US Comedy question

[Liam]

Naturally, the US have given us quite a lot of good comedies over the year (Cheers, Friends, Frasier, Scrubs). However, I wanted to ask what the general US consensus was about some of the other comedies we get over here....since ABC1 (a digital channel we get) and some of the stuff on Channel 4 is some of the most diabolically bad comedy I've seen.

I just was interested if it was stuff we got because no-one liked it in America, or if this is American "cream of comedy", yet it just isn't very good.

We get stuff such as:

King Of Queens

Rodney

8 Simple Rules (which was ok until John Ritter died)

Everybody Loves Raymond (utteryly horrible)

Hope And Faith

Just Shoot Me

There are more, I can't remember them all.

[apsham]

I don't consider any of those shows "cream of comedy" other than Raymond which is an utterly wonderful show. Some people might say King Of Queens as well, but the four other aren't exactly cream of comedy, although I do love Just Shoot Me as well.

[Guest muddatrucker]

I'd say they were all shite.

[Liam]

Yeah, "cream of comedy" was a bit of an over-statement, I just wanted to know if they were considered "good" in America.

I don't know anyone over here who likes Everybody Loves Raymond, that show is seriously some of the poorest, most obvious, cliche attempts at comedy going. I struggle to remember a time when I laughed at it, and I've watched quite a few episodes, honestly.

[Adam Ryland]

I'd add "Norm" to that list, Channel 4 used to show it late at night. I've seen people raving about it, but having watched several episodes I'd put it well below most of the ones on your list, it's possibly the worst written mainstream comedy I've ever seen.

[apsham]

Yeah, "cream of comedy" was a bit of an over-statement, I just wanted to know if they were considered "good" in America.

I don't know anyone over here who likes Everybody Loves Raymond, that show is seriously some of the poorest, most obvious, cliche attempts at comedy going. I struggle to remember a time when I laughed at it, and I've watched quite a few episodes, honestly.

When did you start getting it over there though? It was on the air since 1996 so really... it originated some of those cliche attempts, I'd say. Looking back at the characters that I love (Ray's parents; the ultimate dysfunctional parents and so on) on that show is the first time I saw those characters.

[Guest muddatrucker]

Whats the new-ish show with the dad with ginger hair that smokes pot and threatens to spank his children but can't go through with it? he turns up on the screen and starts rattling on to the camera himself.

Thats shit right there.

[Liam]

I dunno. We've had it for a while, Channel 4 has this weird thing where of a morning, they just tend to stick on anything. So basically, you'll get a week of Everybody Loves Raymond and then they'll seem to stick on King Of Queens, so I don't even know if they play them in order or anything.

That pisses me off a little, as Ed is one of the only comedies that they show at that time that I really like, but it is on some days, off others, and doesn't seem to have a set time slot, so I always tend to miss it.

[apsham]

Whats the new-ish show with the dad with ginger hair that smokes pot and threatens to spank his children but can't go through with it? he turns up on the screen and starts rattling on to the camera himself.

Thats shit right there.

The War At Home? Eh... it has its moments.

[VerbalPuke]

The older sitcoms done in the U.S. were solid, like Cheers as you mentioned. The stuff you mentioned I've never really found funny. It's all sort of boring, with lame quips thrown in for humor.

The best I've seen for sitcoms/comedy tv shows would be Married With Children for it's crass nature, and Seinfeld because it's Seinfeld. Also, on HBO Curb Your Enthusiasm is a pretty funny show, made by the producer of Seinfeld.

[Guest muddatrucker]

The biggest problem is that they're all exactly the same, so if one is terribly bad, they all are.

[Adam Ryland]

That pisses me off a little, as Ed is one of the only comedies that they show at that time that I really like, but it is on some days, off others, and doesn't seem to have a set time slot, so I always tend to miss it.

To be fair, they got their act together with Ed - the last two runs they did of it were both month-long and one-episode-per-day, so you got the entire season without interuptions. I agree that it was a nightmare the first time around though, they seemed to pop it into the schedule at random :ohwell: Brilliant show though

[Liam]

Whats the new-ish show with the dad with ginger hair that smokes pot and threatens to spank his children but can't go through with it? he turns up on the screen and starts rattling on to the camera himself.

Thats shit right there.

The War At Home? Eh... it has its moments.

I thought it looked OK, saw about 2 episodes and it was just a bit of a let down.

[Iain76er]

That pisses me off a little, as Ed is one of the only comedies that they show at that time that I really like, but it is on some days, off others, and doesn't seem to have a set time slot, so I always tend to miss it.

To be fair, they got their act together with Ed - the last two runs they did of it were both month-long and one-episode-per-day, so you got the entire season without interuptions. I agree that it was a nightmare the first time around though, they seemed to pop it into the schedule at random :ohwell: Brilliant show though

[Ananas]

I think "Norm" is one of the funniest sitcoms ever, but I think it's a litmus test for whether you like Norm MacDonald or not. As for Liam's list, "Raymond" is the only show people (critics) liked, although I thought "Just Shoot Me" had its moments.

[Docpepper]

Just shoot me has some good good episodes , but I absolutely love kingof Queens and Everybody Loves Raymond. I watch the reruns on tbs all the time.

[Adam Ryland]

That pisses me off a little, as Ed is one of the only comedies that they show at that time that I really like, but it is on some days, off others, and doesn't seem to have a set time slot, so I always tend to miss it.

To be fair, they got their act together with Ed - the last two runs they did of it were both month-long and one-episode-per-day, so you got the entire season without interuptions. I agree that it was a nightmare the first time around though, they seemed to pop it into the schedule at random :ohwell: Brilliant show though

Have they ever shown the last season of this? Whenever Ed is on it seems to always be the penultimate one.

Yeah, last year. If Channel 4 follow their normal pattern, then the final season will gets its first set of repeats in the February \ March 2007 morning slot.

[Lord Nibbler]

King of Queens is great. Jerry Stiller + Kevin James = Gold

I have a soft spot for 8 Simple Rules too, even post-Ritter.

[writeeagle]

Most of our newer stuff is pretty garbage. I have always liked King of Queens and Just Shoot Me. I don't care for any of the others though.

The War at Home ... really the only thing it has going for it is Michael Rappaport.

[IAceI]

I like watching ABC here. I watch Scrubs, 8 Simple Rules (pre Ritter is best but I like the later ones a bit too) but mostly the Home Improvement reruns which I have seen all about 6 times each if not more in some episodes case. Hope and Faith is shit, but I think Megan Fox is pretty hot.

Also I occassionally watch Rodney which has it's okay moments, but I'm more of a background TV watcher, and don't really sit and watch TV that much.