Some of the Greatest Sitcom Episodes

[Adamantium]

TV Guide has it's list of best episodes. So what episodes of all shows combined do you think should make the list of one of the greatest episodes of all-time.

Cheers: episode 121. I Do, Adieu"
Diane's finale episode in my opinion was great. I loved the very last scene where the old Sam and old Diane are slowly dancing in their house.

NewsRadio: episode 03. "Smoking"
A great episode of a great sitcom. This is probably the funniest episode of the first season. Phil Hartman was great as Bill trying to quit smoking. Especially when he snapped and yelled at Matthew (You'd have to see it, to laugh).

Wings: episode 43. "This Old House"
What can I say? Just another great episode of Wings. However, this episode was special as Joe and Brian, along with Helen, visit their childhood home.

[Kristen]

Here's my addition to the list. I know TV Guide mentioned it on theirs, but it certainly merits repeating:

The Mary Tyler Moore Show : "Chuckles Bites the Dust." I know it's a really famous episode, and with good reason. The funeral scene is some of Mary Tyler Moore's best comic acting. Plus it's a very human situation. I think we've all embarrassed ourselves at sometime in our lives.

Kristen

[Sal]

Here are my favorite sitcom episodes in order from 10th best to #1. I have all of these episodes taped except for #1 and #9.
How many of these have you seen?

10---THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW---"Gomer Pyle, USMC" (May 18, 1964, 2 weeks before I was born!)

The pilot episode for the popular series, where Gomer gets drafted into the Marines and is mistaken for the son of a war hero. Features the first of a long series of battles with Sgt. Carter.

9. BEWITCHED---"Samantha and the Beanstalk" (Sept. 18, 1969)

Lacking a playmate, Tabitha conjures up Jack from "Jack and the Beanstalk" (played brilliantly by "Family Affair"'s Johnnie Whittaker) from her storybook.

8. THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES---"The Thanksgiving Story" (Nov. 27 1968)

The Clampetts decide to spend Thanksgiving in Hooterville where they meet the casts of "Green Acres" and "Petticoat Junction", which resulted in the group photo that you see at the bottom of this page.

7. HAPPY DAYS---"Fonzie Moves In" (Sept. 9, 1975)

Fonzie rents the apartment upstairs from the Cunningham house for himself despite Howard's objections. This was the 3rd season premiere of the series and was the episode that launched Henry Winkler toward superstardom.

6. LEAVE IT TO BEAVER---"Wally's Test" (Jan. 27, 1960)

Eddie and Lumpy accuse Wally of cheating on a history test so they devise a sneaky plan to get even which naturally backfires. My signature quote below is taken from this episode.

5. THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW---"Coast To Coast Big Mouth" (Sept. 15, 1965)

A true TV classic which I'm sure is on many a fan's list. Laura accidentally reveals Alan Brady's biggest secret during an appearance on a TV game show.

4. THE MONKEES---"Captain Crocodile" (Feb. 20, 1967)

The host of a TV kiddie show fears the Monkees are trying to upstage him. Features the delightfully nutty "Your Auntie Grizelda".

3. LEAVE IT TO BEAVER---"In The Soup" (May 6, 1961)

One of the most fondly remembered episodes by the show's fans. This is the one where Beaver falls inside the soup bowl and can't get himself out.

2. THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY---"A Knight In Shining Armour" (March 19, 1971)

Bobby Sherman appears as a struggling songwriter who meets up with a strange but lovable sidekick in order to sell his songs to the Partridges.

#1---HERE'S LUCY---"Lucy and Donny Osmond" (Nov. 20, 1972)

The cream of the crop by a wide margin! Lucy's daughter Kim wins a dream date with teen idol Donny Osmond and Mom naturally tags along. Featuring my favourite Brady Eve Plumb in a guest appearance. Note also the rare absence of Gale Gordon from this episode.


There you have it. My picks for my favorite episodes of all time. Check your favourite show's board for more specific choices by series.

[sizzlestar]

The two part episode of the Golden Girls where Dorothy almost marries Stan again.

The two part episode of Family Ties when Alex has to deal with the death of a friend.

The Saved By The Bell episode where Jessie gets hooked on caffine pills (Jessie's Song? I'm really bad with episode titles!).

The Full House series finale where Michelle suffers memory loss.

The episode of Diff'rent Strokes where Arnold's friend Dudley gets molested and another episode where Kimberly is belemic.

The Facts of Life pilot episode (the one with the DS cast in it).

Sooo many Happy Days eps. The one where Richie has a bad motorcycle accident, the one where Fonzie goes blind, the one where Fonz thinks he's allergic to girls, the one with the flashbacks to Richie and Fonzie's first meeting...too many to mention.

The series finale of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. Putting Sabrina and Harvey back together again made up for the rest of the season being so poor.

[Adamantium]

I can't remember the title, but I also have to include the very first episode of Car 54, Where Are You?. That's the one where Toody and Muldoon want to go fishing on a friend's relative's boat. So they have to switch schedules with other officers. Just a fun episde to watch and one of the two that I have on tape.

[AtlantaBravesFan29]

Edith's Problem from All In The Family where Edith goes through the change of life. It is so funny when Archie shows Edith the brochure from Disney World and she tells him that she didn't want to see it and Edith tells Archie,"Stifle" and then she tells him again, "Stifle, Stifle, Stifle" and tells Archie, "We are not going to Disney World or any other world!!!"

Also from All In The Family is the episode,"Everybody Tell The Truth" where Archie and Mike tell different sides of how the refrigerator got broken. When Mike tells the story,Archie comes through the door like the Tazmanian Devil and blows off at everyone,and when Archie tells the story,Archie comes through the door all smiles and Mike and Gloria are kissing on the couch, and when Archie calls for Edith and Edith yells,"Yeah, What Is It???" and then Archie asks what are we going to have for supper and Edith comes out and says madly,"Nothing!!!"

[JT]

My Favorite:

"Three's Company" - A-Camping We Will Go
Larry's boss lets him borrow his cabin for the weekend. Larry plans on a romantic weekend with his girlfriend, Laura, but he lets Jack come along so he can get some rest. When they get there, the cabin only has one room, and one bed. To make matters worse, Janet, Chrissy, Mr. Furley, and Lana have all come up to the cabin also. One of the alltime best sitcom episodes, this episode features some of Jack's physical comedy, and a some very funny "commercials" done by aspiring actress Laura.

[Brian]

Originally posted by TVAdam
I can't remember the title, but I also have to include the very first episode of Car 54, Where Are You?. That's the one where Toody and Muldoon want to go fishing on a friend's relative's boat. So they have to switch schedules with other officers. Just a fun episde to watch and one of the two that I have on tape.

I think that episode was called "Who's for Swordfish"

[Brian]

One of my favorites is from "The Beverly Hillbillies." It was called "The Giant Jackrabbit" and in that episode, Granny mistakes a kangaroo for a giant jackrabbit. It was the highest rated half-hour program in the history of prime-time television.

Another one, as previously mentioned, is the two-part "Bicycle Man" episode in "Diff'rent Strokes."

[Sitcomwriter]

Curb Your Enthusiasm: episode 2. "Ted & Mary"
My personal favorite CYE episode.Yes it was rated TV-14 but it really could have been TV-PG or even TV-G for that matter! Anyway it's a great episode in which Larry loses his bowling shoes and drinks Mary Steenbergen's mother's glass of water!

Watching Ellie: episode 19. "Feud"
Alas we have reached the series finale of "Watching Ellie".Up until this episode, the best part of this show had been the theme song but I have to admit that this episode was great.It worked well as the series finale as it was one of the funniest finales I've ever seen.Although it doesn't really tie things up there's not much you could have tied up.I mean much like "Seinfeld", "Watching Ellie" was really a show about nothing and look what happened to "Seinfeld".The series finale tied things up but it was an awful ending to a great series while this was a great end to a lukewarm series.In this soon-to-be-classic episode Ellie,Ben,Don,Susan and Edger go on "Family Feud" posing as a family.

Friends: episode 9. TOW Underog Gets Away
This is my favorite "Friends" episode.It's full of classic moments like Joey's VD poster,The gang eating cheese and of course Underdog getting away.This was the 1st (and best) Thanksgiving episode and if you missed "Friends" before season 5 then you've missed what just might be "Friends" in it's prime.

[Sitcomwriter]

DOUBLE POST!

[harper]

1.Cliffy gets on the Tonight Show w.Johnny Carson.
2.Frasier the one where niles gets in bet with maris's therapist
3.Chuckles bites the dust on Mary Tyler Moore
4.Sammy Davis Jr.-All in The Family
5.Bea Arthur on All in the family
6.The one wear alexs friend(brian Mcnamara dies and he starts to revaluate his life.
7.Dallas-Jr.Gets Shot
8.the last Mash
9.The last MTM.Show
10personally for me my fathers last show on Carol burnett-1977
11.Family ties last few shows
12.The master of your domain on seinfeld
13.Joe williams singing on Cosby
14.La Law THe Venus Flytrap episode
15.Lucy has a baby
16.Edith dies and archie morns her death
17.Becker and Roz fall through the roof on L.A Law
18.Any scene with Dennis franz and Sharon lawrence
19.last episode of jimmy smits on NYPD Blue
20.Naomi and V.wedding on Mama's Family
21.P.Duffy comes back to dallas
22.The last Tonight show-there never will be another J.Carson-EVer

[LucyFan]

I think these are some of the best episodes of television:

#10- THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW: Episode #96- "Opie, the Birdman"
Opie accidentally kills a mother bird leaving her three baby birds behind to fend for themselves. Feeling guilty, Opie decides to take care of the baby birds until they're old enough to fly.

#9- THE WONDER YEARS: Episode #101- "Kevin Delievers"
Kevin delievers chinese food only to find out that his relationship with Winnie is going downhill.

#8- THE MUNSTERS: Episode #60- "Zombo"
Herman tries to persuade Eddie to not let Zombo, Eddie's favorite television character, be his hero. Herman goes to drastic measures to show Eddie that he should be his one and only hero.

#7- THREE'S COMPANY: Episode #1- "A Man About The House"
A guy pretends to be gay in order to rent an apartment with his newly female friends.

#6- THE LUCY SHOW: Episode #18- "Lucy & Viv Install A Shower"
Tired of their only bathroom being occupied all the time, Lucy and Viv decide to install a shower.

#5- HAPPY DAYS: Episode #110- "My Favorite Orkan"
Richie encounters Mork, an alien from the planet Ork, who is threatened and calls for the help of the Fonz. Fonzie proposes Mork to duel.

#4- HERE'S LUCY: Episode #137- "Lucy Is An N.G. As A R.N."
Lucy Carter's flight to San Fransisco gets cancelled, her daughter Kim gets sick, her boss Harry and her friend Mary Jane get injured, and their cat is about to have a litter all in the same day. Lucy is found catering to each one of her loved ones.

#3- THE BRADY BUNCH: Episode #88- "The Amateur Hour"
The Brady kids enter a singing contest to pay off the anniversary present they bought for their parents.

#2- LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY: Episode #90- "Upstairs, Downstairs"
Laverne dreams that she, Shirley, and the gang are in Heaven and then in Hell.

#1- I LOVE LUCY: Episode #39- "Job Switching"
This is the famous "chocolate factory" episode. Ricky, Lucy, Fred, and Ethel agree to switch gender roles. The girls go to work at a candy factory while the boys clean house and cook meals.

[dawsongirl]

Well...Let's See. Some of these sure aren't Emmy material or even memorable, but I them. No particular order:

1- I Love Lucy, #5- The Quiz Show
This show makes me laugh a lot. The whole thing with Ricky and the bum...priceless.

2- I Love Lucy, #12- The Adagio
The romantic fool in me.

3- ILL, #45- Lucy Is Enceinte
Classic baby episode.

4- Hogan's Heroes, #1- The Informer
Great pilot, and in B&W no less.

5- HH, #131- Is There a Traitor in the House?

Close up of Newkirk. 'nuff said.

6- HH, #53- The Swing Shift
Newkirk gets drafted into the German army. Chaos insues.

7- HH, #92- Drums Along the Dusseldorf
Newkirk as an old lady??? HA!

8- Futurama, #1- Space Pilot 3000
Great pilot ep. Hilarious!!

And well, I've never seen a bad Futurama ep.

[BLT]

NewsRadio: Episodes 56-58 "The Public Domain," "Super Karate Monkey Death Car," "French Diplomacy"

After Jimmy's efficiency expert Andrea fires Matthew in episode 55, Andrea hires a man to share Dave's job in episode 56 while Bill prepares for a new career as a singing political satirist a la Mark Russell. The following episode has Andrea forcing the staff to take lie detector tests revealing Lisa's criminal past, while Jimmy is unveiling his autobiography which was translated into Japanese then back into english. And finally in episode 58, Bill gets himself into trouble advocating the beating of foreign diplomats, then gets into even more trouble as he tries to correct himself and at the end of the episode Andrea gives Dave's job to Lisa & demotes Dave to be Bill's producer.




Get Smart: Episode 79 "99 Loses Control"

99 leaves CONTROL to marry casino owner Victor Royale, Max follows her. It turns out of course that he's a KAOS agent. The episode is very funny and it's the one pre-season 4 epiosde that really explores their deep feelings for each other. There's a great recurring gag where he dials up a phone and wins money. Bob Hope makes a neat cameo as well.