WandaVision was a major success for Marvel Studios and Disney+. It was the perfect mix of MCU action and classic family sitcoms. It was must-watch TV every Friday and it was fun how the aesthetic of the show changed from week to week. The look and feel of the show fit with each decade they were in, referencing the time periods and their classic shows along the way.
It's discovered late in the season that, when she was a child, Wanda would have a family night each week and they would choose an American sitcom to watch from her dad's DVD collection. Being from Sokovia, the only way they could see these classic shows were DVDs and her dad a lot to choose from. Wanda would later use these sitcoms to create her perfect fictional life after her real one became marred with tragedy.
10 The Dick Van Dyke Show, 1960s: Young Married Couple In Black & White
WandaVision used a lot from The Dick Van Dyke Show, most obvious being in black and white and Wanda's marriage to Vision mirroring Van Dyke and his TV wife, Mary Tyler Moore. WandaVision director Matt Shakman even interviewed Dick Van Dyke to learn about comedy at that time and what gags would work. Van Dyke told Shakman that if it couldn't happen in real life, it couldn't happen on the show.
However, Shakman had to make some exceptions, especially since the show featured two superheroes, one of whom is a witch. Although, he was able to capture the setting correctly, especially the placement of the furniture and the brick wall in the living room.
9 Bewitched, 1960s/1970s: Magical Witch & Hubby Put Their Beds Together
Talk about a perfect show for the Scarlet Witch to be a part of. Bewitched had a fun intro with a cartoon witch flying through the sky and WandaVision put their own spin on it, adding a flying Vision to their intro. Also, couples sleeping in separate beds was common practice for TV in the 1960s, which WandaVision used at the beginning of episode 2.
However, Bewitched was the first show to have a married couple in bed together and Wanda references it by putting her and Vision's beds together after hearing a loud noise outside their bedroom. Bewitched also had an episode that featured a magic show, which WandaVision would incorporate at the end of episode 2.
8 I Dream Of Jeannie, 1960s/1970s: Wish-Granting Female Controlling Her Husband
Another magical sitcom from the late 1960s was I Dream Of Jeannie, where a female genie falls in love with her master. Wanda recreated these sitcoms to include Vision and claimed she could control Vision in a later episode. Jeannie was always using her powers to influence her master and create things to keep their life happy, similar to Wanda using her powers to control life inside of Westview.
The end of episode 2 in WandaVision changes from black and white to technicolor, which also happened in I Dream Of Jeannie. Although, it changed after the episode was complete— not in the same episode, which happened in WandaVision. The most spectacular parallel were the visual effects using noticeable jump cuts, just as these classic sitcoms once did.
7 The Brady Bunch, 1960s/1970s: Retro Look & The Same Doll
Episode 3 of WandaVision jumps to the 1970s and continues in technicolor from the previous week's episode. While many '70s shows were referenced, The Brady Bunch had the most similarities.
Firstly, the opening credits have pictures that are shaped in hexagonal tiles, a reference to TBB's square-shaped pictures. Next, the new look of Wanda and Vision's house was based on The Brady Bunch, with its retro-looking kitchen, giant glass sliding door, and its long wooden staircase. Finally, the doll Vision uses to practice changing diapers is the exact same doll that little Cindy has on The Brady Bunch.
6 Family Ties, 1980s: A Special Episode With Great Opening Credits
Family Ties was a hugely popular sitcom in the 1980s, and Wanda designed her life in the 1980s after it. The opening credits of episode 5 were a great tribute to the show, especially showing Wanda in her retro clothes and talking to Vision while her name showed up on the screen. The biggest caveat had to be the flashback photos of younger Wanda and, more importantly (and hilariously), baby Vision.
The music also matched the sappy and slow songs of sitcoms like Family Ties, Growing Pains, et al. The look of Wanda and Vision's house also paid great tribute to the '80s, with the classic landline phone, stained windows, and the yellow velvet couch in the living room. The title of episode 5 was titled "On A Very Special Episode," which usually indicated some real drama on past sitcoms. Vision and Wanda's argument, plus "Pietro" showing up, definitely covered that.
5 Full House, 1980s/1990s: Art Imitating Life
Family Ties wasn't the only 1980s show to be spoofed in WandaVision. The family-friendly Full House was beloved throughout the country. It became a staple of Friday night television from the late '80s to the early '90s and starred a set of young twins, the Olsens. As it turns out, the Olsen twins had a younger sister who would become a big actress and star in the MCU.
Elizabeth Olsen states that she basically lived on the set of Full House and used her memories to make their take of the show authentic. The opening video of episode 5 had Wanda, Vision, and their twins running through a field and having a picnic, exactly the same as Full House. In addition, the twins aging so quickly was a nod to the boy twins on Full House who went from newborns to toddlers in just a few months— though drastic age jumps for child characters between seasons has always been a common sitcom trope.
4 Twilight Zone, 1950s/1960s: Spooky Accident With Boss
If a show about a powerful witch and her android husband wasn't crazy enough, one moment really added to the spookiness of WandaVision. Episode 1 started out very innocent and was reminiscent of classic '50s and '60s sitcoms. However, when Vision's boss, Mr. Hart, and his wife come to dinner, things start to take a strange turn.
While eating, Mr. Hart starts choking and his wife just laughs it off, telling him to stop it and that he's fine. Wanda then turns off the façade and tells Vision to save him. Vision saves him, then Mr. Hart and his wife leave in a comedic fashion. This strange moment seemed like something straight off The Twilight Zone, which was a mystery/sci-fi/thriller show in the 1960s. Each episode was entertaining, especially because there was a new mystery each week.
3 Malcom In The Middle, 2000s: Handheld Video Footage & An Aloof Brother
The intro of WandaVision's 6th episode paid tribute to the early 2000s hit, Malcolm In The Middle. The handheld camera footage filmed by the twins and Wanda's crazy "brother" running amuck was straight from MITM. As was the font for each character's name and the camera angles for certain shots, specifically "Pietro" sleeping.
Wanda with curlers in her hair and brushing her teeth was strikingly similar to what the mom does in the MITM intro. Another fun nod had the twins talking directly to the camera, just like Malcolm did in his show. Things could get hectic on MITM and "Pietro" taking the twins trick-or-treating, stealing candy, and spraying silly string on people were as hectic as Wanda wanted things to get.
2 Modern Family, 2010s: Mockumentary-Style Interviews
After the craziness of the Halloween Spooktacular episode, the 7th episode seemed to pump the breaks and focus more on Wanda's guilt. Modern Family was a popular show that ran for over 10 years and used a mockumentary style confessional for characters to talk directly into the camera. Wanda uses this confessional to tell "the audience" that she's okay when she clearly is not.
The mockumentary also follows Darcy and Vision as they try and return to the house. However, the interviews weren't the only similarities. Wanda's new kitchen is almost a perfect match to the Dunphy family kitchen and her sofa is right in front of the stairs, same as Modern Family. Lastly, the title WandaVision uses a distinct font at the end of the opening credits, and it is eerily similar to MF.
1 The Office, 2000s/2010s: The Theme Music & The Mug
The Office is one of the funniest shows ever made, so it was smart for WandaVision to use elements from it. The opening piano music is almost identical to that of the American version of The Office and the whole intro is very quick. Modern shows use shorter intros so that more content and additional commercials can be added.
It was also a nice nod to Michael Scott's world to have the characters say something in their interview and when it comes to fruition, look into the camera. For example, Vision says in his interview he thinks Wanda is trying to stop him from coming home and looks into the camera when multiple disruptions stop him and Darcy. Let's not forget Wanda's coffee mug, which is her version of Michael's "World's Best Boss" mug.