Sitcoms With Episodes Based on Real or Imagined Terminal Illnesses
Somber Themes Have Sometimes Been Used To Garner Laughs
Funerals, which are about as somber a topic one could imagine, have often been used in plots for sitcom episodes. Classic shows such as Seinfeld and Married With Children have, both brilliantly and ironically, earned laughs around a setting most closely associated with death.
Another depressing topic, that of terminal illness, has also been featured in popular sitcoms. Here are ten comedy series that have episodes centering on a character either truly or mistakenly facing a short amount of time left to live.
Fred Sanford in Sanford and Son
The title character immortalized by Red Foxx is mistakenly assumed to have a terminal illness, as his son Lamont and his pal Rollo misread the diagnosis of the doctor in "The Over The Hill Gang" episode.
Homer Simpson in The Simpsons
Marge's bumbling husband has been misdiagnosed, causing him to try to fulfill in less than twenty four hours the numerous items on his bucket list.
Mary Ann Sommers in Gilligan's Island
After eating supposedly poisonous mushrooms, the brunette (portrayed by Dawn Wells) of the seven castaways believes she has only a few days left on earth.
Title Character in Gilligan's Island
Bob Denver as the first mate on The Minnow gets bitten by a rare bug, leading the castaways to fear he has a mere week remaining.
Title Character in Gomer Pyle USMC
Sargent Carter (portrayed by Frank Sutton) falsely believes that Gomer is dying, so he is unusually nice to his least favorite recruit in "Sargeant if the Week." In a later episode called "Gomer And the Sick Cat" the opposite happens, when Gomer (portrayed by Jim Nabors) misinterprets a veterinarian's report for that from Carter's physician.
Zack Morris in Saved By The Bell
The main man at Bayside High School (portrayed by Mark Paul-Gosselaar) fakes having a terminal illness in order to win a kissing contest.
Jake Keaton in Family Ties
In a poignant episode titled "I Never Killed For My Father" Alex Keaton's grandpa reveals to his son Steve that he has a terminal illness and just a short time to live.
Chris Griffin in Family Guy
In "If I'm Dying I'm Lying" Peter pretends Chris is dying so that the Make-A-Dream-Come-True foundation can save a cancelled TV Show.
Reuben Kincaid in The Partridge Family
"Reuben Kincaid Lives" is the show in which matriarch Shirley tells the kids to be extra nice to Reuben (portrayed by Dave Madden), which causes the manager to believe he is dying.
Carl Dixon in Good Times
"In Love Has a Spot On Its Lung" shows that while on the verge of proposing marriage to Florida, Carl (portrayed by Moses Gunn) breaks off the relationship after learning he has lung cancer.
Fred Sanford Often Felt "The Big One" Was Coming
