# Sit-com Rasputins: Worst sit-coms ever to last 5 or more years **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 11, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365 "2005-05-11T06:46:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/1 "2005-05-11T06:46:36Z")
My votes: _Gimme a Break_- it was never good. When the Chief (Dolph Sweet) died, the show should have died with him, but it went on and on and on and on… They changed the cast, they changed the locale, they brought in an adorable little Lawrence brother, they brought in a second adorable little Lawrence brother, they brought in half-of-Dawn, they made Nell an increasingly strident virago and gave her every conceivable excuse to sing, they brought on Rosie O’Donnell, but like the mad monk it just wouldn’t DIE. Reruns are almost unwatchable. I’ll never understand why they wouldn’t just cancel this turkey (and I can’t even imagine the ratings were high for the last several years.) _Mr. Belvedere_- a one-joke premise (working schlub family gets proper British butler on loan [sort-of] from a then 30+ year old low budget movie franchise). Maximum number of enjoyable episodes possible: six. Number of episodes filmed: 117. Number of viewers at its peak: 842. Just-wouldn’t-quit-breathing. I don’t know who Christopher Hewitt was sleeping with, but evidently somebody at the network had a thing for beefy effeminate elderly Irishmen (though he spoofed the character brilliantly on an episode of the short-lived _Ned & Stacey_). Your votes? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/2 "2005-05-11T07:03:57Z")
\Full House\. Thank God that Bob Saget’s reign of blood is over. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/3 "2005-05-11T07:25:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Number of episodes [of Mr. Belvedere] filmed: 117. Get out of here! _Man!_ I thought sure that there were no more than fifty, if that. _Happy Days_—I’ve seen some good episodes from the first couple of years or so. Then they just started screwing off, all existing copies of the stylebook discarded and used for window towels, emergency bathroom tissue for on-location shoots, etc. _Charles In Charge_—It was lame-ass. Dull. The co-star was driven to masquerading as a [proselytizing superhero](http://www.bibleman.com/bibleman/home.jsp), for crying out loud! Can we make _Walker, Texas Ranger_ count? Please? PLEASE? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/4 "2005-05-11T07:29:32Z")
We had one in Australia _Hey Dad_ which, during it’s run from 1986 to 1994, was at one time the longest running sitcom on TV anywhere in the world. Unfortunately it was not at all funny but somehow remained popular and was shown in 20 countries around the world. I couldn’t understand how anyone could watch more than one episode. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Kenneth_Noisewater)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/5 "2005-05-11T07:45:34Z")
King of Queens. It had to be hard to make anything featuring Jerry Stiller and Patton Oswalt unfunny but they did it. I honestly think Three’s Company takes the cake. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/6 "2005-05-11T11:18:05Z")
Everybody Loves Raymond Seinfeld Friends Full House Becker Family Matters Yes, Dear (in it’s 5th year) Family Affair ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/7 "2005-05-11T11:46:35Z")
**sampiro** – best thread title ever. Okay, well, maybe not _ever_ – but certainly best of '05 so far. Good nominations – with **Everybody Loves Raymond** a strong contender – but lets not forget **The Facts of Life** and **Growing Pains**. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/8 "2005-05-11T12:37:02Z")
I’d nominate _Good Morning, Miami,_ but it only lasted two years. _Who’s the Boss?_ lasted **nine.** How is that possible? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/9 "2005-05-11T12:40:37Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > _Who’s the Boss?_ lasted **nine.** How is that possible? There were apparently a lot of lecherous guys out there waiting for Sam(?) to get boobies and pose for Playboy/Maxxim/whatever men’s mag. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/10 "2005-05-11T13:14:44Z")
_Alice_. Dear God, _Alice_. Two hundred and two episodes. How is this possible? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/11 "2005-05-11T13:29:06Z")
> [@Joe K](#): > > _Happy Days_—I’ve seen some good episodes from the first couple of years or so. … I’d say that they had a good number of decent episodes for more than just the first couple of years or so. However, it did indeed degenerate into buffoonery. > [@](#): > > _Charles In Charge_—It was lame-ass. Dull. The co-star was driven to masquerading as a [proselytizing superhero](http://www.bibleman.com/bibleman/home.jsp), for crying out loud! The first season was actually pretty good, IMO. And I think it’s unfair to say that this show drove Willie Aames to become [Bibleman](http://www.beliefnet.com/story/34/story_3431_1.html). This didn’t happen until many years after the show was cancelled. Indeed, it happened in the wake of Aames’s religious conversion, which occurred after he had sunk into the depths of sex, drugs and hard rock. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/12 "2005-05-11T13:33:20Z")
_Saved by the Bell_ ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/13 "2005-05-11T13:40:42Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Worst sit-coms ever to last 5 or more years All of them, at one point or another. Yet they still get viewers. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/14 "2005-05-11T13:59:04Z")
> [@GrizzRich](#): > > _Saved by the Bell_ And we have a winner! ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/15 "2005-05-11T14:54:35Z")
“Small Wonder”. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/16 "2005-05-11T15:20:56Z")
_Family Matters_ was excruciating. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/17 "2005-05-11T15:20:57Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > _Alice_. Dear God, _Alice_. > > Two hundred and two episodes. > > How is this possible? And I think they let her sing on two hundred and one of those episodes. (I have friends who use _Lavin_ to describe anybody who seems to think that their singing is something the whole world wants to hear as often as possible.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Unkempt\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b782af/32.png) [@The\_Unkempt\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Unkempt_One)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/18 "2005-05-11T15:28:58Z")
> [@GrizzRich](#): > > _Saved by the Bell_ What? Saved by the Bell was sitcom gold! Comedic genius! That poor Mr. Belding, always falling for those silly pranks! And Zack…he was maybe the coolest character on tv. How many of you wanted a Zack Morris cell phone every time he pulled that brick out? I know I did. Such a great show. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/19 "2005-05-11T15:43:29Z")
> [@The Unkempt One](#): > > What? > > Saved by the Bell was sitcom gold! Comedic genius! > > That poor Mr. Belding, always falling for those silly pranks! > > And Zack…he was maybe the coolest character on tv. How many of you wanted a Zack Morris cell phone every time he pulled that brick out? I know I did. > > Such a great show. Well, it did give the world one great thing, that being Zack/Slater slash ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/20 "2005-05-11T15:58:21Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > – but lets not forget **The Facts of Life** For some reason I _loved_ that show when I was a teenager- it seemed to have a depth that others lacked and I loved the character relationships, etc… I didn’t see it for almost fifteen years before it was brought back in reruns on _TV Land_ and then I was wondering “Dear St. Myron, what in the hell was I inhaling during those years?” Twas awful (though even in my teen years I thought it sucked by the time Cloris Leachman was brought on board). Of course every lesbian friend I’ve ever had was as in love with Jo as Jo was with Blair. Speaking of _Facts of Life_, I’ll throw in another Dick Clair production: _Mama’s Family_. I won’t deny that the show actually had a couple of funny moments (most of them from Dorothy Lyman or Beverly Archer), but they could have been condensed into a season with plenty of room left over rather than the 8 seasons they ran. (Trivia: most of the profits from _Mama’s Family_ residuals go to fund cryogenic research; Dick Clair {aka Dick Jones, born Richard Clair Jones] was cryogenically frozen when he died and left most of his estate to [Alcor](http://www.alcor.org/), causing several lawsuits from his family- ultimately his family received his tangible property (house, money, etc.) and Alcor his rights to _Mama’s Family_ (of which he owned half) and _Facts of Life_ (of which he owned a much smaller percentage). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365.md?page=2)