Good American sitcoms that aren't Seinfeld or Curb

Anyone have any recommendations? I'm not well versed in American comedy, but I'm not impressed with a lot of the ones I have seen like the american office, always sunny, friends etc.

I would agree, the ones you have listed are not great, but....

Arrested Development is fabulous and loved by the critics. Its currently on NetFlix. It's mad cap, but everything about it is done to perfection.

Cheers also understandably tops many best of charts. Its from the 1980's so will look very traditional now. It has a warmth about it.

Going further back, Bilko is a black and white classic.

More than a hundred are mentioned here:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/34255/

Sorry - but I don't agree with your first suggestions.

Maybe just Cheers and M.A.S.H.

Scrubs is such a funny show with a script more razer sharp than anything else I remember. The way the gags are developed is very cleaver and you can watch the epiosdes over and over and notice something new.

It's also filmed with one camera so all the shots are front facing with very few fixed shots from the side.

Becker.

Quote: DaButt @ 14th February 2018, 5:42 PM

More than a hundred are mentioned here:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/34255/

A good general rule is to stay away from any list that has The Big Bang Theory on it, thanks nonetheless

Still thoroughly enjoying the run of 3rd Rock on C4 at the moment. Two a day! Bliss. :)

Frasier when on form is the best sitcom ever written

I'd probably agree with that, hard to imagine a spin off show besting Cheers but for me it did. Scripts for both shows top of the range but the design of Frasier was much better, fewer characters in a more confined space came closest of any US sitcom I've seen to resembling a classic British sitcom.

But the curse of the successful US sitcom is it overruns horrendously warping the show into a different sitcom by the end. The last couple of series with a pregnant Daphne turned into a load of cosy family sop not too unlike the demise of OFAH. When your favourite sitcom characters start to have kids with each other it's time to leave the show. Basil and Cybil would never've done such a thing.

Thought I'd update with a few of the ones I've seen and liked since then

Police Squad (1982) and Sports Night (1998-2000) - I'm putting them together because I like them a lot, and for similar reasons. Great American humour, reminiscent of classic reference-heavy simpsons. The former ran for one series of six episodes, very unusual for an American sitcom, but unfortunately its humour was quite ahead of its time, even if not being too advanced by modern standards.

Freaks and Geeks (1999) - Comedy drama set in a school.

Parks and Rec (2009-2015) - Local Government sitcom in the stripped-back mockumentary style a la their remake of The Office. While I'm not a big fan of the American office because it doesn't really allow its jokes to develop (despite being supposed to be a Slow-burner), this is nice by contrast. The jokes are less obnoxious and more subtle by comparison

Californication (2007-2014) - Comedy drama about an Author with a complicated relationship with his wife

Others I liked but maybe to a lesser extent are Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Search Party, Crashing, and as Aaron recommended, Becker. I watched the first few episodes of Arrested Development but wasn't too impressed by it, maybe it gets better as it goes on

The Larry Sanders Show.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is one of my favourites. Takes nihilism to new heights (or lows depending on how you look at it). Scrubs is my go to Anerican sitcom though

Been watching Maude

It's great!

I've watched over 20 episodes of Broad City since I first discovered it back in October and recommended it on here. The 4 Music scheduling turned out to be reliable - double bills on Tuesdays at 10pm - and then I found series 4 running concurrently on Comedy Central Extra. It's become one of my all time favourites, and keeps up an incredibly high standard.

For anyone with Amazon Prime the last episode of the first series is one of the best.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3342620/?ref_=ttep_ep10

It's directed by Amy Poehler who has a fun cameo.

There's 4 more episodes of the third series yet to be shown on 4 Music, and 2 earlier ones being repeated late on Monday night, but I think Xmas has affected the usual Tuesday slot next week.