My Top-10 Sitcoms of The Last 50 Years

Reaganite Republican ^ | 22 October 2015 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

Newhart (1982-1990) -Please forgive me but I actually like Bob Newhart's second major sitcom series -at the Stratford Inn in Vermont- more than the first 'shrink' series with Mary Tyler Moore, as good as that one was. In fact I think the 80s series Newhart is one of the most underrated comedy shows ever- watched it every week with friends when they were new, too funny.

Interestingly, all 184 shows are -here- on this YouTube playlist.

Cheers -This would probably make everybody's list, but honestly I never go back and watch them anymore... too much saturation I guess, and it just doesn't seem quite as clever as it did at the time. Still, too substantial to leave off... I watched every single episode for years for a reason, and it launched a few careers.

Taxi  -This or Sanford & Son really might be my very all-time favorites... pretty much the best entertainment on 70s television, imo. The characters are simply superb, Danny DeVito an absolute comedy genius supported by a top-notch cast. The writing was clever and kept you riveted to every episode, I love this show. I think my favorite is when Jim burned Louie's apartment to a blackened crisp lol.

Hogan's Heroes  -Kind of silly but I just grew up with it since I was five and loved the characters. They represented pretty much what American Baby Boom kids thought of the Germans in the 1960s... until later in the 70s when we saw what kind of cars they could put together. Was in the same room as Werner Klemperer once, somebody I worked with knew him well... seemed like a nice-enough guy.

Married with Children  -Still funny if you watch it now, and was truly something fresh and revolutionary at the time... really seemed pretty radical when it was new and the casting was brilliant. Met Katey Sagal briefly once. It's funny how not that long ago this show seemed 'naughty', when it's sexual innuendo and mini-skirted babes are nothing compared to the garbage they put on TV now.

Gilligan's Island  -I know it's pretty goofy but I watched it all the time when I was a little kid and think Mary Anne was my first crush ever when I was about 8 lol... great show.

Addams Family  -these are fantastic, what can you say. Show had a cool look and feel too. You're either Munsters or AF and I was always a bit more of an AF kid/guy, the characters were more polished and hilariously complex/eccentric, I love it. I think I got interested in investment by watching Gomez at the stock ticker.

Sanford and Son  -this is close to my favorite sitcom of all time, every character is a laugh riot, including Michelle Obama lookalike Aunt Esther (SHUT UP Fred, you heathen!). And for some reason I get a kick out of 'Grady'.

All in the Family  -this one again pertinent... listen to Archie rail against the libs, I'll be damned if he wasn't right about everything!!!

Fawlty Towers -not quite as nutty as Monty Python shows but pretty comical nonetheless: these were also shown on PBS in The States back then, with John Cleese at his finest as aspiring-yet-bumbling innkeep. I think my favorite one is where he bumps his head and goes into 'Nazi' mode, deeply insulting his German guests.

I left out cartoons like Simpsons and some other good shows lose points with me for grating political message, i.e. M*A*S*H. For some reason I was never much of a Seinfeld fan, although his standup stage act was great in the 80s. 

Then some others just didn't age all that well, like perhaps The Jeffersons or Good Times. Happy Days is pretty corny too if you go back and watch one of those these days... creating ageless comedy is an elusive art.

Green Acres, Bewitched, Brady Bunch, Andy Griffith,, and Get Smart might also get Honorable Mentions, fwiw- what say you?

[prisoner6]

Green Acres!!!!

[Eccl 10:2]

Meet the Depressed

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

“but honestly I never go back and watch them anymore”

I made the mistake of watching a very old “I Love Lucy” segment. After Watching it I asked myself, “Why in the world were we laughing at such stupidity?”

I do not watch sitcoms. I stopped around 1970 or so.

[justlurking]

Yup, that's it.

I couldn't find them quickly, but Bob and Suzanne did interviews about this scene.

The idea was actually from Bob's wife: Ginny. She made a joke about it at dinner with Bob and Suzanne during the second season of Newhart. At that time, they thought the producers would never do it. But, out of the blue, they called Suzanne during the last season - and she immediately knew why before they even explained.

They kept it a secret from the rest of the cast, and floated a bogus story about how Bob would have a conversation with God (played by George Burns). The rest of the cast was finally briefed just before the scene was filmed.

[WayneS]

The Dick Van Dyke Show is in my Top 10.

[justlurking]

Newhart on Big Bang Theory is great, too.

Bob finally got his first Emmy (after many nominations) for that appearance.

[Walrus]

How about A.L.F. and the Tony Randall Show? (”Good morning, Judge ... Mario Lanza)

[tophat9000]

Really i was a big fan of That 70’s Show...Red rocked...

[stanne]

I love Lucy is not only far and away the best, it was the prototype

[stanne]

Absolutely Fabulous

[fatnotlazy]

The pilot was fun where the characters were introduced. Also, Flour Child where Niles couldn't decide whether he wanted children, so he carried around a sack of flour to represent a baby.

It was a great ensemble cast. Niles was originally supposed to be an occasional guest star, but the chemistry between Niles and Frasier was so good, he became a regular character.

[Rummyfan]

I agree!

[1217Chic]

I still love “Lost in Space” (:

[MayflowerMadam]

“The last scene in the finale episode of Newhart “

You mean when he woke up from “the dream” in bed with Suzanne Pleshette? Best series finale ever.

[TexasCajun]

Leave It To Beaver.

Netflix had all seasons but didn't renew license.

Even today, I love watching those old episodes while cooking a weekend breakfast.

[MUDDOG]

McHale’s Navy, F Troop

Great theme songs too.

(I'll be humming McHale's Navy the rest of the day now ;^)

[Feckless]

Way too much humor (and sexy Miss Moneypenny) not to consider, though.

[PLOM...NOT!]

Loved That 70's Show! It was like reliving my late teen years...I was always like "Who was there spying on us?".

I grew up with Batman, The Monkees, The Brady Bunch, etc. We only had 3 channels to watch back then!

[Kommodor]

aww, that’s a shame.

guess the years catch up to all of us eventually.

[TomGuy]

I liked The Bob Newhart Show with Suzanne Pleshette but never got into Newhart. I did, however, watch the series finale of Newhart and was glad I did -- it is one of the funniest comedy finales in TV history with Pleshette as a guest star.

I also liked Valeria, which became The Hogans and The Hogan Family. The episode [Season 4, Episode 5] Save Baby Mark was hilarious.