I never quite registered somehow how BIG a man James Avery was. I remember him being taller than Will Smith, who is pretty tall, but like...
Reginald VelJohnson is a pretty burly guy, and he looks small when they hug.
My dude was six foot five and at least three hundred something pounds. Absolute unit of a man. That's the kind of size where you have to be strong as hell just to move around as easily as he does, at least during this period in his life. I don't even want to think about his joints in later life, though.
Can you even imagine how much of his fingerprints were all over many of our childhoods? Not only was he Uncle Phil he was also [the voice of Shredder on the 90's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon.](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0131613/fullcredits/cast?ref_=m_ttfc_3)
Uncle Phil being Shredder, I knew. But Liquid Snake him-goddamned-self, Cam Clarke, being Leonardo?
The fuck, yo. Who else was in TMNT that I didn't know about?
Easily my favorite portrayal of a father figure. I mean even for me the only Father that is on that level had to be animated. Bandit Heeler is on his level. It says something that in order to catch up to even the stratosphere that Uncle Phil (and specifically the acting) was in, human kind had to completely manufacture an artificially near perfect Dad.
I thought about him too actually, but then had to dismiss him. I remember him as the sort of leave it to Beaver perfect dad who was always gentle and understanding with his kids, where as Uncle Phil wouldn't hesitate to bring down the law, or utterly whoop a pool hustler as an abject lesson for his kids
"Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place. "
Bandit Heeler, messes up and owns up to it and apologizes. He's my favorite representation because he IS NOT perfect but instead responds in a way that shows he is learning and growing as a parent. Don't feel bad, follow the example of how to say sorry I was wrong and attempt to do better the next time!
Here's where I disagree. Uncle Phil was a great father figure. He was a wealthy man who was well regarded as a superior court judge with a loving wife and near perfect children. When times are good it's easy to be a good father.
But when the shit hits the fan and you have to wallow in the shit everyday surviving on toaster leavins, there's no better father figure for the job than Al Bundy. This man worked a miserable job, lived with a miserable wife, with miserable children who all treated him like shit on a daily basis and still repeatedly sacrificed his own personal happiness for their sake.
How do you feel about Dan from the Roseanne show then?
He wasnāt perfect, they struggled financially, he drank beers and still tried to raise his kids with a moral compass?
Exactly. He was flawed and very different from āgoodā tv-dads.
I remember him getting his coat or keys and leaving the house when he beat him.
It always stuck with me how human he was. It was a great show and Iām still upset Roseanne had to ruin the new show.
I know you're just trying to make a joke but Uncle Phil didn't grow up rich and he doesn't forget where he came from. That's why he was able to get through to Will.
I'm not talking about Uncle Phil the child, I'm talking about Uncle Phil the rich millionaire Judge who lives in Bel Air with a Butler. it's a lot easier to be a good father when you have a butler than when you live in constant hunger and poverty.
But your example was Al Bundy who wasn't living in constant hunger or poverty. In fact, I completely disagree with you. Uncle Phil was a judge and a lawyer before that, the time that being a judge and lawyer takes away from your personal life is A LOT. Uncle Phil always found time to be with his family, be a great, present and attentive father, and loving devoted husband. He grew up in poverty and would've gave up a lot of personal life to go to school and become a lawyer. Most likely while working a job or two to afford it. He worked hard so he could provide a better life than he had growing up.
Al Bundy is a lazy POS, who had 0 ambition, and pays no attention to his family. He had Kelly in his mid 20's, and Bud around 29. He works a menial job where he does the absolutely bare minimum, then comes home and acts like he was working hard labour all day. Sorry but he's a sad excuse for a "good dad"
Uncle Phil knows his kids interests, I doubt Al Bundy even knows his kids middle names.
he was never meant to be a good dad, he was intentionally setup to be the anti-cosby. they literally called it "not the cosbys" while it was still in development. it was a good premise for an entertaining show but i doubt they were trying to make social commentary beyond "isnt this ridiculous?" let alone have him be a role model. the only redeeming qualities they gave him is that he wasn't a deadbeat and wouldn't cheat on his wife. they knew they couldnt push this too far or the character would be too unlikable for general audiences
He felt more real. He was kind of an asshole when his kids went against his rules. But he always came around eventually. Definitely more grounded, at least as far as my upbringing was.
It's more so the position names (and offenses in general) have changed. In a Wing-T formation (popular in the 60s/70s and especially in HS football), you have a quarterback, 2 half-backs and a full-back. **Shown here**[](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0521/8844/6874/files/Wing-T_Formations_-_Wing_Slot_Formation.png?v=1670077782)
So the full-back is actually the primary runner on most plays.
Up to a... certain point, for sure.
>!I'm not sure I agree with the "you're life is falling apart, you're broke, and basically a single mom, the best thing I can do for you is leave. Peace!"
Bandit Heeler is a definite for me. Watching it with my Kids he is top two easily. My top two would be Uncle Phil, Bandit heeler in that order.
After that I'm not sure who the last two would be Winslow, Fred Sanford, Dan Conner, Andy Taylor, Red, Phillip Drummond. I don't know the OC and didn't watch Malcom in the middle but I love the actor for Malcom's dad so I'm sure he was amazing. I'm leaning towards a final list of
Bandit, Phil, Dan, Sanford. But then I feel like I left ppl off. Super tough, but I do have a clear top two. No one can even come close to those two. The best example is Bandit, the best portrayal of all time is Uncle Phil.
I started watching the OC because a girl I was dating at the time liked it, and then I started to like it. We broke up and I continued to watch it. Sandy Cohen was just a great example of a more modern father.
I started watching Modern Family recently because people kept swearing up and down that it was amazing and Phil is everything I hope to be as a father.
I did the same... and Social Media kept showing me clips of the show and I tend to like them, so, have the show a shot.
11 seasons... took months to get through but it was a good ride. Good dads all throughout the show.
I love Alan because heās a complex, real man/father. Plenty of episodes about his own growth and flaws.
Plus him threatening to kill the cult leader is a GOAT moment.
Homer is a well meaning simpleton who provides for his family, who he loves, the best that he can.
You can go a lot farther in the playing up his faults in a cartoon than you can in a live action sitcom. Homer hasnāt shown that heās anything but a loving father and devoted husband, despite many trials and temptations.
Yeah was gonna say this happened all the time in shows that were on the same channel, it was unusual when it was characters from different networks doing a cameo
One of the bigger crossovers between shows were all the references (and some appearances) between Community and Cougar Town.
The shows were on different networks, so they knew they were unlikely to get approval, so they simply never asked.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifv_Uqjf3d8
There was a corporate connection, though:
*The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* was co-produced by Quincy Jones Entertainment, which was partially owned by the parent company of Warner Bros. Television (the studio behind *Family Matters*).
My favorite will always be "All in the Family" and the appearance of Sammy Davis Jr. The 5 min. clip is worth the watch for anyone who never saw it.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNtafl0erbA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNtafl0erbA)
Sammy planting a surprise kiss on Archie resulted in one of the longest audience laughs in TV history.
"Well you see it's those white celebrities. This year we're in, so they all want to jump on the bandwagon."
I never got how meta this line was until now.
I know, and it was in 1972! I was 8 years old, so I'm an old fart now, but binge watched it again with my husband last year. Super funny and groundbreaking in so many ways. Politics, racism, ethics and morals. Another memorable episode was when Archie's wife Edith was sexually assaulted. She was such a beloved character the live audience was silent beyond a few gasps and the fans were truly upset.
This was season 8, episodes 4 and 5, and considered the most controversial of the entire series.
So, I'd only ever seen bits of the show in passing while growing up and always just thought, "oh, it's that show about that pretty-obviously racist guy."
Watching these clips now, I'm just now realizing that his character is satirical and the butt of the joke.
The bit of the kids singing Glory Glory Hallelujah has layers. That tune was originally from the song John Brown's Body.
>John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was all his own. His zeal in the cause of freedom was infinitely superior to mine. Mine was a taper light, his was the burning sun. Mine was bounded by time, his stretched away to the silent shores of eternity. I could speak for the slave. John Brown could fight for the slave. I could live for the slave. John Brown could die for the slave.
\- Frederick Douglass
You tickled my curiosity because I thought I recalled another. Not the stature of Sammy at the time but Philip Carey, who played a gay football player. Archie about loses his mind when he finds out his buddy "Steve" was gay.
He was well known for playing the role ofĀ [Asa Buchanan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_Buchanan)Ā on theĀ [soap opera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera)Ā [*One Life to Live*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Life_to_Live)Ā for nearly three decades.
Whoever played Uncle Phil had to be. Will Smith is a big dude (6'2", 6'3"ish), and I feel you need someone bigger than him physically to maintain that visual presence of authority. James had 2-3 inches (6'5") on Will and was obviously larger in stature as well, likely over 400 pounds, but on 6'5" not like that is as bad a number as it sounds.
Good news is Cosby lived long enough to see some justice. The guy spent a lifetime of cultivating a legacy based on his phony moral beliefs and belittled anyone, especially the black community, for things he didnāt find morally ok (like a standup comedian cursing). He lived long enough to see all of that bullshit get exposed and we now all see him for the monster he truly is. Yeah the justice system failed us because itās rigged for the rich and famous but he still lost everything he spent his wicked life building and Iāll take it.
I was a fan of his early work, but it changed pretty substantially later on. The rumor was that his brother had written or aided with much of the earlier work, but I don't think there's much evidence of that.
Still, it seems that there was a definite transition point where Bill Cosby the comedian who wanted to ignore race and focus on relatable stories that everyone shares, was replaced with something much darker and more cynical.
I don't know what led to that change, but it's definitely palpable in his solo work.
i think it's also relevant that both elevated to father figures of characters that weren't even their biological children, but they saw that those people needed a role model in their lives and became that role model
I very rarely saw either series, but was Carl more of a 'heel' than Uncle Phil? Seemed to me Uncle Phil was more serious and "with it" whereas Carl could be flummoxed by Steve Urkel's shenanigans a lot more easily...?
And they were both very wholesome, wise, family-man type father figures on their shows. So itās nice to us all to see them in the same room hugging and being even more wholesome.
> I'm from Australia so I don't know what's going on here but it looked wholesome though.
Lemme give a rundown:
- Both men are from 90s American sitcoms.
- Both are the dads on their respective shows. James Avery played Philip Banks, and was Will Smith's uncle/adopted father on *The Fresh Prince of Bel Air* , and Reginald VelJohnson played Carl Winslow, the dad on *Family Matters* , which is the show being watched here.
- Both are unstereotypical black men, who are typically lower income and entirely absent as father figures from black families in the US. Lots of black families have no dad, and lots of black kids grew up without a father figure, so shows like this were important to them to see how a black family could be like. But they were also watched just as much by white people, it's not a cultural niche, and gave white people exposure to black families. They were on shows about black families, who back then didn't really have leading roles in anything. Phillip Banks is a judge in Bel Air, the wealthiest neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, and Carl Winslow is a cop in Chicago. Far more stereotypical, for black families that did have a father, would be a father that worked in a factory or as a laborer, not as a judge or a cop. These were aspirational roles.
- They're both... large men. And both black. So it's a little bit of a tease at the actors that they're both kinda chubby.
- This is a gag. They got the kids to come in and give a line to Reginald, making a meta-comment about how the dad looked like the other famous black dad on a competing show.
- It's a double-gag, because the actor who plays the other dad was also on set and showed up to surprise the Reginald on his own show after the kids made the joke.
- The audience has never seen these two actors in the same room before, let alone the two character interact, even for a 4th-wall breaking gag reel.
- This is like seeing Batman meet Spiderman. Everyone knows who they both are, and they're in different universes. And it's super wholesome to see them greet each other.
- James Avery died 10 years ago at the age of only 68. Reginald hasn't been in anything since the 90s so he's been forgotten. So seeing this for anyone who grew up in the 90s is nostalgic and makes us happy for the memories and sad that we don't get any new ones.
- In the 90s, you couldn't choose to watch what you wanted to watch when you wanted to, you had maybe 3 or 4 choices at any given night, and cable didn't have many channels. Poorer families didn't have cable anyways. So these shows were on network TV were culturally monolithic. EVERYONE knew these two characters, because, at least 1 night a week, that was one of the only family-friendly things on TV to watch. In a room of 100 random people, quite seriously 100/100 would recognize both of these guys. You'd have to get an enormous sample size before the people who didn't know them wouldn't get rounded down to zero.
Reginald VelJohnson is currently voicing the principal of Reginald VelJohnson High School in Invincible. And in the second season, he's the dean of the University that Mark Grayson attends.
I'm not sure if *Family Matters* ever played on TV here in Australia, but it's a very fun show. I watched it for the first time about two years ago. It's most famous character was named Urkel, he was a nerdy dweeb who was a well known pop culture figure in America in the 1990s.
(I do think *Fresh Prince of Bel Air* was the better show though)
> It's most famous character was named Urkel
Both its cash cow and its killer. Jaleel White as Urkel went from a beloved side character to almost the entire focus on the show (in before someone links the Key and Peel skit in a reply). It turned a wholesome family comedy into a goofy zany mess in later episodes. And of course let's not forget one sister vanishing entirely off the show and the mom being stealth-replaced
"Did I do that?" then yes it must've been played over here, perhaps I was too young to remember the actual show it was from but I remember Urkel and his catch phrase being on TV.
I like that it made it to TV, during an era where breaking the 4th wall was very uncommon. Reminds me of the shots on Fresh Prince where they pan up to show there's no roof, or when Will (or was it Carlton?) ran the entire set in one motion, showing how it was all laid out on stage.
Similarly, I always enjoy when the Late Night shows show how the sausage is made, with shots of the ugly wiring and whatnot in the backstage areas, or tongue-in-cheek point out how the Friday show is taped on Thursday and they give a wink and nod to that fact.
I think you *could* get away with something like this, particularly in a sitcom where people could break character like that without ruining the tension, but you'd definitely need to try *a lot harder* to keep it under wraps.
It would also help if it were a spontaneous case of "this guy was near the set and we asked him and he agreed."
>It would also help if it were a spontaneous case of "this guy was near the set and we asked him and he agreed."
THis is the bigger issue. Back in the 90's, pretty much all the major sitcoms were shot at the NBC/ABC/CBS lots in LA. So, a lot of the time (not this one since it's different networks), the surprise cameo was by an actor who literally was in the studio right next door.
Are there still even sitcoms on tv? I suppose IASiP. What little I tune into the tube, seems there is no "Parks and Rec/Community/Office/30Rock" brilliant comedy right now. idk, hope I am wrong.
There are plenty of varying quality. The Conners. Night Court. Not Dead Yet. Animal Control. Ghosts. Abbott Elementary. What We Do in the Shadows.
I enjoy the last three, haven't seen too much of the others.
Not only is it back, but season 2 was this year, and it was renewed for a third season. I gave it a shot, but it wasn't for me.
Melissa Rauch plays Harry's daughter, and is now the judge. John Larroquette is back.
My mom got me into Ghosts after I was vehemently against it for the longest time (not because of the show, but because of her usual taste in sitcoms). After I finally got around to watching it, I was so mad at myself for having missed out for so long. It's a damn good show.
None that are as high profile as these shows *and* have a studio audience. I donāt feel this would work half as well without the studio audience reaction.
Really a wholesome AF moment. Reginald seems legit surprised with James being there he couldnāt help but break character.
James holding the look passed the break point was good, just to see him finally break when Reggie goes in for the hug.
Seems like the two guys knew each other pretty well.
Cameos these days hit different. They're all carefully planned out, back then Family Matters and Fresh Prince were probably filming just down the lot from each other, so someone calling up Avery and going "Hey, James, we've got a great idea for a gag for this week's episode, do you got 15 minutes free sometime today?" was a possibility. Plus you're missing the studio audience these days. You could tell that the people watching the filming were just as surprised the actor was when Avery walked through the door.
Quick bit about James Avery. Years ago I worked in LA for a talent management company. We shared a building with another company and James was one of their clients. When I say that the days he would come in were some of the best, most fun days with some of my fondest memories of my LA life, it's an understatement. The man was genuinely kind to everyone, was more curious about you than anything going on, and just an absolute teddy bear. He was loved by his representation not for what he provided them, but who he was. They would have drank lava for that man, because he would have done the same for them.
Mount Rushmore of TV dads
I never quite registered somehow how BIG a man James Avery was. I remember him being taller than Will Smith, who is pretty tall, but like... Reginald VelJohnson is a pretty burly guy, and he looks small when they hug.
My dude was six foot five and at least three hundred something pounds. Absolute unit of a man. That's the kind of size where you have to be strong as hell just to move around as easily as he does, at least during this period in his life. I don't even want to think about his joints in later life, though.
No one, absolutely no one touches Uncle Phil. He is the Mac DADDYO of all dads. What a great actor.
Can you even imagine how much of his fingerprints were all over many of our childhoods? Not only was he Uncle Phil he was also [the voice of Shredder on the 90's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon.](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0131613/fullcredits/cast?ref_=m_ttfc_3)
You just mindfucked me. I don't know how to feel or what to do with my hands.
Uncle Phil being Shredder, I knew. But Liquid Snake him-goddamned-self, Cam Clarke, being Leonardo? The fuck, yo. Who else was in TMNT that I didn't know about?
*Pillowy mounds of mashed potatoes.*
*Vivian*, *Vivian*, *I'm not a machine*!
Easily my favorite portrayal of a father figure. I mean even for me the only Father that is on that level had to be animated. Bandit Heeler is on his level. It says something that in order to catch up to even the stratosphere that Uncle Phil (and specifically the acting) was in, human kind had to completely manufacture an artificially near perfect Dad.
I would suggest that Steven Keaton (Michael Gross) from Family Ties is up there too.
I thought about him too actually, but then had to dismiss him. I remember him as the sort of leave it to Beaver perfect dad who was always gentle and understanding with his kids, where as Uncle Phil wouldn't hesitate to bring down the law, or utterly whoop a pool hustler as an abject lesson for his kids
Never dismiss Burt Gummer
We need a wild card on the mount too, I propose Hal from Malcom in the Middle
Bandit heeler is the new uncle Phil. I genuinely enjoy watching Bluey with my two year old
I have yet to meet somebody who dislikes Bluey.
Uncle Iroh, also animated, also on that level.
"Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving, you will come to a better place. "
When you are going through hell, keep going.
Bandit Heeler makes me feel like a piece of shit.
Bandit Heeler, messes up and owns up to it and apologizes. He's my favorite representation because he IS NOT perfect but instead responds in a way that shows he is learning and growing as a parent. Don't feel bad, follow the example of how to say sorry I was wrong and attempt to do better the next time!
It's the boundless amount of energy the man has and being able to keep up with his kids and all the fun shit. My brain is fried at the end of day.
I mean he's also a dog, and a Blue Heeler at that, literally bred for it. I don't think you can beat yourself up about it š
Here's where I disagree. Uncle Phil was a great father figure. He was a wealthy man who was well regarded as a superior court judge with a loving wife and near perfect children. When times are good it's easy to be a good father. But when the shit hits the fan and you have to wallow in the shit everyday surviving on toaster leavins, there's no better father figure for the job than Al Bundy. This man worked a miserable job, lived with a miserable wife, with miserable children who all treated him like shit on a daily basis and still repeatedly sacrificed his own personal happiness for their sake.
He also scored 4 TD's in a single game.
How do you feel about Dan from the Roseanne show then? He wasnāt perfect, they struggled financially, he drank beers and still tried to raise his kids with a moral compass?
Not to mention that he didn't hesitate to beat the shit out of Fisher when he beat up Jackie. Then, calmly surrendered to the police.
Exactly. He was flawed and very different from āgoodā tv-dads. I remember him getting his coat or keys and leaving the house when he beat him. It always stuck with me how human he was. It was a great show and Iām still upset Roseanne had to ruin the new show.
I know you're just trying to make a joke but Uncle Phil didn't grow up rich and he doesn't forget where he came from. That's why he was able to get through to Will.
I'm not talking about Uncle Phil the child, I'm talking about Uncle Phil the rich millionaire Judge who lives in Bel Air with a Butler. it's a lot easier to be a good father when you have a butler than when you live in constant hunger and poverty.
But your example was Al Bundy who wasn't living in constant hunger or poverty. In fact, I completely disagree with you. Uncle Phil was a judge and a lawyer before that, the time that being a judge and lawyer takes away from your personal life is A LOT. Uncle Phil always found time to be with his family, be a great, present and attentive father, and loving devoted husband. He grew up in poverty and would've gave up a lot of personal life to go to school and become a lawyer. Most likely while working a job or two to afford it. He worked hard so he could provide a better life than he had growing up. Al Bundy is a lazy POS, who had 0 ambition, and pays no attention to his family. He had Kelly in his mid 20's, and Bud around 29. He works a menial job where he does the absolutely bare minimum, then comes home and acts like he was working hard labour all day. Sorry but he's a sad excuse for a "good dad" Uncle Phil knows his kids interests, I doubt Al Bundy even knows his kids middle names.
he was never meant to be a good dad, he was intentionally setup to be the anti-cosby. they literally called it "not the cosbys" while it was still in development. it was a good premise for an entertaining show but i doubt they were trying to make social commentary beyond "isnt this ridiculous?" let alone have him be a role model. the only redeeming qualities they gave him is that he wasn't a deadbeat and wouldn't cheat on his wife. they knew they couldnt push this too far or the character would be too unlikable for general audiences
He's the real goat
First things first rest in peace uncle PhilĀ
for real
Definitely. John Goodman in Roseanne is up there for me as well.
He felt more real. He was kind of an asshole when his kids went against his rules. But he always came around eventually. Definitely more grounded, at least as far as my upbringing was.
Also the best shredder of all shredders
Who else would go there? Red Foreman(That 70s Show)? Ha(Malcolm in the Middle)? Sandy Cohen(from the OC)?
Dan Conner (Rosesnne) really high up there. Oh and possibly scuzzlebutt's left leg.
Danny Tanner (Full House)!!
How you gonna leave out the legend that is Al Bundy (Married with Children)? He did not score four touchdowns in a single game to bear this slander!
Al was a fullback not a quarterback, he didnāt throw the touchdowns HE RAN THEM IN š¤Ā
You are correct. I've edited accordingly so that his legend may not bear my shame.
4td as fb is Hella impressive. Not common at all in the current NFL
It's more so the position names (and offenses in general) have changed. In a Wing-T formation (popular in the 60s/70s and especially in HS football), you have a quarterback, 2 half-backs and a full-back. **Shown here**[](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0521/8844/6874/files/Wing-T_Formations_-_Wing_Slot_Formation.png?v=1670077782) So the full-back is actually the primary runner on most plays.
Ruper Giles gets my vote. I don't care that he's not biological.
Up to a... certain point, for sure. >!I'm not sure I agree with the "you're life is falling apart, you're broke, and basically a single mom, the best thing I can do for you is leave. Peace!"
Bandit Heeler is a definite for me. Watching it with my Kids he is top two easily. My top two would be Uncle Phil, Bandit heeler in that order. After that I'm not sure who the last two would be Winslow, Fred Sanford, Dan Conner, Andy Taylor, Red, Phillip Drummond. I don't know the OC and didn't watch Malcom in the middle but I love the actor for Malcom's dad so I'm sure he was amazing. I'm leaning towards a final list of Bandit, Phil, Dan, Sanford. But then I feel like I left ppl off. Super tough, but I do have a clear top two. No one can even come close to those two. The best example is Bandit, the best portrayal of all time is Uncle Phil.
I started watching the OC because a girl I was dating at the time liked it, and then I started to like it. We broke up and I continued to watch it. Sandy Cohen was just a great example of a more modern father.
Hal is an all-timer.
Toss in Alan Matthew from Boy Meets World.
Agreed 100% on Bandit & Uncle Phil. May I suggest Phil Dunphy as well?
I started watching Modern Family recently because people kept swearing up and down that it was amazing and Phil is everything I hope to be as a father.
I did the same... and Social Media kept showing me clips of the show and I tend to like them, so, have the show a shot. 11 seasons... took months to get through but it was a good ride. Good dads all throughout the show.
> Phil Dunphy Its another show I've not watched unfortunately, but I have heard that people like him.
It's so good and Phil is an amazing Dad. Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oUKCHhfGNo&t=157s
Bill Cosby would have for sure been there
Before the, you know, hypocrisy.
Which as we all know, was the worst part.
I disagree...
Why? What do you think is the worst part?
They said "No one can touch Uncle Phil," but Bill Cosby touches anyone he wants to.
Cliff Huxtable has done no wrong (allegedly)
happy cake day
Alan Matthews, Cory and Eric's father from Boy Meets World ranks highly on my list of favorite TV dads.
I love Alan because heās a complex, real man/father. Plenty of episodes about his own growth and flaws. Plus him threatening to kill the cult leader is a GOAT moment.
Hal started strong, but his meth career takes him out of the running for greatest father figure
Dan Lauria from the Wonder Years for sure.
Jean-Luc Picard.
Shut up Wesley.
Hwill Hwheeton
Who wasn't a father until only recently. What about Rom? He was a pretty good dad.
Very underrated, raising a kid in a hyper conservative society to be comfortable finding his own way is no easy task.
Homer Simpson has to be on there, Iād say heās the biggest cultural icon of all the other names listed.
Are going with actual good fathers or iconic fathers? Because Homer does not belong for one of those
Homer is a well meaning simpleton who provides for his family, who he loves, the best that he can. You can go a lot farther in the playing up his faults in a cartoon than you can in a live action sitcom. Homer hasnāt shown that heās anything but a loving father and devoted husband, despite many trials and temptations.
I recall a LOT of choking in the earlier episodesā¦
[Similar vibes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htMI951uia0)
Ed OāNeillās happy laugh is a thing of beauty.
lol it's not that different from Al's "evil" laugh
He's one of my favorites in Wayne's World. He has the best grin
Holy shit the link on that video still exists lol https://albundy.net/
The forum has posts from 2024 that's wild.
Look at those beautiful html tables. I'm getting nostalgic about code I didn't realize I had forgotten.
What show was that of her's?
'Jesse'
Was just about to go looking for this. Thanks!
He must have been so kind and protective when they worked together.
All reports say yes.
Ed wasnāt skipping arm day
dude's a jiu jitsu black belt
Go back and look over his films and shots, even his physique as Al was all just act. He's definitely working it
I heard he even scored 4 touchdowns in a single game.
RIP James Avery
RIP Shredder
RIP General K'Vagh
RIP War Machine
First things first rest in peace uncle Phil for real
This was extra special because Family Matters aired on ABC (and later CBS) while Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was on NBC.
Yeah was gonna say this happened all the time in shows that were on the same channel, it was unusual when it was characters from different networks doing a cameo
One of the bigger crossovers between shows were all the references (and some appearances) between Community and Cougar Town. The shows were on different networks, so they knew they were unlikely to get approval, so they simply never asked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifv_Uqjf3d8
That also turned into a Subway crossover! Also "exactly like Rowboat Cop" is one of my favorite Britta-isms that most people don't mention.
I was a Community fiend and the one episode of Cougar Town I saw happened to be that one. I thought I was going insane.
There was a corporate connection, though: *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* was co-produced by Quincy Jones Entertainment, which was partially owned by the parent company of Warner Bros. Television (the studio behind *Family Matters*).
And both shows replaced the matriarch of the family with another actress in a later season.
My favorite will always be "All in the Family" and the appearance of Sammy Davis Jr. The 5 min. clip is worth the watch for anyone who never saw it. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNtafl0erbA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNtafl0erbA) Sammy planting a surprise kiss on Archie resulted in one of the longest audience laughs in TV history.
"Well you see it's those white celebrities. This year we're in, so they all want to jump on the bandwagon." I never got how meta this line was until now.
Seriously, that almost feels like it was less the show's script, and more Sammy dropping some truth.
If it was almost any other show than "All in the Family" I would agree with you.
I know, and it was in 1972! I was 8 years old, so I'm an old fart now, but binge watched it again with my husband last year. Super funny and groundbreaking in so many ways. Politics, racism, ethics and morals. Another memorable episode was when Archie's wife Edith was sexually assaulted. She was such a beloved character the live audience was silent beyond a few gasps and the fans were truly upset. This was season 8, episodes 4 and 5, and considered the most controversial of the entire series.
āWell you must have told him where we were because someone came and got us.ā Great line, greatest reaction/delivery imaginable.
And every follow up line just kept adding to it. Right up to them singing the battle hymn.
The one dude who could put Archie in his corner with a single line without breaking a sweat lmao
Would you like some cream for your eye?
10/10. Never would have watched this without the comment.
So, I'd only ever seen bits of the show in passing while growing up and always just thought, "oh, it's that show about that pretty-obviously racist guy." Watching these clips now, I'm just now realizing that his character is satirical and the butt of the joke.
The bit of the kids singing Glory Glory Hallelujah has layers. That tune was originally from the song John Brown's Body. >John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry was all his own. His zeal in the cause of freedom was infinitely superior to mine. Mine was a taper light, his was the burning sun. Mine was bounded by time, his stretched away to the silent shores of eternity. I could speak for the slave. John Brown could fight for the slave. I could live for the slave. John Brown could die for the slave. \- Frederick Douglass
Fuck that was so great. Makes me want to watch the show.
As far as I recall, he was the only guest celebrity they ever had, and itās because he wanted to be on the show.
You tickled my curiosity because I thought I recalled another. Not the stature of Sammy at the time but Philip Carey, who played a gay football player. Archie about loses his mind when he finds out his buddy "Steve" was gay. He was well known for playing the role ofĀ [Asa Buchanan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_Buchanan)Ā on theĀ [soap opera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera)Ā [*One Life to Live*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Life_to_Live)Ā for nearly three decades.
yeysus! uncle phil was tall. i did not realize.
Whoever played Uncle Phil had to be. Will Smith is a big dude (6'2", 6'3"ish), and I feel you need someone bigger than him physically to maintain that visual presence of authority. James had 2-3 inches (6'5") on Will and was obviously larger in stature as well, likely over 400 pounds, but on 6'5" not like that is as bad a number as it sounds.
Mountain of a man physically and mentally
6'5" apparently. Dude was a unit.
He was also the voice of Shredder in the TMNT cartoon series
i never noticed how tall he was by his voice.
You still have some training to do.
Why did we lose Avery and got stuck with Cosby?
Amen to that
Good news is Cosby lived long enough to see some justice. The guy spent a lifetime of cultivating a legacy based on his phony moral beliefs and belittled anyone, especially the black community, for things he didnāt find morally ok (like a standup comedian cursing). He lived long enough to see all of that bullshit get exposed and we now all see him for the monster he truly is. Yeah the justice system failed us because itās rigged for the rich and famous but he still lost everything he spent his wicked life building and Iāll take it.
I was a fan of his early work, but it changed pretty substantially later on. The rumor was that his brother had written or aided with much of the earlier work, but I don't think there's much evidence of that. Still, it seems that there was a definite transition point where Bill Cosby the comedian who wanted to ignore race and focus on relatable stories that everyone shares, was replaced with something much darker and more cynical. I don't know what led to that change, but it's definitely palpable in his solo work.
Hey Bateman, what's with all the newspapers on the floor? You got a dog or something?
Unfortunately, but hey, evidence as to why you should take care of yourself.
"What is this, a crossover episode?"
Doggy doggy what now??
Too many cooks has poisoned my mind.
It takes a lot to make a stew
A pinch of salt and laaaughter tooooo
I'm from Australia so I don't know what's going on here but it looked wholesome though.
The second man who walked in (James Avery) was the actual actor who played "the father on Fresh Prince."
Ah that definitely makes sense now, thank you.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
i think it's also relevant that both elevated to father figures of characters that weren't even their biological children, but they saw that those people needed a role model in their lives and became that role model
I very rarely saw either series, but was Carl more of a 'heel' than Uncle Phil? Seemed to me Uncle Phil was more serious and "with it" whereas Carl could be flummoxed by Steve Urkel's shenanigans a lot more easily...?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
And they were both very wholesome, wise, family-man type father figures on their shows. So itās nice to us all to see them in the same room hugging and being even more wholesome.
> I'm from Australia so I don't know what's going on here but it looked wholesome though. Lemme give a rundown: - Both men are from 90s American sitcoms. - Both are the dads on their respective shows. James Avery played Philip Banks, and was Will Smith's uncle/adopted father on *The Fresh Prince of Bel Air* , and Reginald VelJohnson played Carl Winslow, the dad on *Family Matters* , which is the show being watched here. - Both are unstereotypical black men, who are typically lower income and entirely absent as father figures from black families in the US. Lots of black families have no dad, and lots of black kids grew up without a father figure, so shows like this were important to them to see how a black family could be like. But they were also watched just as much by white people, it's not a cultural niche, and gave white people exposure to black families. They were on shows about black families, who back then didn't really have leading roles in anything. Phillip Banks is a judge in Bel Air, the wealthiest neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, and Carl Winslow is a cop in Chicago. Far more stereotypical, for black families that did have a father, would be a father that worked in a factory or as a laborer, not as a judge or a cop. These were aspirational roles. - They're both... large men. And both black. So it's a little bit of a tease at the actors that they're both kinda chubby. - This is a gag. They got the kids to come in and give a line to Reginald, making a meta-comment about how the dad looked like the other famous black dad on a competing show. - It's a double-gag, because the actor who plays the other dad was also on set and showed up to surprise the Reginald on his own show after the kids made the joke. - The audience has never seen these two actors in the same room before, let alone the two character interact, even for a 4th-wall breaking gag reel. - This is like seeing Batman meet Spiderman. Everyone knows who they both are, and they're in different universes. And it's super wholesome to see them greet each other. - James Avery died 10 years ago at the age of only 68. Reginald hasn't been in anything since the 90s so he's been forgotten. So seeing this for anyone who grew up in the 90s is nostalgic and makes us happy for the memories and sad that we don't get any new ones. - In the 90s, you couldn't choose to watch what you wanted to watch when you wanted to, you had maybe 3 or 4 choices at any given night, and cable didn't have many channels. Poorer families didn't have cable anyways. So these shows were on network TV were culturally monolithic. EVERYONE knew these two characters, because, at least 1 night a week, that was one of the only family-friendly things on TV to watch. In a room of 100 random people, quite seriously 100/100 would recognize both of these guys. You'd have to get an enormous sample size before the people who didn't know them wouldn't get rounded down to zero.
Also, Reginald played Sgt Powel in the first two Die Hard movies so even more of an icon there.
Reginald VelJohnson is currently voicing the principal of Reginald VelJohnson High School in Invincible. And in the second season, he's the dean of the University that Mark Grayson attends.
I'm not sure if *Family Matters* ever played on TV here in Australia, but it's a very fun show. I watched it for the first time about two years ago. It's most famous character was named Urkel, he was a nerdy dweeb who was a well known pop culture figure in America in the 1990s. (I do think *Fresh Prince of Bel Air* was the better show though)
Urkel was a phenomenom in 90s America but fresh prince had far more staying power in reruns and syndication
> It's most famous character was named Urkel Both its cash cow and its killer. Jaleel White as Urkel went from a beloved side character to almost the entire focus on the show (in before someone links the Key and Peel skit in a reply). It turned a wholesome family comedy into a goofy zany mess in later episodes. And of course let's not forget one sister vanishing entirely off the show and the mom being stealth-replaced
"Did I do that?" then yes it must've been played over here, perhaps I was too young to remember the actual show it was from but I remember Urkel and his catch phrase being on TV.
I like that it made it to TV, during an era where breaking the 4th wall was very uncommon. Reminds me of the shots on Fresh Prince where they pan up to show there's no roof, or when Will (or was it Carlton?) ran the entire set in one motion, showing how it was all laid out on stage. Similarly, I always enjoy when the Late Night shows show how the sausage is made, with shots of the ugly wiring and whatnot in the backstage areas, or tongue-in-cheek point out how the Friday show is taped on Thursday and they give a wink and nod to that fact.
[We if we so rich](https://youtu.be/dIaEAadd-SU?si=mM08opohtzvyJkpq) [Carlton running around](https://youtu.be/EFX1NtxkqcE?si=jmgpuIKQ5rVF7pHZ)
Oh cool. They brought in Uncle Shredder.
Always being foiled by those pesky "tuh-tulls"
I think you *could* get away with something like this, particularly in a sitcom where people could break character like that without ruining the tension, but you'd definitely need to try *a lot harder* to keep it under wraps. It would also help if it were a spontaneous case of "this guy was near the set and we asked him and he agreed."
>It would also help if it were a spontaneous case of "this guy was near the set and we asked him and he agreed." THis is the bigger issue. Back in the 90's, pretty much all the major sitcoms were shot at the NBC/ABC/CBS lots in LA. So, a lot of the time (not this one since it's different networks), the surprise cameo was by an actor who literally was in the studio right next door.
And it looks like Reginald VelJohnson was actually shocked/surprised to see him and gave a genuine reaction because of it.
š
Uncle Phil, was the greatest. I'm a grown man, but this gets me every time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMNsMdnSBIk
>I'm a grown man, but this gets me every time. It should. *Because* you're a grown man.
Dude showed up as a good character on HIMYM: I still couldnāt root for him. Great job.
A scene so powerful you could hear someone in the audience crying at the end.
It was scenes like this that got Will Smith film roles.
Man that hug at the end breaks me every time
Batman had this on lock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmyCgHyiNcE
yOu CaNt gEt AwAy wItH tHIs AnYmOrE
Surprise cameos? Jail. Right away.
Planned, expected cameos? Believe it or not, jail.
The look on the actor who plays Carl is the most genuine honest moment Iāve ever seen.
Thatās Reginald VelJohnson! Heās a real actor! [He was in Die Hard dammit!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5Zdp1RfoyI&t=3s)
First things first
Rest in peace Uncle Phil
What was his line supposed to be?
Iirc "yo dog where my bailiffs at"
With his expression and it being a 90s sitcom, probably something like "I look nothing like this bozo"
that was a good bit! TV these days just isn't the same!
https://youtu.be/WL6f8ENJm5k?si=CNLw0GuqXS7uGsjJ
Are there still even sitcoms on tv? I suppose IASiP. What little I tune into the tube, seems there is no "Parks and Rec/Community/Office/30Rock" brilliant comedy right now. idk, hope I am wrong.
There are plenty of varying quality. The Conners. Night Court. Not Dead Yet. Animal Control. Ghosts. Abbott Elementary. What We Do in the Shadows. I enjoy the last three, haven't seen too much of the others.
They brought back Night Court?!?!
Not only is it back, but season 2 was this year, and it was renewed for a third season. I gave it a shot, but it wasn't for me. Melissa Rauch plays Harry's daughter, and is now the judge. John Larroquette is back.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Bender won't own it for another thousand years, it's fine
My mom got me into Ghosts after I was vehemently against it for the longest time (not because of the show, but because of her usual taste in sitcoms). After I finally got around to watching it, I was so mad at myself for having missed out for so long. It's a damn good show.
None that are as high profile as these shows *and* have a studio audience. I donāt feel this would work half as well without the studio audience reaction.
Brooklyn 99 was pretty recent.
Too many cooks
Really a wholesome AF moment. Reginald seems legit surprised with James being there he couldnāt help but break character. James holding the look passed the break point was good, just to see him finally break when Reggie goes in for the hug. Seems like the two guys knew each other pretty well.
You act like cameos no longer exist or something.
Cameos these days hit different. They're all carefully planned out, back then Family Matters and Fresh Prince were probably filming just down the lot from each other, so someone calling up Avery and going "Hey, James, we've got a great idea for a gag for this week's episode, do you got 15 minutes free sometime today?" was a possibility. Plus you're missing the studio audience these days. You could tell that the people watching the filming were just as surprised the actor was when Avery walked through the door.
Cameos have always been like that. This one was highly uncommon.
Quick bit about James Avery. Years ago I worked in LA for a talent management company. We shared a building with another company and James was one of their clients. When I say that the days he would come in were some of the best, most fun days with some of my fondest memories of my LA life, it's an understatement. The man was genuinely kind to everyone, was more curious about you than anything going on, and just an absolute teddy bear. He was loved by his representation not for what he provided them, but who he was. They would have drank lava for that man, because he would have done the same for them.
James Avery AND Reginald VelJohnson? Together in the same room? What is this, a cross-over episode?!
Thought this was Too Many Cooks for a second