Superior Sitcoms

On a recent episode of Best Episode Ever, host Anthony Marco listed his ten favourite sitcoms, stretching from Gilligan’s Island to Californication (in chronological order) and it made me think, what are my faves? Over the years, I’ve watched 100s, probably 1000s of hours of sitcoms in 22 minute chunks, so it stands to reason that I would have some favourites in there.

When I was a kid, I would come home after school and routinely park in front of the TV until dinner watching shows like Leave it to Beaver, Beverly Hillbillies, The Munsters, I Love Lucy, Hogan’s Heroes, M*A*S*H, The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, The Monkees, Gilligan’s Island, I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. Many of these aired on KVOS TV-12, a station out of Bellingham, Washington that was king of syndicated content (it still is, but Shaw cable has bumped it waaaaay up the dial now, so we tend to forget it’s there).

By the late 70s and early 80s, I was old enough to watch the sitcoms (and dramas) that aired in early primetime — Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, One Day at a Time,  Mork & Mindy, WKRP in Cincinnati, Diff’rent Strokes, Facts of Life, Silver Spoons, Square Pegs and Growing Pains. Of course, we had only one TV when I was growing up so we had to be democratic — some nights another family member got to choose and I missed out — this meant that a number of shows were completely off my radar until I saw them years later in syndication. However, this also meant I was exposed to some Britcoms thanks to PBS and my Mother’s taste in television — I’m sure I saw every episode of On The Buses and The Good Life (aka Good Neighbours) along with sketch comedy shows like Monty Python’s Flying Circus and The Two Ronnies.

My year in England (1987-88) introduced me to Blackadder along with Bread, Butterflies and Only Fools and Horses (the latter two of which resulted in my having quite a crush on the rather dorky Nicholas Lyndhurst). When I returned to Canada, I settled into the late 80s shows like Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Cheers and The Cosby Show. Then, through chunks of my university years, I lived without a television or with enough room-mates that I seldom got to chose what to watch so there were a number of shows I never got into until much, much later. Now there are probably a half dozen sitcoms in my current “must see” roster, most notably 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother and Modern Family.

So, which shows clock in as my top ten? These are the shows that, for me, stand the test of time. I can watch them over and over and still find a laugh (or at least a smile), even if it’s just the nostalgia talking. In chronological first-run order:

The Munsters (1964-1966) — I suspect this show has a lot to do with my love of things gothic and creepy plus, it was cartoonish and silly and perfect for kids. Oddly, I didn’t see an episode of the Aadams Family until adulthood so for me the Munsters were closer to The Flintstones than any other family.

The Brady Bunch (1969-1974) — honestly, it was hard to choose between this one and Gilligan’s Island but ultimately as a kid I got more out of the Brady’s than the castaways. Even Oliver couldn’t ruin this show for me though I do love to hate the character, just like everyone else.

Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979) — a dozen of the best examples of sitcom writing you will ever find. Pitch perfect blend of dry wit, ridiculous set-ups, physical comedy and even black humour. Many, many times I have threatened to beat less-than-compliant vehicles with branches and I completely identify with Basil Fawlty’s customer service rage.

Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983) — To this day, hearing the opening chant of “Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!”” makes me smile and I can’t imagine a brewery production line without a pair of gloves waving along the way. Laverne & Shirley were two strong women living and working together and clearly having fun. To my younger self, they represented where I wanted to be as a grownup — I didn’t really think about their assembly-line job, it was the apartment in the city I wanted!

Facts of Life (1979-1988) — cheezy? Oh, yeah! But, the girls in this series were about the same age as me through those years so I watched almost the whole series (except the last season when I was overseas) and laughed and cried along with them. At some point, I identified with each of the characters, though most of the time it was Natalie (Mindy Cohn) who spoke to and for girls like me. Does it stand up? Not really. In hindsight, it took itself too seriously and many of the jokes now fall flat but I still smile because my teen self is still right there beside them all.

Blackadder (1983-1989) — series two and three are my favourites where Edmund Blackadder is in the service of the courts of Queen Elizabeth I and The Prince Regent, George IV. I never tire of Blackadder’s cunning plans and the many ways in which his advancement is foiled.

Seinfeld (1989-1998) — amazingly, I didn’t start watching this until its final seasons, after I had met and moved in with Mike. When I’d tried to watch it earlier, Kramer had annoyed me to the point that I wrote it off. Once I started watching it — and especially once I got into the syndicated episodes, it quickly rose through the ranks to “favourite.” Episodes, “The Contest,” “The Marine Biologist,” “The Opposite,”  and “The Chinese Restaurant” all stand out for their absurd plots and finely-tuned writing.

Friends (1993-2004) — I don’t know if this will still ring true when my daughter is twenty-something but for me the coffee-shop sofa was a comfortable reminder of my university years. I still find myself quoting and referring to the show (especially Chandler’s one-liners) and giggling at Joey’s innocence and Phoebe’s way of seeing the world.

News Radio (1995-1999) — Falling somewhere between WKRP and The Office (both of which were contenders for my top ten), News Radio offers a superb ensemble cast that pushes at the edges of ridiculous while keeping both feet in the real world. Even after the loss of Phil Hartman, the cast and crew managed to pull off a reasonable fifth and final season.

Arrested Development (2003-2006) — to be fair, if I were ranking these, this would be on the top. It’s good enough to be in my “bunker” stash. Jason Bateman’s performance as Michael Bluth is amazing to watch; his blinking disbelief and constant threats to leave the family and never look back are always balanced by a very deep connection to the same people who take advantage of his upstanding nature. Allegedly, there is a film in development… I really hope they don’t screw that one up.

=Phew= That was a challenge — lots of close contenders (The Monkees, Happy Days, M*A*S*H, Diff’rent Strokes, The Office, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, The Bob Newhart Show…) So what are your ten?