Where Did All The Sitcoms Go?

I had a great Mother's Day, with nothing arriving in an unmarked envelope. Which, as we all know, is good news. My mom helped my guys plant flowers for me and bought me another pomegranate tree to kill again plant in my yard. They also made homemade cards for me which made me cry because, I don't know, it's just nice ya know?

Candy Ass arrived home from his fly fishing trip just in time to give me $100 to buy my waxing warmer pot but then my mom gave me an entire waxing set so... now I'm a $100 richer and it could mean some mighty smooth legs around here this summer. Or, at least some decent blog material when the waxing goes wrong. Sounds like a Dateline NBC Special: When Waxing Goes Wrong. I can just hear Chris Hansen now.

Speaking of televisions most guilty pleasures, I can get enough of old shows lately. I miss the old sitcoms. For me, lately TV has been just "eh" and not great. Ever since the strike... I kinda just lost interest in a lot of shows.

Last night, I happened upon "America's Funniest Videos." I don't know how many times I've seen a number of these old videos... sledders hitting trees, unfortunate pinata bat-to-the-balls segments and that one baby making the faces with the dubbed karate noises. But, IT NEVER GETS OLD.

But my most favorite old shows? The funny 30 minute sitcoms that no longer exist.

One of my all-time favorites is Friends. The funny thing is, I never once saw the show at its regular time and night. I started watching it when it was in syndication and now, almost nightly, I watch the reruns at 11 PM and laugh out loud at scenes I've seen waaaay too many times. "How you doin'?" One of my favorites has to be the episode where Chandler goes to Joey's tailor and Joey finally figures out that the tailor... um... goes above and beyond what's required of him. Freakin' cracks me up every time.

I can't decided if I love Friends or Roseanne more though. Every once in a while I find reruns of Roseanne on late at night and I am hooked. It makes me want to eat roast with gravy and applesauce. And I don't like applesauce. What I loved most about Roseanne was that it was different. A lot of people (at the time it originally aired) didn't like it because Roseanne Bar? Arnold? was such an abrasive person. But you know what? For most people, the show was a far more accurate depiction of life than Fresh Prince of Bel Air or... whatever else. Most sitcoms were like an after-school special, with cliche issues all solved within a 30 minute time span with a happy, predictable conclusion. If only life were that way. Roseanne was... real. And funny. And normal, for most people.

Another fun one was Married With Children. Good god was that ever a guilty pleasure that made you laugh! And you know what? Beneath the self-deprecating do-no-right father and the inept, QVC-addicted, bon-bon eating housewife, overly hormonal son and bleach-blonde hussy of a daughter was a family that really loved each other. Kinda like the Kardashian's. But different.

Wow. I've managed to over-think a sitcom. Not easy to do. But I guess I just miss the 30 minute sitcoms that were funny and original and memorable. WHERE DID YOU GO SITCOMS?

Comments

[Kristin]

And this is why I never watch television anymore. All I ever seem to find are reality shows and corpse shows like CSI. You know what I really miss? The Cosby Show. I stumbled upon a re-run of that one time when I was in a hotel with cable, and I couldn't believe how good it was. I remember liking it when I was young, of course, but even as an adult it was funny and didn't make me feel like I was losing brain cells by watching it. Of course, now Bill Cosby is an angry old man and not so much funny anymore, but in his golden years, man, he was the best.

[Donna]

I agree. TV does suck anymore. I just watched a special last night that was actually on Friday night that listed the top five sitcom characters in a bunch of categories like Favorite Sitcom Dad, Mom, Neighbor(s), Friend, Boss, etc. It made me long for those old shows. Shows that lasted more than one season. Thirty minutes of pure hilarity. Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Cosby Show, etc.
Yeah - good times.

[evil chef mom]

I don't know but I miss them.

[Jen]

Okay, favorite Friends moment..
When one of them asks "Guess what?" and Chandler responds with "The fifth dentist caved and now they ALL recommend Trident?" Hysterical. But let's not discount shows like The Office and 30 Rock. Very funny indeed, but not to be watched while on a treadmill. Way too hazardous!

[Claudia W.]

I'm with you, Reality sucks...oh reality TV that is. I LOVED Roseanne, I even had a couch like theirs. (No, I didn't buy the couch because it was on Roseanne, I just happen to have the same one) But somehow my life was too close to hers. (Now that's reality!) I have the whole seven seasons of Gilmore Girls. That is a quick, witty and cute show. I must admit though, I love Cops and shows like that, cause I just get a kick out of watching IDIOTS get busted!

[mechelle]

I LOVE Roseanne
and golden girls
and designing women
and Big love
these are my guilty pleasures...TELL NO ONE!

[Becky]

Try Big Bang Theory on Monday nights. If you have a thing for nerds, or are the mother of one you will love this show.

[Tamara in GA]

I love Roseanne, Northern Exposure, & Everybody loves Raymond. All of which I watched in the 11 o'clock time slot. I also miss cool documentry types. Like this one that PBS did years ago about a farm family really struggling to make it & how they evolved over the years. What happened to our TV? I don't give a rip about Tila whoever nor do I care about British bachelors. Do shows on real thing with NO breast implants. Like The Wonder Years. Where did it all go wrong?

[Undomestic Diva]

I forgot about "Everybody Loves Raymond." They had some BRILLIANT episodes. Like the one where Ray is expected to help out more around the house and he gets it in his thick head that if he just does everything badly, his wife won't ask him to help anymore.

And OMG, the PMS episode is funnier than hell.

[dgm]

How come no one has mentioned Barney Miller or M*A*S*H? Perhaps I'm dating myself...

[Jenn in IL]

There are hundreds of "Friends" moments that I count as favorites. One of the best episodes was in Season 3 (I think) where Ross has this big acceptance dinner and no one will get ready - I think it's actually called "The One Where No One's Ready" - and Joey and Chandler fight over the couch: "So in the words of A.A. Milne: Get out of my chair, DILHOLE." Just saw one from Season 9 or 10 the other night.

Ross: "I was thinking of taking Emma to the playground."
Rachel: *horrified* "Oh my God, what??"
Ross: *pause* "Like I said, I was thinking of taking Emma to the museum of knives and fire."

And we learn of Rachel's traumatizing swing incident.

And the all time best is the BRIEF period of time where Joey and Rachel dated and Ross was with Charlie but saw Joey kissing Rachel and hilarity ensues in the form of crazy Ross who gets drunk and panders on about fajitas and taking trips together...the physical comedy David Schwimmer provides in that episode is tear inducing.

If you want a good sitcom, try The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother, both on tonight on CBS. Let us know if you try/like them. The Office and 30 Rock are also great, but not "sitcoms", really, no canned laughter (which is what I equate a sitcom to), but half an hour of goodness nonetheless.

[Meg]

Friends. Love it. I used to be on the swim team in high school and we had meets on Thursday nights so my mom TAPED them (no DVR back then) for me and we all watched them together. Anyone else cry when Ross and Rachel first got together?

"You're over me? When were you...when were you under me?"

[SherE1]

I love watching The Office - that show ALWAYS has me cracking up! It's just about the only new show that keeps me LMAO. I haven't had a chance to check out 30 Rock yet but heard that was pretty good, too.

[submommy]

I've asked myself this question a lot lately. So many of them on the air now are just so BAD. Friends was like the last good one.

I do have to say, though, that How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men make me laugh regularly. Give 'em a try.

[sally]

.....the only one since Friends that i have thought was remotely funny is My Name is Earl.....other than that ??????......it's cheaper for the people who put the scripted reality stuff out there to produce that stuff than to take a chance on other stuff......

[Along]

Friends is classic. One of my fav episode would be the one where Pheobe is coming on to Chandler as an attempt to make him confess to his relationship with Monica. Hahaha...gotta love me some Pheebs.

I like My Name is Earl too. And 30 Rock. Other than that, the sitcoms just don't do it for me anymore either.

[Tracie]

most of the TV shows I watch are reruns: Roseanne, Cosby show, King of Queens, Everybody Loves Raymond, Golden Girls, and the Waltons. The first two shows are on Nick at Nite almost nightly.

[Daniel]

Big Bang and Met your mother are hilarious and very well acted. Best new comedy on TV these days. I also love seeing reruns of scrubs on comedy central.

[be the change]

My guilty pleasure is Roseanne. My bf shares this with me and we have all the seasons on DVD and watch them all the time! As much as I love some shows on tv now -there are none on now ( well, maybe ugly betty, but thats more soap operaish) that rival some of my favorite older ones! Roseanne, friends, frazier, the nanny!!

[philly]

How bout "Home Improvement"?

[Tootsie Farklepants]

I often quote lines from Roseanne to my own family. It somehow applies. Like if someone is having a hissy fit I try to come back with sarcasm rather than anger. Home Improvement is another of my favorites.