Line #52 Series/Roundhouse


1	[[quoteright:188:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/roundhouse_3385.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:188:Roundhouse logo]]
3	->''Whenever my life gets me so down,\
4	I know I can go down\
5	To where the music and the fun never ends!\
6	As long as the music keeps playin', you know what I'm sayin',\
7	You know that I can find a friend...\
8	At the Roundhouse!''
9
10
11	The often forgotten show of the two-hour-long Creator/{{Snick}} block back in TheNineties. While ''Series/AllThat'', ''Series/ClarissaExplainsItAll'', ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'', and ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' are still remembered today, this show is often not.
12
13	Basically, ''Roundhouse'' was {{Creator/Nickelodeon}}'s version of the ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''-type sketch show featuring a young cast of unknown performers and crazy, sometimes controversial sketches with average to low production values, though the show played out more like a kids' version of ''Series/InLivingColor'', given that it was a 1990s sketch show that had a racially diverse cast in contrast with the mostly-white cast of ''Series/YouCantDoThatOnTelevision''[[note]]similar to how ''In Living Color'' had more black people in its cast than ''SNL'' did in the early 1990s[[/note]]. It was Nickelodeon's first attempt at a SpiritualSuccessor to the aforementioned ''YCDTOTV'' (which was cancelled two years prior). Unfortunately, its [[DarkerAndEdgier offbeat and quirky]] ParentalBonus-slathered tone compared to most other Nick shows prevented it from reaching the popularity of the former series, and it was soon replaced by the far more popular (and [[LighterAndSofter kid-friendly]]) ''Series/AllThat''. However, this didn't stop it from becoming a CultClassic over time.
14
15	Set in the titular train roundhouse, the cast would entertain the audience -- both the live, present one and those watching at home -- with skits based around popular culture, as well as musical and dance acts, with a FramingDevice of the Anyfamily family and what they went through day by day.
16
17	The show ran from Snick's debut in 1992 until 1994 (although it remained in reruns until 1996), and it was conceived by Buddy Sheffield of ''In Living Color''. The official fansite, Easychair Expressway, is [[http://www.easychair-exp.com/index.html here]].
18
19	----
20	!! This show provides examples of:
21	* ADayInTheLimelight: The independence episode functions as one of these for Natalie Nucci, who gets to play the daughter when she usually plays announcers and celebrities. She even sings lead on the episode's main song "Holding Me Too Close".
22	* AerithAndBob: The characters in the ''[[Franchise/PowerRangers Mighty Groovin' Flower Power Rangers]]'' skit are Rainbow, Sunshine, Moonbeam and [[OddNameOut Carl]] (who just joined the team).
23	* AmericanGothicCouple: In the gang violence episode, John and Shawn stick their heads into a cutout of this painting and muse about social progress.
24	* AndAllIGotWasThisLousyTShirt: Immediately after the AndYouWereThere gag mentioned below, Amy hands Shawn a T-shirt the former got as a souvenir after her Hollywood trip. It reads, "My daughter ran away from home, knocked off Shannon Doherty, met the Wizard of [[Creator/BillCosby Cos]], and all I got was this lousy T-shirt." And on the back... [[EveryEpisodeEnding guess]][[note]]it was actually a ''Roundhouse'' shirt given to the crew members, and it actually did have "Reprise the theme song..." printed on the back[[/note]].
25	* AndYouWereThere: Naturally happens at the end of the episode "Twister" (a WholePlotReference to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''). Amy caps it off with "And you know what? [[Film/ItsAWonderfulLife Teacher says every time a bell rings-]]" only to be cut off by John reminding her that it's from the wrong movie.
26	* AudienceParticipation: An odd case - sometimes the actors will do some stuff in the audience, such as the "Sally Jessy Rafael" parody character introduced in season 2's "Best Friends", and the "Stupid People's Choice Awards" in the school dropout episode. One of the few cases of audience involvement was in the talent show episode, where they got two random people as "judges" for the talent show and called them [[Series/FamilyTies Tina Yothers]] and [[Series/FamilyMatters Urkel]]. Castmates [[ThoseTwoGuys Seymour Green and Alfred Carr]] would also do some warm-ups with the audience before filming began (one of these for the ChristmasEpisode appeared on their commercially-released video ''2's A Crowd'').
27	* BaitAndSwitch: The season 3 premiere about equality parodied the Energizer commercials' use of this trope, with two separate bits of the dad watching a "Curtain Music/RodStewart" concert on ''Empty V'' and a commercial for "Crack Flags" (a spray for when you have a bug up your butt). Both instances, they would be interrupted by the mom waxing StrawFeminist phrases like "Why can't the post office send fe-mail? And mailmen should be called 'person-persons'!"
28	-->''Still going. Nothing outlasts the Feminizer. She keeps going, and going... and going.''
29	* BeefBandage: Mark sports one after a fight in episode 2, before John comes in and asks to put it on his grill.
30	* BigDamnMovie: See TitleTheAdaptation below.
31	* BigShutUp: Sidoni does this in the [[TropaholicsAnonymous "Ramblers Anonymous"]] sketch to stop the people in the group from chatting too loudly.
32	-->'''Shawn''': You don't have to yell. As I was saying...
33	* BitingTheHandHumor: The cast occasionally spoofed (fellow Viacom affiliate) MTV with "Empty-V".
34	** The GrandFinale spoofed the Creator/{{Snick}} block as "Schnick", used as a plot device as Ivan tries to save the show.
35	** Season 4's "Paper Hat Head" episode spoofed the channel's Kids Choice Awards with the "Stupid People's Choice Awards". Besides Ivan, the other nominees were Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger for ''Film/LastActionHero'' and Creator/WhoopiGoldberg for [[TakeThat "you name it!"]]
36	** They've also spoofed other Nickelodeon shows as well, most notably fellow SNICK show ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' (as ''Flem and Stinky'').
37	* BlackComedy: Some of their humor occasionally dips into this.
38	-->'''Natalie''': Tonight on ''Evil Eye-witness News'', a toddler walks under a ladder and promptly falls prey to a hit and run big wheel!
39	** The same season had a ParodyCommercial for ''Napalm-olive'' laundry detergent in the war episode. No prizes for guessing the detergent's main gimmick.[[note]]It gets rid of not only your stains, ''but your clothes as well''![[/note]]
40	* BreakoutCharacter: David Sidoni's "Dumb Kid" recieved a lot more prominence starting in season 3. Not to [[Series/HappyDays Fonzie]] or [[Series/FamilyMatters Urkel]] levels, but still.
41	* BumblingDad: Especially in the disasters episode, in which he moves his family to a place that's ''extremely'' prone to earthquakes and mudslides.
42	* BuffySpeak: In one episode, Dad says something like "Flying out of windows like... things that fly out of windows!"
43	* CatchPhrase / SharePhrase: "Reprise the theme song and roll the credits!"
44	** Fun note: During the second taping of the final episode, they actually said "Reprise the theme song and roll the reruns!" but used the first taping's catchphrase in editing.
45	** Principal Dubose (Mark with a cardboard speaker over his head) has "This is just a reminder..."
46	** Ed [=McMayonnaise=] (also Mark) tends to say "Fabulous!" a lot, almost to the extent of a VerbalTic.
47	* ChristmasCreep: Parodied in the time episode, where a store called "Needless Markup" advertises their [[http://youtu.be/9v1imiyzK7c?t=1m38s pre-Christmas sale]]. Micki {{lampshade\|Hanging}}s this by saying it's not even Thanksgiving yet.
48	* ChristmasEpisode: Among other things, it spoofed YetAnotherChristmasCarol with the Ghosts of Christmas Specials, who had to make their visitation quick because they had to make a ''Series/SavedByTheBell'' appearance in less than an hour.
49	** The episode also features a string of [[ParodyCommercial Parody Commercials]] for non-existent Christmas Specials, including "How Creator/DavidLynch Stole Christmas" ("You're a weird one, Mister Lynch.") and "Shirley [=McClane=]'s 'It's A Wonderful Afterlife'".
50	* CirclingBirdies: In the natural disasters episode, Ivan takes a tumble during a mudslide, and Shawn says that she can tell he's injured because of the tweeting birdies, prompted by Natasha holding a mobile of stars over Ivan's head.
51	** In the stress episode, during the "Anvil"[[note]]parody of Advil[[/note]] sketch, Ivan is clonked with an anvil and says that he sees "stars," as a castmate spins a mobile with [[VisualPun cutouts of actors]] around his head.
52	* ClicheStorm: [[invoked]] Horror film tropes are parodied to hell and back with the RealTrailerFakeMovie ''Hellraiser Freddy The Thirteenth Halloween Chainsaw Massacre On Elm Street 12'': [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore "You've seen it all at least eleven times."]]
53	* CoolChair: Dad's. In one commercial/interview, the actor who played Dad said he could even drive that thing in the water.
54	* CoolOldLady: Grandma or an aunt sometimes.
55	* CurseCutShort: In the natural disaster episode, during ''Series/TheHollywoodSquares'' parody, one of the questions was about the famous CatchPhrase made famous by ''Film/LastActionHero''. The answer, as said by Mark, was "Hey! I paid 7 bucks to see this piece of-" '''BZZ''' "Ohh sorry we ran out of time!"
56	* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to just about any other Nick show being made at the time, dishing out some pretty heavy-handed humor and featuring a relatively adult ensemble cast (a good portion of which was over the age of 21). Not to mention the titular "roundhouse" - which was a pretty (literally and figuratively) dark setting for what was supposed to be a kid's show. This is most likely the reason why the show never really took off with viewers, as it was pretty quickly replaced with the far more kid friendly (and better-remembered) ''Series/AllThat'' after airing for only two years and four seasons ([[BittersweetEnding at least it got a proper finale]]).
57	* DartboardOfHate: In the Christmas episode, during the HollywoodGiftwrap segment, Amy opens a gift wrapped in this manner and finds a [[TakeThat Shannon Doherty]] dartboard. This wasn't the first ''90210''-related Take That on the show and it ''definitely'' wasn't the last.
58	* DisobeyThisMessage: Just about all of the first date episode is about this. They even have a song about it.
59	* EmergencyFoodSupplyAnimal: In the intolerance episode, Ivan has an ImagineSpot about visiting his foreign crush's (Amy) house. During the visit, Amy shows him their puppy. Ivan remarks, "Wow, what a cute little puppy! Can I feed him?" to which the mother replies "Of course, we are fattening him up for dinner." This causes Ivan to freak out, causing the Imagine Spot to end.
60	* EndOfSeriesAwareness: See "NoFourthWall" below.
61	* TheElevenOClockNumber: They've referred to it as a "third act ballad" at least once.
62	* TheEveryman: It's right there in their last name -- "Anyfamily".
63	** They go and take that [[OverlyLongGag a step further, too]]. The family of Anyfamily lives on Anystreet, in Anytown, USA, and the kids attend Anytown Junior High School, class of [[YearX 19Anyyear]].
64	* FaceOnAMilkCarton: In the Wizard of Oz episode Dorothy (Amy) wonders if her dad is worrying about her being gone. Cue an ImagineSpot where the dad sees Amy on a giant milk carton... and doesn't seem to recognize that it's her. Results in a BrickJoke at the end; when she returns to her parents the dad goes "Holy smokes, would you look at that... this milk expired three weeks ago!"
65	* FantasticRacism: The intolerance episode takes this trope to its LogicalExtreme, as it treats those with "innie" and "outie" belly buttons as different races. The main plot involves the Anyfamily son, who is an "outie" struggling with his feelings for a girl who is an "innie".
66	* FlippingTheBird: In the intolerance episode during the Race Krispies ParodyCommercial, Mark does this after asking Ivan how many fingers the former is holding up. [[ThinkOfTheCensors It's obscured with a piece of cardboard,]] but still.
67	* FollowTheBouncingBall: Done in the ChristmasEpisode in the sketch mentioned below under SomethingSomethingLeonardBernstein. The "lyrics" are printed on a long curtain sheet manned by two stagehands while Micki provides the "bouncing ball" part with a tennis ball attached to a stick.
68	* FreezeFrameBonus: The climax of the school dropout episode features Sidoni hiding from police behind a restroom door. If you look closely, you'll see that the back of the door is signed by the entire cast (it was likely to be auctioned off later for charity).
69	* GameShow: Another popular format for sketches. Just about every popular game show at the time got spoofed over the show's four-season run.
70	* {{Gasshole}}: Dad, who's constantly asking people to pull his finger.
71	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: [[invoked]] Lampshaded in the ''Creator/JerryLewis and Clark'' sketch, which opens with him being referred to as "France's favorite comic".
72	* GraduateFromTheStory: The GrandFinale has the kids graduate from Anytown Junior High.
73	* GranolaGirl: Julene has played this type several times, such as the school episode's "New Age Math" sketch, as one of the "Mighty Groovin' Flower Power Rangers" in "History of the Anyfamily" and pretty much her entire role in the summer camp episode.
74	* GroinAttack: Parodied in the "Tele-Quick" segment in the time episode:
75	-->'''Julene''': Antics on ''Series/AmericasFunniestHomeVideos''!
76	-->'''Ivan''': AHHH MY GROIN!!
77	* HereWeGoAgain: One episode revolved around the dad acting like Music/ElvisPresley after getting hit by a flying videotape. By the end of the episode the mom was able to [[StatusQuoIsGod revert him back]] by hitting him on the head. At first it looks like he's back to normal, [[spoiler:until, to the family's bewilderment, he starts acting like Marilyn Monroe!]]
78	* HisNameReallyIsBarkeep: The parents are named Dad Anydad and Mom Anymom.
79	* HongKongDub: Parodied with every ''Anime/SpeedRacer'' parody that the show does, where the characters are "dubbed" by some of the other actors, who have their backs turned to the camera. In the trouble episode, it's ''Speed Limit Racer''; in the intolerance episode it's ''Speed Racist'', and in the LiveEpisode it's ''Speed Eraser''.
80	* HollywoodGiftwrap: In the ChristmasEpisode, Shawn gives a monologue about going to a special school where she learned to wrap the box and the top separately. This is followed by Amy opening a box wrapped in such a manner, which holds the [[DartboardOfHate Shannon Doherty Dartboard]]. In the background Ivan can be seen trying to rip apart a more complex present.
81	* IAmSong: "We're A Family", "TV Head", "Be Popular", "Bark Baby Bark", "Defender Of The Universe", "I'm A Bully" and "Stage Mother".
82	* IAmWhatIAm: The song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC0COyB11xI "I Only Want To Be Me."]]
83	* IGotARock: Mentioned at the end of the ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' parody ''Jealousy'' where John says, "Join us next week when we have two kids who got candy bars on Halloween and one who got a rock."
84	* IWantSong: "I Can Dream", "Be A Rebel", "Still Waiting For Love", "Talk To Me", "I Want To Be A Success," "Trying To Reach You" and "Could It Be You".
85	* ImADoctorNotAPlaceholder: Shows up in "TV On Trial" where Alfred and John do a ''Franchise/StarTrek'' parody in the second act. They show up again in the third act where this happens:
86	-->'''Alfred''': Bones, this man has a broken arm!
87	-->'''John''': Dangit Jim, I'm a doctor not... I'm a doctor.
88	* ImagineSpot: A couple; these are triggered by cast members waving their hands in front of the camera. On at least one occasion ImagineSpotting came into play.
89	** This was parodied in the divorce episode: After an ImagineSpot involving Shawn as "Music/{{Madonna}} Reed", there is a scene with Lisa and Shawn in which the former worries about John being all alone.
90	-->'''Lisa''': "Just imagine what his life is like.
91	-->'''Shawn''': Let's see.
92	-->''({{Beat}})''
93	-->'''Lisa''': I said, imagine what his life is like!
94	-->''(We then see Ivan and Seymour sitting on the other side of the stage, implying that they were supposed to wave their hands to cue the ImagineSpot)''
95	-->'''Ivan''': Hey! We just did a dream sequence.
96	-->'''Seymour''': Yeah, we're on a break.
97	-->'''Shawn''': Oh, forget it, we'll do it ourselves!
98	-->''(Lisa and Shawn join hands and wave their arms to cue in the next sketch)''
99	* ImGoingToDisneyWorld: The LiveEpisode ends with a discussion in this form. Ivan decides to learn from his mistake but scores with Natasha anyway. A news reporter asks him what he'll do next. His reply:
100	-->'''Ivan''': Well first [[RealitySubtext I'm gonna say hi to Dominic]], and then I'm gonna reprise the theme song and roll the credits!
101	** ''[[Series/FamilyFeud Stepfamily Feud]]'' from season 2 also closed with this memorable quote:
102	-->'''Seymour''': We're going to Disneyland, and he's paying!
103	-->'''John''': You can't make me, I'm not your real dad!
104	-->'''Mark, Julene and Seymour''': Aw, come on, that's not fair!
105	* ImNotADoctorButIPlayOneOnTV: Quoted vertabrim by Mark during the lead-in to the Anvil sketch in the stress episode.
106	* InsaneProprietor: The dad, for his garage sale. The sketch ends with him getting carted away.
107	* ItsAWonderfulPlot: The mistakes episode did this, as a guardian angel (Mark) shows Ivan what would happen if the latter won his little league championship. Except that Mark made all of that up, and reminds Ivan that there are no second chances.
108	** The ChristmasEpisode did this as well. A brief sketch involves Shirley Maclaine (Jennifer) pondering what would happen if she was never born again.
109	* LargeHam: The entire cast of guilty of this at some point or another, although, with Roundhouse, it might be intentional.
110	* LaserGuidedKarma: The good luck episode revolves around the son wanting to audition for the show ''Claptrap'' (a SelfParody). He is given a callback after getting a wedgie, and insists that his underwear is lucky and vows to never change them. [[spoiler:By the time he's prepared for the audition though, his underwear has become too crusty for him to dance properly. The producers give him another chance anyway - all he has to do is read a title card showing the CatchPhrase, but he ends up mangling it.]]
111	* LazyHusband: Dad Anydad is almost never seen not seated in his motorized easy chair.
112	* LiveEpisode: The "Mistakes" episode in season 4.
113	* MicDrop: In the environmentalism episode, Alfred and Seymour (as "Sister Future and Brother Nature") do this [[OverlyLongGag multiple times in the course of about two and a half minutes]].
114	* MrsHypothetical: In the season 1 episode "Disobedience", a girl named Jennifer (Crystal) gushes over Marky Mark and does this (i.e. "Marky and Jennifer Mark"). [[RunningGag She then moves on to]] other oddly-named musicians like Sir Mix-A-Lot, Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Flea over the course of the episode. It becomes briefly problematic when she gets to [[OnlyOneName Flea]].
115	--> "Jennifer and Flea... uh... Flea.."
116	* MultiPartEpisode: Season 4 had a two-parter involving time travel.
117	* MundaneMadeAwesome: Another popular gimmick for their skits.
118	* NapoleonDelusion: The second episode of season 4 revolved around John thinking he was Elvis after getting hit on the head with a videotape of Elvis, to the point of calling Shawn "Priscilla" and Nicoll "Lisa Marie".
119	* NoFourthWall: At least once per episode during the entire show's run, but the final episode completely destroys whatever this show had left of its fourth wall.
120	-->'''Ivan''': "Cancelled shows, graduation, terminated? Either this is a really convoluted show about endings or we're-"
121	-->'''Nicoll''': "Cancelled! Hello, you didn't get the memo?"
122	* OcularGushers: Natalie Nucci's "Sally Blubbers" character, at least in her first appearance (during the pilot).
123	* OffToSeeTheWizard: The episode about running away from home takes on this form. Among the references worked in are a BrickJoke about "Oreos and [[Franchise/StarWars Yoda]]" [[note]the punchline being a [[MondegreenGag mondegreen}} for the Winkie guards' wordless chant from the movie[[/note]], [[Series/BeverlyHills90210 Shannon Doherty]] as the Wicked Witch, and references to the bands Toto and Kansas.
124	* PaperThinDisguise: Subverted, at one point in the episode where Ivan plans to fake his parents' divorce, the dad comes up to their front door holding a moustache up to his face and speaking in a fake Italian accent. Ivan recognizes him right away, because, in his own words, "most normal men don't come to the door in [[CoolChair an easy chair]]."
125	* ParodyCommercial
126	* PreviouslyOn: The second part of season 4's "History of the Anyfamily" opens with one of these, narrated by Bryan. He wraps it up with "Which brings us to this week's show!" Cue the theme song starting up again.
127	-->'''Bryan''': WE ALREADY DID THAT!!
128	* ProtestSong: "Let's Make Peace".
129	-->''What good is making war, when everybody wants peace?''
130	* {{Pun}}: The usual basis for parody commercials among other things. One notable example was the mom doing laundry and "separating the whites from the colors with new Apart Tide."
131	** The second time travel episode alone featured Calamity Music/JanesAddiction, Jesse Music/JamesBrown, Miracle Fro, Creator/JerryLewis and Clark, Betsey (H.) Ross Perot, [[SilentMovie silent but]] [[{{Gasshole}} deadly films]], [[Franchise/PowerRangers Flower Power Rangers]]...
132	* QuietlyPerformingSisterShow: Of the SNICK block of programs.
133	* RapidFireComedy: When it wasn't working on the week's {{A\|nAesop}}esop.
134	* RealTrailerFakeMovie: This ''is'' Roundhouse we're talking about. ''[[Film/FreeWilly Fry Willy]]'' from the StrawFeminist episode comes to mind.
135	* RewrittenPopVersion: {{Inverted\|Trope}}. The first episode's closing number "Back Where We Belong" is music director Benny Hester's composition "Restless Nights" (from the 1991 album ''United We Stand/Divided We Fall'') with episode-specific lyrics.
136	** Both inverted and {{averted\|Trope}} with "Before You Know It" and "The Bridge", which were both originated on two of his other albums before ''Roundhouse'' did them. "The Bridge" is especially notable since it was first written and released in ''TheSeventies'' (!), and thus was 15 years old when it was featured in the "Best Friends" episode.
137	* RhymesOnADime: Naturally, their "Creator/DrSeuss, M.S." parody sketch from the summer job episode employed this trope.
138	* RunningGag: A few episode-specific ones.
139	** For example, in the season 1 sports episode, literally every ParodyCommercial would be punctuated by Julene going, "(product name) is the official (OverlyNarrowSuperlative description of said product) of the U.S. Olympian Team!", followed by a snippet of Music/JohnWilliams' UsefulNotes/OlympicGames fanfare.
140	** The Music/NewKidsOnTheBlock showing up in the new kid episode, only to be chased off by Dad.
141	** The natural disaster episode had David N., Natalie, Mark and Lisa singing a parody of ''Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies'' theme song explaining what was happening to the family at the moment ("Well after the commercial break the folks were still alright / but the house had slid for miles in the middle of the night"). At the beginning of act 3, John gets fed up with their singing:
142	-->'''John''': I know the Supreme Court said we had a right to parody, but enough is enough!
143	* SelfDeprecation: One episode did this with a ShowWithinAShow entitled ''Claptrap''. What little we see of it revolves heavily on ToiletHumor, such as "Hex-lax". Shawn also calls the show out because their version of Mom does nothing but StayInTheKitchen, before going back to making "whatever it is [she]'s been stirring since episode 2" (leading in to the Yucky Charms sketch).
144	* SeverelySpecializedStore: In the politics episode, Sidoni's AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents look for envelopes at the mall. The map indicates a store named [[OverlyLongName "Gee, I Can't Believe There's a Store in This Mall That Sells Nothing But Envelopes, Can You?"]].
145	* ShoutOut: Every pop culture reference on the show is either this or a TakeThat. And there are so, so many of them. For example, the "Grounded" episode has two [=DJs=] pop out of the alarm clock radio and say, "It's Gounded Day!" and sing a parody of Sonny and Music/{{Cher}}'s "I've Got You Babe", which they later repeat, which is kind of a parody/reference to ''Film/GroundhogDay''.
146	* ShowWithinAShow: ''Tons''. Special mention goes to the early episode "TV On Trial" which actually uses these as a plot device along with {{Parody Commercial}}s.
147	* SilentCredits: See VerySpecialEpisode below.
148	* SigningOffCatchPhrase: Take a wild guess.
149	* SketchComedy
150	* SomethingSomethingLeonardBernstein: The ChristmasEpisode had a ParodyCommercial for a fake album entitled ''Holi-Dazed And Confused'', "featuring all the carols nobody really knows the words to!" They render "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" as:
151	-->It came upon a midnight clear\
152	Hmm hmm hmm hmm.. old!\
153	Dununannuh (etc)... ''harps of gold!!''
154	* SouvenirLand: The "Abusement Park" back in season 1.
155	* SpinoffBabies: All of the TeenageMutantSamuraiWombats series mentioned below under that trope are said to come after a ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies'' parody ("Infant Fluppets", "Premature Sluppets" and "Smuppet Zygotes").
156	* StealthPun: In the LiveEpisode, the Anykid's name is Casey. He loses the little league game he's playing for. [[spoiler:It's a reference to the poem "Casey at the Bat".]]
157	* StockParodies: One episode was a spoof of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.
158	** Another was a WholePlotReference based on ''Cinderella''.
159	* StudioAudience: Like most Nickelodeon shows.
160	* StylisticSuck: WordOfGod has said that it was intended to give the feel of a bunch of kids putting on a show with no real props.
161	* SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion: Shawn Daywalt does this during the song "We're A Family" from the first episode:
162	-->I can cook your food, and I can sew a stitch\
163	Don't you cross me up, cause I can be a...\
164	difficult person to get along with.
165	** Happens again in the Christmas special - the mom is reading a Christmas card for atheists, which reads: "You're a firm non-believer, but time will soon tell / Cause you'll soon change your mind when you're dead and in H-E-double-two-hicks."
166	** "Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat, the more you... ({{Beat}}) like them!"
167	** The GreenAesop episode had Seymour and Alfred rapping about the environment. At one point during the segment, Alfred goes:
168	-->Recycle all your papers, all your can and all your grass\
169	And if you don't believe me, you can kiss my...\
170	Yeah, you get the picture, peace!
171	** And the song "Breaking Out" in the self-image episode features this gem:
172	-->All I seem to grow are hideous zits\
173	I wish just once, I could drop my....\
174	'''Amy''': physical attributes to give me more confidence.
175	* SuperstitionEpisode: Season 4 had one, and in true ''Roundhouse'' fashion the basic superstition-related tropes are played around with (such as the "Moron Salt Lick" when Ivan spills a salt shaker, and the film ''[[Film/GrumpyOldMen Grumpy Omen]]'').
176	* TeenageMutantSamuraiWombats: "Jump in the Fire" had [[RuleOfThree three]] commercials for shows of this form in rapid succession ("Adolescent Deformed Tai-Kwon-Do Tortoises", "Pre-teen Genetically-altered Martial Arts Iguanas", and "Kinda Young Really Screwed Up Karate Koalas") during a scene where Mark is channel surfing.
177	* TemptingFate: Fed up with being a ButtMonkey at his new school, Nicoll proclaims he's better off at home "where nothing ever changes." Unfortunately for him, Dad got into a little VCR trouble while Nicoll was out, and enters the scene in full Elvis garb complete with pimped-out easychair.
178	* TakeThat: At pretty much ''everything''. If it was part of pop culture at the time the episode was written, odds are, it got mocked.
179	* ThatRemindsMeOfASong: Zig-zagged from time to time. Sometimes the closing songs will (at least vaguely) be related to the episode, such as "Talk To Me" and "Do Not Care", and sometimes they don't:
180	** In the self-image episode, Amy backs out of a scheduled appearance on ''Empty V'' due to her stress over how she looked causing her to break out in hives. John remarks to the ''Empty V'' host that she's "probably off singing about what she learned from this experience." That song, "Just A Dream", has little to do with the events of the episode.[[note]]Which is understandable, as it wasn't specifically written for the show, but by Music/{{Madonna}} (!) and Pat Leonard for the former, who never recorded it (this was pointed out by Shawn after Amy finished singing)[[/note]]
181	** The below-mentioned school dropout episode had the {{silly love song\|s}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BALHJEydSQU "Could It Be You"]]. {{Justified\|Trope}}, since the episode revolved around the Anyfamily son being unable to understand things due to dropping out of school.
182	* ThatsAllFolks: Besides the obvious "Reprise the theme song...", the TropeNamer showed up at the end of the "Letters Home From Great Wars - As Read By Cartoon Characters" sketch where Sidoni did a [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Porky Pig]] impression.
183	* TheTropeFormerlyKnownAsX: The TropeNamer (Music/{{Prince}}) is parodied in the Cinderella episode, where the Prince Charming is represented by Prince - they at first refer to him as "the singer formerly known as Prince but now represented by this symbol" (holds up a sign with the Prince symbol while a riff plays in the background) but later on they just hold up the sign with the riff playing.
184	** Earlier on, in the new baby episode, the top story on ''[[Series/EntertainmentTonight Entertainment, Yeah Right]]'' is of other celebrities [[FollowTheLeader capitalizing on Prince's name change]], such as Creator/SylvesterStallone changing his name to the periodic symbol for iridium - [[TakeThat the densest of all the elements.]]
185	* TinyGuyHugeGirl: [[Creator/CaseyKasem Crazy Kasem]] (Sidoni) and his Amazonian wife Clean Kasem (Julene) in the ''Solid Mold'' sketch.
186	* TitleTheAdaptation: Spoofed with ''Weather Channel -- The Movie'', which featured an AllStarCast: See Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts as a solar eclipse!
187	* ToiletHumor: Far too many instances to list in one sitting.
188	* TragicDropout: PlayedForLaughs in an season 4 episode. Ivan (coaxed with pressure from "Give Up With People") decides to quit school so he can become a professional skateboarder. [[spoiler:He ends up missing the big skateboard competition he's been vying to attend, because he accidentally boarded a train headed for Dumbcluck, Egypt.]]
189	* TropaholicsAnonymous: They're fond of this trope as well.
190	** The second episode of season 4 had one with [[Music/ElvisPresley Elvises]]. (The [[TwoLinesNoWaiting B story]] of that episode involved the dad acting like Elvis after getting hit by a VHS.)
191	** The trouble episode had one about ''Film/WaynesWorld'' addicts, entitled ''Wayne's World Anonymous Youth'' ([[FunWithAcronyms W.W.A.Y.]])
192	-->'''Lisa''': My name is Sheila.
193	-->'''Guys''': Party on, Sheila!
194	-->'''Lisa''': And if I were president, I'd be...
195	-->'''Guys''': Babe-raham Lincoln! Shwing!
196	** The self-image episode did this as well, as Amy attends one of these for people with low self-esteem. Turns into a subversion, as everyone else in the group realizes that they're better off than her because she had hives all over her body.
197	** They even did one of these about ''cheerleading addiction'', which the instructor is also revealed to have by the end of the sketch.
198	** The superstition episode had one about "Ramblers Anonymous". ItMakesSenseInContext.
199	%%* {{Troperiffic}}: And how.
200	* VerySpecialEpisode: The show was quite skilled at juxtaposing {{sketch comedy}} with mature, real-life issues, but none of their efforts were quite as effective as the season 3 gang violence episode. This being ''Roundhouse'', the episode was filled with the normal pun-based MundaneMadeAwesome RapidFireComedy (bullet-proof tests, ''Series/DennisTheMenace To Society'', John and Shawn as the AmericanGothicCouple, and [[ToiletHumor "gunderwear"]], to name a few). However, the ending had [[spoiler:it turn out to be AllJustADream of the Anyfamily son, who realizes the problem still exists in the "real world" and finds that the CatchPhrase doesn't work this time. He then wanders off confused just as the credits -- which start with a text reminder that "Gang violence is no joke" -- start to roll silently.]]
201	** There were also episodes about [[GreenAesop environmentalism]], natural disasters, conflict, divorce, feminism, self-image, justice, intolerance, and war. While they weren't as blunt about it as the gang violence episode, there was no shortage on comedy and they all got the message across nicely.
202	** Of course, they also did a few parodies as well. For example, the divorce episode featured an ImagineSpot of the father marrying the homeroom milk monitor, which is then framed as an Series/AfterschoolSpecial entitled ''My Stepmom, My Classmate''. The sports episode also had a fake teaser for a special ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'' episode where a character gets... [[AndThatsTerrible jock itch]].
203	-->"''Beverly Hills 90210'' is the official [[{{Wangst}} pointless, overacted]] [[TakeThat teenage soap opera]] of the U.S. Olympian Team!"
204	* VicePresidentWho: The environment-themed episode features this quick joke:
205	-->'''Julene''': "Are you stuck in a low-paying, do-nothing, go-nowhere job?"
206	-->'''Rest of cast''': Yeah!
207	-->'''Julene''': "If you answered yes, then you're either a kid or the Vice-President of the United States."
208	* WaxingLyrical: In the dropout episode, as Ivan is about to board the train he thinks is headed for the skateboard contest, he spots Micki and goes "Hey, [[Music/TheBeatles she's got a ticket to ride]] [[Music/{{Help}} and she don't care!]]"
209	** "Twister" also did this, with Micki and Amy briefly quoting [[Film/TheWizardOfOz "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead"]] while the latter was being dispatched to defeat Shannon Doherty.
210	** Happens again in "Blender". After the dad shows the kids his coat of arms at the family reunion, the mom reminds them [[Music/PaulSimon "Now let's hop on the bus Gus, let's drop off the key Lee, let's get ourselves free."]]
211	** Subverted in the war episode. At the end of a ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' parody called ''The Prize Is Too High'', host John says to Sidoni, "Congratulations, you just won yourself a war. Johnny [Bryan], tell them what it's good for." Bryan replies, "Absolutely nothing!" Cue everyone breaking into the song.
212	** When Shawn is about to give birth, John says "You're having my baby!" in a similar manner as the Paul Anka song of the same name.
213	* WorkingWithTheEx: Behind-the-scenes example. The main principals in the series' production were Buddy Sheffield (who had also produced ''Series/InLivingColor''); his ex-wife Rita and her new husband Benny Hester[[note]]A ChristianRock veteran best known for songs such as "Nobody Knows Me Like You" and "When God Ran"[[/note]] (who Sheffield would jokingly refer to as his "new husband-in-law").
214	* YourTelevisionHatesYou: Done in the above-mentioned gang violence episode. After the son is accosted by two gangs in school, he talks to the dad about it, who replies, "What's the matter with kids these days? Where do they get these ideas?" We are then treated to a string of parodies related to the Aesop, such as ''[[Series/TheArsenioHallShow Arson Hall]]'', ''[[Series/NorthernExposure Northern Explosion]]'', and ''[[Series/ThePartridgeFamily The Cartridge Family]]'' (which shares its name with an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'').
215	** An extreme example occurs in the fear episode. Kathy Anykid (Lisa), bummed over not being able to get a date for the Sadie Hawkins dance, is shown surfing TV channels. The montage starts off with the usual mashup-parodies such as "Music/RayCharles Barkley", but then they start becoming about Kathy's dilemma and ''they even directly mention her and her problem''. Even more hilariously, it appears to be actually happening to her, since there aren't any hints that it's a dream.
216	----

Context Series / Roundhouse