Decker

"Bad Neighbor Sam" S9E9. Not shown, I just checked.

Count Dooku

So the producers figured the audience would just use their imaginations about the existence of dumpsters without showing them? How much work are we supposed to do to make sense of this show? Did they think they were making The Wire?

bluetoast

I gotta say, I love the in-depth discussion of the bar logistics, since this is one of my favorite shows.

I remember a number of years ago on GameFAQs, people got into a heated argument about Seinfeld. There was an episode where Kramer saw something out his window and came over to Jerry’s to show him out of his own window. The OP wondered how Jerry and Kramer could each have windows on the same side of the building if they’re across the hall.

Then one dude started making ASCII drawings of both of their apartments (specially the window side) showing that it was indeed possible. This brings back those vibes.

movieguru

I recall that someone tried to map out Seinfeld's apartment and they discovered that the layout would be impossible because his kitchen would be where the hallway should be.

Paff

Oh, the TV was shown in several episodes; when Diane performed "Ode to a Chicken" on the local poetry show, watching Eddie Lebec play hockey, Frasier and Lilith's near pornographic television appearance, Norm, Cliff, and Cliff's mom making it to the stage on The Tonight Show (resulting in Carla dropping her tray), and of course, "I" on Sports.

Josh-da-man

Wasn't the gang watching Jeopardy on the tvwhen Cliff was a contestant? Or were they in the audience?

I remember the categories were "Civil Servants," "Stamps from Around the World," "Mothers and Sons," "Bar Trivia," "Beer," and "Celibacy."

T-bone22

I also remember them watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on that TV during the episode Christmas Cheers. Also watching Sam on commercials when he was dating that agent... I'm sure there are MANY more...

milo bloom

The third episode had them watching a Red Sox game with Carla getting extremely upset at their loss. It was mounted high on the wall towards the pool room.

cultshock

Shit, I never noticed that, but it would seem to be the case.

GoldenJCJ

I remember watching “Mad About You” when it originally aired and realizing that their bedroom and bathroom would extend far into the apartment across the hall.

GuessWho

https://www.mymove.com/wp-content/up...artment_fl.jpg

GoldenJCJ

^ That Seinfeld floor plan also doesn’t match the exterior of the building.

Coral

It also doesn't match how things are presented in the show. Looks like they got creative with the hallway and slanted it in order to get around how the kitchen appeared to eat into the hallway.
The problem is that we've seen in multiple episode where Jerry can see his neighbors apartment down the hallway - which isn't possible if the hallway is slanted like the plan shows.

movieguru

That was a blueprint that someone created to try and make sense of the space in his apartment. There are hallway scenes however, that show a long, straight hallway and he has a neighbor right next to him on his side of the building. There's actually differing hallways in different seasons/ episodes. One minute it's one straight, long, hallway and the next it has a hallway that intersects with his hallway. They never took too much care in making sure the hallways were consistant in different episodes. I guess they never figures people would be watching it in detail with streaming and blue rays to pay enough attention to the details.

Michael Corvin

Friends has a similar "creative liberties" problem with their floorplans.

Monica's apartment has a window over the sink that would look directly at the hallway/stairs or the bathroom... or some random triangular alcove that goes nowhere. Also the window layouts between the two apartments don't quite mesh. Joey and Chandler's rooms indicate they're on a corner somehow (windows are on opposite walls) but the interior doesn't jive with that and neither really work with the window layout of Monica's unless she's on a different corner of the building.

But set design has always been problematic when you break it down. I remember thinking way back when, Full House and Cosby Show's upper levels and stair placement didn't match the first floor plan at all. Cosby's stairs in the kitchen would run right into the stairs in the family room.

milo bloom

Not to mention the actual space in those brownstone townhomes. The explanation I’ve seen from one of the showrunners is that they bought two and tore down a wall.

cultshock

Jesus, how much would it cost to buy two of them?

bluetoast

I forgot to mention that the bar itself has obvious studio/bright as hell lights lining the outside, which are clearly visible numerous times. And they seem out of place as in-set lighting, but somehow it doesn't matter.

And on the subject of lighting, a funny thing said on one of The Shield episode commentaries was that any time on any show/movie that you see one of those lamps with three lights that you can bend/etc, it's being used as a fast and easy way to light as well as decorate the set. They used it all the time in the clubhouse, but then you start to notice it in other sets.

GoldenJCJ

I’m assuming Claire got rich filing and defending frivolous lawsuits and Cliff spent his days charging for unnecessary medical expenses for his patients.

T-bone22

It's been awhile since I've seen it but I recall that his doctor's office was in his basement at his home?

ViewAskewbian

Yeah, that's what I recall too.

Hey pregnant lady, come on down to my basement and we'll talk.

Count Dooku

I get where the joke is coming from vis a vis Bill Cosby's behavior, but that would actually make him appealing as a doctor. Meeting patients in a home office shows that he is family and locally oriented. Dr. Huxtable would likely get lots of patients from that area of Brooklyn just because he is accessible, and not sitting off in an office in medical building somewhere. I imagine (if it were IRL) Cliff received many off hours calls at home from anxious parents, and he could tell them to come by right then, and all he had to do was walk downstairs. Also, it was very often mentioned that he was "at the hospital," so that would be where he would do the medical heavy lifting.

Josh-da-man

He was performing abortions down in that basement.

Between his regular OB/GYN practice and Claire's lawyering, that's where they got all of their money.

cultshock

Oh shit, I though we were talking about Monica and Rachel's apartment, not the Cosby Show, I stupidly missed the part about brownstone townhouses.

Noonan

IIRC, we were also to assume his office had its own entrance from the street.