Disrespecting Living Classic Sitcoms - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

RWCTV · 05-01-2004, 03:55 AM

Are today's sitcoms dying? It is a relevant question to ask when you are sick of the same old crap.

The Simpsons (one of my all-time favorite sitcoms) is being treated like crap. The actors who supply the voices, according to tvtome will either report to work, or the show will be cancelled period, regardless of FOX's contract that formally expires in 2005.

Friends is on it's way out after a long run on NBC.

Frasier is on it's way out as well. Kelsey Grammar mentioned when he was on Hannity and Colmes that they decided that they were thinking of ending the series and NBC didn't hold any resistance. Kelsey said that if NBC wanted them to do one more season, then they most likely would have.

The only good running sitcoms that started in this decade are probably According to Jim, and Scrubs.

Since crappy, disturbing "reality" shows are flooding the airwaves, I can understand why DVD sales towards classic television sitcoms are skyrocketing. Maybe America will return to going to parks and spending time outside more often.

webuster · 05-01-2004, 04:24 AM

I agree, although in the UK we don't get ALL of the sitcoms made in America, we do get a lot of them (I dread to think what tv is like in the US if what we get is only like a tenth of the shows shown over there- however, original programming has sort of died in the UK)- and some shows are pretty bad.

The only shows produced in the last decade that I've liked are:

The Nanny (finally, this week I'm gonna see the wedding episode!)
Third Rock From the Sun
Ellen
According to Jim
The In-Laws (why was it cancelled-Dennis Ferina was great in this show!)
Bette (mainly cos I think Bette Midler is hilarious).

There's a few other good shows, but I just don't watch much- like Seinfeld and King of Queens (I hate Everybody Loves Raymond)- Friends is good, but I think when Chandler and Monica got serious the show started going downhill (I think a sitcom gets bad when the storylines are so muddled and so many things happening that it's like a soap opera). Frasier, I like, but, I think they make the character Frasier to butt of too many jokes (Lilith should've been brought into that show- she was hilarious!). My Wife and Kids is alright too.

I dunno, I mean, I've seen Fresh Prince (which is terrible), the Mary-Kate and Ashley sitcoms, Bram and Alice, Kristin, Jesse, Baby Bob, Romeo (I hate pretty much all urban sitcoms that make stereotypes of black people), Taina etc. I think the problem is writers are hired who try to come up with too many witty one-liner jokes for their own good, and while writing think they're absolutely clever- but they never re-read their scripts. A sitcom should only be made now if there's a genuinely original storyline to it- enough of the broken family sitcoms and other bad storylines.

peter may · 05-01-2004, 05:52 AM

well i live in the UK too and yes we get loads of US sitcoms Thankfully as British TV is the most dire ever.
Although not shown on UK TV I love "Whoopi" and "Wings", those are my two favourite sitcoms to watch.

I dont think sitcoms are going down the pan at all, NBC still produces some terrific sitcoms where as all of ABC, FOX, and CBS's all suck

barwars · 05-01-2004, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by peter may
well i live in the UK too and yes we get loads of US sitcoms Thankfully as British TV is the most dire ever.
Although not shown on UK TV I love "Whoopi" and "Wings", those are my two favourite sitcoms to watch.

I dont think sitcoms are going down the pan at all, NBC still produces some terrific sitcoms where as all of ABC, FOX, and CBS's all suck

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AVATAR
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05-01-2004, 03:55 AM	#1
RWCTV Making Sense Senior Member Join Date: Sep 21, 2001 Location: Lockport, IL USA Posts: 1,138	Disrespecting Living Classic Sitcoms Are today's sitcoms dying? It is a relevant question to ask when you are sick of the same old crap. The Simpsons (one of my all-time favorite sitcoms) is being treated like crap. The actors who supply the voices, according to tvtome will either report to work, or the show will be cancelled period, regardless of FOX's contract that formally expires in 2005. Friends is on it's way out after a long run on NBC. Frasier is on it's way out as well. Kelsey Grammar mentioned when he was on Hannity and Colmes that they decided that they were thinking of ending the series and NBC didn't hold any resistance. Kelsey said that if NBC wanted them to do one more season, then they most likely would have. The only good running sitcoms that started in this decade are probably According to Jim, and Scrubs. Since crappy, disturbing "reality" shows are flooding the airwaves, I can understand why DVD sales towards classic television sitcoms are skyrocketing. Maybe America will return to going to parks and spending time outside more often.
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05-01-2004, 04:24 AM	#2
webuster Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 26, 2002 Posts: 2,150	I agree, although in the UK we don't get ALL of the sitcoms made in America, we do get a lot of them (I dread to think what tv is like in the US if what we get is only like a tenth of the shows shown over there- however, original programming has sort of died in the UK)- and some shows are pretty bad. The only shows produced in the last decade that I've liked are: The Nanny (finally, this week I'm gonna see the wedding episode!) Third Rock From the Sun Ellen According to Jim The In-Laws (why was it cancelled-Dennis Ferina was great in this show!) Bette (mainly cos I think Bette Midler is hilarious). There's a few other good shows, but I just don't watch much- like Seinfeld and King of Queens (I hate Everybody Loves Raymond)- Friends is good, but I think when Chandler and Monica got serious the show started going downhill (I think a sitcom gets bad when the storylines are so muddled and so many things happening that it's like a soap opera). Frasier, I like, but, I think they make the character Frasier to butt of too many jokes (Lilith should've been brought into that show- she was hilarious!). My Wife and Kids is alright too. I dunno, I mean, I've seen Fresh Prince (which is terrible), the Mary-Kate and Ashley sitcoms, Bram and Alice, Kristin, Jesse, Baby Bob, Romeo (I hate pretty much all urban sitcoms that make stereotypes of black people), Taina etc. I think the problem is writers are hired who try to come up with too many witty one-liner jokes for their own good, and while writing think they're absolutely clever- but they never re-read their scripts. A sitcom should only be made now if there's a genuinely original storyline to it- enough of the broken family sitcoms and other bad storylines.

05-01-2004, 05:52 AM	#3
peter may The SO Limey Senior Member Join Date: Feb 26, 2002 Location: LONDON Posts: 1,883	well i live in the UK too and yes we get loads of US sitcoms Thankfully as British TV is the most dire ever. Although not shown on UK TV I love "Whoopi" and "Wings", those are my two favourite sitcoms to watch. I dont think sitcoms are going down the pan at all, NBC still produces some terrific sitcoms where as all of ABC, FOX, and CBS's all suck