I agree Lucy and Ethel were most often tedious, sometimes cringe-worthy characters. I always appreciated Lucille Ball’s talent (e.g. her bit with Harpo Marx was inspired), but most of her skits never clicked with me.
However, Ricky Ricardo always made me laugh, particularly his scenes with Fred Mertz. I believe Desi Arnez and Lucille Ball were a talented, powerful team in their time, but, Desi was the comedic (and business) powerhouse of the duo.
Frances Bouvier was in an episode of the Lone Ranger in which she played a woman who raised her nephews to be outlaws and masterminded their robberies. She was a mean, nasty woman who bossed her nephews around worse than she bossed Andy and Opie. Tonto said of her to the Lone Ranger after she and her nephews tried to kill them and were defeated, “Next time I take easy job, Kemosabe. I fight men, you fight woman.”
Memo to myself: Buy more crackers.
Did anyone anywhere ever find Rip Taylor funny?
Jason Hervey (Wonder Years, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure) was good at playing bullies and brats - when I was a kid, I just wanted to punch him so badly. So I suppose he did a good job there.
I used to loathe Cheers episodes with Shelley Long, and preferred the broader comedy of the later seasons. Now I really appreciate her much more and love watching the first three seasons in particular. I think some of that is maturity on my part, and also being able to distinguish an actor from an unlikeable character.
Ozzie and Harriet, they creeped me out. I always thought they were mean to their kids when we weren’t there watching.