# The Winner **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2007, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649 "2007-03-05T07:04:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/1 "2007-03-05T07:04:22Z")
I saw the two premier episodes of Seth MacFarlanes new series [THE](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Winner_%28TV_series%29) [WINNER](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494210/) tonight. I thought it was a real \*\* LOSER\*\*! Not only was it very unfunny, it was also very unoriginal, stealing formulas from past shows like _That 70’s Show_, _Square Pegs_, and _Get a Life_. In fact, the protagonist Glen Abbott is clearly a rip-off of Chris Elliotts character on Get a Life. Anyone else see this? What did you think? ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/2 "2007-03-05T14:12:11Z")
I’m thinking that the once someone leaves _The Daily Show_, it’s readily apparent that they can’t carry an entire half-hour by themselves. ---
**Author:** ![williamweigand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b3f665/32.png) [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/3 "2007-03-05T14:17:50Z")
I turned it off after 5 minutes, and, even sooner, regretted setting the VCR to tape the second episode. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/4 "2007-03-05T14:23:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] I’m thinking that the once someone leaves _The Daily Show_, it’s readily apparent that they can’t carry an entire half-hour by themselves. [/QUOTE] Given the huge success of The Colbert Report and The Office, I wonder what makes you think that. Hell, Carell’s got two great movies under his belt since leaving TDS. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/5 "2007-03-05T14:32:30Z")
It was excruciating. I like Rob Corddry. I like Seth MacFarlane. So I wanted to like this. But it was beyond bad. The most prominent character was the laugh track, which they flogged even when no one had done or said anything that was supposed to be funny. It was like Random Laughtrack Theater. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/6 "2007-03-05T14:39:04Z")
I bailed after about 5 minutes. The laughtrack was so bad, I wondered if they made it exaggerated on purpose. I also noticed the similarity to “Get a Life”, and not in a good way. The abusive father character wasn’t even remotely funny. Even though I had just managed to sit through a mostly pointless episode of “The Simpsons”, “The Winner” was so bad I didn’t even want to give it a full half-hour to redeem itself. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/7 "2007-03-05T14:49:00Z")
I’ll try it once more, but I wouldn’t shed a tear if someone pulled the plug on it before the second episode airs. ---
**Author:** ![Queuing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/8 "2007-03-05T14:51:28Z")
It was a horrible show. I watched both of the episodes, and I will never watch another one. It wasn’t even slightly amusing or well acted. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/9 "2007-03-05T15:00:35Z")
Aggressively, almost determinedly unfunny. I was never nuts about Corddry - and for that matter, I don’t like MacFarlane - but I did think Corddry had the chops to carry a half-hour show. But he doesn’t, at least, not when the writing is that terrible. The only reason I watched as long as I did (first commercial break) was to figure out if the laugh track was ironic. I decided I didn’t care enough to wait. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/10 "2007-03-05T15:04:45Z")
I absolutely can not believe they used a laugh track. When I first heard it, I figured it was some part of a gag. . .some meta-joke that we’d be clued in on, like because it was 1994. “Here, son, you could work at Burger King and bring me home french fries.” (uproarious laughter) The eventual idea brought out – that finally he’s going through adolescence as a 35 year old – is a funny premise, and there were a couple decent jokes. But, too many “kid touching” jokes. It was a little creepy at times. Some of the scenes were painful. The kid is a terrible actor. 95% bad. But, it gave me just a bit to hang on to. . .which is more than I can ever say for “The War at Home”. I wouldn’t criticize anyone for walking away from it now and forever, though. That’s probably the safe bet. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/11 "2007-03-05T15:25:40Z")
[QUOTE=Menocchio] Given the huge success of The Colbert Report and The Office, I wonder what makes you think that. Hell, Carell’s got two great movies under his belt since leaving TDS. [/QUOTE] Not a fan of either show, although I liked Carrell in _Little Miss Sunshine_ Besides, with _The Office_, he’s got quite a talented supporting cast. He’s not carrying the show by himself. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/12 "2007-03-05T15:29:21Z")
Rule number 1 of sitcoms: the louder the laughtrack, the worse the producers think the jokes are. This was the loudest laughtrack I’ve heard in years. It’s pretty bad when lines that are barely amusing at best get roars of laughter louder than any audience has ever laughed in the history of entertainment. As for the actual show, it makes you long for **The War at Home**. Maybe not the worst comedy in the history of sitcoms, but certainly a legitimate contender. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/13 "2007-03-05T15:54:19Z")
I like to give new shows at least two tries (I hated House the first episode or so and now it’s my favorite show). But if they don’t raise the bar A LOT, it will be the last try for me. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/14 "2007-03-05T15:59:05Z")
I don’t know what the heck you guys are talking about. I laughed my ass off! But then again I always have had a warped since of humor. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/15 "2007-03-05T16:01:02Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Rule number 1 of sitcoms: the louder the laughtrack, the worse the producers think the jokes are. This was the loudest laughtrack I’ve heard in years. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s why I wondered about the irony. Having a laugh track is one thing, but why the hell would you pretend every little throwaway line was a killer joke? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/16 "2007-03-05T16:02:14Z")
It’s the _Hello Larry_ of the decade. ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/17 "2007-03-05T16:03:27Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] I absolutely can not believe they used a laugh track. … When I first heard it, I figured it was some part of a gag. . .some meta-joke that we’d be clued in on, like because it was 1994. [/QUOTE] I think it _is_ a meta-joke – the gag is that this show is a mediocre sitcom from the 90s that doesn’t seem to realize how awfully inappropriate it is. The uproarious laughter at non-jokes, the exaggerated Asian accents, the constant sexual double entendres, the multiple borrowed premises – it’s all pointing at the cliches of terrible sitcoms and turning up the volume. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the least bit funny. I only stayed past the first commercial break because I was sure they would switch the gag, that nobody would expect an audience to sit through 24 minutes of that. I was wrong. It’s a really bad sitcom despite the satiric intent. “American Dad” isn’t very funny either. Seth MacFarlane is no King Midas. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/18 "2007-03-05T16:07:24Z")
[QUOTE=SHAKES] I don’t know what the heck you guys are talking about. I laughed my ass off! But then again I always have had a warped since of humor. [/QUOTE] What was “warped” about it. Most of it couldn’t have been more by-the-book. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/19 "2007-03-05T16:27:11Z")
[QUOTE=Ichbin Dubist] “American Dad” isn’t very funny either. Seth MacFarlane is no King Midas. [/QUOTE] I love American Dad, mostly because he reminds me of my brother-in-law who I have almost nothing in common with. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649/20 "2007-03-05T16:46:01Z")
I caught a few minutes of it. It wasn’t entertaining enough for me to continue watching. The woman was hot, but not hot enough to make me go back for more. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-winner/394649.md?page=2)