BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?

Subject: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 May 02 - 03:49 PM

I know I'm doubling up a bit here with other info that's in a couple of threads, but I seemed to have missed these ratings.

Was this TV Guide who rated them? What was the final tally? Apparently Seinfeld was first (I concur), but does anyone know if "The Raters" were younger, or older, or a mix, or what?

Any good ones that didn't make the list at all?

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: artbrooks
Date: 07 May 02 - 03:52 PM

Rick, I think that they did it on the basis of IQ tests...anyone will a rating above 70 wasn't allowed on the panel, and anyone who's score was below 60 got two votes.

Subject: RE: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 May 02 - 08:04 PM

Quite possible Artbrooks. I'll wait to find out if any of my LEAST faves made the list.

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: 53
Date: 07 May 02 - 08:37 PM

All in the Family to me was one of the best sitcoms made.

Subject: RE: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 May 02 - 08:39 PM

Did it make the list Bob?

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: kendall
Date: 07 May 02 - 09:14 PM

How can a show about nothing be that popular?

The best of all time, I.M.O. 1 Barney Miller 2 The Honeymooners 3. Andy Griffith

Subject: RE: BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: GUEST,Nerd
Date: 08 May 02 - 12:18 PM

I believe All in the Family was near the top of the list. I don't think Barney Miller made it, though.

These weren't just sitcoms, all kinds of shows were included. I think they made some great calls, and some bad ones. I don't think the IQ comment is truly justified!

Here's the list, from off the TV guide site:

1. Seinfeld

2. I Love Lucy

3. The Honeymooners

4. All in the Family

5. The Sopranos

6. 60 Minutes

7. The Late Show with David Letterman

8. The Simpsons

9. The Andy Griffith Show

10. Saturday Night Live

11. The Mary Tyler Moore Show

12. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

13. The Dick Van Dyke Show

14. Hill Street Blues

15. The Ed Sullivan Show

16. The Carol Burnett Show

17. Today Show

18. Cheers

19. thirtysomething

20. St. Elsewhere

21. Friends

22. ER

23. Nightline

24. Law & Order

25. M*A*S*H

26. The Twilight Zone

27. Sesame Street

28. The Cosby Show

29. Donahue

30. Your Show of Shows

31. The Defenders

32. American Family

33. Playhouse 90

34. Frasier

35. Roseanne

36. The Fugitive

37. The X-Files

38. The Larry Sanders Show

39. The Rockford Files

40. Gunsmoke

41. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

42. Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

43. Bonanza

44. The Bob Newhart Show

45. Twin Peaks

46. Star Trek: The Next Generation

47. Rocky and His Friends

48. Taxi

49. The Oprah Winfrey Show

50. Bewitched

Subject: RE: BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 08 May 02 - 01:14 PM

Thanks Nerd.

Sheesh!! Boy that's all over the map.

I have a theory about Seinfeld. With the possible exception of Kramer, there are NO sympathetic characters at all...but here's where it's different from the vast majority of (comedy) shows...everyone KNOWS that they're unpleasant. It's written into the dialogue every week. Now why this is funny I'm not exactly sure, but the casting, the writing and the editing were simply first rate. It appears that none of the principals will ever be successful again. Even Seinfeld is back to being a stand-up, period.

Much of the writing I considered 'funny' when I was growing up, came from magazines like "Mad", National Lampoon, "The Realist" and publications of that ilk, and they often dealt with sacred cows. Like British radio shows, they made fun of "the norm", and it's easy to get into that kind of 'edgy' humour if you're exposed to enough of it. Seinfeld did nothing BUT edgy stuff, and like it or not, did it very well.

Gotta agree with Kendall that "Barney Miller" was great. It had a little bit of that edge as well, but made it's characters a little more three dimensional.

.....but FRIENDS!!?? I tried, but could never sit through even one full episode.

Nuthin' funnier than Hancock, Yes Minister, and The Goons for me though.....guess I must be a closet Britophile.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 08 May 02 - 01:26 PM

"All in the Family" wasn't that the American re-make of "'Til Death Us Do Part"?

Walrus

Subject: RE: BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 08 May 02 - 01:29 PM

Yup, sure was. I've never seen the original, but I'm told it was pretty vicious...and funny.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: Amergin
Date: 08 May 02 - 01:45 PM

one of my favourite shows is madtv...in fact that is one of the very few shows i watch....

Subject: RE: BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 08 May 02 - 01:55 PM

Another Seinfeld fan here. I have to admit, it took me quite a while to warm up to it. It's very easy to hate how shallow the characters were. I always thought that George was over the top until I saw his parents. With parents like his there is no way that he could have turned out any differently.

I think that Seinfeld was a brilliant parody of real characters in real situations. We had a new guy start at work, today was my first time out for lunch with him. Turns out he's a "Close talker". We've all met them, but never had a term for them before Seinfeld. And we all Double dipped before.

Subject: RE: BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 08 May 02 - 02:02 PM

Agree with you Amergin about Mad TV...funny show.

Steve, I've seen the "Bubble Boy" episode about three times and I simply can't stop laughing. The more I think about it....it simply was perfect casting. The Castanzas were amazing.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: How did they rate the sitcoms?
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 08 May 02 - 02:10 PM

I still chant "Serenity Now" from time to time.

How about the grassy knoll "spit" episode?

"Is there a Marine Biologist Here"?

The Apocalypse Now Kurtz episode?

Don't get me started.