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World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

The Honeymooners

19 votes

M*A*S*H

17 votes

Taxi

22 votes

Mary Tyler Moore Show

18 votes

Bob Newhart Show

20 votes

Bewitched

4 votes

Family Ties

5 votes

News Radio

12 votes

Frayed Knot Jan 31 2011 08:14 AM

Choose [u:fohaaxrc]Up to four (4)[/u:fohaaxrc] of your favorites from this first group of round 1 survivors Voting will close at this hour on Thursday

Benjamin Grimm Jan 31 2011 08:20 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

The first three choices were easy for me: Honeymooners, Bob Newhart, and Mary Tyler Moore. For the fourth choice, I considered Taxi and M*A*S*H, but went with Newsradio.

Edgy DC Jan 31 2011 08:23 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

The Honeymooners Taxi Mary Tyler Moore Show Bob Newhart Show The last three feature excellent ensemble casts. The first features one of the two top characterizations in sitcom history.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 31 2011 10:27 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Honeymooners Taxi Mary Tyler Moore Newsradio The first Newhart was good, granted, but the second show was more wild and interesting; he won't get double the credit for essentially the same show with different window dressing. Everyone who slagged shows like Roseanne and Seinfeld for supposedly sticking around way past their prime/being unfunny for a good, long while: you didn't vote for M*A*S*H*, did you?

sharpie Jan 31 2011 10:34 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Honeymooners Taxi Mary Tyler Moore Bob Newhart Easy. I think Family Ties is in for a drubbin'.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 31 2011 10:38 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Everyone who slagged shows like Roseanne and Seinfeld for supposedly sticking around way past their prime/being unfunny for a good, long while: you didn't vote for M*A*S*H*, did you? I didn't vote this round yet, but I've already decided not to punish any shows for sticking around too long or for jumping the shark. Koufax is still one of the greatest pitchers even though he sucked for most of his career. And no one should ever attempt to diminish Willie Mays' career even though he stopped being great years before he retired. Did All in the Family's great peak years suddenly become less worthy, less groundbreaking, less clever and less influential because, years later, baby Joey was written into the script and Archie purchased Kelsey's Bar? I wouldn't think so.

Valadius Jan 31 2011 10:39 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

How is M*A*S*H not lapping the field?

themetfairy Jan 31 2011 10:40 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

When I was little, I remember twitching my nose with my finger like Tabitha did, just in case I was really a witch. For that happy memory alone, Bewitched gets one of my votes.

metsmarathon Jan 31 2011 10:47 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

i was too young for m*a*s*h and when the reruns came on, and when i hadn't already changed the channel, i didn't find the show that enjoyable. i did like taxi, usually. and i loved the reruns of bewitched. i didn't watch newsradio enough. it fell into the same trap in my mind that the drew carey show and fringe and burn notice find (found) themselves, where i like(d) and want(ed) to watch the show, but never get (got) around to turning it on enough. i used to watch family ties, but really, the only thing i really remember of it with any fondness was a young tom hanks as uncle rob bob getting drunk off of vanilla extract.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 31 2011 10:58 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Valadius wrote: How is M*A*S*H not lapping the field? I'd go with, "Because it was only really a comedy for about 1/3-1/2 of the run," or, "Because character-based polemics, even if you like the characters and agree with the politics, aren't terribly funny."

Frayed Knot Jan 31 2011 11:07 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

The 'Bob Newhart Show' above is the Chicago-based 1970s show. For the 1980s era Vermont-based Newhart see Group B

Willets Point Jan 31 2011 12:01 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Young Tom Hanks as drunk Uncle Ned on Family Ties! [youtube:2o25v6nn]OlLvS1vH9Tk[/youtube:2o25v6nn]

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 31 2011 12:24 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

A Very Special Episode that was.

Willets Point Jan 31 2011 12:33 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

It was no Blossom, but it was very special.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 31 2011 01:08 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Family Ties might have a shot in a "Most Very Special" Sit-Com competish. Other contenders: Blossom, Diff'rent Strokes, Growing Pains, Saved By The Bell, The Facts of Life... Mr. Belvedere?

Vic Sage Jan 31 2011 01:23 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

sharpie wrote: Honeymooners Taxi Mary Tyler Moore Bob Newhart ditto. i did have a tough call between NEWHART 1 and NEWSRADIO, but had to give the nod to Bob. As for MASH, while i liked it well enough its first few years, i found the Alda version of the show insufferable. And it was never close to what the movie was. I think if that series were being produced today it would've been well-served as a pay-cable series that didn't shy away from the sex and death.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 31 2011 01:32 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Hey, who snuck that Keaton vote in there? SHOW YOURSELF!

Frayed Knot Jan 31 2011 02:16 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

I'm voting for MASH as I think its ratio of good years vs bad was better than many here are giving it credit for - but the early returns show it to be in surprising trouble.

Vic Sage Jan 31 2011 02:40 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Frayed Knot wrote: I'm voting for MASH as I think its ratio of good years vs bad was better than many here are giving it credit for - but the early returns show it to be in surprising trouble. The comedy left with head writer Larry Gelbart after season 4. It ran for 7 more years. I don't think that's a good ratio.

Edgy DC Jan 31 2011 02:47 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

PiazzaFan's M*A*S*H*up.

Frayed Knot Jan 31 2011 02:59 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

PiazzaFan's M*A*S*H*up. I'll stick with my comment from that long-ago thread: Agreed that the show jumped the shark in it's later years, although I always thought more to the plunge in writing and attempts to sledge-hammer home their 'War is Bad' message than specifically to the cast changes. Blake & Trapper were gone after season 3 - Burns after about the 5th - and the show certainly had some good years after that. It finally died in season 11 - about 3 years after hurdling hammerheads. By the time Hawkeye & Hot-Lips stopped being antagonists it pretty much suxxed.

Vic Sage Jan 31 2011 03:36 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

MASH broke down into 3 basic periods: Early period (Funny/ha-ha) Sept 1972-March 77: Larry gelbart created the show and wrote much of it, leaving after season 4, with exec producer Gene Reynolds leaving after season 5. This was its most comic period. middle Period (Funny/sad) Sept 1977- Oct 79 ("Goodbye Radar"): Alan Alda and Burt Metcalfe took over the direction of the show for season 6, and it became less comic and more self-rightious. by the time Radar left early during season 8, so had all of the original writing staff. late period (unfunny/pathetic): Oct 79 - Feb 83: Seasons 8 thru 11 were an Alda fest, with him writing, directing, producing and running the craft services table on the set. The show limped to the end. Now, most people will say they like the Early period and don't care for the late period shows, citing Radar's departure as the "jump the shark" moment. So how folks rank the series overall really depends on their view of the middle period shows. While certainly there were some excellent episodes in those early Alda years, the bad started outweighing the good pretty early on, and i'd written the show off well before they sent Radar home. Actually, for me, the show that probably marked the beginning of the end of my interest in the series was probably DEAR SIGMUND, written and directed by Alda early during season 5 (episode #103 out of 251 total episodes). It was so bone-jarringly pretentious and inconsistent in tone from what had gone before that it could not help but put a harsh light on a self-conscious shift in direction for the series... a shift that could only happen in the power (and talent) vaccuum created after Gelbart left the show.

Edgy DC Jan 31 2011 06:26 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Family Ties might have a shot in a "Most Very Special" Sit-Com competish. Other contenders: Blossom, Diff'rent Strokes, Growing Pains, Saved By The Bell, The Facts of Life... Mr. Belvedere? It's really Diff'rent Strokes vs. Blossom. The rest are just pretenders. Whoa!

Fman99 Jan 31 2011 06:43 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

MASH Taxi Family Ties News Radio The other shows were before my time, even in syndication.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 31 2011 06:47 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Buy it! Watch it! Love it!

batmagadanleadoff Jan 31 2011 06:50 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Fman99 wrote: MASH Taxi Family Ties News Radio The other shows were before my time, even in syndication. You're the first person on this forum that made me feel old. I thought that The Honeymooners were always in syndication. Do what Grimm just said to do.

TheOldMole Feb 01 2011 09:30 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Honeymooners, MASH, Taxi, MTM.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 01 2011 09:37 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

M*A*S*H* voters: do you really think it was as good-- and when I say "good," I mean "funny," in some way/shape/form-- as, say, "Mary Tyler Moore?" God damn, people-- 2/3 of it was more maudlin than it was funny, accurate or "true."

Edgy DC Feb 01 2011 10:23 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Mary vs Hawkeye? Hawkeye Lou vs. Henry? Lou Murray vs. Trapper? Murray Ted vs. Frank? Tie. Sue Ann vs. Hot Lips? Sue Ann. Rhoda vs. Radar? Rhoda, I think. Maybe not. Phyllis vs. Klinger? Tie. Maybe Klinger. Spearchucker vs. Gordie? Um... I voted MTM.

Willets Point Feb 01 2011 10:28 AM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

Some of the best comedies of all time here: The Honeymooners M*A*S*H Mary Tyler Moore Show Bob Newhart Show I might have given Taxi a vote in a weaker group.

Kong76 Feb 01 2011 05:46 PM Re: World Series of TV Sit-Coms -- Round 2, Group A

The Honeymooners Taxi The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Bob Newhart Show