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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Marshall Enraged: Top 10 Sitcoms



Marshall Enraged: Top 10 Sitcoms
     So last week on the show we discussed the Orcca Cast’s top 10 Live-Action Sitcoms, and my hackles were raised over the voting process as Jason and I entered an emotional duel over the contents of our list. 
For the uninitiated, the voting process consisted of each contributor getting a list of 50 shows and then voting for the 20 you like the most, ascribing 5 points to three, 3 points to five, and 1 point to the remaining twelve.  So it was with great dismay that I found one of my obvious recipients of a 5 spot was not even on the list.  So I coyly added it, having glossed over the part about “Don’t add new ones, just write a blog post if you feel something was left off.”  So here it is, America (and Russia, too).
Firstly, those left off that deserved vindication.  “Third Rock from the Sun” has long been probably my favorite sitcom ever; John Lithgow, JoGo, Jane Curtin and Kristen Johnston are incredibly funny; I personally like French Stewart in this role; and recurring cast member Wayne Knight as Officer Don contributes well to the ensemble.  For some reason, this brilliant adorable show gets the short shrift all the time, but fuck that noise.  I love it, and will always be its champion.  So I wrote it on my list and dropped it a fiver.
     I also gave props to the missing “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia” which has quickly become one of my favorite comedy shows of all time.  Jason was confused at this because I balked at the inclusion of “Stella” on the initial 50, but here is a short list of why “IASiP” > “Stella” for the purposes of this list: (1) ‘Sunny’ is funnier (2) ‘Sunny’ is an actual sitcom with continuity, despite its surreality, while ‘Stella’ is a sketch comedy show (3) ‘Stella’ had just one short season ever, ‘Sunny’ is on its 7th.  So yeah.
     I compiled a list of other important and noteworthy sitcoms as well, and many were vetoed for a variety of reasons. Entrants on the initial list include oldies like “The Dick Van Dyke Show” “The Honeymooners” “Green Acres” “Gilligan’s Island” “I Dream of Jeannie” “Newhart” AND “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Sanford and Son.”  Despite this, I was informed “No one would vote for” ‘Lucy’ ‘Beverly Hillbillies’ or ‘Happy Days.’ This strikes me as odd because ‘Lucy’ is perennially called the greatest/most important sitcom ever, and both ‘Hillbillies’ and ‘Happy Days’ are total classic sitcoms which surely have the power and content to compete with the likes of ‘Gilligan’ and ‘Jeannie.’ And ‘Green Acres,” really? REALLY?
     So yeah, that’s my beef.  I write this before the recording of the show and have no idea how the top 10 will sort out.  So help me, if ‘Green Fucking Acres’ is on the top 10…

4 comments:

  1. I will go ahead and answer to these claims.

    1) I entered 3rd Rock From the Sun (as you have heard on the show by now) into the voting process. I asked each voting member if they wanted to change their votes to reflect. All declined. Inclusion on the initial list would not have mattered. But I should have included it as a choice for Marshall, but we haven't heard much from him for a few weeks.
    2) In regards to "Stella" It is not a sketch show, so I'm assuming Marshall has yet to watch this gem. One of the points of these lists to bring to the forefront new items to tried and true Top Ten lists that people would normally not include because it is OUR opinion, not of multiple critics and viewers. As a viewer of Stella would know, they same characters are in every scene and every episode and have the same apartment. His claims of Sketch show, unfortunately cannot apply because he has not watched it. Which is fine, it's more for his claim to include Sunny in Philadelphia. But I will answer you claim that Sunny is better because it has been on longer. Is "Ghost Whisperer" better than "Firefly" because it was on for five seasons, compared to "Firefly's" short half season? Of course not, so we must eliminate that. And "Funnier" is an opinion, which we welcome, but not justification for inclusion.
    3) In terms of "Lucy" "Happy Days" and "Beverly Hillbillies", none of us particularly care for them, so why MUST they be included? Just because millions of people, thousands of critics agree "I Love Lucy" is one of the greatest/most important shouldn't not factor to ORCCA Top 10. Must we follow what those before us say, or may we form our own opinions for out show? And yes, "Green Acres", more love it than hate it in our group. This is the fun of ORCCA!

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  2. 1) Fools! All of you!
    2) I have watched a bit of Stella, and it seemed so random and non-linear so as to seem more like a sketch show than a sitcom, but perhaps we are discussing semantics at this point. And I guess duration of a show matters little.
    3) Green Acres, pah. I Love Lucy is brilliant. This calls for a second round of "Fools! All of you!" And I feel it is an honorarium to be on our list of 50 candidates, just like "Academy Award Nominee" is an honorarium. Lucy should def be able to say "ORCCA Cast Awards Nominee (Top 10 Sitcoms)" I mean, I know Lucille Ball would want that coveted label etched into her tombstone.

    Bombay is a grid, Delhi swings.

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  3. LUCILLE BALL WILL NEVER HAVE AN AWARD FROM ME AS LONG AS I LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  4. I tried to comment the other day and my browser went a little nuts.

    Newhart appeals to me a little more than The Bob Newhart Show. Only because, as a kid, I just couldn't relate to a big city or a psychiatrist.

    I would have voted The Honeymooners high on my list. That show is brilliant. If you consider how funny it is for mostly taking place in one room, it's just really well done.

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