The Perfect Sitcom Episode

[Frankie Crisp 493]

So, blatantly robbed from the Perfect Albums idea, here’s a dumping ground to share what you think is the perfect twenty or thirty minutes of a sitcom. Doesn’t have to be your favourite sitcom, just an episode that gets you every single time.

There are loads to choose from, but mine has to be I’m Alan Partridge, series 1, episode 3. The one with the farmers.

It’s got absolutely everything. The baguette, the knackered shorts, the Ladyboys, the fake wife, the pigs smoking and everything in between and after. I must have watched it a few dozen times and it gets me off my rocker each time.

One answer only.

[WyattSheepMask 798]

Frasier - Ham Radio (S4E18), probably the best 22minutes in US Comedy

 

Edited February 8 by WyattSheepMask

[scratchdj 438]

Huge Partridge fan here and could pick any episode from KMKY or I’m Alan Partridge, but I’m going for the Clovis episode of Veep which was the most superb send-up of a big modern tech company (in this case, Google). It nailed everything and highlighted all that I hate about modern “right-on” tech firms that believe they’re so incredibly awesome.

The realtime word-bubble reacting to Meyer’s address to the Clovis staff at the end was just brilliant. Special mention also to the toilet that uploads turds into the cloud.

It’s always hard to find clips of Veep on YouTube, but you get the idea.

 

Edited February 9 by scratchdj

[chokeout 690]

[Nexus 61]

 

Peep Show - Holiday (S4 E5)

 

Mark Corrigan is still not sure he wants to get married, so goes on a stag weekend with Jez on a canal boat. Such highlights include Mark flirting by mentioning imperial and metric units, his sucking up to the dad of the girl he's trying to sleep with/avoid sleeping with in order to get a promotion, culminating in Jez reversing over their beloved dog, cooking it, and then trying to eat it in front of them.

[Max Power 59]

19 minutes ago, chokeout said:

Yeah I was gonna post this.

"Who'd notice another madman around here?"

[Mr_Danger 620]

I love Peep Show but the dog eating was a bit of a jump the shark moment for me.

For me it is the The Producers opening night episode of Curb where Larry gets a win. I loved that episode especially as the build up was so good all series with nobody but Larry seeing how much of a dick everyone involved in the production was and it all being set up for him to be the fall guy.

Edited February 9 by Mr_Danger

[Steve Justice 154]

It's Always Sunny... Charlie Kelly: King of the Rats.

Everyone is on form. An absolutely superb episode. 

[Devon Malcolm 3,172]

Can't wait for someone to nominate a Scrubs episode.

[jazzygeofferz 189]

11 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Can't wait for someone to nominate a Scrubs episode.

The one where Doctor Cox rips the piss out of them all, and the janitor plays a mean prank on JD, obviously. 

I'm wracking my brains for an episode of Only Fools & Horses to stick on here. I'm assuming specials are out. What about the one where they win the holiday but Rodney has to pretend to be a teenager? 

Edited February 9 by jazzygeofferz

[LaGoosh 154]

Seinfeld. The Contest. Brilliant concept, brilliantly done.

[Chris B 190]

The Steptoe and Son episode, 'The Desperate Hours', is utterly astonishing and encapsulates everything that worked about the show. It was a deeply uneven show at times over the years, but had a powerhouse actor in Harry H Corbett. 

The very first episode is more drama than comedy, featuring Harold desperate to leave and make something of himself, but his father selfishly keeps holding him back. Albert won't let him use the horse to carry the cart with all his stuff on it, so Harold ends up trying to lift the cart and do it himself. An impossible task, but he keeps trying until he's exhausted. And Albert's watching and waiting, pretending to care and telling him to come back inside. It's one of the bleakest, most brilliant things.

So The Desperate Hours is a return to that, to an extent. But it's more weighted towards comedy, and Corbett has the greatest possible guest-star to play against - Leonard Rossiter.

Rossiter plays an escaped convict, along with an old lag, who he wants to ditch but can't. They're on the run during a storm, and take the Steptoes hostage, planning to steal enough to leave in comfort. But the Steptoes are going through their own troubles, sticking foreign coins into the meter to keep the lights on.

It's predictable stuff, as the similarities between the four men become clear. But it's brilliant. Rossiter and Corbett are both heavyweights, and both given plenty of drama and comedy to play with here. It's a small play, perfectly done, that just happens to be a sitcom episode.

 

[Shy Dad 163]

I actually wanted to nominate Scrubs ''My Old Lady'' but it really is one of those episodes that falls more on drama than comedy. Kathryn Joosten is fantastic as a guest star and it really was one of those early episodes that gave it a lot of promise it never lived up too. That and My Cake just for the various different interpretations of grief after JD's Dad dies but again more of an argument for Scrubs being better at drama than comedy.

Will say It's Only Sunny for The Gang Beat Boggs. Genuinely hilarious throughout and one of those rare occasions where actors playing drunk just doesn't seem to self involved and is actually funny.

[Zebra Kid Mark 8]

I'm going with It's Always Sunny for the DENNIS System episode.

It's the episode I put on when trying to convert people into being Sunny fans. 

 

 

[Arch Stanton 219]

14 hours ago, jazzygeofferz said:

The one where Doctor Cox rips the piss out of them all, and the janitor plays a mean prank on JD, obviously. 

I'm wracking my brains for an episode of Only Fools & Horses to stick on here. I'm assuming specials are out. What about the one where they win the holiday but Rodney has to pretend to be a teenager? 

Chain Gang is probably my favourite ever episode of OFAH. The one with Arnie the con man and his gold chain swindle. 

Edited February 10 by Arch Stanton