Posted on 11/13/2005 12:23:06 AM PST by Lancey Howard
In order, I rank the greatest TV sitcoms of all time like this:
1. I Love Lucy (the template for all sitcoms)
2. The Honeymooners
3. Seinfeld
4. Barney Miller
5. M.A.S.H.
6. Cheers
7. Taxi
8. The Andy Griffith Show
9. Hogan's Heroes
10. Gilligan's Island
Honorable mention:
All in the Family
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Cosby
The Odd Couple
McHale's Navy
The Phil Silvers Show
Night Court
Friends
Gomer Pyle, USMC (early years)
Family Matters (early years)
Home Improvement
The Beverly Hillbillies
Three's Company
The Jeffersons
Happy Days
Dick Van Dyke
Coach
Green Acres
(NOTE: Omitted from the above lists were shows that were more "situation" than "comedy", such as 'Leave it to Beaver', 'The Donna Reed Show', 'Father Knows Best', etc. Also omitted were animated shows such as The Flintstones, South Park, The Simpsons, and Family Guy.)
(P.S. I am old enough to have watched all of the above shows during their first run with the exception of Lucy, The Honeymooners, and The Phil Silvers Show, all of which I caught fully in reruns. The above lists are strictly from memory, so I hope I didn't leave out anything obvious. Have fun.)
I’m in complete agreement with the Top 10 with one exception – I’d replace M.A.S.H. with McHale's Navy.
Bewitched
Reno 911!
I'd move "Coach" to the top 10, and consign "Green Acres" to whatever sitcom hell you have "Pettycoat Junction" in.
Newhart has to be on the list. The one set in Vermont. Larry, Darryl. and Darryl; Michael and Stephanie; Jim and Chester; etc. Some of the greatest loony supporting characters ever (up there with Green Acres.)
Anyone list Beverly Hillbillies? I didn't like it that much myself, but it too has to be considered...
But PLEASE! No "And then there's Maude"!!!!!!!!!!!!
There were some very good sitcoms on radio too....
BEST SITCOMS
In chronological order:
I Love Lucy
The Honeymooners
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Get Smart
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Odd Couple (1971-5)
All In The Family (1971-5)
MASH (1972-5)
TAXI
Police Squad
Cheers(1982-7)
MOST OVERRATED SITCOM
Seinfeld
MOST UNDERRATED SITCOMS
Green Acres
Hogan's Heroes
Nobody's mentioned "Home Improvement".
No particular order:
Frasier (Kelsey is a Pubbie)
Mash (First three years ONLY...w/Wayne Rogers.
All in the Family (Archie was right a lot more than Meathead)
Taxi
Cheers (first five years)
King of Queens
Everybody Loves Raymond
Andy Griffith/Gomer Pyle
F-Troop
Drew Carey
Darn...forgot Green Acres. Subtly sophisticated.
Not a sit com, but Bugs Bunny/Foghorn Leghorn cartoons are also very sophisticated.
Wings was on for 8 seasons and had a great ensemble cast.
Remember WENN was a wonderful show with witty dialogue and yet another great ensemble cast, as well as being a salute to 30s and 40s radio. The character-to-hate's name was Hilary.
Dobie Gillis, Dream on, The Donna Reed Show.
Stand-up Comedy is no Joking matter to the Berlin Freeper.
If we're including B.H., we have to include Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Here's a "Comedic Situation":
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/sarc
In Living Color
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