Best sitcom ever?

[Shell Beau]

It's tough, but I love Seinfeld. A lot of the older ones I don't really remember.

Discuss and remind me of some older ones.

[Richardo]

1. Get Smart

All time winner for this kid. :thumbsup:

[Shell Beau]

3. Who was in it?

[Richardo]

9. Wha...?

Don Adams and *sigh* Barbara Feldon :loveya:

Edward Platt as the Chief.

Produced and written by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. Absolutely great.

[Shell Beau]

11. I have never seen it! I take it I am missing something great!!

[kick-ass-bob]

16. you are!

Agent 99!

:woohoo:

[Richardo]

44. I recommend it highly, Shell

:hi:

[NewJeffCT]

55. If she is 26 years old, she missed it by... that much

to quote Agent Maxwell Smart.

Great show. Just think of James Bond meets the best of Airplane or Police Squad

[ghostsofgiants]

84. This is the second time someone has assumed us young'ns don't know...

The classics here today. I loved Get Smart when I was younger. Haven't seen it in quite some time though.

[Shell Beau]

85. Some of young'ns don't know! I know a lot of classics,

but I guess not all of them. :o

[lenidog]

40. You have to cut her some slack

She is just a cub in the yard.

[Shell Beau]

81. Yeah, at least I am trying to learn about the older ones!!

I'm just a wee little cub!

[lenidog]

101. That is good I met too many younger people who believe because

something is old it not cool so why bother. The one I would suggest is Black Adder its an older one from England but it is hilarious.

[Shell Beau]

104. Well those people are being ignorant. Just look at all of the

wonderful music before now. Today's music basically sucks. It will never be what it was. And most of the shows and movies of today are just imitations or remakes of older ones!!!

[lenidog]

116. Very true

I would have to agree that most modern music sucks. Which in the end rather sucks for me because everyone I listened too is getting up in their 50s and 60s. I don't know how much longer they will last. There are a few bright spots here and there but for the most part they basically are trying to reinvent something that was done so much better 10, 20 even 30 years ago in rock & roll. As for remakes of old movies and TV shows invariably they fall flat on their faces 9 times out of 10. I think because they have the idea that the the actors that made the original are actually replaceable by anyone and that is idiocy. Also you get a scriptwriter or director that thinks they can improve on perfection. That usually leads to a fall also. I am glad to see that you show an interest of music, TV and movies that would normally fall out of your age range. Sometimes I get a thrill out of it like a month ago. I went to see "Revenge of the Sith" now when I was growing up the Star Wars movies RULED. I mean the first movie I can ever recall seeing was the original "Star Wars" at the drive-in. That was more or less 25 years ago. So here am I sitting back waiting for the movie to start and I watch this kid literally flying to his seat and bouncing up and down in anticipation waiting for the movie to start. I thinking now that is cool here it is 25 years later and a kid just like I was once can't wait for the start of a "Star Wars" movie.:)

[kick-ass-bob]

8. that was a good one too!

I saw it in reruns though...

[tjwmason]

103. I've only seen a few

Repeats which somehow landed on these shores - utterly wonderful nonetheless.

[arwalden]

2. Bewitched!

[Pacifist Patriot]

109. I'll just park right here.

[progmom]

4. ATA?

:P

[Shell Beau]

7. Definitely the most interesting!

:hi:

[MissMillie]

5. All in the Family!

But here are some others that I think were written VERY well:

Taxi
Golden Girls
Roseanne
M*A*S*H

[Shell Beau]

10. Yes, Golden Girls is in the Top 5 for sure.

I know every word to every episode. I watched it when it was originally on and I've been watching the reruns when I go to bed for like 5 years now!!!!

[Parche]

65. sitcom

The Golden Girls rock!!!




Steinfeld was and still is the dumbest and NOT funny sitcom
of all time

[Shell Beau]

82. OMG!

You didn't say that about Seinfeld. (Gasps very loudly)What a travesty!!!! My g-ma calls is Steinfeld too!!

[NewJeffCT]

19. Going through some old magazines a while back...

I remember a review of the first episodes of "All in the Family" in (I think) Life magazine. Basically, the review said the show would never last & never work because none of the characters were likeable.

Boy, they really hit the nail with that one.

[Shell Beau]

22. Shows you what they know!

[kick-ass-bob]

6. I liked Cheers the most.

Of the ones I can think of right now.

[NewJeffCT]

14. Cheers is probably my favorite, too

MASH was very good, too.

[Kraklen]

12. Sanford and Son.

The last great situational comedy.

What you had was a real comedian, a former vaudevillian no less, doing what essentially amounted to a 23 minute skit. The individual characters only existing for the sake of continuity between episodes, and for the occasional running gag.

[Pendrench]

13. The Odd Couple

It was better when they started filming in front of a live audience, but even the earlier shows were great.

Tim

[gauguin57]

38. Absolutely agree with you ... I used to watch "Odd Couple" reruns

three times a day! LOVED that show.

[dajoki]

50. agree, great show

my wife compares my sloppiness to oscar

[dajoki]

53. seinfeld, honeymooners,...

curb your enthusiam, married with children and green acres:woohoo:

[AlCzervik]

15. Mary Tyler Moore

[Felix Mala]

61. It still makes me laugh - best episode: Election Night

The phones go out in a blizzard and Mary has to fill five hours of TV with only one, early election result: Turner - 85, Mitchell 23...

[AlCzervik]

68. "chuckles bites the dust" is my favorite

"a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pant"

[Felix Mala]

72. Oh yes... too funny...

[terrya]

17. Fawlty Towers - sheer genius

From the writing to the cast..."Fawlty Towers" is as close to perfection as you can find.

[Shell Beau]

18. I can't say that I've heard of that one.

[Richardo]

20. Shell Beau is outing geezers today, terrya...

See our exchange re: Get Smart above. :)

[Shell Beau]

24. Well I am only 26, but I used to watch Nick at Nite when

all of the older sitcoms came on like: Mr. Ed, The Donna Reed Show, My Three Sons, Patty Duke, Green Acres, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, etc. I did watch reruns of M*A*S*H as a little kid, too!!! :silly:

[terrya]

25. "tsk, tsk" I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that no one doesn't remember "Get Smart"

SHOCKED, I tell you. :-)

[Shell Beau]

27. I probably have seen it, but it must not have made an

impression or I was too young.

[Saphire]

56. Maybe Shell is from Barcalona.............

[Richardo]

66. ¿Que?

:)

[Saphire]

69. a line from Fawlty Towers....the bellboy Manuel was from there.

[Richardo]

78. As was mine...he always responded "Que?"

Welcome to DU, lady of texas. Where y'all from?

[trof]

118. And the time the sign in front said "Farty Towels".

Damned vandals!

[terrya]

77. "I learn it from a boooooooooook"

:-)

[jandrok]

54. A true classic.

http://www.fawltysite.net/

[Saphire]

58. along with Keeping Up Apperances.

[jandrok]

62. That's a good one, too.

Not as popular as Fawlty Towers was, but it was great nontheless. Excellent writing.

Welcome to DU, by the way.

[Felix Mala]

73. I have all the episodes on DVD.

[truebrit71]

76. Absolutely!!!! There is a marathon running this weekend on BBCAMERICA btw.

Cannot wait!!!!

Basil?

Basil?

BASIL!!!!

[stlsaxman]

127. "Oooooh I knooooooow!"

[malmapus]

80. Heck yeah, that's a classic right there in all 12 episodes =D

Plus it NEVER gets old.

[PittPoliSci]

106. I loved Fawlty Towers.

John Cleese was brilliant in that show.

[rooboy]

21. 1. Seinfeld; 2. Yes, Minister; 3. Frasier

eom

[Strawman]

23. Get a Life

http://www.nyx.net/~dnadams/gal.html

[KFC]

29. Hot dog boy!

Great, but probably too silly for most people.

[Strawman]

45. Not too silly for a "Handsome Boy" like me though

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

26. W. K. R. P. In Cincinnati.

Les:

"No parachutes yet. Can't be skydivers... I can't tell just yet what they are, but - Oh my God, Johnny, they're turkeys!! Johnny, can you get this? Oh, they're plunging to the earth right in front of our eyes! One just went through the windshield of a parked car! Oh, the humanity! The turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement! Not since the Hindenberg tragedy has there been anything like this!"

Mr. Carlson:

"As God is my witness, I thought turkyes could fly!"

[kick-ass-bob]

33. AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

THAT was the greatest sitcom moment EVER!

:rofl:

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

37. Found this page with sound files:

http://tvquotes.bravepages.com/wkrp.html

Lots of popup windows, though, so be careful. (Or use Firefox)

[dajoki]

49. loved that show

:rofl:

[tenshi816]

117. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And that was exactly the dialogue exchange I thought of!

[stlsaxman]

128. WKRP Trivia-

Q: What is the first piece of music, title and composer, that Johnny Fever follows onto the air when we are introduced to him in the first episode?

HINT: he announces the answer!

[underpants]

28. Taxi Soap Seinfeld All in the Family Cheers

Top 5

[welshTerrier2]

30. Barney Miller, MASH, Sports Night n/t

[lenidog]

34. I haven't seen Barney Miller in eons!!

I used to watch that when I was a kid. :-)

[Catchawave]

31. Lucy, Seinfeld and Sex in the City.......

...are my choices for best ever's :) I'll probably add Curb Your Enthusiasm and Reno 911 in the near future.

This is "hard work", almost like picking a "favorite child", I'm a huge fan of serious wit, so I may add Keith Olbermann too :loveya:

[Shell Beau]

83. I LOVED Sex and the City!!!

[Catchawave]

131. TBS Tuesdays at 9pm.....

has two episodes of SITC ! In the first or second season now, before Charlotte married the rich guy. I've been surprised how "lightly" edited they are...still very funny and...sexy!

[Doctor Pedantic]

32. It's so hard to choose!

I guess my favorites would be, in no particular order:

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
News Radio (pre-Phil Hartman's death)
Murphy Brown (pre-Murphy's baby)
Get Smart (I am so sad some people here haven't heard of it!)
Keeping Up Appearances
My Favorite Martian

And modern classics Arrested Development and The Simpsons.

[Arianrhod]

64. Oh, if we're including cartoons, "Family Guy" is tops! n/t

[Shell Beau]

96. What about The Simpsons and South Park?

[Duncan Grant]

35. "Night Court" with the honorable Judge Harry T. Stone.

Perfect antidote to the Reagan era. :thumbsup:

[lenidog]

42. Weird thing about that is that you do not see that show in

syndication. I wonder what is up with that?

[MissMillie]

43. That was a good one (n/t)

.

[lenidog]

36. I can't believe this no one has mentioned Black Adder

That is just wrong

[nicktom]

39. Another one for All In The Family n/t

[WeRQ4U]

41. Larry Sanders, Cheers, Mister Ed, Seinfeld, Arrested Development

[billyskank]

46. Two Ronnie Barker vehicles

The best two sit-coms in the world in my opinion so far are:

(1) Porridge, and

(2) Open All Hours.

Both from the golden age of British sit-coms in the 70s.

Porridge:


Open All Hours:

[shawmut]

47. All In The Family

[Trigger Hippie]

57. I vote for All in the Family too.

I've seen most of em on Nick at Nite. I love this series because it usually makes me laugh, cry and think, most of the time all in the same episode. Plus, Meathead is groovy. :)

[Gidney N Cloyd]

48. "United States"

Wife: Didn't your mother teach you to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom?

Husband: She taught me not to piss on my fingers.

[jandrok]

51. Frazier was a blast, especially in it's early years.

A spinoff from another great show, to boot.

[LiberallyInclined]

52. Buffalo Bill.

dabney coleman and company were way ahead of their time.

[Arianrhod]

59. Been rewatching Seinfeld on DVD lately.

Of the first four seasons, I have to say that I've only reaaaalllly liked a handful of episodes. The one where they all make a bet how long they can go without masturbating is pretty good, and of course the signature episode where they pitch the "show about nothing". But I honestly can't figure out what the draw was to that series. I don't even really like Seinfeld's standup. (Although his whiny complaining tone and faux outrage is fun to mimic.) And I hated the finale. Absolutely hated it.

Murphy Brown was marvelous Liberal fare, when it was still hip to be Liberal (rather than quasi-illegal). However, a lot of their episodes seemed contrived to me, so it makes the list, but not Number One.

A lot of people liked Frasier, but I can't stand Kelsey Grammer, so that kind of ruined it for me. I preferred him playing off of Bebe Neuwirth on Cheers. Still, David Hyde Pierce was incredibly funny, even though his interminable crush on Jane Leeves got on my nerves.

But I can't tell you how many times I've watched my set of Friends. There's just too much good chemistry between the actors, and too many good throwaway lines. ("This isn't a marriage! It's the world's worst hangover!") And of course, on the DVDs, they include the dirty parts that were left out of the series. (Ross and Joey competing for the same woman, who ends up leaving them sitting in a restaurant. Ross asks, "Wanna eat?" Joey replies, "Does a bear shit in the woods?" Or Jon Lovitz guesting as the most neurotic blind date you can imagine. Closing credits, he's sitting alone in a restaurant lamenting himself. He looks down and says, "I hate my dick!")

And Matt Perry was good even when he was drunk and miserable. :)

OTOH, for originality, well-delivered punchlines, and all-around absurdity, Scrubs is absolutely outstanding. I rewatched Season One last week. After that one, though, the gimmick kind of wore off; although it was still good comedy, it seemed a bit forced. Again, this merits the List, but not Number One.

So I gotta go with Friends as all-time best.

[maveric]

60. Barney Miller, Seinfeld, Soap

[arwalden]

63. Are You Being Served?

[billyskank]

67. Ooh interesting

I wouldn't have thought about that one. It can be quite funny.

[billyskank]

70. Oh I just remembered

Yes, Minister and the second series: Yes, Prime Minister. Absolutely inspired.

[tjwmason]

102. That was pure distilled comic genius.

How else could (as it essentially was) 3 middle-aged men sitting round talking about politics be so completely hilarious.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

71. Carter Country

Well, not really, but there were a few hysterically funny episodes-- I especially enjoyed the one where the sheriff did an old friend's eulogy while listening to a football game via an earpiece. "Don't kick!!!"

My actual favorite is WKRP.

[mcar]

74. WKRP in Cincinnati

[El Fuego]

75. New: Seinfeld Old: Green Acres

[Left Is Write]

dupe

[Left Is Write]

79. The Dick Van Dyke Show. Hands down.

[mac56]

97. I second that nomination.

"The Dick Van Dyke Show" was the way I wanted grown-up life to be.

[m_welby]

108. dick van dyke and carl reiner invented the sitcom

...at least the intelligent sitcom. It was always brilliant, with a brilliant cast. Morey Asterdam did the most incredible one-liners.

gerry paris (neighbor gerry) went on to direct some of the best sitcoms ever created for decades.

watch any sitcom and you can find the jokes, plots, characters, themes that all came form dick van dyke.

[Shell Beau]

86. Did anyone ever watch the show on Comedy Central by

the South Park producers called "That's My Bush"? There is only like 8 episodes.

[Strawman]

90. Yep. Kinda funny, but in a way, too kind to *

Portrayed * as a sort of stupid, albeit well meaning and ultimately benign everyman type fella. That's how they got away with making a sitcom based on the premise that the President is a total moron.

[Shell Beau]

91. It cracked me up at how dumb they made him though!!

[tsakshaug]

87. the best

[tsakshaug]

88. and another thing

[tsakshaug]

89. But let's all forget

[Shell Beau]

105. And...

[Lannes]

92. Id throw in The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart

[KittyWampus]

119. Bob Newhart... And It Probably Helped Bring Psychiatry Into The Mainstream

[Rabrrrrrr]

93. The Fall and Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin

[lpbk2713]

94. Barney Miller, WKRP, Sanford & Son..........

Ed: It occurs to me that it looks like from these choices that there hasn't been any good sitcoms in twenty years. The more I think about it, the more it seems true.

[SarahB]

95. WKRP or

Happy Days! ;)

[Celeborn Skywalker]

98. Seinfeld, Rosanne, and Cosby. (nt)

[Shell Beau]

99. I was surprised no one had mentioned Cosby yet.

[Miami Liberal]

100. The Simpsons

I can't believe no one has mentioned it yet.

[Shell Beau]

110. I mentioned it earlier with South Park as great

animated sitcoms b/c someone else said The Family Guy!

[PittPoliSci]

107. Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Futurama

My top three.

[all.of.me]

111. MASH

Seinfeld is a second. MASH had a lot of political viewpoints in it that i really enjoyed.

[donheld]

112. I Love Lucy

Lucille Ball set the standard.

[Shell Beau]

113. I can't believe that hasn't been mentioned yet!

:wow:

[6000eliot]

114. Arrested Development

is about the funniest, smartest show I've ever seen, and I have seen all the other ones mentioned in this thread.

[Initech]

123. Yes, Arrested Development is the funniest show on TV right now!

I wish Fox would make more smarter shows like that instead of crap like Hell's Kitchen.

[loudestchick]

115. Arrested Development, WKRP, NewsRadio, Soap, Dinosaurs

I had to mention Dinosaurs. All the dinos are named for oil companies, the baby refers to his father as "Not the Mamma", And a mammalian species nears extinction because "we're delicious".

[mitchum]

120. It's not tough, and it's still Seinfeld

[Iris]

121. The Facts of Life.

Not really - I'd have to say Mary Tyler Moore or Rhoda.

[Jade Fox]

122. Roseanne n/t

[MrSlayer]

124. The Honeymooners.

Best sitcom ever and always will be.

[newsguyatl]

125. roseanne

hands down.

[YankeyMCC]

126. All in the Family

Cheers and Seinfeld are close 2nds. MASH should be there too I guess it was a sitcom but still doesn't seem right to pigeon hole it as a sitcom.

[truthbetold]

129. I gotta agree with Seinfeld.

I have a few of the seasons on DVD. They never get old to me.

[stlsaxman]

130. The Addams Family

Gomez and Morticia, Fester, Pugsley, Wednesday, Lurch, Cousin Itt, Thing, Grandmama...

and who could forget- Margaret Hamilton as Esther Frump!

Our family had a few books by Charles Addams around the house when i was a kid...

http://www.timvp.com/addams.html

ps- Morticia Frump Addams (Carolyn Jones) and Dianna Rigg (Emma Peel- The Avengers) were both my first childhood crushes... ooooh lah lah!

pps- and don't even THINK about mentioning that lame-ass take-off The Munsters...