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Wednesday, January 29, 2020

BEST TV SIT-COMS EVER


BEST TV SIT-COMS EVER




When I run out of any material to blog about, I turn to the old standby, a list of the ten best anything.  Everyone likes to chime in and add an anything and or complain about one of my best ten anything’s.  So, prepare to disagree with

Cranky’s best TV Sit-coms ever!

One of my criteria for a best ten, is does the show stand up to today’s humor?  For instance, one of the best TV comedies ever was “All in the Family.”  This was a “Do not miss” show back in the day.  Through the miracle of cable TV, I have watched many episodes lately.  They disappoint greatly.  I’m not sure why, perhaps much of the cutting  edge topics of  the time are now just ho-hum.

Anyway, sorry “All in the Family” good stuff but much of it does not stand up today.

Another excellent TV sit-com is off the list because I just can not watch Bill Cosby.  For years I was a big fan of his magnificent comedic style and for his overall persona and values.  What a disappointment!  I cannot eat Jell-O and I cannot watch re-runs of “The Cosby Show.”

Now for the list in no particular order:

1.     Phil Silver “You’ll Never Get Rich.” This one is not found often on cable, but it is not to be missed on those rare occasions it is on.  Regulars on the show later appeared in hits “Car 54 Where Are You” and “The Munsters.”

2.    OK, while I’m at it, “The Munsters.”  While “You’ll Never Get Rich” relied on the quick wit and talent of Phil Silvers as a conniving Army Sargent,  “The Munsters” was just silly, ridiculous schtick.  Turns out, I am a big fan of silly, ridiculous schtick.

3.    “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” had brilliant writing, fun situations and Mary Tyler Moore was a great comedian who played off Ed Asner’s Lou Grant perfectly.  Mary got her start on “The Dick Van Dyke Show", which was like “All in the Family” great in its time but somehow does not hold up today.

4.    “Leave it to Beaver” was not pee your pants funny, but it had a charm that puts it in my top 10.  After about season four, it does go downhill, it was best when The Beaver was cute.

5.    “Cheers” Great show, great chemistry between the characters.

6.    “The King of Queens” Great writing, great chemistry again and Kevin James is one of those comedians who is funny just chewing gum.

7.    “Two and a Half Men” Very funny, great writing, great situations.  Charlie Sheen basically plays his real life debaucherous self, and no one could do it better. 

8.    “The Office” Maybe it is because I worked in an office for so many years, I connect with many of these characters.  Slightly exaggerated, but then that is comedy.

At this point I must interject, I seldom watch the so called regular networks these days, so I do not see many shows until they hit cable re-runs.

9.    “Tool Time” Tim Allen does a brilliant  bumbling opposite take off of “This Old House” star Bob Villa, who often makes guest appearances.  This show also makes my list as I have a long time crush on his TV wife Patricia Richardson.  Also the original “Tool Time Girl” was Pam Anderson so…

10.                       “Mom” Still on regular network TV, but also all over on cable re-runs.  Truly many laugh out-loud's in every episode.  A bunch of ex-drunk, ex-drug addicted ladies trying to live a normal life and struggle with the most difficult issues and finding humor in it all…what is not to like?

That’s it, Cranky’s top ten TV sit-coms.  If I wrote this list next week it would probably change a bit, but this is it today.

Agree/disagree? Have at it!

What?  "The Honeymooners" and "I love Lucy"? OK, 11 and 12.


19 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh! You left off the show about nothing! I definitely agree with Leave It to Beaver, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Office. My list would include The Middle, and also Malcolm in the Middle. For am old favorite that doesn't stand up any more, I'd say Designing Women.

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    1. I woke up this morning and realized "OMG, I forgot Seinfeld!"

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  2. I wish our TV people would show some of the brilliant oldies instead of all the rubbish they do show. UK TV is rubbish.

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  3. Seinfeld, Cheers, Frasier, Everyone Loves Raymond, Bob Newhart, The Middle.

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  4. Gotta add in M*A*S*H* to the list.

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  5. My top ones are Seinfeld, Everbody Loves Raymond and King of Queens. Great characters and actors who portrayed them. I'd also add Brady Bunch, only because it stood the test of time and my kids liked it as much as I did as a kid. I'm also finding Superstore to be a show with great characters and actors.

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  6. There are simply too many greats for a top 10, maybe we need a top 25 now. As we collect more and more shows over the coming years, it will have to expand further.

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  7. I Love Lucy, Mary Tyler Moore, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Two and a Half Men and Cheers, MASH and Beaver. I love TV so I have lots of them. I don't find much I like today because I dislike reality shows and all that fake drama and stupidity. Otherwise bring on the sit coms.

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  8. Many of these were regular sitcoms. There were many indeed.

    I'd add Golden Girls, Three's Company and Married with Children.

    Have a fabulous day, Joe. 😎

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  9. Good list! I agree with the majority of them (and have seen all of them which is a record in itself). I'd add Modern Family to it. I don't get to watch it that much but when I can, even the reruns, are all worth a great laugh!

    betty

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  10. No arguments with any of yours and Mom is my new can't miss. Most of those I saw in rerun for I must have been doing something else when they were aired. I'd also add Golden Girls but again, only saw them in reruns for the first time.

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  11. Out of all that the only one (that I have seen) is I love Lucy.
    All said and done, those old tv serials were good entertainers than some of the movies of today.

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  12. I love Mom! ☺ Two and a Half Men was hilarious for the first several years, but then it went downhill, along with Charlie. Tool Time was great too and I also like Tim Allen's current show, Last Man Standing. Leave it To Beaver was the show I watched longingly as a kid, wishing my parents were like Ward and June. It did have a lot of charm. I preferred The Addams Family to The Munsters, but they were both good. Bewitched was fun too and better than I dream of Jeannie. Absolutely Fabulous was a hilarious Britcom about two alcoholic, middle-aged party animals. The Odd Couple and Barney Miller were two other favourites. So many! Great idea for a post, Joe.

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  13. Cheers is one of my all time favourites, but it isn't on right now and I can't be bothered finding it on youtube. I also loved King of Queens and Two and a half men, I always thought Roberta was very funny in that. Tool Time was another popular one in our house and a few years later we all loved Will and Grace, with the hilarious Karen in it. I haven't seen any of the others, but my dad used to love McHale's Navy which was on around the same years as Phil Silvers I think.

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  14. Totally agree with Two and a Half Men. Charlie Sheen really was a natural. I like seeing All In The Family with my kids because they're always shocked. Hahaha. That was life then... I still like all the shows I watched as a kid in the 60's/70's. The Brady Bunch always pulls me in even tho I've seen every episode a bazillion times. :)

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  15. Mary Tyler Moore remains my all-time favorite show (sitcom or otherwise)! In the summer of 1970, my dad found a house "in the country" he & Mom loved (attached to a small farm) and we moved the Saturday the MTM Show premiered. I was 9 years old and fell in love, she was my first older woman :-) Did you know that in the 1970s the National Restaurant Association petitioned CBS to change their Saturday night lineup? The shows CBS aired (All in the Family, MASH, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett) were keeping people from going out to dinner on restaurants formerly busiest night in those pre-vcr days.

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  16. among all you mentioned i only have seen "two and a half men" and i enjoyed it thoroughly
    to
    i agree that though long ago shows were famous at their times but when we try to relate it ,there is gap of wit and modern humor which cannot be ignored

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  17. I love Bilko. Absolutely the best conman in sitcom history.

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