The Best Buddy Sitcom Ever!!! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

RWCTV · 09-14-2002, 08:16 AM

First off let me say that I am a male, age 22, editor of the Married With Children page at tvtome.com and I have to say that Perfect Strangers is the best buddy sitcom ever.

Perfect Strangers should in no way compare to MWC. They are both equally unique in their own way.

Perfect Strangers is better than the Odd Couple. They also have that slap-stick quality where they do physical comedy and slap each other around. I like that.

Perfect Strangers has the hottest girlfriends. Remember in the later episodes that they got married. (I liked Mary Anne, but Jennifer can melt my ice)

Every single episode is a classic one. In this case you can compare to that of "I Love Lucy".

Larry has a lot of more conservative traits. He doesn't like to be embarassed, he is family oriented, and he is always cautious. Balki is loving, naive, and learning new things about America.

Perfect Strangers is a show that I grew up with. While watching shows like Gumby, Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Davey and Goliath, and such, I had to watch Perfect Strangers.

LONG LIVE PERFECT STRANGERS!!!!

Who's with me here????

Chelsea · 09-14-2002, 10:20 AM

Amen

arnold · 09-14-2002, 11:38 AM

I'm so glad I finally came across an encouraging post. I'm with you all the way on this one.

Impressions · 09-14-2002, 01:47 PM

Laverne and Shirley are great too, but you can't beat this show with their slapstick and humorous dialogue!

Lone_Wolfette · 09-14-2002, 09:08 PM

I'm with you!

Preach on

Restless · 09-15-2002, 04:29 AM

This show is hilarious... I do agree, as far as the buddy situation goes, this is the funniest.. The only possible fault I see are the last few minutes where they try to tie it into some kind of moral lesson for Larry.. In any case, damn TVLand for not giving it better treatment..

mstewart · 03-21-2003, 02:24 AM

They were the Ralph Kramdem/Ed Norton of the 80s.

*PinkLady* · 03-21-2003, 04:28 PM

This show is great in terms of humor, slapstick, and Larry and Balki playing off each other. Gets me every time.

But at the end, it does get pretty moralistic and sometimes sappy. Doesn't matter to me...the overall effect is very good.

TALLguyinKY · 03-21-2003, 10:20 PM

I like the heartfelt stuff sometimes---like in the Christmas episode when Balki gave Larry that (blanket? sweater?) he made for him ever since his arrival.

And OMG, the ski episode has to be one of the funniest EVER!

LucyFan · 03-22-2003, 08:13 PM

I agree somewhat. I remember watching this show on TGIF with my family and I absolutely got a kick out of it. In a way, you can say I have grew up with the show partially. Anyways, I do agree that it is one of the best buddy sitcoms out there but nothing can even do better, not even Laverne & Shirley, to that of the legendary classic I Love Lucy. I Love Lucy is the mother of all sitcoms and was the one of the first, if not the first, two feature buddies and slapstick. I have literally grown up loving Lucy and everything that is associated with her and the show. To me, I think Perfect Strangers is very much well associated with ILL because Larry and Balki are the male versions to that of Lucy and Ethel and if you compare the slapstick between the two shows they come out very similar. In conclusion, the Best Buddy Sitcom is really I Love Lucy but Perfect Strangers comes in close at either 2nd or 3rd, or even 4th.

Note: Perfect Strangers is probably the first sitcom I watched in my life.

catlover79 · 05-20-2012, 01:48 AM

I concur!! The relative innocence of the program, coupled with the slapstick, were great for the family to watch. At least the first two seasons are on DVD so I can show them to my two young nephews. They both love crazy cartoons, so I think Larry and Balki would be right up their alley.

Mr. Television · 05-20-2012, 07:41 AM

and now lets do the dance of joy.

catlover79 · 05-21-2012, 09:25 PM

I have to wonder exactly how much both Bronson and Mark weighed during the run of the show. Bronson was slinging Mark around as if he was a rag doll in some of those scenes!! And of course, he always lifted him up at the end of the Dance of Joy.

RWCTV · 05-22-2012, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

I have to wonder exactly how much both Bronson and Mark weighed during the run of the show. Bronson was slinging Mark around as if he was a rag doll in some of those scenes!! And of course, he always lifted him up at the end of the Dance of Joy.

What I wonder is; during those scenes when Bronson held Mark sideways, how was Mark able to "stay straight?" If someone tried to lift me sideways, I would get so nervous that, in anticipation of my co-star dropping me, I would have a hard time delivering my lines, show my nervousness on camera, thus ruining the scene, and/or move my body around to fall in a way that won't hurt as much. They were very talented guys who were masters at their craft.

catlover79 · 05-22-2012, 01:30 AM

So would I!!! But Bronson and Mark have both gone on the record as having clicked right from the start, and their dynamic only got stronger as the seasons went by. It's obvious that they trusted each other implicitly - both as co-stars and as friends. They are one of the most unsung TV duos of all time.

Both guys are now in their 50s and both have put on quite a few pounds since their PS days (not that that's a bad thing - that often happens at a certain age). I wonder if they could still do the Dance of Joy today...

09-14-2002, 08:16 AM	#1
RWCTV Making Sense Senior Member Join Date: Sep 21, 2001 Location: Lockport, IL USA Posts: 1,138	The Best Buddy Sitcom Ever!!! First off let me say that I am a male, age 22, editor of the Married With Children page at tvtome.com and I have to say that Perfect Strangers is the best buddy sitcom ever. Perfect Strangers should in no way compare to MWC. They are both equally unique in their own way. Perfect Strangers is better than the Odd Couple. They also have that slap-stick quality where they do physical comedy and slap each other around. I like that. Perfect Strangers has the hottest girlfriends. Remember in the later episodes that they got married. (I liked Mary Anne, but Jennifer can melt my ice) Every single episode is a classic one. In this case you can compare to that of "I Love Lucy". Larry has a lot of more conservative traits. He doesn't like to be embarassed, he is family oriented, and he is always cautious. Balki is loving, naive, and learning new things about America. Perfect Strangers is a show that I grew up with. While watching shows like Gumby, Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Davey and Goliath, and such, I had to watch Perfect Strangers. LONG LIVE PERFECT STRANGERS!!!! Who's with me here????
	__________________ Rob W. Case Do you desire to know about the topics that help you and hurt you in society? Whether it is Government, religious discussion, psychology, and health, we have it all! http://makingsense.proboards.com/ Stop in, get informed, or debate the issues. If you have something to say, this is the place. Hope that you'll join us! See you there!!!

09-14-2002, 10:20 AM	#2
Chelsea Semi-retired Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 07, 2001 Location: Washington Posts: 5,727	Amen
	__________________ Chelsea Former Administrator, 2005-2012 Former Member, DVD Review Team, 2004-2010.

09-14-2002, 09:08 PM	#5
Lone_Wolfette Me & Micky Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 04, 2000 Location: North Adams, MA Posts: 136	I'm with you! Preach on
	__________________ RIP John Ritter, Johnny Cash 9/11/2003 http://www.ayearwithfrogandtoad.com/ http://perfectstrangers.50megs.com

09-15-2002, 04:29 AM	#6
Restless Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 22, 2002 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 76	Agree This show is hilarious... I do agree, as far as the buddy situation goes, this is the funniest.. The only possible fault I see are the last few minutes where they try to tie it into some kind of moral lesson for Larry.. In any case, damn TVLand for not giving it better treatment..
	__________________ Larry: How long does it take to work? Balki: Well, that amount should work pretty fast. Larry: I don't feel anything.. Balki.. I can see through you. Last edited by Restless; 09-15-2002 at 09:19 AM.

05-20-2012, 01:48 AM	#11
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I concur!! The relative innocence of the program, coupled with the slapstick, were great for the family to watch. At least the first two seasons are on DVD so I can show them to my two young nephews. They both love crazy cartoons, so I think Larry and Balki would be right up their alley.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

09-14-2002, 11:38 AM	#3
arnold Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 21, 2001 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 96	I'm so glad I finally came across an encouraging post. I'm with you all the way on this one.

09-14-2002, 01:47 PM	#4
Impressions She died the way she lived Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 08, 2002 Posts: 4,640	Laverne and Shirley are great too, but you can't beat this show with their slapstick and humorous dialogue!

03-21-2003, 02:24 AM	#7
mstewart mstewart Senior Member Join Date: Jan 25, 2002 Location: California Posts: 1,780	They were the Ralph Kramdem/Ed Norton of the 80s.

03-21-2003, 04:28 PM	#8
PinkLady Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 04, 2002 Posts: 7,457	This show is great in terms of humor, slapstick, and Larry and Balki playing off each other. Gets me every time. But at the end, it does get pretty moralistic and sometimes sappy. Doesn't matter to me...the overall effect is very good.

03-21-2003, 10:20 PM	#9
TALLguyinKY Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 18, 2002 Posts: 1,439	I like the heartfelt stuff sometimes---like in the Christmas episode when Balki gave Larry that (blanket? sweater?) he made for him ever since his arrival. And OMG, the ski episode has to be one of the funniest EVER!

03-22-2003, 08:13 PM	#10
LucyFan Still Loving Lucy! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 23, 2001 Location: In the Wonderful World of Lucy! Posts: 8,198	I agree somewhat. I remember watching this show on TGIF with my family and I absolutely got a kick out of it. In a way, you can say I have grew up with the show partially. Anyways, I do agree that it is one of the best buddy sitcoms out there but nothing can even do better, not even Laverne & Shirley, to that of the legendary classic I Love Lucy. I Love Lucy is the mother of all sitcoms and was the one of the first, if not the first, two feature buddies and slapstick. I have literally grown up loving Lucy and everything that is associated with her and the show. To me, I think Perfect Strangers is very much well associated with ILL because Larry and Balki are the male versions to that of Lucy and Ethel and if you compare the slapstick between the two shows they come out very similar. In conclusion, the Best Buddy Sitcom is really I Love Lucy but Perfect Strangers comes in close at either 2nd or 3rd, or even 4th. Note: Perfect Strangers is probably the first sitcom I watched in my life.

05-20-2012, 07:41 AM	#12
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	and now lets do the dance of joy.
	__________________ Sonny

05-21-2012, 09:25 PM	#13
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I have to wonder exactly how much both Bronson and Mark weighed during the run of the show. Bronson was slinging Mark around as if he was a rag doll in some of those scenes!! And of course, he always lifted him up at the end of the Dance of Joy.

05-22-2012, 01:30 AM	#15
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	So would I!!! But Bronson and Mark have both gone on the record as having clicked right from the start, and their dynamic only got stronger as the seasons went by. It's obvious that they trusted each other implicitly - both as co-stars and as friends. They are one of the most unsung TV duos of all time. Both guys are now in their 50s and both have put on quite a few pounds since their PS days (not that that's a bad thing - that often happens at a certain age). I wonder if they could still do the Dance of Joy today...