I have noticed something about the Seinfeld show. It's the first show as far as I know that breaks the semi-taboo of characters going to the toilet. I mean, in other shows there have been flushing sounds, to give the impression that someone has come from the restroom. But on Seinfeld, you actually get to see them go in, or even better, they yell into the conversation while they're still on there (like at the beginning of last night's show). Just another thing that makes this show even sillier...
Or the show where George is looking for a job and gives Jerry's number as the number for 'Vanderlay Industries'. When Kramer answers the phone, George comes out of the bathroom, pants around his ankles, screaming something like, "Say Vanderlay! It's Vanderlay!!"
Now re-read the above post, and the response. Someone's too quick with the "too young" insult, and didn't read carefully before responding.
Archie Bunker was never seen actually leaving a bathroom, as the original post is indicating. Now, we've seen George running from Jerry's bathroom with his pants still down, and Jerry coming home and seeing Kramer bathing in there. Kramer then bolts out of the apartment sans clothing. Last week we actually had Elaine participating in the conversation from behind the closed bathroom door! I thought that was hilarious, and a classic touch. But I was a bit disappointed (anyone else notice?) when she came out still flossing her teeth. And we all thought she was going while speaking! It would have been alot funnier without the floss. Do you suppose the censors made them add it as an "acceptable" excuse for why she was in there? Are the networks still not ready to admit that women do more than just "powder their noses", "freshen up" or floss their teeth in the bathroom? What's the next bold step, taking out some contact lens?
Uh - for those of us old enought to remember All in the Family, "you must be too young" is decidedly NOT an insult! :-)
Seriously, AitF treated toilet activities much the same as Seinfeld, although the upstairs was only shown extremely rarely, and then I think only Gloria & Mike's room.
You're forgetting the frequent rest room scenes (both mens' and ladies') in LA Law. They even had a toilet explode once when Douglas was sitting on it. I think Roxanne's father had just finished painting the mens' room and had poured his paint remover into the toilet. I believe Douglas was just finishing up a cigar celebrating something or other, and ended up igniting the paint remover with it.
It's clearly time for somebody to do an in-depth investigation into the role of toilets in network television!
Actually LA Law went even farther than this the other night with this running gag where Benny gets joke-shop doggy poop and keeps leaving it on the office floor. Then, at the end of the show one of the lawyers goes to pick it up off of the floor and it is the real thing. There were a couple of poop closeups. I don't ever remember that being on TV before.
LA LAW's many bathroom scenes are a continuation of the great bathroom scenes on Hill Street Blues, which is the first place I remember seeing actual conversations between & among characters that take place as they saunter up to the urinal, apparently relieve themselves for the normal amount of time, zip, flush, and wash their hands. You never actually heard the sound, though. I seem to recall this taboo (The Tinkle Barrier?) being broken on TV very recently... perhaps on the Simpsons or maybe LA Law. Can anyone tell me where I heard it?