Well
it’s the middle of Summer now which is usually the time when we take
our vacations with our families. Or by yourself like me, but it’s still
fun. Of course since sitcoms are about families it only makes sense that
these families would travel once in awhile. And it makes sense while
the crew and cast would be all for it, after it was a chance to get out
of the studio and have fun outside for a week. However for me, vacation
episodes are often terrible. Taking the series out of their usual
setting just makes things..weird. But it’s really cool when they series
does really take the trip so that the viewers can see the locations
also. A lot of times the destinations are just set dressing, but when
the series really takes the trip it’s kind of cool-even if the episode
is flat and dull!
Rather than discuss the episodes, I decided to focus on the destinations. Here are five detonations that series actually various series did travel to and film on location.
London
Friends of course. This one very well done for several reasons. The series spent several episodes setting it up so it isn’t like we were just thrown in London. The main plot involved a story which had been running through the last several episodes, and the effects of the trip would resonate for the rest of the series especially with the Chandler/Monica relationship. True the interior scenes were in a soundstage but it was a London soundstage so still awesome. Family Ties also went there, in a horrible TV movie that I still work on repressing all memory of. And even Married..with Children couldn’t resist going to England for a three part episode.
Russia
Head of the Class was a pioneer! The show went to Russia of all places! This was a big deal in the 80’s when it was still The Soviet Union. This was the first American series to film there. The series did a smart thing, they had a whole “regular” episode which set up the trip so that the stories we see in the actual vacation don’t feel contrived (no idiotic espionage agents like when Family Ties went to London). I also like that everything is filmed on location, unlike the Friends episode in London where the interior were a soundstage. Of course we get the usual tropes from Russia including Samuels thinking the place is bugged and the friends fighting. It’s a little corny but it’s a good episode.
Italy/Paris
Of course Everybody Loves Raymond went to Italy. I did a whole review on this one, but to keep it brief the episode was only OK. The sites of Italy was really well done but the plot of Ray moping for the entire trip was really stupid. But the scenery was pretty nice and at least the episode wasn’t forgotten as soon as it was over. Paris is a big one but it seems like whenever that comes up in sitcoms the characters never manage to get there. Except Blossom of course though that was a boring few episodes. Facts of Life went there too actually, and to Australia.
Oh before we leave the Eastern Hemisphere I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up the Benson episode set in Hong Kong which….well, I need a lot more space to discuss that very bizarre episode.
So what about some more local spots?
Hawaii
The Brady Bunch episodes here are classic, in fact when Scrubs went to Aruba they homaged these episode. Everyone knows these episodes, and I have to be honest, these weren’t my favorite episodes when I was a kid. For the reasons I said above, it just didn’t feel like the same show. However I have grown older and realize these episodes were good…for Brady episodes. They went to Hawaii and of course The Grand Canyon. You gotta give this show credit, in the first one the Brady’s are locked in a cell and then Bobby and Cindy are lost in the Canyon. In the second all sorts of calamities happen including Greg nearly drowning! That’s pretty daring for a campy series. The Growing Pain episode was really good as it really felt like a normal episode and even Mike’s love interest is followed up on later (which is rare usually when the vacation ends it’s forgotten) and yes, Step by Step went there too as well as Mama’s Family and The Jeffersons.
Walt Disney World
Ah the 90’s, when ABC took over Disney so ever single series had to have an episode set there. Well ok, Blossom was NBC but still. Were any of them good? I’ve went over this with MovieFan12 awhile back but real quick here is what I thought. Full House was corny and cheesy, but it’s Full House so it worked. And since they beat the trend it didn’t feel like it was just a network sellout. Boy Meets World was pretty good, and I love the crossover with Step by Step which is pretty good too. Family Matters was just boring and Sabrina was only OK, focusing on Animal Kingdom. Roseanne was better than it needed to be even though it was clearly a sell out. And Blossom…I don’t remember. Whew, that’s a lot! Did I miss one?
Other popular USA locations include The Grand Canyon (Brady Bunch again), Vegas (though the show’s rarely actually go there-I think Roseanne was an exception), Bewitched went to Salem, Mass for eight excruciating episodes, Seinfeld went to Los Angeles and of course there’s always good old New York City where 3rd Rock from the Sun did a two-part episode. Finally, this is cheating but I felt I had to mention that Frasier did an episode actually set in Seattle.
Ah vacation episode and sitcoms. Of course when an episode involves a vacation where it’s just the same studio is another discussion for another day. So did I miss one?
Rather than discuss the episodes, I decided to focus on the destinations. Here are five detonations that series actually various series did travel to and film on location.
London
Friends of course. This one very well done for several reasons. The series spent several episodes setting it up so it isn’t like we were just thrown in London. The main plot involved a story which had been running through the last several episodes, and the effects of the trip would resonate for the rest of the series especially with the Chandler/Monica relationship. True the interior scenes were in a soundstage but it was a London soundstage so still awesome. Family Ties also went there, in a horrible TV movie that I still work on repressing all memory of. And even Married..with Children couldn’t resist going to England for a three part episode.
Russia
Head of the Class was a pioneer! The show went to Russia of all places! This was a big deal in the 80’s when it was still The Soviet Union. This was the first American series to film there. The series did a smart thing, they had a whole “regular” episode which set up the trip so that the stories we see in the actual vacation don’t feel contrived (no idiotic espionage agents like when Family Ties went to London). I also like that everything is filmed on location, unlike the Friends episode in London where the interior were a soundstage. Of course we get the usual tropes from Russia including Samuels thinking the place is bugged and the friends fighting. It’s a little corny but it’s a good episode.
Italy/Paris
Of course Everybody Loves Raymond went to Italy. I did a whole review on this one, but to keep it brief the episode was only OK. The sites of Italy was really well done but the plot of Ray moping for the entire trip was really stupid. But the scenery was pretty nice and at least the episode wasn’t forgotten as soon as it was over. Paris is a big one but it seems like whenever that comes up in sitcoms the characters never manage to get there. Except Blossom of course though that was a boring few episodes. Facts of Life went there too actually, and to Australia.
Oh before we leave the Eastern Hemisphere I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up the Benson episode set in Hong Kong which….well, I need a lot more space to discuss that very bizarre episode.
So what about some more local spots?
Hawaii
The Brady Bunch episodes here are classic, in fact when Scrubs went to Aruba they homaged these episode. Everyone knows these episodes, and I have to be honest, these weren’t my favorite episodes when I was a kid. For the reasons I said above, it just didn’t feel like the same show. However I have grown older and realize these episodes were good…for Brady episodes. They went to Hawaii and of course The Grand Canyon. You gotta give this show credit, in the first one the Brady’s are locked in a cell and then Bobby and Cindy are lost in the Canyon. In the second all sorts of calamities happen including Greg nearly drowning! That’s pretty daring for a campy series. The Growing Pain episode was really good as it really felt like a normal episode and even Mike’s love interest is followed up on later (which is rare usually when the vacation ends it’s forgotten) and yes, Step by Step went there too as well as Mama’s Family and The Jeffersons.
Walt Disney World
Ah the 90’s, when ABC took over Disney so ever single series had to have an episode set there. Well ok, Blossom was NBC but still. Were any of them good? I’ve went over this with MovieFan12 awhile back but real quick here is what I thought. Full House was corny and cheesy, but it’s Full House so it worked. And since they beat the trend it didn’t feel like it was just a network sellout. Boy Meets World was pretty good, and I love the crossover with Step by Step which is pretty good too. Family Matters was just boring and Sabrina was only OK, focusing on Animal Kingdom. Roseanne was better than it needed to be even though it was clearly a sell out. And Blossom…I don’t remember. Whew, that’s a lot! Did I miss one?
Other popular USA locations include The Grand Canyon (Brady Bunch again), Vegas (though the show’s rarely actually go there-I think Roseanne was an exception), Bewitched went to Salem, Mass for eight excruciating episodes, Seinfeld went to Los Angeles and of course there’s always good old New York City where 3rd Rock from the Sun did a two-part episode. Finally, this is cheating but I felt I had to mention that Frasier did an episode actually set in Seattle.
Ah vacation episode and sitcoms. Of course when an episode involves a vacation where it’s just the same studio is another discussion for another day. So did I miss one?
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