SPECIAL FROM Grandparents.com
From All in the Family to The Cosby Show, these hilarious scenes—written by, directed by, and starring Boomers—are TV at its finest.
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" – “Chuckles Bites the Dust”
CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Aired: October 25, 1975
The plot: Local celebrity Chuckles the Clown is killed by a parading elephant. Everyone at WJM-TV finds it hilarious, except Mary. Until the funeral, that is.
The moment: To the horror of her coworkers, Mary can’t contain her laughter during Chuckles’ eulogy. While the priest’s tribute is funny in and of itself, watching Moore's futile attempts to stifle the giggles will have you rolling.
Watch it here.
The plot: Local celebrity Chuckles the Clown is killed by a parading elephant. Everyone at WJM-TV finds it hilarious, except Mary. Until the funeral, that is.
The moment: To the horror of her coworkers, Mary can’t contain her laughter during Chuckles’ eulogy. While the priest’s tribute is funny in and of itself, watching Moore's futile attempts to stifle the giggles will have you rolling.
Watch it here.
"Cheers" – "Thanksgiving Orphans"
NBC via Getty Images
Aired: November 27, 1986
The plot: Ask Cheers fans to name their favorite episode, and you’ll get 275 different answers (the number of shows in its 11-year run). But Season 5’s melancholy, hilarious Thanksgiving installment, in which Carla (Rhea Perlman) hosts dinner for the bar regulars, remains a high point for the show and for sitcoms, period.
The moment: Norm’s (George Wendt) enormous turkey is taking too long to cook, leaving the gang ravenous and increasingly cranky. Finally fed up (but not fed), they release the tension the ol’ fashioned way, via an epic food fight.
Watch it here.
The plot: Ask Cheers fans to name their favorite episode, and you’ll get 275 different answers (the number of shows in its 11-year run). But Season 5’s melancholy, hilarious Thanksgiving installment, in which Carla (Rhea Perlman) hosts dinner for the bar regulars, remains a high point for the show and for sitcoms, period.
The moment: Norm’s (George Wendt) enormous turkey is taking too long to cook, leaving the gang ravenous and increasingly cranky. Finally fed up (but not fed), they release the tension the ol’ fashioned way, via an epic food fight.
Watch it here.
"The Cosby Show" – “Happy Anniversary”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Aired: October 10, 1985
The plot: Bill Cosby’s namesake hit was rarely driven by heavy-handed plot developments, opting mostly for relatable family issues and affectionate ribbing. That approach worked for 202 shows over eight blockbuster seasons, including this Season 2 episode celebrating Cliff’s parents’ 49th anniversary.
The moment: The family lip syncs to Ray Charles' "Night Time Is the Right Time." And while everyone gets his or her moment, six-year-old Rudy (Keisha Knight Pulliam) blows them all away.
Watch it here.
The plot: Bill Cosby’s namesake hit was rarely driven by heavy-handed plot developments, opting mostly for relatable family issues and affectionate ribbing. That approach worked for 202 shows over eight blockbuster seasons, including this Season 2 episode celebrating Cliff’s parents’ 49th anniversary.
The moment: The family lip syncs to Ray Charles' "Night Time Is the Right Time." And while everyone gets his or her moment, six-year-old Rudy (Keisha Knight Pulliam) blows them all away.
Watch it here.
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"Taxi" - “Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey”
NBC via Getty Images
Aired: September 25, 1979
The plot: Taxi was a critical and ratings smash right out of the gate, winning the Emmy for Best Comedy Series in its very first year. In this Season 2 episode, Reverend Jim (Christopher Lloyd) must pass a driving exam to become a cabbie. The crew tries to help him out, with varying levels of success.
The moment: "What … does … a … yellow … light … mean?"
Watch it here.
The plot: Taxi was a critical and ratings smash right out of the gate, winning the Emmy for Best Comedy Series in its very first year. In this Season 2 episode, Reverend Jim (Christopher Lloyd) must pass a driving exam to become a cabbie. The crew tries to help him out, with varying levels of success.
The moment: "What … does … a … yellow … light … mean?"
Watch it here.
"Roseanne" – “Wait Till Your Father Gets Home”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Aired: February 9, 1993
The plot: Roseanne’s abusive, adulterous father passes away unexpectedly, leaving the family to make hasty funeral arrangements and deal with uncomfortable memories. Poignant and so, so funny, it’s the pinnacle of this blue-collar, Baby Boomer sitcom.
The moment: Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) has to notify hard-of-hearing Auntie Barbara of her dad’s death. Metcalf won three Emmys in four years for her work on Roseanne, and this uproarious 40-second phone call will show you why.
Watch it here.
The plot: Roseanne’s abusive, adulterous father passes away unexpectedly, leaving the family to make hasty funeral arrangements and deal with uncomfortable memories. Poignant and so, so funny, it’s the pinnacle of this blue-collar, Baby Boomer sitcom.
The moment: Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) has to notify hard-of-hearing Auntie Barbara of her dad’s death. Metcalf won three Emmys in four years for her work on Roseanne, and this uproarious 40-second phone call will show you why.
Watch it here.
"All in the Family" – “Edith’s Problem”
CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Aired: January 8, 1972
The plot: As Archie and Edith Bunker, Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton bounced off each other so expertly and effortlessly, it was tough to believe they weren’t really married. This Season 2 episode, in which Edith hits menopause—hard—is a perfect example of their give-and-take. Bonus: It introduced the word "groinocologist" to the American lexicon.
The moment: The whole first segment is a riot, but it climaxes around 10:40, when Edith finally gives Archie a taste of his own medicine.
Watch it here.
The plot: As Archie and Edith Bunker, Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton bounced off each other so expertly and effortlessly, it was tough to believe they weren’t really married. This Season 2 episode, in which Edith hits menopause—hard—is a perfect example of their give-and-take. Bonus: It introduced the word "groinocologist" to the American lexicon.
The moment: The whole first segment is a riot, but it climaxes around 10:40, when Edith finally gives Archie a taste of his own medicine.
Watch it here.
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"WKRP in Cincinnati" – “Turkeys Away”
CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Aired: October 30, 1978
The plot: Thanks to mediocre ratings and an ever-shifting time slot, WKRP never really got its due—which is a shame, because it at its peak, it was legitimately hysterical. In this Season 1 classic, station manager Mr. Carlson plans a Thanksgiving promotional stunt in which helicopters drop live turkeys on a local mall.
The moment: As panicked reporter-on-the-scene Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) narrates the chaos, the studio crew tries to figure out what went wrong, culminating in what could be the most quotable sitcom one-liner of all time.
Watch it here.
The plot: Thanks to mediocre ratings and an ever-shifting time slot, WKRP never really got its due—which is a shame, because it at its peak, it was legitimately hysterical. In this Season 1 classic, station manager Mr. Carlson plans a Thanksgiving promotional stunt in which helicopters drop live turkeys on a local mall.
The moment: As panicked reporter-on-the-scene Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) narrates the chaos, the studio crew tries to figure out what went wrong, culminating in what could be the most quotable sitcom one-liner of all time.
Watch it here.
"The Jeffersons" – “George’s Best Friend”
CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Aired: November 22, 1975
The plot: A spinoff of All in the Family that ran a full 11 seasons, The Jeffersons often vacillated between pointed social commentary and conventional sitcom. Make no mistake, though, it was always a hit, pivoting on laugh-out-loud performances from its leads: Sherman Helmsley as George Jefferson, Isabel Sanford as wife Louise, and Marla Gibbs as wisecracking housekeeper Florence. In this particular episode, George’s buddy Wendell (Louis Gossett, Jr.) visits, and makes an aggressive pass at Louise.
The moment: George’s elderly mother rescues Louise just as George walks through the door, causing him to mistakenly believe Wendell was hitting on her instead of Weezy. Needless to say, George gives Wendell the boot. It's a hoot.
Watch it here.
The plot: A spinoff of All in the Family that ran a full 11 seasons, The Jeffersons often vacillated between pointed social commentary and conventional sitcom. Make no mistake, though, it was always a hit, pivoting on laugh-out-loud performances from its leads: Sherman Helmsley as George Jefferson, Isabel Sanford as wife Louise, and Marla Gibbs as wisecracking housekeeper Florence. In this particular episode, George’s buddy Wendell (Louis Gossett, Jr.) visits, and makes an aggressive pass at Louise.
The moment: George’s elderly mother rescues Louise just as George walks through the door, causing him to mistakenly believe Wendell was hitting on her instead of Weezy. Needless to say, George gives Wendell the boot. It's a hoot.
Watch it here.
"The Carol Burnett Show" - "Went With the Wind"
CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Aired: November 13, 1976
The plot: Though Tim Conway's anesthetized dentist is a close second, this 19-minute sketch from Season 10, in which the cast parodies George Cukor's 1939 classic Gone With the Wind, is absolutely iconic. You know why.
The moment: Do we even have to describe it? Oh, okay: Starlet O'Hara (Burnett) waltzes down the stairs wearing a pair of curtains, rung still attached. To his everlasting credit, Harvey Korman, as Ratt Butler, somehow manages to stay in character.
Watch it here.
The plot: Though Tim Conway's anesthetized dentist is a close second, this 19-minute sketch from Season 10, in which the cast parodies George Cukor's 1939 classic Gone With the Wind, is absolutely iconic. You know why.
The moment: Do we even have to describe it? Oh, okay: Starlet O'Hara (Burnett) waltzes down the stairs wearing a pair of curtains, rung still attached. To his everlasting credit, Harvey Korman, as Ratt Butler, somehow manages to stay in character.
Watch it here.
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"Soap" - "Episode 35"
Bob D'Amico via Getty Images
Aired: November 30, 1978
The plot: Like the daytime dramas it satirized, Soap was jammed with scores of sensational storylines that could be tough to keep track of if you weren’t a steady viewer. In this Season 2 episode alone, there are tortured goodbyes, a mysterious disappearance, and a mafia kidnapping. Still, it’s this quieter scene between two series regulars that fans remember most...
The moment: Jessica (Katherine Helmond) asks Jodie (Billy Crystal) if his impending marriage means he’s not gay anymore. The discussion that follows is sidesplitting, thanks to a key misunderstanding and Helmond’s priceless reactions.
Watch it here.
The plot: Like the daytime dramas it satirized, Soap was jammed with scores of sensational storylines that could be tough to keep track of if you weren’t a steady viewer. In this Season 2 episode alone, there are tortured goodbyes, a mysterious disappearance, and a mafia kidnapping. Still, it’s this quieter scene between two series regulars that fans remember most...
The moment: Jessica (Katherine Helmond) asks Jodie (Billy Crystal) if his impending marriage means he’s not gay anymore. The discussion that follows is sidesplitting, thanks to a key misunderstanding and Helmond’s priceless reactions.
Watch it here.
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