Best sitcom of the last 30 years?

[woodstockbirdybird]

Limiting this because it's the period I'm most familiar with, and some may be slightly older, though I cut it off after such obviously great ones as All In The Family, The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show just to keep it somewhat narrowed down. Please feel free to include any you think I've left out.

[Mr. Kobayashi]

A bit too U.S.-centric for my liking, the first sitcom that came to mind for me was Fawlty Towers.

[AClockworkMelon]

I had M*A*S*H checked at first. Went down the list, one by one... then I saw South Park!

A bit too U.S.-centric for my liking, the first sitcom that came to mind for me was Fawlty Towers.The title of the poll is Best American Sitcom of the last 30 years?

[woodstockbirdybird]

Yeah, sorry - I missed the "American" qualifier in the thread title.

I also realized I left out the "other" option on the poll, so I guess people will have to post a reply for anything not listed.

[AClockworkMelon]

Damn it! I want to pick more than one. South Park, M*A*S*H and Curb Your Enthusiasm are all epic. Ah well.

[The Shroud]

Funnily enough, Fawlty Towers ended over 30 years ago!

Although I think Seinfeld went way downhill in its last few years, it's the pinnacle of the multi-cam sitcom. Whenever I catch it in reruns, it has that "I Love Lucy" timelessness about it.

Arrested Development set the standard for single-camera sitcoms sans laugh track, but I think I'll have to wait a while before it peaks. For everyone like me who loves AD, 30 Rock, Scrubs, and Community, there's someone who absolutely hates them. There's yet to be a single-cam sitcom approaching universal appeal.

[Skald the Rhymer]

I voted for MASH, though I'd not have included it in the poll had I devised it.

[dalej42]

Soap. That's an easy choice as there were only 4 season so the show didn't have time to go downhill like some of the other shows. Soap was able to hit on a lot of issues without being preachy like so many 70's sitcoms.

[Shoeless]

Whoops. I meant to vote for "Arrested Development" but clicked "Curb Your Enthusiasm" instead. Sorry about that.

I have fond memories of WKRP and am a big fan of NewsRadio, but I just finished watching all three seasons of A.D. on DVD recently and there were episodes in there that had me laughing so hard I had to pause the show so I could catch my breath. And it's chock full of goofy details that you don't always catch the first time through. Just brilliant.

[Mr. Kobayashi]

I had M*A*S*H checked at first. Went down the list, one by one... then I saw South Park!

The title of the poll is Best American Sitcom of the last 30 years?

Whoops, I just read the thread title.
:smack:

[Carmady]

I'm a huge fan of Newsradio, and Seinfeld holds up well, but AD just kills me. Have to go with that.

Edit: Didn't notice Futurama, but I refuse to compare live action sitcoms with animated shows.

[GameHat]

I'm really torn. If they had quit around the late 90s, The Simpsons would easily be my pick.

But they kept it going and it's been terrible for at least a decade.

[PapSett]

I voted Friends, but would have voted Will & Grace had you included it. Never failed to laugh at W&G.

[AuntiePam]

I haven't watched it in reruns so I don't know how it holds up, but I voted for Cheers. I remember it as always fresh, maybe because they had so many characters to play with.

[Thudlow Boink]

Wow, you put "Get a Life" on the list? I had almost forgotten that show! I hope they release it on DVD—but sorry, there's no way it's the best sitcom of the last 30 years.

"Night Court" and "Malcolm in the Middle" aren't the very best, either, but they should have been on the list.

I disagree with GameHat. I voted for "The Simpsons," because for me, quantity and longevity count for something. "The Simpsons" has given me more entertainment, more laughs, more great lines, more memorable episodes, more great characters—has enriched my life more than any other sitcom. Plus, it has a broad appeal. While I love something like Arrested Development, with its in-jokes and sly references, I can see how it's not for everyone and could be an acquired taste. I think "the best" ought to be something with broad appeal.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Both Barney Miller and The Dick Van Dyke Show were better than anything on the list, although Fawlty Towers does give both a run for their money.

[Cat Fight]

Aw, I can't choose without the pictures.

[BigT]

The best one I encountered was the first (half) season of Community. It's the first sitcom that kept me laughting throughout. If only the latest episode wasn't such a stinker.

I went with Futurama, as it's the only one that I cared enough about to watch all the way through. Though I have a hard time thinking of it as a sitcom. If we left out animated, I'd probably go with Seinfeld, although I liked News Radio a lot.

[GESancMan]

Most definitely Taxi. Dark, twisted humor at its best. One of the main characters is evil incarnate, and never apologizes for his actions; another's brain is drug-addled; yet another goes through a period of split personalities. No wrap-up-the-episode-with-a-feel-good-moral-of-the-story here!

[cactus waltz]

To me, the Simpsons doesn't quite fit the definition of sitcom. It's a different animal. It's more inclined towards satire and absurdities, as well as it is animated. But if we do take it into account, then it's surely at the top or a top contender. If the Simpsons had ended at around season eight or nine, it would have been absolutely legendary, as in almost insurmountable. Now we have seen it falter for a few years, so the entire run isn't as impressive as it could have been. However, that doesn't take away from all of its accomplishments, which are many. "Bart Sells His Soul" is probably my favorite episode of any show, ever.

[Mr Shine]

With a disclaimer that I haven't seen a single episode of some of the ones on the list, Frasier wins it hands down, with Seinfeld/Taxi jostling for second place.

[BMalion]

I would have voted for "The Patty Duke Show" but that ended almost 45 years ago.

[Sigmagirl]

Don't see Third Rock on there, so I voted WKRP.

[zamboniracer]

"Home Improvement" is a blatant omission, IMHO. It beat the pants off Seinfeld in the ratings when they were matched up head to head on Tuesday night. Slapstick gets no respect from critics, but Home Improvement had GREAT slapstick. Seinfeld had 4 self-involved people getting lost in parking garages. :D

Of those listed, I voted for Taxi.

[Annie-Xmas]

The Big Bang Theory gets better and better. In five years it will be on the list.

[Khendrask]

Benson... Oh, on the list? Seinfeld.

[One And Only Wanderers]

Gotta be Frasier for me. The quality of writing for that show really stands out imo.

[norinew]

I voted for Roseanne, because it was not only very, very funny (in the first seasons, anyway), but also very realistic. They had a family like mine. There was crap on the stairs, waiting to be carried up; there was a hand-crocheted afghan on the back of the sofa; the family wore the same clothes more than once; Roseanne and Dan argued over whether to pay the electric bill or the gas bill. On and on.

But if Night Court had been on the list, I'd definitely have been torn.

[Lantern]

Arrested Development though I have only watched one season so far. I liked Seinfeld quite a lot too. A bit surprised there are so few votes for Curb your Enthusiasm; I thought it captured the essence of what made Seinfeld great while doing away with the more conventional sitcom stuff.

[garygnu]

I voted Friends, but That '70s Show is severely underrated.

[Mr. Excellent]

What? No Blackadder?

Perhaps this could be remedied with a cunning plan ...

[Skammer]

I'm tempted by the Simpsons, but I really don't think it can be compared with "traditional" sitcoms. For humor, pathos, and a little trailblazing, I went with MASH.

[Anamorphic]

It's tough to pick one. There are some truly great shows on that list. I clicked Taxi first, then thought about Arrested Development for a few moments, considered a few others as well.... before finally settling on The Simpsons.

Even though it's obviously gone way, way down in quality, you just can't deny its greatness for so long. How much it's become ingrained in our culture. I just finished reading The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History (http://www.amazon.com/Simpsons-Uncensored-Unauthorized-History/dp/0865479887/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269458634&sr=1-1), which probably had a lot to do with my decision. It really reminded me of how great that show was in its prime (and its prime lasted for a long time), and how influential it was.

[RickJay]

Both Barney Miller and The Dick Van Dyke Show were better than anything on the list, although Fawlty Towers does give both a run for their money.
The two latter shows are older than 30 years old, and Barney Miller's run was mostly in the 70s.

[Mahaloth]

What? No Blackadder?

Perhaps this could be remedied with a cunning plan ...

Have you read this thread thoroughly? It has already been pointed out that this is for American sitcoms.

I would say Arrested Development, easily.

[Markxxx]

I think Seinfeld comes in first, with the Simpsons coming in a close 2nd. South Park has it's moements, but it's target audience is too narrow for me to really like it. Both writers are very talented and I feel they could be doing a lot better.

I really like the King of Queens, I wouldn't call it classic, but it holds up well in reruns and I like the characters, it's one of those comedies you can watch or listen to and it keeps you company

[Tapioca Dextrin]

It was either Soap or 30 Rock. I love shows that are self aware.

[RickJay]

Even though it's obviously gone way, way down in quality, you just can't deny its greatness for so long. How much it's become ingrained in our culture. I just finished reading The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History (http://www.amazon.com/Simpsons-Uncensored-Unauthorized-History/dp/0865479887/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269458634&sr=1-1), which probably had a lot to do with my decision. It really reminded me of how great that show was in its prime (and its prime lasted for a long time), and how influential it was.
"The Simpsons" was a great show for longer than Arrested Development and Taxi were shows, combined.

There's a lot of great shows on that list but IMHO, "The Simpsons" is actually being tragically underrated in this thread. It is the best sitcom ever made, ever, in any country, in my humble opinion. Few shows have ever been funnier, and no funny show has ever been as influential AND as innovative AND as daring AND as subversive.

[stpauler]

I voted Curb Your Enthusiasm based on the fact that I don't think they've had a clunker season.

Runners-up:
M*A*S*H's second half was no longer a sitcom but a half hour drama

Arrested Development had that wretched Wee Britain horror.

Roseanne had the lottery crap.

[KneadToKnow]

"The Simpsons" was a great show for longer than Arrested Development and Taxi were shows, combined.

This was ultimately my reasoning, as well. (Except for me it was Larry Sanders Show and Taxi.)

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

M*A*S*H - which is on the list - ended in 1983. On that basis, my vote would have gone for Barney Miller, which ended in 1982.

In any case, I selected Frasier. For longevity, damn fine writing and acting, cleverness and wit, consistency, and for making me laugh more than any of the others.

[choie]

Very difficult choice for me, but I went with Roseanne. For me, its first 5.5 years have never gotten stale. I can watch them over and over and still laugh and wonder in amazement at the incredible acting and writing (both of which captured so much truth).

M*A*S*H would have been my #2, closely with The Simpsons and Seinfeld.

[jimmycolorado]

I haven't voted, and probably won't cast one, but on that list I'd probably say The Simpsons.

The answer to the OP, however, is The Golden Girls.

[pricciar]

I chose Get A Life because it was becoming too difficult for me to choose just one and because I was unsure as to whether or not anyone else would vote for it. I think it is an awesome show. And, it's lucky that Fox at the time was willing to take risks on shows and really let them play out. There's not much of a chance that a show like Get a Life would last more than a month in today's network landscape.

The Simpsons is a good choice. I agree that it is not as good as it is now as it was in it's prime, but I still find a lot to laugh about many of the new episodes. I feel like it really started to pick up steam again after the movie (which I loved.)

In fact, I could see a credible argument for pretty much all of the choices. I didn't like all of them. but I can sort of see an argument even for those I dislike (I would just think you were dumb for liking it.) I don't think Entourage belongs on the list. Not that it is a bad show, but in spite of it's length I never really considered it a comedy. I thought of it more as a drama with some funny bits.

[Enuma Elish]

NewsRadio hands down and second place to 3rd Rock From the Sun.

Arrested Development??? Bah Humbug - people only vote for it because it is recent and stuck in their short-term memory.

[MrDibble]

Futurama, definitely.

[Gustav]

It's possible I may be overestimating it because it's so recent, but I really want to say How I Met Your Mother. It seems like a mediocre show on first glance, but the writing and acting are absolutely brilliant.

From the list Friends, Cheers and Seinfeld are all a cut above. Voted Cheers out of nostalgia.

Also would have liked to see Fresh Prince on the list, although I wouldn't have voted for it.

[cactus waltz]

There are several nominees in this thread that are worthy of a vote for different reasons. What I particularily like about Frasier is how classy and timeless it is. In some ways, it feels like watching classic Hollywood brought up to modern date. Seinfeld, on the other hand, is purely Seinfeld. At the time, there was nothing like it and watching it made it feel like it was really breaking ground.

[Sparky812]

I'm interested in how this list was generated as it seems biased towards current sit-coms.
The time period and sit-com criteria are too broad. What do you mean by "The Best"?
There are some notable shows missing... The Jeffersons, Happy Days, Different Strokes, The Facts of Life, Good Times, The Cosby Show, Newhart, etc..

[Paul in Qatar]

Barney Miller
Night Court
The Nanny