Master Index of Archived Threads
The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F
| Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005) | 11 votes |
| Office, The (2005-Present) | 15 votes |
| 30 Rock (2006-Present) | 15 votes |
| Scrubs (2001-2009) | 10 votes |
| Will & Grace (1998-2006) | 5 votes |
| How I Met Your Mother (2005-Present) | 8 votes |
| 2 & 1/2 Men (2003-Present) | 3 votes |
| My Name is Earl (2005-2009) | 5 votes |
| It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-Present) | 5 votes |
| Big Bang Theory (2007-Present) | 9 votes |
| Arrested Development (2003-2006) | 14 votes |
| King of Queens (1998-2007) | 7 votes |
| That 70s show (1998-2006) | 7 votes |
| Just Shoot Me (1997-2003) | 2 votes |
| Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006) | 8 votes |
| Bernie Mac (2001-2006) | 2 votes |
| Frayed Knot Jan 26 2011 09:17 AM |
|
The final group for Round 1 - nominate [u:15pvtwa2]up to eight (8)[/u:15pvtwa2] of these shows to move on to the next round.
|
| Benjamin Grimm Jan 26 2011 09:30 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I voted for the six shows that I watched. I'm mostly unfamiliar with the remainder:
|
| themetfairy Jan 26 2011 10:03 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I have to vote for 30 Rock. I think I am Liz Lemon....
|
| RealityChuck Jan 26 2011 10:14 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I might have added Big Bang Theory, but I haven't seen it enough to judge.
|
| themetfairy Jan 26 2011 10:17 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
I actually don't watch Big Bang Theory, but all of my kids are very into it. From what they tell me, it's a great show.
|
| Valadius Jan 26 2011 11:09 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I'm surprised Malcolm in the Middle actually stayed on the air that long.
|
| Frayed Knot Jan 26 2011 11:10 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
Plus, 'How I Met Your Mother' is on the list so all must be right with the world.
|
| Valadius Jan 26 2011 11:17 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
Look, I know it's partly a generational thing, but How I Met Your Mother really resonates with my age cohort.
|
| seawolf17 Jan 26 2011 11:18 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
Plus, Alyson Hannigan is gorgeous.
|
| Benjamin Grimm Jan 26 2011 11:21 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
It's not that you like the show (I do too) but it's the way you tend to speak in absolutes.
|
| G-Fafif Jan 26 2011 11:26 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
Quietly very good to great era for the sitcom. First season of My Name Is Earl one of the strongest introductions any show has ever put on the board. Ended in its fourth season with a cliffhanger that cancellation made sure wouldn't be resolved, but by then, it didn't matter. But what a great first year.
|
| Ceetar Jan 26 2011 11:27 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
This is the first decade where I truly watched TV. I didn't watch that much of in the 90's (and closed out the 80s at the age of 7), and most of what I did watch was mostly due to watching them on DVD years later.
|
| seawolf17 Jan 26 2011 12:02 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
I'm assuming you mean "for" Penny. /raises hand
|
| Ashie62 Jan 26 2011 12:12 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
Scrubs and 70's show only, haven't seen the others.
|
| Ceetar Jan 26 2011 12:13 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
||
|
Well yes, that too.
|
| LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 26 2011 12:22 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
Really? Who are Evers and Chance in this formulation? The writing was pretty sharp for most of the show's run, and Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle knock it out of the park with their roles-- especially Roberts-- for the entirety of it. It's at least a Sutton, and possibly a Blyleven. Essentially, Big Bang Theory is one fantastic character-- genius/possible Asperger's sufferer Sheldon-- carrying a bunch of stale nerd archetypes/jokes. If Seinfeld and Friends had a drunken post-network-"upfronts" liaison, Friends kept the baby, and-- despite looking a lot like its "mother" at first-- eventually the baby became undeniably like its father... that baby is How I Met Your Mother. Having been introduced to it by a BBC chauvinist, I was surprised by how much I came to love the British Office. I was not expecting much at all from the American counterpart. I was beyond shocked at how good it got, and how deeply the writers dug into the secondary characters (which, partly because of its brevity, never happened on the BBC version). It's well into its decline phase, but still... a hell of a run. Earl started great, true, but its one note kinda wore by the end of that season. And, oh... Arrested. You big fuckin' Koufax, you. I go: Raymond 30 Rock Arrested Development The Office How I Met Your Mother (for now)
|
| HahnSolo Jan 26 2011 12:23 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
You've really got a thing for those Buffy chicks don't you?
|
| Frayed Knot Jan 26 2011 12:24 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
||
|
Yup, great first year ... and then a crashing nose-dive. I think once the originality of the show wore off there was nothing left.
I know I'm in the minority on this one, but I could just never get beyond the total unrealistically over-the-top Steve Carrell character. If you're going to sell the show as 'just like your office only funnier' then the main guy has to at least be within a driver and a 7-iron of believable.
|
| G-Fafif Jan 26 2011 12:30 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
Write-in vote for U.K. version. Phenomenal.
|
| LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 26 2011 12:34 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
Gervais was painful to watch. He was every shitty, wants-to-be-liked boss I ever had.
|
| LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 26 2011 12:35 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
And oh yeah, I voted for It's Always Sunny, too. Married with Children 2.0.
|
| Vic Sage Jan 26 2011 12:50 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
my take:
|
| John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 26 2011 01:33 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
I kind of liked that show too but never understood why they ever bothered with the parallel "Francis" storyline. Any ideas?
|
| LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 26 2011 01:48 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
They weren't all that dissimilar in feel, these two.
|
| G-Fafif Jan 26 2011 01:51 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
Malcolm and Bernie Mac gave Fox a lot of heart early in the last decade. Bernie Mac was hilarious for a season, darn watchable the rest of the way. RIP, Mr. Mac.
|
| metsguyinmichigan Jan 26 2011 01:54 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I confess that I don't get to watch to many modern sitcoms. But what I've seen of "Big Bang" is really funny, and the kids love "The Office."
|
| LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 26 2011 02:34 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
Terry Crews (dad on EHC, President Camacho from Idiocracy) is my current #1 on the This Guy Needs Something Better To Do Than This list.
|
| Benjamin Grimm Jan 26 2011 02:57 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I would have definitely voted for Chris.
|
| TransMonk Jan 26 2011 05:03 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
I know a guy who has pretty much the same personality traits as the Carrell character on the show. If you ever met him...it's uncanny. That show is funny because of the supporting cast. The Michael, Dwight, Jim and Pam characters give the show a longevity through story lines, but the other characters are what make the show hilarious.
|
| Frayed Knot Jan 26 2011 05:26 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I'll admit that I probably didn't give that one enough of a chance.
|
| Ceetar Jan 26 2011 05:32 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
So far I've only watched The Office on Jet Blue airplanes. It's a nice mostly mindless time waster for that occasion actually.
|
| Benjamin Grimm Jan 26 2011 05:33 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I feel the same way. If I find out that there's a good show that I haven't been watching, I'm okay with it.
|
| G-Fafif Jan 26 2011 06:19 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
Also from Fox and getting a second life lately on IFC is Undeclared, best college-based sitcom ever (not that there've been a ton).
|
| Ceetar Jan 26 2011 06:25 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
like Committed
|
| Benjamin Grimm Jan 26 2011 06:38 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I really liked Aliens in America.
|
| Edgy DC Jan 27 2011 09:12 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
Three came out at once after Animal House, one on each network --- Delta House (the direct "based on," whch may have starred Jim Belushi), Co-Ed Fever, and Boys and Girls. I'm also recalling one with Dana Carvey and his roomie (I think) Nathan Lane getting their college life uproariously inverted when the Carvey character's grandfather (Mickey Rooney, don'tchaknow) enrolls in the school and moves in with them. Beyond that, I've got Saved by the Bell: The College Years. A Different World is the only one I can think of that succeeded. Happy Days spent a lot of time with the guys in their college years but almost never followed them to campus.
|
| TheOldMole Jan 27 2011 11:34 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
There's one where the oldest Cosby daughter goes off to college.
|
| LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 27 2011 11:35 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
And it really didn't get off the ground until Bonet left the show, and the focus shifted to the other students.
|
| Edgy DC Jan 27 2011 11:37 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
Got it. A Different World.
|
| TheOldMole Jan 27 2011 11:37 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
And of course Steve goes off to college and leaves Blue behind, but they never based a series on that.
|
| Vic Sage Jan 27 2011 12:51 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
In my house, we're just now getting over Steve leaving Blue for college. I hope it wasn't Hudson. Hec, I would never let my kids go to that school.
|
| MFS62 Jan 27 2011 12:57 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I looked at this list several times before I noticed a show I had seen more than once -Will and Grace. None of the others made me want to come back for a second look. I may have liked some of the actors, but not the shows they were in.
|
| Vic Sage Jan 27 2011 01:31 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jan 27 2011 01:42 PM |
|
[u:101uvse7]network live-action sitcoms based on college life:[/u:101uvse7]
|
| seawolf17 Jan 27 2011 01:39 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I also liked Anthony Clark's "Boston Common," because it was about a college student activities office, which I worked in at the time. Plus Anthony Clark was big on the college circuit those days and I'd seen him a few times at conferences.
|
| RealityChuck Jan 27 2011 04:55 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
||
|
Evers -- Probably "Malcolm in the Middle": very smart, but not quite HOF Chance -- The Office. Worthy of the hall, but not the best of its era. Show by show: Everybody Loves Raymond --Raymond was basically unloveable; if his wife had any sense, she would have left by the second season (though he was certainly better than the despicable According to Jim). The characters were just cliches and the show harked back to a bad 50s sitcom, with less funny characters. I felt sad seeing Peter Boyle never given anything worthy of his talent on this one. Office, The -- Good, quirky characters and nice long-range plotting. Would have been better with Ricky Gervais (it took me one episode to realize the British series was better), but Carrell is fine. 30 Rock -- Tries to go all out to be the wackiest guy in the room. Shouts "wakka-wakka" and wears a lampshade on its head. It's wacky, all right, but it's rarely funny, and when it does, it stops to congratulate itself on how clever it is. Tina Fey is better than this. Scrubs -- The more I watch, the more I hate it. J.D. is a cruel, thoughtless, self-centered moron who every week learns the error of his ways and then goes back to being a cruel, thoughtless, self-centered moron the next week, until he learns the error of his ways. But everyone loves him because . . . IITS!* Dr. Cox is a great character, but he's the only one worth watching. Will & Grace -- Wow! Gay people can be funny! Just not on this sitcom. How I Met Your Mother -- haven't seen enough to judge 2 & 1/2 Men -- OK in the beginning, but it's grown very very old. Conchata Ferrel should be given her own show instead of trading lame insults. My Name is Earl -- A real winner. Manages to portray not very bright people in a charming and funny light. More great characters than ten other sitcoms combined -- Earl, Randy, Joy, Crabman, Patty the Daytime Hooker, etc. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia -- Not for everyone, but bawdy as all hell. These are the most self-centered and least selfaware characters in the history of TV and, unlike the Seinfeld crew, they manage to make it funny. Can be uneven, but their best episodes are classic (the recent one about the Halloween party was incredible). Big Bang Theory -- Like what I've seen, but haven't seen enough to make a real judgment.] Arrested Development -- The cleverest and densest sitcom ever to be put on the air. You just had to stick two characters in a scene to make it hilarious. Jokes fly by so fast that it's one of the few shows I can stand watching in reruns: you can always catch something you missed the first time. Also had a terrific supporting cast, and even the stunt casting (except for Martin Short) was brilliant on so many levels. King of Queens -- Mediocre dreck. I couldn't watch for more than two minutes. That 70s show -- So-so. Never very funny, but never terrible. Just Shoot Me -- Good idea. And the entire cast while you're at it. Malcolm in the Middle -- smart show, but it quickly wore out its welcome. If Malcolm was so smart (the premise), why did he never learn anything? Bernie Mac -- ordinary family comedy *It's In the Script!
|
| Ceetar Jan 27 2011 05:45 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
|
This is what made the show so terrible after a while, but the first couple of seasons weren't like that. It ended up going like 8, and the first 3 are excellent.
|
| G-Fafif Jan 27 2011 06:50 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
I once read college-based sitcoms don't do all that well in the ratings because generally speaking not that many viewers have gone to college.
|
| Frayed Knot Jan 27 2011 07:05 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
||
|
I saw it as more like 5-6 good seasons with 2-3 lousy ones, but that's about par for the course for most long-lasting sit-coms (MASH was around an 8/3 ratio; Seinfeld maybe about 7/2) Then ABC tried to squeeze an extra year out of Scrubs: Medical School which was about as good an idea as After-MASH
|
| Ceetar Jan 27 2011 07:08 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|||
|
I lose track of when exactly I thought it got bad, but those middle years may be gray areas regardless. You can definitely start to tell when they ran out of ideas though.
|
| Frayed Knot Jan 27 2011 08:11 PM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
In a way, Scrubs ran into the same problem as Seinfeld since both were a kind of anti-sitcom.
|
| Edgy DC Jan 28 2011 07:41 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
What I thought was good about Seinfeld is that it was written with a comic's ear. They knew things like "Bubble Boy," "Pepitone," and "Fusilli" were funny words and phrases.
|
| LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 28 2011 08:52 AM Re: The World Series of TV Sit-Coms - Group F |
|
Whereas Scrubs was, boiled down, a Family Guy parade of hit-or-miss non sequiturs, only with characters we were asked to like/feel sympathetic towards.
|