TV shows that do (or will) stand the test of time

[rowech]

While watching a couple of episodes of Growing Pains, I decided I still find the show at least somewhat funny and can see other generations of kids enjoying the show. I've always thought The Wonder Years would stand the test of time as well. What shows do you all think will always be around for some reason?

What shows were popular while they were on that will clearly not make the cut down the road?

[Abe Sargent]

Cosby - cut
Friends - not cut

[Schmidty]

Somebody's going to say MASH (blech), Seinfeld, and Cheers (yawn).

[Schmidty]

Wait. I think I read this wrong. Who will NOT make the cut. Disregard my last post.

[Raiders Army]

Dukes of Hazzard

[rowech]

Either way folks want to look at it....shows that'll be around or shows that won't.

[Bubba Wheels]

Simpsons will be around forever.

Southpark, like Beavis and Butthead, will dissappear completely.

[Lathum]

Everybody loves Raymond.

[Karlifornia]

Home Improvment was funny to me as a child. I can't watch more than 30 seconds of it now without feeling...unhappy.

Kids have a much more broad scope of what's funny. I Love Lucy was on in the 50's, and I enjoyed watching it as a kid. Now, not so much...

[Bubba Wheels]

Interesting how you can have two similar shows, one is pretty good and the other is unwatchable. Case in point:

Still Standing: (in reruns) Pretty humorous

According to Jim: Seeing 30 seconds at a time is too much.

[Bubba Wheels]

And for good measure, one more: Old Christine...don't get it at all (why its still on)

[MikeVic]

Seinfeld will definitely make the cut. I'm not sure how I can determine which shows won't, as any older shows I see I still have sort of a nostalgia factor that makes them entertaining.

[Arles]

The original twilight zone episodes are tops on the list for me. More recently, I always thought Frazier would be more timeless than Cheers.

[JPhillips]

Full House ftw

[Mustang]

Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life, Golden Girls and Designing Women were all shows with some degree of success when they were on that are just absolutely unwatchable now.

I'd rather hammer railroad spikes through my penis then watch those shows ever again.

Although... I'd rather hammer railroad spikes through my penis while watching Golden Girls rather than watch Full House.


I've always thought Leave it to Beaver stands up pretty well and I still get a chuckle watching it. M*A*S*H is just an absolutely polarizing show in that you either love it or hate it. I grew up with MASH and love it, but I can see how someone would hate it. I don't know if there are any current teens or people in their early twenties that like it so... like any show, probably a good indication on if it stands the test of time if the next generation watches it. (Which at this point I'd probably put Outer Limits, Dr. Who, Star Trek and Twilight Zone definitely in that category)

[Crapshoot]

I like MASH - I think it works and I'm 25. Cheers is another show along the same lines.

To me, something like Arrested Development will be appreciated for being great down the line, when we'll wonder why shit like Two and a Half Men or According to Jim was considered funny.

1

[dawgfan]

To counter a post above, I think South Park will absolutely stand the test of time. Sure, a lot of the topical stuff will seem dated and maybe even confuse future generations that won't know the context, but there's plenty of stuff in those shows that isn't reliant on specific real events to be funny.

Arrested Development will always be funny, though it too will suffer in places where it makes topical references.

Entourage will stand up well because it's about the relationships between the guys.

[Karlifornia]

Entourage will stand up well because it's about the relationships between the guys.

....there will always be vapid Hollywood douchebags..so it's always topical.

[rkmsuf]

Three's Company to this day is still top notch.

Someday when the Scientologists take over it will still carry on.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Of the shows mentioned, I could absolutely watch The Golden Girls anytime and laugh. I didn't get most of the jokes when I watched it as a child, but I think it's hilarious now. Unfortunately, even though it's on pretty much every night, I don't get to see it because I'm embarrassed to watch it in front of my wife (although I apparently have no problem telling you people). I completely agree with Mustang on Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. I watched those every week when I was a kid, but those would probably look like shit now.

A show that I'm kind of torn on is Family Matters. It wasn't a great show, and a few years of Urkel absolutely killed it, but some of the physical comedy on it was hilarious. I dunno, I'm on the fence.

On the other side of things, I've said it before and I'll say it again, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is one of the most timeless shows ever. That show is going to be funny in 40 years, just like it was funny 15 years ago. I have lost many nights to watching Fresh Prince marathons on Nick at Nite, and I'm sure that I'll lose many more that way.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Dola

They should bring Just the Ten of Us back. Lubbock Babes. Mmmmmm.

[MJ4H]

Dola

They should bring Just the Ten of Us back. Lubbock Babes. Mmmmmm.

Oh heck yes I was in love with the stacked one.

[Passacaglia]

I like MASH - I think it works and I'm 25. Cheers is another show along the same lines.

To me, something like Arrested Development will be appreciated for being great down the line, when we'll wonder why shit like Two and a Half Men or According to Jim was considered funny.

1

Tell us more, Future Boy! :p

[Passacaglia]

Of the shows mentioned, I could absolutely watch The Golden Girls anytime and laugh. I didn't get most of the jokes when I watched it as a child, but I think it's hilarious now. Unfortunately, even though it's on pretty much every night, I don't get to see it because I'm embarrassed to watch it in front of my wife (although I apparently have no problem telling you people). I completely agree with Mustang on Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. I watched those every week when I was a kid, but those would probably look like shit now.

A show that I'm kind of torn on is Family Matters. It wasn't a great show, and a few years of Urkel absolutely killed it, but some of the physical comedy on it was hilarious. I dunno, I'm on the fence.

On the other side of things, I've said it before and I'll say it again, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is one of the most timeless shows ever. That show is going to be funny in 40 years, just like it was funny 15 years ago. I have lost many nights to watching Fresh Prince marathons on Nick at Nite, and I'm sure that I'll lose many more that way.

Stand strong Pumpy...lurker and I still watch The Golden Girls.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Stand strong Pumpy...lurker and I still watch The Golden Girls.
My wife will think I have a crush on Bea Arthur, and I don't. :(

Estelle Getty, though. RAWR

[Mustang]

Lubbock Babes. Mmmmmm.

Even Connie?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Even Connie?
For some reason, I always imagined her as the most flexible.

[Mustang]

For some reason, I always imagined her as the most flexible.

I always thought that as the least attractive of the 4 that she would do all sortsa freaky bedroom stuff to compensate.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I always thought that as the least attractive of the 4 that she would do all sortsa freaky bedroom stuff to compensate.
That's exactly right!

[chesapeake]

Arrested Development will always be funny, though it too will suffer in places where it makes topical references.

Tragically, Arrested Development probably won't get the chance to make the cut. Typically, 100 is the magic number of episodes a show needs to go into syndication. AD got cancelled halfway through season 3, meaning that they probably hit about 60.

In the galaxy of 500 channels, maybe it will get a chance to find a place on some cable network. But despite the brilliance of the show, it won't ever be like Seinfeld -- where you can find it in any TV market at least 3 times every day.

[twothree]

What shows do you all think will always be around for some reason?

Gilligan's Island
The Muppet Show
The Avengers

[LloydLungs]

Diff'rent Strokes, Facts of Life, Golden Girls and Designing Women were all shows with some degree of success when they were on that are just absolutely unwatchable now.

Diff'rent Strokes, watched today, is the height of unintentional comedy. I would highly recommend it for any unintentional comedy aficionado. It doesn't get any better. Basically every single early 80s "message sitcom" cliche or any "sitcom" cliche happens at some point in Diff'rent Strokes. They even did an episode on the dangers of hitchhiking. Good times.

[cuervo72]

Reminds me...why in the blazes is George Lopez on Nick at Nite? The thing is still on network TV!

[Kodos]

Somebody's going to say MASH (blech), Seinfeld, and Cheers (yawn).

Errm. What shows do YOU think stand the test of time. Mash and Seinfeld are both top 10 alltime for me.

[sabotai]

Of the shows mentioned, I could absolutely watch The Golden Girls anytime and laugh. I didn't get most of the jokes when I watched it as a child, but I think it's hilarious now. Unfortunately, even though it's on pretty much every night, I don't get to see it because I'm embarrassed to watch it in front of my wife (although I apparently have no problem telling you people).

I used to go out with someone who loved the Golden Girls, so I've pretty much seen every episode several times over. I have to admit, it's not a bad show (but nothing I'd watch on my own).

I completely agree with Mustang on Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. I watched those every week when I was a kid, but those would probably look like shit now.

I watched Diff'rent Strokes as a kid, I also watched What's Happening?, Webster and Three's Company a ton. I can't watch them now at all.

Gilligan's Island I can.

On the other side of things, I've said it before and I'll say it again, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is one of the most timeless shows ever. That show is going to be funny in 40 years, just like it was funny 15 years ago. I have lost many nights to watching Fresh Prince marathons on Nick at Nite, and I'm sure that I'll lose many more that way.

+1

In general, I don't think sitcoms stand the test of time, and shows like Fresh Prince is really a matter of personal taste and the exception rather than the rule. Dramas, however, are different. I'm sure the X-Files wills still be popular 50 years from now, similar to how The Twilight Zone is still popular. I can sit and watch the old black-and-white episodes of The Twilight Zone all day long (Sci-Fi Channel had a New Year's marathon and I barely changed the channel while that was going on).

[rkmsuf]

I don't think I've ever seen a whole episode of MASH.

[rowech]

I don't think MASH is a show that will stand for a while. I think shows have to have some universal appeal and that show simply won't have that appeal in 20 years.

[Bubba Wheels]

I don't think MASH is a show that will stand for a while. I think shows have to have some universal appeal and that show simply won't have that appeal in 20 years.

Disagree. MASH was at heart an anti-war show, and that sentiment will always exist.

[MikeVic]

Care Bears will stand the test of time.

[Crapshoot]

Tragically, Arrested Development probably won't get the chance to make the cut. Typically, 100 is the magic number of episodes a show needs to go into syndication. AD got cancelled halfway through season 3, meaning that they probably hit about 60.

In the galaxy of 500 channels, maybe it will get a chance to find a place on some cable network. But despite the brilliance of the show, it won't ever be like Seinfeld -- where you can find it in any TV market at least 3 times every day.

It was/is on sydication on G4. They bought even though it didn' hit the 100 episode bit.

[MikeVic]

It's in syndication in Canada on CBC too.

[cuervo72]

Ones that already do, IMO (they've been around quite a while already):

I Love Lucy
The Dick Van Dkye Show
Mary Tyler Moore

I know, really going out on a limb with these.

[lighthousekeeper]

my (south korean-american) friend wasn't allowed to watch MASH growing up.

[Fidatelo]

I agree with Pumpy on Fresh Prince, that show is fantastic. Then again i've been told I have a man-crush on Will Smith so that might not be the most objective opinion.

[Raiders Army]

It's funny that almost all of the shows mentioned are sitcoms. Aren't there any dramas or action shows that stand the test of time?

[Pumpy Tudors]

It's funny that almost all of the shows mentioned are sitcoms. Aren't there any dramas or action shows that stand the test of time?
Magnum P.I. would be OK. I'd guess that something like Quantum Leap would work pretty well, too. MacGyver had a pretty good run on the USA Network for a while.

On the other hand, none of those old nighttime soap operas would be any good these days (Dynasty, Knots Landing, even SkyDog's beloved Dallas), not even as guilty pleasures. When I was a kid, we only had one TV, so I watched whatever my mother watched. I saw many of those nighttime soaps, and I think they would be absolutely atrocious these days, even though they were very popular in the '80s.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Dola

And they should bring back Flying Blind. Don't argue with me on this.

[st.cronin]

Lost? I love the show, but I'm not sure. I just started re-watching Season 1, and it still works for me - but its not quite the same.

[Karlifornia]

The original twilight zone episodes are tops on the list for me.

I cannot agree with you more here...God bless you, Arles.

[14ers]

I enjoy watching Arli$$ on ESPN classic.

[Raiders Army]

Magnum P.I. would be OK. I'd guess that something like Quantum Leap would work pretty well, too. MacGyver had a pretty good run on the USA Network for a while.

On the other hand, none of those old nighttime soap operas would be any good these days (Dynasty, Knots Landing, even SkyDog's beloved Dallas), not even as guilty pleasures. When I was a kid, we only had one TV, so I watched whatever my mother watched. I saw many of those nighttime soaps, and I think they would be absolutely atrocious these days, even though they were very popular in the '80s.

Yeah, Magnum P.I. was a great show. I bought seasons 1-3 of Airwolf and it just looks corny now.

[sterlingice]

I agree with Pumpy on Fresh Prince, that show is fantastic. Then again i've been told I have a man-crush on Will Smith so that might not be the most objective opinion.

The cringe factor on it has gone up as time has gone on, but it's still very watchable.

SI

[Pumpy Tudors]

I enjoy watching Arli$$ on ESPN classic.
I think you and Robert Wuhl are the only people who enjoy watching that show. :)

[BrianD]

It's funny that almost all of the shows mentioned are sitcoms. Aren't there any dramas or action shows that stand the test of time?

I've always found comedies to be much more rewatchable than dramas. It seems like dramas are built much more on suspense and character development, and those don't work very well the second time around. Comedies present funny situations and rely less on full stories which seems to work better a second time.

[Axxon]

completely agree with Mustang on Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. I watched those every week when I was a kid, but those would probably look like shit now.


True. I hear Dana Plato is looking pretty bad right now anyway.

[MJ4H]

myth

[14ers]

It's funny that almost all of the shows mentioned are sitcoms. Aren't there any dramas or action shows that stand the test of time?
Star Trek TOS

And, I stll love Bonanza.

[Brian Swartz]

It's positively criminal that Law & Order hasn't been mentioned here yet. Original crime drama is still the best, and for me, the courage and originality of it back in the first season or two put it above almost all other shows.

[NYFAN]

24. If they keep making new episodes, i will keep watching.