US TV Comedy recommendations please!
By
Amy_Amp,
Posted on: 2011-06-03 16:32 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture
Quote:
I'm not going to argue the importance of Seinfeld. It was hugely important to todays comedy. BUT it is not the best TV series of all time. I might give you a shot at best broadcast TV show, but I'm sorry HBO has put out several shows that I think are far better than Seinfeld (which I love). And while Seinfeld did all those wonderful things it was a standard multi camera sitcom. There are other shows that todays comedy owes bunches and that's single camera shows like Scrubs and Arrested Development. Because today the single camera comedy far surpasses the dreck pumped out by the Seinfeld way (multi cameras and studio audiences). (Save BBT and maybe HIMYM)
|
Originally Posted by Not_Rhino
Grossly disappointed there is no mention of Seinfeld.
Greatest sitcom of all time... greatest TV show of all time. No other sitcom comes anywhere close. All of your irreverent, anti-feel-good sitcoms like Arrested Development, The Office, etc. They all owe their success to Seinfeld. It pioneered the genre; they did it first and they did it the best. Almost every episode has an unforgettable moment... at least beyond the rough first season, which is still funnier than most sitcoms. |
@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff
Third Rock from the Sun. Sci-fi comedy about a group of alien explorers who come to Rutherford, Ohio to learn about Earth and the human race. Also, ALBINO BRAIN CHIGGERS!!!
Goodbye, I guess.
@Lord_Nightblade in Champions/Star Trek Online
nightblade7295@gmail.com if you want to stay in touch
Quote:
Must be Opposite Day. Either that or your mac autocorrected "overrated" into "greatest."|
Originally Posted by Not_Rhino
Grossly disappointed there is no mention of Seinfeld.
Greatest sitcom of all time... greatest TV show of all time. |
Seinfeld had maybe a half dozen really good episodes and that many okay ones. Other than that, it's a whole lotta meh. Better than The Nanny or Three's Company? Sure. But so is getting a cinder block dropped on your foot. Not high praise. Seinfeld was so rarely funny, it's not even funny.
The Alt Alphabet ~ OPC: Other People's Characters ~ Terrific Screenshots of Cool ~ Superhero Fiction
Quote:
I think Seinfeld is one of those marmite shows that people either love or hate. My dad loves that show, but I can't stand it. It had its funny moments, but it was never funny enough to overcome how annoying the characters were.
|
Originally Posted by Ironik
Must be Opposite Day. Either that or your mac autocorrected "overrated" into "greatest."
Seinfeld had maybe a half dozen really good episodes and that many okay ones. Other than that, it's a whole lotta meh. Better than The Nanny or Three's Company? Sure. But so is getting a cinder block dropped on your foot. Not high praise. Seinfeld was so rarely funny, it's not even funny. |
Goodbye, I guess.
@Lord_Nightblade in Champions/Star Trek Online
nightblade7295@gmail.com if you want to stay in touch
Quote:
Yup, exactly how I felt.|
Originally Posted by Lord_Nightblade
I think Seinfeld is one of those marmite shows that people either love or hate. My dad loves that show, but I can't stand it. It had its funny moments, but it was never funny enough to overcome how annoying the characters were.
|
I can't think of any US TV shows I would recommend. I just don't enjoy any of them enough to be able to give them a recommendation.
"I used to make diddly squat, but I've been with the company for 16 years and have had plenty of great raises. Now I just make squat" -- Me
Pediatric brain tumors are the #1 cause of cancer related deaths in children.
Quote:
A lot of HBO's shows are trash. Some of them are good, and their John Adams miniseries is the best miniseries I've ever watched. "Premium" cable channels add gratuity and nudity for the sake of gratuity and nudity. Ever seen the pilot episode of Stargate SG-1, uncut? There is absolutely no need for that show to ever contain nudity, but it did because Showtime pushed it on them. |
Originally Posted by MentalMaden
I'm not going to argue the importance of Seinfeld. It was hugely important to todays comedy. BUT it is not the best TV series of all time. I might give you a shot at best broadcast TV show, but I'm sorry HBO has put out several shows that I think are far better than Seinfeld (which I love). And while Seinfeld did all those wonderful things it was a standard multi camera sitcom. There are other shows that todays comedy owes bunches and that's single camera shows like Scrubs and Arrested Development. Because today the single camera comedy far surpasses the dreck pumped out by the Seinfeld way (multi cameras and studio audiences). (Save BBT and maybe HIMYM)
|
Seinfeld is the most entertaining show that has ever been on TV. I won't argue that it was a masterfully written piece of literature meant to be debated over by scholars for decades, and it never had me on the edge of my seat, but it's funny, and for a sitcom, that's all that matters.
I don't mind studio audiences. I don't need to be told when to laugh, but since laughter is contagious, I certainly don't mind them, especially on shows like Seinfeld where the audience is legitimately laughing, and so am I, because something is legitimately funny. But hey, don't take my word for it. TV Guide named it the #1 greatest television show of all time in 2002. Of course, it's all just a matter of opinion. You either love it or hate, but the majority seem to love it, and I think that alone makes it worthy of being mentioned to this guy asking for shows to watch.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ironik
Must be Opposite Day. Either that or your mac autocorrected "overrated" into "greatest."
Seinfeld had maybe a half dozen really good episodes and that many okay ones. Other than that, it's a whole lotta meh. Better than The Nanny or Three's Company? Sure. But so is getting a cinder block dropped on your foot. Not high praise. Seinfeld was so rarely funny, it's not even funny. |
Just like I would never use a Mac because I think they're overpriced, un-upgradeable garbage that can't play games, it's all a matter of taste.
As I said, I too love Seinfeld, but I'm just saying I'm not sure its the best TV show of all time. That's all. Not a slap at it. Yes, it's very funny, just not the best ever. Not that there's anything wrong with that. 
@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff
The Venture Brothers.
Pop culture references (though often slightly obscure ones), intelligent, the occasional fart joke...that covers most of your criteria.
Just a great, great show. 4 existing seasons, and it was just picked up for 2 more.
...in CoH racing to 50 is like trying to race to the end of your vacation. -Arcanaville
Debt barely slows down levelling these days. It's just a little bar that measures how much Awesome you've generated recently. (If you're not getting debt, you're just not trying to generate Awesome hard enough.) -Kelenar
If you like Frasier, you may well like Cheers, since Frasier was a character on Cheers that spun off his own show.
Here's my "deep tracks" pick - Police Squad! All of 6 episodes were aired, but they're all amazing. This show was the basis for the Naked Gun movies. If you don't like those movies, or Airplane!, don't bother with this series though.
To the OP's question about the US version of "The Office" - " so would that be worth me trying out?" In a word - yes. I don't like to compare the 2 series, just like I don't like to compare old Star Trek to Next Generation, they're all great independent of each other.
Speaking of Steve Carrell - check out the old 60s series "Get Smart" (but not the movie Carrell was in).
While you're in the oldies section, I'm quite fond of "The Andy Griffith Show".
I think it may be interesting to someone trying to get a flavor of US culture at a time and place to check out "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons". Jeffersons was a spin-off of "All in the Family", both are funny, topical and at times poignant.
I don't think I've seen "The Simpsons" mentioned yet (only with respect to Tracy Ullman) and well, it IS the longest running comedy in US history.
Global = Hedgefund (or some derivation thereof)
Quote:
Well yeah, but it goes without saying. Anyone with a TV has probably seen The Simpsons at some point in the last 22 years.
|
Originally Posted by Deacon_NA
I don't think I've seen "The Simpsons" mentioned yet (only with respect to Tracy Ullman) and well, it IS the longest running comedy in US history.
|
Goodbye, I guess.
@Lord_Nightblade in Champions/Star Trek Online
nightblade7295@gmail.com if you want to stay in touch
I love Seinfeld and I'm proud to say it.
Cartoon:
Simpsons/FuturamaSitcom:
Venture Bros.
Archer
Daria
Sea Lab 2020
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law
Pinky & the Brain/Animaniacs
Looney Toons
SienfeldOther:
Friends
Scrubs
Modern Family
Sara Silverman Program
Tosh 2.0Webisodic:
Daily Show/Colbert Report
Chappelle Show
In Living Colour
The GuildBBC TV (I know, not US TV but it's awesome):
Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog
Spaced
Hyperdrive
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Kawkazn
I would recommend some shows but it just turns into an opportunity for haters to **** on them.
|
wow, level of pessimism higher then i thought possible......
Oh yeah, that was the time that girl got her whatchamacallit stuck in that guys dooblickitz and then what his name did that thing with the lizards and it cleared right up.
screw your joke, i want "FREEM"
Don't worry Kawkazn. We aren't going to make fun of you for loving 90210 and Hannah Montana.
Much.
Don't count your weasels before they pop dink!
Quote:
Since Ricky Gervais has made no secret of his idolization of Garry Shandling, you might try The Larry Sanders Show, which was an enormous influence on The Office in many ways and is available for streaming on Netflix. As a send-up of celebrity culture and the talk show format, it's still quite recognizable. (It's Garry Shandling's Show was very funny, as "meta" a sit-com as ever aired on network TV.)
|
Originally Posted by Coin
I'm a MASSIVE fan of the original UK version of the Office
|
For the funniest TV sitcom ever, I'd have to say Fawlty Towers. But that one is a Brit show and the topic here is American TV.
Does this one qualify? It is not a sit-com, but every episode had me laughing, often quite enthusiasticly. The British version is great, but I actually liked the American version better as Drew Carey and Wayne Brady added a lot. "Whose Line is it Anyway?" Great Improv skits. The episodes with Richard Simmons as a guest were the absolute best. There's a new similar show with many of the same cast members returning in a slightly different format on the Game Show Network called "Improvaganza." It is good, but not quite as good.
I have to agree with "Get Smart." Have you ever taken a look at the writers for that show? An amazing Who's Who of comedy -- and a few classic shows like "Dick VanDyke" and "I Love Lucy"
LOCAL MAN! The most famous hero of all. There are more newspaper stories about me than anyone else. "Local Man wins Medal of Honor." "Local Man opens Animal Shelter." "Local Man Charged with..." (Um, forget about that one.)
Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control
Oh yeah forget sitcoms watch Whose Line.
Better off Ted was great. Free on netflix. It is like a live action Dilbert.
Types of Swords
My Portfolio
Archer on FX
And yes Cougartown. I said it. Trust me, its not what you think the show is. The characters are really funny.
btw I meant Reaper... Reaper is an awesome show without an ending.
Off the top of my head...
Boston Legal was pretty darn good - "dramedy" not a pure comedy, But it's one of the best = that I haven't seen mentioned yet, & that I liked enough to make the effort to watch. Ooohh, Castle also fits that 'not entirely comedy but funny' bill as well.
My first 2 suggestions for recent Comedies would've been (Big Bang Theory, & How I Met Your Mother = already on your list).
If you like the animated sort - Family Guy, Futurama, and King of the Hill?
Lemme think, so far as cable shows - Entourage and Weeds are pretty freaking hilarious (IMHO), again not pure comedies though...
More in the "Sit-Coms" department: Dharma & Greg, Spin City, That 70's Show, and I'll 2nd the recommendation of Scrubs -> (this one took a while to grow on me before I really liked it = in syndication).
Lastly, two old-ish favorites of mine: The Wonder Years & Northern Exposure... I think they fit your request with the pop-culture and what not (some of its dated - but I'd bet you'll to get most of it.)
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Arcanaville
City of Heroes didn't fail, City of Heroes was killed. If a 747 dropped on your house, you'd say you were killed, not you failed to find a safer dwelling.
|
Quote:
I'm in the club of finding "Arrested Development" to be hilarious.|
Originally Posted by MentalMaden
It's not "all that funny". It's hilarious!
|
Here's the thing.
1) You're either going to get it or you won't. If you do get it, it's the greatest show ever.
2) It really takes more than a few episodes to really get it, because there's a ton of repetitive gags and call backs to previous episodes.
3) Once you get it, you've got it.
Other shows (most already mentioned):
Curb Your Enthusiasm -- I can usually only watch an episode or two at a time, but they are painfully funny.
NewsRadio -- as someone mentioned, stop at the end of Season 4. They tried to continue the show on after Hartman was gone, but the spirit of the show died with him.
Titus -- it was on Fox for about 3 seasons and was 5 or 6 years ahead of it's time. Very dark humor (when you can build comedy around your real life mother being in an insane asylum, you're treading through some dark waters). Stacey Keach is BRILLIANT in this series. On top of that, Fox completely ripped off the format of this show with "The War At Home" a few years later.
Archer -- great show. The weird thing is I didn't really care for his previous efforts (Frisky Dingo and Sealab).
The Venture Brothers -- what started as a spoof of the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons (notably, Johnny Quest) has evolved into something much deeper and greater than that. And it's still really funny.
Arc# 92382 -- "The S.P.I.D.E.R. and the Tyrant" -- Ninjas! Robots! Praetorians! It's totally epic! Play it now!
Arc # 316340 -- "Husk" -- Azuria loses something, a young woman harbors a dark secret, and the fate of the world is in your hands.
Quote:
THiS!|
Originally Posted by Cardiff_Giant
Off the top of my head...
Boston Legal was pretty darn good - "dramedy" not a pure comedy, But it's one of the best = that I haven't seen mentioned yet, & that I liked enough to make the effort to watch. |
And i forgott o mention when MTV was relevant and made quality programming, this lil show called Daria.
Its available on DVD. GET IT!
Quote:
This show is amazing. Having been a huge fan of Christopher Titus' standup, I can honestly say this was one of my favorite shows ever.
|
Originally Posted by Defenestrator
Titus -- it was on Fox for about 3 seasons and was 5 or 6 years ahead of it's time. Very dark humor (when you can build comedy around your real life mother being in an insane asylum, you're treading through some dark waters). Stacey Keach is BRILLIANT in this series. On top of that, Fox completely ripped off the format of this show with "The War At Home" a few years later.
|
"the reason there are so many sarcastic pvpers is we already had a better version of pvp taken away from us to appease bad players. Back then we chuckled at how bad players came here and whined. If we knew that was the actual voice devs would listen to instead of informed, educated players we probably would have been bigger dicks back then." -ConFlict
The HULU episodes do have the replacement music. Wiki has a section in the WKRP entry about where music was replaced and what some of the original songs were. For instance in the Thanksgiving episode that's been talked about, the scene where Arthur walks in the control booth Johnny was originally playing Dogs by Pink Floyd.
@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff