Run the Burbs is a Canadian sitcom created by (and starring) Andrew Phung (with Scott Townend as co-creator.) It airs on the CBC in Canada, and on The CW in the US.
Years ago, Andrew Pham dropped out of college to become a stay-at-home dad while his more ambitious wife Camille set out to make a career. In the present day, they've managed to make a good enough living to get a nice house in the suburbs, but Andrew has dreams of going back to college and finishing his degree, while Camille longs to leave her frustrating office job and set up her own company.
This series contains examples of:
- Fake a Fight: In "This is Your Day", Leo deals with a bully at school by enlisting one of his friends to stage a brutal-looking fight with him, complete with fake blood and Clothing Damage. When the bully sees Leo emerge from the fight, smeared with blood and with his shirt torn, but otherwise unharmed, he decides it's probably best to just leave him alone.
- Gilligan Cut: In "This is Your Day", as Andrew's graduation plans are stymied (he is three credits short, because one of the courses he took fifteen years earlier is no longer recognized by his college), he comments that it's no big deal, as Camille still has her job for them to fall back on. Cut to Camille, who was certain that Andrew had graduated and was headed for his new job, dramatically quitting her job.
- Helicopter Parents: Having put aside his ambitions to be a stay-at-home dad, Andrew is extremely protective of his kids, to the point that he spends a whole day fretting after Leo signs up for a day camp.
- Ponzi: In "Heatwave", Andrew and Camille are desperate to gain access to their new neighbors' pool, and are unwittingly roped into a multi-level marketing scheme.
- True Art Is Incomprehensible: In "Heatwave", Cathy invites Khia to put up a mural on one of the bare walls in her shop. Khia's mural somehow includes commentary on body hair, the "tampon tax", and the environment, and consequently Cathy's customers are baffled by it.
- Twofer Token Minority: Khia is a queer Vietnamese-Indian teenager. Her love interest Mannix is black and queer.
