Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted March 8, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted March 8, 2011 30 Rock is great, but I can't help feeling the constant cameo fest is slightly ruining it. Â This is a problem with so many comedies these days. I can't think of many long-running comedy series that didn't resort to it when they started to run out of ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted March 8, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted March 8, 2011 I don't hate Seinfeld, but I don't get the hype - it's amusing, but I really don't understand why people give it such praise, it's pretty basic.  How recently did you watch Seinfeld? It could be difficult to appreciate the context in which that show started if you've only watched it very recently; saying it's 'pretty basic' indicates to me that that is probably the case. This show completely changed the game as far as sitcoms go. Absolutely any tv comedy show you can name that came after this has been influenced massively by it.  Saw the famous "Soup Nazi" episode, which I found funny, but really didn't see the big deal of "GREATEST COMEDY EVAR" that so many seem to assign it. Saw a couple of other episodes, but was rather underwhelmed, so don't really remember much about them.  Don't misunderstand me; I'm not saying Seinfeld's bad, it's decent. I just don't see the big deal - I certainly don't think it's one of the best comedies ever produced.  They changed the format entirely. They used over double the number of scenes per episode of any standard sitcom to really facilitate some much more in-depth, complex and self-referential plots, which is most easily recognised in the way that they would have several strands going on at a time and it all "comes together" right at the end for the final punchline. Also the content was hugely refreshing in its cynicism as compared to your standard family sitcom fare at the time.  I suppose. Just that I find that, having grown up on classic British comedy, I really don't find the cynicism in American sitcoms to be all that, outside animated series. My favourite series of all time is Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister - nothing I've ever seen since or before has beaten that for dry, cynical humour or impeccable timing, and that includes Fawlty Towers.  8 Simple Rules is OK, but only because John Ritter was great and the daughters were pure fitness.  What, the redhead as well? Ewww. And if fitness was an acceptable reason for watching a show I would own boxsets of The Ghost Whisperer.  Suppose I should have said "watchable" really, although it wasn't much for the comedy. And the redhead was fit, despite being over-shadowed by the porn-filth blonde.  Dunno about owning boxsets, but having access to JLH's near-perfect funbags is as good a reason as any to buy or download Ghost Whisperer, I suppose.  But look at the catalogue of gash they've got: King Of Queens Everyone Loves Raymond Dharma & Greg Will & Grace Big Bang Theory Hope & Faith Two And A Half Men  That's an odd selection you've decided to pick out. What's the criteria for this? It's just like a random selection of some sitcoms that have come out of the States in the last 10 or so years only, like, one or two of which are still running..? I don't really get the relevance.  First load that came to mind, largely because they're interminably on repeat on a load of Virgin Media channels. I'm sure I could've remembered more, but really didn't want to spend more time recalling shit sitcoms than they warranted.  But how is it they've got such an awful record for modern sitcoms when they had so many classics before, and even still such a great selection of animated humour? The Simpsons has gone shit, but at its height it was pretty great, and it wasn't even the edgiest stuff going. South Park goes a little too overboard at times, yet it's still good stuff, and Family Guy and American Dad were top-notch at their peaks (though hideously repetitive at their worst).  Check out Archer; it's the best animated comedy going at the minute.  Will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Seven Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Would be genuinely interested in a list of comedies you think are better than Seinfeld. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Justice Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 That 70's Show. Consistently funny right up until it's final season when it took a huge dive (mainly due to the departure of Ashton Kutcher & Topher Grace). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted March 8, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted March 8, 2011 Against my better judgment, OK (these are only off the top of my head, and I might have more later): Â Yes, Prime Minister/Yes, Minister Fawlty Towers Only Fools & Horses (middle part of the series - beginning wasn't great, any episodes after Damien's birth were dire) M*A*S*H* All the Blackadders except the first Frasier Rab C. Nesbitt Father Ted The Thick Of It The Office (both US and UK) Peep Show Absolutely Fabulous (until its original end - post-comeback it wasn't anywhere near as good) Â Also, if we're including sketch shows: Â The Smell Of Reeves & Mortimer The Two Ronnies Monty Python's Flying Circus That Mitchell & Webb Look Not The 9 O'Clock News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted March 8, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 8, 2011 Could you please stop horribly overusing the word genuine? Â TIA x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Spool Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13167959 Â New video of Sheen's Korner. Wow.....it's sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted March 8, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 8, 2011 Who? Â Oh yeah, that guy. Bored of him now - talking about sitcoms. But thanks anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted March 8, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted March 8, 2011 That 70's Show. Consistently funny right up until it's final season when it took a huge dive (mainly due to the departure of Ashton Kutcher & Topher Grace). Â I wouldn't have thought it was possible for That 70's Show to 'take a dive' unless it was being filmed above the Mariana Trench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted March 8, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 8, 2011 That Mitchell & Webb Look  Really? I thought that programme was absolutely fucking indefensible. The only half decent thing on it, Numberwang, was ripping off Adam and Joe's stuff like "Quizzlestick" anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted March 8, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted March 8, 2011 That Mitchell & Webb Look  Really? I thought that programme was absolutely fucking indefensible. The only half decent thing on it, Numberwang, was ripping off Adam and Joe's stuff like "Quizzlestick" anyway.  I liked a lot of the "alternative viewpoint" angles they took, such as the Nazi officers who were gradually realising they were the bad guys.  I will say this, though: obviously, I haven't watched the whole lot of Seinfeld, just a few episodes, and it could be that, outside of "The Soup Nazi" and the couple of "meh" episodes I'd seen, I just hadn't been lucky enough to catch the best of it. I'm not inflexible - I actually rather prefer to be entertained than to slag something off, so if someone wants to point me in the direction of episodes they feel would convert me, please feel free to do so. The "Memento-esque" one sounds cool, in fairness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhenom Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 That new show Mike & Molly is alright, and I agree that The Middle is just a bad rip off of Malcolm In The Middle. I wish they hadn't of canceled My Name Is Earl, that was alright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metallica Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 My favourite current comedies =  The Life & Times of Tim - - if you can get used to the animation style, the dialogue is really well done and the situations are ridiculous. Each episode is split in to 2 mini episodes. Nearest comparison is probably Curb.  30 Rock - Very silly but done in such a serious way. Brilliant. It didn't instantly grab me (although Jack's dry Walmart exchange in episode 1 was laugh out loud funny) but after a few episodes I was a fan.  It's Always Sunny In Philidelphia - Awesome show, really deserves more recognition than it gets. Janitor job application  **  I watched the first couple of seasons of Two & A Half Men and it was okay but not as enjoyable as Charlie in Spin City. I gave up on it when it seemed to become a series of obvious and unfunny sex jokes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted March 8, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 8, 2011 That Mitchell & Webb Look  Really? I thought that programme was absolutely fucking indefensible. The only half decent thing on it, Numberwang, was ripping off Adam and Joe's stuff like "Quizzlestick" anyway.  I liked a lot of the "alternative viewpoint" angles they took, such as the Nazi officers who were gradually realising they were the bad guys.  I will say this, though: obviously, I haven't watched the whole lot of Seinfeld, just a few episodes, and it could be that, outside of "The Soup Nazi" and the couple of "meh" episodes I'd seen, I just hadn't been lucky enough to catch the best of it. I'm not inflexible - I actually rather prefer to be entertained than to slag something off, so if someone wants to point me in the direction of episodes they feel would convert me, please feel free to do so. The "Memento-esque" one sounds cool, in fairness.  Any George-centric episode is best. Give "The Comeback" a go. One of the best half hours of comedy I've ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Seven Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Could you please stop horribly overusing the word genuine? TIA x   Huh?  Also Carbomb's list is bizarre. Absolutely Fabulous better than Seinfeld? You're mental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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