Nosey neighbors who never leave; maintenance men who never fix anything; snarky housekeepers who never work; and waitresses who never get the order right...Geez! How did anything get done in classic T.V. land? Every era of television has offered its share of cliches like the above mentioned character types. This generation of shows is no exception. There's the Intriguing Mental Challenge character. Asperger's Syndrome is getting a lot of network love in shows like "Parenthood" and "Bones". Then there is the Black Know It All Sidekick, which has practically become a television staple ("True Blood", "Glee"). And let's not forget the Gay/Goofy Incompetent Assistant With a Heart of Gold, perfectly epitomized and impeccably dressed as Kenneth from "30 Rock".
Jack McBreyer as "Kenneth Parcell" on NBCs "30 Rock"
He's goofy, organized, and light on his feet!
The use of character cliches stems from a common tactic in television writing to present flawed characters with idiosyncrasies that are relatable and familiar. I mean, there's a gay Black personal assistant with Asperger's Syndrome in every family, right?
Well, relatable or not, the T.V. sitcom would be remiss without that element added to its formula. The intent is to keep us viewers coming back each week, and I say it works. One of the main reasons I tuned in to the 70s hit "One Day At A Time" was to see if Schnieder the maintenance man would ever fix any thing (he didn't). I watched the '90s classic "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" to see if Geoffrey the Butler would ever stop complaining (not at all). Apparently, viewers like me want to wait in futile hope for those wacky people to rise above their foilbles, and perhaps inspire us to come to terms with our own (no chance).
Joseph Marcell as Geoffrey from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air"
Good help is hard to find in T.V. land.
Whatever the reason, character cliches are here to stay, and even entire television genres offer cliches with cliches! Cop-Show Cliche
I'm going to stick to characters types right now, though. For the next few posts, I will take a look at some that have stood the test of time. First up: the Man Hungry Floosie. She's always fun.
I'm going to stick to characters types right now, though. For the next few posts, I will take a look at some that have stood the test of time. First up: the Man Hungry Floosie. She's always fun.
Stay tuned!
