and involving characters, various fans argued that The Orville was actually
03:45 better than the Star Trek shows they were getting at the time.
03:53 While it maintains a comedic edge, The Orville has gone to bolder places than assumed, showing
03:57 MacFarlane's range as an actor and a storyteller.
04:05 6.
04:07 It was always the Steve Urkel Show – Family Matters
04:10 Steve Urkel stole the show in ways that a lot of people don't even realize.
04:14 If you watched Family Matters from the beginning, you'll recognize several of the sitcom's
04:17 mainstays.
04:18 There's Carl, Laura, Eddie, but how come there's next to no Urkel?
04:22 You'll keep asking that until episode 12, when Urkel finally plays a prominent role.
04:33 Urkel was initially meant to be a one-off role, but the character was so well-received
04:37 that actor Jaleel White quickly became a series regular.
04:43 When Family Matters entered syndication, the creators reshot several code opens from the
04:47 earlier episodes to include Urkel, making it seem as if he was always there.
04:51 It's hard to imagine this sitcom without Urkel, but the truth is that the Winslows
04:55 almost had more peaceful lives.
05:00 5.
05:02 Leslie Knope is a Female Michael Scott – Parks and Recreation
05:06 When Parks and Recreation premiered, it inevitably drew parallels to The Office, both being workplace
05:11 mockumentaries with some of the same creative figures.
05:13 With Amy Poehler playing another quirky boss figure, it was labeled The Office with a woman.
05:18 Admittedly, those first six episodes struggled to find their footing.
05:28 By season two, though, Parks and Rec established a distinct voice with Leslie getting out from
05:32 under Michael's shadow.
05:33 While both can be naive, Leslie proves herself to be much smarter and more selfless than
05:37 Michael.
05:45 Both are passionate about their jobs, but there's no denying that Leslie is more competent
05:48 at hers.
05:56 If these two ever met, we imagine they'd hit it off, although Leslie may take issue
06:00 with Michael's "that's what she said" jokes.
06:05 4.
06:07 A Show to Babysit Your Kids – Dinosaurs
06:10 With cute puppetry, a plethora of merchandise, and catchphrases like "I'm da baby,"
06:16 we can see why Dinosaurs is generally seen as a kids' show.
06:19 When watching this sitcom, though, people are usually shocked to find just how adult
06:22 it was.
06:23 We're not just talking about innuendos, although some jokes are more suggestive than
06:31 we initially realized.
06:32 The show regularly tackled serious issues from war to sexual harassment to divorce.
06:38 Some topics are more relevant now, namely how the dominant species takes the environment
06:42 for granted.
06:54 This comes to a head in the final episode, when the dinosaurs usher in an ice age, marking
06:58 the beginning of their extinction.
06:59 It's one of the darkest series finales ever, but hey, they're puppets, therefore
07:04 it's for kitties, right?
07:11 3.
07:14 Nothing After Season 10 is Worthwhile – The Simpsons
07:17 If we made a list of the best Simpsons episodes, which we have, an emphasis on the first ten
07:21 seasons should be a given.
07:22 It's unfair to say that everything afterward is disposable, however.
07:26 Seasons 11 through 14 are consistently funny, with standouts like "Behind the Laughter."
07:30 It's debatably around season 15 when the humor became less character-based.
07:36 For every misfire, though, there are plenty of gems to unearth, from Gone Maggie Gone
07:40 to Angry Dad the Movie.
07:44 Even more recent offerings contain some of the series' sharpest satires.
07:47 Simpsons does Death Note, anyone?
07:52 We may be past the golden years, or yellow years, but many post-season 10 episodes are
07:59 still worth watching for their witty dialogue, slick animation, and ability to predict the
08:03 future.
08:04 2.
08:05 It's About Nothing – Seinfeld Seinfeld promotes itself as a show about
08:13 nothing, even making this a focal point of season 4 when Jerry and George create a series
08:17 within a series.
08:20 While we couldn't say that Seinfeld deals with important problems, we wouldn't say
08:26 it's about nothing either.
08:27 The setup isn't that different from other sitcoms, where a group of friends hang out
08:31 and go on dates.
08:32 The difference is that Seinfeld is rooted in more mundane issues, but they're usually
08:36 tied together in a well-structured plot where everything coincidentally collides.
08:44 As the series progressed, the stories also became much more eccentric.
08:47 Kramer fries himself with butter, and Newman nearly eats him.
08:51 That old sitcom storyline!
08:52 Even the creators have acknowledged that there's more to the comedy than nothing.
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09:15 1.
09:17 They're all corny and dated - Multi-Camera Sitcoms
09:21 With single-camera comedies taking over much of the TV landscape, modern audiences seem
09:25 to look down upon multi-cam sitcoms as a lesser art form.
09:29 Just because a show possesses a laugh track doesn't mean it's a relic of a bygone era.
09:32 I Love Lucy is grounded in the 50s, but its writing holds up decades later.
09:38 While in the family-sparked debates that we're still having today, Friends continues to dominate
09:46 in reruns for a reason.
09:48 We can thank Will and Grace for the LGBTQ+ shows that followed.
09:52 And yes, The Big Bang Theory is smarter than it looks.
10:07 Single-camera comedies are taking sitcoms to unprecedented places.
10:10 However, anyone who assumes that the multi-cam setup is outdated should revisit half a century's
10:15 worth of brilliant television.
10:22 Is there a misconception about your favorite show that you'd like to clarify?
10:25 Do so in the comments.
10:39 Thanks for watching.
10:45 Bye!
10:47 (music fades)
10:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]