Sitcoms

[questionableme]

Is anyone here a fan of sitcoms?

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of you don't watch sitcoms, because they have the reputation of being stupid, mindless drivel. And most of them are. But still, I'm a big fan of the genre for a number of reasons that I'll describe a little later. I'm also kind of a sitcom snob, in that I really only try to find shows that are not just good but great. (Let it be known that I'm mostly familiar with American sitcoms from the last couple decades, with a few exceptions.)

But before I impose my opinions on you, let me first open up the floor. What are your favorite sitcoms? (Please be aware that if you say Two and a Half Men, then you are dead to me.)

[daydreamer]

i love sitcoms ! lol i'm in a bit of a lull at the moment, it's been a long time since i've latched onto a new one. the writer's strike really messed with a lot of things, followed by the director's threats as well. anyway, it's good to record reruns, that way i can watch something sequential every nite and maintain continuity (better than waiting a whole week anyway.) the only thing that sucks is when they start to chop them up so that some jokes are cut or the rhythm is screwed. ugh !

i liked just shoot me, becker, 3rd rock, news radio... seinfeld of course in the day but i don't watch it anymore even if i catch it on. arrested development. i'm old so way back in the day i used to like night court - dan fielding was great. it seems i find sexist pigs and grumpy old men funny. lol although i admit, i used to watch roseanne way back too.

i dunno that i could watch those old ones again. but the newer ones, i still watch on occasion.

[LaoTzu]

Night Court was fantastic... until the end anyway :)

I like 30Rock too (the reunion episode was hilarious).

I watched a lot back 10 years or more ago, not so much afterwards, real-life was much more entertaining...
I like the HBO stuff still, They're sitcoms, just fleshed out more.
... stuff like Arli$$, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry Sanders Show, Dream On.

[daydreamer]

entourage is hilarious, but i didn't realize that it was considered a sitcom. lol there are definitely lots of strange things out there that are funny lol. larry sanders was good !

[putupon]

I still miss The Larry Sanders Show.

[questionableme]

Okay, well, here's my list: Seinfeld, The Office (both UK and US versions), Frasier, Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Larry Sanders Show, Cheers, Extras, How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock.

Note that often within a single show, the quality will vary widely, so really I just mean these shows at their best. There are also a few other shows that are probably good but I just haven't seen enough of them. (The shows above I have seen every episode.) Of the other shows mentioned already, I've seen a bit of Just Shoot Me, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Newsradio. Of these I like Newsradio the best; I'd watch the other two if they were on but wouldn't go out of my way to see them. I've also watched a little bit of Sports Night, but as of yet I'm kind of torn as to whether it's good or if it just thinks it is.


So why do I like sitcoms? I think some people think sitcoms are just stupid, passive entertainment. But ever since I've started being more analytical about my watching, I seem to enjoy them much more.

I like to think that the sitcom is really a game between you and the writers. They give you a setup, and then you imagine the punchline or outcome. If you guess what's coming, you get a point. If they totally fool you and you appreciate what happens, they get a point. (You're the referee, so use your own judgment.)

If you're watching a good sitcom, then you should not win. If you're watching a bad sitcom, then you'll be racking up points like Tommy Walker. That way, even if the show sucks, at least you get the satisfaction of winning. Actually, I don't really keep score like this, but I think it gives a reasonable idea of my thought process when I watch sitcoms.

Of course, there's much more to a good sitcom than that, but since this post is long enough already, I'll leave it at that for now. If anyone else has any opinions on the matter, I'd love to hear them.

[Samoan Corleone]

Everybody Loves Raymond (my own family is so much like the Barones), 30 Rock, Extras, The Office, and others that I just can't think of now. We get most of the good ones from the US and UK here in NZ, I think.

[TwinStar]

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Office, Arrested Development. :)

[Storm]

Only two that I like that haven't been mentioned yet:
Red Dwarf
Coupling.

I agree with Question that a good sit-com shouldn't be completely cliche and canned.
However, it doesn't need to be completely unpredictable to be good. It needs to tell a real story well while poking fun of our own humanity.
The acting and interplay of the characters, and overall story arch also have to be good.
That's why I liked Coupling, the shows weren't so much about the plot but creating opportunities to laugh at the awkwardness of romance, but it ended when it should have.

While I don't think either British or American sitcomss are inherently better than the other, I like the British tradition to end a sitcom when it should end, instead of forever dragging it out.

[TheLastMohican]

I like Seinfeld. I don't watch any current sitcoms, though.

[Anderson]

Do animated shows such as The Simpsons, South Park, or Family Guy count as sitcoms?

If so, then I count those.

[questionableme]

Do animated shows such as The Simpsons, South Park, or Family Guy count as sitcoms?

If so, then I count those.

Sure, why not? I also watch Futurama.

Only two that I like that haven't been mentioned yet:
Red Dwarf
Coupling.

Not too familiar with British shows, so perhaps I'd like Fawlty Towers or Blackadder but I've never seen them. I assume, of course, that you are referring to the original Coupling, since the US version is always cited nowadays as one of the worst remakes ever.


However, it doesn't need to be completely unpredictable to be good. It needs to tell a real story well while poking fun of our own humanity.
The acting and interplay of the characters, and overall story arch also have to be good.

Yes, definitely. I like when shows have heart, because life is both funny and sweet. That's one reason why shows like The Office are so effective. But I also admit that it isn't really necessary. For instance, Seinfeld has no heart. Actually, there were a few heartwarming moments in the first few seasons, but they didn't really fit, and I'm glad they got rid of them. As for acting, shows with bad acting usually suck. But somehow, Jerry Seinfeld is a pretty bad actor and yet it's okay, because it all kind of fits into the ridiculousness of the show.

Another thing I look for is tight writing. For instance, how the show deals with multiple storylines can make a big difference. Most shows have an A-plot and B-plot (and maybe more) in any one episode (one exception: Everybody Loves Raymond, which somehow managed to have only one plot per episode). But a lot of times the extra plots don't seem to go anywhere; they just flounder around, don't get resolved very well, and don't seem to matter. The best shows make sure all their plots are related, either directly or thematically, and all get resolved. I think Seinfeld does this especially well.

While I don't think either British or American sitcomss are inherently better than the other, I like the British tradition to end a sitcom when it should end, instead of forever dragging it out.

There's an advantage to the British way of doing it, in that you don't get a lot of episodes that suck. Still, I prefer the American way, since even though you get a lot of clunkers, you typically also get more quality episodes. But I'm a Yank.

[Zombicide]

Family Guy, Sanford & Son, Married With Children and Frasier are pretty much the only sitcoms I've ever liked. Other sitcoms are basically just very annoying.

Granted I probably would like The Office if I watched more of it, also It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Curb Your Enthusiasm. . .in hindsight, there's actually a number of them I appreciate but the ones I listed are probably all of them. . .unless Aqua Teen Hunger Force counts, I swear to Satan I love that show.

[Storm]

By "making fun our own humanity" I didn't necessarily mean "heart warming."
I think Seinfield did so well because it's main appeal was making fun of the everday things in life by exageratting them.
On the same note, I thought the later episodes weren't as funny as the older ones because a lot of the humanity had been sucked out of the characters. I like dark humor to an extent, but Sienfield wasn't set up for it.

Curb Your Enthusiasm was set up for dark humor from the beginning, so I'm more accepting of Larry's apathtiscm towards everyone.

If we're counting animation. I'd also like to add the Venture Brothers. I'm not sure if it's strictly a sit-com, but it is very funny, although a bit campy.

[questionableme]

By "making fun our own humanity" I didn't necessarily mean "heart warming."

Well, I was more referring to you saying it needed to "tell a real story," though again, that doesn't need to be heart-warming. I also find it annoying if a show overdoes it on the maudlin stuff, like in so-called "very special episodes." It's a sitcom, not a soap, for God's sake.

I think Seinfield did so well because it's main appeal was making fun of the everday things in life by exageratting them.
On the same note, I thought the later episodes weren't as funny as the older ones because a lot of the humanity had been sucked out of the characters. I like dark humor to an extent, but Sienfield wasn't set up for it.

My favorite season is the fourth and my least favorite are the first two (which only have sixteen episodes combined). In the later seasons, like seasons seven and up, you can tell that they decided, okay, we're just going to make it fun, and I think they did a fine job of it.

. . .unless Aqua Teen Hunger Force counts, I swear to Satan I love that show.

I don't know why anyone likes this show. But I'm a snob.

[zibber]

I like Seinfeld. I don't watch any current sitcoms, though.

Seems like you are ripe for a little Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Believe zibber.

[SShack]

One of my INTJ friends with a very, very dark sense of humor contends that "Battlestar Galactica" is the funniest show on television. Very, very dark sense of humor.

[azelismia]

hate seinfeld hate the office. I don't like most sitcoms. I like the animated ones though, family guy (least favorite) south park and simpsons and of course futurama are all favorites, red dwarf is an all time favorite. loved the newhart show too. not the early one that took place in chicago but the later one that took place in vermont. I liked night court in the day but it didn't hold it's own well with time.

[Kisai]

One of my INTJ friends with a very, very dark sense of humor contends that "Battlestar Galactica" is the funniest show on television. Very, very dark sense of humor.

It is pretty funny at times. Watching Gaius Baltar operate is hysterical. An ENTP with no moral compass and an ESFJ toaster in his head. :)

I used to watch sitcoms when I was younger because there wasn't anything better on TeeVee. The Jeffersons was my favorite (mainly because I had eldest child syndrome). I also liked to watch It's Gary Shandling's Show.

Nowadays I only watch Family Guy and the Simpsons and Drawn Together when they're on, because the humor is funnier because they can get away with being so outlandish.

[Nyctalop]

One of the funniest sitcoms I've watched is Lucky Louie. It's pretty obscure. HBO canceled it after just one season because it offended too many people, catholic church included. If you see somewhere on a DVD with the whole season, buy it. I'm sure you'll love it.

[Kisai]

Oh I just remembered Greg the Bunny, go see that on DVD.

[SeaCzar]

Storm mentioned Red Dwarf. This is one of my favourite shows. If anyone else likes this show, there is a special coming out around Easter with the original characters where they actually return to Earth. I can't wait.

[Storm]

Storm mentioned Red Dwarf. This is one of my favourite shows. If anyone else likes this show, there is a special coming out around Easter with the original characters where they actually return to Earth. I can't wait.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excited!
The last episode always bugged me for having no closure. Maybe we'll get it.

[Zombicide]

I forgot about Lucky Louie, that show was pretty good. I didn't know they'd cancelled it, I was looking forward to the next season





Zombicide added to this post, 2 minutes and 20 seconds later...

I don't know why anyone likes this show. But I'm a snob.

See the Happy Time Harry episode, if that one's not funny to you, then it is not the show

[SShack]

It is pretty funny at times. Watching Gaius Baltar operate is hysterical. An ENTP with no moral compass and an ESFJ toaster in his head. :)

Oh yeah, he really is a hoot, in a very horrifying way. Watching a narcissist navigate the apocalypse has its moments. I would totally watch a sitcom where he nearly inadvertently destroys all of humanity as an unintended side effect of his complete self-absorption every week.

[Nikita]

I don't watch any currently, and I rarely watch reruns, but I like: Cheers, Seinfeld, Frasier, Will & Grace, Golden Girls, Friends (though it gets a little old), Everybody Loves Raymond, Just Shoot Me, and Home Improvement. There may be others I'm forgetting.

[questionableme]

See the Happy Time Harry episode, if that one's not funny to you, then it is not the show

Done. I'm still not sure why it's supposed to be funny. I can certainly tell it's trying to be funny. But just because it's random and surreal and the characters do stupid things doesn't mean it's any funnier than the last time I visited my Uncle Emilio. And that wasn't funny, just sad.

I guess Aqua Teen Hunger Force is not the show for me. Ah well, to each her own.

[Cocoa]

I love good british sitcoms!

Top 2 are:
Keeping up Appearances
My Family

I highly recommend! :P

[Rudy]

30 Rock, News Radio, Frasier, Red Dwarf. I've always thought of M.A.S.H. as a military sitcom, but I'm not sure if that counts.

I have to say that I loathe Seinfeld. If a show does not have decent people for me to empathize with, then it is unwatchable. The only thing I can think when watching it is "How can these people be so awful?"

[Kisai]

Every Seinfeld episode would be 4 minutes long if the characters just stopped lying. I can't stand it. I want to beat all of the characters with a Maglite.

[Rudy]

Every Seinfeld episode would be 4 minutes long if the characters just stopped lying. I can't stand it. I want to beat all of the characters with a Maglite.
QFT.

I really don't enjoy watching the misery and problems caused by the dishonesty of wretched human beings.