21.11.08

"good job sex doll"


With lines like this, quotes that are so versatile as to be usable in everyday - anyday - speech, how can you deny that 30 Rock is the funniest show on TV right now?

Which leads me to the inevitable Top 5 Sitcoms of all time. And that's a hard one. That's a thinker. Let's give it a shot, though, shall we? (And I'm restricting myself to American sit-coms here.) Okay...

5. Three's Company
I dunno, I want to put something sentimental in here. And no I haven't watched Three's Company for about ... I dunno, 20 years? So I'm sure that if I watched it now, it'd be completely stupid. But I did watch it with my Dad a lot (yeah, we watched weird TV together - considering I was less than 10. Three's Company for father son comedy, Dukes of Hazzard for the father and son drama).
Sanford and Son or The Jeffersons might also make the list, and while both are funnier and smarter than Three's Company, it's a nostalgia thing.

4. Arrested Development
Tragedy. You burned too bright AD. The characters - the cast really, was an incredible ensemble. And can you pick your favourite? I've tried, but the short answer is no. However, is there one image that cracks you up no matter what? The answer is yes: Tobias in his cut off jean shorts. This show deserves a Top 3, and I'm sure it would have made it had it not been prematurely cancelled. Now having said that, I heard a rumour that they are Definitely making an AD movie. Franklin sure F'ing hopes so.

3. Cheers
I used to try to argue that this was the best sit-com of all time, but it just ain't true. It is, however, One of the best. The glory years were of course the Diane / Woody years. I mean, Rebecca was... okay; the Coach irritating more than anything. But even so, overall it was pretty hilarious. Dan Hedaya's career was built on Nick Tortelli. And Woody's song to Kelly. Oh, the one where Markie Post plays Diane's old roommate! "DINNER TIME!" Ha ha ha, yeah...

2. The Simpsons
They went through a fairly tough period there (the season of the Cape Fear episode, I mean, that was pretty painful during), but in retrospect even those episodes are pretty funny. But yeah at least one line in any given episode can send me into hysterics. Linguo. Mojo the helper monkey (Pray. For. Mo. Jo.). Any Halloween epsiode (exception: The Raven). Come on, Burns and Smithers?

1. Seinfeld
Truly, it had it all: hilarious, timeless (possibly Still the funniest show on TV, right?), progressive, controversial. It had the characters, including surely the best bit or side characters of all time (and that's another list, Top 5 Seinfeld Bit Characters: quickly, Babu Batt, Soup Nazi, J Peterman, Darren the Temp for Kramerica, Bookman the library cop). The writing. Again, Top 5 Seinfeld Episodes... well I dunno, but again quickly, the Contest (of course), Kramerica, the backwards one where they all go to India... man that one is hard. Even ones like Babu's first episode where he opens his restaurant and Elaine does the IQ test for George, or of course the Soup Nazi. Oh, the one where Molly Shannon doesn't swing her arms when she walks and Kramer wins a Tony (and has to fire Raquel Welch)! Aw you know, so many good ones, too hard, a topic for another day.

There are honourable mentions of course: Friends (yeah, I know, but it's true), Futurama. Wait, did you just say Everybody Loves Raymond? Sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave.

But currently, 30 Rock is kicking ass all over the place. Besides the delicate genius that is Tina Fey, I mean, Alex Baldwin may just be the greatest actor of his generation. Versatility. And Tracy Morgan - if you only know him through SNL, you don't really know him. Come on, he's funny ridiculous in a way that Jim Carey just plain wishes he was.

This year, I have to admit, I'm also addicted to the Big Bang Theory - and Gary Unmarried is pretty funny too.

You know something is truly funny if you are laughing at Season One episodes.

Alright, so I watch a lot of TV. Well, good thing I'm on the internet right now instead.

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