Cheers is by far the best show I've ever seen and the one show that I was truely sad when it went off the air, but.. it went off the air on top (even if one of the episodes featured Kevin McHale ). Rhea Perlman (Carla Lozupone Tortelli LeBec), Kelsey Grammer (Dr Frasier W Crane (1984-1993)), Woody Harrelson (Woodrow Tiberius "Woody" Boyd (1985-1993)), John Ratzenberger (Clifford C "Cliff" Clavin, Jr), Nicholas Colasanto (Ernie "Coach" Pantusso (1982-1985)), Kirstie Alley (Rebecca Howe (1987-1993)), Shelley Long (Diane Chambers (1982-1987)), Bebe Neuwirth (Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane (1986-1993)), Ted Danson (Sam "Mayday" Malone), George Wendt (Hilary Norman "Norm" Peterson) - seriously - has any show had even half the stars? Frasier (a spinoff of Cheers, was absolutely hilarious) I still think Frasier's dad, Marty Crane, was one of the best non-stars in a sitcom ever (even if he was a Sonics fan).
Right-on -- the first few years of MadTV were absolutely hilarious. A few of my favorites The Greatest Action Story Ever Told: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aKJonM0fM54&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aKJonM0fM54&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> My White Mama: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0SgrD1xzHYY&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0SgrD1xzHYY&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> The Irack: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rw2nkoGLhrE&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rw2nkoGLhrE&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> Drunk President: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7oTBWDiawbk&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7oTBWDiawbk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
So I guess you didn't like Cheers or Seinfeld cause they're of essentially the same mold. The sitcom may not be for everyone, but I like the cheap laugh and lighthearted fare every now and then, so long as you got compelling characters, great chemistry and sharp writing, which those shows did. I'll tell ya two sitcoms that didn't do it for me at all though...Frasier, which absolutely bored me and Two and Half Men, which I find borderline offensive because of how unfunny it is. Getting back to the topic on hand...would Wonder Years be considered underrated? I think it only lasted four years, but it was one of my favorites growing up. Oh and how could I forget Scrubs! That show is genius and has never gotten major props.
MadTV had its glory days (read: Stuart), and they both have sucked since. SNL had laser cats, so IMO they sucked less. Unfair to compare Mad to anything as tenured as SNL though, its like Soulja Boy to Jay Z. Well, Seinfeld is technically a sitcom, but it shares little with others of its genre other than format. Probably the first show I ever loved. You want to talk about the so-called chemistry of that freaking 70s show??? Seinfeld is perhaps the greatest on-screen chemistry in the history of television. Seinfeld is so far ahead of the other sitcoms mentioned it's making my head spin. I don't hate sitcoms outright, just like 90% of them because most are cookie cutter fodder fed to us from the execs on down. Makes me feel like a walking demographic. I liked Everybody Loves Raymond and King of Queens because they featured super hot wives with super average dudes, and thus were very realistic. I have no idea if they were good shows though because I was too busy doing the four knuckle shuffle. I love Frasier, but it is admittedly nerd humor and I can EASILY see how it could alienate people. Agree to disagree on that one. Wonder Years doesn't have to be underrated, it was great anyways. Scrubs is also sort of a cult syndicate phenom these days but also a well written show with good chemistry. See we agree on some things!
"Seinfeld is perhaps the greatest on-screen chemistry in the history of television." I think Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, and Sally Struthers would beg to differ. Or, for that matter, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, William Frawley, and Vivian Vance.
Maybe if I was 70 years old.. I Love Lucy was groundbreaking and historic, and altogether a really dynamic and fantastic show. But how do you compare something so early in the game to a refined, improved show years later standing on the shoulders of giants? My loving Seinfeld doesn't take away from any other performances, or shows that had great chemistry. Plus, I said 'perhaps', so that leaves room for honorable mentions.
How do I compare? Easy. Take the best episodes of All In the Family, I Love Lucy, and Seinfeld, and watch them back-to-back-to-back. I Love Lucy and All in the Family are better. And you don't need to be 70 to watch these shows- they've been syndicated since they left the air, my 13 year-old son watches both of them and loves them (although his favorite is Good Times). And I didn't say anything about "taking away" from Seinfeld- I own Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 on DVD- actually, I own more Seinfeld DVDs than AITF, but, in my humble opinion, ILL and AIFT are better than Seinfeld.
you left out... <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jsouXBkkewo&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jsouXBkkewo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> and.. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hdkftv6gmMU&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hdkftv6gmMU&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
oh and of course.. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/63apZAzH0yA&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/63apZAzH0yA&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
I'm aware they are syndicated, it's not like I haven't seen the bulk of ILL, AIFT, and Good Times (my personal favorite of the three). I was just saying that it's tough to compare things the happen so far apart on the time scale. There wouldn't be any of those shows without ILL, so by that definition it wins. But does it truly have the best chemistry??? That is a different question altogether. It is like comparing Yao to Bill Russell. It's all subjective because the medium has changed so drastically, that the reference points used to compare are not absolute. Also I didn't say you were taking away from Seinfeld. I said my liking Seinfeld doesn't take anything away from ILL. Nobody could take anything from my beloved Seinfeld, even if they wanted to. As long as we all keep our opinions humble.
Totally agree. It's weird because my favorite comedies are The Office and I Love Lucy, which have very little in common except for eccentric characters. I don't define my favorites by whether they are historic or groundbreaking or anything like that. Star Trek is a landmark series, yet I've only watched 3 episodes and I would put 100+ shows ahead of this as my favorites. This, of course, is heresy to Trekkies, and I completely respect their fanaticism, but it just doesn't do anything for me. Never been a big fan of Lost, either- only watched 1 show and that was it for me. My criteria is: does it make you laugh until it hurts? Can you watch it over and over again and still get new things out of the episodes? That's for comedy- for drama, is the writing excellent? Are the plots original or cliched? How's the acting? Has nothing to do with how popular a show is- some of my favorite shows were among the most popular of all time and some were middle-of-the-pack. My favorites happen to be: 1. The Rockford Files 2. The Office 3. The Twilight Zone 4. I Love Lucy 5. The White Shadow 6. All in the Family 7. The X Files 8. Three's Company 9. Monk 10. Sex and the City (yes, I catch hell from all my guy friends, but bottom line is that this show had some of the funniest scripts ever, and although the 4 main characters bashed guys on occasion, many of whom were idiots, the main male characters- Steve, Big, Harry, and Smith, are all well-rounded and solid. However, I would expect most guys to trash this series, and that's their prerogative.)
Also it seems like disproportionaly a lot of hot girls watch it. I don't know what that means in any more specific way, but I know that I've never been "stuck" watching it.
News Radio was hilarious! RIP Phil Hartman. Everything that came out of that man's mouth was hilarious. Home Movies is alright, though I don't recall much of it. I just remember watching the first few episodes on UPN when it debuted. Oh, and to whoever wrote that the Office was underrated. Are you serious? If anything, that show is OVERRATED. Yes, I said it. Other underrated shows: 3rd Rock from the Sun Futurama King of the Hill Frasier... yes, Frasier.
Pretty much the best Newsradio clip ever. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/01UIB2X-WK0&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/01UIB2X-WK0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
