Favourite Sitcoms

Curb Your Enthusiasm = Brilliant

I used to hate American sitcoms when they were all about hugs and learning lessons and laugh tracks. Ever since Seinfeld, however, I feel they have gone from strength to strength. That still had the laugh track, but the mission statement was: "no hugging, no learning". And American comedies haven't looked back...

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Modern Family
Community
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Arrested Development
30 Rock
Parks & Rec

All terrific IMHO

And, of course, The Simpsons is in a league of its own.

It pains me to say it, but even in the perennial UK-versus-US 'The Office' debate, I find myself siding recently with the latter. I think the UK Office was genius -- a groundbreaking show that spawned a whole genre (without the office, there is no Modern Family or Parks & Rec, for example). But David Brent is just SO unlikeable, that I have rarely felt moved to re-watch it. It was a perfect little piece of its time. By contrast, the American Office is a bit more saccharine, but much more watchable. Some effortless mind candy at the end of a long day!

My favourites of all time:

Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister .

One of my favourites which I don't think has been mentioned yet : Black Books with Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey.

(09-01-2014 20:03 )Goodfella3041 Wrote:  I used to hate American sitcoms when they were all about hugs and learning lessons and laugh tracks. Ever since Seinfeld, however, I feel they have gone from strength to strength. That still had the laugh track, but the mission statement was: "no hugging, no learning". And American comedies haven't looked back...

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Modern Family
Community
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Arrested Development
30 Rock
Parks & Rec

All terrific IMHO

And, of course, The Simpsons is in a league of its own.

It pains me to say it, but even in the perennial UK-versus-US 'The Office' debate, I find myself siding recently with the latter. I think the UK Office was genius -- a groundbreaking show that spawned a whole genre (without the office, there is no Modern Family or Parks & Rec, for example). But David Brent is just SO unlikeable, that I have rarely felt moved to re-watch it. It was a perfect little piece of its time. By contrast, the American Office is a bit more saccharine, but much more watchable. Some effortless mind candy at the end of a long day!

I wouldn't say The Office was groundbreaking at all. Operation Good Guys started in 1997 (The Office 2001), that's a documentary type sitcom police force spoof, whose style was copied by The Office, and I prefer Operation Good Guys out the two. Also The Royle Family (1998) was there before The Office and that has that element of a reality style sitcom.

The Office is good, but massively over rated.

(09-01-2014 21:08 )M-L-L Wrote:  One of my favourites which I don't think has been mentioned yet : Black Books with Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey.

It's one that I plan to watch sometime, Lots of people rate this highly.

(10-01-2014 05:43 )fannysniffer Wrote:  

(09-01-2014 21:08 )M-L-L Wrote:  One of my favourites which I don't think has been mentioned yet : Black Books with Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey.

It's one that I plan to watch sometime, Lots of people rate this highly.

its on 4od via website and netflix and lovefilm instant

also found Seans show on 4OD whatever happened to him was huge for a few years now disappeared of face of the earth

(09-01-2014 20:07 )snookered147 Wrote:  My favourites of all time:

Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister .

yeah weird that the old series is still relevent 30 years plus on

there's two new sitcoms i've been watching and would highly recommend. brooklin nine nine is really funny, i downloaded it just to give it a try and was hooked from the first minute (donny brasco lol!). it's starting on e4 on thursday night and should be viewed by everyone.

the other one is called 'the crazy one's' it took me a bit longer to warm to this. it's strange watching sarah michelle geller do anything that doesn't involve slaying vampires but robin williams is excellent in this. also amanda setton is hot and funny! it doesn't appear to have been picked up in the uk yet but it really should be. if you get a chance to watch it online i would also recommend doing so.

I am quite shocked that nobody's mentioned Are You Being Served?