What is the single greatest episode of any sitcom?

"The Contest" aired last night and I was surprised how classic nearly every single scene was - I realize that this thing has been talked about ad nauseam, but it really is that good - probably more laughs there than most shows have in an entire season. The only episode of any show that made me laugh that much is probably the Sledge Hammer! pilot, "Under the Gun". You?

homer's enemy

Not sure if this is my serious answer until I think more about it, but WKRP Thanksgiving episode certainly up there.

yeah "Homer's Enemy" is great but in a way it signaled the ultimate decline of the show. if I were to name any Simpsons episode it would be "Cape Feare" or "A Fish Called Selma"

i liked that one where they were fixing a chandelier and they didn't fix the chandelier and the chandelier fell off and they broke the chandelier

Curb Your Enthusiasm - "The Car Pool Lane"

great question

First that springs to mind is the builders episode of fawlty towers, but there's probably a rising damp or reggie perrin that rivals, maybe even a south park

xp yeah "The Car Pool Lane" almost certainly has the funniest premise of any sitcom episode

Cheers Thanksgiving food fight ep was funny, iirc. Futurama tearjerker with the dog was great. A couple of Simpsons eps hit similar comedic and emotional highs.

Bunch Cheers eps, come to think of it, though I haven;t seen them in decades.

Bunch of great, that is.

Recently, some eps of Party Down, Parks and Rec, Community are all time. The speech in 30 Rock with Alec Baldwin playing Tracy Jordan's family is a current comedic high.

It's the 40th anniversary of All in the Family, trying to think which ep I would nominate. One of the broadest (with a plainspoken gravity at the end) is the 'Rashomon' one where Archie and Mike disagree about the visit of a repairman (Ron Glass, later of Barney Miller) -- Mike envisions him as a Stepin Fetchit type, Archie as a Black Power radical.

Tried to think of something for Arrested Dev but gave up b/c IMPOSSIBLE

IMO South Parks humor is too scattershot to really be considered for something like this, but I will point out that "Jakovasaurs" makes me laugh harder than anything else.

The ones that revolve around serious moral/religious issues can also be really good, especially "Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?" which is like the perfect representation of how religion feels to a grade schooler and just a really great episode overall (the second part was pretty disappointing though)

AD - the two that stand out are the one with Jefferson and the one with the one-armed man, but IMO too many of the jokes in every episode are dependant on seeing every other episode

also "The German Tourists" from Fawlty Towers.

and of course "Chuckles Bites the Dust" from Mary Tyler Moore, tho the first 20 mins are pure setup for the funeral climax.

South Park: Trapped in the Closet, Fun w/ Weapons, Casa Bonita or Awesome-O

If we're considering sitcoms strictly half-hour, it'll rule out a few episodes of Boston Legal and Freaks & Geeks that I think could make the cut, but there are actually some good Cosby episodes I'd go for otherwise.

"Chuckles Bites the Dust" is a very excellent episode.

Casa Bonita

this is my all time favorite episode of southpark.. the episodes that dont try and do 'relevant' current event type stuff and instead focus on the characters are where the show really shines

The Larry Sanders Show, "Hank's Night In The Sun'

at its best, the Butters/Cartman dynamic is comedy gold.

xp

Butters is IMO the most consistently funny South Park character

crackfox boosh
aussie gf flight of the conchords

The best Simpsons episode ever. Fact.

Though I think I would probably go for the Christmas episode of Father Ted.

Christ, I didn't realise that was exactly 9 years ago!

Also, everyone knows the best episode of South Park (and certainly one of the top ten greatest sitcom eps of all time) is "Scott Tenorman Must Die".

milkfloat fr ted

Tenorman is def all-time, but also slightly overrated imo

Milkfloat Father Ted > Christmas Father Ted, definitely.

the episodes that dont try and do 'relevant' current event type stuff and instead focus on the characters are where the show really shines

well I don't know if I necessarily agree with that, the topical stuff can be really great, but yeah in terms of "all time" its hard for them to hold up. my wife loves the show and we watch it together a lot but she's not from America so I usually have to explain a lot of what the episodes are about. she didn't even know who O.J. Simpson was

I'd have to go with "Marge vs. The Monorail" or "Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie."

For a non-Simpsons sitcom, that episode of "Night Court" where they have to clear the city case load before midnight or all cases get dismissed was like pants-pissingly funny back in the day.

think u guys have to brush up on The Dick Van Dyke Show

Take a nap, old man.

Although the ep where Laura gets her toe stuck in the faucet is great.

I'm trying to compose a quick top ten in my head. Besides the Larry Sanders and South Park episodes I already mentioned, I might second "Homer's Enemy" (I say 'might' because the completely perfunctory 'Bart's factory' subplot makes it sag), along with the conspiracy theory episode of Community...probably something from Peep Show and NewsRadio and Roseanne. This is hard.

frankly I'm not sure I've seen any DvanD in 30+ years

I say 'might' because the completely perfunctory 'Bart's factory' subplot makes it sag

But the subplot leads to Grimes's "Your son owns a factory!" Also: ("I saw the whole thing: First, it started to fall over, then, it fell over.")

Your mention of NewsRadio makes me withdraw Night Court in favor of the episode "Complaint Box."

Bob Newhart's drunken Thanksgiving

Trying to exterminate rats from Fawlty Towers

This minute and a half is, by itself, funnier than nearly everything on television right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QmSrYEaVb0

But the subplot leads to Grimes's "Your son owns a factory!" Also: ("I saw the whole thing: First, it started to fall over, then, it fell over.")

yeah I liked that part - I think I was like 11 or so when the episode first aired, so that was all kinda "kid fantasy" for me

still I can't stop but feel like that episode was the moment where Homer turned from a three dimensional character to a blathering idiot, which is what wound up ruining the show.

Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie

i watched this episode recently and was lollin pretty hard at this exchange in the writers' room:

"we're talking the original dog from hell"
"you mean cerberus?"

Theo/Gordon Gartrelle shirt episode of The Cosby Show (I feel like I just said this yesterday). I rofl every time.

Also, re: Cheers...the one when Diane leaves and Sam says "Have a nice life."

It's clearly "Homer At The Bat"

milky joe boosh episode. homer de milo. futurama slurm episode. south park dance-off episode.

there were a few episodes of The Critic that seemed to go above and beyond even the Simpsons, in particular the one where Jay's parents get lost on an island or the one that parodies Streetcar

mostly for "penguins can't fly! PENGUINS CAN'T FLY!!"

I would still rank the WKRP Thanksgiving episode over that

Is the milkfloat one the one with the hairy babies? It's been so long since I've watched them all I get them confused. If so that's an excellent one but I'd maybe go with the one where the Chinese people move to Craggy Island and everyone things Ted is racist.

I don't think I could ever actually answer this. Might have to be an episode of Curb though I'd have to think long and hard about which.

the 'Rashomon' one where Archie and Mike disagree

^^^ Maybe my favorite AITF episode. WKRP Thanksgiving (based on a true story!) is also ace.

Simpsons I'm going for "The Lemon of Troy" and, although I know Frasier doesn't get much love around here, "The Two Mrs. Cranes," with everyone pretending to be someone else (Martin: "I was an astronaut!")

The Gay! The Gay Musical episide of the IT Crowd is all-time even though I could take or leave the rest of that series.

Frasier was very hilarious at times but I don't feel like the show holds up very well. I can't think of a single episode that I've enjoyed nearly as much on a second viewing, whereas pretty much every other show mentioned on this thread I've watched multiple times and still cracked the fuck up.

Oooooh, yes. I hardcore second the Cosby Gordon Gartrelle episode.

Porridge, 'Pardon Me'. Could pick any episode really, Clement and Le Frenais at their peak, but chose this for the delicious pay off at the end.

xp lol The IT Crowd! I just rewatched the first episode of that yesterday and the uncomfortable interview still cracked me up ("I could go on." "Please do!")

Oh, and as much as I realize the greatness of "The Contest," I think my favorite Seinfeld is "The Slicer." All of the ridiculous plotlines dovetail so well.

I always thought Spaced had a lot of good and bad elements, but the clubbing episode was really totally brilliant from start to finish, and not just because it was funny. Also it did a better job of reproducing the feeling of euphoria you can get in a dance club than any other show or movie I've ever seen. But yeah, the rest of the series was pretty hit and miss

'The Doll' is the funniest episode of Curb, I think, it's just masterful in its construction. 'The Corpse-Sniffing Dog' and 'The Car Pool Lane' run it close though, although in the latter case I'd be reticent to include any episode that doesn't feature Susie letting rip at Larry and Jeff.

Dan if you've never seen the Gay! Musical episode of the IT Crowd you need to do so immediately.

Spaced clubbing ep was v good.

Rewatching Seinfeld from the beginning right now. Oh God how could I ever choose just one?!

Oh, and as much as I realize the greatness of "The Contest," I think my favorite Seinfeld is "The Slicer." All of the ridiculous plotlines dovetail so well.

that was the point where they were just making it look easy. it definitely has my favorite George plot

yep, The Gay Musical episode of the IT Crowd almost single-handedly redeemed that show (though i am partial to the joke about the new emergency telephone number). I'd also throw "Basic Alan" from the first series of I'm Alan Partridge in the mix

The Opposite is my all-time favorite seinfeld episode -- quintessential george lolz

x-post - It really did for me. There are other ones that are good but I can watch that one every couple months and still just die laughing.

First thing to pop into my head is:

Alan Partridge - 2. "The Colour of Alan" —

Michael comes to stay for a few days after his front door is stolen; Alan is asked to present a sales conference for "Dante's of Reading," a company that supplies coal-effect fires and fireplaces. Dante's Piet Morant (Steve Brody), a South African, visits Alan's partially built house.
Whilst Alan buys time, taking Piet for an hour-long pub lunch, Lynn and Michael improvise some make-shift furniture in the empty house: they balance a toilet door on a Black & Decker Workmate for a table and attach several torches to a bicycle wheel for lighting. This fails to impress Morant, who is even less impressed by Alan's attempt at a South African accent.
Nevertheless, Alan is awarded the job, but tragedy ensues when Alan tries to climb over a country club's fence and impales his foot on a metal spike. Lynn tells him to stay in hospital but Alan is completely adamant about doing the speech for "Dante's of Reading." Unfortunately, his vomiting and foot pain turn his speech into a disaster.

the only thing that bothered me about The Opposite is that they never explained why George didn't just live his whole life that way! (right?)

I have a hard time singling any particular episode of Seinfeld out as the best, but the fourth season (the one where they're trying to get Jerry's sitcom made) might be the best season of any sitcom ever, taken as a whole. And I say that as someone who's a mild Seinfeld fan at best.

xposts I'm not even a huge Partridge fan, but that episode has so much set up and payback it's unreal. The whole scene with the meeting in the darkened room with the toilet door on the workmate as a table; "I've pierced me foot on a spiiike!"; "Don't shine that torch in me eyes mate, I've lost a pint of blood"; "Little helicopter, little helicopter" - endlessly quotable. Is this also the one where he mishears "War of the Worlds" said in a Geordie accent as "Wild Woods"?

lol can't believe it took enbb two posts to remember the musical it crowd episode that she has repped for approx 2541544 times on ilx

IT IS THAT FUNNY

(I was trying to think of something else tbh because I know I've repped hard for it so many times before)

For some reason I am blanking and feel like I've never watched a sitcom in my life. I can't think of anything else! This can't be right.

no S2 episode of Partridge is better than a S1 episode

best father ted is "flight into terror" btw

flight into terror is great, but that milkman...

"Speed 3" isn't even that great

I have a hard time singling any particular episode of Seinfeld out as the best, but the fourth season (the one where they're trying to get Jerry's sitcom made) might be the best season of any sitcom ever, taken as a whole. And I say that as someone who's a mild Seinfeld fan at best.

you could maybe make an argument for one of the seasons of Arrested Development but I do totally agree with that. every episode was great and there were so many layers of irony and post-modernism to the whole thing. what made it even better was how awful the supposed "Jerry" show really was.

the only thing that bothered me about The Opposite is that they never explained why George didn't just live his whole life that way! (right?)

george is too self-destructive.. he'd never do that!

best father ted is "flight into terror" btw

― congratulations (n/a), Friday, January 13, 2012 12:33 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

YES.

I rescind my milkfloat vote.

"Dougal that's a dog toy."
"No Ted, it's not. It's a joke telephone"

"It's me in the nip with a dog."

no chance could i choose one ep of seinfeld as the best. i'm very partial to the Limo episode but that's just because it was the first episode I ever saw and has elements that made me want to watch more episodes.

I am trying to pick a 30 rock and keep going back to the one with the Spanish soap opera and the generalissimo.

Also feel like I need to pick a Roseanne but that's another tough one for me.

probably either simpsons 'lemon of troy' or 30 rock's 'the rural juror'.

"It's me in the nip with a dog."

i spent like five minutes on google images trying to find a picture of this

I think I would also have to agree on the car pool lane Curb btw.

x-post - The moment is so so good.

Or maybe the one with M Brooks' play. Shit, this is tough.

Re: Roseanne, I might go for the one where they smoke pot. Or the Halloween episode where Roseanne thinks Fred is gay. Or the one where Jackie gets drunk. The first 5-6 seasons are top of the heap.

Those are all good, yes!

I want to watch it all again. I wonder if it's on Netflix.

I can't believe All In The Family exists and we're talking about fucking 30 Rock in this

The Opposite is my all-time favorite seinfeld episode -- quintessential george lolz

― pat methamphetamine (diamonddave85), Friday, January 13, 2012 6:25 PM (48 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

YES!

old sitcoms are not funny tho

old sitcoms are funny but so are newer ones and y'know i think we as an internet community can get over this

I love AItF - I just can't remember individual eps right now. :/

haha lamp otm, old tv is the most overrated shit ever

What a weird (and wrong) thing to say.

you are evil

xp

I will make an exception for the twilight zone

0 out of 0 searches for Lucy!

I thought you hated tv anyway morbs

My family used to watch AiTF all the time when I was a kid, just a lot of it went over my head, obvs. I do distinctly remember the one where Mike bet Gloria and Edith he could pass a blind taste test among Coke, Pepsi and RC, and did so easily.

when i watch old sitcoms i can admire the sharpness of the writing and the tradition and the general craft but the structure and the nature of the jokes are really unfunny to me, theyre too slow and too big and too obvious to make me laugh

Most Maude eps I've seen > most AITF eps I've seen

http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/107167_o.gif
(not really)

Bob Newhart has been accused of many things, I'm sure, but "too big" and "too obvious" have never been among them.

lol I genuinely like OFaH. :/

Bob Newhart has been accused of many things, I'm sure, but "too big" and "too obvious" have never been among them.

enh even with 'newhart' which is an older sitcom i like theres the big pause raised eyebrow nudge the audience thing built into the way the jokes are delivered

the D.E.N.N.I.S. system

can't argue with the fall tho

As opposed to, say, The Office, in which characters actually look DIRECTLY AT THE CAMERA after making a joke. (Due to a long-abandoned conceit in the idea of the show, but still.)

the office also has not dated very well

like 95% of tv humor

the D.E.N.N.I.S. system

If it's to be a IASIP ep, it's to be "The Nightman Cometh" or it's to be nothing.

you upstarts don't wanna see me bring F Troop into this.

Still never seen IASIP.

Chuckles the Clown ep of Mary Tyler Moore is pretty canonical imo

but continue to talking about episodes of the IT Crowd. Me and Morbs will have a private smh meeting

I would throw in "Chuckles Bites the Dust" from Mary Tyler Moore in the old sitcom category. I randomly rewatched that a year ago or so and was dying; plus "shucked by a rogue elephant" is one of the best phrases ever said. I can't think of any other 3-camera sitcom episodes that haven't already been mentioned off-hand; 3-camera sitcoms are really this whole other species of program to me where you have to buy in to the weird rhythms of the jokes and the inability to include the editing/directing contribute to the humor.

My favorite Arrested Development is Pier Pressure, so I'd throw that in, plus Modern Warfare from Community.

xp Also would vote for Nightman Cometh

I'd go for Pier Pressure from Arrested Development which incidentally is also the name of my favourite night club in Aberystwyth.

when i watch old sitcoms i can admire the sharpness of the writing and the tradition and the general craft but the structure and the nature of the jokes are really unfunny to me, theyre too slow and too big and too obvious to make me laugh

I wonder what this means w/r/t shows like Seinfeld and classic Simpsons. Some of these eps are nearly 20 years old but are still very funny. I wonder if they will be in another 20.

As far as stuff that hasn't dated well - mostly I'm thinking of shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force or the old Family Guys, but also stuff like Arrested Development and Chappelle's Show seems like it was way funnier back in 2003/2004

Lucy on the assembly line vs. Lucy Vitameetavegamin

Isn't it "shelled by a rogue elephant"? he was dressed as Peter Peanut.

Yes, the 3-camera shows were like 24-minute stage comedies. Hence the different rhythm, actors waiting for laughs to start/finish, etc.

btw happy belated 89th birthday to Larry "Agarn" Storch

http://timstvshowcase.com/ftroop3.jpg

I dunno the only thing that makes the Rick James episode of Chappelle not as hilarious as it was at the time is knowing that it led to a couple years of "I'm Rick James, bitch", and sadly not as long a run with "Unity!" or "I wish I had more hands, so I could give them titties four thumbs down"

I thought Vitameetavegamin was sort of a given tbh.

but that's really remembered for one scene.

i think my fave sunny ep is either 'dennis looks like a sex offender' or 'who got dee pregnant?' but 'the nightman cometh' is really perfect

Oh I read WGW's post too quickly. Assembly line.

Ooh weirdly the internet has places suggesting Chuckles was both "shucked" and "shelled". Either way though, it still pretty much kills.

Jack Benny was the king of radio comedy, but with his facial expressions and slow takes his sitcom had some different assets. There's one ep where he meets his fan club, who are all matrons in their 60s who swoon like teenyboppers when he plays the violin.

see also Burns & Allen w/ George manipulating the universe from his den by watching everyone else's life on TV.

haha Morbs, <3 F Troop even though I couldn't actually tell you a specific episode of the show now if you offered me money (this is actually a problem I have with a lot of classic TV comedy; it's been so long since I've seen it that the details are blurry, whereas the 30 Christmas episode where Liz's family came to visit is still very fresh in my mind ("Equality!"))

Despite my stanning for old shows tho, this is prolly "The Contest"

but continue to talking about episodes of the IT Crowd. Me and Morbs will have a private smh meeting

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/28/56095738_15d318e014.jpg

I remember as a kid being scarred by the Dick van Dyke bodysnatchers episode

also, the one episode of Three's Company that has stuck with me through the years is the later-season one where Jack and Terri think their new neighbor has killed his wife

http://hilobrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/silvers-bilko3.jpg

The "Better Living Through TV" episode of The Honeymooners always >>> Vitameetavegamin for me.

Also, jftr, "nothing new is any good" is just as dumb a pose as "nothing old is any good."

I feel relatively secure in saying that 99% of everything created within a humorous milieu will someday feel dated (said datedness often being completely independent of overall quality and well-craftedness). I have no idea, though, what the secret ingredient is that keeps the 1% fresh.

I haven't owned a TV in 10 years but I think I would have to say "the nightly news."

I mean, I love the Entourage episode where they go to Sundance, so I won't cast any stones.

this thread is def reviving my interest in doing an ilx email ballot poll for best sitcoms

'the contest' is a great episode but i kinda have dan's problem with seinfeld episodes where its been so long since i watched the show that they arent as distinct to me, so i forget which gags are in which episodes.

i also tend to like structurally weird episodes of shows a lot so i think one of my fave seinfeld eps is 'the betrayal'

I watched the contest one earlier this week and while it's obviously good I don't think it's the best. Of course that could be because I've seen it many many times at this point. It's hard to say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9K9wiH2Lko

re Seinfeld, I will always be a booster for The Puffy Shirt and Man Hands, but the hardest I've ever laughed at the show was when Elaine first danced

i also tend to like structurally weird episodes of shows a lot

That's definitely true for me with TV dramas, too.

Elaine dancing is amazing.

lol, oops

I dunno the only thing that makes the Rick James episode of Chappelle not as hilarious as it was at the time is knowing that it led to a couple years of "I'm Rick James, bitch", and sadly not as long a run with "Unity!" or "I wish I had more hands, so I could give them titties four thumbs down"

the whole show is packed with references to very specific things circa 2003 that don't really make sense now

I don't even know how it would be possible to vote for something like this, because there are so many distinct styles of comedy a lot of this feels like apples and oranges.

xxpost Pretend that's a clip from "The Carpool Lane."

just thinking about Elaine dancing is causing me to use all my willpower to keep from guffawing at my desk

The Puffy Shirt

love this episode

also the funniest parts of the Rick James episode IMO were:

- Rick dancing on Charlie's couch
- "Darkness!"
- "What did the five fingers say to the face? SLAP!"

elaine doing her witchy woman is great. Frank and Elaine's fight after George gets arrested is up there too.

I guess the best of the Seinfeld eps I saw besides "The Contest" were the theft of Lou Gehrig's jersey ("I hope it's not contagious") and the one where Jerry Stiller keeps bellowing "Serenity Now!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k23ynqcwiuk&feature=related

oh yeah I think the best Seinfeld moment is Frank yelling at Steinbrenner "YOU NEVER SHOULD HAVE TRADED JAY BUEHNER!"

btw I just discovered from looking for that clip that My Little Pony parodied the Elaine Dance

bronies, they haunt my every step

Chappelle's Show isn't a sitcom btw

suddenly that show makes so much more sense

Sanford and Son : The Dowry

Steptoe & Son- the escaped convicts

relevant article to stumble across today, although it's not strictly about sitcoms: http://www.avclub.com/articles/best-show-best-episode,67596/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm8jH4Zh4l0&feature=related

I guess the best of the Seinfeld eps I saw besides "The Contest" were the theft of Lou Gehrig's jersey ("I hope it's not contagious") and the one where Jerry Stiller keeps bellowing "Serenity Now!"

― Dr Morbois de Bologne (Dr Morbius), Friday, January 13, 2012 7:07 PM (13 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Is "Serenity Now" the one with the sales contest between George and Lloyd?

Serenity Now, Insanity Later

I really can't argue with "Marge vs the Monorail" for The Simpsons

yeah marge vs the monorail is about as perfect as they get

Probably only because it's recent, but the How I Met Your Mother episode where Robin finds out she can't have kids comes to my mind. Or the one where Marshall's dad dies.

Can't remember enough specific MASH or Roseanne episodes to nominate.

best Seinfeld is the Boyfriend Pt. 1
best South Park is the radiohead episode
fuiud

Those HIMYM episodes are good, but I can't really imagine considering any ultimately sad episode as the best sitcom episode ever. Feels like it's kinda missing the point, y'know?

(Although if I were to do so, it would probably be the episode of NewsRadio after Phil Hartman's death. Utterly devastating. And basically when the show ended AFAIC.)

there are definitely a few Newsradio episodes that i would put on the shortlist for minute-to-minute hilarity

Holy shit I don't think I've ever seen that Newsradio episode!

Am I the only one w/ a soft spot for latter-day post-David Seinfeld? I mean, I'm usually all about LD & his work on Seinfeld & Curb, but "The Serenity Now" & "The Frogger" are both all-time Seinfeld imo.

My favorite Arrested Development is Pier Pressure

As it happens I'm watching AD on Netflix and just saw "Pier Pressure" -- it was good but I laughed maybe twice? I had some sense that this show spiraled upwards and upwards toward some glorious comic apex but if this is as good as it gets I can't see keeping on watching it.

Answer to this question for me is "Marge vs. the Monorail" -- haven't seen this since it originally aired and sort of don't want to; it would make me sad if I found the magic was gone.

Episode of sitcom I have actually laughed the hardest at as an adult is probably Curb Your Enthusiasm, "The Grand Opening" (the one with the chef with Tourette's.) But I don't know whether that's because it's the funniest episode, or because it was the first one I saw. In fact, I didn't even see the whole thing -- I turned it on at random about 5 minutes in, not knowing what CYE was or who Larry David was, and let me tell you, that is a mind-blowing comedy experience.

old sitcoms are not funny tho

― 404 (Lamp), Friday, January 13, 2012 1:18 PM (56 minutes ago) Bookmark

neither are new ones. 30 rock sucks, arrested development sucks, community sucks, peace

Are you a lex sock then?

think my favorite simpsons ep is Rosebud

lotta simpsons talk but nobody's mentioned "You Only Move Twice"!

cape feare for simpsons

i like the prohibition one, which iirc was kind of a last gasp of total brilliance for the show too.

hard to pic best simpsons ep but this goes a long way & the ep is rly funny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSpOjj4YD8c

Am I the only one w/ a soft spot for latter-day post-David Seinfeld? I mean, I'm usually all about LD & his work on Seinfeld & Curb, but "The Serenity Now" & "The Frogger" are both all-time Seinfeld imo.

― THONG duck SONG (Pillbox), Friday, January 13, 2012 2:43 PM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

last couple years of Seinfeld are like the last couple Beatles albums, you can talk about the drop-off but they're still an essential part of the canon

Someone help me out - what is the name of the Curb episode where they're in NY and have a periscope in the car?

LOL nevermind I found. It's called . . . Car Periscope.

"Car Periscope"?
xp

i never saw there being much a dropoff in the last two Seinfeld seasons. the show definitely got weirder and started to "cash in" on its running themes (like "The Bizarro Jerry") but it was still just as funny

my only complaint is that the last 3 episodes of the show were pretty weak ("The Puerto Rican Day", and both parts of the finale)

The only saving grace of "The Puerto Rican Day" was the return of the ambiguously gay 'street toughs.'

Puerto Rican Day was total return to form real-time single setting chinese restaurant/parking garage shit fuiud!

Fawlty Towers: the episode with Mrs. Richards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcliR8kAbzc

Absolutely Fabulous - Romanian babies ep

yes, "Mrs Richards"!

"Give my regards to the earth's core!"

xxxp to me it just felt like a tribute to those episodes, either it wasn't as funny or it didn't feel as funny because it's kind of a shallow well that they've mined before

kinda like the famous "rake scene" in the Simpsons, it's a great gag but you can't keep doing it over and over or you turn into Family Guy

Of the ones already mentioned, WKRP Thanksgiving and the Germans on Fawlty Towers are clearly unfuckwithable, but I will add

Welcome Back Kotter -- Freddie on drugs
The Office -- Casino Night (not for funny so much, but damn)

as episodes I saw when first aired that stood up strongly to repeated viewing.

Germans on Fawlty Towers

Shit I need to watch this WKRP Thanksgiving ep, huh? Will it make sense if I know literally nothing else about the show?

RE Seinfeld:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlm98dJiLE0

Glad somebody posted Sgt. Bilko upthread, 'Doberman's Sister' is on youtube and is worth checking out as one of the best from the Golden age of Television.

there's an episode of family ties where alex thinks he killed skippy and the whole episode is done in
a dark experimental theater purgatory with an offscreen psychologist tormenting alex. this was the only funny episode of family ties.

I remember that! Even then I thought it was such a shameless attempt at an Emmy nom for Michael J. Fox.

sha-la-la-la!

my favorite episode of Family Ties include:

- the alcoholic uncle
- Alex's pill addiction
- Nick thinking he knew French

one of these things is not quite like the others

Shit I need to watch this WKRP Thanksgiving ep, huh? Will it make sense if I know literally nothing else about the show?

Yeah, there's nothing meta about WKRP at all, just a (usually) well-written, well-cast ensemble comedy a la Mary Tyler Moore or Cheers. Clueless station manager, suckup sales manager, nebbishy newsman, stoner DJ... I'm actually watching a bit of it right now on Hulu. Certainly not wall to wall hysterics, but give it time.

WKRP is one of my favorite casts of all time

my favorite episode of Family Ties include:

- the alcoholic uncle
- Alex's pill addiction
- Nick thinking he knew French

really curious if the letter "s" is missing from "episode" or "include" because if these were all one episode then wow

my all-time fav episode of anything, ever, will always be the honeymooners episode where ralph thinks he's been fired and writes a letter telling off his boss. (later ripped off by the simpsons!) that show really rises above all the other u.s. sitcom classics for me: every episode is funny no matter how many times i've seen it, despite the unbelievably bleak setting.

as for seinfeld, i probably laughed harder at 'the dealership,' the one where george thinks the car dealership guy stole his twix bar, than at any other episode, but the entire 'jerry' sitcom season is indeed solid gold. it would have made a way better finale for the show than the actual finale. jerry trying to sell actual episodes of seinfeld to the nbc staff, failing, and then scoring a hit with george's terrible 'butler' idea might be my favorite moment on the show.

my favorite episode of Family Ties include:

Mine was the one where River Phoenix had a crush on Jennifer. It's not even funny or anything, but it just gave me hope that if someone as awkward as Tina Yothers could get a guy like River Phoenix there might yet be some hope for me.

really curious if the letter "s" is missing from "episode" or "include" because if these were all one episode then wow

haha that would have been the ultimate expression of Family Ties

(episodeS, sadly)

Perfect Strangers - The Piano Movers.

wkrp is great, and i miss those sitcoms that seemed to come to prominence even more in the '70s which focused on kind of blue collar average types at dead-end jobs. i feel this isn't a "thing" anymore, necessarily? not in the same gritty manner. wkrp, barney miller, taxi, etc.

working at a radio station is a blue collar job?

The Office (UK version) - Training.

yeah there was a great era of workplace sitcoms that were if not all blue collar then at least tended to be about kind of the margins of society/not typical offices (would also include Cheers and Night Court)

seems to have died along w/ the John Laroquette Show

It'd be a Larry Sanders, but I'm not sure which one. Maybe where Hank guest hosts, or, if I went for something later, one of the Stevie Grant episodes. There were a few All in the Familys that'd be next in line, especially when they got really serious--the episode where Mike's draft-dodger friend was there for Thanksgiving (Christmas?) dinner, or when Archie got passed over in favor of someone black for the last spot on the bowling team. The episodes where the world passed Archie by just a little bit more. Also the Mary Tyler Moore where Ted and Mary were enrolled in the same creative-writing class, and Ted plagiarized Mary's story.

there's an episode of family ties where alex thinks he killed skippy

Haha, not exactly -- his "best friend" Greg (who we'd never heard of before and will never hear of again) dies offscreen in a car accident, and Alex was supposed to be with him. Alex goes through survivor's guilt and wonders why he's still alive. Reviewed by The AV Club here: http://www.avclub.com/articles/family-ties-a-my-name-is-alex,56598/

yeah, it's kind of difficult to pick out a single Larry Sanders episode even though as a whole it's perfect

working at a radio station is a blue collar job?

The few years I worked in radio my blue collar friends made WAY more than I did! And some of the characterizations on WKRP, esp Herb Tarlek, were very close to reality.

Oh, yeah. I worked as a producer/board op at both an AM sports/talk station and an FM modern rock station, and met more than a few Herb Tarleks, Mr. Carlons and Les Nessmans. No PDs I ever met were as cool as Andy Travis, though.

The Office (UK version) - Training.

so you guys are not using "blue collar" to mean "manual labor" I take it

No, I totally agree, radio is not blue collar. It's in a weird underpaid bracket all its own.

like grad school?

thanks to the Mel Brooks thread I'm not hearing horses neigh every time someone says "blue collar"

trying that again:

thanks to the Mel Brooks thread I'm hearing horses neigh every time someone says "blue collar"

lol I like the first version better

"thank you for clearing that up for me guys, I was starting to think I was MAD"

Father Ted—Kicking Bishop Brennan Up the Arse.

yeah the Office Training episode is spectacular - Brent with his guitar. Magic.

Lots of Simpsons / South Park pics but neither of my favourites: Krusty Comeback Special and Woodland Critters Christmas.

Can I suggest some Blackadder? I'm not even sure of my favourite series so an episode is troubling but the Dr Johnson episode seems a good choice, maybe. Also the Bob episode in Series IV.

wkrp is great, and i miss those sitcoms that seemed to come to prominence even more in the '70s which focused on kind of blue collar average types at dead-end jobs. i feel this isn't a "thing" anymore, necessarily? not in the same gritty manner. wkrp, barney miller, taxi, etc.

Mike and Molly, 2 Broke Girls. They may not be any good, but they're still out there.

yeah i said this on another thread but 2 Broke Girls is kind of a throwback to, like, Alice, except not in any good ways.

I just saw the first episode of Peep Show yesterday as well; what a weird, hilarious show

I made it through 5 minutes of 2 Broke Girls before tapping out

yeah, i 'tap out' every time i see kat dennings too

It's just insane to me that such a show exists in 2012, a lot of the dialogue seemed like it was lifted out of a late 70s/early 80s sitcom. I guess the hipster and sex jokes are supposed to make it edgy and up to date.
xp

You've got a lot to look forward to with Peep Show DJP. The first two seasons are superb

Off the top of my head, there are two Simpsons episodes that I love. "Homer the Heretic" from season 4, where Homer decides to stop going to church, and "King Size Homer" from season 7, where he decides to gain 60 pounds to get on disability.

http://smotri.com/video/view/?id=v956092da64

"Oh! I'm never going to be disabled!"

homer the heretic is pretty major

Yeah, I'll rep it any chance I get (especially among fellow Americans who may not even be aware of its existence): Peep Show is in my all-time top ten shows, easy. It's hit a rough patch or two, but it's largely hilrious and next-level great.

since watching curb i can't watch seinfeld without picturing LD in place of george castanza.

that's a shame, total downgrade

the hardest i've laughed at a sitcom in 10 years is probably the "kitten mittens" commercial from always sunny.

woah dude where did you come from, hi dere

nothing against Larry David but George Costanza is arguably the greatest sitcom character of all time

^^^

thirded.

sup djp...still singing operas and shit?

oh no i agree re: castanza, but when i'm watching a good castanza scene i can't help but picture the actual larry david outbursts that were amplified to become memorable castanza moments.

still singing, not opera tho (the company that used to hire me stopped hiring me 2 years ago... then folded on New Year's 2012, oops); now I'm learning the guitar!

George Costanza is one of the best characters of all time, yeah

(how's life round yr way?)

its kind of weird to see my generation grow "backwards" into Seinfeld through Curb, especially those of us like my brother who loves Curb but doesn't have any interest in Seinfeld (probably because it's a network sitcom? i dunno. he's stupid)

my problem with 'curb' basically boils down to david/costanza being a lot less funny as a rich celebrity jerk with a nice house and rich celebrity jerk friends than he was as a loser in new york with no prospects.

its been a while since I watched Curb (never saw seasons 6-8 yet) but the one thing I remember is that there's kind of a feeling of dread about that show, like it's not so much about comedy as it is finding ways to make the scenes as uncomfortable as possible. like, you want to just to tear through the screen and tell Larry "okay, just drop it man"

(things r good dan, my son's a teenager, i'm workin at a french bakery, slappin the bass in some bands, decided i'd give ilx a peak after facebook suggested various ilxors as "people i may know"

ps not actually slappin the bass...i just saw 'i love you, man')

the best seasons of curb are the ones with leon...tied for 4th place with phil dunphy as my favorite tv character ever

one of the things that I disliked about the show is that things were always so bad between Cheryl and Larry that you couldn't possibly imagine how she hadn't left him yet, as Cheryl was always pissed off at him for one thing or another during almost every single episode. so kudos to the writers for actually letting her leave him.

costanza had a pretty charmed life!
also... larry is costanza!

Homer Goes to College is pretty up there for me

yeah, 'homer goes to college' and 'rosebud' are peak simpsons for me, though 'monorail' is up there too. just perfect writing, acting, everything.

man, u guys elevate George Costanza and I'm the joyless, misanthropic shithead!

I second 'King Size Homer' as an all-time great. Also want to mention 'A Streetcar Named Marge' - that whole episode is gold start to finish. Ned as Stanley, the ridiculous director, Maggie's Great Escape subplot...genius.

ha!

my pers fav simpsons is the one where bart goes on the ADD drugs, steals a tank, and ends with, um, a famous baseballer hitting some "zingers"

no, wait, DINGERS

i'm alan partridge - the traffic cone one, 'basic alan'?

Here's a WKRP factoid I never knew, from wiki:

Hugh Wilson, the creator and showrunner of WKRP, originally wanted to offer the part of Andy to David Letterman.

as far as simpsons goes, i have a great soft spot for "$pringfield" (the mr. burns casino one)

also i watched a bunch of 'all in the family' growing up (dad's a huge fan) but i'm having trouble remembering a specific episode that i loved. i tended to like the ones pre-little goyl better though

carroll o'connor def my favorite sitcom actor, no question

Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep

'Beer'. i don't think a week has gone by since i first saw this aged 11 when i haven't thought about this episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PpD-xguYAI&feature=related

Lord and Lady White-Adder basically reminded me of my parents; strict, religious, serious, kinda puritanical. no wonder i loved it so much.

Yeah but Bells though

The best Nanny episode is when Fran and C.C. get locked in the wine cellar during Sylvia's "50th" birthday party

i'm alan partridge - the traffic cone one, 'basic alan'?

― second only to popcorn (or something), Friday, 13 January 2012 22:43 (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Yeah i repped for this one. Tungsten tipped screws etc.

Porridge: "A Night In"

xp yeah Bells is good and all. Head too.

last episode of blackadder goes forth is pretty wrenching, i think.

yeah 'A Night In' is so great we started this mixtape with a sample from it: http://soundcloud.com/clubclique/clique-staying-in-mix-2010

also now i think of it this is another all-time classic contender
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J55TqAoO_5g&feature=related

one for the signs of ageing thread; fancying Sybil in FT Series 1. she seemed ancient when i was a kid. seems younger than me here.

The episode of Seinfeld where George buys Elaine the cashmere sweater with the red dot on it.

Alot of people rave recently about "Palestinian Chicken" from Curb...I liked it, but I think you gotta be in the tribe to really flip over it

I'm obligated to go with "I Love Lisa":

Ralph: I'd do anything for Lisa!
Homer: Anything, eh?
[cut to Ralph tarring the roof while Homer lies in a hammock]
Ralph: Mr. Simpson! The tar fumes are making me dizzy!
Homer: Yeah, they'll do that.

And for Louie, it's the one where he sings along to "Who Are You."

"lisa on ice" another great simpsons

holy shit, Blackadder goes forth finale is p much certainly the answer here isn't it

Surprised there's been only a passing reference to Taxi. I haven't seen more than a handful of eps but it seemed real funny, something to catch up with.

If this was re: sketch comedy shows it'd be Chapelle S1E1 right?

(Chappelle, oops)

there are several better sketch shows with perfect episodes so nah

two cars in every garage, three eyes on every fish

or, yknow, any other simpsons episode from series 2-7

Most Maude eps I've seen > most AITF eps I've seen

u like em tall, sassy, and dykey -- WE GET IT

Married with Children, the one where the aliens come to steal Al's dirty socks for fuel. Mostly for inspiring a weird erotic fan fiction where the aliens come to steal Al's socks and gangbang peggy. Probably my first introduction to the wonderful world of the internet.

I think influence on culture could be part of the "greatest episodes" criteria.

Murphy Brown, "The Best and Not-So-Brightest," which is I think the second Wallace Shawn appearance on the show.

Alternately, "It was a baby, a baby!"

The Office -- Casino Night (not for funny so much, but damn)

That whole season was masterfully crafted and this was such a perfect finale where everything came together.

I'm probably not the best person to answer this though: I don't know 70s sitcoms that well but I personally tend to think that post-millennial NBC sitcoms have been a significant improvement over most 80s and 90s sitcoms. I'd probably have to figure out my favourite Community episode. Some real gems in the first few seasons of 30 Rock ("Succession" for one).

for The Office (US), I'd prob go w/ "Dinner Party"

man, u guys elevate George Costanza and I'm the joyless, misanthropic shithead!

To be fair, you'd be a hilarious sitcom character as well.

is al shipley on this thread? big ups to you my man.

Not sure what my #1 arrested development is. Possibly Spring Breakout? Making a Stand? Top Banana?

Best Fawlty Towers ep is the Germans.

wkrp is great, and i miss those sitcoms that seemed to come to prominence even more in the '70s which focused on kind of blue collar average types at dead-end jobs. i feel this isn't a "thing" anymore, necessarily? not in the same gritty manner. wkrp, barney miller, taxi, etc.

― omar little, Friday, January 13, 2012 3:58 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

yeah i was talking about this w/someone recently. i dont think you could pull off a cast of craggy average joes like in barney miller or taxi these days. well maybe like taxi, it did have marilu henner and jeff conaway after all

Martin, "Romantic Weekend."

Cougar Town, "Cry To Me"

i must watch some Office (US) episodes. is it easy enough to drop in on say 'Dinner Party' or 'Casino Night' and know what's what. i mean, having seen all of the UK series etc?

man, u guys elevate George Costanza and I'm the joyless, misanthropic shithead!

To be fair, you'd be a hilarious sitcom character as well.

― Bon Ivoj (jaymc), Saturday, January 14, 2012 12:45 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

is al shipley on this thread? big ups to you my man.

― Bon Ivoj (jaymc), Saturday, January 14, 2012 12:49 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

haha wait um are these 2 posts connected at all?

btw i don't think Costanza is joyless or misanthropic at all! like sure a lot of the time he's starting needless arguments about parking spaces and chip dip or figuring out how to get out of his engagement, the kind of things people have come to identify with Larry David and Curb, but a lot of the time George is this kind of excitable manchild, wandering from job to job and relationship to relationship getting all these absurd ideas and trying to take naps under his desk or combine sex with food, played by this charismatic song-and-dance man who just happened to be stocky and bold, and at first played the role as kind of a neurotic Woody Allen type but gradually did so much more with it.

no... I meant that people who think he is the greatest sitcom charcter ever are! *canned laughter*

Some ideas:

Blackadder - Beer
South Park - Scott Tenorman Must Die
Peep Show - University Challenge, or Jurying
Always Sunny - the one were Charlie goes internet dating
Father Ted - A Song For Europe

Oh, I see someone has mentioned Beer already. OTM that it's the best thing ever when you're 11.

The Cosby Show - Sondra and Elvin drop out of law and medical schools, respectively, and decide to open a "wilderness" store "in Brooklyn." Cliff and Clair lose their shit.

I realize only one or two will know of In De Gloria but this is the best episode EVER of this show. (Well, not really, there's also a few other contenders.) It's about a conservative couple trying to explore different things, among others anal sex. It's called "The backdoor."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmgKZymV7F4

Curb Your Enthusiasm, "The Black Swan"

or maybe "The Freak Book"

Cosby Show "Isn't it Romantic"

Simpsons "Deep Space Homer"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIm6xmOyO6Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvmi5HO-a7A

my god Stevie Wonder's sweatshirt

that would make a good other thread: 'single greatest very special episode of a sitcom'

do they even still have those?

JJ-gets-tested-for-VD, with Jay Leno cameo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkZmMvysJ8Y

btw i don't think Costanza is joyless or misanthropic at all! like sure a lot of the time he's starting needless arguments about parking spaces and chip dip or figuring out how to get out of his engagement, the kind of things people have come to identify with Larry David and Curb, but a lot of the time George is this kind of excitable manchild, wandering from job to job and relationship to relationship getting all these absurd ideas and trying to take naps under his desk or combine sex with food, played by this charismatic song-and-dance man who just happened to be stocky and bold, and at first played the role as kind of a neurotic Woody Allen type but gradually did so much more with it.

this is so OTM. jason alexander developed the costanza character so well that larry david himself seems a bit two-dimensional by comparison.

something something and tumblr whites dying to say how much they identify with costanza or louis ck something something

i will probably hate louis ck's schtick to my last breath

but whiney, you are such a fucking idiot

i've read your music criticism before, and i think it's largely otm

so i don't get how your ilx "persona" consistently is so insanely myopic when it comes to any and all cultural effluvia

I'm probably not the best person to answer this though: I don't know 70s sitcoms that well but I personally tend to think that post-millennial NBC sitcoms have been a significant improvement over most 80s and 90s sitcoms. I'd probably have to figure out my favourite Community episode. Some real gems in the first few seasons of 30 Rock ("Succession" for one).

yeh, i'm not a 30 rock person by any stretch, but ppl who seriously rep for cheers or cosby in this thread i think are remembering those shows through some nostalgic haze and then some

answer to this is probably something from seinfeld, or bob newhart show (the seventies one) neither of which are post-millenial obv. but whatever

something something and tumblr whites dying to say how much they identify with costanza or louis ck something something

i would love to meet the strawman someday that you have not already given an imaginary handjob to, good grief.

I was watching Cosby reruns as late as 2008ish. Still good.

i got flack in these parts before for saying this, but i think cosby's later show with madeline kahn was so much funnier and rewarding than the eighties thing.

but it's just common sense-- of course the series that he casts himself as an unemployed loser is going to be more inherently funny than successful doctor blah blah blah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP1gCQn16i0&feature=related

and checkmate.

I was probably being unfair tbh. I don't remember Cosby episodes that well and I'm mostly just burnt out on Seinfeld and Simpsons whereas recent shows are obviously fresher. I still think Community's and The Office's high points are as good as any show's though.

i must watch some Office (US) episodes. is it easy enough to drop in on say 'Dinner Party' or 'Casino Night' and know what's what. i mean, having seen all of the UK series etc?

I'd recommend watching all of s2 personally. "Casino Night" really works as a culmination of the whole thing imo. I really like "Dwight's Speech" for a funny episode that stands fairly well on its own. Don't know if it's an all-time best or anything though.

I stopped watching The Office about three years ago by the way, and am fairly confident I haven't missed much.

It's started becoming really funny again

I want to believe you but I'm not sure I can... There seemed to be less of a point once Jim and Pam finally got together.

I'll give it a try some time though.

Scott Tenorman is way overrated... IMO South Park peaked in Season 9.. Marjorine and The Losing Edge being two of the best
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHFu8ucCGGc

South Park lost it's real charm for me when the kids stopped being innocent open minds that just happened to see things as they really were, and instead became direct voices for whatever the creators wanted to preach about. They automatically knew the truth or motives behind every new situation rather than just reacting to them in innocently rational ways that revealed the truth to everyone. Matt and Trey got lazy a bit when they abandoned the "I learned something today" structure basically.

fresh prince: def poet's society (funny) or papa's got a brand new excuse (;_;)

I really REALLY hate sitcom episodes like "papas got a brand new excuse"

If I want drama I'll watch a drama

"last exit to springfield"

Part of me wishes Matt & Trey had done "a very special" That's My Bush

decide to open a "wilderness" store "in Brooklyn."

never saw this ep, but the concept wouldn't make anyone bat an eye IRL today.

A Wilderness Store Opens In Brooklyn is a v touching novel

father ted - holiday in the caravan
young ones - interesting
seinfeld - merv griffin show

Episode Ten: "Ed The Stowaway"- The Posts and the Kirkwoods are going to Hawaii on a vacation thinking they are leaving Mr. Ed in California. Somehow Mr. Ed sneaks aboard their ship and is discovered in Wilbur's cabin. Once in Honolulu Mr. Ed takes up surfing and announces to Wilbur that he doesn't want to return to California because he enjoys the Hawaiian lifestyle. Later in the show, Wilbur has to disguise himself as a female hula dancer to try to get Mr. Ed back.

Ignoring my own criteria (no sad/serious sitcom eps!) for the moment, I'll once again point those who've lost their taste for South Park towards last year's "You're Getting Old". It might be the actual best episode of South Park ever.

Oh well that one is great.

South Park still has the power to astound, which is why it's one of the greats.

i'm not digging up anything new w/ the massive fanfare it's got, but futurama's "jurassic bark" is both one of the funniest episodes and one of the saddest things i've ever seen

You realize, ilx, that this thread was merely a cunning snare to trap you all into sounding like The Comic Book Guy. No doubt your responses are being collected for the purpose of blackmail at a later date.

if you aren't down with the Woodland Creatures episode, I don't even know who you are anymore

Does that Chuckles the Clown really live up to its reputation, or do people just think it is funny because the characters themselves keep laughing? Don't know if I've seen it since it first aired. Have the same question about they Bob Newhart episode where they get drunk watching football and can't pronounce "Moo Goo Gai Pan."

as much as I love "Marge vs the Monorail" and usually couldn't care about breaking laws of physics it always drove me crazy that Homer stopped a train going 180 mph with a 50 pound letter "M" attached to the train with one knot.

I can think of some things in that episode that violated the laws of physics worse than that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2y0euGMhiM&NR=1&feature=endscreen

"jurassic bark" is a very good suggestion!

Im never sure why we do these threads, no consensus is reached and we all just list our own faves.

So with that in mind:

Simpsons: Homer's Enemy
Futurama: possibly "The Late Philip J Fry", or "The Sting"
Black Books: Cooking the Books - really dont think they ever topped that very first episode

...eh. I cant DO this. It feels arbitrary and wrong.

i am kind of curious what a bar graph would look like of the latest seasons people thought the simpsons were any good. i'm guessing it would have a general downward slope after 8, 9?

"it went downhill after season 9" has almost become a cliche now, tbh :/

rewatched season 9 recently and it's actually way better than i remembered, some really terrific episodes -- homer buys a gun, lisa getting lost on the bus, homer trying to climb the murderhorn. afraid to revisit season 10 even tho i remember enjoying some of it at the time.

I keep saying this but it really is good right up to about S11 or 12. After that the good episodes are few, but still there. After S13 it really seems to start to slide, and the new all-digital eps seem consistently pretty crap, though I have to be fair, Ive only seen a few. Saw one the otehr night that ended with Ralph becoming the president, wtf?

"last exit to springfield"

i gave up when Homer got raped by a panda. They'd obviously been stretching the character for awhile and finally broke him afaic. but typing "homer got raped by a panda" makes me lol a little now so what do i know.

brother's little helper is a pers simpsons fav, in fact anytime i hear 'don't stop thinking about tomorrow' by fleetwood mac the first thing that pops into my head is always bart driving that tank.

probably some Monkees episode for me

kinda wanna start a thread polling anyone who's seen the latter 10+ seasons of the simpsons for hidden gems, but i'm worried no one's actually kept up with it (despite ratings)

king of the hill
"manger babies"

..maybe, there's so many

Im never sure why we do these threads, no consensus is reached and we all just list our own faves.

file under "you just answered your own question"

man, u guys elevate George Costanza and I'm the joyless, misanthropic shithead!

The beauty of George is that there's a little George in all of us. This does not hold true for other wrong-headed sitcom characters. For instance, I would certainly hope that there is none of any Eric Cartman in any of us.

There's also a little Morbs in all of us. Sometimes a lot.

p sure i know and indeed have posted alongside a few quasi cartmen

Well, I mean, we all hate Jews. That's a given. But aside from that.

wtf u capitalised jew, i'm calling fake cartman right here

a huge part of george's humor is based on how pathetic he is, not joyless and/or misanthropic.

or perhaps i'm misunderstanding that argument

No, you got it.

btw i don't think Costanza is joyless or misanthropic at all! like sure a lot of the time he's starting needless arguments about parking spaces and chip dip or figuring out how to get out of his engagement, the kind of things people have come to identify with Larry David and Curb, but a lot of the time George is this kind of excitable manchild, wandering from job to job and relationship to relationship getting all these absurd ideas and trying to take naps under his desk or combine sex with food, played by this charismatic song-and-dance man who just happened to be stocky and bold, and at first played the role as kind of a neurotic Woody Allen type but gradually did so much more with it.

― Jean-Luc Gohard (some dude), Saturday, January 14, 2012 8:05 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

no... I meant that people who think he is the greatest sitcom charcter ever are! *canned laughter*

― Dr Morbois de Bologne (Dr Morbius), Saturday, January 14, 2012 10:15 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

the difference between Larry David in Curb and George Costanza is that it's never really that believable that Larry's life is miserable, b/c we all know that he's the millionaire creator of arguably the greatest sitcom ever and thus will always have his fans, famous friends, a loads of cash, whereas George really has almost nothing going for him and can sell pathetic phrases like "I'm never going to have sex again, am I?"

OK, after just rewatching, I guess "Dwight's Speech" isn't really all-time great. Maybe "The Client" for a light funny s2 episode?

best season two ep hands down is "the injury"

One of the few things I've seen on television that has reduced me to tears of helpless laughter was the episode that featured Elaine's "dancing". In fact, I'm cracking up just thinking about it.

DP - I thought you might like this:

http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2012/02/06/dances-elaine-seinfeld.jpg