The Cliché: An Unexpected Delivery As Seen On: "Welcome Back Kotter," "The Nanny," "7th Heaven" How It Works: An elevator gets stuck between floors, and then a woman goes into labor! The baby is delivered in the most unusual of places, while our characters get a valuable refresher course in the magic of life. Makes you want to take the stairs. The Cliché: We're Trapped - Let's Reminisce! As Seen On: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Mad About You," "Malcolm in the Middle" How It Works: Stuck somewhere they don't want to be and faced with time to kill, the show's characters think back to all the good times they've had. Viewers are expected to enjoy the trip down memory lane, but if you hit "mute" on your TV you can instead listen to the collective groan of an entire nation, disappointed at having tuned in to another lame clip show. The Cliché: I'm (Cough, Cough) Not Feeling Well As Seen On: "The Brady Bunch," "Diff'rent Strokes" How It Works: A little kid, wanting to get to meet his/her idol, fakes a severe illness. When the superstar actually does show up, the little tyke needs to give the performance of a lifetime. The child's parents and the superstar eventually uncover the truth, giving the youngster both a lesson in lying and an autograph to hock on eBay. The Cliché: Now You Don't See Me, Now You ... Still Don't See Me As Seen On: "Rhoda," "Cheers," "Home Improvement" How It Works: A character is discussed, occasionally even heard from, but is never actually glimpsed on camera. It's a dumb old gimmick that invites the audience to play along, but can we finally put it to bed after watching Wilson awkwardly position himself behind fences for nine years of "Home Improvement"? The Cliché: Look, I'm in a Dress! Isn't This Funny? As Seen On: "Alf," "Perfect Strangers," "According to Jim" How It Works: The saddest of all sitcom clichés: when writers get lazy, they go for the cheap joke of cross-dressing. Characters dress up like members of the opposite gender to sneak into gender-specific clubs, to spy on spouses, or to earn money while in Las Vegas. "Some Like it Hot" came out nearly 50 years ago; does anybody really still get a laugh out of Jim Belushi in a dress? Larry Carroll is a reporter for MTV News and a pop-culture junkie. His writing has appeared on sites like CountingDown, FilmStew, E!Online and IGN Film Force. His merciless review of the film "Drumline" continues to draw hate-spewing e-mails from marching band devotees who resent his comment, "There's a reason why people go to the bathroom during halftime." Agree? Disagree? Send comments to heymsn@microsoft.com. Page 2 of 2      Previous