Overused Plots in Movies and TV

Drtooth

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The only one I can recall is the Christmas episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
OH GAAAAAWWWWWD! And you thought I hated that before. Man, if the cliche is so old Dick VanDyke did it, you know you're noth worthy to be a writer. I can't remember all of them, I swore All in the Family (or at least one of the spin offs) did it (shame such a clever show had to steal that plot line), Punky Brewster, and one of the terrible NBC ripoffs of their own Saved by the Bell.

Well then, in that case, then yeah, even M*A*S*H did that once where Hawkeye helped a Korean woman deliver on a bus back to camp, while Radar kept freaking out... but that was genuinely funny though, lol.
Yeah... that's the less common "delivering a baby inside a vehicle" bit. It was also done on Taxi (as one of Alex's favorite stories from one episode) and I think Frasier.
 

Super Scooter

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OH GAAAAAWWWWWD! And you thought I hated that before. Man, if the cliche is so old Dick VanDyke did it, you know you're noth worthy to be a writer. I can't remember all of them, I swore All in the Family (or at least one of the spin offs) did it (shame such a clever show had to steal that plot line), Punky Brewster, and one of the terrible NBC ripoffs of their own Saved by the Bell.
Well, Dick Van Dyke's was a little different. It wasn't so much about Laura being pregnant as it was about the "being held up in a stopped elevator" plot. And introducing Don Rickles character as set up for the next episode: The Alan Brady Show Goes to Prison.
 

D'Snowth

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I swore All in the Family (or at least one of the spin offs) did it
I think Sanford and Son had a pregnant lady episode, but if I remember correctly, Fred uncharacteristically took the lady to the hospital so she could deliver the baby... but he was mistaken for the father, lol.
 

Drtooth

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Oh... and they ALWAYS name the baby after whoever helps birth it. Forgot that one.

Talk about unoriginality. If you're gonna steal plots, steal a GOOD one.
 

Xerus

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It seems like these writers use the same old jokes and stories and introduce them to a new generation of kids so it'll seem new to them.
 

Gelfling Girl

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How about the "body-switching" plot? Freaky Friday, American Dragon: Jake Long, a "Pigs in Space" segment, etc.
 

D'Snowth

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That one was considered racy to a degree back in the old days of TV, referencing an episode of Bewitched in which Darrin and Larry end up switching bodies... and them getting in bed with each other's wives.
 

Xerus

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There was also a Muppet Show episode where Dr. Strangepork invented a Dissolvatrion and it ended up switching some of the characters' bodies. Link switched with Piggy, Strangepork switched with Janice, and Kermit switched with the Swedish Chef. I was wondering if this would go on throughout the show where more characters would get switched, but they quickly stopped it when the Pigs in Space sketch ended and everyone went back to normal with no explanation.
 
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