Watching television is an activity I’ve enjoyed in spurts over my lifetime. I don’t remember watching a lot of TV while growing up, but I must have since I can remember so many shows from that time! The first couple of years in college were lean TV years, then my viewing time picked up once I moved out of a dorm. I watched a fair amount during the early years of my marriage, only to slack off in recent years. I watch very little TV at this point in my life.
One of my favorite types of programming has always been the Situation Comedy or “sitcom”. Many of the sitcoms I’ve enjoyed over the years were shows that I could watch with my family, either when I was a child or when I had children of my own. Often mindless and silly, occasionally witty or clever, but always a pleasant escape from reality. If only all life’s problems could be resolved in the space of thirty minutes!
Here’s my list, with a few runners up. Tell me some of yours!
1. Gilligan’s Island – I refuse to make excuses for this being on my list. I’ve always loved it and have seen every episode multiple times. I even own it on DVD.
2. The Brady Bunch – Another that I should probably be embarrassed to have on my list (but I’m not). At least I don’t own the DVDs of this one. Jan was my favorite Brady.
3. I Love Lucy – A classic in every sense of the word. Lucille Ball has to be one of the best comedic actresses of all time. It was great from the early episodes all the way through the birth of Little Ricky, the Hollywood & European episodes and the move to Connecticut.
4. Seinfeld – The show about nothing. It was hilarious! Enough said.
5. The Wonder Years – This show is sometimes considered a dramatic comedy rather than a sitcom. The pilot began with the main characters entering junior high school in 1968. I started junior high in 1970, so I readily identified with the events and emotions portrayed in the series.
Runners Up: Home Improvement, Cheers, Smart Guy, The Munsters, M*A*S*H, Psych.
- Kelly
- Making my way through the ups and downs of life, holding fast to my favorite Bible verse: "For we walk by faith, not by sight." ~2 Corinthians 5:7. I began blogging in earnest at Yahoo360 on October 24, 2005. (briefly using LiveJournal and blog-city prior to that) In June 2008 I moved to Blogger. I'm now at WordPress where I hope to remain.
10 comments:
In the current decade, I really enjoyed "Ally McBeal" up through Robert Downey, Jr.'s departure from the show. I was dating a lady back in Cambridge and we would watch that together every week.
Some interesting choices - I've heard of them all apart from Smart Guy and Psych which I must google.
My choices would have to be:
Big Bang Theory.
Some Mothers Do Have 'Em - All about the accident prone, beret wearing Frank Spencer. I grew up watching this and whilst it's no longer on the tv I have the DVD boxset.
My Family - About a dentist, Ben Harper, his wife, Susan and their family. Still on tv here in the UK, a new series is due.
Everbody Loves Raymond.
Butterflies - No longer on the tv, I loved this as a teenager mainly because the central character was (like myself) a dreadful cook who ruined any meal she attempted.
Let's see. I have to think hard on this one.
1. Ally McBeal (I recorded every episode of this. My daughter and I watched it while she was in high school.)
2. Boston Legal (I LOVE James Spader)
3. Seventh Heaven (I still watch the reruns of this one...great show!)
4. The Gilmore Girls
5. Everybody Loves Raymond (This is one I'd love to own on CD. That was one of the funniest, closest to life sitcoms I've ever seen...especially about the crazy inlaws!)
I also like Roseanne, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, Sons of Anarchy, Dexter and TrueBlood. I think these are more drama than sitcon (except for Roseanne) although Desperate Housewives gets pretty funny at times. Great post, Kelly. Blessings!
Victoria
1. Dexter
2. That 70s show
3. House
4. Stargate
5. Monk
Others=Psych, Moonlight, Law and Order SVU, I Dream of Jeannie, What I Like About You, Smallville, Home Improvement
Grew up loving I Love Lucy. Discovered Seinfeld late (what can I say...I watch so little TV) but find him and his cohorts hilarious.
My to sitcoms would be:
Frazier
Cheers
Seinfeld
Two and a Half Men
The Big Bang Theory
Two and a half Men
Glee
Rules of Engagement
30 Rock
Just Shoot Me
I think that the industry defines sitcoms as 1/2 hour comedies. A lot of people here have chosen the hour long "light comedy-dramas" as well. I've not been particularly fond of 1/2 hour comedies, but I have a few faves. My 5 top one hours are below, as well....
1/2 hour:
1 Mash
2 Cheers
3 One Day at A Time
4 Mary Tyler Moore Show
5 (tie) Bob Newhart (the first Chicago dentist version) and Bob Newhart (the New England innkeeper version with Larry, Darryl and Darryl)
Hours:
1 Ally McBeal
2 Weeds
3 SOAP
4 Moonlighting
5 Sex and the City
of course, I'll look forward to television dramas, movies, reality shows, etc. Keep it going, Kel.
quid
I also liked Dick Van Dyke Show, Petticoat Junction, Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Leave it to Beaver and Andy Griffith.
If you can call The Office a sitcom, well, it's probably the only one I would consider a "favorite" today.
Those are all old classics. More modern choices are Mary Tyler Moore, Cheers, Cosby and Family Ties.
Trivia: Andy Griffith was a spinoff of "Make Room for Daddy" (Danny Thomas) and Green Acres was a spinoff of Beverly Hillbillies.
I dunno if all of these are even considered sitcoms, but oh well...
1. Arrested Development (didn't last too long, but they ended it before it turned into garbage, which is more than I can say for most of my favorite programs)
2. Family Guy (only the first 3 seasons, the rest are lacking in the entertainment department)
3. Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job (If you don't already know this show, it's probably best that you don't get aquainted with it, haha)
4. Xavier Renegade Angel (My favorite philosopher as he travels a bizarre computer world pondering "what doth life?")
5. MacGyver (He can rig anything to explode, nuff said)
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