by Michael Lyons
No! Wait! Don't give up yet! It's only mid-January. It's still too early to toss aside those New Year's Resolutions.
It's never easy, but every journey starts with a first step, or maybe, in this case, a funny step. To help with inspiration, here are some episodes of classic TV sitcoms that pair well with some of the most popular New Year's resolutions.
Resolution: Lose Weight. I Love Lucy, "The Diet." Original airdate: October 29, 1951.
Lucy (Lucille Ball), always wanting to desperately be in Ricky's (Desi Arnaz) show at the club, attempts to lose weight. The only problem? She has five days to lose twelve pounds.
What follows are moments like Lucy running laps around the apartment, demonstrating why Lucille Ball is one of the most brilliant comedians to grace any screen. Out of desperation, Lucy rents a sweatbox, which allows her to lose weight and perform in the show. But she stays in the sweatbox too long and emerges weak, having to be taken away from the show on a stretcher.
After this comes a last sight gag that's so unexpected, it shows why we will always love Lucy.
Resolution: Save More Money. The Honeymooners, "The $99,000 Answer." Original airdate: January 28, 1956.
Ralph (Jackie Gleason) gets the chance to be on a game show, The $99,000 Answer, where he has to answer a series of questions to earn money to get to the titular grand prize continuously.
Alice (Audrey Meadows) begs Ralph to get the first few questions correct and walk away. But, always with his big dreams, Ralph balks at this; as he practices with Norton (Art Carney), he is determined to go to the $99,000 answer.
His final appearance on the game show and the first question he is asked are still one of this sitcom's most famous moments (and you will never listen to "Suwanee River" the same way again).
Resolution: Exercise. The Odd Couple, "The Odd Decathlon." Original airdate: September 28, 1973.
After a heated discussion about health insurance, Felix (Tony Randall) and Oscar (Jack Klugman) compete to see who is in better shape. It all culminates with Felix getting Oscar to compete in a decathlon, where they go head-to-head in multiple athletic events, one after the other.
Does Oscar try to cheat? He does, indeed, with hysterical moments of physical comedy from both stars during the show's finale.
Resolution: Spend More Time With Friends. Friends, "The One with all the Resolutions." Original airdate: January 7, 1999.
In this episode, centering on the New Year, each one of the friends makes resolutions with one another. Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) vows not to gossip, Chandler (Mathew Perry) says he won't make jokes, Monica (Courteney Cox) promises to take more pictures, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) wants to learn how to play the guitar, with help from Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and Ross (David Schwimmer) resolves to do one new thing a day.
One of these "new things" involves him purchasing a pair of leather pants, which give him trouble while out on a date. Schwimmer's Ross struggling with his new, high-fitting pants provide one of this sitcom's funniest moments (of many) that still provide laughs no matter how many times it's rerun.
So, take heart and time to laugh with these episodes about your resolutions. Just don't laugh them off; there are still eleven more months to go. You can do it!
Is your New Year's resolution to read more? Then, check out my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance available at Amazon, with signed and personalized copies at Words From Lyons !
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