13 Underappreciated TV Comedies That Were Ahead Of Their Time

[TMC]

https://screenrant.com/tv-comedies-u...ed-underrated/

These underappreciated TV gems were ahead of their time, but what makes them uniquely hilarious has influenced comedy TV series ever since.

13
The Jeffersons

12
Maude

11
Raising Hope

10
Arrested Development

9
Freaks And Geeks

8
Better Off Ted

7
Party Down

6
Pushing Daisies

5
Spaced

4
The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret

3
Review

2
Happy Endings

1
Enlightened

[Crusinforabrusin2.5]

Will and Grace was way ahead of its time, but it premiered during the weird period when many of the great sitcoms had either ended or were ending right as the show picked up steam.

[blueberrymuffin]

No Community or Parks & Rec?

[Duster76]

I'm going to limit my comments to Maude and The Jeffersons, neither show fits the definition of "ahead of their times" . Let's define the term:

"too advanced or modern to be understood or appreciated during the time when one lives or works". (Merriam-Webster)

"innovative and radical by the standards of the time; more characteristic of a later age"

All in the Family paved the way for Maude, a character who was the other side of the coin to Archie. Maude was a perfect example of a show of its time, popular in its original run much less so as a rerun. I don't think it was influential beyond its era.

The Jeffersons came on in 1975, years after Julia, The Bill Cosby Show, Sanford and Son. It was a sitcom. funny, entertaining not edgy or threatening in any way.

Two series I would add to the list:

I Love Lucy was ahead of its time. I think there are still things to be discovered and recognized about this series. Lucy Ricardo was actually an early example of a feminist, not happy just being at home she wanted a career in show business and would go out of her way to get it.

Green Acres is another show that was very influential, recognized after its run more than when it was on the air.

[stevea]

I'd hardly call The Jeffersons, a show that ran 11 seasons, under-appreciated.

[dee2364]

I don't think people are getting this phrase at all. Something that's ahead of its time is anything that was overlooked or hated because it had ideas or something about it that the public wasn't ready for.

For instance, The Ropers were definitely ahead of its time. It's literally the exact same formula as Married with Children, but there were no such things as Yuppies, so people didn't really get the Jeffrey Tambor character. On top of everything else, it was the first show to depict a marriage that had gone stale because of sexual boredom.

A second show that was ahead of its time was ABC's The Job. That was the first modern mature comedy with the level of snark and cynicism that's so popular now, and starring a messed up main character with mental/drug problems. It was canceled in its prime, I guess because it was seen as too edgy and dark.

Lastly, there was Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. This was the first adult cartoon series based around a dysfunctional family and set in modern times (as opposed to The Flintstones or The Jetsons). It almost looks like what you'd imagine Family Guy would've been like in the 1970s. It was completely forgotten until recently.

[70s show watcher]

he and she and buffalo bill were two sitcoms that were ahead of their time