Favorite television comedies

[J_Dee]

Lou Grant and Rhoda: since Ed Asner passed away, I've been revisiting Lou Grant and Rhoda. Every single thing about the former holds up great, but to me Rhoda doesn't hold up well at all. Some of its jokes might've been cutting-edge at the time, but contrasted against modern shows that have much fewer restrictions, it feels really soft, almost mundane. Lorenzo Music's still as great as ever as Carlton the doorman, though. He's barely in each episode but his interactions are always the funniest parts. Julie Kavner's also still adorable as Brenda, even if a lot of her lines fall flat now.

Cheers: the first really "adult" comedy I can remember getting drawn into.

The Simpsons seasons 1-10: I don't think any television show deconstructs an era of American history as well as The Simpsons does for the entire 1990s. It was an integral part of my youth; I was glued to the television on Thursday and Sunday nights.

Married...With Children: the companion show to The Simpsons. It's got the opposite problem of Rhoda: most of its jokes are too offensive to fly in today's world. I still love Al though.

30 Rock and The Office: shows that make you realize that your job could always be much, much worse than it is.

What We Do In the Shadows: the funniest show about dysfunctional vampire roommates that I've ever seen.

What are your favorites?

* Meant to post this in The Paddock. D'oh!

 

[gharding07]

King of Queens, Home Improvement, The Office. In that order. Seinfeld honorable mention

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

Family Guy - the only tv show that actually makes me laugh at least once per episode.

Seinfeld - a close second. Very funny.

Everybody Loves Raymond, Mom, Cheers, The Office, Two and a Half Men - all sorta funny

Then a bunch of shows that are clever/witty/humorous, but very few actual laughs.

 

[WeWant9]

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

 

[Kerwinwaltonsafro]

In Living Color

 

[straykat]

 

[Pulaski Cat Fan]

All in the Family.

 

[Kentucky fan 1989]

South Park is my favorite show ever. My favorite show when I was a kid was Power Rangers. My favorite show from before my time was Three's Company.

 

[FirewithFire]

Seinfeld is one of the few shows that could make me really laugh. It's still my favorite.

I liked Wings quite a bit too. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Home Improvement, and Friends and were also good.

 

[DSmith21]

I still like some classic comedies like Get Smart, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Hogan's Heroes.

More recently Frazier, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and The Goldberg's.

 

[Glenn's take]

Lou Grant and Rhoda: since Ed Asner passed away, I've been revisiting Lou Grant and Rhoda. Every single thing about the former holds up great, but to me Rhoda doesn't hold up well at all. Some of its jokes might've been cutting-edge at the time, but contrasted against modern shows that have much fewer restrictions, it feels really soft, almost mundane. Lorenzo Music's still as great as ever as Carlton the doorman, though. He's barely in each episode but his interactions are always the funniest parts. Julie Kavner's also still adorable as Brenda, even if a lot of her lines fall flat now.

Cheers: the first really "adult" comedy I can remember getting drawn into.

The Simpsons seasons 1-10: I don't think any television show deconstructs an era of American history as well as The Simpsons does for the entire 1990s. It was an integral part of my youth; I was glued to the television on Thursday and Sunday nights.

Married...With Children: the companion show to The Simpsons. It's got the opposite problem of Rhoda: most of its jokes are too offensive to fly in today's world. I still love Al though.

30 Rock and The Office: shows that make you realize that your job could always be much, much worse than it is.

What We Do In the Shadows: the funniest show about dysfunctional vampire roommates that I've ever seen.

What are your favorites?

* Meant to post this in The Paddock. D'oh!

Where are you watching Lou Grant and Rhoda?

Big Bang Theory

 

[WildcatFan1982]

 

[jcrow10]

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Rick and Morty
Bojack Horseman
Silicon Valley
Brockmire

 

[BC_Wader]

Seinfeld
Cheers
Night Court
King of Queens
Everybody Loves Raymond

And in that order

 

[WildcatFan1982]

 

[christophero]

Mary Tyler Moore show, Happy Days until Fonzie jumped the shark, Laverne and Shirley. Nostalgia.

 

[UK82]

I gotta go with The Andy Griffith Show. Never gets old even after 60 years.

 

[catfanbrad]

Comedies are by far my favorite genre so I have a ton. Some of them are widely loved, others not so much.

Seinfeld
Friends
The Office
Parks and Rec
30 Rock
Cougartown
My Name is Earl
Arrested Development
Big Mouth
Paradise PD
Bojack Horsemen
Archer
Cheers
Night Court
Married....with Children

From before my time that I have enjoyed in reruns
Andy Griffith
The Jeffersons
All in the Family

Just put the Pluto app on my tv and been watching a boatload of Three's Company

 

[J_Dee]

Where are you watching Lou Grant and Rhoda?

Lou Grant S1E06 - Aftershocks

Lou Grant S1E09 - Judge

Rhoda S1E08-09 - Rhoda's Wedding

And so on. YouTube has many episodes of each. The rips are from VHS tapes, but I actually like that because it's about the same quality as on the old TV I watched re-runs on in the '80s.

 

[AustinTXCat]

70s Saturday Night Live
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Benny Hill
The Simpsons
Family Guy
All in the Family
Beavis and Butthead
Laugh-In
Get Smart

 

[jcrow10]

I think a lot of people sleep on Bojack Horseman. For me it’s one of the best comedy shows of the last 20 years and is able to really speak about mental illness/substance abuse and our culture as a whole.

 

[CatGotMyTongue]

ER

 

[WildcatFan1982]

I think a lot of people sleep on Bojack Horseman. For me it’s one of the best comedy shows of the last 20 years and is able to really speak about mental illness/substance abuse and our culture as a whole.

 

[BC_Wader]

Comedies are by far my favorite genre so I have a ton. Some of them are widely loved, others not so much.

Seinfeld
Friends
The Office
Parks and Rec
30 Rock
Cougartown
My Name is Earl
Arrested Development
Big Mouth
Paradise PD
Bojack Horsemen
Archer
Cheers
Night Court
Married....with Children

From before my time that I have enjoyed in reruns
Andy Griffith
The Jeffersons
All in the Family

Just put the Pluto app on my tv and been watching a boatload of Three's Company

That's a good channel. If it weren't for sports, all I'd watch would be those free stations. Brings back memories of a time long gone.

 

[BGCATFAN2012]

The last few years when nothing is on for summer time I always go to Married With Children, after that According to Jim, and The Drew Carey Show all funny as shit and easy to access off of dvr. Gets me through July and August when nothing worth seeing is on. We was supposed to have Yellowstone but they held it from us.

 

[GeraldV]

A few I didn’t see mentioned…

Curb Your Enthusiasm should be on any list.

Welcome Back Kotter is my favorite late 1970s comedy. I also didn’t see the Three Stooges mentioned anywhere.

 

[Blueisbest]

Nobody mentioned one of the funniest sitcoms of all time, Taxi. Every time I watch it, I know I'll always get several good laughs. Great cast. Still funny even today.

 

[Tannerdad]

Barney Miller

 

[3_putter]

Three's Company

 

[CAT Scratch FVR]

Seinfeld
Soap
Barney Miller
Newsradio
WKRP
30 Rock
Scrubs
Cougartown
Arrested Development
Cheers

 

[J_Dee]

South Park is my favorite show ever. My favorite show when I was a kid was Power Rangers. My favorite show from before my time was Three's Company.

I said that Cheers was the first adult comedy that I can remember watching, but I watched Three's Company regularly when I was really, really young so it probably pre-dates Cheers for me. In the early '80s it and Andy Griffith were on all the time.

I should've mentioned South Park and Always Sunny, too. I've watched them as much as anything. The local TV station didn't carry Comedy Central when South Park debuted and I had to catch it at my friends' place in Richmond. And watching South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut at the theater's one of my best movie memories ever. When Uncle F***** started up an older woman stormed out of the theater with a small child in tow; I was already cracking up and that was just icing on the cake.

Nobody mentioned one of the funniest sitcoms of all time, Taxi. Every time I watch it, I know I'll always get several good laughs. Great cast. Still funny even today.

I vaguely remember that an old issue of TV Guide ranked Louie as the greatest TV character ever (I had to look it up to make sure). Louie, Reverend Jim, and Latka are all I remember from Taxi, but Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and Andy Kaufman are three of my all-time favorites and watching Taxi when I was little probably had a lot to do with that.

Andy Kaufman ruled, BTW. I sincerely hope that he faked his death and that he's living quietly and happily somewhere.




I also really like Blackadder and Fawlty Towers. A teacher showed us each in high school.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

So many great ones that you almost need categories.

I think The Office is the perfect TV comedy. Witty and funny, yet heartfelt at times, nearly perfect from start to finish, great pacing, accessible, infinitely rewatchable.. and what I think is most underlooked, a character for everyone. Some that are dumb, some you hate, some you have the hots for, the naive one, the sarcastic one, the gay one. They absolutely nail the characters, all of them.

 

[christophero]

Taxi is such a great show. As it Fawlty Towers.

 

[Rex Kwon Do]

Haven’t watched it in many seasons but the first few years of Sunny were off the charts hysterical.

 

[TheKentuckyKid]

Kenny vs Spenny
Trailer Park Boys
Dave
South Park
Nathan for You
Impractical Jokers
My 600 Pound Life
Louisville Football
Louisville Basketball

 

[ukwizard]

Cheers
Frasier
The Fresh Prince
Spin City (until MJF left)
News Radio
Nightcourt

 

[Rock_Cat78]

My Mount Rushmore would probably be:

The Andy Griffith Show
All in the Family
Coach
Three's Company

 

[812scottj]

Seinfeld
Cheers
Andy Griffith Show

 

[christophero]

Three's Company was a good one. John Ritter was quite the physical comic.

 

[8858]

Soap (Billy Crystal)
My name is Earl
Married.....
Two 1/2 men
M*A*S*H