Arrested Development
After that, I’d say “Scrubs”, actually.
All in the Family … at least until Mike and Gloria left, and Archie Bunker’s Place was just awful. But the original All in the Family was great TV. It’s especially good to watch the shows now, realizing that a show like that could never be made again in our pathetic, politically correct society.
Their spin-off, The Jeffersons, was also very good.
Sanford and Son is often overlooked, but it is still a great show, IMO.
Mary Tyler Moore
The Odd Couple
**Seinfeld **was awful the first couple of seasons. I’m amazed the show made it to season 3, but it really picked up in quality after that. The first 2 seasons are painful to watch, especially now in reruns.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Cartoon humor
The Simpsons
Family Guy
And one I think has started well and has amazing potential
Hung
If I had to pick four, I would go with
Arrested Development
Seinfeld
NewsRadio
Scrubs
My top five
MAS*H
Simpsons
All in the Family
Taxi
and the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Third Rock From the Sun is probably my all time favorite sitcom, but Cougar Town and Modern Family are fast becoming new faves.
Simpsons.
Also people in this thread suck at counting.
The original version of The Office. Pathos, hilarious non-sequiturs, realistic sets and people, and that excellent finale.
Mary Tyler Moore Show, and it’s remake, 30 Rock
Arrested Development, but not for the prudish, as it is as prurient as can be.
Third or fourth vote for Friends. I have DVDs and watch a few episodes every week. Even if I’ve seen the episode several times I still laugh out loud.
“We were on a BREAK!!!”
Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Sorry, but you are all wrong. It’s Father Ted FTW.
Fawlty Towers is sit-com perfection. Not one bad episode. They stopped before it became stale. John Cleese and Connie Booth were absolute sticklers when it came to having a perfect script. Ten drafts for a sit-com script are just plain nuts, but it worked.
I agree, because in all reality, I don’t think I have ever laughed as hard at a show as I did (and still do) at Fawlty Towers.
[Basil’s constant mentioning of World War II has reduced a German girl to tears]
Basil Fawlty: She’ll like this one! She’s German!
[Basil almost holds a finger underneath his nose]
Polly Shearman: No, Mr. Fawlty! Do Jimmy Cagney instead!
Basil Fawlty: Jimmy Cagney?
Polly Shearman: Yeah, you know! “You Dirty rat!”
Basil Fawlty: I can’t do Jimmy Cagney!
Polly Shearman: Oh, please try!
Basil Fawlty: Shut up!
[to the Germans]
Basil Fawlty: 'Ere watch, who’s this then?
[He holds a finger underneath his nose and shouts in mock German]
Basil Fawlty: [the German girl cries even more]
Basil Fawlty: OK, I’ll do the funny walk!
[Basil goose-steps across the room, all the while chanting in mock German]
I’m in a minority but I like Everybody Loves Raymond. I find it soothing after a long hard day, and I ALWAYS laugh. But my all time favorite has to be Married With Children. The first year was horrible, when it tried to be a regular sitcom and the kids were small. About the time Christina Applegate turned beautiful was when MWC got really, really funny. Tim Conway as Peggy’s dad? He was priceless! He should have been a regular.
The Office (UK)
My criteria for great sitcoms comes down to one thing–does it make me laugh out loud several times per episode? This can be accomplished either verbally or physically; ideally both.
MAS*H, though one of the best written and acted shows of all time, usually wasn’t bust-a-gut funny, so I can eliminate that one. All in the Family was truly groundbreaking but got a bit heavy-handed at times. And, with apologies to fans of these shows, I just don’t get the appeal of Friends or Seinfeld.
And, sorry, but it’s very hard to choose just one, so I too must list more than one:
Third Rock From the Sun
The Big Bang Theory
The Bob Newhart Show (the 70s one with Suzanne Pleshette)
Taxi
Night Court
But if I’m forced to choose one, it probably would be The Bob Newhart Show. Bob’s meeting with the head of the nudist colony is possibly the funniest sitcom moment ever.
“Don’t you stick to your chair?”
Pure gold.
“How… how wide a microphone?”
“Married with Children.”
Although “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is starting to overtake MwC.
In case you haven’t voted in Your Top Five Most Preferred TV Shows (Final Poll) you might want to go help your favorite(s) move up the rankings from this list of comedies (and maybe some that aren’t due to my ignorance) from the first 88 Voters:
The Simpsons 25 28.41%
Arrested Development 17 19.32%
Seinfeld 16 18.18%
Futurama 14 15.91%
M*A*S*H 13 14.77%
Doctor Who 9 10.23%
Monty Python's Flying Circus 9 10.23%
South Park 8 9.09%
Big Bang Theory 7 7.95%
Mystery Science Theater 3000 7 7.95%
Roseanne 7 7.95%
Barney Miller 6 6.82%
Cheers 6 6.82%
Fawlty Towers 6 6.82%
Friends 6 6.82%
The Office (USA) 6 6.82%
WKRP In Cincinnati 6 6.82%
All In The Family 5 5.68%
Dick Van Dyke Show 5 5.68%
Frasier 5 5.68%
King of the Hill 4 4.55%
30 Rock 4 4.55%
The Bob Newhart Show 3 3.41%
Get Smart 3 3.41%
The Muppet Show 3 3.41%
The Office (Original -- UK) 3 3.41%
3rd Rock from the Sun 3 3.41%
Night Court 2 2.27%
Taxi 2 2.27%
Carol Burnett Show 1 1.14%