The dead art of sitcom
 

Best situation comedy programmes people? As a huge amount of current writers have proved, it's not easy to make a great one. Who do you think do it better, the British or the Americans?

I would say my favourites are probably

Spaced, Han****, Porridge, Father Ted and Seinfeld.

I hate American sitcoms & just don't find them funny at all.

I will never understand anyone who thinks Friends is funnier than Father Ted.

I like That '70s Show...

I don't see many British SitComs, but Arrested Development and Curb your enthusiasm were great.

Steptoe And Son.
The League Of Gentleman.
The Fall and Rise Of Reginald Perrin.
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace.
Bottom.
Father Ted.

The only American sitcom I like is My Name is Earl as Jason Lee is just so damn likeable.

Best American sitcom ever.
Very funny and extremely clever.

Balls. I forgot Early Doors-a mini masterpiece.

As was, The Royle Family.

I think Early Doors is better though due to a bigger ensemble. I really want another series. My dvd's are worn out!

Not crazy about American sitcoms, but British sitcoms are rather vacant either. Nonetheless - I do find 30 Rock a nearly perfect comedy program. Also, I like the US version of the Office, which I was aware of the British original a few years earlier but never cared too much for. On the other side, the last funny British show I saw that I really adored was Garth Merenghi's Darkside.

King of Queens is a guilty pleasure of mine.

^^^
Darkplace not darkside fella. Yeah it's a great show. It helps you if you have a knowledge of B-movies.

Ok, I'll show my age now...

I haven't watched TV in years, but my favourites have always been All in the Family and M*A*S*H. They could be funny but also could be thought provoking too at times (all those old Norman Lear shows were good, some better than others... ah, the good old days...).

I do have a liking for British humour though moreso than American humour... Are You Being Served?, Black Adder, Red Dwarf and Keeping Up Appearances were ones I enjoyed watching when I could (on PBS).

I've never understood Friends or Seinfeld or these other American shows of late like Everybody Loves Raymond, etc. Ugh.

Two British comedies I do NOT like are Absolutely Fabulous and Mr. Bean (Black Adder was so much funnier).

~ josh

My favorite sitcom from the past 20 years is Married with Children, no seriously.

Aside from that. I like Cheers, Seinfield, Fraiser, Roseanne and Everybody Loves Rayman and thats pretty much it. And The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Daily Show and Colbert Report if those kinda shows could be considered sitcoms.

Sitcoms today just don't have the appeal that older shows like All In The Family have. Tis a shame.

Arrested Development and Freaks and Geeks are the only two I really find worth watching.

Seinfeld is the greatest sitcom ever.

More like Good Times is the greatest sitcom ever.

I had a thing for Kelly. Sexy, dumb and blonde...perfect.
Loved that show.

Forgot Phoenix Nights too. Beats the hell out Peter Kay's stand up any day. Sammy the snake!

To be fair a 3 hour open university programme about Algebraic Geometry has more laughs than Peter Kay's stand up.

When I first saw this topic title....I thought to myself there isn't many sitcoms I like but then I started to list them off and there are quite a few.

30 Rock
My Name is Earl
The Office....both UK and US versions....enjoyed UK's versions slightly more....I think because of the use of more sexual innuedos
Carpoolers
I tried to get into Cavemen but I haven't been able to record it on my dvr. so I've only seen one episode so far.
Samantha Who?
Notes from the Underbelly
Back to You
Til Death.....I hated the main star when he was on everyone loves raymond but he's hilarious on this show.
Aliens in America and I think that's it.

I never understood the appeal of Friends, Everyone loves Raymond and Seinfeld......I love Curb your enthusiasm but Seinfeld was boring to me

Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks and Arrested Development are time honored shows.....I want to get them on DVD

Here are the sitcoms I like:
1)The office is pretty sweet. I like the American one a bit more than the British one.
2) Scrubs (in it's early shows)
3) Arrested Development (I tried forcing some of my friends to watch it and they hated it, so I guess people have different opinions)
4) Freaks and Geeks (I go in phases with it, I was really into it my sophmore and junior year, but i'm a bit bored with it right now tbh because there is a limited number of shows to watch, but I still recognize it's comic genius and the really hot guy on it)

ive only seen a british sitcom called "coupling" which was surprisingly pretty funny
LOVE scrubs
used to love friends & will & grace, still do just dont really watch them that much anymore
i used to watch freaks & geeks but they havent played it in like, forever
i doubt i would remember anything about it anyway

actually i've seen coupling a couple of times and it's pretty good, I had forgot all about it.

Jeeves And Wooster, and Scrubs (Which, I still find to be funny)

djchameleon - I keep forgetting that Carpoolers is on, I saw the first episode & it was mildly amusing. My main interest is that the writer is Bruce McCullough.

One show I totally forgot to mention that I watch is 'Always Sunny in Philadelphia'. I can kick myself for not mentioning it earlier.

Scrubs, the Office, Arrested Development and of course The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Best comedy EVER

British:
League of Gentlemen - great black comedy
Black Adder - genius!
Black Books - also genius! Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey are perfect
Only Fools and Horses
Father Ted
Fawlty Towers
Peep Show
The Office
Green Wing

American/Canadian:
Scrubs
My Name Is Earl
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - I have a soft spot for this
South Park
Trailer Park Boys

I especially like British comedy and I'm currently watching/planning on watching Porridge, Flight of the Conchords, Arrested Development, Big Train, Extras and Dad's Army.

Red Dwarf
Father Ted
Scrubs
That 70's Show

true true. ever seen monty pythons flying circus?, or black adder?

everyone likes to name drop monty python's flying circus....to this day I don't see what's so great about it.

Blasphemy!

It's very hit and miss really.

Because it broke practically every rule of television & is still being copied to this day.

Grow up in the 70's & 80's & you would understand. There wasn't anything like Monty Python.

Now presently, I don't bother watching MP except from time to time 'Holy Grail'.