Animated Sitcoms

[PowerButchi]

This week I have been watching a load of King of the Hill. And for good reason. As far as I'm concerned it's the best animated sitcom of them all. I've only just realised how much development there is during it. I mean there was always some, but more than I remembered. Joseph obviously going through puberty, becoming a sex pest by the end. John Redcorn turning his back on his affair with Nancy, becoming a friend of Dale after Dale gets him land, becomes happy as children's entertainer. Peggy from substitute "espanole (sic)" teacher, to journo, to Realtor. Luanne becomes obviously more intelligent, stronger and independent as it goes on. New character comes in (Lucky), isn't shit. And that's a major shock for sitcoms. New characters normally eat arse. Also, Bill Dauterive is one of my favourite characters in anything ever. The episode when he joins the Harmonicolics (or "Assoholics" as Dale calls them) is solid gold, as is the one they call Bill "Hollywood" in jail as he owns his own house and used to have a wife and the prisoners look up to him so he wants to stay. But, at it's heart, it's a programme about a father and his son. And the relationship between Hank and Bobby is fantastically written and played throughout the series.

 

Also has my favourite finale of any programme ever. So amazingly fitting for the programme. Absolutely perfect to close it all.

 

So yeah, what's your favourite? Why is it King of the Hill? What's your least favourite? And why is it Family Guy?

[jimufctna24]

Whilst Simpsons and South Park at its best will warrant a mention, I can see where you are coming from with King Of The Hill.

 

I always enjoyed the relationship between Hank and his Dad, and how they do not mellow to each other even towards the end of Cotton's life. The show revolves around the relationships Hank has, as his friends and his boss all rely on him. It works really well as Hank is such a good great character with layers. Its actually quite touching when Hank and Bobby bond, Mike Judge did have a knack for touching moments.

 

I agree about development, but the thing that stands out the most is consistency with King Of The Hill. I have not seen every episode, but I have seen enough of the older ones and the newer ones to know it maintained a level of consistency all the way through. Not many animated sitcoms shows do that. South Park for example has had peaks and valley's, as great as it can be.

 

Family Guy I found enjoyable when I first watched it, but the more you watch the more you get tired of it. There is a real sense that it tries too hard, and it is one dimensional as South Park was happy to point out in one of their episodes. I would say it fits the definition of cheap humor.

 

There will be a animated sitcom someone points out worse than Family Guy, but there will not be one as overexposed and overrated by people.

[Devon Malcolm]

It's King Of The Hill, isn't it?

 

I haven't even seen that much of it, I'm not sure I've finished series 2 yet. But it's absolutely tremendous. Mrs Malcolm has been a fan of it for a lot longer than I have and she finally persuaded me to give it a go and I've kicked myself for not trying it sooner. The characters are splendid - realistic, likeable and all of them are funny as well. I presume it has consistency as well because I've actually seen several episodes from the final series because I saw them when I used to be up in the middle of the night with our youngest when she was a baby. Absolutely love it.

 

I stopped watching the Simpsons around series 9 but to that point I absolutely loved it as well. I still like South Park although I do prefer the earlier stupid ones.

 

Are there any Japanese animated sitcoms? Any that don't involve disgusting sexual assaults by seven cocked demons, preferably.

[PowerButchi]

Some people reckon Simpsons is okish again now, but I was so burned by the Scully/Maxtone-Graham era I can't see myself ever going back. I don't see them ever making an episode to compare to Last Exit to Springfield, Mr Plow, or Cape Feare ever again.

 

I think I love KOTH and early Simpsons so much because they have a lot of heart. And it seems organic, and most importantly funny. Which is where your scrubs and the like fail. It's probably a major reason why I love TPB too. At their core they are very warm programmes, and it's nice to watch something like that now and again if it feels "real" if you know what I mean.

[Nexus]

The Simpsons is still my top animated show, but purely due to the fact I only aim to watch seasons 1-8 and occasionally 9. The drop in quality is so noticeable after Season 9 it's not even funny. I gave a few of the newer episodes a chance a while ago, but they were really terrible.

 

Haven't ever watched my King of the Hill, got bored of Family Guy after season 4, and I consider American Dad to be the best of the three Macfarlane comedies (although the less said about The Cleveland Show the better)

 

During my first year at uni I burnt through all of South Park, and it's great, but doesn't hold a candle to early Simpsons.

[Arch Stanton]

I guess I should watch King of the Hill. I remember watching it back when it was first broadcast over here and I could never get into it. I was probably a bit too young to really appreciate it back then and I just remember being disappointed that it wasn't like Beavis & Butthead, which is what I went in expecting.

 

I've not watched The Simpsons for years, for similar reasons to Butch.

 

I'll nominate Futurama and American Dad as contenders for my favourites. Bender and Roger are two of my favourite characters from any sitcom.

[Devon Malcolm]

I think I love KOTH and early Simpsons so much because they have a lot of heart. And it seems organic, and most importantly funny. Which is where your scrubs and the like fail. It's probably a major reason why I love TPB too. At their core they are very warm programmes, and it's nice to watch something like that now and again if it feels "real" if you know what I mean.

 

This pretty much sums them up for me as well. They're pretty gentle when you boil them down and even the antagonists are pretty harmless and almost lovable in their own ways. They don't try to be wacky or force a joke, they just naturally let things happen. When they do have their occasional moments of surrealism, it actually has an effect. King Of The Hill also has really good stories behind its episodes - Family Guy is a bunch of shite, unconnected jokes pieced together by nothing.

[PowerButchi]

Family Guy tried to have a pathos filled two hander between Brian and Stewie locked in a vault and it really didn't work at all, as they aren't likeable characters. Hank's occasional "I'm proud of you son" or Homer bonding with his kids works far more as they're likeable characters in whom you can invest.

[FLips]

Just finished season 3 of Archer on Netflix and that's pretty good. Took a while to pick up steam though, definitely one you need to watch more than once to fully get everything.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Still can't beat early Simpsons for me. I'm almost certain 90% of Sky dishes in the early 90s were sold just to get the Simpsons in. Our video shop (some little shite backstreet video shop) pimped their store out in Simpsons posters and ran a competition to win Simpsons videos when the original run of VHS tapes came in. It was huge and brilliant. There's a quote from the Simpsons that can be used in any life situation. Its the most quotable show in the history of television. The definition of iconic television.

[spotlightmagnet1]

I love King of the Hill. Everything about it was great, what I liked was at the time alot of people (Seth MacFarlane) just copied the Simpsons formula of 'crazy dad ropes other into his insanity.' But KOTH inverted it, by having Hank being the most straight of straight arrow and surrounded by all these people.

 

But definitely the best thing they did was Peggy Hill. I'm not sure if anyone else agrees with me but I hate the Marge Simpson formula episodes of;

'I used to be (insert something different and cool sounding) in high school.'

'Wow mom, why'd you stop?'

'You're father'

Basically it's this very Marge based episode, to the point you realise she's meant to be the most amazing specimen of womanhood ever and so modest too, like a good broken housewife. Peggy was fantastically different. She was in love with herself, everything from laughing at her own jokes to dropping that 'substitute teacher of the year' award. So much so that when she has a flaw that shakes her (her feet) you genuinely feel for her more so than Marge. Love her.

 

By the way, just recently rediscovered my love for Stressed Eric. How awesome was that show? Very much so is your answer

[niff]

I've yet to watch King of the Hill but I've always found the male character of most modern day animated sitcoms to have such irritating voices whether it be American Dad, Simpsons or Family Guy. My favourite which I really miss was The Jetsons.

[Thunderplex]

Loved King of the Hill. It's the only one that really didn't have to be an animated series. Most episodes could have been done live action with no issues at all.

 

I also love Family Guy. The fact that it is all over the place, and aimed purely for a more mature audience keeps me interested, and I could watch Peter fighting with a Chicken all night. Really hits my funny bone.

 

Southpark has always entertained me, and the fact that it is written and produced a few days (sometimes hours) berfor it's broadcast keeps it fresh in my opinion.

 

Never seen American Dad or The Cleveland show though.

 

Who here remembers "Wait Till your Father Gets Home"?

[ShortOrderCook]

There's a quote from the Simpsons that can be used in any life situation. Its the most quotable show in the history of television. The definition of iconic television.

 

This. A thousand times this. And what Butch said. Actually, there's a great episode that relates to just about any situation you could possibly relate to in life in The Simpsons. The South Park episode 'Simpsons already did it' was so very true.

 

Other then those things mentioned, mid-90's Simpsons is the greatest television there's ever been - consistently genius and completely timeless. And so many great little subtle jokes and nods in there that you could watch an episode you've seen a thousand times before right now, still laugh at all the jokes like you did the first time and also find a new joke you'd missed before. Nothing comes close, nothing touches Simpsons at its absolute peak. I'm so pleased I got to grow up with it.

 

As good as South Park has been at points, it's never been anywhere close to having the timeless quality that Simpsons wonder years has.

 

I also have to give Futurama massive love too. I love the endless possibilities it has thanks to the future angle and I love what they do with that and some of the concepts they flirt with. But more than anything Futurama is king for me on pulling on my heart strings. They pull off the emotional shit so well and in a way Scrubs desperately wishes it could. A TV show is pretty fucking great when you have a moment after it's finished where you're just blown away but what you've just watched and totally taken aback and reeling by just how good it was. Lost has done that for me and on a few occasions Futurama has also. The main time i'm referring to being after watching 'Luck of the Fryish'. That was the first time i'd experienced them playing with your emotions besides making you laugh and it completely knocked me for six, never saw it coming and I thought it was executed so incredibly well. Powerful episode.

[pitseleh]

I haven't seen King of the Hill in years and I really only saw up to whatever season that they stopped releasing the boxsets for but this thread has inspired to re-watch it. I think it's going to be one of those shows were you will enjoy it more when you are older as opposed to when I first saw it as a young teen.

 

As much as I would like to call The Simpsons a GOAT show, at this point it has had more bad episodes than good ones at this point.