# Most Overrated Sitcom of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086 "2005-07-12T00:01:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/41 "2005-07-12T06:47:11Z")
I think it’s a toss-up between “Seinfeld” and “Friends”. “Friends” had a huge following and got terrific ratings. It also sucked balls. On the other hand, “Seinfeld” got (if I recall correctly) not quite as good ratings but did get numerous accolades from critics. “Friends” was never, to my knowledge, critically acclaimed. “Seinfeld” was. That said, I haven’t seen “Sex in the City” - the few moments I tried to watch made me want to stab several people in the eye with an icepick. Considering how remarkably hyped and critically acclaimed the show was, it almost has to be the most overrated sitcom of all time unless it’s the second coming of Christ. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/42 "2005-07-12T07:12:05Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Whenever Ralph says, “Oh ho ho, you’re going to the moon, Alice,” it’s always after the argument is over and Alice has won (again). from **Futurama** \*: Ralph Kramden animatronic: One of these days, Alice… to the moon! Leela: I never knew ancient astronauts were so _fat_. Fry: Oh, he wasn’t really an astronaut. He just used space travel as a metaphor for beating his wife. \*paraphrased, since I know someone will call me on that. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/43 "2005-07-12T07:37:46Z")
I’ll second _M_A_S_H\*\* and _Sex & The City_ - both utterly unwatchable crap, IMHO, though for different reasons. Going by the other thread, I’d have to add _Wings_ and _Coach_ to the list - I can’t believe anyone found those funny. A question to the people who found _Seinfeld_ unfunny: what sitcoms _did_ you find funny? _Who’s the Boss_? _Will & Grace_? Honestly, I can’t imagine it. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/44 "2005-07-12T07:47:31Z")
Will & Grace. One day Alias and I were in another room while someone was watching it in the livng room. All we could hear was the laugh track. It was surreal. The laugh track had to have come on every other line. Line/Witty Retort/Laugh Track. When I actually watched an episode, I saw that I was right. ---
**Author:** ![EllaBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a5b964/32.png) [@EllaBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllaBean)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/45 "2005-07-12T08:59:23Z")
I don’t know if it counts as a sitcom, but I watched a few episodes of \Family Guy\ and really didn’t like how nasty everyone was to each other. \Everybody Loves Raymond\ for sure. I don’t understand what’s supposed to be funny abou that show. \Cheers\ was also rather boring, I thought. ---
**Author:** ![EllaBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a5b964/32.png) [@EllaBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllaBean)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/46 "2005-07-12T09:03:44Z")
ah, crap. I’m sorry. newbie mistake, I suppose. it won’t happen again! I promise! ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/47 "2005-07-12T09:10:22Z")
> [@EllaBean](#): > > ah, crap. I’m sorry. newbie mistake, I suppose. it won’t happen again! I promise! Yer durn tootin it better not happen again. Round these pahts we don’t cottin’ to any o’them codin’ errers. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/48 "2005-07-12T11:36:08Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > A question to the people who found _Seinfeld_ unfunny: what sitcoms _did_ you find funny? _Who’s the Boss_? _Will & Grace_? Honestly, I can’t imagine it. _Night Court._ Probably the best sitcom of all time, IMHO. _Home Improvement_ and _Married With Children_ are two other sitcoms that I enjoyed. Shows like _I love Lucy_ and _M_A_S_H\*\* were before my time. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/49 "2005-07-12T11:44:23Z")
What’s the difference between “I think it’s overrated” and “I don’t think it’s funny?” For my money I’ve never found eitherr **The Honeymooners** or **Seinfeld** funny, yet everyone raves about them. To my mind, they’re tremendously overrated. I can agree that Friends and Frasier get more praise than they’re worth, but they both made me laugh a lot. I’ll take an epuisode of either over Honeymooners or Seinfeld. And, to me, **M_A_S\*H** was great, even factoring in Alda’s preachiness. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/50 "2005-07-12T11:51:02Z")
How That 70’s Show has survived so long is a mystery to me. It deserves a nod for the sitcom-with-the-most-people-who-cannot-act. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/51 "2005-07-12T12:00:57Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > How That 70’s Show has survived so long is a mystery to me. It deserves a nod for the sitcom-with-the-most-people-who-cannot-act. \ Which is why we know you’re a dumbass. \ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/52 "2005-07-12T12:03:57Z")
**Seinfeld** Just because everybody used to say it was the best show of all time. The only episode I ever saw was the finale, and I wondered what all the fuss was about. **I Love Lucy** Sure, it was groundbreaking. But it was not timeless. It hasn’t aged nearly as well as the Honeymooners. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/53 "2005-07-12T12:11:06Z")
**Will & Grace**. It was funny and fresh for about a season. Then the gag got stale. The once edgy characters were written to be completely over-the-top. They weren’t characters any more; they were caricatures. And the show stopped being funny. The last few seasons have served one purpose: to provide a vehicle for guest stars a la “The Love Boat.” It’s time for W&G to die already. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/54 "2005-07-12T12:14:32Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > A question to the people who found _Seinfeld_ unfunny: what sitcoms _did_ you find funny? _Who’s the Boss_? _Will & Grace_? Honestly, I can’t imagine it. I found shows featuring people I _didn’t_ want to die horrible deaths much more entertaining. I’ll second Night Court for one that I found amusing, but I could watch awful sit-coms and pass the time… but I couldn’t stomach Seinfeld. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/55 "2005-07-12T15:01:04Z")
Will & Grace is still on? I thought it got cancelled after Grace’s failed marriage thing… I find a lot of sitcoms faded to pale shadows of themselves in seasons 3 through 7, with the occasional moment of wittiness, and the rare resurrection. Then again, _most_ shows do that. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Rythm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Suburban\_Rythm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Rythm)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/56 "2005-07-12T18:34:23Z")
Around here, in between Jay Leno and Conan, they air old reruns of \*\*Cheers. \*\* It might be that I’m tired and waiting for Conan to come on, but still **Cheers sucks.** Never have I once watched/seen an episode that was remotely entertaining. Along that line, **Frasier** sucks too. Let’s all laugh at the pretentious doctor and the hilarious, misplaced situations he finds himself in week after week! In addition, all CBS comedies suck. Tremendously. **Everybody Loves Raymond** , **King of Queens** , and pretty much everything else make me want to smash my TV in with a tennis racket. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/57 "2005-07-12T18:55:50Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > **Seinfeld** Just because everybody used to say it was the best show of all time. The only episode I ever saw was the finale, and I wondered what all the fuss was about. Well, that’s kind of like hearing only the punchline of a joke, without knowing the setup. It took me a long time to warm up to Seinfeld myself. The first few times I caught a random epiode, it was _always_ something bathroom related: no toilet paper in the ladies’ room; the sick guy pees himself on Jerry’s couch; the pizza chef who didn’t wash his hands, etc. I thought the whole show must be nothing but toilet humor, and I can do without that. Once I finally started watching the show regularly, during its last year or two, I loved that there would be as many as half a dozen seemingly unrelated plot threads in one episode that would end up tied together in some unlikely way. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/58 "2005-07-12T19:01:55Z")
Sex in the City is horrible. Seinfeld was overrated. Funny sometimes, but not the best. I have to say I don’t agree on Third Rock from the Sun, though. Don’t get me wrong - I acknowledge it was unfunny to many people, but I really don’t think it got enough fame to be called _overrated_. I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/59 "2005-07-12T19:30:51Z")
I have to defend “Friends” - us Generation X’ers (and by that I mean people born between 1961 and 1981, NOT modern teenagers) were virtually un-represented on television before “Friends”, and people my age (including myself) found it struck a real chord with us. Yes, we were all aware that there were certain…leaps that had to be made, but I appreciated seeing aspects of my life that I was struggling with showing up on television with characters _my_ age, not Boomers. I would say the appeal is probably similar for “Seinfeld.” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086/60 "2005-07-12T19:47:03Z")
“All in the Family.” I simply can’t watch it. It makes my skin crawl. It combines all the ugliness of the 70s with whiny voices, loudmouth characters, and a point of view that makes me want to scream. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-overrated-sitcom-of-all-time/312086.md?page=4)