History Series / SamanthaWho

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* InTheBlood: In one episode, Samantha's mother asserts that an evil streak runs in the family but gets diluted with every generation.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In one episode, Samantha is expecting to have sex for the first time since amnesia and is advised by Dena that her "carpet should match the drapes" which Dena ''thinks'' means that her bra and panties should match. When Samantha echoes the phrase to Todd, he tells her, [[Film/ThePrincessBride "I don't think that phrase means what you think it means."]]

This comedy series, which aired on Creator/{{ABC}} from 2007 to 2009, stars Creator/ChristinaApplegate as Samantha Newly, a once-unpleasant woman who--after getting in a car accident and emerging from the resultant coma with IdentityAmnesia--starts life anew with a bubbly personality.

This comedy series, which aired on Creator/{{ABC}} from 2007 to 2009, stars Creator/ChristinaApplegate as Samantha Newly, a once-unpleasant woman who, after getting in a car accident and emerging from the resultant coma with IdentityAmnesia, starts life anew with a bubbly personality.

This comedy series, which aired on Creator/{{ABC}} from 2007 to 2009, stars Creator/ChristinaApplegate as Samantha Newly, a once-unpleasant woman who, after being in a coma from a car accident, starts life anew with a bubbly personality.

This comedy series, which aired on Creator/{{ABC}} from 2007 to 2009, stars Christina Applegate as Samantha Newly, a once-unpleasant woman who, after being in a coma from a car accident, starts life anew with a bubbly personality.

* RichBitch: Andrea and, to a lesser extent, Samantha's mother.

* GenkiGirl[=/=]ManicPixieDreamGirl: Samantha's personality after the car accident - because of her amnesia, she approaches the world filled with wonder.

* GenkiGir'[=/=]ManicPixieDreamGirl: Samantha's personality after the car accident - because of her amnesia, she approaches the world filled with wonder.

This comedy series, which aired on Creator/{{ABC}} from 2007-09, stars Christina Applegate as Samantha, a once-unpleasant woman who, after being in a coma from a car accident, starts life anew with a bubbly personality.

* AmoralAttorney / BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite (or perhaps because of) her cruel streak and party-girl personality, Bad Sam was a successful attorney; Samantha's friend Andrea is also [[InformedAbility supposed to be a successful lawyer]], but comes across as more of a BrainlessBeauty.

* GenkiGirl / ManicPixieDreamGirl: Samantha's personality after the car accident - because of her amnesia, she approaches the world filled with wonder.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In one episode, Samantha is expecting to have sex for the first time since amnesia and is advised by Dena that her "carpet should match the drapes" which Dena ''thinks'' means that her bra and panties should match. When Samantha echoes the phrase to Todd, he tells her [[Film/ThePrincessBride "I don't think that phrase means what you think it means."]]
* GenreSavvy: Generally, when Samantha tries to explain her different personality due to amnesia, her listeners are skeptical, believing that this kind of amnesia was made up by Hollywood. Sam herself is aware of this, and once she find out that "Bad Sam" used the amnesia excuse before, her reaction was something like "And you believed it?"

* LampshadeHanging: Not until Episode 5 did someone say "Amnesia doesn't exist! It's just a cheap and lazy storytelling device."

* TranslationByVolume: PlayedWith. The main character has amnesia and when she meets up with her friend, the friend starts using this trope, speaking loudly and unnaturally clearly. Another friend quickly berates her, letting her know that Samantha has amnesia but isn't deaf. She is also obviously not a foreigner.

* AmnesiacDissonance

This comedy series, which aired on Creator/{{ABC}} from 2007-09, stars Christina Applegate as Samantha, a once unpleasant woman who, after being in a coma from a car accident, starts life anew with a bubbly personality.

Not related to [[Series/DoctorWho that other Who series]]... [[WMG/TimeLord or is it?]]

!!Contains examples of:
* [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys All Guys Want Bad Girls]]: Despite or because of her unpleasant personality before the accident, Samantha had a boyfriend on whom she cheated with at least two other men. Both considered leaving their wives for her.
* AmoralAttorney / BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite (or perhaps because of) her cruel streak and party girl personality, Bad Sam was a successful attorney; Samantha's friend Andrea is also [[InformedAbility supposed to be a successful lawyer]] but comes across as more of a BrainlessBeauty.

* AnalogyBackfire: In one episode, Samantha crashes her father's car and pressures Dena into helping her to push it into a lake. When Dena asserts that Samantha was acting like Bad Sam, Samantha tries to counter that she only ''looked'' like Bad Sam but is different and starts comparing herself to the difference between a snake and its shed skin. Then it hits her that the shed skin (what she is comparing her current personality to) is an empty shell.
* TheAtoner: Sort of, Samantha is and tries to be a better person than previously, but insists she isn't responsible for the actions of Bad Sam.

* CreatorProvincialism: Suprisingly averted. Series co-creator Cecila Ahern is Irish and everything else she has written (novels and short stories) are set in Ireland or at least of a strong Irish connection but without being aware beforehand you'd never guess the show creator is anything other than American.
* GenkiGirl /ManicPixieDreamGirl: Samantha's personality after the car accident- because of her amnesia, she approaches the world filled with wonder.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In one episode, Samantha is expecting to have sex for the first time since amnesia and is advised by Dena that her "carpet should match the drapes" which Dena ''thinks'' means that her bra and panties should match. When Samantha echoes the phrase to Todd, he tells her, [[Film/ThePrincessBride "I don't think that phrase means what you think it means."]]
* GenreSavvy: Generally, when Samantha tries to explain her different personality due to amnesia, her listeners are skeptical, believing that this kind of amnesia was made up by Hollywood. Sam herself is aware of this, and once she find out that "Bad Sam" used the Amnesia Excuse before and Good Sam reaction was something like "And you believed it?"

* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Andrea and pre-amnesia Sam. Andrea is almost certainly an alcoholic and amusingly, amnesiac Sam thought she was one as well, finding out she attended AA meetings. A few episodes later, it's revealed that this was only because of a court order and thus she can drink safely without worrying about alcoholism.

* InTheBlood: In one episode, Samantha's mother asserts that an evil streak runs in the family but get diluted with every generation.

* LampshadeHanging: Not until episode five did someone say, "Amnesia doesn't exist! It's just a cheap and lazy storytelling device."
* MagicalNegro: Samantha's doorman, Frank, plays with this. True, she comes to him for advice and looks upon him as something of a conscience, but he is a DeadpanSnarker. Unlike many such characters, he frequently references having a life outside helping Samantha and tends to rebuff her attempts to claim him as a friend.
* RemonstratingWithAGun: "The Stalker" and it's about Samantha's attempt to apologize to someone to whom she stalked in her "evil" former personality, but continually makes the situation worse. During the same episode, she tries to bond with her father by going hunting with him. Thus, she ends up explaining to the man she stalked and the crowd that she is not crazy, while pointing a rifle at him and them. Hilarity Ensues.

* BottleFairy: Andrea and pre-amnesia Sam were hard-drinking party girls. Andrea is almost certainly an alcoholic and amusingly, amnesiac Sam thought she was one as well, finding out she attended AA meetings. A few episodes later, it's revealed that this was only because of a court order and thus she can drink safely without worrying about alcoholism

* IdentityAmnesia: The premise of the show
* InTheBlood: In one episode, Samantha's mother asserts that an evil streak runs in the family but get diluted with every generation

This comedy series, which aired on {{ABC}} from 2007-09, stars Christina Applegate as Samantha, a once unpleasant woman who, after being in a coma from a car accident, starts life anew with a bubbly personality.

* ContinuityCreep: The show had a lot of plot threads for a sitcom.

* RemonstratingWithAGun: "The Stalker" and it's about Samantha's attempt to apologize to someone to whom she stalked in her "evil" former personality, but continually makes the situation worse. During the same episode, she tries to bond with her father by going hunting with him. Thus, she ends up explaining to the man she stalked and the crowd that she is not crazy, while pointing a rifle at him and them. Hilarity Ensues.