# What were the best TV comedies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2002, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012 "2002-09-21T18:54:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/21 "2002-09-23T02:06:01Z")
Uh, Monty Python’s Flying Circus anyone? Honorable mention to Family Guy. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/22 "2002-09-23T05:21:52Z")
Married with Children. NewsRadio. Blackadder. Yes (Prime) Minister. And a little-known short lived blaze of brilliance from the guys who created MWC: It’s Your Move. ---
**Author:** ![Jaystercom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Jaystercom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaystercom)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/23 "2002-09-25T05:39:31Z")
l. NEWSRADIO 2. GRACE UNDER FIRE (she was so witty and glib) 3. ROSEANNE 4. MAMA’S PLACE 5. SPIN CITY 6. WILL & GRACE I never thought Friends was funny with the exception of Lisa Kudrow. Now, that girl is insane. Andy Griffith WAS NOT funny and Don Knotts (Barney Phife ?) was nothing other than an Anorexic Moron. The only time he got a nod from me was when he did The Incredible Mr. Lipid and that may have been because I secretly hoped he would drown. Sorry all of you fans. ---
**Author:** ![Jaystercom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Jaystercom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaystercom)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/24 "2002-09-25T05:42:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Attrayant \* > \*\ ***I Love Lucy** got the longest laugh in history (it may have since been beaten by **All in the Family** but I doubt it) in a scene where Lucy gets a shirtload of eggs smashed into her chest, and the show ran for 6 years. **Golden Girls** ran 7 years. Obviously somebody must have thought they were funny. > > The Andy Griffith show ran for 8 seasons, and bored me to tears whenever I tried to watch it. But it did run for 8 seasons, so again it deserves placement somewhere on the list for the reason mentioned in my first paragraph. > > The **Larry Sanders** show was totally forgettable. > > And **Sex In The City** is a comedy? Granted I’ve only watched a half dozen episodes, but I don’t think I’ve ever so much as chuckled at anything I’ve seen on that show. \*\* Larry Sanders was the worst thing since Bras !!! Thank you Attrayant, for reminding me :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Philosophocles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Philosophocles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philosophocles)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/25 "2002-09-25T07:13:03Z")
Gotta have Three’s Company on that list. (worlds apart from the new and thoroughly unfunny John Ritter sitcom on ABC) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/26 "2002-09-25T07:35:52Z")
Number one for laughs per episode in my book is: Police Squad Only 7 episodes or so, because it was way ahead of its time, but each one perfect. The Naked Gun movies, though good, didn’t have as many laughs at 3 times the length. Cigarette? Yes it is. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/27 "2002-09-25T09:48:19Z")
I guess “Dad’s Army” hasn’t been shown in the US then. For the uninitiated, it can be argued that it was the blue print for almost every British comedy since it started in 1968. > **[Dad's Army (TV Series 1968–1977) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062552/)** > > Dad's Army: Created by Jimmy Perry. With Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier, Clive Dunn, John Laurie. A ragtag group of Home Guard volunteers prepare for an imminent German invasion during World War II. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/28 "2002-09-25T09:59:59Z")
TLD’s (in no particular order -except for the first): Fawlty Towers Police Squad Blackadder The Simpsons Seinfeld Frasier Get Smart One Foot in the Grave Red Dwarf The Goodies (if it counts as a sitcom in the traditional sense) ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/29 "2002-09-25T10:47:27Z")
Wait a minute. My 2 favourite British comedies haven’t even gotten a mention: _Waiting for God_ and _'Allo, 'Allo_. CJ ---
**Author:** ![blinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@blinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinx)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/30 "2002-09-25T11:27:40Z")
The Show **Popular** should obviously be on that list, I can’t belive how funny it was and how few people know about it. And **Red Dwarf** not making the list? E! are obviously smeggheads. ---
**Author:** ![yanx4ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/85e7bf/32.png) [@yanx4ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanx4ever)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/31 "2002-09-25T12:49:36Z")
This is a fun thread- my top 10 1- The Honeymooners 2- The Andy Griffith Show 3- M_A_S\*H 4- All in the Family 5- Are You Being Served? 6- The Mary Tyler Moore Show 7- Gomer Pyle, USMC 8- The Beverly Hillbillies 9- Just Shoot Me 10- Too Close for Comfort OK, so the last one was just a heartthrob vote for Lydia Cornell. All in the Family did have some classic comedy moments even though it was a little preachy. I’ve never seen an episode of Taxi, Seinfeld, Frasier, Drew Carey, or Roseanne so they don’t make my list. I have no idea what anyone ever saw in the Cosby show. He’s a talented actor and comedian, but I think he was wasted in that show. The 60s comedies were better in my opinion because they had better actors. Just like baseball was better when there were 16 teams, television was better with 3 networks. More competition for fewer available hours of programming meant better writing and better acting. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Clawman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@The\_Clawman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Clawman)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/32 "2002-09-25T14:20:08Z")
No offence, but it always amazes me when people put “Are you being served?” in lists like these. That programme was _excruciatingly_ awful, even for the seventies! And the same goes for Benny Hill. There really much better British sitcoms of the same(ish) era: the aforementioned Dad’s Army, Fawlty Towers, Yes Minister, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and Porridge all relied on the quality of script and cast, and didn’t always resort to crude caricature and innuendo for the laughs. Not that there is anything wrong with innuendo, but “Mrs Slocum’s pussy” was very over-rated (snork!) as a gag. Incidentally, has “Father Ted” been shown widely in the States? My absolute favourite. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/33 "2002-09-25T14:25:33Z")
**Blinx** , I love you! I am still mourning the loss of _Popular_. Mary Cherry is my role model! Three more that have not yet been mentioned: _The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show The Jack Benny Show Green Acres_ ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/34 "2002-09-25T14:39:10Z")
Another one absent - The Flintstones. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/35 "2002-09-25T15:16:24Z")
What about _The Odd Couple?_ And _SCTV_? ---
**Author:** ![domesticatedjunglefowl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@domesticatedjunglefowl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/domesticatedjunglefowl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/36 "2002-09-25T17:10:34Z")
my list in no particular order three’s company fawlty towers simpsons red dwarf keeping up appearances king of the hill newsradio beverly hillbillies night court chef the joy of painting with Bob Ross 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Go\_alien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Go\_alien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_alien)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/37 "2002-09-26T15:06:41Z")
My contender for the best - _The League of Gentlemen_. Series three starts tonight, BBC2. My contender for most overrated - _One Foot in the Grave_. Half an hour of constant whining and moronic farce. Yecch. [/smiley]Puking on floor[/smiley] ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2002, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/38 "2002-09-28T08:25:04Z")
Well, technically it was a variety show, but it was definitely one of the most hilarious, gut-busting shows ever on TV. **The Carol Burnett Show** In no particular order: **Red Dwarf Fawlty Towers Barney Miller (You spell it just like it sounds.) Taxi (What does a flashing yellow light mean?) Newsradio The Dick Van Dyke Show Whose Line Is It Anyway? Newhart Get Smart!** **I love Lucy** had some great moments, but I have a hard time getting from one to the next. **Rosanne** and **Seinfeld** were never funny to me. I don’t remember ever laughing at either show. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/39 "2002-09-28T13:34:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Voyager \* > \*\*Number one for laughs per episode in my book is: > > Police Squad > > Only 7 episodes or so, because it was way ahead of its time, but > each one perfect. The Naked Gun movies, though good, didn’t have > as many laughs at 3 times the length. > > Cigarette? Yes it is. \*\* YES. My first thought when I saw this thread. Nick at Night showed all the episodes a few years ago and I recorded them all. ---
**Author:** ![CreaseMunky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@CreaseMunky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CreaseMunky)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012/40 "2002-09-29T12:30:30Z")
_ **Lok** wrote:_ > [@](#): > > Well, technically it was a variety show, but it was definitely one of the most hilarious, gut-busting shows ever on TV. **The Carol Burnett Show** On the subject of variety shows, I always thought _In Living Color_ was highly underrated, and is still on my list of all time faves. Wish they still showed it on FX. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-tv-comedies/129012.md?page=1)