# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/21 "2005-05-11T15:59:02Z")
After I saw the first episode of **Gimme A Break** all I could do was roll my eyes and say that it sure was appropriately named. **Full House** —so many cute kids it made **Family Affair** look like a day in the life of the Manson gang. And those kids got away with things I would have gotten spanked silly for. There was one called **Silver Spoons** which featured the (non) adventures of some rich kid, but I don’t know if it even lasted 5 years. Typical episode: Kid goes hunting with his dad (in a Hollywood studio “forest”), shoots a deer, then is horrified to see the deer die and vows never to hunt again. At the end viewers are told that no deer were actually harmed during the filming of this episode. Hey, compared to this, **Mr. Belvedere** , lame two-joke wonder that it was, was shere genius. Actually I’d include any sitcom that lasted more than 5 years that had a lot of “very special episodes” (such as Nancy Reagan arriving at the family’s home to tell us why we shouldn’t do drugs) or characters who sang, particularly if they sang 1930’s and 40’s type pop songs. Maybe **Little House on the Prairie** doesn’t exactly qualify as a sitcom, but I’ll mention it anyway. It started out kind of cute and sweet, then degenerated into melodrama and a vehicle for Michael Landon’s heavy handed moral lessons. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/22 "2005-05-11T16:10:40Z")
Oh, and was **Alice** the one where Flo would yell “Well kiss mah grits!”? If so that was the main draw of the show. We used to watch it just for that reason when we were kids, and once when Flo didn’t utter her usual line we felt we’d been cheated and considered writing the network to complain. ---
**Author:** ![Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try_As_I_Might)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/23 "2005-05-11T16:11:39Z")
I really think it’s a neck to neck race with Saved by the Bell and Family Matters. Can you imagine anything worse than being forced to choose between watching a Marathon of one or the other? Oh, yeah, Full House. When I think of a marathon, nothing could be as bad as 12 hours of Full House. Gotta agree, I’d rather see the Mongols overrun the world again than to see a return of Bob Sagat. I heard they were actually trying to put together a reunion show for full house. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/24 "2005-05-11T16:23:04Z")
there are too many. Bosom Buddies Happy Days and it’s spin offs Laverne and Shirley–that was supposed to be funny? the sitcom with Terri McNichols and the another old guy off another sitcom(who had been brilliant in Soap)–they lived in Florida and he was a widower with two daughters–then they brought in daughter number three when the ratings tanked. Early '90’s…eck-see? so un-noteworthy that I cannot remember it’s name! spin off of Cosby show (and late Cosby show) Gimme a Break—ugh Family Matters (although I liked the actor who played the Dad. And also, who knew that Erkel would turn out to be gorgeous!?) Facts of Life-I liked the first two seasons. What kind of name is Tutti, anyway? Freak. The one where the white family adopted that midget black kid(not Gary Coleman, the other one)–ugh and yuck and blech. Nurses or some such nonsense with Suzanne Pleshette. Luckily, it didn’t last long at all-the outcry against it was huge (at least in nursing). I could go on, but am now nauseated… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/25 "2005-05-11T16:25:54Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > 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. [It was SO worth the wait.](http://tecnologia.tiscali.it/Italy/tecnologia03/sfondi/celebrita/media/Alyssa_milano.jpg) ---
**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, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/26 "2005-05-11T16:29:33Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > the sitcom with Terri McNichols and the another old guy off another sitcom(who had been brilliant in Soap)–they lived in Florida and he was a widower with two daughters–then they brought in daughter number three when the ratings tanked. Early '90’s…eck-see? so un-noteworthy that I cannot remember it’s name! **Empty Nest**? with _Kristy_ McNichol? (who, although she had her share of problems, never bombed any large buildings, as far as I know). ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/27 "2005-05-11T16:32:07Z")
“Good Times”–poverty is _not_ funny; neither is Jimmie Walker!“The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy”–sorry, but after “I Love Lucy”, everything else was just a sham. “Ozzie and Harriet”–ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ… “Friends”–I grew up in NY; I knew people like this; I HATED people like this! ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/28 "2005-05-11T16:35:25Z")
> [@MidnightRadio](#): > > “Small Wonder”. And its syndicated companion piece, “Out of this World” ---
**Author:** ![Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try_As_I_Might)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/29 "2005-05-11T16:42:27Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > there are too many. > > The one where the white family adopted that midget black kid(not Gary Coleman, the other one)–ugh and yuck and blech. > > I could go on, but am now nauseated… 😃 Webster? ---
**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, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/30 "2005-05-11T16:50:53Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Speaking of _Facts of Life_, I’ll throw in another Dick Clair production: _Mama’s Family_. The “Eunice” sketch was always my least-favorite (in fact, most-odious) element of the _Carol Burnett Show._ What made anybody think a spinoff based on that sketch would be any good? I watched _Home Improvement_ **twice.** I just can’t understand how it ran for nine seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/31 "2005-05-11T16:52:39Z")
I’d go with Friends. Only because of all the bad shows that went over 5 seasons, that was the only one I watched for any significant amount of time. Both my ex-wife and current wife were big fans. And Bosom Buddies only lasted 2 seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/32 "2005-05-11T16:58:46Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > - ultimately his family received his tangible property (house, money, etc.) and Alcor his rights to _Mama’s Family_ So let me get this straight. When they thaw me out 500 years from now, I’ll still be subjected to Mama’s Family re-runs? I think I feel sick. The whole point of the cyrogenics in the first place was to escape Mama’s Family. ---
**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, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/33 "2005-05-11T16:59:42Z")
> [@Try As I Might...](#): > > Webster? That’s the one – ran for five years, so it qualifies. I watched one episode and I couldn’t believe any network exec, even from ABC, could have been so cruel as to foist this mindless cutsiepoo saccharine pap on an unsuspecting nation. (But then, _The Family Circus_ still runs in newspapers all over America, so I guess you never know.) And Webster was supposedly 5 years old when the show started, but Emmanuel Lewis was actually 12 – it’s kind of creepy. And, of, course, it was a cheap ripoff of _Diff’rent Strokes,_ which is kind of like making a knockoff Edsel. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/34 "2005-05-11T17:02:19Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > **sampiro** – best thread title ever. Okay, I still don’t get the Rasputin joke. ---
**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, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/35 "2005-05-11T17:02:56Z")
> [@Odinoneeye](#): > > And Bosom Buddies only lasted 2 seasons. I kind of liked _Bosom Buddies_ – mainly for how **little** they did with the obvious setup gag of two straight guys spending part of each day pretending to be women. They could have played that for a lot more predictable cheap laughs than they did; instead, they made it about two young ad-men trying to make it in the big city. Better concept. Not great, but better. ---
**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, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/36 "2005-05-11T17:07:05Z")
> [@want2know](#): > > > [@MidnightRadio](#): > > > > “Small Wonder”. > > And its syndicated companion piece, “Out of this World” Both of those shows only lasted for four seasons. Which was four seasons too many. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/37 "2005-05-11T17:17:35Z")
> [@Jpeg Jones](#): > > Okay, I still don’t get the Rasputin joke. [Rasputin](http://homepage.tinet.ie/~pbarry/ras2/) was notoriously hard to get rid of (politically) and finally, to kill. Just like _Saved by the Bell_. > [@](#): > > Rasputin was led to the cellar and fed cakes and wine laced with poison, but these had no affect on him. Yussupov then shot Rasputin at point blank range and Rasputin collapsed on the floor. When Yussupov went to tell his fellow conspirators Rasputin was dead, they sent him back to make sure. On returning to inspect the body, Rasputin suddenly regained consciousness. The Prince fled the cellar, screaming for help. When Yussupov and Grand Duke Dmitri returned, Rasputin was gone. They found him in the yard crawling towards the gate and proceeded to shoot and bludgeon him. They then bound him and tossed him into the Neva river. When Rasputin’s body was found the next day, his ties were broken and his lungs were filled with water, showing that he didn’t actually die until he was submerged in the frozen waters. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/38 "2005-05-11T17:23:04Z")
> [@want2know](#): > > “Friends”–I grew up in NY; I knew people like this; I HATED people like this! I live here. I cannot reconcile their living conditions with their employment (or lack thereof). I shouldn’t have to suspend my disbelief that much for a current-day urban sitcom. I hate those types of people too. But that’s not surprising…finding types of people I don’t hate would be quite hard. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/39 "2005-05-11T17:37:05Z")
> [@Dr. Kenneth Noisewater](#): > > King of Queens. It had to be hard to make anything featuring Jerry Stiller and Patton Oswalt unfunny but they did it. Oswalt is one the funniest comedians I’ve ever heard. FANTASTIC material. I was very surprised to see him on that odious ‘King Of Queens’ show. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365/40 "2005-05-11T17:47:53Z")
The one I’d mention is _Boy Meets World_. I think they started with the kids in seventh grade and finished with them in grad school or something. Basically _everything_ on ABC’s Friday night family lineup sucked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sit-com-rasputins-worst-sit-coms-ever-to-last-5-or-more-years/303365.md?page=3)