Good Times & Car 54 Where are You?
Forgotten, underrated Americoms Page 5
My Two Dads.
Quote: Timbo @ May 27 2008, 10:51 PM BSTI am surprised to see no mention of Becker, Ted Danson's finest hour (and I am including Cheers in that). None of the terrestrial channels picked it up until after it had been cancelled, and then it was Five who threw it away in a daily tea-time slot.
Or how about the PJs, Eddie Murphy's claymation series? Edgy and very funny, and about as far away from the usual glossy US sitcoms as it is possible to get.
Or, going back into the recesses of my memory, Newhart, with Bob as a deadpan (obviously) New England hotellier.
Or then there was Barney Miller... (okay, that's enough now)
I haven't watched a lot of episode, but Becker was very under rated
I find that I prefer darker more cynical shows. The John Larroquette would be an excellent example. That show got ruined when they brightened it up.
One of my favorite episodes starred Bobcat Goldwaith who could never seem to open a closed door. Larroqutte kept having to yell out; "It's a Push," or "It's a Pull!" depending on which side of the door he was on.
I do that today for people who have the same problem.
Does anyone know about the 1990's US sitcom Get A Life starring Chris Elliot. An American friend of mine got me into it, but he hadn't heard of it until he found it on the internet either.
It's a little patchy initially; it concerns a 30 year paper-'boy' who still lives with parents and has a best friend who's married with children. As with a lot of surreal premises; it takes a while to find it's groove. It's groove turned out to be complete batshit insanity, and when it seemed obvious that the show would be cancelled in it's second season; it shifted again, this time into complete COMPLETE batshit insanity. Charlie Kaufman even wrote a couple of episodes, there's a man who knows his batshit insanity.
It may not have been around wrong but it's subjects for storylines involved giant tank-like paper delivery systems, aliens, time-travel, building a submarine in the bath, radiation poisoning, native american body-switching curses and life in 'The Big City' (you really have to see it to get it.)
There was a slow-burning, slightly laid back way in how it told the jokes... it didn't belabour them, but it was very upfront about the fact that they were jokes and you were expected to laugh. kind of old fashioned in that way.
Anyway, big influence on the sitcom me and said American friend are writing. You know what they say; if you're going to steal, steal from the things that are obscure enough so that no-one will know.
Anyway, the DVD is caught up in all sorts of ownership problems so no doubt whatever deity you worship will forgive you for torrenting the episdes for now.
EDIT: Oh yeah, I love the PJ's. He's like a black Duckman. Oh, God. Duckman! Everyone here likes Duckman right?
Quote: David Chapman @ April 12 2008, 7:45 PM BSTI'm afraid to my mind American and sitcom put together = shit.
Interesting, since it is an American format.
Is that Karen Taylor as your avatar?
Quote: dingo @ August 6 2008, 10:25 AM BSTInteresting, since it is an American format.
Incorrect.
Quote: Aaron @ August 6 2008, 10:31 AM BSTIncorrect.
Oh? I hope there is no claim of Punch and Judy as a sitcom coming.
Well that could actually be argued I suppose, but no. The world's first sitcom was Pinwright's Progress.
Quote: Aaron @ August 6 2008, 10:55 AM BSTWell that could actually be argued I suppose, but no. The world's first sitcom was Pinwright's Progress.
It was on the radio, called Sam 'n' Henry in 1926, later revamped as Amos 'n' Andy in 1928. On WGN Chicago.
Radio and TV sitcoms are pretty different beasts. There probably was an even earlier radio one here, I'm not sure. But unless you've heard it and can tell me otherwise, everything I have read points to Pinwright's Progress as having been the first sitcom - in a format even close to what we would recognise as a sitcom now - in any medium.
Quote: Aaron @ August 6 2008, 11:03 AM BSTRadio and TV sitcoms are pretty different beasts. There probably was an even earlier radio one here, I'm not sure.
So some unknown British sitcom must have appeared before Sam 'n' Henry, but you cannot name it or cite it. Well, okay.
Radio sitcoms and TV sitcoms are different, but TV evolved from radio. TV adapted the structure of radio including the sitcom.
Quote: Aaron @ August 6 2008, 11:03 AM BSTBut unless you've heard it and can tell me otherwise, everything I have read points to Pinwright's Progress as having been the first sitcom - in a format even close to what we would recognise as a sitcom now - in any medium.
Pinwright's Progress may have been the first half hour TV sitcom, though there must have been an American one earlier that I cannot name or cite a reference.
Seriously, as far as your point about recognizing it as a sitcom goes, that trophy goes to I love Lucy devised by a Cuban and German in the USA.
Quote: dingo @ August 6 2008, 11:18 AM BSTSo some unknown British sitcom must have appeared before Sam 'n' Henry, but you cannot name it or cite it. Well, okay.
No, I said that there was probably an earlier one on British radio. Earlier than Pinwright's Progress on TV, not necessarily earlier than the series you mentioned.
Quote: dingo @ August 6 2008, 11:18 AM BSTPinwright's Progress may have been the first half hour TV sitcom, though there must have been an American one earlier that I cannot name or cite a reference.
According to every sitcom list I have ever seen, there wasn't. But why 'must' there have been?
Quote: dingo @ August 6 2008, 11:18 AM BSTSeriously, as far as your point about recognizing it as a sitcom goes, that trophy goes to I love Lucy devised by a Cuban and German in the USA.
I think not. There was still Pinwright's Progress. A regular, half-hour comedy in one setting with one set of characters. Etc. A good 5 years before I Love Lucy.
Okay, you weren't clear on referring to an earlier sitcom on British radio as opposed to the TV sitcom. Your post read as if you suggested an earlier radio sitcom existed before Sam 'n' Henry.
The thing about an American sitcom predating the Brit one on TV was a joke based upon the above unclear statement.
I Love Lucy is THE template for sitcoms...THE END. 3 camera set-up. Classic story arcs. It is the ONE!
Anyway, back to the original point..regardless of how it was adapted, how it changed or evolved, Sam 'n' Henry was the first sitcom. It came from Chicago. Same setting, same set of characters. There were many American radio shows that followed this format in the twenty years before Pinwright's Progress..
Punch and Judy is Italian...
I guess they win.