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Sitcoms in the Golden Age of TV?


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4 minutes ago, Quintus said:

Is it possible to just skip the first two seasons entirely? 

 

You can skip the first season and start from the second probably. It's not the most original or amazing thing on TV, but it's enjoyable and has a lot of heart.

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11 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Is that one with Charlie Sheen who got replaced by the Punked guy still on? That was funny...for a while.

 

It had its moments until that MTV hunk took over.

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Okay we'll give P&R one more try (because I was aware it has a following, and I like to find out what the appeal of things is).

 

Then again, look what happened with Community. 

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Just now, Quintus said:

 

That's another one I tried and actually didn't mind, but my other half couldn't be bothered with it so that was that. 

 

It got kind of stale after the 3rd season. But the cast makes it a worthy half hour of weekly comedy to visit.

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1 minute ago, KK said:

 

It got kind of stale after the 3rd season. But the cast makes it a worthy half hour of weekly comedy to visit.

 

It's not ideal and it's a bit of a shame when it happens, but it's also completely fine - when a TV comedy loses its mojo in later years. It doesn't break the show like it does in more dramatic fair. You still get many hours worth of laughs out of those first few seasons. 

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18 minutes ago, Quintus said:

Is it possible to just skip the first two seasons entirely? 

 

I'd imagine you could start with the Season 2 finale and then just go forward from there, yea.  The love interest guy from seasons 1 and 2 is literally never mentioned again after that.  You'd miss the initial courting of Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza, and all of Louie CK's appearances, but the general quality of the show will be consistent from that point

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👍

 

Is P&R still on form now, are they still making it? 

 

9 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Obviously, which is why I asked.

 

What would you honestly say is one of your favourite TV comedies ever? 

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When it comes to modern-day 'traditional' (studio-based, live audience) US network sitcoms, I'm still getting a kick out of The Big Bang Theory. And for a non-trad one, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is pretty fun.   

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For me, Curb is Seinfeld free from network restrictions and therefore preferable (although the 'how to say it without actually saying it' writing in the Seinfeld ep where the gang have a 'no masturbating' wager is genius).  

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21 minutes ago, publicist said:

 

Yes! Ricky rules.

 

Have you seen him recently? Not anymore he doesn't, it's just sad. Trailer Park Boys has got tragically terrible. 

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I really don't understand why they are having both Haley and Alex date (much!) older men in the current season

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5 minutes ago, TheGreyPilgrim said:

Don't even remotely get that, but knowing a bit of your worldview makes it less confounding.

 

I don't think you know much about my worldview, but thanks for the quick reminder of why I started posting and reading much less often outside of the big JW news threads.

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Just now, Disco Stu said:

 

I don't think you know much about my worldview, but thanks for the quick reminder of why I started posting and reading much less often outside of the big JW news threads.

 

There has been enough to form a picture of it, but really I just wanted to see if you were still taking this somewhat odd "everyone is mean to me here, so I'm posting less" approach.  It's a shame, because you're interesting.

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I used to like Modern Family. These days, when it runs on TV, it bores me. Its novelty wore off a long time ago.

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I never got into Friends, even in the slightest.  I think it had too much of a tendency to dip into the maudlin and saccharine, especially compared to something like the unapologetically, sublimely antisocial Seinfeld.  Frasier was the prime example of inserting heart into things in a genuine way.

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32 minutes ago, publicist said:

I generally avoid most series after season 4. Curb and Hogan's Heroes excepted.

 

Pity; you had about another good 3-4 seasons of pure TPB gold left to go. 

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Trailer Park Boys. 

 

20 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

I don't think you know much about my worldview, but thanks for the quick reminder of why I started posting and reading much less often outside of the big JW news threads.

 

You're a bit of a sensitive baby really aren't you. 

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3 hours ago, Jay said:

I'd imagine you could start with the Season 2 finale and then just go forward from there, yea.  The love interest guy from seasons 1 and 2 is literally never mentioned again after that.  You'd miss the initial courting of Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza, and all of Louie CK's appearances, but the general quality of the show will be consistent from that point

 

I would say to start at Season's 2 penultimate episode ("The Master Plan") and not the finale since that's when Rob Lowe/Adam Scott come in. There are some inside jokes and minor characters introduced in the rest of 2 that might get missed here and there like the Ron's ex-wife thing and April becoming Ron's assistant, but yeah, Season 3 was when I really warmed to it. I was liking it fine but Scott and especially Lowe changed the whole energy for the better imo. Pretty much the instant they showed up and that bland Mark guy left, the show felt like it found its sweet spot, tonally and comically.

 

3 hours ago, Quintus said:

👍

 

Is P&R still on form now, are they still making it? 

 

They finished a couple years ago.

 

The quality jumps from Season 1 to 2 to 3 were pretty noticeable to me. Laughs suddenly got harder and more frequent, characters became more well-rounded, situations more inspired (the second episode of 3 where they all get the flu is widely considered peak P&R, probably the first great episode, may not get better for you if you don't love that one). I think it held on reasonably well til the end, it never became terrible but in typical fashion the later seasons regressed a bit. But that middle stretch has some golden episodes if you're enjoying the characters. Of the recent sitcoms I stuck with all the way through their runs (the others being The Office US, How I Met Your Mother, Community) P&R was easily the most consistent and least outstayed its welcome, and had the most fitting series finale.

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2 hours ago, Quintus said:

Is P&R still on form now, are they still making it?

 

The show's ended. 7 seasons.

 

And yeah, as mrbellamy said, the quality of the writing of the show is pretty consistent throughout all 7 seasons. The first few episodes weren't necessarily laugh-out-loud hilarious, but they weren't bad either.

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Good timing @mrbellamy, I just looked up Parks and Rec ep guide since I thought it might have been the final 2 eps of Season 2 that featured Rob Lowe and Adam Scott and not just the final 1 episode, and I was right.

 

So yea @Quint, I'd say either watch those then season 3 forward, or just start with the season 3 premiere if you want to give the show a second chance after not liking the initial eps of season 1; Of course you can always backfill once you fall in love with the characters

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I don't know if that would happen much if that all. I'm not exactly keen on the main blonde character, remember. 

 

Cheers for the assists though guys, I'll give it a try. 

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10 hours ago, TheGreyPilgrim said:

I never got into Friends, even in the slightest.  I think it had too much of a tendency to dip into the maudlin and saccharine, especially compared to something like the unapologetically, sublimely antisocial Seinfeld.

 

We finally agree on something!

 

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Friends is a very consistent, well made, if very vanilla sitcom. 

 

Aged far better than the Fresh Prince, The Nanny etc. Which are as dated and unwatchable now than most 80's sitcoms.

 

I wonder if Mad About You is still watchable?

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