As a teenager with a limited video store, I rented every episode of I Love Lucy on VHS. I thought it was the greatest! I still find it charming and funny, but does TV Land still air it? I’m surprised so many people don’t like it!
Has anyone mentioned the Cosby show? I always feel like that’s a big step back in time. Lots of stereotypes, and the kids are just flat out bratty and spoiled.
I’d agree, but I’d extend the fifties setting to possibly the third season. At any rate, in the early season(s) they made a conscious effort to place the show in the fifties–I remember the episode where Richie (who is too young to vote) wants to support Adlai Stevenson in the 1956 election, but Mr. C prefers Eisenhower. Other episodes may not have been quite as definite on time setting, but certainly did give off a fifties vibe: the cars, the music, the clothes, the hair, the attitudes. Those were all gone in later seasons, and we had what passed for any number of other modern-day family sitcoms.
I agree with all you say, except about George. I can kind of see him getting girls easily because he eventually did get a job (with the Yankees! not selling tires at a mall in Paramus, NJ, but with the Yankees!) Short, fat, bald, etc. are mere trifles when you’re an attractive single young woman living in NYC and desperate for a straight, single, childless man. Eliminate the married men, the gay men, men of the wrong religion, the perverts, the mentally challenged, and the homeless and you’re left with…George Costanza, A Fine Catch! (Engaged to the super-rich Susan was a real stretch and the only way to explain it was that it was in the nature of the show to aggravate us viewers - Jerry’s nitpickiness makes us want to yell at him. George’s rich fiancee makes us want to strangle him!).
I think it falls somewhere in the middle, personally. It’s inescapably set in the 80’s, of course, but it’s not like drugs and prostitution have disappeared since then and many of the storylines hold up fairly well. At least up until they get into the voodoo business, but that stuff seemed unconvincing 25 years ago too.
Jack didn’t actually own the restaurant outright, Mr. Angelino had a significant stake in it. And then in the last episode (in the portion that served as a pilot for Three’s a Crowd) Jack’s girlfriend Vicky’s father bought out Mr. Angelino.
Likewise, Janet didn’t own the plant store, she just worked there, eventually becoming manager.
You’re right about Terry being a nurse, but I can’t see nursing paying so well that it would totally preclude living with a roommate.
Not to mention they all just really liked living together.
Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister are still screamingly funny.
AND available on Netflix Instant!
The Dukes of Hazzard was awesome when I was in high school and watched it every day on TNN. Then a few years ago, CMT brought back reruns of it, and I thought “Wow! I haven’t seen this since high school! This will be fun!”. Imagine my surprise when my late 20s self saw what a giant pantload it was.
Welcome Back, Kotter is funnier now for being the seventiest show of the whole seventies than for its intended humor. (Although I do have a weakness for the corny “Uncle” jokes.)
Jack Benny is definitely dated, but the humor is very character oriented and doesn’t rely on much else besides making Jack’s character of the vain but lovable skinflint the butt of all the jokes. Plus Mel Blanc pops up unexpectedly to play various characters. Listen to (or watch) a few shows to pick up on the running gags, and 50-70 year old comedy holds up extremely well. Except the cigarette commercials.
When Carl Reiner was developing The Dick Van Dyke Show, he kept in mind the value of reruns, and tried to avoid pop culture references that would quickly date the show. A few got through anyway- spy shows, The British Invasion, early 1960s dance crazes, etc. But the effort shows, and today The Dick Van Dyke Show is still generally regarded as a high point in sitcom history.
I’d love to see Small Wonder again because at the time I thought it was from the 1970s. 
Yes, he did. But only because Three’s Company as a whole reeked. That show consisted of the same dumb stale jokes and sight gags repeated repeatedly. The physical comedy was poorly done, too. Lucy was the Queen of sight gags and physical comedy, and she did it superiorly 20 years before.
Voltron was a huge disappointment when I got a disc from Netflix a couple years ago, although I should have guessed it would never as awesome as when I was five.
We used to laugh at my dad for watching Welk but I happened to start reading his autobiography once and couldn’t put it down..
Taxi is way 70’s but still works well for me with the all-star cast and the night-time NYC setting.
Like I mentioned, I disliked have always disliked this show, but I think Jack and Janet should of fallen in love at the end, and the spinoff should have been about them. We were already familiar with Janet. The last blonde girl could of saw them in bed together, and thought to herself “this has to be a misunderstanding on my part…” and go from there. Or at least have Jack and Larry Dallas (a 70’s name if there was one) caught in bed, with everyone going…“Jack is gay!” Jack: “What, you thought I was lying for the past 10 years?”
Basically, they brought in a new actress, and a new girlfriend at the last minute, got rid of Terry and Janet, and then brought the father of the wife who was a jerk who didn’t like Jack and hilarity should ensue. Nope, it was cancelled.
I don’t know if it would’ve worked as a spinoff, but it would’ve been a better way to end the series.
[QUOTE=Captain Midnight]
Like I mentioned, I disliked have always disliked this show, but I think Jack and Janet should of fallen in love at the end, and the spinoff should have been about them. We were already familiar with Janet. The last blonde girl could of saw them in bed together, and thought to herself “this has to be a misunderstanding on my part…” and go from there.
[/QUOTE]
Believe it or not Suzanne Somers and her husband/manager actually approached the producers about pretty much exactly that only with Chrissy instead of Janet. This took amazing cajones on their parts as Suzanne was not only long gone from the show but long-gone-and-not-even-on-speaking-terms-with-the-cast-and-crew (her departure was particularly nasty; last I heard she and Joyce DeWitt haven’t spoken til this day). They were essentially laughed out of the offices, though she went on to sell about $500 trillion worth of Thighmasters and other late night merchandise so she made out okay with her TV fame.
I always thought Jack was a little in love with Janet. He didn’t blink when the blondes came in went but was a long way from happy when Janet got engaged. The rare example of good taste on his part.
She also had that sitcom with Patrick Duffy that seemed to go on forever, so she didn’t do bad at all.
I didn’t read the whole thread, so I don’t know if this was mentioned, but recently I rented episodes of “Have Gun Will Travel,” the 30-min black and white, philosophical series from the late 50’s starring Richard Boone, and it has aged beautifully. Paladin, the hired gun, is sophisticated, worldly, well-educated, and sexy as hell. Looks good in his fancy-schmancy San Francisco duded-up suit as well as in his all-black gunfighter ensemble. Good, concise plots.
Frankly, I also love the very early “Andy Griffith Show.” Simple plots that make a point, good ensemble work.