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Gimme a Break!

329 statements
64 feature instances
25 referencing feature instances

Gimme a Break!	type	TVTItem
Gimme a Break!	label	Gimme a Break!
Gimme a Break!	page	GimmeABreak
Gimme a Break!	comment	Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons (1981â€“87), starring Nell Carter as Nell Harper, a once-aspiring singer who became a housekeeper for the Kaniskys: patriarch Carl, the chief of police of the fictional Glenlawn, California, and his daughters Katie, Julie and Samantha (the last of the kids played by a young Lara Jill Miller). Later additions to the cast included Stanley Kanisky (Carl's father), Adelaide "Addy" Wilson (Nell's best friend, played by Telma Hopkins), adopted son Joey (Joey Lawrence) and Nell's mother, Maybelle.Most of the show's humor came from the clashes of culture (Nell, the Sassy Black Woman from the South vs. straightlaced second-generation Polish Chief Kanisky) and generation (Nell and Carl vs. the girls) in an otherwise standard 80s Dom Com setting. After the death of Dolph Sweet (Carl) after season 4, the series continued for a season with Nell as the sole head of the Kanisky household. For the final season, the show underwent a Retool, with most of the cast (minus the older Kanisky daughters) moving to New York City.
Gimme a Break!	fetched	2024-02-05T21:45:41Z
Gimme a Break!	parsed	2024-02-05T21:45:41Z
Gimme a Break!	processingComment	Dropped link to VerySpecialEpisode: Not a Feature - ITEM
Gimme a Break!	isPartOf	DBTropes
Gimme a Break! / int_14180452	type	Instantly Proven Wrong
Gimme a Break! / int_14180452	comment	Instantly Proven Wrong: When Addie tells her African-American friend that Black women have finally evolved past the "Aunt Jemima" image, Nell walks in (having done the household chores) exhausted... and wearing a do-rag.
Gimme a Break! / int_14180452	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_14180452	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_14180452
Gimme a Break! / int_19fe3478	type	Daddy's Girl
Gimme a Break! / int_19fe3478	comment	Daddy's Girls: Chief is old-fashioned and cannot for the life of him relate to the 1980s, its trends and cultural tastes, which the girls â€“ especially Katie â€“ have embraced fully. He also has a hard time understanding that Katie is quite promiscuous and fights with her a lot over the issue. Yet, he reveres each of his daughters and loves them very much and, despite sometimes threatening to cut them off in the end stands by them and knows he is the rock they depend on, and that they are the greatest gifts his late wife, Margaret, gave him.
Gimme a Break! / int_19fe3478	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_19fe3478	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_19fe3478
Gimme a Break! / int_20314beb	type	Cousin Oliver
Gimme a Break! / int_20314beb	comment	Cousin Oliver: Joey (played by Joey Lawrence) was added to the cast early in Season 3. Not content with one Cousin Oliver, Joey's brother Matthew was later added to the show as Matt.
Gimme a Break! / int_20314beb	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_20314beb	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_20314beb
Gimme a Break! / int_20b5cce7	type	"Do It Yourself" Theme Tune
Gimme a Break! / int_20b5cce7	comment	"Do It Yourself" Theme Tune: Nell Carter sings the main theme (both themes in fact). Nell Carter was an accomplished stage performer, best known for the stage show Ain't Misbehavin', and former dancer, so her singing chops were used frequently on the show.
Gimme a Break! / int_20b5cce7	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_20b5cce7	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_20b5cce7
Gimme a Break! / int_211c82f5	type	Don't Make Me Take My Belt Off!
Gimme a Break! / int_211c82f5	comment	Don't Make Me Take My Belt Off!: Carl removes his with the intention of whupping Katie good when he confronts her about ditching out on taking her college entrance exam and she makes a snide remark about Margaret in "Katie the Cheat". Nell has to intervene to keep him from following through on it.
Gimme a Break! / int_211c82f5	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_211c82f5	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_211c82f5
Gimme a Break! / int_22a27b19	type	Alpha Bitch
Gimme a Break! / int_22a27b19	comment	Addy was originally an Alpha Bitch who picked on Nell, but later episodes acted as if they were always busom-buddies. To be fair, they did say they were closer than Nell let on in her first episode. A later episode acted as if they were both bullied by another local Alpha Bitch.
Gimme a Break! / int_22a27b19	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_22a27b19	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_22a27b19
Gimme a Break! / int_27f7abfb	type	Sink or Swim Fatherhood
Gimme a Break! / int_27f7abfb	comment	"Nell and the Kid" is about a deli owner who takes in a homeless girl at Nell's insistence. The Kaniskys only appear in one scene, and the episode was a pilot to a proposed spinoff that never happened due to the deli owner's actor (Don Rickles) not getting along with Nell Carter.
Gimme a Break! / int_27f7abfb	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_27f7abfb	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_27f7abfb
Gimme a Break! / int_2b2249a8	type	You Wouldn't Hit a Guy with Glasses
Gimme a Break! / int_2b2249a8	comment	You Wouldn't Hit A Girl With Glasses: Yes, Carl would, as he does to Julie in Season 2's "Julie Smokes," after she is caught lying to him about not smoking.
Gimme a Break! / int_2b2249a8	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_2b2249a8	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_2b2249a8
Gimme a Break! / int_2d364c81	type	Tomboy and Girly Girl
Gimme a Break! / int_2d364c81	comment	Tomboy and Girly Girl: Sam and Katie (the youngest and eldest daughters), respectively. Sam wears a Tomboyish Baseball Cap.
Gimme a Break! / int_2d364c81	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_2d364c81	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_2d364c81
Gimme a Break! / int_2ef89a18	type	Fat Comic Relief
Gimme a Break! / int_2ef89a18	comment	Fat Comic Relief: The show was not afraid to indulge in weight humor. For instance, when an elevator stalls with Nell's Overeaters Anonymous group, she checks the elevator's weight limit (1200 points), counts how many of the group are in it, and says, "Oh, we're a few hundred pounds past that!" The show, however, made sure the humor was laughing with Nell and others, and not at them.
Gimme a Break! / int_2ef89a18	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_2ef89a18	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_2ef89a18
Gimme a Break! / int_31033037	type	Elevator Failure
Gimme a Break! / int_31033037	comment	Elevator Failure: In "Porko's II", Nell and her overweight support group get stuck in an elevator while trying to stop the group's founder from committing suicide.
Gimme a Break! / int_31033037	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_31033037	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_31033037
Gimme a Break! / int_33029735	type	Dies Wide Open
Gimme a Break! / int_33029735	comment	Dies Wide Open: In "Your Prisoner Is Dead" (the episode where Chief shot a would-be armed robber), Chief effectively shocks Samantha into reality about what happened: After being wounded, the robber was crying for help and had his eyes wide open the whole time. This was in no way, he goes on, like the scene from CHiPs (that Sam had described) and other police shows where the bad guys shut their eyes after being fatally shot.
Gimme a Break! / int_33029735	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_33029735	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_33029735
Gimme a Break! / int_3866ab91	type	Deceased Parents Are the Best
Gimme a Break! / int_3866ab91	comment	Nell's family. Originally, Nell's mother supported her dream of being a singer, but later became a shrill woman who never had faith in her. To the show's credit, they initially did handwave her mother's change in personality as a reaction to her husband's death, but they also changed her name (from Emma to Maybelle) and the actress. Nell's father was originally the one who disapproved of Nell's dreams, but after he died, Deceased Parents Are the Best came in full force, going so far as to say that Nell was his favorite. Nell's younger sister's name also changed from Marie to Loretta, and went from an immature brat who still watched Sesame Street to a snob. She also went from being married in her first appearance to getting married in the second (and the characters react as if she was on the verge of becoming an old maid, suggesting he's her first.)
Gimme a Break! / int_3866ab91	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_3866ab91	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_3866ab91
Gimme a Break! / int_38b05ae7	type	Poorly Disguised Pilot
Gimme a Break! / int_38b05ae7	comment	Poorly Disguised Pilot: "Nell and the Kid" is about a deli owner who takes in a homeless girl at Nell's insistence. The Kaniskys only appear in one scene, and the episode was a pilot to a proposed spinoff that never happened due to the deli owner's actor (Don Rickles) not getting along with Nell Carter. "The Purse Snatcher" also seems to be one of these. It revolves around the manager of a Greek restaurant and his assistant investigate the disappearance of Nell's purse while dealing with the manager's father, who owns the restaurant. Again, the Kaniskys only appear in one scene, and most of the focus is put on the boys. "Parents' Week". It's about Nell visiting Samantha at the latter's college and becoming the house mother to her and her dorm-mates. Considering it was a two-part episode and one of the last in the series, it's possible that it was a test episode for a possible continuation series or maybe even a seventh season.
Gimme a Break! / int_38b05ae7	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_38b05ae7	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_38b05ae7
Gimme a Break! / int_3a88a563	type	Vocal Dissonance
Gimme a Break! / int_3a88a563	comment	Vocal Dissonance: Nell's friend Angie is a Statuesque Stunner ...until she opens her mouth and speaks in her high, squeaky voice. It's Played for Laughs, as the laugh track goes crazy even when her lines aren't particularly funny. Those who know the actress, Alvernette Jimenez, claim it is her real voice, so be nice.
Gimme a Break! / int_3a88a563	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_3a88a563	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_3a88a563
Gimme a Break! / int_3f11ef74	type	Parental Substitute
Gimme a Break! / int_3f11ef74	comment	Parental Substitute: Nell, first for the girls' mother, and then later after the death of their father. In a meta-sense, Carter received bushels of mail from children who watched the show, who saw her as one for them.
Gimme a Break! / int_3f11ef74	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_3f11ef74	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_3f11ef74
Gimme a Break! / int_479f9ad0	type	Characterization Marches On
Gimme a Break! / int_479f9ad0	comment	Characterization Marches On: Grandpapa Stanley started out as a senile old fool with bad hearing, little interest in his wife and no shortage of fat jokes against Eddie. Some episodes give him brief flashes of awareness. Come season three and he's now portrayed as a wise, sensible, open minded and snarky grandpa with no shortage of insults against Carl.
Gimme a Break! / int_479f9ad0	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_479f9ad0	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_479f9ad0
Gimme a Break! / int_47bb1101	type	Amazing Freaking Grace
Gimme a Break! / int_47bb1101	comment	Amazing Freaking Grace: In one episode, Nell sings this at a funeral.
Gimme a Break! / int_47bb1101	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_47bb1101	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_47bb1101
Gimme a Break! / int_4a4d6f7c	type	Comedic Sociopathy
Gimme a Break! / int_4a4d6f7c	comment	Comedic Sociopathy: An especially memorable one comes in season 2 at the end of "Katie Steals Julie's Jock," when Katie and Julie have finally made peace with each other, only to have Samantha show up and begin gleefully repeating the best insults they hurled at each other. When she fails to quit, do the girls leave? Do they tell her to shut up? No, the older two sisters charge Sam, drag her behind the couch, and ...
Gimme a Break! / int_4a4d6f7c	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_4a4d6f7c	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_4a4d6f7c
Gimme a Break! / int_4f4372e9	type	Early-Installment Weirdness
Gimme a Break! / int_4f4372e9	comment	Early-Installment Weirdness: The first two seasons use a different theme than the later seasons. A rare intro exists that features Rue McClanahan as the Chief's new girlfriend.
Gimme a Break! / int_4f4372e9	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_4f4372e9	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_4f4372e9
Gimme a Break! / int_4f62bde6	type	Kavorka Man
Gimme a Break! / int_4f62bde6	comment	Kavorka Man: Female version. Nell, despite being short, significantly overweight, and not terribly pretty, seems to have plenty of men hitting on her. Sometimes averted when a would-be suitor rejects her, but she's unfazed by any rejection.
Gimme a Break! / int_4f62bde6	featureApplicability	-1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_4f62bde6	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_4f62bde6
Gimme a Break! / int_50b05d30	type	Disproportionate Retribution
Gimme a Break! / int_50b05d30	comment	Disproportionate Retribution: In "Baby of the Family," Samantha is disgruntled with Nell over what she [Samantha] sees as letting Joey get away with things, when Nell disapproves of her going on an unchaperoned camping trip... with teenage boys going along. Her jealousy over Nell's treatment of Joey compared to Nell's treatment of her, leads Samantha to dress Joey â€“ who is performing "Toot-Toot-Tootsie" from the now-infamous Al Jolson classic The Jazz Singer at the church Nell attends â€“ in blackface (as Jolson did in the film). Considering he was performing in front of an all-Black congregation, Nell, Addy and the rest of the congregation weren't pleased. To make matters worse, as shown shortly after Nell pulls Joey off-stage, then-seven-year-old Joey didn't know the racist background behind blackface, having mistakenly believed Jolson himself was Black (rather than a white, Jewish actor portraying a character doing a Black minstrel act for a nightclub performance). When she confronts Samantha, Nell states that putting Joey up to do blackface was equivalent to this...Nell later tells Samantha â€“ whose apology, upon realizing the consequence of her actions, is accepted by Nell â€“ that her treatment of Joey doesn't mean she loves Sam less, but now that Sam is a teenager, she can't be treated as if she's the "baby of the family" and ask to be treated like an adult as well.
Gimme a Break! / int_50b05d30	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_50b05d30	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_50b05d30
Gimme a Break! / int_510e5a9	type	Sassy Black Woman
Gimme a Break! / int_510e5a9	comment	Sassy Black Woman: Both Nell herself and her friend Addie.
Gimme a Break! / int_510e5a9	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_510e5a9	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_510e5a9
Gimme a Break! / int_53211774	type	Multi-Part Episode
Gimme a Break! / int_53211774	comment	"Parents' Week". It's about Nell visiting Samantha at the latter's college and becoming the house mother to her and her dorm-mates. Considering it was a two-part episode and one of the last in the series, it's possible that it was a test episode for a possible continuation series or maybe even a seventh season.
Gimme a Break! / int_53211774	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_53211774	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_53211774
Gimme a Break! / int_565ce678	type	Game Show Appearance
Gimme a Break! / int_565ce678	comment	Game Show Appearance: Nell and Addy appear on Wheel of Fortune during "Best Friends Week." (This was different than the current "best friends," where teen contestants play in teams of two; here, the friends play against each other and one other studio contestant.) With $7,600; Nell mis-solves the â€œQuotationâ€� puzzle â€œGIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATHâ€� ("Give me liberty or give me a car!"), but Addy solves correctly for $2,700; the remainder of the two-part episode involves a trip to New York which Addy purchases (with a guest appearance by Tony Randall in part two).
Gimme a Break! / int_565ce678	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_565ce678	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_565ce678
Gimme a Break! / int_596f675a	type	Smoking Is Cool
Gimme a Break! / int_596f675a	comment	Smoking Is Cool: Reversed, but how Julie initially justifies her (one-episode) habit. In the end, Carl convinces her that it will only lead to health issues such as the one that killed her mother.
Gimme a Break! / int_596f675a	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_596f675a	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_596f675a
Gimme a Break! / int_59b9f4df	type	You Are Fat
Gimme a Break! / int_59b9f4df	comment	You Are Fat: Many overweight jokes have been made at the expense of plus-sized characters during the first two seasons. This is thankfully downplayed from season three onward.
Gimme a Break! / int_59b9f4df	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_59b9f4df	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_59b9f4df
Gimme a Break! / int_66dfe36a	type	Missing Mom
Gimme a Break! / int_66dfe36a	comment	Missing Mom: The mother has recently passed away as of the start of the series. This is also a case of Early-Installment Weirdness, as it is later established that Margaret died six or seven years before the show started.
Gimme a Break! / int_66dfe36a	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_66dfe36a	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_66dfe36a
Gimme a Break! / int_754df088	type	Put on a Bus
Gimme a Break! / int_754df088	comment	Put on a Bus: Older daughters Katie and Julie (and Julie's new husband, Johnathan) moved out prior to the Retool. The same was true with Officer Simpson, who was last seen early in Season 6.
Gimme a Break! / int_754df088	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_754df088	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_754df088
Gimme a Break! / int_7815ba15	type	N-Word Privileges
Gimme a Break! / int_7815ba15	comment	N-Word Privileges: In the first season episode "Samantha Steals a Squad Car", as Carl and Nell are arguing over the latter accidentally sitting on (and flattening) the cap of the police uniform that Carl was going to wear to a policeman's luncheon, Sam â€“ in frustration to the two adults failing to pay attention to her issue â€“ uses the N-word when, in equating her situation, she exasperatedly asks Nell "how would you like it if somebody called you a nigger?".note A female classmate had called Sam another ethnic slur, referring to her as a "dumb Polack," at school, which resulted in Sam getting into a physical altercation with the girl in which Sam was hit with a stick. After being chased by a perturbed Carl, she ends up locking herself in a bathroom and later escapes and steals her father's squad car. When Carl and Nell meet up with Sam at the police station, during which Sam apologizes for using the word and notes to Nell that she didn't use it to be mean but to compare the hurtfulness of being called one racial slur for being a Black person to her being called one relating to her Polish heritage, Nell explains to the Chief (who clearly didn't like the word being used) that its meaning can differ depending on who's using it:
Gimme a Break! / int_7815ba15	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_7815ba15	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_7815ba15
Gimme a Break! / int_7b21ef92	type	Later-Installment Weirdness
Gimme a Break! / int_7b21ef92	comment	Later-Installment Weirdness: By Season 6 (the final season), Nell, Addy and Joey had moved from California to New York City, the Kaniskys were all either written out or demoted to occasional guest appearances (or dead, in Carl's case), and Nell's mother and Joey's brother were added to the cast, with the original premise seemingly forgotten about (although Nell remained a caretaker to Joey and brother Matthew, while maintaining a proofreading position at a publishing firm).
Gimme a Break! / int_7b21ef92	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_7b21ef92	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_7b21ef92
Gimme a Break! / int_7f6a54f2	type	Miranda Rights
Gimme a Break! / int_7f6a54f2	comment	Miranda Rights: In the episode "The Groupie", the Chief is seen reciting them upon arresting Andy Gibb and his band after believing that the singer had slept with his daughter, Julie. However, he is interrupted four times before completing the reading, though only the last two interruptions are actually seen (the first when Julie shows up and then when the other teenage girls see Andy and Squee).
Gimme a Break! / int_7f6a54f2	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_7f6a54f2	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_7f6a54f2
Gimme a Break! / int_81eb806a	type	Live Episode
Gimme a Break! / int_81eb806a	comment	Live Episode: Did one in February 1985 ("Cat Story"). NBC was to have an entire block of live episodes the night the episode originally aired, but by that point all of the shows to air that night except Gimme a Break had been cancelled.
Gimme a Break! / int_81eb806a	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_81eb806a	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_81eb806a
Gimme a Break! / int_8504b817	type	Where the Hell Is Springfield?
Gimme a Break! / int_8504b817	comment	Where the Hell Is Springfield?: Glenlawn, California, is within driving distance of Bakersfield and Fresno. That's as close to a location as we get. One episode also shows it within walking distance of the beach (Nell catches Joey there without permission), and another has Carl boasting that his new squad car can get to Sacramento in just 23 minutes (meaning it probably isn't as close to Bakersfield as was suggested in other episodes).
Gimme a Break! / int_8504b817	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_8504b817	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_8504b817
Gimme a Break! / int_8b568cb7	type	Posthumous Character
Gimme a Break! / int_8b568cb7	comment	Posthumous Character: Margaret Kanisky died sometime before the series began. Her death kickstarts the whole show's premise, as Nell agreed to watch over her kids.
Gimme a Break! / int_8b568cb7	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_8b568cb7	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_8b568cb7
Gimme a Break! / int_8b9c057e	type	Ethnic Menial Labor
Gimme a Break! / int_8b9c057e	comment	Ethnic Menial Labor: Nell is a version of this, although she is the main character and receives top billing. She is also always on the same authority level with the Chief with the girls, and often defers to Nell since he's unable to deal with adolescent girl issues. In addition, she was close friends with Carl's deceased wife, and took the job because 1) she needed the money, and 2) to honor Margaret.
Gimme a Break! / int_8b9c057e	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_8b9c057e	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_8b9c057e
Gimme a Break! / int_8c9e724c	type	Big Beautiful Woman
Gimme a Break! / int_8c9e724c	comment	Big Beautiful Woman: Nell. And very assertive about it. For example, her singing advice was that if you're going to sing Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy", put everything into it — your voice, attitude and especially your body.
Gimme a Break! / int_8c9e724c	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_8c9e724c	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_8c9e724c
Gimme a Break! / int_8e4a0f15	type	Dumb Blonde
Gimme a Break! / int_8e4a0f15	comment	Katie got increasingly dumber in later seasons.
Gimme a Break! / int_8e4a0f15	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_8e4a0f15	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_8e4a0f15
Gimme a Break! / int_a754fa9a	type	Instant Death Bullet
Gimme a Break! / int_a754fa9a	comment	Instant Death Bullet: Averted when Carl shot and killed a perp. He is extremely depressed about this, and when his youngest daughter acts like he was a hero for doing it, he explodes angrily at her that it was not like the movies. The perp died slowly and in pain, calling out for his mother.
Gimme a Break! / int_a754fa9a	featureApplicability	-1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_a754fa9a	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_a754fa9a
Gimme a Break! / int_aff29d6f	type	Beauty, Brains and Brawn
Gimme a Break! / int_aff29d6f	comment	Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Boy-crazy Katie, brainy Julie, and tomboy Samantha.
Gimme a Break! / int_aff29d6f	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_aff29d6f	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_aff29d6f
Gimme a Break! / int_b11ac9f5	type	Abusive Parents
Gimme a Break! / int_b11ac9f5	comment	Abusive Parents: Carl physically slaps his two older daughters (and threatens to spank Samantha at least once) in various episodes. Fair for Its Day, but unheard of today: In the series pilot, Katie is arrested for shoplifting. When Carl demands an explanation, Katie makes a snide remark — "She can't say anything, she's dead!" — to his question about how she'd think her mother would react if she knew her daughter had been arrested. A later Season 1 episode, "Katie the Cheat," has Carl fuming when he learns that Katie did not actually take a college entrance exam (while Julie did). When the two are arguing, Katie makes a snide remark about why she thinks her father wanted her to take the test, prompting him to warn her to stop, and when she presses on, he takes off his belt and chases after her. Nell intervenes (by standing in the way) and stops him, and he eventually cools off and backs away. The Season 2 episode "Julie Smokes" has Carl slap his daughter across the face when, after she lied to him that she was not smoking, she accidentally blew smoke in his face, having unsuccessfully concealed that she had currently been smoking a cigarette. This prompts her to move out of the house temporarily, and when Carl stands his ground and justifies his actions, Nell, Katie and Samantha ostracize him ... forcing his hand and, in talking to Julie, getting him to reveal why he was so furious with her. In revealing that their late mother, Margaret, was a heavy smoker, Carl reveals that he and Margaret had fought about the issue many times and that he wishes he had slapped her to get her to realize she was killing herself. He never did, however, and eventually, Carl's worst fears — losing his wife and partner in raising their daughters to lung cancer — came true. This instance accidentally retcons the pilot episode's instance by having Carl say he's never slapped one of his daughters before.
Gimme a Break! / int_b11ac9f5	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_b11ac9f5	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_b11ac9f5
Gimme a Break! / int_b219ac90	type	ReTool
Gimme a Break! / int_b219ac90	comment	Retool: Season 6 moved the show to New York, and Nell and Sam were the only ones left from the original cast (with Sam only making occasional appearances).
Gimme a Break! / int_b219ac90	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_b219ac90	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_b219ac90
Gimme a Break! / int_b4ab58d0	type	Modern Minstrelsy
Gimme a Break! / int_b4ab58d0	comment	Modern Minstrelsy: An interesting example. Nell is putting together a charity show. Sam is mad at her for not allowing her to go on an unchaperoned camping trip with teenage boys, and convinces Joey to perform in blackface.
Gimme a Break! / int_b4ab58d0	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_b4ab58d0	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_b4ab58d0
Gimme a Break! / int_b4eff8a8	type	Epic Fail
Gimme a Break! / int_b4eff8a8	comment	Epic Fail: In an early episode, the Chief tries to play a video game with Julie and loses a life just by pressing start.
Gimme a Break! / int_b4eff8a8	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_b4eff8a8	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_b4eff8a8
Gimme a Break! / int_bcc5c9a5	type	Replaced the Theme Tune
Gimme a Break! / int_bcc5c9a5	comment	Replaced the Theme Tune: In Season 3, once again with Nell Carter performing it.
Gimme a Break! / int_bcc5c9a5	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_bcc5c9a5	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_bcc5c9a5
Gimme a Break! / int_bd8aa92a	type	Negative Continuity
Gimme a Break! / int_bd8aa92a	comment	Negative Continuity: How long ago Margaret died. Early episodes implied it was recent, and any bad behavior from the girls was treated as a reaction to it, and the plotlines of a few early episodes revolve around Nell getting used to the family. However, Samantha usually acted as if she never knew her mother. The "Flashback" episode shows her alive when the girls were relatively young, but still old enough to remember her. Another episode has Julie not knowing the cause of her mother's death (it was lung cancer, which is how Carl convinces Julie to quit smoking). Nell's family. Originally, Nell's mother supported her dream of being a singer, but later became a shrill woman who never had faith in her. To the show's credit, they initially did handwave her mother's change in personality as a reaction to her husband's death, but they also changed her name (from Emma to Maybelle) and the actress. Nell's father was originally the one who disapproved of Nell's dreams, but after he died, Deceased Parents Are the Best came in full force, going so far as to say that Nell was his favorite. Nell's younger sister's name also changed from Marie to Loretta, and went from an immature brat who still watched Sesame Street to a snob. She also went from being married in her first appearance to getting married in the second (and the characters react as if she was on the verge of becoming an old maid, suggesting he's her first.) Addy was originally an Alpha Bitch who picked on Nell, but later episodes acted as if they were always busom-buddies. To be fair, they did say they were closer than Nell let on in her first episode. A later episode acted as if they were both bullied by another local Alpha Bitch. Joey's supposed backstory of living with an uncle was originally treated as a lie. When his backstory is finally explained when he reunites with his father, in particular that his mother is dead and his father was at sea, it turns out that he really was living with an uncle at the time Nell adopted him. This does bring up the question of what happened to said uncle this whole time?
Gimme a Break! / int_bd8aa92a	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_bd8aa92a	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_bd8aa92a
Gimme a Break! / int_c25c7890	type	Fun with Acronyms
Gimme a Break! / int_c25c7890	comment	Fun with Acronyms: PORKO (the weight loss support group of which Nell is a member in a handful of episodes during Seasons 1 and 2)note Season 3â€™s â€œThe Way to a Manâ€™s Heartâ€� has her in Weight Winners, a Brand X of Weight Watchers, which stands for â€œPeople Organized to Reduce and Kick Obesityâ€�.
Gimme a Break! / int_c25c7890	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_c25c7890	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_c25c7890
Gimme a Break! / int_c2cedc1c	type	Big "NO!"
Gimme a Break! / int_c2cedc1c	comment	Big "NO!": Nell's response to the Chief when he asks if she's seen Julie—who had just gotten back from Las Vegas after eloping with her boyfriend, Jonathan Maxwell.
Gimme a Break! / int_c2cedc1c	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_c2cedc1c	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_c2cedc1c
Gimme a Break! / int_c33ba0a8	type	Chuck Cunningham Syndrome
Gimme a Break! / int_c33ba0a8	comment	Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: The "wacky" Swackhammer character, who served as a foil to Nell, disappeared after a few episodes in the second season. Officer Simpson also disappeared after Season 5, but it can be assumed that, without the Chief, there was just no excuse for him to be around. The Chief's brother, to a degree. While it can be assumed he started a new life after marrying, some lines act as if the Chief were an only child. Added to that, he did not help with taking care of his brother's children after the Chief died.
Gimme a Break! / int_c33ba0a8	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_c33ba0a8	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_c33ba0a8
Gimme a Break! / int_c3665600	type	Mammy
Gimme a Break! / int_c3665600	comment	Mammy: In Addy's first appearance, she tells the girls how proud she is to be among the successful black women who are showing the world that they're not "a bunch of Aunt Jemimas"...and at that moment, Nell stumbles in the front door wearing a kerchief and carrying a basket full of laundry.
Gimme a Break! / int_c3665600	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_c3665600	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_c3665600
Gimme a Break! / int_c8bea31b	type	K-I-S-S-I-N-G in a Tree
Gimme a Break! / int_c8bea31b	comment	Kissing In A Tree: After Samantha had her first kiss with a boy, Katie and Julie sang this to her and the boy.
Gimme a Break! / int_c8bea31b	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_c8bea31b	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_c8bea31b
Gimme a Break! / int_ccaaef88	type	Broadcast Live
Gimme a Break! / int_ccaaef88	comment	Broadcast Live: Season 4's "Cat Story".
Gimme a Break! / int_ccaaef88	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_ccaaef88	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_ccaaef88
Gimme a Break! / int_d0bf8a6d	type	No Periods, Period
Gimme a Break! / int_d0bf8a6d	comment	No Periods, Period: Played ridiculously straight with three teenage girls and an adult woman living in the house, yet the topic never came up.
Gimme a Break! / int_d0bf8a6d	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_d0bf8a6d	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_d0bf8a6d
Gimme a Break! / int_d0d90308	type	Bizarre Taste in Food
Gimme a Break! / int_d0d90308	comment	Bizarre Taste in Food: One time, Nell accidentally burns a steak black, which Carl then eats, happily saying, "You finally cooked it the way I like it!"
Gimme a Break! / int_d0d90308	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_d0d90308	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_d0d90308
Gimme a Break! / int_d7fc9fd0	type	Vitriolic Best Buds
Gimme a Break! / int_d7fc9fd0	comment	Vitriolic Best Buds: Nell and Addy were described as best friends, though the two were not averse to taking potshots at each other.
Gimme a Break! / int_d7fc9fd0	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_d7fc9fd0	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_d7fc9fd0
Gimme a Break! / int_e0723cbb	type	You Talk Too Much!
Gimme a Break! / int_e0723cbb	comment	You Talk Too Much!: Samantha was prone to this during the early seasons, and would sometimes blab something the others didn't want to have known.
Gimme a Break! / int_e0723cbb	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_e0723cbb	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_e0723cbb
Gimme a Break! / int_e2d457	type	The Ditz
Gimme a Break! / int_e2d457	comment	The Ditz: Officer Ralph Simpson.
Gimme a Break! / int_e2d457	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_e2d457	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_e2d457
Gimme a Break! / int_e4582d4f	type	Maximum Capacity Overload
Gimme a Break! / int_e4582d4f	comment	Maximum Capacity Overload: In "Porko's II", Nell and the members of her overweight support group get stuck in an elevator while stopping the founder of the group, Dr. George Avery, from jumping off his top-floor apartment. (During his visit to their meeting, Nellâ€™s fellow PORKO members had made light of Dr. Avery having regained the 180 lbs he had previously lost.) The people inside argue for a while, then try going down in the elevator, which works. Nell gets off at the lobby but the elevator then closes and goes back up, now no longer over capacity, forcing Nell to have to take the stairs. As they talk Dr. Avery out of jumping, he, Nell and the other PORKO members are later forced back into Dr. Averyâ€™s hotel room after the balcony starts crumbling underneath them.
Gimme a Break! / int_e4582d4f	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_e4582d4f	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_e4582d4f
Gimme a Break! / int_f42f96fa	type	Would Hit a Girl
Gimme a Break! / int_f42f96fa	comment	Would Hit a Girl: Carl slaps Katie and Julie (on camera) at least once each, although it could be argued that it was justified ... Katie making a smart remark and about her mother, Julie when caught in a lienote About her not smoking, which her mother did a lot of, leading to her death. He also threatens to use his belt to whip Katie in "Katie the Cheat" when he found out that she lied about taking a college exam. In the episode he slaps Julie, Carl reveals his regret he never slapped Margaret (his now late wife and daughters' late mother) when he couldn't get her to stop smoking, in what would have been a misguided (to say the least) attempt to wake her up to the fact that she was killing herself with her chronic smoking.
Gimme a Break! / int_f42f96fa	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_f42f96fa	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_f42f96fa
Gimme a Break! / int_f951f89b	type	Bad to the Last Drop
Gimme a Break! / int_f951f89b	comment	Bad to the Last Drop: Carl was on a stakeout, and brought a thermos of coffee that had been made by one of the daughters. When his partner drank some of it, he asked if it was supposed to be coffee. Carl looked at it and said, "I think so. Turpentine doesn't have grounds in it."
Gimme a Break! / int_f951f89b	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_f951f89b	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_f951f89b
Gimme a Break! / int_f9f2c33	type	Running Gag
Gimme a Break! / int_f9f2c33	comment	Running Gag: That poor fish.... "There ain't no Julio here!" after the phone rings.
Gimme a Break! / int_f9f2c33	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_f9f2c33	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_f9f2c33
Gimme a Break! / int_fb9941df	type	Platonic Co-Parenting
Gimme a Break! / int_fb9941df	comment	Platonic Co-Parenting: Nell and Carl raised his three daughters (and later, adopted son Joey) together. Though it was clear Carl had final on any important decisions.
Gimme a Break! / int_fb9941df	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_fb9941df	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_fb9941df
Gimme a Break! / int_ff17ccf1	type	Innocently Insensitive
Gimme a Break! / int_ff17ccf1	comment	Joey insults Nell by dressing in blackface, thanks to Sam's manipulation. He thought he was honoring black people by imitating Al Jolson.
Gimme a Break! / int_ff17ccf1	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_ff17ccf1	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_ff17ccf1
Gimme a Break! / int_name	type	ItemName
Gimme a Break! / int_name	comment
Gimme a Break! / int_name	featureApplicability	1.0
Gimme a Break! / int_name	featureConfidence	1.0
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Gimme a Break! / int_name
Gimme a Break! / int_name	itemName	Gimme a Break!

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	African-American Media / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Bad to the Last Drop / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Bizarre Taste in Food / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Blackface / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Dies Wide Open / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Discriminate and Switch / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Elevator Failure / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Fan Disillusionment / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Fat Comic Relief / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Game Show Appearance / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	I'll Take Two Beers Too / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Instant Death Bullet / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	K-I-S-S-I-N-G in a Tree / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Mammy / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Maximum Capacity Overload / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Miss Conception / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Modern Minstrelsy / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Nice Character, Mean Actor / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	No Periods, Period / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Platonic Co-Parenting / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Replaced the Theme Tune / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	The Cast Showoff / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	The Danza / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	You Talk Too Much! / int_3f4e6a1a
Gimme a Break!	hasFeature	Locked in a Room / int_3f4e6a1a

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