Sitcom Mentions

I find myself watching a lot of old sitcoms in the evenings when things are winding down and, lately, I've been making my way through the seasons of Family Ties. On another note, I've often said that there are certain shows on TV that simply cannot be turned off when you're flipping channels and there's nothing else on. One of those shows is Saved By the Bell. In separate instances over the past few weeks, Mister Rogers name has caught my attention while watching these shows.

You might remember from previous blog entries that instances of Mister Rogers being mentioned on these shows is not uncommon as I've already made mention of the Saved By the Bell episode "Model Students" and the Family Ties episode "Give Uncle Arthur a Kiss." But here are two more...

First on Saved By the Bell, in an episode called "King of the Hill," Zack finds himself in Mr. Belding's office about to receive some guidance from his principal.

Before sitting down for a heart-to-heart chat, Mr. Belding changes into a sweater and has the following exchange with Zack:

Mr. Belding: "I'm taking a different approach with you, Zack."
Zack: "You're gonna be Mister Rogers?"
Mr. Belding: "You're in the neighborhood."

Then, just a few days later, I'm watching "D is for Date" from Family Ties' fifth season (1986). Mallory's boyfriend Nick is in danger of serving jail time after neglecting to pay his income taxes for the past five years.
 

The Keatons offer their help and Nick gladly provides them with his financial records -- a box containing the "past five years in alphabetical order." Elyse is quite surprised by the first document she pulls from the box.

Elyse: "Mister Rogers Fan Club? 'This card certifies that Nick is a neighbor.'"
Alex: "Don't leave home without it, Nick."

So there you have it. Insignificant, I know.