Overused Plots in Movies and TV

[RedPiggy]

Hmmm ... plots that involve "humans R teh evillzzz". I mean, I am not the type of person who thinks that people should believe we're super special and are always right, but do we always have to hear how miserable of a life form we are? What motivation is there to do better with the world if, no matter what, we'll always be seen as ignorant clods or evil monsters?

The "atheist/agnostic has to accept the supernatural" nonsense. Have you noticed in movies like Stigmata, Dogma, etc, that the hero/heroine has to be someone who didn't believe? If you're going to go ahead and do a plot about the supernatural, why not use people who really believe it? Or do you risk a plot like Labyrinth, where the girl thought she had all the answers and found out that "nothing was as it seemed"? I take it that would be soul-shattering? I'm theistic but it just grates on my nerves to see one group get picked on all the time.

 

[D'Snowth]

I see it from the opposite point of view, but I digress.

 

[RedPiggy]

I see it from the opposite point of view, but I digress.

I get it's supposed to be life-affirming. However, it comes off to me like the "white savior" motif in movies, where the non-white group has to be saved with the Caucasian. Imagine those "white teacher in the ghetto school" movies. Wouldn't it make a better point for someone from their hood to get them back in line? To me, these types of movies teach people that they are inherently wrong and must assimilate with a particular race or group in order to succeed, which is absolute bull.

 

[D'Snowth]

I get it's supposed to be life-affirming. However, it comes off to me like the "white savior" motif in movies, where the non-white group has to be saved with the Caucasian. Imagine those "white teacher in the ghetto school" movies. Wouldn't it make a better point for someone from their hood to get them back in line? To me, these types of movies teach people that they are inherently wrong and must assimilate with a particular race or group in order to succeed, which is absolute bull.

Yeah okay, I see where you're coming from when you put it that way, and I agree.

 

[minor muppetz]

*Throws out script entitled "The Incredible Shrinking Muppet"*

I think that is already the title of a Muppet Babies episode (I know, "who besides us would know?").

Interestingly, in all my years of aspiring to be a script/screenwriter and having many different ideas for television shows, episodes, and movies... Very few of the ideas mentioned in this thread have popped into my head for plots. I have often thought of plotlines in which one person sees/knows something but everybody else doesn't believe what's being told.

Oddly enough, while I've never really thought of any "evil twin" ideas for any movies or TV episodes, I do often jokingly tell people that I met their "evil twin", stating that their evil twins names rhyme with the name of whatever the person I'm talking to at the time.

One idea that's been done on quite a few shows, and I don't know if it's really overused, is the concept of somebody saving somebody elses life, and that person being so greatful that he/she offers to be the other person's slave, only for the hero to get annoyed with it pretty quickly (one exception is an episode of Rugrats, where Angelica saves Chuckie's life but then tells him that he has to be her slave for the rest of his life).

 

[D'Snowth]

One idea that's been done on quite a few shows, and I don't know if it's really overused, is the concept of somebody saving somebody elses life, and that person being so greatful that he/she offers to be the other person's slave, only for the hero to get annoyed with it pretty quickly (one exception is an episode of Rugrats, where Angelica saves Chuckie's life but then tells him that he has to be her slave for the rest of his life).

Best example for that for me is The Andy Griffith Show where Andy "saves" Gomer.

Another way that can go down is in the event of Recess where Vince "saves" Mikey's life, and Mikey in return wants to be exactly like Vince, from immitating his every move, to dressing and talking like him, etc.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

YES! YES! YES! ! !

If not "Incredible Shrinking" then at least also "Attack of the 50 Foot" as well.

Those were the titles of two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes "The Incredible Shrinking Turtles" and "Attack of the 50 Foot Irma". I believe both episodes were from season 3.

One plot I get tired of seeing is "I like this person and I think this person likes me, but I guess we'll just be friends because no one wants to make a move". And wouldn't you know it, something goes wrong for one of the characters, like an accident or deciding to move, and other other person finally admits his/her feelings for that person and then they decide to start a relationship after months and months of flirting.

That kind of overused plot drives me crazy because the writers are just teasing the audience. It also makes the actors mad when the writers toy that plotline idea around because the actors want to know if their characters are going to be together or not and don't want that kind of storytelling to drag anymore.

 

[Super Scooter]

One overused plot is the "minister wasn't liscenced, so we're not really married" plot, or some variation of it.

I own two television shows on DVD that used it (Dick Van Dyke Show and Dinosaurs) and I know Jetsons did it. There were many other sitcoms that used it.

 

[Drtooth]

Those were the titles of two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes "The Incredible Shrinking Turtles" and "Attack of the 50 Foot Irma". I believe both episodes were from season 3.

And I swear there was one called "funny, We Shrunk Michelangelo". But Incredible Shrinking Turtles WAS from season 2.

The worst part is that it was overused and overdone to begin with, and THEN "Honey, I shrunk the Kids" came out. And as we all know, cartoons of the 80's liked to steal movie plots. Quite a lot of rolling boulders in 80's cartoons because of Indiana Jones... though Ducktales had the right to do it... Indiana Jones stole it from Scrooge McDuck comics, if you can believe that...

 

[Xerus]

I remember in an episode of I.M. Weasel, I.M. was tired of all the same old cartoon cliches and they had an episode where they did them all. I.M. discovered the reason for this was they were using old scripts. The first script was for an old Bugs Bunny cartoon, but then they crossed out Bugs's name and put Buster Bunny's name, then they crossed out Buster's name and put I.M. Weasel.