Do you think that sitcoms get better or worse as the years go by?

[Chain Gang Member]

Give examples of your reason

[Dean Winchester]

it all depends on the series. Some shows from the 70's, 80's and early 90's are extremely dated now, and there are others who hold up the test of time.

[FamilyTiesGOP]

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
it all depends on the series. Some shows from the 70's, 80's and early 90's are extremely dated now, and there are others who hold up the test of time.

I personally like the dated sitcoms. I think funny is funny. But some are able to withstand the test of time more than others. I think it depends alot on the style of the sitcom. Shows like Cheers are timeless because the characters and dialogue are timeless.

[jamesanthony]

Economics have made the sitcom a very different animal from what it used to be. If a writer or producer has a particular vision it is going to be changed to meet the standards of the network and make money for the network. Every sitcom on now that I can possibly think of is created to basically make money for the network.

Something like All in the Family was created (from what I have heard) as kind of a catharsis for Norman Lear who had a difficult relationship with his prejudiced father. It was commercially popular, but at the same time it had heart and a genuinenes to it. The shows on now don't have that kind of heart.

Because of political correctness, certain things cannot be shown in sitcoms because minority groups could be offended, boycott or sue the network and cause a financial loss. Therefore we are left with a lot of heartless, unoriginal programming that push obvious sorts of humor like sex jokes and overly attractive people.

Also, what TV show could exist now that didn't have some attractive character in the cast and some characters who are in some "will they or won't they" sexual tension/romantic situation? Think about the fact that shows like Phil Silver's Show, barney Miller, Mchale's Navy and Hogan's Heroes ran for years and they were not about sex or romance at all. Lucy's 2 later shows had nothing to do with romance either and ran 6 years apiece.

The Jeffersons and Alice ran many years without anyone in the cast who wasn't middle aged and ordinary looking. Archie Bunker's Place ran 4 years and had a cast of mainly middle aged people who were not model looking people.

Comedy can be a good source of social commentary. Sketch comedy in particular if done well, can be very enlightening. However, a certain era of sitcoms is forever gone.