Video Vocations Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mike Brady

Mike Brady, played by Robert Reed, was the patriarch of "The Brady Bunch" which ran from 1969 to 1974. "Here's the story of a lovely lady...". Widower Mike married Carol, and television's first 'blended' family was created. The family lived in California where Mike worked as an architect, although I don't remember ever seeing him at work.

He was a wise, caring father and husband, and an honest, ethical man, but that perm?

Answer: Hank Hill

Hank Hill is an animated character, created and voiced by Mike Judge. He lives in Arlen, Texas with his schoolteacher wife Peggy, son Bobby and niece Luanne. Hank sells propane for Mr. Stickland. Aside from his family, Hank's loves are the Dallas Cowboys and propane gas.

He is the main character on the sitcom "King of the Hill", which aired from 1997 to 2010. Mike Judge was also the creator of "Beavis and Butthead".

Answer: Monica Geller

The show "Friends" (1994-2004) featured the lives of six young friends who lived in the same apartment complex in Greenwich Village in New York City, and hung out at Central Perk. Monica Geller, sister of Ross, was played by Courteney Cox (sometimes Arquette).

She worked as a chef at Iridium, an upscale restaurant in Manhattan. Monica was a 'neat freak', ate Tic Tacs in even numbers and, eventually, married Chandler Bing.

Answer: Ralph Kramden

Back we go now, to early, live TV. "The Honeymooners" was based on a six minute sketch which appeared on the variety show "Cavalcade of Stars" in October 1951. The actual show ran from 1955 to 1956, with only 39 episodes in all. Ralph Kramden lived in Brooklyn with his wife, Alice, and their neighbors, Norton and Trixie.

He was a bus driver for the Gotham Bus Company. Ralph was played by the wonderful Jackie Gleason, whose character became a prototype for future sitcoms.

Answer: Ben Casey

In the 1960s, medical shows became very popular. One of those shows was "Ben Casey" (1961-1966), featuring the unsmiling neurosurgeon, Dr. Casey, and his mentor, Dr. Zorba. Ben was an intense, idealistic, young doctor who worked at saving lives at County General Hospital. Dr. Casey was portrayed by Vince Edwards. One of the most memorable parts of the show was the opening symbols on a chalkboard: "Man, woman, life, death, infinity".

Answer: Glenn Quagmire

"Family Guy" is an animated comedy created in 1999 by Seth MacFarlane. The show is about the Griffin family and their friends and neighbors on Spooner Street, in Quahog, Rhode Island. Aside from Peter Griffin's wife, three kids and the dog, Peter hangs out with his buddies at the Drunken Clam.

His buddies are wheel-chair bound cop Joe Swanson, deli owner Cleveland Brown, and sex-crazed airplane pilot Glenn Quagmire ("giggety"). Quagmire is voiced by Seth MacFarlane.

Answer: Ann Kelsey

Law shows were very popular in the 1980s. One of the most popular of this genre was "L.A. Law", which aired from 1986 to 1994. The drama centered around the law firm of McKenzie, Brackman (and later Chaney, Kuzak). They dealt with controversial, high-profile cases.

The firm employed a large number of attorneys over the years, including a married couple, i.e., Stuart Markowitz (Michael Tucker) and his wife, Ann Kelsey, played by Michael Tucker's real life wife, Jill Eikenberry.

Answer: G.O.B. Bluth

George Oscar Bluth, Jr., better known as G.O.B. (pronounced Jobe, not gob), is the egotistical older brother of Michael Bluth on "Arrested Development", a sitcom which debuted in 2003. Their father, George Sr., has been sent to prison for a white collar crime. G.O.B., played by Will Arnett, is a loud, emotional, insecure showman who is a professional magician.

He rides a Segway, lives on yachts, and is constantly seeking the attention and approval of everyone around him.

Answer: Al Bundy

"Married...with Children" was a sitcom which aired from 1987 to 1997, and featured one of TV's most dysfunctional families, the Bundys. Al Bundy was a shoe salesman who lived in suburban Chicago, Illinois with this wife, Peg, daughter Kelly, son Bud and dog, Buck. Al was played by Ed O'Neill (who later became the patriarch of the Pritchett clan on "Modern Family"). Al seemed to hate his wife, his job and his entire life.

In fact, the original working title for this show was "Not the Cosbys"!

Answer: Carl Winslow

Carl Winslow, played by Reginald VelJohnson, is a Police Officer on "Family Matters" (1989-1998). Did you know that "Family Matters" was a spinoff of "Perfect Strangers"? Carl's wife, Harriette, originally worked as an elevator operator at the Chicago Chronicle.

The spin-off was also set in Chicago, Illinois, and depicted a black middle-class family (sort of post-"Cosby", pre-"Blackish"), with an extremely annoying neighbor, i.e., Urkel.

Answer: Grace Adler

"Will and Grace" (1998-2006) was one of the first sitcoms to deal with homosexuals (although there was Jodie Dallas on "Soap", years earlier). The main characters are Will Truman, a gay attorney, and his straight friend Grace Adler who is an interior designer.

They live in the same apartment complex as Jack, their 'flamboyant' friend. Adding to that trio is the wealthy, boozy Karen Walker who is Grace's assistant (more or less). Grace is played by Debra Messing.

Answer: Dick Solomon

The wonderful actor John Lithgow played Dick Solomon on "3rd Rock from the Sun", a comedy which ran from 1996 to 2001. The plot revolved around a research expedition by four aliens who have come to Earth ("the least important planet") to observe our ways. Disguised as humans, they land in the fictional city of Rutherford, Ohio where Dick, the High Commander, lands a job as a physics professor at Pendleton State University.

Answer: Charlie Harper

Chuck Lorre's creation, "Two and a Half Men", featured free-spirited, hedonistic, womanizing Charlie Harper, played by Charlie Sheen between 2003 and 2011. Charlie lived in a beautiful Malibu beach house, free and unfettered until his newly-separated brother and nephew move in with him. Charlie is a successful, free-lance jingle writer and full-time Casanova.

Sheen sang the jingles, e.g., "Oshikuru: Demon Samurai", while pretending to play the piano.

Answer: Phil Dunphy

"Modern Family" is a hit show about the extended Pritchett clan, which first aired in 2009, and has won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series three years running, i.e., 2012, 2013, 2014. The show is set in Los Angeles, California. Jay Pritchett remarried a much younger woman with a preteen son; he also has a grown son and daughter. Jay's grown gay son, Mitchell, married his partner and adopted a baby; his older daughter, Claire, is married with three kids. Claire's husband, Phil Dunphy, is a real estate agent.

He is played by Ty Burrell.

Answer: Susan Mayer

Wisteria Lane is the setting for the drama "Desperate Housewives", which ran from 2004 to 2012. The story was about the residents of the fictional, suburban town of Fairview, in the "Eagle State". We dealt, primarily, with four friends, i.e., Gabrielle, Bree, Lynette and Susan, beginning with the aftermath of the suicide of another friend, Mary Alice Young. Susan Mayer, played by Teri Hatcher, was a divorced mother and children's book illustrator.