Sitcom 2007

While sometimes I wish I was a snooty “I never watch tv” guy who reads more, the fact is, I’m a sitcom guy. Not just clever, hip ones; I like ‘em all. I like the ones that are actually funny (Seinfeld, Roseanne, All in the Family, Cheers), I like the ones that can sometimes be funny but sometimes aren’t (Wings, MASH, Mary Tyler Moore) and I even like ones that aren’t really funny, but give me a sense of warmth and familiarity (Happy Days, Brady Bunch, Who’s the Boss.) The sitcom is fairly dead, unfortunately – anything that isn’t part of the one of two formulas 1) the doofus husband with the way-hot, exasperated wife who still loves the big, dumb lug no matter how many times he forgets their anniversary and 2) any new version of Friends, where it’s a collection of twentysomethings constantly trying to not have sex while spending tons of money they’ve earned by not working. Anything that’s actually good, you’re relegated to HBO.

And I like my sitcoms on their home turfs; I don’t wanna see the cast go to Hawaii or Disneyland. I wanna see Cheers at the bar, I wanna see Roseanne in the living room/kitchen, I wanna see Archie in his chair. I don’t want “special” episodes, I wanna see the middle of the season hum-drum one.

Anyways. I love a great sitcom, and apparently it’s dead. My top ten in no order (today):

All in the Family
Seinfeld
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Cheers
The Cosby Show
Family Ties
What’s Happening!
Roseanne
Welcome Back Kotter (till Travolta left)
Dick Van Dyke Show

I know Im gonna think of ten more that belong here (Frasier) but ah well. Can SOMEbody out there in la-la-land write a real sitcom again that doesn’t completely blow? Please? Did nobody get the message when I cried about it here? Please?