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?

[be-baw]

Cheers
2 1/2 Men (with Charlie Sheen)
WKRP
Big Bang Theory
Andy Griffith
Dick Van Dyke
Taxi
Newhart 2
Malcolm in the Middle
Leave it to Beaver

[AU72]

Showing my age if I mention Sgt. Bilko and Car 54 and Ernie Kovaks.

[higgmeister]

The Office is an all-time masterpiece, and Parks and Rec and 30 Rock were nearly as good, when it comes to more recent shows.

Never watched or had the desire to watch any of those for a single moment. But that's just me I guess.

[shotgun]

Frozen turkeys can’t fly...

[So Cal Rocket]

Showing my age here: I Love Lucy.

Desi Arnaz was the genius behind the show... so many innovations and precedents:

- first to put the show on film.. so in essence, he's the Father of Reruns
- filmed in front of a live audience
- used the 3-camera technique that's still used in sitcoms today
- first to have an interracial couple on TV
- first to show a pregnant woman on TV

[shotgun]

They were showing re-runs of Barney Miller on Antenna TV or one of those similar channels. All time classic. The 12th Precinct is the same one that is used for Blue Bloods

[jpsb]

Well I did not know about the fourth, thx, Gracie was a genius. I've never seen anyone that was as funny as Gracie.

IF you never seen Gracie in action this is typical and has a bit of that 4th wall in it too.

[fwdude]

Happy Days jumped the shark. Literally. And that’s why it isn’t remembered as all that great.

Yeah, the first two years were about the only seasons worth watching, IMO. It lost something after that.

[be-baw]

We watched Bilko and Car 54. Liked them both a lot. I don’t remember watching Ernie Kovacs, but he seems highly regarded in the annals of TV.

The Honeymooners should be included in any list of all time great sitcoms. Jackie Gleason with a great cast often doing shows in one take. Lots of raw talent there.

[Kartographer]

Compared to the trailer trash now days (AKA any of the Kardashians, Beyoncé, Paris Hilton and 90% of the women who make the side bar on the Daily Mail) she had the vocabulary of a nun, the face of an angel and a 'Three Bears' bottom (Just Right!)



Very honorable mentions Mary Tyler Moore


Diana Rigg

Mary Ann Mobley


Last but not least Grace Lee Whitney whom I had the honor to meet in person. What a gracious and Beautiful lady who over come much in her life. She blush when I confessed of my all consuming admiration of her when I was a mature 13. ;-)

[Responsibility2nd]

Burns and Allen were great. They spanned vaudeville, radio, films, television, you name it.

If they were still alive today, they would rule over Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and all other new fangled media.

[trisham]

That was great! Thank you!

[Kartographer]

"Showing my age if I mention Sgt. Bilko and Car 54 and Ernie Kovaks."

OHH...OHH...OHH you are! ;-)

[Reaganite Republican]

Yeah I corrected that, thx

Brain fart there

[Reaganite Republican]

You are so, so right

[Kartographer]

"I'm saying this is the South. And we're proud of our crazy people. We don't hide them up in the attic. We bring 'em right down to the living room and show 'em off. See, Phyllis, no one in the South ever asks if you have crazy people in your family. They just ask what side they're on."

[JudyinCanada]

I don’t think I’ve EVER seen re-runs of Barney Miller. I would certainly watch them if they were offered. I see MASH re-runs, but Alan Alda makes me want to punch people, so I don’t watch.

[Teotwawki]

Also the WKRP episode with the tornadoes, where Les had to read the emergency response for a commie invasion substituting the word tornado in. Funny and moving too.

[shotgun]

Yeah. Still just as funny as ever. Just caught the tale end of the series which had Levitt but no Fish and was after BOB came out.

For those of you not familiar with the show BOB was not a person and coming out is not about being gay.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I’m surprised no one mentioned “Benson.” Robert Guillaume was one of the best deadpan/sarcastic deliverers of lines in the business. Incredible comedic talent without even trying.