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72.144.187.196
Since: Dec, 1969
30th Apr, 2011 09:28:31 PM
Maybe Oliver Beene?
It was a sitcom with no laugh track, taking place in an earlier decade, and the main character or narrator was a youngish teenage boy. I remember a couple episodes featuring his older brother's attempts to impress an (Austrian?) girl who was a foreign exchange student.
In one, the brother was supposed to be helping her with her English class, which was reading The Catcher in the Rye. He hadn't read it yet himself, being a slacker, but when he did, he was enthralled by it. The two ended up going to an appearance by the author, where the brother inadvertently drives him into a depression by suggesting that he might not be able to top Catcher in the Rye.
In another episode, the brother watches amused, from a distance, as an old man attempts to pick up his keys but is unable to. The girl is angered at this, goes to help, and then berates the brother. The brother, attempting to defend himself, glances behind her at a poster about an old lady needing help around the house. He tells the girl that he does respect the elderly and in fact is volunteering to help an old lady. He takes the job to maintain his cover. It mostly involves giving the old lady footrubs. They end up bonding, as she shares her life's stories with him. When he tells (Austrian?) girl about all this, she seems strangely jealous for a moment, until he reassures her that nothing more is going on besides footrubs. One day, he throws a surprise dance/party for the old lady, meaning to mimic something from her youth. She's elated and, when asked for feedback, replies: "It looks nothing like it." Nevertheless, she appreciates the thought, so they dance together. They end up falling down due to her inability to keep up with him, and he falls on top of her. Just then, (Austrian?) girl walks in, sees them, says: "I thought you only rubbed her feet!" and runs out, upset. (All played for laughs, of course.) Guy gets up, shouting at her to wait, then hesitates and runs after her, leaving the old lady lying on the floor, unable to get up herself and looking puzzled.