Road Runner Posted May 4, 2021 Share #1 Posted May 4, 2021 And which one is the best (written and acted)? I watch a lot of old sitcoms on TV these days because they are the only shows I truly enjoy anymore. News shows make me nauseous, I've lost interest in sports, dramas just seem silly, and all those "reality" shows are plain garbage. Anyway, I was recently watching a "Friends" episode and I started thinking about how excellent the Friends series actually was. I think my favorite sitcom is "Curb Your Enthusiasm", partly because I identify with the main character so much. But I am beginning to think that overall, Friends, with it's consistently funny stories and premises and it's amazing cast is probably the best TV sitcom ever made. What is your opinion? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #2 Posted May 4, 2021 Curb is always great, but I rarely just have it on and have to seek it out. Seinfeld, with broad syndication, is often on and never disappoints. Other classics like Cheers or Family Ties or similar long running 80s/90s ones would be easy to catch an episode here or there. I generally don't spend much time on sitcoms, so that's about my list for "modern" shows - Seinfeld (getting less modern) and Curb, plus a smattering of the 80s/90s stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldendesign Posted May 4, 2021 Share #3 Posted May 4, 2021 Used to love Friends. I don't know if I had a favorite sitcom, I've become or maybe always more of a drama TV series fan. Though in some aspects you could consider my favorite TV series of ALL time a sitcom, Eureka. I rewatch it every few years. I love that show. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #4 Posted May 4, 2021 In no particular order: married w/ children, all in the family, jeffersons, friends, cheers, frasier, seinfeld, curb your enthusiasm, keeping up appearances. Archie bunker's place was ok, but not as funny w/o meathead I've seen all the original curb episodes, but when he rebooted the show I never seen the new seasons...hopefully I'll be able to somehow in the future I was thinking the same thing aboot friends. I started watching some episodes few months ago, and I laughed a lot. I forgot how funny it was. The only "new" show I watch, although its been months, is last man standing w/ tim allen. Most new shows suck IMO. When I watch antenna tv...literally w/ my rabbit ears , I like andy griffith, gomer pyle, etc. Those shows were funny and simple. Sometimes on weekend mornings, I'll watch soap Oh, and I like watching johny carson. Benny hill too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #5 Posted May 4, 2021 Unless you call MASH a sitcom, none. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Road Runner Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share #6 Posted May 4, 2021 3 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said: I was thinking the same thing aboot friends. I started watching some episodes few months ago, and I laughed a lot. I forgot how funny it was. Exactly my experience! I think I just forgot about Friends because it was on for so long and I just sort of tired of it during it's heyday, but now I watch it and am finding it funnier than ever. And the cast and characters can't be beat; Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe. Joey, Chandler and Ross were also pretty good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #7 Posted May 4, 2021 1 minute ago, Road Runner said: Rachel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Road Runner Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share #8 Posted May 4, 2021 5 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted May 4, 2021 Share #9 Posted May 4, 2021 Corner Gas. And it has aged well, it is still funny to watch now. There have been lots of really good ones, but Corner Gas is the only one I remember as an adult laughing out loud at. And "The Office" (American Version) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airehead Posted May 4, 2021 Share #10 Posted May 4, 2021 Hmm, do not have one I dont think. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentonMakes Posted May 4, 2021 Share #11 Posted May 4, 2021 I really think it is the original 3- season run of Arrested Development. The writing was so clever with some really funny recurring gags and callbacks. Lots of little sight gags you probably miss the first time. It's too bad they sort of lost the magic when they came back later for seasons 4 and 5. Those episodes paled in comparison. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Road Runner Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share #12 Posted May 4, 2021 4 minutes ago, TrentonMakes said: It's too bad they sort of lost the magic when they came back later for seasons 4 and 5. Those episodes paled in comparison. I've noticed that most series have a "sweet" spot, usually starting in their second year and continuing until a few years before their cancellation. Seinfeld was a prime example. Once they got in the groove in year 2, they were excellent until the last few years, when the characters all became caricatures and the stories sucked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #13 Posted May 4, 2021 my name is earl, men behaving badly, get a life 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted May 4, 2021 Share #14 Posted May 4, 2021 I don't understand funny. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #15 Posted May 4, 2021 I'm a big fan of BBC comedies and my all-time favorite sitcom is "Last of the Summer Wine," which ran from 1973-2010 and was centered on three retirees until 2000 when it added more. It's the longest running TV show of all time. Peter Sallis, who played Norman Clegg was in every episode, mainly because he was the only original cast member still alive at the end! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted May 4, 2021 Share #16 Posted May 4, 2021 The Office, Seinfeld and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zealot Posted May 4, 2021 Share #17 Posted May 4, 2021 MASH is my favorite. But also enjoy Cheers, WKRP, Green Acres and many others really. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #18 Posted May 4, 2021 I forgot The Office (US and UK). Also, Flight of the Conchords was too funny and ended too soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted May 4, 2021 Share #19 Posted May 4, 2021 30 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said: The Office, Seinfeld and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I really tried to like The Office and Seinfeld. Never laughed or felt amused by either. Never heard of the other one. 13 minutes ago, Zealot said: MASH is my favorite. But also enjoy Cheers, WKRP, Green Acres and many others really. This is more my style. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #20 Posted May 4, 2021 1 hour ago, Road Runner said: I've noticed that most series have a "sweet" spot, usually starting in their second year and continuing until a few years before their cancellation. Seinfeld was a prime example. Once they got in the groove in year 2, they were excellent until the last few years, when the characters all became caricatures and the stories sucked. I felt the same way about MASH. After years of antics, they became holier-than-thou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Road Runner Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share #21 Posted May 4, 2021 16 minutes ago, Square Wheels said: I really tried to like The Office and Seinfeld. Never laughed or felt amused by either. I agree about The Office. I spent many years of being in an office with many other people, but I can't relate to any of the characters on the show. They are too over the top and unbelievable to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted May 4, 2021 Share #22 Posted May 4, 2021 1 hour ago, TrentonMakes said: I really think it is the original 3- season run of Arrested Development. YES!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Far ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #23 Posted May 4, 2021 TBBT. I went to school with those guys (composites, actually). If I was their age now, I can totally see a room full of collectables & gear & such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted May 4, 2021 Share #24 Posted May 4, 2021 2 hours ago, Road Runner said: 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #25 Posted May 4, 2021 The Flintstones. Barney Rubble was a hell of an actor. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #26 Posted May 4, 2021 Fawlty Towers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #27 Posted May 4, 2021 1 minute ago, Wilbur said: Fawlty Towers. More of the darn "few episodes, few seasons" sort of thing Brits are great at that - leave us wanting more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Far ★ Posted May 4, 2021 Share #28 Posted May 4, 2021 5 minutes ago, Wilbur said: Fawlty Towers. Red Dwarf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted May 4, 2021 Share #29 Posted May 4, 2021 I was fond of "Everyone loves Raymond." The dynamic between his Mother and Debra cracked me up. When she gave Debra the wrong spice for the meatballs on purpose..." I think it was Marjoram and not Oregano. The family dynamics were funny and relatable. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyBob Posted May 4, 2021 Share #30 Posted May 4, 2021 I'd have to go with "Taxi" as my favorite. Reverend Jim is hands down the best TV character ever created. Christopher Lloyd was a genius in that role. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zealot Posted May 4, 2021 Share #31 Posted May 4, 2021 Just now, UglyBob said: I'd have to go with "Taxi" as my favorite. Reverend Jim is hands down the best TV character ever created. Christopher Lloyd was a genius in that role. My favorite episode. 😊 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyBob Posted May 4, 2021 Share #32 Posted May 4, 2021 2 minutes ago, Zealot said: My favorite episode. 😊 I still can't help laughing every time I watch this scene. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted May 5, 2021 Share #33 Posted May 5, 2021 9 hours ago, bikeman564™ said: my name is earl, men behaving badly, get a life Hmmm, all exceedingly short-lived. I liked them too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoseySusan Posted May 5, 2021 Share #34 Posted May 5, 2021 Portlandia. It’s sketch humor, but I love it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted May 5, 2021 Share #35 Posted May 5, 2021 Hard choice between Green Acres, Seinfeld, The Office, Taxi, Cheers, etc. I also like Young Sheldon and The Conners. I am easy to please and my list is similar to bikeman’s. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisL Posted May 5, 2021 Share #36 Posted May 5, 2021 I don’t know if I could pick one, but my favorite at this point in time is Modern Family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted May 5, 2021 Share #37 Posted May 5, 2021 10 hours ago, Road Runner said: I've noticed that most series have a "sweet" spot, usually starting in their second year and continuing until a few years before their cancellation. Seinfeld was a prime example. Once they got in the groove in year 2, they were excellent until the last few years, when the characters all became caricatures and the stories sucked. If I wasn’t on my phone I would post a pic of Fonzie jumping the shark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted May 5, 2021 Share #38 Posted May 5, 2021 Hard to pick one favorite, but I appreciate the episodes that do a wonderful job of conveying situations and emotions we've all encountered, but do it in a way that is funny and sort of universal. There are lots of episodes of I Love Lucy that annoy me, especially where she's always trying to sneak into Ricky's show, but there are some that are absolutely classic, including when Lucy thinks they all forgot her birthday, or when she introduces her two good friends and hopes they get along (and they get along so well Lucy feels excluded). There are still so many lines from that show that my family quotes and we all know where they are from. Everybody Loves Raymond had some episodes like that, including the one where Deborah adamantly insists to Marie that she does not have Marie's favorite cannister. Mary Tyler Moore's epically bad dinner parties, including the one where Mr Grant takes half the Veal Prince Orloff and then has to put some back play to every host's fear. And while they're just silly, hard for me to watch Green Acres, Get Smart or Beverly Hillbilllies without laughing. I'll have to come back to this after I've had more time to remember all the ones I'm forgetting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted May 5, 2021 Share #39 Posted May 5, 2021 11 hours ago, Philander Seabury said: Hmmm, all exceedingly short-lived. I liked them too! yes, most shows that I really like are short lived Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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