What do you think is the best sit-com ever to air?
Tough choice, but I’m going with the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Seinfeld, Friends, My Name Is Earl, Frasier and The Simpsons almost always make me laugh. If you held a gun to my head and I had to pick just one, it’d be very tough, but I’d pick Friends.
Seinfeld.
If I had to pick only one, I’d go with Fawlty Towers
Basil Fawlty) Would you care for a rat?
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Its hard to judge sitcoms from one era against another. I love MASH, but it isn’t as funny as say, Seinfeld or South Park.
Three way tie.
US: The Phil Silvers Show
UK: Galton & Simpson’s Hancock’s Half Hour/Hancock and Steptoe & Son.
Arrested Development.
Hmm… I think MASH* was one show I could never get enough of, back in the day. Also Moonlighting was pretty ground breaking, for it’s time, in quality of writing. Since then, good and even occasionally great shows, like the ones listed above by Elendil’s Heir: are so common, it’s hard to pick just one. They excellence almost makes them tiresome, after a while. Like Arrested Development, or The Larry David Show.
Andy Griffith Show.
But in a a few years I might be saying It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. That show makes me laugh laugh laugh. And makes me remember the late, gone-too-soon Shasta McNasty
I’m not sure I could pick a best one, but in addition to what’s been said above, I’m going to add The Office and Malcolm in the Middle.
If I had to go with just one, All in the Family.
Short list/alternates in chronological order:
Sanford & Son
Barney Miller
Malcolm in the Middle
Arrested Development
Soap.
Let’s not forget News Radio and the grandpappy of ensemble sitcoms, The Beverly Hillbillies.
“Classic” sitcom- The Dick Van Dyke Show. Very sharp writing, good casting, and the fact that Carl Reiner thought ahead to future reruns when plotting episodes make this a cut above other sitcoms of the era.
“Modern” sitcom- Seinfeld is always the popular choice, but the characters were so incredibly nasty and self centered that I can’t in good conscience give it my vote. My vote goes to Friends. What made Friends successful was first and foremost the chemistry between the cast. If it hadn’t been for that, Friends would be just another cheesy sitcom. Another hallmark of Friends was that every season had long running, engaging storylines that usually built up to a climax in the season finale and set up the story for the next season. It was so good at this that Friends became a comic soap opera of sorts. Not to mention the many running gags that helped viewers get attached to the characters.
Ok, not THE best, but up there:
Les: But…Mr. Travis…there are a lot of rock and roll stations out there.
Andy: Well Les, why d’ya think that is?
Les (thinks for a moment): Personally, I believe it’s some sort of plot.
WKRP.
Also, something that never gets mentioned in these “Best Sitcoms” thread (because 2 of it’s four seasons were absolute dogs…I mean, they put the “crap” in “craptacular”): Mork and Mindy. Seasons 1 and about 2/3d of season 3 rocked, and some of season 4 was good. Season two sucked donkey balls because no-one…not one person in America…wanted to see Mindy’s genetically damaged/congressman cousin or the two really, really creepy brother-and-sister-pair that was supposed to speak to “da yoot demographic” when they could see a coked(?) up Robin Williams riffing wildly and ad-libbing with a very hot Pam Dawber…
Mork (reads note): Dear Mork, I had to go to work. Fix yourself some breakfast. There’s stuff in the fridge. (Walks to fridge, opens it, sees carton of eggs).
Mork (shocked): Mindy is in direct violation of the galactic convention. You can’t eat space travellers. (Picks up an egg, stand over the sink, flings the egg in the air)
Mork: FLY! BE FREE!! (egg plummets into the sink and smashes open)
Mork (sadly): How can I help you if you won’t help yourselves? Oh well. (He turns on the water and salutes) Burial at sea.
He then decides that Mindy’s “cold box” has put the eggs/space travellers into a state of suspended animation and hides the eggs all over the house…under cushions, etc. Hilarity ensues.
Arrested Development by a mile, IMHO
*Newsradio.
Married…with Children. (esp. the Steve years).
Arrested Development*
If I had to pick one, it would be All in the Family.
Runners up: *Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore *and Frazier.