Funniest Shows of All Time

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 1:00pm

Link

[blondebaby589]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 1:03pm

Seinfeld, yesss!! And I'm glad the Office made it so high on the list.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 1:04pm

I'd delete Sex and the City and put in Designing Women.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 1:37pm

Goth, I agree about "Designing Women"--one of my all-time favorites.

Nice to see that both of Bob Newhart's shows were included. Same with Bea Arthur.

It's a great list, though I have a big problem with the order (Dick van Dyke show at 33?!?).

Of course, there is a difference between "favorite" and "funniest."

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 2:26pm

Yeah, I was skeptical about a couple of the choices. The Brady Bunch and The Cosby Show were both cute and popular, but not so much "funny" in the sense that they contained much quality comedy material. I was very happy to see Roseanne in the top 10, however.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 2:29pm

Mister M., I came home last week to find that my Tivo had recorded 6 episodes of "Roseanne." I hadn't seen it in years, but I instantly became a huge fan all over again.

What a great show. And truly, truly funny.

Oh, and Laurie Metcalf is a genius, pure and simple.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:01pm

Reg, I couldn't agree more. I'm still surprised at how well the show holds up and continues to make me laugh (especially the Dan's Birthday/PMS episode). Laurie Metcalf definitely towered over the cast with her comedic brilliance and Sarah Gilbert's deadpan delivery contributed a great deal to the show's success. And I always have to give major props to the underrated Alicia Goranson (the original Becky) for creating the most realistic and identifiable character in the show. The beauty shop episodes were really the only point where the show sunk to mediocrity, but the creators obviously recognized that the chemistry with the new characters and setting simply weren't working.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:05pm

Roseanna & The Cosby Show over Lucy? fail.

And I would not have put the Simpsons at the top. Its funny, but not in a long time and it certainly isnt funnier than Seinfeld, Mary Tyle Moore, Lucy, etc...

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:07pm

I'm thrilled THE SIMPSONS made it to #1, but a bit puzzled about some of the other rankings: WKRP rates higher than Golden Girls or Arrested Development?

And where's THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW?

And yes, Laurie Metcalf is a genius...
"Yes, David, I've loved and lost. I've loved and won. Yeah....love's a crazy game, but it's just part of this cock-eyed caravan called Life!"

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:14pm

Great to see Metcalf and Gilbert working with Johnny Galecki on Big Bang Theory.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:18pm

"Auntie Barbara? It's Jackie....Dad is no longer with us. Dad has passed on! DAD IS DEAD! DEAD! NO, DEEAADD!!!"

I still watch Roseanne regularly, and was also happy it was #8.

I have a hard time with the order of these in general, and the inclusion of several which were popular, but not very funny. Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island are two. Love them both, but they dont belong here.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:21pm

Doodle, I just watched that one last night!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:22pm

"And where's THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW?"

I thought about that, but I think they were going more for a sitcom format. Burnett's show was considered a variety show.

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:25pm

"Look at me, I got nothin'. No job, no relationship, nothing. It's just me. Me and my ganja."

"Are you crazy, man? Do you know who's in there?! Bev! Beverage! Non-alcoholic Beverage is in there!"

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:27pm

WKRP rates higher than Golden Girls or Arrested Development?

For its time...yes (and I'm a huge fan of Arrested Development fan). And the Thanksgiving episode is still one of the greatest sit-com episodes ever written.

I get Gilligan's Island inclusion. The wackiness of its concept and the creativity involved was quite ingenious for its day. All those silly things made out of coconuts and bamboo, the staging of both a musical and a beauty contest on a "deserted" island, the social diversity of the characters, it was pretty funny. The Brady Bunch? I think the only time I seriously laughed was when Peter's volcano erupted all over Marcia and the Boosters. But I think I laughed for Freudian reasons. The mocking of The Brady Bunch in the films was far more hilarious than the show itself ever was.

doodle - That was possibly Jackie's greatest line ever. The way Laurie sustained that phone conversation was genius.

Updated On: 10/30/08 at 03:27 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:28pm

"I have . . . hauled meat. I have . . . eaten meat."

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:32pm

I think you're going to be on your own with that estimation, Mister Matt--and I used to watch WKRP all the time. But the writing and acting isn't even close to being on par with AD or GG.

At least not to this pup.

"Tureen of beef!"

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:33pm

"Tureen of beef..."

"That's easy for you to say, you little frizzy-haired Pollyanna. You talk to me after a year of marriage. After you've taken up smoking just to shave a couple of years off your miserable life."

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:34pm

The most entertaining part of WKRP was Gary Sandy's bulge.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:35pm

I remember hating the first episode of Roseanne (still dont love the pilot) and REALLY hating the character of Jackie. Her long frizzy hair episodes were not so good.

I actually loved the salon episodes. One of my favorites is when Rosanne gets rear ended by Mrs. Wellman. Jackie feeding the kids spaghetti is hilarious.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:38pm

I didn't mind the salon episodes (Elizabeth Franz!), but I couldn't watch once they won the lottery. I tried. I really tried.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:41pm

I wasn't crazy about the working in the factory episodes. Crystal annoyed me. The middle episodes were good, but I didn't like the addition of Sandra Bernhard. She seemed to take away time that could have been given to Jackie. I think my preference was for the waitress at Rodbell's episodes. Best bit of casting was Shelley Winters as the grandmother.

One of the funniest lines was when Dan's father brings them a VCR and Darlene says something like "The Connor family zooms into the 20th Century".

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:44pm

Some of those have gem moments too, Reg, but some are just unwatchable. The one where they go to New York and Martha's Vinyard are good (AbFab) but DO NOT watch the one about the train ride home!

And yes about Gary Sandy's bulge...and his ass....those were the tightest jeans EVER! I have to agree that the show should be ranked lower, bulge or not. Loni Anderson was great though.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:48pm

Goth, I liked the Rodbell ones too. And loved Bonnie Sheridan (Bramlett) as her coworker.

I'll never forget the tag scene where they're in the Connors' backyard, and Dan is playing the guitar and they're all singing.

And Bonnie wanders into the scene and starts wailing! One of TV's all-time great musical moments:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qlocP12JAU

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:55pm

I always thought it was funny that in the Rodbell episodes, Jackie was a "squirt girl". It just seemed to fit the Jackie character.