This article was written, by me, on May 25, 1998 and posted to the rec.arts.tv newsgroup. That original article has been slightly edited by me before being placed on the web on May 25, 1998.
BEST COMEDIES:
1. Frasier
2. Just Shoot Me
3. Friends
4. 3rd Rock
Honorable Mentions : Seinfeld, The Nanny, Working
(in no order)
Guilty Pleasure(s) : Sabrina The Teenage Witch,
Boy Meets World
Most Horrid Sitcom (Ever): Union Square
Most Overrated : Dharma & Greg (Ally McBeal: see Dramas)
Seen, at least 2-3 times : Nick Freno, The Tom Show, Alright
(but no special mention) Already, Jenny, Suddenly Susan,
The Closer, Clueless, Dharma & Greg,
The Drew Carey Show, Two Guys a Girl and
a Pizza Place, The Gregory Hines Show,
Step by Step
It's a measure of both my own fatigue with the sitcom genre, and the relative lack of good sitcoms on the air, that I could only come up with a "Top Four Comedies" (with 3 "Honorable Mentions") instead of my usual "Top Five" with 5 "Honorables". (This is exacerbated by my dislike of the comedies on ABC, CBS, WBN and UPN, and now FOX, who abandoned their 'smart' sitcom strategy of a couple of years ago, to go 'back to the future' with their more standard brain-dead variety of sitcoms).
Overall, I think the sitcom genre has been overdone over the last several years, and the explosion in sitcom production has really taxed sitcom talent in the area of writing to the breaking point. In short, a lot of people writing and doing sitcoms right now should probably *not* be doing them. Indeed, it seems like there should really be a reduction in the number of sitcoms on the air until the point is reached where the talent can support the number of shows.
Like that will ever happen!...
Guess who's my choice for 'Best Comedy": it's NBC'S "Frasier". However, this year, I think this has less to do with "Frasier" being so much better, than it does with everything else being so much worse. Still, "Frasier" has things going for it that few other sitcoms have: an excellent cast of five supremely talented actors (and all of them are talented, which is more than I can say for most sitcom ensembles), and a writing staff that is incredibly smart *and* able to be reliably funny. That is not to say that I liked everything "Frasier" did this year; the whole "pregnant Roz" storyline seemed out of place to me and dragged down poor Peri Gilpin (Roz) who is usually my favorite actor/character of the bunch. In her place, Martin Crane became my favorite, and Daphne (whom I haven't cared for much in past seasons) seemed to shine this season. All in all, "Frasier" is simply one of the best comedies on the air, year in and year out, and, along with "Seinfeld" will probably go down as the first or second most successful comedy of the 90's.
Apparently, it's not just me (if opinion on this newsgroup is to be believed), but the much maligned "Friends" (NBC) seemed (to me, anyway) to have gotten better this season. Freed from the never-ending (and tedious) Ross/Rachel storyline, both Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston (and, to a lesser extent, Matt LeBlanc) seemed to rise to the occasion this season. And unlike the parallel Roz story in "Frasier", Phoebe's pregnancy storyline was actually well integrated into the plot, and actually made for a number of funny situations (which is probably why I'm happier with Lisa Kudrow this season, as well). As always, I'm still not totally thrilled with this show: while I liked the finale (especially the surprise involving Chandler and Monica), the cliffhanger involving the Ross/Rachel situation left me filled with dread. Maybe it's me, but I really prefer to see Rachel unattached , as she adds a lot more to the comedy when she's single and man-hunting. *Please*! "Friend's" writers, do NOT put Ross and Rachel back together! Still, this show has satisfyingly improved again this season (continuing the trend from last season), and is back in form as one of TV's best comedies. It's the 2nd best, in fact.
My third choice is one of TV's newest comedies: NBC's "Just Shoot Me". While I didn't necessarily like the first 6 episodes of this show, in its second season, "Just Shoot Me" seems to have hit its stride. David Spade's Dennis Finch seems to have been made more prominent this season (which is good for the comedy), but Finch has not been made so prominent that he takes the show away from Maya and Jack (which is good for the overall plot). Personally, my favorite character is George Segal's Jack, a sort of lovable rogue, who always seems to be up to something, but who's always trying not to get caught by his moralistic daughter, Maya. If I have one complaint about "Just Shoot Me", though, it's that they are inconsistent with Jack. While Maya often falls off her moral 'high horse' (which is an important element of the comedy), Jack is variously written as either a selfish and clueless idiot or cunning and estute trickster who plays dumb to evade punishment. The latter role plays better, and I wish the writers would stick to it. Nonetheless, it looks like a promising start for "Just Shoot Me", and I look forward to more of the same.
Finally, rounding out the "Top Four", is NBC's "Third Rock From the Sun". Now, thanks to NBC's moronic scheduling, I've been cheated out of "3rd Rock" for most of this season (I watch FOX's "Party of Five" instead). Still, when I do watch "3rd Rock", I'm rarely disappointed. The outstanding cast, now expanded beyond Lithgow, Johnston, Stewart, Gordon-Levitt and Curtin, always delivers in top form. In addition, the writing continues to be near *brilliant* (if, perhaps, not as brilliant as in its first two seasons). This show works best when it is operating as satirical mirror of how our society works on a microscopic level, taking over the role that "Seinfeld" previous performed best. Unfortunately, having again stuck "3rd Rock" on 'gallows' Wednesday, it's not likely that I'll get to see as much of "3rd Rock" as I'd like next season either. Which is too bad, because I'm missing out on one of TV best comedies...
For my "Special (Comedy) Mention", I'm going way off the beaten path to single out a show that I have concluded was simply... brilliant. And that show was the Disney Channel's (and at one time, ABC's) "Flash Forward".
Quite honestly, NBC's "Seinfeld" continued to decline this season, probably even more than it did last season. The show seemed to lose its way after Larry David left, and it continued to wonder into the wilderness this year. That's not to say that "Seinfeld" wasn't funny this season. It's just that, "Seinfeld" isn't as good as it once was when you compare it to its previous levels of hilarity. There were several episodes (e.g. the Kramer-gets-Merv-Griffin's-set, and the "Puerto Rico Day" episodes) which were downright *unfunny*. Now, unlike many here, I did appreciate the "Seinfeld" finale; while not funny, I do like what they were trying to do with that finale. Still, when you look at the other sitcoms out there, "Seinfeld's" still one of the best there is.
It's probably a measure of how few sitcoms I'm watching that I think CBS's "The Nanny" is one of the better sitcoms around. While I still find the show focuses too much on Fran and Sylvia Fine, and does not nearly utilize the Sheffield kids enough (especially Brighton, and to a lesser extent, Gracie), "The Nanny" is still consistently funny and boasts one of the most talent TV comediennes around these days. But, ss many have poitned out, the use of a breakdown to allow actress Lauren Lane (C.C.) some maternity leave was probably ill-conceived. Beyond that, however, I actually was surprised at how well the Fran-Maxwell courtship was handled. Lesser sitcoms would have bungled it. Which just goes to show you that "The Nanny" may be better than most people give it credit for.
And finally, my last "Honorable Mention" goes to NBC's only new sitcom that I thought was truly worth anything, "Working". Not glamorous, and fairly ignored, "Working" managed to do something that many sitcoms fail to do: be pretty darn funny, week after week. Though Fred Salvage is ostensibly the lead, "Working" works more because of its supporting characters and off-kilter, satirical sense of humor. The good news is that NBC actually grabbed a clue and renewed it (actually, they grabbed a profit-participation: "Working" is produced by NBC Studios; go figure!). The better news? NBC grabbed a clue and moved the show to Tuesdays at 9:30 pm, which means I'll actually be able to watch it regularly next season.
Remember how I said that 'guilty pleasures' were shows that you like to watch, but which you are embarrassed to admit that you watch? Well, my two sitcom picks basically fit that description, when you consider the age they are targeted at, and my age! And, yet, week after week, I find myself back watching ABC's "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" and "Boy Meets World".
ABC's "Sabrina The Teenage Witch", especially, has a couple of good supporting characters/actors. Both Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick are winning as Sabrina's wacky aunts. And how can you not like Salem the Cat?! (though the continually changing look for Salem is getting annoying; I personally liked the first (and fakest) look myself). If I have a problem with the show, it's the changes that were made after season #1. Trading Jenny for Valerie, and trading Mr. Poole for Mr. Kraft were bad trades IMHO. But overall, "Sabrina" is a cute and diverting show.
Contrasted with "Sabrina", ABC's "Boy Meets World" tends to be more serious, and more thoughtful. While one can only take so much of the somewhat tedious Cory-Topanga romance, Cory's relationships with his best friend Shawn and with his father, as well as Cory's brother's relationship with Mr. Feeney, are especially satisfying element of the show (and increasingly rare, as men are increasingly pushed to the margins on most network TV). While not usually all that funny, there is something about "Boy Meets World" that is endearing enough to bring you back next week for more.
Still, why argue with a 'guilty pleasure'? You know you'll just be back watching it next week...
Can there be any doubt? Not even! It's been a while sine I've had such a violent reaction to a show that I refused to even watch it after its pilot airing (this after the promo ads had already repulsed me), thus breaking one of my own cardinal TV rules. But, there you have it: NBC's "Union Square" was just that bad. Embarrassingly bad! The odds are that I would not have been so bent out of shape had this "sitcom" aired on WBN or UPN (after all, we expect bad sitcoms from UPN and WBN, right?). But this piece of dreck was on NBC. And it was NBC's most important night! forcing me to abandon NBC for half-an-hour while this piece of crap aired. Not even "The Single Guy", "Caroline in the City" or "Veronica's Closet" were so bad as to force me to change the channel! But "Union Square" did. Especially galling about this show was that it soiled two of my favorite actors: Harriet Sansom Harris and Michael Landes (who at least had the sense to leave the show when he realized how terrible it was; I hope he's rewarded for such foresight later in his career).
After this fiasco, my message to NBC is simple: don't ever, ever waste my time like that again just become you have ownership stake in a show. If you know a show is crap (and NBC must have known that "Union Square" was horrible), don't put it on your best night. And if you do, don't expect me to be loyal to your network, on any night!
Originally, I was going to go with my usual choice, "Mad About You", but then I remembered that even fans of the show have been putting it down this season. Therefore, I guess MAY isn't "overrated" anymore! I also could have gone with Comedy Central's "South Park", but I've avoided that show like the Plague, so I actually can't comment on it.
So I went with my other favorite new punching bag (besides "Ally McBeal"; see "Drama" section), ABC's "Dharma & Greg". OK, could someone explain the appeal of this show? I mean, sure, I like Susan Sullivan and Alan Rachins as much as the next guy, but not enough to watch this show. Is it Dharma herself, Jenna Elfman? Because I've personally thought that she is overrated since "Townies", and this show only confirms that perception. Is it the "sharp" writing? (What "sharp" writing?!) Please, somebody tell me what it is, because I just don't understand the appeal of this show!
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