I think THE SIMPSONS and MASH are much better shows than SEINFELD. Personally, I can’t stand the SEINFELD characters. I find them annoying beyond belief. The show generated some good buzz and some funny lines (“double dipping,” “No Soup for you!” “Not that there’s anything wrong with it,” etc.) but basically didn’t go beyond that.
THE SIMPSONS and MASH are both beautifully written and executed. They have depth and meaning beyond the surface script. And they’re both very funny. These are classic shows that will play forever.
Hill Street Blues (anyone who hasn’t seen it, or doesn’t remember it, should check out the Bravo reruns – the show is 20 years old and yet it is still better than anything else on television).
MAS*H
Barney Miller
They don’t make 'em like they used to.
And T.V. Guide Magazine is in serious danger of running out of lists to use as cover stories. I’m sure the “Top 50 Failed Pilots” issue is just around the corner.
How can Seinfeld possibly top The Simpsons? That’s just crazy talk. I like Seinfeld, but I’ve never thought it was one of the best shows in TV. Top 20, maybe.
I have to agree.
I have had foreign visitors who speak no English rolling on the floor laughing at the show.
I have seen kids of all ages laughing at this show today.
Having seen every episode so often, I don’t even have to turn around and face the tv to tell you where all the characters are standing/seated…but I still find the show fresh and funny.
There are a lot of other good shows but I will be surprised if any of them hold up for 30/40/50 years or more…although the Honeymooners has come close.
I agree with everything The Scrivener said about Hill Street Blues, but I still have to give it the #2 spot. #1?
Sesame Street. No question about it. This show not only taught me to read, it taught me rudimentary Spanish. The best children’s show ever – no, the best show ever, period. It’s gone a bit downhill lately from what I’ve seen, but that doesn’t detract from its glory days one bit.
That’s all right, MsWhatsit, although it occurred to me that in a strange way Hill Street could be a sequel to Sesame Street…
…i.e., kids who grow up watching Sesame Street were more likely to be fans of Hill Street (although less likely to live there)!
Heck, I was just thinking about how much I’d love to see reruns of “The Muppet Show”. So many great characters there! Talk about a show that works on more than one level… the kids can laugh at some things; their parents, the ways the celeb guests are sending up themselves, among other things…
I think it’s necessary to have at least two lists. How can you compare sitcoms with dramas?
I’ve liked a number of sitcoms over the years, but given a choice between a sitcom and a drama, I’ll go for the drama every time. However, any drama program I really like will always have an element of humor.
My favorite American sitcom is “MASH”. My favorite British sitcom is “The Good Neighbors”. My all time favorite show is “Babylon 5”.
I always thought of MASH as a 50/50 mixture of sitcom and drama. I suppose most would say it’s a sitcom. If it WAS a sitcom, I think it’s one of the best due to there being a huge amount of seriousness alongside comedy… and it wasn’t “silly” like many sitcoms. Good choice though.
