Isn't a lot of this thrown out the window by the fact that a lot of network (or network corporations) produce shows for other channels. "Scrubs" is produced by Buena Vista, but it shows on NBC - does it look more like an ABC show or an NBC show.

I agree that, historically, you could tell what network you were watching (either by the "look" or the general content), but that seems less clear cut nowadays.

Umm...do you people not get the premise of this post? They're not saying the premise of the show, or the structure, or the sets look similar...it's the lighting, the atmosphere, the quality of the picture on the screen. Sheesh.

No, Friends and Silver Spoons do not *look* alike. They do have some similarities in concept, as yatesy pointed out.

Shows that look alike:
Who's the Boss, Reba, Grace Under Fire, that Valerie Harper/Sandy Duncan show, and the Suzanne Somers/Bobby from Dallas show.

Everybody Loves Raymond, Gimme a Break, Family Ties, All in the Family, The Cosby Show, Just the Ten of Us,

Roseanne and Sanford and Son

Ellen de Generes and Martin

The Nanny and Benson

NBC and ABC = high productions values... slick looking

FOX = reality based feel to it

CW = overly dramatic tones and feel to it

CBS = looks cheap and crappy

i can tell a CBS show the second i see it. it's kinda sad because i don't even give CBS shows a chance. (except Letterman and that's only because he came from NBC.)

The premise of Silver Spoons was that a grown man had to act like an adult and raise his son, while living in a child's world of toys and stuff. The colors were very childlike and popped when you looked at them.

On Friends, the cast were late 20's people struggling to growup but not really letting go, and they held onto it with toys and brightly colored goofy things scattered around thier apartment and coffeehouse hangout.

The dad on Silver Spoons ran a toy company and loved it, he also struggled with being the responsible dad and not the buddy (and Ricky just struggled with growing up in general). The way the set was put together, with the train and the (sweet, sweet) videogames, bashed that into your head week after week. Friends did the same thing with the foosball table and the MagnaDoodle on the back of the door in Joey and Chandler's place (and Joey's stuffed bedtime buddy Hugsy).

So, theme-wise, yes, they were sort of the same. Silver Spoons and Friends are both shows about the struggles of growing up without letting go, shown thru set design.

Wow, I have too much time on my hands.

If you think about it, the layout of the house on Silver Spoons was similar to Monica's apartment. They could've used the same soundstages or something.

The bad writing, sitcomy situations, horrible acting and bad direction on Silver Spoons certainly resembles Friends. But the 30 Rock thing...nah it's got more in common with Arrested Development.

I've thought something along these lines for years. Figured it was just me. Guess I'm not retarded.

I've said the same thing about how you can tell which network the show ran by how it looked for years. I'm thrilled someone else mentioned it.

Maybe he's speaking about visual angles with friends and 30 rock? They do have similar angles that way... That's really it though, the Camera in particular is much more dynamic on 30.