Poll: Best Sitcom since 1970...

[CF LION]

In honor of Cliffie's birthday today ..... what is your favorite sitcom of all time?

I didn't reach back as far as The Honeymooners, Dick Van Dyke or Gilligan's Island since I never watched those shows in real time. The first sitcom I ever remember watching "live" was The Mary Tyler Moore show. I also limited it to network TV and no animated shows.

My top ten in no order ..............

 

[Dr. Evel]

Modern Family is #1 for me.

 

[olelion]

I'm not eligible to vote . I have not seen one single episode of Cosby, Seinfeld, Friends or the Office.

 

[Obliviax]

Depends on where you are coming from. I don't think any show had more social impact than "All in the Family" with Archie and Meathead. It blazed a trail on how comedy can make meaningful social commentary without pissing people off. Black-ish has a lot of this today (and exceptionally well done). And it is a technique now exploited by contemporaries like Colbert and john daily show etc.

But, IMHO, for pure sitcom comedy, its never been better done than Seinfeld. I had a law suit recently where naming similar characters on Seinfeld was better than twenty pages of documentation.

 

[BBrown]

In honor of Cliffie's birthday today ..... what is your favorite sitcom of all time?

I didn't reach back as far as The Honeymooners, Dick Van Dyke or Gilligan's Island since I never watched those shows in real time. The first sitcom I ever remember watching "live" was The Mary Tyler Moore show. I also limited it to network TV and no animated shows.

My top ten in no order ..............

Lots of good choices.
I picked Cheers, It was damn good for 11 years, plus its spinoff Frasier was equally as good if not better.
Serious question. Is MASH considered a Sitcom?

 

[fairgambit]

In honor of Cliffie's birthday today ..... what is your favorite sitcom of all time?

I didn't reach back as far as The Honeymooners, Dick Van Dyke or Gilligan's Island since I never watched those shows in real time. The first sitcom I ever remember watching "live" was The Mary Tyler Moore show. I also limited it to network TV and no animated shows.

My top ten in no order ..............

Seinfeld was the best in my opinion, but a few not on your list that I really enjoyed were Happy Days, Newhart, Laverne & Shirley, Family Ties, Growing Pains, and Kate & Allie (primarily because of the two lovely co-stars, shown below).

Oh, how I loved Susan St. James.

 

[NittPicker]

I'll go with Seinfeld. There were no political overtones or attempts at social commentary. It was simply an intelligently hilarious show which a person could watch without feeling like they had to pick a side about something.

On the other hand, All in the Family is without a doubt the most influential sitcom ever made. With the political and social upheaval happening at that time, it made people examine themselves while still laughing at the politically extreme characters of Archie and the Meathead.

 

[BBrown]

Depends on where you are coming from. I don't think any show had more social impact than "All in the Family" with Archie and Meathead. It blazed a trail on how comedy can make meaningful social commentary without pissing people off. Black-ish has a lot of this today (and exceptionally well done). And it is a technique now exploited by contemporaries like Colbert and john daily show etc.

But, IMHO, for pure sitcom comedy, its never been better done than Seinfeld. I had a law suit recently where naming similar characters on Seinfeld was better than twenty pages of documentation.

Yea it was a tough choice for me between Cheers and Seinfeld, I went with Cheers because of the longevity and the spinoff Frasier, INMO, was even better.
I'm not sure where to put All in the Family I never really thought of it as a Sitcom, same with MASH.
And how about one of my all time favorites SOAP? LOL.

 

[Obliviax]

Yea it was a tough choice for me between Cheers and Seinfeld, I went with Cheers because of the longevity and the spinoff Frasier, INMO, was even better.
I'm not sure where to put All in the Family I never really thought of it as a Sitcom, same with MASH.
And how about one of my all time favorites SOAP? LOL.

Love Frazier. My fav is the one where Frazier is dating a gal who's mom is coming over at Xmas time and doesn't know Frazier is Christian. The gal and her mom are jewish. So Fraizer's dad asks how to pretend he jewish. frazier tells him to never answer a question unless the question is a question.

• How are you doing? how should I be doing?
• What is for dinner? what isn't for dinner?
• Do you like your meal? what's not to like?

Hilarious and really well written stuff.

 

[McNit2]

In honor of Cliffie's birthday today ..... what is your favorite sitcom of all time?

I didn't reach back as far as The Honeymooners, Dick Van Dyke or Gilligan's Island since I never watched those shows in real time. The first sitcom I ever remember watching "live" was The Mary Tyler Moore show. I also limited it to network TV and no animated shows.

My top ten in no order ..............

All in the Family and it is not even close!

 

[BBrown]

Love Frazier. My fav is the one where Frazier is dating a gal who's mom is coming over at Xmas time and doesn't know Frazier is Christian. The gal and her mom are jewish. So Fraizer's dad asks how to pretend he jewish. frazier tells him to never answer a question unless the question is a question.

• How are you doing? how should I be doing?
• What is for dinner? what isn't for dinner?
• Do you like your meal? what's not to like?

Hilarious and really well written stuff.

There were a ton of really funny episodes but I think my favorite is when Niles has to pretend a sack of flour is a baby. By the end of the episode the flour has holes in it, is burnt and eddie is
is digging in it. LOL.

 

[Lion8286]

Am not sure MASH was a comedy after Trapper John and Henry Blake left. I would substitute Frasier or Everybody Loves Raymond.

 

[lionroar88]

What's Happenin'
The Jeffersons
The Big Bang Theory
Cheers/Frazier
Taxi
WKRP
The Middle

 

[Obliviax]

What's Happenin'
The Jeffersons
The Big Bang Theory
Cheers/Frazier
Taxi
WKRP
The Middle

Add "Sanford and Son" and "Good TImes" too.

 

[Op2]

In memory of Don Rickles I'm going to have to write in CPO Sharkey, even though the show was pretty crappy, but Don Rickels in general was pretty damn funny.

 

[LemonEars]

I picked Cheers. I have every episode on DVDs and laugh every time I view one. The best of all time was the Honeymooners. No doubt about that.

 

[Obliviax]

I picked Cheers. I have every episode on DVDs and laugh every time I view one. The best of all time was the Honeymooners. No doubt about that.

I liked Cheers but I couldn't handle Shelly Long and Kirstie Alley's characters.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

In honor of Cliffie's birthday today ..... what is your favorite sitcom of all time?

I didn't reach back as far as The Honeymooners, Dick Van Dyke or Gilligan's Island since I never watched those shows in real time. The first sitcom I ever remember watching "live" was The Mary Tyler Moore show. I also limited it to network TV and no animated shows.

My top ten in no order ..............

Fun poll! Admittedly, I don't watch a lot of sit-coms anymore. Hung with Modern Family for about four seasons, but it couldn't keep up with all the great dramas I wanted to watch. Also loved Community before Chase and Glover left. Modern Family was great and ridiculously well written (though it did take 'The Office's' breaking of the fourth wall concept to a weird place - characters acknowledging the camera when they're supposed to be living their lives...?) and acted. Having said that, I went for 'The Office'. I watched it from beginning to end, and I felt it had equal balance between the weight and importance of individual episodes with the bigger, longer story-arcs (whereas with Seinfeld, while each episode was great, it didn't hold up as one long story - it was basically Jerry's stand-up act in real life which while funny, made the ending extremely lame - you never cared about the characters like you did in The Office). I also love that The Office took a bunch of no-names and turned them into regular household names, and it found a way to tie nearly every story-line up into a neat, and memorable bow (Michael's wedding, Jim's long courtship with Pam, Dwight's wedding, Toby, Michael's awkward - um, everything, ending the 'documentary', etc....). Would add Parks and Rec, which was a similar formula and arguably a better show, could be on this list as well, but no point in nit-picking...

 

[Obliviax]

Fun poll! Admittedly, I don't watch a lot of sit-coms anymore. Hung with Modern Family for about four seasons, but it couldn't keep up with all the great dramas I wanted to watch. Also loved Community before Chase and Glover left. Modern Family was great and ridiculously well written (though it did take 'The Office's' breaking of the fourth wall concept to a weird place - characters acknowledging the camera when they're supposed to be living their lives...?) and acted. Having said that, I went for 'The Office'. I watched it from beginning to end, and I felt it had equal balance between the weight and importance of individual episodes with the bigger, longer story-arcs (whereas with Seinfeld, while each episode was great, it didn't hold up as one long story - it was basically Jerry's stand-up act in real life which while funny, made the ending extremely lame - you never cared about the characters like you did in The Office). I also love that The Office took a bunch of no-names and turned them into regular household names, and it found a way to tie nearly every story-line up into a neat, and memorable bow (Michael's wedding, Jim's long courtship with Pam, Dwight's wedding, Toby, Michael's awkward - um, everything, ending the 'documentary', etc....). Would add Parks and Rec, which was as similar formula and arguably a better show, could be on this list as well, but no point in nit-picking...

Loved "The Office". It was never the same after Steve Corell left.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Loved "The Office". It was never the same after Steve Corell left.

Yeah, that was really, really, really hard to overcome. I thought James Spader was fine though. The rest of the cast really held it together until they could figure out a timetable to finish the show. I like how Michael's departure made some sense for the most part too, and he came back for Dwight's wedding in the finale - great stuff.

 

[grinagrin]

Three's Company

 

[sigchip_a_yahoo.com]

Seinfeld - it is the one sitcom that is still funny now when you watch it, the other ones were great when they were on but watching them now they seem a little dull.

 

[mcruny42]

The Office still does it for me every time...that's what she said.

 

[CF LION]

Seinfeld - it is the one sitcom that is still funny now when you watch it, the other ones were great when they were on but watching them now they seem a little dull.

Seinfeld is timeless. But there is one thing that will always time-stamp the show:

 

[Lion8286]

I would add King of Queens to the list.

 

[83wuzme]

Seinfeld by a landslide. It didn't try to be cute and it was surprisingly relatable to people everywhere.

 

[mn78psu83]

Yea it was a tough choice for me between Cheers and Seinfeld, I went with Cheers because of the longevity and the spinoff Frasier, INMO, was even better.
I'm not sure where to put All in the Family I never really thought of it as a Sitcom, same with MASH.
And how about one of my all time favorites SOAP? LOL.

I voted for Seinfeld in the poll. The Office - during the Michael Scott era - is my second choice. Overall, Frasier is the "best" sitcom for me as far as writing and acting. Seinfeld is tops for laughs. As others have noted, the Office dropped far off after Steve Carell left with one episode as the exception - Pool Party. It is random, dark and odd. Right down my alley. It is the one where Robert California (James Spader) has to sell his mansion as part of his divorce settlement. Outstanding.

 

[Obliviax]

Yeah, that was really, really, really hard to overcome. I thought James Spader was fine though. The rest of the cast really held it together until they could figure out a timetable to finish the show. I like how Michael's departure made some sense for the most part too, and he came back for Dwight's wedding in the finale - great stuff.

short story....my wife and I, about six years ago, are in Rome. We hate the hotel so my wife sees a deal at the hotel boscolo....long story short here, we have some trouble checking in and a manager helps us and then sees us to our room. it is wonderful and overlooks, we are on the second floor, the Piazza della Repubblica Fountain and a Michelangelo designed church. We figure, dude took care of us!!! The next morning at 7am we hear hammering outside our window, We look out and they are building a temporary stage. Now we know why they gave us the room so inexpensively! That night we walk to dinner. Coming around the corner we see a full hollywood style red carpet treatment right under our window. As it turns out, it is the European premier of the movie "Get Smart". On stage is Steve Corell, The Rock and Anne Hathaway. My wife runs up to the room and I stay there. I have photos of my wife hanging out of the window with the stage right below her. Turns out, dude DID take care of us.

 

[BBrown]

Seinfeld is timeless. But there is one thing that will always time-stamp the show:

That and check out the evolution of the apple computer thats always on his desk in the corner of the living room.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Seinfeld is timeless. But there is one thing that will always time-stamp the show:

Um, what about this? I've never seen someone wear this combo on purpose.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

short story....my wife and I, about six years ago, are in Rome. We hate the hotel so my wife sees a deal at the hotel boscolo....long story short here, we have some trouble checking in and a manager helps us and then sees us to our room. it is wonderful and overlooks, we are on the second floor, the Piazza della Repubblica Fountain and a Michelangelo designed church. We figure, dude took care of us!!! The next morning at 7am we hear hammering outside our window, We look out and they are building a temporary stage. Now we know why they gave us the room so inexpensively! That night we walk to dinner. Coming around the corner we see a full hollywood style red carpet treatment right under our window. As it turns out, it is the European premier of the movie "Get Smart". On stage is Steve Corell, The Rock and Anne Hathaway. My wife runs up to the room and I stay there. I have photos of my wife hanging out of the window with the stage right below her. Turns out, dude DID take care of us.

Ha! That is awesome - thanks for sharing!

 

[Op2]

Seinfeld by a landslide. It didn't try to be cute and it was surprisingly relatable to people everywhere.

One good thing about Seinfeld is that it never forgot its purpose, which was to make people laugh. Too often sitcom forget their purpose and try to be too message-y or sentimental or whatever. Rule #1: Make me laugh. If you can do that while delivering a message too then fine, but just be sure and make me laugh.

 

[artsandletters]

All in the Family and it is not even close!

Seinfeld is number 1 for but All in the Family is a close 2nd. Meathead would have voted for Rip's choice.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

One good thing about Seinfeld is that it never forgot its purpose, which was to make people laugh. Too often sitcom forget their purpose and try to be too message-y or sentimental or whatever. Rule #1: Make me laugh. If you can do that while delivering a message too then fine, but just be sure and make me laugh.

Definitely no message in Seinfeld, and that was part of what made it great. If anything, Jerry, George, and Elaine were the most petty, selfish people on the planet (Kramer sort of made an effort to be likable). I mean, list of reasons Jerry dumped a girl? Here we go....

1. She had 'man hands'
2. Eating one pea at a time...
3. Being a 'low talker'
4. For being naked all the time (though started out well)...
5. For not giving him a massage
6. Being 'two-faced' (attractive one day, the next day not).
7. Not tasting his pie.
8. For being too much like him.
9. For kissing him in front of the Soup Nazi.
10. For having fake breasts (except they weren't).
11. For 'shuush-ing' him during a TV show.
12. For not thinking his stand up act was funny.
13. For having a terrible laugh.
14. For not laughing at all.
15. For claiming to be his wife to get drycleaning discounts.
16. For liking the Docker's commercial.
17. For having been with and dumped by Newman.
18. For being liked by his parents.
19. For not thinking his 'Hellooooo La La La!' voice was funny.
20. Because George saw her naked.

 

[PSUcup1]

1. Seinfeld
2. Cheers
3. Modern Family

Have watched some re-runs of MASH (i was a bit young when it was actually on air) and have never laughed. does nothing for me. Sort of like the movie "The Hangover". couldnt believe that many people thought it was hilarious.

 

[Monty2007]

I'd have to go with Seinfeld. But for me, a close second is Green Acres. It was so stupid, I could not just laugh at it. All in the Family and Big Bang Theory are right up there though.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

All In The Family - a show about something!

Seinfeld - a show about nothing!

I loved Seinfeld, but the ending of the series was very disappointing.

Agree Cheers was good.....but Frazier was better.

Newhart was very good.....The Big Bang Theory is very good.....Modern Family is perhaps the best written of today's shows.

Sort of like asking which of PSU's football bowl victories was the biggest.....plenty of very good answers!

 

[Cletus11]

I voted Seinfeld. 20+ years later and it is still funny when you watch it.

How can Friends even be on the list, that show was horrible after about the second year and only was popular because of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, etc..the show itself was not very good.

I just recently binge watched 30 Rock with Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. Some of the best writing of a sitcom ever. Just really, really clever and multi-layered. Deserves to be on the list.

I agree that MASH wasn't really a comedy, great show, but not a comedy. It had some funny parts but also had many very serious episodes. Also crazy how they are doctors got drunk all the time, never get away with that today. One episode I recently watched and Colonel Potter and Hawkeye are driving back from an aid station completely drunk and swerving all over the rode and then get shot at, so they hop out and they start shooting a gun drunk. Crazy to think about driving and shooting a gun drunk in a 21st century show.

 

[rohrmd9]

How about a poll for us old farts...

Beverly Hillbillies
Hogan's Heros
Munsters
Green Acres
Get Smart
I Dream of Jeanie
Andy Griffith Show
...
I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch

 

[CF LION]

How about a poll for us old farts...

Beverly Hillbillies
Hogan's Heros
Munsters
Green Acres
Get Smart
I Dream of Jeanie
Andy Griffith Show
...
I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch

My favorite of that era.........