Splitsider - Inside Jokes

On What Is the Single Best Sitcom Episode of All Time?

Surprised there's no love for Home Improvement! I'd say the best episode is by far "Don't Tell Momma", where Tim accidentally drops the beam on Jill's Nomad. Not only is the beam drop hilarious, but also how Tim tries to cover up the accident as well as the fact that they actually had to add a clip at the end showing the Nomad was actually fine, and it was a double that was crushed!

Posted on December 16, 2011 at 2:37 pm

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On Weird Al's Mean Streak

I'd have to say that "It's All About the Pentiums" is one of my favorites, both because of the song style as well as the fact that he got Drew Carey to be in the music video.

Posted on December 14, 2011 at 12:32 pm

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On Six Recent Examples of "Breaking the Fourth Wall" Trope Subversion

What's interesting is in the Simpsons example, Hibbert was actually in a way "talking" to the audience as well. Back then they actually had a contest for people to pick who they thought shot Mr. Burns, so the way the joke went was Hibbert was asking the audience if they could solve the case (as they did on other shows with audience contests), and then they continued with the joke of him just asking Chief Wiggum. One recent show that had plenty of fourth wall breakage (and I'm surprised it wasn't put here) is Boston Legal. Every so often there'd be a line spoken when Alan and Denny are out on the balcony that refers to the fact that they're on a tv show: Alan: Ah Denny, I've hardly seen you this episode. Denny: There should be a show about us. Alan: We could promote it. Denny: No, there's probably a law against promoting us. Also don't forget The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which had many cases of breaking the fourth wall as well. The best of which is probably the 5th season premiere, where Will is back in Philadelphia and he is "kidnapped" back to Bel Air by some guys in an NBC van. In that same episode, Jazz asked who was playing Vivian and why Nicky looks so much older (I believe at the beginning of the fourth season, when the new actress appeared who was playing Vivian, Will asked why she looked different).

Posted on December 3, 2011 at 5:09 pm

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