#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Do the more or less traditional sitcoms like Seinfeld, Friends, Home Improvement etc have a place in the Golden Age of TV? All the current highly regarden comedy seems to be more sophisticated in set up than lets say, Cheers! Yet the genre has created some stellar shows, which were original and funny. The 90's especially was a great decade for sitcoms. What are the best sitcoms these days? And are they on HBO? Or an Netflix Original Production? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,345 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Seinfeld was far from "traditional". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 EDIT: Frasier was so well written! Was it Golden Age? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Silicone Valley is brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 26 minutes ago, Alexcremers said: Seinfeld was far from "traditional". True, but that was because of the advanced writing. Not because of how it was produced. 3 minutes ago, Quintus said: Silicone Valley is brilliant. I dont know it. Is it a sitcom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 These are the comedies being made today that I enjoy the most: Curb Your Enthusiasm Silicon Valley Portlandia Wet Hot American Summer Another Period Angie Tribeca Brooklyn 99 Schitt's Creek The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt The Last Man On Earth Modern Family It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Drunk History South Park Whose Line Is It Anyway? And for dumb, easily digestible, more classicly-sitcom fair (generally we watch while eating dinner) 2 Broke Girls The New Girl The Mindy Project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 But none of the Golden Age channels do a traditional sitcom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 What is a "golden age channel"? What does that even mean? The networks here (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox) are full of "classic" style sitcoms - shit like Last Man Standing, Mike and Molly, The Good Place, Kevin Can Wait, Life in Pieces, Mom, The Middle, Blackish... We don't watch any of them. I guess I don't really know what you're asking. Do you want recommendations for quality comedy shows, or specifically network-style sitcoms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Those are awful? Nothing of Cheers, Frasier quality right now in sitcomland? Mike and Molly is so unfunny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Again, I'm not really sure what you are asking. I think there are a LOT of comedies being made today that are SERIOUSLY extremely good, quality, comedic shows. Absolutely. If you are looking for shows that follow the "classic" sitcom model, IE, very little story advancement from week to week, most situations resolved within one episode, etc, then the networks have never stopped making shows like that, there are currently tons of choose from, but we don't watch many of those style shows so I don't personally have a lot of recommendations for that style of show (other than the three I mentioned). If you want to branch out from classic network structure and just watch a show that will make you laugh, there are soooo many good comedies on tv these days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 2 minutes ago, Jay said: If you are looking for shows that follow the "classic" sitcom model, IE, very little story advancement from week to week, most situations resolved within one episode, etc, then the networks have never stopped making shows like that, there are currently tons of choose from, but we don't watch many of those style shows so I don't personally have a lot of recommendations for that style of show (other than the three I mentioned). Thats what I mean. So there no traditional sitcoms thag are on a Golden Age quality? For that you gotta look for the less traditional Curb, Louis CK etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 I suppose you have to define what you even mean by "golden age qualiy" when it comes to comedic television shows. My recommendations for Network Sitcoms are Brooklyn 99 (Fox), Modern Family (ABC), Last Man On Earth (Fox), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), The New Girl (Fox), and The Mindy Project (was Fox, now Hulu). Other people seem to enjoy The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Superstore (NBC), The Goldbergs (ABC), Life In Pieces (CBS), and The Odd Couple (CBS). As far as recent shows no longer being made, I liked Arrested Development (Fox), The Office (NBC), Parks and Recreation (NBC), 30 Rock (NBC), Neighbors (ABC), and Scrubs (NBC). Why not simply start watching one and see how you like it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Modern Family is not a sitcom! The sets look too real. The camera work too advanced! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Oh, if you're looking for multi-camera shows, I don't think they make those anymore. Everything is 1-camera these days. Friends and Newsradio were probably the last multi-camera show I watched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Damn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Newsradio would be my recommendation for a 90s sitcom to check out if you haven't seen it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 That was great till Phil Hartman died. Great workplace comedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Yup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 I guess the nineties were the best decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Just remembered that The Big Bang Theory is a multi-camera sitcom. That might be the last one left! I tried to get into that show but didn't like it, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 And it was quite good at one point! It's the Breaking Bad of the multi-camera sitcoms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Arrested Development is probably the show that heralded "Golden Age" comedy, or rather modern comedy as we know it. It's still one of the best sitcoms ever made, imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 I think The Odd Couple, also on CBS, is multi-camera. @JoeinAR watches that show, I think. I haven't seen it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 14 minutes ago, Jay said: My recommendations for Network Sitcoms are Brooklyn 99 (Fox), Modern Family (ABC), Last Man On Earth (Fox), 2 Broke Girls (CBS), The New Girl (Fox), and The Mindy Project (was Fox, now Hulu). Other people seem to enjoy The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Superstore (NBC), The Goldbergs (ABC), Life In Pieces (CBS), and The Odd Couple (CBS). Most of these shows are kind of crap. Or I just them find rather dull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Tell me about the great Kanadian sitcoms, KK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 1 minute ago, KK said: Most of these shows are kind of crap. Well yea; I prefer the great 1-camera comedies over these more classic style sitcoms as well, however, this is Stefan's thread, and he's specifically asking for classic sitcom style recommendations. 1 minute ago, Stefancos said: Tell me about the great Kanadian sitcoms, KK? Schitt's Creek is great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 1 hour ago, Stefancos said: What are the best sitcoms these days? And are they on HBO? Or an Netflix Original Production? The major Golden Age trend in this genre is the "dramedy". Thinly-veiled dramas that are often quite serious, labelled as "comedy" due to the ocassional touch of humour (ex. Transparent, Orange is the New Black, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Yuck! Those are women's shows, like Ally McBeal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 5 minutes ago, Stefancos said: Tell me about the great Kanadian sitcoms, KK? Trailer Park Boys! 5 minutes ago, Jay said: Well yea; I prefer the great 1-camera comedies over these more classic style sitcoms as well, however, this is Stefan's thread, and he's specifically asking for classic sitcom style recommendations. Yea, the multi-camera setup is a product of a bygone era. Great comedies are no longer made in that fashion. publicist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 So Big Bang Theory was not great for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Nah. I wasn't a big fan. It was fine for the first season or two, and then I got sick of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 I think everyone did at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 I watched the first season of One Day at a Time on Netflix that just came out in January(?) and loved it. Really funny, surprisingly emotional and resonant. It's a very traditional 3-camera live studio audience sitcom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 1 hour ago, Jay said: These are the comedies being made today that I enjoy the most: Curb Your Enthusiasm Silicon Valley Portlandia Wet Hot American Summer Another Period Angie Tribeca Brooklyn 99 Schitt's Creek The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt The Last Man On Earth Modern Family It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Drunk History South Park Whose Line Is It Anyway? And for dumb, easily digestible, more classicly-sitcom fair (generally we watch while eating dinner) 2 Broke Girls The New Girl The Mindy Project Never heard of 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 I'm sure you and Drax love the same sitcoms! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,345 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Probably The Cosby Show .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 These are the modern comedies I recommend which I've seen or have been watching recently: Curb. About as good as it gets. Arrested Development. Eventually went crap but still many of hours of very funny comedy. Benidorm. The British guilty pleasure. Totally ace, bar a couple of saggy/bad seasons. 9 in total. Trailer Park Boys. About 7 years worth of mocumentary genius which went SHITE once it went HD. Still Game. Scottish classic which I only discovered in the last year, hence its inclusion. Big Bang. I've watched them all and when it's good it's great. The archetypal teatime sitcom which is easy to get sick of if you binge too much on (like Friends). Crazy Ex Girlfriend. Off-peat, musical and sometimes overbearing. It's probably the most original of this selection. Funny and charming, in small doses. The Inbetweeners. British guilty pleasure No.2. Silicon Valley. Ultra sharp and observational. Brutally funny, it's the cynical American sitcom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Currently: Modern Family, Curb. Those are what come to mind as worthwhile comedies in a relatively normal form. There's also the more unconventional Portlandia and Louie. I can't think of any in the traditional 90s format. Most these days are awful and are littered with goofy zany music to ensure you know how wacky everything is. Utter trash. CBS is the biggest offender. They are simply the absolute worst of all television. Even the best of the current stuff can't reach the level of Seinfeld, Frasier, Cheers, Home Improvement. Fortunately these classics are eminently rewatchable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 The 90's was the golden age of tv! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 I much prefer the likes of Curb or Silicon over something like Seinfeld or Home Improvement. I don't actually gravitate all that easily towards the standard sitcom template, I prefer off-peat or irreverent. Frasier is absolutely sublime, but I'd probably rather watch and scrutinise Alan Partridge's idiosyncrasies again than sit in front of more reruns of Kelsey Grammer in his apartment. I'm big on finely detailed comic portrayals. Looking at Jason's lists, I've actually trialled a surprising amount of them, but was repelled by almost all of them. Stuff like Parks & Recreation, I had high hopes for, but I could not stand the main character at all. Brooklyn 99, not for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Season 1 of Parks and Rec is actually pretty bad, it gets much better in Season 2, and then from Season 3 onward is pure gold. It took them a while to figure out how to make Leslie Knope not be a Michael Scott clone, and to drop the deadweight of the love interest she has in the first season (who becomes Anne's love interest in Season 2). Once Rob Lowe and Adam Scott show up in the Season 2 finale until the end, its gold! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 I dont really care for anything on Jason's list. The traditional 90's style sitcom is really the only American TV comedy for I have any interest in. When they are good they are like a hamburger. Juicy, incomplicated, tasty. For higher level tv comedy, go to the British with The Office, The Thick or naturally Monty Python. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 If you're looking for modern shows modeled after 90s sitcom tropes, definitely check out 2 Broke Girls and The New Girl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Is that one with Charlie Sheen who got replaced by the Punked guy still on? That was funny...for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,371 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 That was called 2 1/2 Men and it is no longer on, no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is also pretty good. It was ridiculously funny in its prime seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 The chick was kinda hot. But i didnt care for the characters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 24 minutes ago, Stefancos said: I dont really care for anything on Jason's list. The traditional 90's style sitcom is really the only American TV comedy for I have any interest in. For someone with very limited range this is fair enough. There's plenty out there to go around for everyone. Personally, I prefer newer formats or something a little different, if at all possible (it often is). I get put off very quickly if I can recognise a formula right from the off. 24 minutes ago, Jay said: Season 1 of Parks and Rec is actually pretty bad, it gets much better in Season 2, and then from Season 3 onward is pure gold. It took them a while to figure out how to make Leslie Knope not be a Michael Scott clone, and to drop the deadweight of the love interest she has in the first season (who becomes Anne's love interest in Season 2). Once Rob Lowe and Adam Scott show up in the Season 2 finale until the end, its gold! Is it possible to just skip the first two seasons entirely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 Very limited range? What? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 8 minutes ago, KK said: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is also pretty good. It was ridiculously funny in its prime seasons. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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