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Saturday, January 5, 2013

My Favorite TV Comedies!

This list isn't in any particular order, but the top 3 probably are my top 3 comedies of all time!

- M*A*S*H: My favorite TV show of all time! I know more quotes from M*A*S*H than the rest of my favorite shows combined! I usually know which episode it is based solely on the music in the opening scene! A classic scene...





- Seinfeld: The show that set the standard for all sitcoms to follow. Another show that I can (and do!) quote quite often! Here's a clip that epitomizes the show:




- Cheers: An all-time classic comedy that never lost steam & continued to bring the laughs. The original "must-see" Thursday 9pm anchor.The addition of Kelsey Grammar as Dr. Frasier Crane was a definite coup! And of course..."NORM!"




Curb Your Enthusiasm: Larry David's "Seinfeld" follow-up is an improvisational ground-breaking comedy. It hit a bump in season 5, but with the introduction of the Black family (most notably Leon), it picked up some serious comedic steam! This clip is a little dirty, so I didn't embed it…


http://youtu.be/8GzAmLozd6Y


- Modern Family: My favorite current TV comedy. Pretty much every character on this show is funny, but I think Phil & Manny are my favorites. I believe it will go down as an all-time comedy classic.

Weeds: This got off to a great start & then started to fizzle. The premise is quite funny itself, a young widow selling weed to maintain her suburban lifestyle. It has gotten a bit better though over the last couple of seasons…

- Sex & the City: The first few seasons are hilarious & then got a bit serious. I am not afraid of admitting that this is one of my favorite TV comedies plus it gives me some insight into how women really think & feel!

- Californication: I feel like a broken record…A great first handful of seasons & then it got a little stupid. But it seems to be making a comeback thanks to crazy characters played by the likes of Rob Lowe!

- Coupling (British version): It's such a shame that Richard Coyle left this show after season 3 as Jeff Murdoch is one of the funniest characters EVER on television! Some examples of this…



If you've never seen this show, go watch seasons 1-3 but don't bother with season 4.

- Entourage: The man's version of "Sex & the City." A great buddy comedy that started off great & fizzled a bit at the end. I started watching right from the get-go. It gave us such classic characters as Ari Gold and of course…Johnny Drama! VICTORY!!!


- The Office (U.S. version): Before Steve Carell left, this was my favorite current TV comedy. So the first 7 seasons are great, with the first 5 being downright hilarious. Carell's Michael Scott's ability to make the viewer feel uncomfortable is priceless. The current season without Carell just isn't that great. Nobody does it better than Michael Scott…that's what she said!


- Friends: I started watching from the very first episode & never stopped. Along with "Seinfeld", this is the definitive sitcom of the 90s. Watching reruns of this show remind me of things that occurred in my own life during that timeframe. And of course…How you doin'? 

http://youtu.be/MMVRAUFqgZU 


- Happy Days: The early seasons are so great, then like so many sitcoms, it went downhill (where do you think the phrase "jumped the shark" comes from??). There are 3 sitcom Christmas shows that the Hiltunen brothers (especially Dennis & I) make a point of watching every year, here are some clips from the Happy Days Christmas classic:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFkGd5H1d6E


- Taxi: "What does a yellow light mean?" If you've never seen this segment from Taxi, check out this YouTube clip:



Now you know why this is one of my favorite comedies of all time!

- Sanford & Son: An all-time classic that would never be on TV nowadays due to how it deals with race & stereotypes. Go to YouTube & search on the courtroom episode and you will know what I mean. This is the 2nd classic Christmas show that is a Hiltunen brothers staple:


- The Andy Griffith Show: Has there ever been a more "wholesome" comedy? The black & white years with Don Knotts as Barney Fife delivered some of the funniest moments in TV history. And is there a more memorable opening to a TV show than the whistling of the theme song?? This is the final classic Christmas show in the Hiltunen family Christmas trifecta:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SdNOPISDWQ


- The Cosby Show: The launching pad for the original "must-see" Thursday. Bill Cosby took his stand-up routine from "Himself" & created one the iconic sitcoms of all time. And who could forget Cliff Huxtable's awesome sweaters??

- Family Ties: Alex P. Keaton, Ronald Reagan's biggest supporter managed to never let his liberal parents sway him. Another iconic 80s sitcom that delivered the laughs from the beginning of its run all the way to its end. The episode where Alex does speed is an all-time classic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9D20GrI1M4


Think about this…from 1984 until 1987, NBC's Thursday night primetime lineup consisted of (in order): The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court and Hill Street Blues. You see 4 of those shows on this list & Hill St. is most definitely on my favorite dramas list! That is incredible!

I hope you enjoy this list as much as I enjoyed compiling it, especially the YouTube clips!

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