tv_talk | TV Tuesday: Looking for Laughs

Scrubs
Malcolm in the Middle
Community
Girls5Eva (this is fairly fresh, but very much deserves a spot)
That 70s Show
Archer
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Ted Lasso
Parks & Recreation

I'm currently watching The Big Door prize on apple tv, and find myself smiling through a lot of it. Great dialog and oozing with charm.

Looking at the list, whip smart writing, characters you love - or love to hate - and refraining from punching down as the source of humor seems to be the throughline (70s Show is a bit dated in this).

Didn't think I'd come up with ten, so go me :D

Go you indeed! I've seen most of your list but I'm glad to hear you mention Big Door because I've just subscribed to Apple+ again and I put it in my watchlist but I don't remember seeing anyone mention it. Now I'm more interested in trying it out.

Monty Python’s Flying Circus
The Office
New Girl
Flight of the Conchords
Big Bang Theory
Parks and Recreation
What We Do in the Shadows
Extras
South Park
The Young Ones

These came right off the top of my head and now I'm wondering...what they have in common...or how I can sum up why they are my favourites. One thing - all of them have been laugh out loud funny to me at times. Not amusing, but hysterically funny.

I have an increasingly difficult time with comedies these days -- I don't find them particularly funny. Mildly amusing, perhaps, but I want to actually laugh. Out loud even. Not just smile politely at the screen. So most of my picks are older. And a fair few are not North American. Not sure if they are my top 10 of all time, but they're the ones I came up with today:

M*A*S*H
Taxi
Coupling (the UK one, obviously)
The Thick of It
Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister
Barney Miller
Twenty Twelve
Gavin and Stacey
Utopia
Colin from Accounts

I was going to put Brooklyn Nine-Nine on the list, but remembered I've not actually watched the last 2-3 seasons, so went with shows I've seen all of.

I left out sketch comedy shows, otherwise I would have included: SCTV, That Mitchell and Webb Look, and Burnistoun.

I like smart, sarcastic, humour -- which the Brits (and Aussies) tend to excel at. A bit of slapstick doesn't go amiss either.

There's several here I haven't watched but Monty Python's a classic for a reason. Several years ago I did a rewatch of the whole series and a lot of it has become unpleasant viewing. But the other half of it is just as hysterical as ever.

Coupling (UK)
Parks and Recreation
The Good Place
Archer
The Office (US)
Green Wing
That '70s Show, although this one has... aged poorly for a multitude of reasons.
Camp Camp
Ouran High School Host Club

That's... all I can think of, really. B99 was mentioned above and—while I enjoyed it!—aside from a few key jokes (mainly, anything Pimento/The Vulture/The CSI Guy says), I didn't find it that funny.

(Honourable mention goes to Agent Elvis, which didn't get its chance to shine.)

Edited 2024-05-14 18:38 (UTC)

3 of them I haven't heard of but boy Yes Minister is evergreen. Can't recall the number of times my partner or I have quoted "That's very brave of you Minister."

We also tend to quote the line in Coupling where all the men agree without debate that drugs are needed for childbirth. Perhaps that's one thing that really cements a comedy -- is how many lines from it one remembers.

Yes, I remember enjoying 70s Show at the time, but comedies can definitely age poorly across generations. The Good Place is a favorite of mine but oddly I don't really think of it as a comedy -- maybe a dramedy? I think it's because while I enjoy the absurdity element, I didn't tend to find it funny.

I'm the opposite, I think! Absurdity is 100% my jam and pretty much the only thing I find routinely funny.

I find that most Apple plus shows aren't talked about, but they do keep giving us sci fi goodness so hopefully it'll change at some point.

(I do realize I left The Office us off 😭)

Edited 2024-05-14 20:39 (UTC)

That's true, there's at least 6 of them in my watchlist. I think I added 2 more when I was browsing the new content.

Newhart
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Barney Miller
Taxi
The Munsters
The Young Ones
M*A*S*H
Cheers
Green Acres
Designing Women

Lots of classics!

I'm old - anymore, I tend not to watch much episodic TV, but there are decades of good shows in my past *g*

Interesting re a rewatch. They appealed hugely to my adolescent self and the reason I majored in Philosophy. I haven't dared a rewatch. I did see Eric Idle whinging about being broke and blaming it on Terry Gilliam's child. Wasn't sure if it was a bit or legit...I thought, huh.

This is a great question! I love sitcoms, though I tend to steer clear of the family ones. Here, in no particular order, are some I consider favourites:

Rosehaven - very low-key, friendship, set in Tasmania, Australia; one of the creators described it as "hangover tv" (trailer)
Star Struck - Rose Matafeo plays a Kiwi in London, who inadvertently hooks up with a movie star; season 2 didn't work so well for me, and I haven't seen season 3. But definitely check out season 1. (trailer)
Krapopolis - animated adult cartoon set in ancient Greece, created by Dan Harmon of Community fame; for that matter, Community :-)
Bojack Horseman - gets pretty dark in places, but it's also very funny and very weird
Ted Lasso - more seasons 1 & 2 than season 3
Sports Night - as much for the fandom as the show
Parks & Rec, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place - I have to list these, but I'm smooshing them all in together ;-p
Time Wasters - British sitcom about a black time-travelling jazz quartet; cast includes Olu from OFMD
Speechless - about a poor family whose eldest son has cerebral palsy; the first couple of seasons are excellent, though it goes downhill later on; an exception to my "avoid family sitcoms" tendency
People of Earth - about a support group for people who've had alien encounters; created by David Jenkins and starring Wyatt Cenac; I'm so sad they never made season 2, but season 1 is excellent on its own; more people should watch this!

:-)

I've found I'm the same. No matter how good the family ones are, I'm drawn to workplace comedies. Sports Night! Also a big fan of Brooklyn99

1.Kath and Kim
2.Flight of The Conchords
3.Schitt's Creek
4.Freaks and Geeks
5.The IT Crowd
6.Black Books
7.The Young Ones
8.Spaced
9.An Idiot Abroad
10. The Simpsons (mostly older seasons)

Edited 2024-05-14 23:41 (UTC)

Lots of votes for The Young Ones!

I had to really think about it because while I have loved and enjoyed many comedies, I don't think I have a favorite "of all time" necessarily, just ones I prefer and rewatch the most, if that makes sense.

01. Whose Line Is It Anyway? -- the improv, the prompts, the chaos that ensues
02. The Nanny -- funny in its own right, but especially when you look at the mutual burns between Niles and Cece, and also to appreciate Fran Fine's fashion
03. All That & Kenan and Kel -- I put these two together because it was among my favorite of the Nickelodeon lineup as a preteen, these were very clever and hilarious and had some great iconic moments from both
04. Parks and Recreation -- a low-key hilarious show that features some of the best iconic character moments and dynamics, April and Ron were probably the highlights for me throughout the entire run
05. Roseanne -- the earlier seasons of the show were the best for making me laugh
06. M*A*S*H -- a brilliant show that managed to balance out the funny moments with the serious and emotional ones, even when you watch the episodes without the laugh track it is still pretty humorous with how the actors deliver their lines
07. The Facts Of Life -- a fun cast of characters that have different personalities that also do a good job with balancing the comedy and the drama moments while still managing to be entertaining.
08. Boy Meets World -- just delightful coming of age show, and one that we constantly quote all the time
09. Mystery Science Theater 3000 -- not sure if this counts, but it's one that I am always returning back to whenever I need a pick-me-up, the MSTing of "bad movies" in a fun and lighthearted way with Servo, Crow and Joel (or Mike) makes me laugh and it's among the things that kind of influenced my sense of humor
10. The Daily Show -- specifically with Jon Stewart, where I got a lot of current news and discussion of politics in a funny, sarcastic, but informative way, especially when I was a teenager it was a great way of digesting what was happening in the news, and I'm so glad that he's back even if it's just once a week.

Bonus: Everything that Dropout.tv has to offer, but specifically Game Changer has been utterly delightful this season, just gloriously chaotic in all the right ways.

!. I Love Lucy. It is still consistently funny. The best episodes are hilarious--you'll laugh until you have tears in your eyes and pee your pants. Lucille Ball is such a good physical comedienne.

2. Get Smart. It's a spoof of the spy genre that was so big in the sixties. I re-watched the first couple of seasons maybe five years ago with my dad. Yep, it's still hilarious. Look who was writing for the series: Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. Of course, it was funny. The casting was perfect, too.

3. Fawlty Towers. Admittedly, I have not re-watched this recently but John Cleese wrote and starred.

4. Monty Python's Flying Circus. So many classic bits, too many to name. "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition." "And now for something completely different." Brilliant, fearless, irreverent.

5. Community. A great ensemble cast and it really pushed the limits of what a sitcom could be.

6. Parks and Recreation. Once you get past season one, it's fantastic. A wonderful cast, scriptwriting that allowed its characters to grow and change. And funny as hell.

7. The Good Place. Such an original premise. A great cast, plus it's the best written show, in any genre, in the last ten years at least. My late husband was obsessed with it so I've re-watched it many, many times (though not recently). So many twists and turns but the writers always knew where the series was headed--and it shows. It has one of the most satisfying and moving endings for a tv series that I've ever seen.

8. The Big Bang Theory. I like the early seasons the best, when it was more of an ensemble. I can just rewatch a random episode when it appears in syndication and it still makes me laugh. It got me through some very hard times.

9. Maverick. Technically this is a western but trust me, it was very funny. James Garner was my first crush (yes I really am that old). He was great in The Rockford Files, too.

10. Better Things. Another comedy that allows its characters to grow and change, which was kind of unavoidable since it's about a single mother raising three young daughters in Los Angeles. Pamela Adlon wrote and starred. This series--I own the first four seasons on DVD and I still have season five on my DVR because I keep re-watching it. It's so much more than a sitcom. It's magical.

What I noticed going through all of the comedies I have watched over the years is that many of the classics from the sixties through the eighties that I, along the rest of America, watched regularly and loved, did not make this list. Cheers. The Dick Van Dyke Show. All in the Family. The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Rhoda. So many shows--I have no desire to revisit any of them. They just feel...too much of their time.

There are a couple of shows that made several lists that I utterly dislike. Any comedy series with a character that I loath--I can't watch it. It's a whole genre of its own. Oh well. Enough said.

Oh, I was tempted to put Moonlighting on the list except the first couple of seasons were great fun and then it lost its way completely. But my Lord, Bruce Willis was in his prime, that cast was terrific, and the writing when it was good was genre-bending and brilliantly funny and so, so entertaining.

In no particular order:

What We Do in the Shadows
Red Dwarf
Blackadder
The Goodies
MASH
Let the Blood Run Free
Golden Girls
Ghosts (both the UK and US ones)
Derry Girls
Daria

I don't remember seeing anyone mention it.

I've mentioned it, at least on my own journal, and I'm pretty sure I mentioned that I was looking forward to the 2nd season dropping in one of those Saturday what are you watching threads a few weeks ago. Haven't started the 2nd series yet as I am (as always) waiting for more eps to be available.

Ah Blackadder and Derry Girls, definitely laugh out loud stuff.

Yes, I prefer to have most of the season available already too.

I'm so glad you mentioned Daily Show. I've tried out all the "spinoff" shows from the former correspondents (and Jon!) as well. Only two were duds for me, and I'm sorry that all but John Oliver and Colbert's are done. (Well, technically Colbert is done too as being Late Show host isn't the same thing, but his comedy has remained in the Daily Show vein).

But yes, it's a rare show when I don't laugh at least once. I just posted in my own account about the reunion on Monday between Colbert and Carrell doing Even Stevphen on his show.

Yes, Moonlighting was a mixed bag. I've only done a rewatch of the first 2 seasons so far since it ended up on Hulu. Some of it was still great, and at the time it aired it really was a standout. But I found it much more grating than I remembered and I haven't even been that enthused about the rewatch.

I have never watched Get Smart but I should try it some time.

In no particular order:
The Odd Couple
Malcolm in the Middle
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Community
Taxi
Newhart
Monty Python
Whose Line is It Anyway
Arrested Development
Mom

I did a rewatch of Ouran last year for the first time in about a decade I think, and it was just as hilarious as I remembered! Really just a fantastic series 😊

There's definitely a lot of recurring titles here. Community and Python would definitely be on my list as well.

I had to look up a list of comedies because my tv viewing goes so far back and I needed to refresh my memory. When I came across Arrested Development I was surprised that it wasn't mentioned on more people's list.

What a great question! Since I don't watch many comedies these days, most of mine will be old. In no particular order:

Red Dwarf: The writers/creators are so dementedly talented. The humor is uniquely bizarre and I love it.
That 70's Show: nostalgia, because that was my life as a teen.
Barney Miller: it's a top-notch classic
Dads: An old TV show from the mid-80s with Barry Bostwick that only had 9 episodes. It had a quirky chaotic family and great friendship.
WKRP in Cincinnati: A 'hip' show from 1978 about a rock radio station. Loved the characters.
Wings: The gang got into a lot of crazy situations, it was very funny.
Doctor, Doctor: digging another one out of the past. Matt Frewer played an off-beat, quirky doctor. I see a pattern emerging. I like the weird, quirky stuff.
Addams Family: Like most people, I see Gomez and Morticia as the ideal couple. Plus it's about a family that isn't like everyone else and I could relate to that.
I Dream of Jeannie: I loved it when I was a kid, so it has nostalgic value. Plus I had a crush on Barbara Eden.
Chico and the Man: I had a crush on Freddie Prinze.

Honorable mention (because it's another rare show no one remembers): Hot L Baltimore. I barely remember this one, but I remember I loved it. It only had 13 episodes. It was about a bunch of quirky poor people living in a run-down hotel. It was considered 'racy' for the time. Conchata Ferrell and Richard Masur were two of the actors in it, and I like both of them, especially Conchata.

I can't really keep my focus on comedy shows, because I need to click with the characters, and those shows often make fun of their characters so much that that bond doesn't form. That said, there are a few I managed to watch more than one season of:

in alphabetical order

Arrested Development
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Community
Gintama
Loriot (a German comedian, I love everything he did)
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Never Have I Ever
Parks and Rec
Switch (a German parody show)
Ted Lasso
The Good Place

And even though there doesn't seem to be any cdrama mentioned in this comm, I'd like to mention Jia Ling, a Chinese comedian - I've liked everything she was on. She mostly used to do game shows, but the one fictional thing I've seen her in and found really funny was

The Changeable Five.

Interesting question - I had to think about this a bit, but I think my top 10 might be:
Community
Blackadder
30 Rock
Modern Family
The IT Crowd
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
What We Do in the Shadows
Abbott Elementary
Black Books
My Name is Earl

I have Arrested Development in my queue and have yet to get to it, but it's one of those shows cited so often. Same with Parks and Rec

Yes, a vote for 30 Rock! I watched a good bit of Earl as well. I'm not sure I saw the whole thing but we enjoyed it.

TV Tuesday: Looking for Laughs

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