Was musing about death being an unusual topic for a sitcom TV show, but then recalled some classic examples and how memorable they can be.
On Seinfeld, George's fiance, Susan, is poisoned from the toxic glue on the cheap wedding invitation envelopes he bought. Her death is off camera, but for a few more episodes, George has to deal with the consequences of her decease. I seem to recall some controversy at the time that the Jerry, George and Elaine characters reaction to the death were not appropriate for a sitcom.
In the British comedy, Fawlty Towers, The Dead Guest is a classic episode. A guest expires during the night, and the proprietor of the hotel fails to notice he has died, and goes ahead and leaves him breakfast in bed. As the episode goes on, the dead guest is a terrible inconvenience, and at some point as I recall, he was placed in the dirty laundry hamper and hauled away.
Another British comedy (rarely seen in the US) The Brittas Empire did not shy away from killing people. In the opening show, a member of the public was electrocuted (off camera as I recall) and throughout the series, people were killed in usually ridiculous accidents, or maimed and injured.
Even in animation, death can appear. The Simpsons knock off a character every year.
I suppose the 'classic' sitcom death would be Chuckles the Clown, dressed as Mr. Peanut, being shelled to death by a circus elephant on the Mary Tyler Moore show.
I'm sure there are more examples forthcoming.
On Seinfeld, George's fiance, Susan, is poisoned from the toxic glue on the cheap wedding invitation envelopes he bought. Her death is off camera, but for a few more episodes, George has to deal with the consequences of her decease. I seem to recall some controversy at the time that the Jerry, George and Elaine characters reaction to the death were not appropriate for a sitcom.
In the British comedy, Fawlty Towers, The Dead Guest is a classic episode. A guest expires during the night, and the proprietor of the hotel fails to notice he has died, and goes ahead and leaves him breakfast in bed. As the episode goes on, the dead guest is a terrible inconvenience, and at some point as I recall, he was placed in the dirty laundry hamper and hauled away.
Another British comedy (rarely seen in the US) The Brittas Empire did not shy away from killing people. In the opening show, a member of the public was electrocuted (off camera as I recall) and throughout the series, people were killed in usually ridiculous accidents, or maimed and injured.
Even in animation, death can appear. The Simpsons knock off a character every year.
I suppose the 'classic' sitcom death would be Chuckles the Clown, dressed as Mr. Peanut, being shelled to death by a circus elephant on the Mary Tyler Moore show.
I'm sure there are more examples forthcoming.
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
