Thicker than Waters
Thicker than Waters
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TV Show Information
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Thicker than Waters is a family sitcom that was popular in the 1980s. It was written by David Mamet. Reruns of the show can be seen on Tube Town.
History
Thicker than Waters is a family sitcom whose main characters are the Waters family: Dentist Patrick Waters, who practices out of his house; his wife; and their two children, Lizzie and Sam. The family enjoy an upper-middle-class lifestyle in the St. Louis, Missouri area.
Patrick Waters is the central character of Thicker than Waters, and his personal characteristics such as wearing patchwork sweaters and sensible parenting style are the hallmarks of the show. When Homer Simpson saw reruns of the show, he became obsessed with it to the point of watching it at every possible opportunity and wearing a sweater in the same style as Patrick's.
Homer also took notes about Patrick's parenting methods and patterned his own parenting style after the show, much to Bart's chagrin. In one episode that Homer watched, Patrick's son Sam asked for a baseball glove and Patrick, rather than giving it to him outright, made him earn the money to buy it. Sam did as he was told, got his new glove, and later won a trophy. He also thanked Patrick for not buying him the glove.
In the real world, Bart wanted a minibike, but Homer wouldn't buy it for him. Bart later asked if it would be worth anything if he got an "A" on a math test. Homer, after consulting a guide to the show, quoted a line about hard work leading to a surprising reward. Bart was convinced that could only mean he would get the minibike if he got an "A" on the test, so he studied hard and got the "A". But when he showed the test paper to Homer, Homer gave no reward at all, instead saying that the feeling of accomplishment was its own reward (evidently, parroting another line from the show). Angry at what he saw as Homer reneging on their deal, Bart decided to earn his own money and got a job -- which turned out to be working for the Chinese government as a spy.
Behind the Laughter
- Thicker than Waters is a parody of Growing Pains, a family sitcom which aired from 1985 to 1992.
- The show's title is a pun on the saying "Blood is thicker than water" and the Waters family's last name.
- The title may also be a pun on actor Alan Thicke, who played Jason Seaver, the father on Growing Pains.
- The show's St. Louis setting is revealed in the opening credits, when the family go kite flying and their kite gets caught on the Gateway Arch.
