OT Is Seinfeld the greatest sit-com of all time?

[Abbeddrose Bierce]

Is Seinfeld the greatest sit-com of all time?

I pulled out my DVDs of The Honeymooners and have watched about a
dozen. The answer NOW is a most definite no.

Everybody talks about Ralph and Norton-next time you watch, listen to
Audrey Meadows deliver her lines. Compare that to the pathetic females
on Friends(especially Kudrow and Aniston)

She IS the Greatest

Mambo lessons for everyone-Don't call me Jeff, call me Jefe

Abbedd

[Bob Harper]

The scene in which Norton, told by Ralph that part of golf is to
'address the ball', proceeds to do so by saluting the white spheroid
and saying, "Hello, ball!", followed by an eruption from Ralph, is one
of the funniest moments ever broadcast.

Bob Harper

[GP49]

On the day of the last new first-run episode of Seinfeld, everybody
seemed to be making a big deal out of it. You'd have thought it was
the only thing happening in the world that day.

Well, something else happened that same day. Frank Sinatra died.

Next morning, nary a word about Seinfeld. Even in death, Old Blue
Eyes had upstaged him.

[herman]

On 25 juin, 04:12, Abbeddrose Bierce <ansermetn...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Is Seinfeld the greatest sit-com of all time?
>
> I pulled out my DVDs of The Honeymooners and have watched about a
> dozen. The answer NOW is a most definite no.
>

1 it is not important. it's just tv entertainment.

2 it depends on what generation you belong to, or, in your case, what
generation you'd like to belong to.

BTW one good thing about Seinfeld is no hugs and making up at the end.

[William Sommerwerck]

"The Honeymooners" is generally funny, and Jackie Gleason had the good sense
to let his co-stars upstage him (Art Carney, in particular), but most (???)
fans of TV comedy would agree that "Barney Miller" is (by a narrow margin)
the all-time champ.

I do like "Seinfeld" (it's certainly one of the best), but it suffers from a
really annoying laugh track.

[Dufus]

>On Jun 25, 6:14 am, "William Sommerwerck" <grizzledgee...@comcast.net> wrote:
"Barney Miller" is (by a narrow margin)
> the all-time champ.

Sgt.Fish played by Abe Vigoda , later the "Godfather's" Tessio :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv1ovWqjHjA

[Ray Hall]

Never ever got into Seinfeld. I know that Twin Peaks is not a sitcom,
but am presently in the middle of the 29 episodes, from the new UK
edition of 10 disks. Unmatchable in all its over-the-top action. I had
to buy an all region player from ALDI to watch these.

The music snips are glorious.

Ray Hall, Taree

[Art]

On 06/24/2012 10:12 PM, Abbeddrose Bierce wrote:
> Is Seinfeld the greatest sit-com of all time?

Seinfeld was OK but it suffered from a certain "dryness." I've seen them
all but I don't think I could sit through a whole episode again without
being bored.

> Everybody talks about Ralph and Norton-next time you watch, listen to
> Audrey Meadows deliver her lines. Compare that to the pathetic females
> on Friends(especially Kudrow and Aniston)
>
> She IS the Greatest

She was a wonderful actress. She played the miserable housewife so well.
It was a great show. Perhaps not the greatest but I can't really give a
vote for the greatest sitcom of all time.
Right now I'm on a "Are You Being Served?" kick.

[Dufus]

>On Jun 25, 9:20 am, Art <maleunemplo...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Right now I'm on a "Are You Being Served?" kick.

I'd also suggest the BBC's "As time Goes By" , with the late Geoffrey
Palmer, and Dame Judy Dench.

[Kip Williams]

Ray Hall wrote:
> Never ever got into Seinfeld. I know that Twin Peaks is not a sitcom,
> but am presently in the middle of the 29 episodes, from the new UK
> edition of 10 disks. Unmatchable in all its over-the-top action. I had
> to buy an all region player from ALDI to watch these.

I liked Twin Peaks, but once it became clear that things were really
insane all over and it wasn't just Kyle McLachlan's character, my
interest started to wane. I taped the show when it was first on, but
might have stopped before the end.


Kip W

[Norman Schwartz]

"Abbeddrose Bierce" <anserm...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:86ifu71p3sgkquu1h...@4ax.com...

> Is Seinfeld the greatest sit-com of all time?
>

Possibly, it serves well in getting me to sleep whenever I require some
help.

[Abbeddrose Bierce]

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:20:00 -0400, Art <maleune...@yahoo.com>
wrote:

The ytell me that AYBS takes placve in a Department store--i tappears
to me to be an insane asylum

Abbedd

[MiNe 109]

In article
<faf3b1da-fd5a-461c...@37g2000yqu.googlegroups.com>,

He's NOT DEAD! News reports have Mr Palmer attending a Jubilee event
today.

Stephen

[Abbeddrose Bierce]

What about the rotten sausages he ate on Fawlty Towers?


Abebdd

[Bob Harper]

Agreed, and add 'Keeping Up Appearances'.

Bob Harper

[Bob Harper]

Thank goodness for that; I was saddened to read in the earlier post that
he was. A wonderful straight man, and don't forget Frank Middlemass and
Joan Sims as Lionel's father and stepmother, nor Janet Henfrey as the
aptly-named Mrs. Bale.

Bob Harper

[Polluter Politika]

On Jun 24, 10:12 pm, Abbeddrose Bierce <ansermetn...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

I agree with yuou choice completely. My fav episode is when Ralph,
having secured two tickets to a popular Broadway mystery play for
Alice and himself, istold by Alice that her mother is payuing visit.
Ralph states that she will get him angry within 3 minutes. His mother-
in-law arrives, he sets an alarm clock to go off in three minutes.
Alice informs her mother that she and Ralph have tickets to the
popular mystery play with a secret ending. .Mother says, "Oh that
play, Everyone is keeping the secret ending. It was the daughter that
is the killer." The alarm goes off, Ralph goes into a rage, screams
"get out!!!" several times with his finger pointing to the door.

This kind of humor and the way it is delivered by Gleason never seems
lose any effect.

[JohnGavin]

On Jun 25, 10:49 am, Kip Williams <mrk...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Ray Hall wrote:
> > Never ever got into Seinfeld. I know that Twin Peaks is not a sitcom,
> > but am presently in the middle of the 29 episodes, from the new UK
> > edition of 10 disks. Unmatchable in all its over-the-top action. I had
> > to buy an all region player from ALDI to watch these.
>
> I liked Twin Peaks, but once it became clear that things were really
> insane all over and it wasn't just Kyle McLachlan's character, my
> interest started to wane.

I liked it very much too. I always noticed however that the best
episodes were always the ones that David Lynch directed.

[graham]

"EM" <emmemmme...@gnail.com> wrote in message
news:be28$4fe8aa83$5355658e$23...@cache1.tilbu1.nb.home.nl...
> Abbeddrose Bierce <anserm...@hotmail.com> - Sun, 24 Jun 2012
> 22:12:02 -0400:

>
>> Is Seinfeld the greatest sit-com of all time?
>

> No.
>
> EM
>
I think that phrase, "of all time" should be banned!!!

[Abbeddrose Bierce]

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:15:12 +0200, EM <emmemmme...@gnail.com>
wrote:

>Abbeddrose Bierce <anserm...@hotmail.com> - Sun, 24 Jun 2012
>22:12:02 -0400:
>

>> Is Seinfeld the greatest sit-com of all time?
>

>No.
>
>EM

Pray tell us, which one is then

"Invading Poland the Funny Way"

Abbedd

[Dufus]

>On Jun 25, 10:51 am, MiNe 109 <smcelr...@POPaustin.rr.com> wrote:

> He's NOT DEAD! News reports have Mr Palmer attending a Jubilee event
> today.
>

Delighted to hear I'm mistaken. As I'm sure is he !

And at one time, I thought he was married to Dame Dench. !

I see he received an OBE recently. Does that mean he is now Sir
Geoffrey ?

[bpnjensen]

It is worth considering that as good as these Honeymooners programs were, they were also primarily staged for a live audience rather than TV. That makes a BIG difference in how lines are recited.

For my money, as I watch "Frasier," I cannot imagine a funnier or better done sitcom, overall. I think the characterizations in that program are top-notch and the stories are hysterically funny AND shine a strong light on many parts of the human condition.

[Abbeddrose Bierce]

I just started watching Fraser and find it excellent. Thank God they
thought better of their first choice for Roz, the incompetent Lisa
Kudrow

The actually started filming and said, NO this won't work

Eddie/Moose for President in 2012

Mahoney was great in Tin Men

Abbedd

[Jenn]

In article <ishhu7husrf7mcqre...@4ax.com>,

I know that it's not destined for classic status like the others
mentioned in this thread, but I'm sure getting a lot of chuckles from
The Big Bang Theory.

--
www.jennifermartinmusic.com

[Dufus]

>On Jun 25, 2:48 pm, Dufus <steveha...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I see he received an OBE recently. Does that mean he is now Sir
> Geoffrey ?

In fact, what other sitcom has an OBE and Dame among its actors ?

[J.Martin]

On Jun 24, 7:12 pm, Abbeddrose Bierce <ansermetn...@hotmail.com>

wrote:
> Is Seinfeld the greatest sit-com of all time?
>
> I pulled out my DVDs of The Honeymooners and have watched about a
> dozen. The answer NOW is a most definite no.
>

I'm trying to imagine what kind of person I would have to be to care
about something like this....

Sorry, couldn't do it.

[graham]

"Dufus" <steve...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:6935f6c4-dde1-41b6...@m24g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...

--------------------------------------
No! It's the lowliest order handed out. All he gets is a medal.
Stands for "Order of the British Empire" AKA "Other Buggers' Efforts" (but
obviously not in this case).

[Kip Williams]

bpnjensen wrote:

> For my money, as I watch "Frasier," I cannot imagine a funnier or better done sitcom, overall. I think the characterizations in that program are top-notch and the stories are hysterically funny AND shine a strong light on many parts of the human condition.

I've enjoyed Frasier a number of times, but find that the hand that
operates the remote is reluctant to re-watch any episode I recognize.
Like someone else's recent reaction (in another group, I think) to
"Fawlty Towers," I get tired of watching Frasier humiliated.

"Fawlty Towers" may be one of the great all-time sitcoms, not least
because they stopped when they felt like they'd done enough.

My vote now would be for "The Simpsons." The medium of animation gave
them some advantages: the kids don't get older than the parents, and
they can cut closer to the bone than most live shows I can think of.

It's also possible that "I Love Lucy" is the greatest, but I can't watch
more than a minute of Ms. Ball. She's a genius; I just can't watch her,
except in old movies.


Kip W

[Kip Williams]

You tried. That's the important thing.


Kip W

[O]

In article <be28$4fe8aa83$5355658e$23...@cache1.tilbu1.nb.home.nl>, EM

<emmemmme...@gnail.com> wrote:

> Abbeddrose Bierce <anserm...@hotmail.com> - Sun, 24 Jun 2012
> 22:12:02 -0400:
>

> > Is Seinfeld the greatest sit-com of all time?
>

> No.

Some really great sit-coms:

1) Fawlty Towers (probably the best)
2) Married With Children (the darkest humor)
3) Taxi
4) Barney Miller
5) Newhart (both)
6) Dick Van Dyke
7) Sanford and Son.

-Owen

[William Sommerwerck]

> I've enjoyed Frasier a number of times, but find that the
> hand that operates the remote is reluctant to re-watch
> any episode I recognize. Like someone else's recent
> reaction (in another group, I think) to "Fawlty Towers,"
> I get tired of watching Frasier humiliated.

But that's the running joke. For a psychiatrist, he's remarkably lacking in
self-awareness. In particular, he ruins his relationships with women because
he tries to impress them, rather than just relaxing and "being himself". I
doubt any other series -- "Barney Miller" included -- has ever done such a
thorough job of developing and inter-relating its characters.

"Frasier" is arguably the most-brilliantly written sitcom ever (though I can
think of two British series -- "To the Manor Born" and "Yes, Minister" --
that come close). Nor has /any/ come remotely as close in casting
outstanding actors in appropriate roles. "Frasier" was also brilliant at
farce (such as the episode with the dead seal at the beach house), utterly,
totally outclassing "I Love Lucy".

One of my many favorite lines comes when Martin brings home his vulgar
girlfriend Sherry (Marsha Mason):
Sherry: I love making people laugh. I think of it as a kind of medicine.
Niles (to Frasier): We must be in the placebo group.

There's also an episode when Niles and Frasier discover they're named after
two of their mother's lab rats.

Among comic mini-series, "The Black Adder" is (to me) beyond compare.

[graham]

"O" <ow...@denofinequityx.com> wrote in message
news:250620121729508259%ow...@denofinequityx.com...

The last was pathetic and not a patch on the UK original. Same goes for All
in the family.

[Abbeddrose Bierce]

Asshole and proud of it

Abbedd

[Bob Harper]

On 6/25/12 12:48 PM, Dufus wrote:
>> On Jun 25, 10:51 am, MiNe 109<smcelr...@POPaustin.rr.com> wrote:
>
>> He's NOT DEAD! News reports have Mr Palmer attending a Jubilee event
>> today.
>>
>
> Delighted to hear I'm mistaken. As I'm sure is he !
>
> And at one time, I thought he was married to Dame Dench.

Only on 'As Time Goes By.' Dame Judy was married to Michael Williams
(who was her co-star in 'A Fine Romance') from 1971 until his death in
2001. Geoffrey Palmer has been married to Sallie Green since 1963.

!
>
> I see he received an OBE recently. Does that mean he is now Sir
> Geoffrey ?

No. Per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire
he'd have to be moved up a couple of ranks to be Sir Geoffrey.

Bob Harper

[Kip Williams]

William Sommerwerck wrote:

> Among comic mini-series, "The Black Adder" is (to me) beyond compare.

Good catch. Yes, I'd put that in any list of candidates, and not even
slot it into a separate "miniseries" track. It can compete.

As I typed the last word of the preceding paragraph, I looked up and saw
the box that contains the whole series. And now I'm choking back the
desire to start quoting.


Kip W

[Oscar]

Don't know who compiled the list and made the rankings, but it's an
interesting list of American sitcoms. Maybe there is a similar list of
Tunesian programs?

111 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959-1963)

110 Chico and the Man (1974-1978)

109 California Dreams (1992-1997) By a lot of the same people that did
"Saved by the Bell"; this is another teen-oriented sitcom.

108 That Girl (1966-1971)

107 Rhoda (1974-1978) A spin-off of "Mary Tyler Moore."

106 The Monkees (1966-1968)

105 Dennis the Menace (1959-1963)

104 Family Affair (1966-1971)

103 Here's Lucy (1968-1974)

102 The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966)

101 Mr. Belvedere (1985-1990) The series was based on the Lynn
Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947
novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting
Pretty.

100 My Favorite Martian (1963-1966)

99 Becker (1998-2004)

98 Will and Grace (1998-2006)

97 Soap (1977-1981) A parody of daytime soap operas.

96 Good Times (1974-1979) A spin-off of "Maude," which was a spin-off
of "All in the Family."

95 Get Smart (1965-1970) Created by Mel Brooks. Need I say more?

94 Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983)

93 Maude (1972-1978)

92 Petticoat Junction (1963-1970)

91 Make Room For Danny / "The Danny Thomas Show" (1953-1964)

90 The Lucy Show (1962-1968)

89 Family Guy (1999-2001 2004-Present) In my opinion, the show hasn't
been funny since it returned in 2004.

88 Silver Spoons (1982-1986)

87 Punky Brewster (1984-1986) NBC's programming chief named the series
after a girl he had a crush on in his own childhood.

86 Two and a Half Men (2003-Present)

85 Bosom Buddies (1980-1982) Stars Tom Hanks in drag.

84 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996-2003) Based on the Archie comic
book series of the same name.

83 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992-1997)

82 Dinosaurs (1991-1994)

81 Green Acres (1965-1971)

80 Mister Ed (1961-1966)

79 The Addams Family (1964-1966)

78 My Three Sons (1960-1972) 380 episodes were produced, making it one
of the longest-running sitcoms.

77 Boy Meets World (1993-2000) The lead actor Ben Savage is Fred
Savage's little brother (The Wonder Years).

76 The Munsters (1964-1966)

75 The Partridge Family (1970-1974)

74 WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-1982)

73 What's Happening!! (1976-1979/1985-1988)

72 Who's the Boss? (1984-1992)

71 Saved By The Bell (1990-1993)

70 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001)

69 The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (1952-1966)

68 The Big Bang Theory (2007-Present)

67 The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966)

66 The Nanny (1993-1999)

65 Perfect Strangers (1986-1992) "Don't be ridiculous."

64 The Honeymooners (1955-1956)

63 The Jeffersons (1975-1985)

62 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964-1969)

61 Family Matters (1989-1998) A spin-off of "Perfect Stranger?"

60 Mad About You (1992-1999)

59 Coach (1989-1997)

58 Community (2009-Present)

57 Mama's Family (1983-1985,1986-1990)

56 Wings (1990-1997)

55 Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979)

54 The Odd Couple (1970-1975)

53 ALF (1986-1990) ALF is an alien life form that somehow knows
English and grasps sarcasm.

52 The Golden Girls (1985-1992)

51 Newhart (1982-1990)

50 Night Court (1984-1992)

49 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)

48 The Flintstones (1960-1966) The Flintstones is actually based on
the sitcom The Honeymooners.

47 Growing Pains (1985-1992) In Latin America the show was called ¡Ay!
Cómo duele crecer (Ouch! How painful is growing up), and in France it
was called Quoi de neuf docteur? (What is new doctor?).

46 Mork and Mindy (1978-1982)

45 The King of Queens (1998-2007) Jerry Stiller made this show great.

44 Charles in Charge (1984-1985/1987-1990)

43 The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971)

42 Futurama (1999-2003/2008-Present) From the creators of The
Simpsons.

41 The Love Boat (1977-1986)

40 Sanford and Son (1972-1977)

39 Married With... Children (1987-1997) Al Bundy, classic.

38 The Office (2005-Present)

37 Gilligan's Island (1964-1967)

36 Modern Family (2009-Present)

35 The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978)

34 Malcolm In the Middle (2000-2006)

33 That 70's Show (1998-2006)

32 South Park (1997-Present)

31 Home Improvement (1991-1999)

30 I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970)

29 Murphy Brown (1988-1998)

28 News Radio (1995-1999) I can't believe anyone would kill Phil
Hartman.

27 Beavis and Butthead (1993-1997)

26 Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1986)

25 Bewitched (1964-1972)

24 Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-Present)

23 Leave It To Beaver (1957-1963)

22 Roseanne (1988-1998) Top-rated sitcom of the 90's.

21 Full House (1987-1995)

20 Mary Tyler Moore (1970-1977)

19 Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005)

18 The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968) Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C was a spin-
off of this show.

17 Three's Company (1977-1984)

16 The King of the Hill (1996-2010)

15 Happy Days (1974-1984) Happy Days, itself considered a spin-off
from "Love, American Style," spun off five different series: Laverne &
Shirley, Blansky's Beauties, Mork & Mindy, Out of the Blue, and Joanie
Loves Chachi. It also spun-off two animated series.

14 The Brady Bunch (1969-1974)

13 Arrested Development (2003-2006)

12 Taxi (1978-1982)

11 Frasier (1993-2004)

10 Friends (1994-2004)

9 The Facts of Life (1979-1988)

8 The Cosby Show (1984-1992)

7 Cheers (1982-1993) Of course the show "Fraiser" was a spin off of
"Cheers."

6 M*A*S*H (1972-1983) Sitcom? Maybe not, but there was a laugh track.

5 All In The Family (1971-1979) Hilarious.

4 Family Ties (1982-1989) Michael J. Fox as a hardcore Republican with
hippie parents? Yes please.

3 The Simpsons (1989-Present) #3? Doh!

2 I Love Lucy (1951 - 1957) #2? Lucy! You got some splanin' to do!

1 Sienfeld (1990-1997) Seinfeld is master of it's domain.

[M forever]

On Jun 25, 5:53 pm, "William Sommerwerck" <grizzledgee...@comcast.net>
wrote:

Finally something we can agree on. I also loved Fawlty Towers. Another
big favorite of mine is Yes, Minister and Yes Prime Minister.

[Dufus]

>On Jun 25, 6:54 pm, M forever <ms1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Another
> big favorite of mine is Yes, Minister and Yes Prime Minister.

And mine. The classic " Newspapers" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGscoaUWW2M

[Russ (not Martha)]

On Monday, June 25, 2012 4:26:36 PM UTC-5, Kip Williams wrote:

> My vote now would be for "The Simpsons." The medium of animation gave
> them some advantages: the kids don't get older than the parents, and
> they can cut closer to the bone than most live shows I can think of.
>

I would place 'King of the Hill' a close second.

I can't forget (character) Nancy Gribble's immortal observation: "The truth is like the sun - people used to think it was good for you."

Russ (not Martha)

[Kip Williams]

Russ (not Martha) wrote:
> On Monday, June 25, 2012 4:26:36 PM UTC-5, Kip Williams wrote:
>
>> My vote now would be for "The Simpsons." The medium of animation gave
>> them some advantages: the kids don't get older than the parents, and
>> they can cut closer to the bone than most live shows I can think of.
>
> I would place 'King of the Hill' a close second.

I'd place it highly, certainly. It's a show that staked out its
territory and has explored it in interesting ways. I liked Beavis and
Butt-Head, but I wasn't expecting anything like this from Mike Judge —
much more mature (well, how could it not be, eh?).

I decided it was worth keeping track of the show from the first episode,
when a light snow — looks like a flake every six feet — is falling on a
town in Texas, and though the flakes aren't even reaching the ground,
people are skidding around and losing control of their cars. Utter
hyperbole, but so close to the behavior of people not accustomed to snow.

Oh, and something something Mozart.

whew


Kip W

[Gerard]

Dufus <steve...@gmail.com> typed:

If that's important to you, I can recommend all documentaries about the "royal
family".

[Gerard]

Oscar <oscaredwar...@gmail.com> typed:

This seems to be a rather good list of all what's important in the US.

[William Sommerwerck]

>> Don't know who compiled the list and made the rankings,
>> but it's an interesting list of American sitcoms. Maybe

>> there is a similar list of Tunisian programs?

There's no point in discussing the (apparent) rankings, as they are Beyond
Weird. For "Dennis the Menace" to be on the list at all is nothing short of
obscene. For it to outrank "Dobie Gillis" (which had an occasional excellent
episode, usually written by the show's creator, Max Shulman) is beyond
comprehension. Perhaps 5% of these shows would be considered of high
quality.

One comedy that hasn't been mentioned is "Curb Your Enthusiasm", created by
and starring Larry David, the producer of "Seinfeld". The show -- which is
vaguely autobiographical -- doesn't have a lot of hard laughs. But it shows
people in plausible situations (at least for show-biz folks), and paints its
star in an often-unflattering light.

For me, The Best TV Show Ever is "South Park". I don't always agree with the
POV of its creators, but it's not only bluntly crude, but brilliantly
satiric, often in unexpected and unanticipated ways. It's a potent reminder
of why we are fortunate that freedom of speech and expression are legally
protected in this country.

[Oscar]

On Jun 26, 2:32 am, William Sommerwerck wrote:
>
> For me, The Best TV Show Ever is "South Park". I don't always agree with the
> POV of its creators, but it's not only bluntly crude, but brilliantly
> satiric, often in unexpected and unanticipated ways. It's a potent reminder
> of why we are fortunate that freedom of speech and expression are legally
> protected in this country.

Sanford and Son is way up there for me.

[Oscar]

On Jun 26, 2:32 am, William Sommerwerck wrote:
>

> There's no point in discussing the (apparent) rankings, as they are Beyond
> Weird. For "Dennis the Menace" to be on the list at all is nothing short of
> obscene. For it to outrank "Dobie Gillis" (which had an occasional excellent
> episode, usually written by the show's creator, Max Shulman) is beyond
> comprehension. Perhaps 5% of these shows would be considered of high
> quality.

And he left off That's My Mama (1974-1975), pfft!!

[herman]

On 25 juin, 23:53, "William Sommerwerck" <grizzledgee...@comcast.net>
wrote:

>
> "Frasier" is arguably the most-brilliantly written sitcom ever

I would argue that Seinfeld is equally brilliantly written, and it
has, as a plus, the nu hugs / making up at the end policy.

I'd also add 'Seinfeld's built-in parodies of famous / notorious tv-
and movie moments, thereby sending up this habit of some American
people (e.g. the OP) of regarding tv-characters as more real than real
people.

[Ray Hall]

Malcolm in the Middle for me.

Ray Hall, Taree

[Abbeddrose Bierce]

The flaw in their Libertarian agenda, is starkly apparent in the
smoking show with Rob Reiner

Abbedd

[Abbeddrose Bierce]

You BIG DUMMY

Abbedd

[Oscar]

On Jun 26, 5:28 am, Abbeddrose Bierce wrote:
>
> >Sanford and Son is way up there for me.
>
> You BIG DUMMY

Two funniest people ever from St. Louis, Mo.: Redd Foxx and LaWanda
Page.

Aunt Esther: Fred, I need your help.
Fred Sanford: But, Esther, I'm a junkman, not a plastic surgeon.
Aunt Esther: But, Fred, I need your truck.
Fred Sanford: I agree. Son, take the truck and run over Esther's face.

Aunt Esther: Fred Sanford, the wrath of God will strike you down.
Fred Sanford: And this Louisville slugger will knock you out.

Fred Sanford: [to Ah Chew and Esther] My two favorite diseases in the
same room. Yellow Jaundice and the Black Plague.

[Kip Williams]

herman wrote:

> I would argue that Seinfeld is equally brilliantly written, and it
> has, as a plus, the nu hugs / making up at the end policy.

I watched it a couple of times, and as I recall, I enjoyed it both
times. It seemed to me that the characters were at their best when they
were trying to figure out the rules of life. I didn't keep watching
because of limits on hours in the day.

I did watch the final episode, where they were on trial and apparently
facing all their old nemeses once again. There's a witness they don't
recognize at first, but when he speaks, they know him. "It's the Soup
Nazi!" says one. Their defense attorney looks at them with something
approaching disgust and says, "You people have a little name for
-everyone-, don't you?"

I can't go without mentioning the Frogger episode, which strikes me as
one of the most ingenious setups and perfect payoffs ever. Shorn of
explanations, here's the wrapup:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-FbktgqCqY


Kip W

[O]

In article
<97f0b464-9895-445d...@t1g2000pbl.googlegroups.com>,

Oscar <oscaredwar...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Don't know who compiled the list and made the rankings, but it's an
> interesting list of American sitcoms. Maybe there is a similar list of
> Tunesian programs?
>
> 111 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959-1963)
>
> 110 Chico and the Man (1974-1978)

Notably missing is Ernie Bilco, aka the "Phil Silvers Show," some of
which episodes stand up to humor today.

There are also not quite sitcoms, or comedic sketch shows, like

Your Show of Shows
Dave Chappelle's Show
Ernie Kovacs

-Owen

[William Sommerwerck]

> I can't go without mentioning the Frogger episode, which
> strikes me as one of the most ingenious setups and
> perfect payoffs ever.

Very clever. I never saw it coming.

[William Sommerwerck]

> Notably missing is Ernie Bilko, aka the "Phil Silvers

> Show," some of which episodes stand up to humor today.

Such as the one in which a chimpanzee is inducted into the army. Or where
they're training a race horse at night.

The show was originally called "You'll Never Get Rich". As in the song
lyrics.


> Ernie Kovacs

Many of his shows were lost, due to the tapes being erased for recycling.
His very last show had a five-second scene with Kovacs as a used-car
salesman, which I will not spoil by describing.

[Gerard]

William Sommerwerck <grizzle...@comcast.net> typed:

How can it be spoiled if it's lost?

[graham]

"Oscar" <oscaredwar...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:643bfa73-f8d0-4f4f...@y3g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...

----------------------------------------------------------
You really should try watching the original on Youtube!
Graham

[Kip Williams]

Alas, the moment for me was ruined because I had seen a bit of the clip
in isolation — I think in their penultimate show — so I can only imagine
how I'd have reacted to it in an unspoiled situation. I'm 90% sure I'd
have smacked myself in the forehead with the heel of my hand a few
seconds into the part of the show that was in the clip I linked, where
the whole backstory suddenly is revealed as a setup for that inspired
minute.

Another smackworthy moment on a sitcom would have to be the meeting of
William Shatner and John Lithgow in the opening minute of a "Third Rock
from the Sun" episode. (Dialog paraphrased by the wonders of mental
chemistry.)

Lithgow: How was your flight?
Shatner: Terrible! All the way over there was this monster out on the
wing, and nobody could see it but me, and nobody believed it.*
Lithgow: THAT'S what happened to ME!!**

(Footnotes to take all the humor out of it:
*Mister Shatner is referring to a famous episode of the early 60s
fantasy anthology "The Twilight Zone," and
**Mister Lithgow repeated his role in a movie remake many years later.)

Worked perfectly on me. Shatner merely appeared drunk, so his anecdote
was unexpected, and his recounting was quick enough that Lithgow's
presence didn't become significant until he chimed in. Ow.


Kip W
OT discussions are the best

[Abbeddrose Bierce]

Fred to Esther: I'm gonna mash your face in dough and make monster
cookies

Abbedd

[Art]

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:58:43 -0700 (PDT), bpnjensen
<bpnj...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> For my money, as I watch "Frasier," I cannot imagine a funnier or
better do=
> ne sitcom, overall. I think the characterizations in that program
are top-=

I agree. I've seen every episode and found them all to be worth
while. Seasons one and two are the best. Things started getting
weaker toward the end when the Frasier and Martin characters became a
bit too soft. But, there is quality in every episode. The show
somehow manages to both celebrate and poke fun of being an aesthete
at the same time. Good acting, good stories, you just wish that you
could join Frasier and Niles for a glass of sherry!

[Art]

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:26:41 -0700, Jenn
<jennconduct...@mac.com> wrote:
> I know that it's not destined for classic status like the others
> mentioned in this thread, but I'm sure getting a lot of chuckles
from
> The Big Bang Theory.

Funny show. It's starting to run out of steam now that they are
trying to make sheldon more human and warm. Now, with the
girlfriends, there are too many characters. But it's still a funny
show. It's the Sheldon and Penny exchanges that make it worth
watching.

[William Sommerwerck]

Though it's not, strictly speaking, a sitcom, "Rocky & Bullwinkle" is still
funny, 50+ years later. Not only was the writing sprightly, but it had the
best voice-acting cast of any cartoon.

(I know, I know... What about the voices on "The Simpsons" and "Futurama"?
They're very, very close, but not quite Frees, Foray, Butler, and Scott. AND
Hans Conreid, whose Snidely Whiplash is one of the greatest cartoon voice
performances ever.)

[Gerard]

Kip Williams <mrk...@gmail.com> typed:

"Discussions"?
For the OT freaks of course.

[Kip Williams]

Here's the same voice, in 1915! George Grosmith, Jnr., recorded this —
the son of the original Ko-Ko, George Wellington Wells, etc. — and it
seems to me a rare example of humor from this era that still holds up in
our own:

http://archive.org/download/GeorgeGrossmith-Murders1915/GeorgeGrossmith-Murders1915.mp3

I'm glad I checked on it. This is a newly engineered version that takes
out the grinding swish but doesn't seem to impact the lo-fi sound much,
unless perhaps the esses are slightly elided, but they don't sound it to me.

Utterly unrelated, but here's a 1904 example of long-form sarcasm that I
always enjoy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kipw/sets/72157594422290269/

It's a cultural satire, purporting to explain how to assemble an
illustrated magazine without having to have any content with any
substance whatsoever. My personal favorite is the Serial Adventure, for
which the writer merely fills in a few blanks in a small form which the
typesetter hangs up next to his machine and produces the story from it.
"Grypula switched off the electric light, and in the darkness I heard
him gliding noiselessly to the back of the long cellar."

Since I scanned my copy (made from a set of photocopies I pulled about
twenty years earlier), I've also seen this on Google Books, which may be
searchable. The pictures have moiré effects in this version. I took
steps to reduce it in mine.

A friend converted the text via OCR and made an HTML version:

http://www.forgottenfutures.com/pantech/pant1.htm

It doesn't flow like the original, but seeing the illustrations out of
context points up their downright crazy shapes — not doubt another thing
being mocked here.


Kip W

[William Sommerwerck]

>> (I know, I know... What about the voices on "The Simpsons"
>> and "Futurama"? They're very, very close, but not quite Frees,
>> Foray, Butler, and Scott. AND> Hans Conreid, whose Snidely
>> Whiplash is one of the greatest cartoon voice performances ever.)

> Here's the same voice, in 1915! George Grosmith, Jnr., recorded

> this — the son of the original Ko-Ko, JOHN Wellington Wells, etc.

> — and it seems to me a rare example of humor from this era that
> still holds up in our own:


http://archive.org/download/GeorgeGrossmith-Murders1915/GeorgeGrossmith-Murders1915.mp3

Well, the British are notorious for kinky murders.

There are spots in the last third where he sounds a lot like Conreid.

I find interesting that when the pops & clicks and "grinding swish" are
removed from old recordings, the subjective fidelity greatly improves.

[Kip Williams]

I really couldn't say about the fidelity. At least it sounded no worse.
Interestingly, the file seems to be smaller, even though my earlier copy
of the side was at the same bitrate.

I've wondered if Conried was imitating Grosmith, or if Grosmith was
employing a character voice that was already in use. Of course, I don't
even know if Conried ever heard Grosmith anyway, but it's a cute aural
peek at a stage style we don't hear in the wild very often — unless the
person using it is imitating Hans Conried! (I heard Conried himself as a
down-and-out Shakespearean hambone on one of my radio "Gunsmoke"
episodes recently.)


Kip W

[weary flake]

I'm embarrassed that I've seen almost all of these. The most
recent on this list I've newly seen is a few episodes of
Dobie Gillis, from renting some DVDs a few months ago. The list
is still missing the greatest sitcom of all time in the history
of the world: Corner Gas.

[Oscar]

On Jun 26, 7:41 am, Abbeddrose Bierce wrote:
>
> Fred to Esther: I'm gonna mash your face in dough and make monster
> cookies

http://tiny.cc/h6b8gw

[weary flake]

Abbeddrose Bierce <anserm...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Fred to Esther: I'm gonna mash your face in dough and make monster
> cookies

It's: [you're so ugly] "I could stick your face in some dough and
make some gorilla cookies."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi1RcgfQhY8