Ahh, sitcoms. Whether you like it or not, you probably grew up with a handful of really strange TV shows, and sitcoms can definitely get pretty crazy. While it’s frequently disputed just how “live” these shows really are, those audience laughs sure convinced us back then. This week, we take a trip down memory lane as we revisit the wacky sitcoms we grew up with, and ponder to ourselves, how exactly did the pitch for these shows go?
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All That
Frankly, we’re surprised the dictionary definition of “wacky” doesn’t include a picture of the All That cast as reference. Presented as a kind of “Saturday Night Live for kids”, the show had numerous sketches which parodied real television programmes, such as Judge Trudy (as a parody of Judge Judy) with her dancing lobsters. Other famous sketches include Everyday French with Pierre Escargot, featuring Kenan Thomson in a very foamy bathtub and flippers, The Inconvenience Store and of course, Good Burger. Is it any wonder that Kenan & Kel got their own spinoff movie? Oh, and of course, the show is where Amanda Bynes got her start out before moving on to her own sketch-based show. Ah, where do the good ol’ days go…
The Suite Life Of Zack and Cody
Ah, Dylan and Cole Sprouse. Undeniably two of the more level-headed celebrities out there – well, as level headed as celebs can get, anyway. The show’s concept is pretty wild when you think about it; we doubt anyone would be able to get away with half the stuff Zack and Cody did, but then again, not every hotel has a Mr. Moseby. The show only ran for three seasons, although the second season had 39 episodes, which is pretty long for a sitcom. We’re glad most of the cast didn’t spiral out of control as many young stars tend to do, though. Maybe the craziness of the show was cathartic for the actors, somehow. The show also got a spin-off series with The Suite Life On Deck, but of course, nostalgia will always make us day that the original series is better (it is.)
Drake and Josh
Wow, we didn’t even know the opening theme had a music video all on its own…but hey, we’re not complaining. The premise of Drake and Josh wasn’t too weird, but boy, Nickelodeon sure loves some really odd characters. From the ever-scheming, definitely-probably-evil Megan, to the really weird staff at the movie theatre, even Oprah-loving Josh himself, the show’s characters were undeniably colourful, to say the least. Drake and Josh definitely captured the type of teenaged American life that made us all grow up thinking wow, don’t they ever study? Admittedly, self-proclaimed slacker Drake was there to point out why we rarely saw a number of characters hitting the books, so we’ll give that point to them…but still.
That’s So Raven
Okay, admit it, you know all the lyrics to this theme song. It’s hard to meet someone who has no idea what That’s So Raven is, and re-watching this show, we still can’t find any reason to dislike it. As one of the few African-American-centric sitcoms on Disney, we like to think that That’s So Raven helped present a truly diverse cast of characters, and also spread some pretty important messages about identity and body image. And yes, we’d still love the power to gaze into the future, even if it’s a little out of context…
Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd
Bet you didn’t expect to see this on the list! But with August ’round the corner, we can’t help but show some local TV love. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any clips of the show’s actual opening, but we figure you already remember that iconic shaker(?) noise and the lazy guitar plucking. As one of the first few Singaporean sitcoms, there was just something fun about seeing characters based off known stereotypes and inter-generational family squabbles that we definitely identified with. Hearing a Singaporean audience laughing was undeniably pleasant, too. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for a re-run.
Featured Image: Drake and Josh – I Found A Way (YouTube)
