recent sitcoms with fitness subplots

[acey]

I'm no Fox fan, except for the baseball game broadcasts and the Sunday night lineup of mostly animated sitcoms. Yesterday two of them had big fitness subplots. Malcolm In the Middle featured this Jack LaLanne-esque father who tried to bully his son, Lois's overweight coworker, into taking over his chain of gyms. Classic lines include the father saying, "I'm going for my 30-mile run. That should give you 2 hours and 15 minutes to think it over," and the son saying, "I told you no last night while you were jogging alongside the car on the way home!"

I was so certain it was Jack LaLanne himself that I had to look it up. It wasn't, but the actor was very good!

The second was the Simpsons, a repeat episode where Bart and Lisa look into the future and see their teenage selves. Millhouse is all pumped up and buff, trying to win Lisa's heart. At the prom, convinced by Bart that he can win her back, he runs into the other room and starts screaming, "That gives me 15 (sic) minutes to work my lats!"

Very inspiring hour of TV!

[tiny_dancer]

Obviously the following show is now longer in production, but as far as Fox shows, did you ever see the episode of "Married with Children" where Peggy Bundy wins a visit from Jim Jupiter, the so-called "Healthiest Man in Chicago" who hosts his own fitness show. At first, we see him making her exercise, but then we fast forward a couple of weeks to where Peggy has HIM sitting on the couch, eating bon-bons, and chain smoking. He returns to his TV show all bloated and then drops dead. The name of the episode? "Dead Men Don't Do Aerobics."

[acey]

Cecilia, the mention of that show sure brings back nostalgic memories! I can't believe I'm an old fogey now who remembers New Wave, big hair and sitcoms like that...I guess you are too

I didn't see that particular episode, though I did like watching that show on occasion. It reminds me of the commercial that used to air a few years ago where a woman watches a workout video and stands there sort of swaying in rhythm to it while eating ice cream. It was a tongue-in-cheek premise.

[ked]

Cecilia, I remember that episode on married with children! Still makes me laugh. Peggy would go to the gym with Marci and have on high heels
Kay

[Sissy B]

There was another episode of MARRIED WITH CHILDREN where Jefferson became an aerobics instructor.

~Sissy B

[tiny_dancer]

There was also an episode of "Married with Children" where Kelly went to this one gym, and Al thought it would be good for his shoe store's business if he could get them to build a branch next door to him. After they did so, he also drilled holes into the wall so that he and his male buddies could hopefully get a free peep show of scantily clad women. They were in for a rude awakening when they looked through, and the only women they saw were ones who were seriously obese.