Classic TV Sitcoms - Mount Rushmost - Construction Completed

[Solecismic]

I'll leave voting open until 11:59 tonight.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

WKRP in Cincinnati. Another somewhat sentimental pick, although WKRP gets a couple of big bonus points for me. First is that the Thanksgiving episode ("Turkeys Away") is a classic, and has arguable one of the five greatest scenes in a sitcom in TV history. Another is that WKRP may have had one of the best first seasons in TV history. Many great shows (including M*A*S*H, Cheers and Seinfeld) have very uneven first seasons and don't really start to cook until seasons three or four. WKRP knew what it was from the beginning. The pilot was terrific. "Turkeys Away" was the seventh episode. "Hoodlum Rock," another fantastic episode, was the fourth episode. As a workplace sitcom, WKRP also nailed it. My first job was in radio, and I saw a lot of WKRP in my station. I've talked to other radio people who feel the same way.

I just watched Hoodlum Rock - probably for the first time. It holds up nicely. Shout Factory did a full DVD set for the series. It's a bit pricey, but I'm considering it. Sad that this show didn't get a better ride from CBS.

[CrimsonFox]

and THIS is Sir Charles Waetherby...also known as Dog.

I think that's my favorite....

also the one where they are drunk on the air.

Hulu used to have the whole series on there for free. They probably still do.

[Buccaneer]

My vote:

Night Court (1984-1992), 2.77b, 9, 193, 20.3m
Taxi (1978-1983), 1.62bm 5, 114, 18.6m
ALF (1986-1990), 1.43b, 4, 99, 16.7m
Mork and Mindy (1978-1982), 1.38b, 4, 91, 21.3m
Cheers (1982-1993), 4.85b, 11, 270, 23.8m
The Cosby Show (1984-1992), 4.52b, 8, 202, 30.5m
Perfect Strangers (1986-1993), 1.62b, 8, 150, NA

I know I didn't vote for the 70s but I wonder about the dichotomy that is MASH. I found the early cast (Stevenson, Linville, Rogers) to have been wholly unwatchable and cringe-worthy; but the latter cast to have been brilliant. How does one rate a show that, to me, was night and day?

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

My vote:

Night Court (1984-1992), 2.77b, 9, 193, 20.3m
Taxi (1978-1983), 1.62bm 5, 114, 18.6m
ALF (1986-1990), 1.43b, 4, 99, 16.7m
Mork and Mindy (1978-1982), 1.38b, 4, 91, 21.3m
Cheers (1982-1993), 4.85b, 11, 270, 23.8m
The Cosby Show (1984-1992), 4.52b, 8, 202, 30.5m
Perfect Strangers (1986-1993), 1.62b, 8, 150, NA

I know I didn't vote for the 70s but I wonder about the dichotomy that is MASH. I found the early cast (Stevenson, Linville, Rogers) to have been wholly unwatchable and cringe-worthy; but the latter cast to have been brilliant. How does one rate a show that, to me, was night and day?

Stevenson and Rogers left after season 3 and Linville left after season 5. The latter cast was on for much longer. Most people like one or the other and the die hard MASH fans generally prefer the early cast. I like both casts and don't mind the shift in tone for the show.

But either way, I'd say MASH has to be included in a "Mount Rushmost" no matter what you thought of it.

[oykib]

The Cosby Show
Cheers
Benson
Family Ties
Taxi
Diff'rent Strokes
It's Gary Shandling's Show

[CrimsonFox]

Haven't moved much...but I've posted some possibily confusing lists in this thread so just being clear...

Cheers
Night Court
WKRP in Cincinnati
It's Garry Shandling's Show
Newhart
Three's Company
Taxi

Things that didn't make it that I liked a lot:
Perfect Strangers
Benson


still considering swapping things at the buzzer

[Suicane75]

Saw an episode of Mork & Mindy the other day that featured Richard Moll & John Laroquete as leaders of a religious cult trying to brainwash Jonathon Winters.

I've seen Micheal Richards pop up as a guest star in 3 different shows in the past 5 days.

I had no idea that Ellen Foley, the defense attorney on season 2 of Night Court, is the female voice on Paradise By The Dashboard light and a quasi accomplished rock singer.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Saw an episode of Mork & Mindy the other day that featured Richard Moll & John Laroquete as leaders of a religious cult trying to brainwash Jonathon Winters.

I've seen Micheal Richards pop up as a guest star in 3 different shows in the past 5 days.

I had no idea that Ellen Foley, the defense attorney on season 2 of Night Court, is the female voice on Paradise By The Dashboard light and a quasi accomplished rock singer.

yup! although that isn't her in the video, it IS her singing in the video...
there was a whole behind the music about that

i thik michael richards only has 2 faces...a) dumb face (as used in that show and ufg) and b) kramer face

incidently jerry seinfeld was regular on Benson...but his character was canned after a bunch of eps cause it sucked

[CrimsonFox]

so what was the time zone of the deadline?
i assumed eastern

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

yup! although that isn't her in the video, it IS her singing in the video...
there was a whole behind the music about that

i thik michael richards only has 2 faces...a) dumb face (as used in that show and ufg) and b) kramer face

incidently jerry seinfeld was regular on seinfeld...but his character was canned after a bunch of eps cause it sucked

Yeah, I knew the girl in the video and the touring singer didn't do the album vocals, just had no idea it was Ellen Foley. Only other thing I remember her from were the early days of the VH-1 Top 20 Countdown.

[Solecismic]

Inductees for the Mount Rushmost of Sitcoms, 1980s.

1. Cheers (18). I debate whether this should be called our first unanimous pick, because apparently stevew thought we were playing Make Mine Rare.

2. The Cosby Show (15). The antics of the show's creator didn't influence most of the voters. I thought it would be about 50/50, but the fact that it was the top show for five straight years, and led off the ratings-dominant Must-See Thursdays on NBC, made it an overwhelming choice. It was the only sitcom in American history to average more than 30 million households over an entire season (1986-87).

3. Family Ties (12). It became popular on Cosby's heels, but was a solid show in its own right. Michael J. Fox is the face of teen leads in family-oriented sitcoms.

4. WKRP in Cincinnati (12). While it had a relatively short run, and didn't do very well in the ratings, it was a high-quality show that was good right from the start and holds up today. Plus, we all know turkeys can't fly because of the big guy's big mistake.

5. The Golden Girls (11). At the time, most of us couldn't relate to three middle-aged women and an elderly woman living together. Great acting made this a popular sitcom for many years.

6. Night Court (11). Some good actors, some not so good. But a solid show more often than not and the fourth of the Must-See Thursday sitcoms to get through. Fifty dollars and time served.

7. Taxi (10). The critics' choice, winning best comedy three times and seven individual acting awards (both second in the '80s to Cheers).

These are our seven additions to Mount Rushmost.

Close but No Rushmost

8. Newhart (9). An underrated show that was nominated 18 times for acting and best comedy Emmys, but never won once. I thought it would get in for certain, but perhaps one Bob Newhart show is enough.

9. Three's Company (8). One of the most popular shows of the decade and one of the best comic actors of our time, but not a great show around him.

10. It's Garry Shandling's Show (5). Innovative, but nowhere near the eyeballs of the other shows.

11. Designing Women (4). A solid show, but a lot of its run was after 1988, when the sitcom in general suffered a severe decline.

12-14. Benson, Diff'rent Strokes, Perfect Strangers (3).

Six other shows received one or two votes.

Thanks again for voting. We'll start with the 1990s soon. Many more nominees, probably much harder decisions.

[Solecismic]

The current makeup of Mount Rushmost:

All in the Family ('70s), The Bob Newhart Show ('70s), The Brady Bunch ('70s), Cheers ('80s), The Cosby Show ('80s), Family Ties ('80s), The Golden Girls ('80s), Happy Days ('70s), The Jeffersons ('70s), M*A*S*H ('70s), The Mary Tyler Moore Show ('70s), Night Court ('80s), Taxi ('80s), WKRP in Cincinnati ('80s).

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Izulde

No particular order:

1. Alf - Yeah, I'm going to be that guy. Alf is still one of my favorite shows/characters ever. I read all the comic books, watched the cartoon, had an Alf lunchbox, an Alf plush. Yeah. I *still* laugh at it.

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

ALF Love in the house!~ HA!

You guys are the best. Of course A.L.F. is the best 80's sitcom !

[stevew]

My parents wouldn't let me watch Cheers when I was younger. I liked Fraiser a ton. I've probably watched something like 10-15 episodes of Cheers ever. I'm not the biggest fan of Ted Danson so it's always been pretty easy to change the station when Cheers comes on.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Stevenson and Rogers left after season 3 and Linville left after season 5. The latter cast was on for much longer. Most people like one or the other and the die hard MASH fans generally prefer the early cast. I like both casts and don't mind the shift in tone for the show.

Thanks, I had not realized that die hard fans prefered the early cast.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Saw an episode of Mork & Mindy the other day that featured Richard Moll & John Laroquete as leaders of a religious cult trying to brainwash Jonathon Winters.

I've seen Micheal Richards pop up as a guest star in 3 different shows in the past 5 days.

I had no idea that Ellen Foley, the defense attorney on season 2 of Night Court, is the female voice on Paradise By The Dashboard light and a quasi accomplished rock singer.

That Ellen Foley note absolutely blew my mind. I always assumed it was Karla DeVito. Just read her Wikipedia page and there are several nuggets that blew my mind.

A lot of big names before they were stars appeared on "Mork & Mindy." My favorite:
David Letterman in a rare acting role on Mork & Mindy - YouTube

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

Thanks again for voting. We'll start with the 1990s soon. Many more nominees, probably much harder decisions.

I'm thinking the opposite, that there will be at least four no-brainer guaranteed inductees (maybe five depending on the classification of The Simpsons) for six slots. The debate for that sixth slot should be pretty intense.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Stevenson and Rogers left after season 3 and Linville left after season 5. The latter cast was on for much longer. Most people like one or the other and the die hard MASH fans generally prefer the early cast. I like both casts and don't mind the shift in tone for the show.

But either way, I'd say MASH has to be included in a "Mount Rushmost" no matter what you thought of it.

I enjoyed the entire run of MASH. Just a great show.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

I'm thinking the opposite, that there will be at least four no-brainer guaranteed inductees (maybe five depending on the classification of The Simpsons) for six slots. The debate for that sixth slot should be pretty intense.

I will be a stickler about the 10-year rule; a show must have stopped airing original episodes (reunion specials do not count) by the 2005-2006 season.

I think you'd be surprised how many people have never seen an episode of some of the no-brainers, compared to past decades.

[Suicane75]

First person that says Friends, gets a kick to the nards.

[stevew]

I assume Friends, Home Improvement, Seinfeld & Frasier will be on most lists. Then you'll have Fresh Prince, Wings, Mad About You, Roseanne and Raymond peoples. Hell, there's like a dozen shows at least that will get varying levels of support as well. The 90s might need to be subdivided.

And yes, just wanted to reiterate that I have seen very few episodes of Cheers but probably watched nearly all of Frasier.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I will be a stickler about the 10-year rule; a show must have stopped airing original episodes (reunion specials do not count) by the 2005-2006 season.

I think you'd be surprised how many people have never seen an episode of some of the no-brainers, compared to past decades.

Aha! I forgot about the 10-year rule. Good call.

No doubt about the no-brainers. Seinfeld is a no-doubter, but it has its detractors. There are others like that too. But I think there are four slam dunks. There are six shows I think will win -- although I won't be voting for two of them. I'll be stunned if something other than those six win.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I just watched Hoodlum Rock - probably for the first time. It holds up nicely. Shout Factory did a full DVD set for the series. It's a bit pricey, but I'm considering it. Sad that this show didn't get a better ride from CBS.

It's really amazing how CBS managed the show. What's amazing to me from the TV Graph mentioned earlier, WKRP is one of the few shows I can find where the trendline of IMDB ratings per episode actually trends upward from beginning to end. Most shows trend downward, with later seasons bringing the show down. Granted, the same might have happened to WKRP given six seasons and a movie, but it's still impressive.

You really wonder if the show were on another network it might have lived longer. CBS never had a good pairing for it. It did best following MASH, but good grief, at one point it was on Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET leading into the Tim Conway Show.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Odd quirky Jon fact that I have to figure I've mentioned here at some point previously:

I worked briefly at WKRP. The real one.

Not the station (WQXI) that heavily influenced the show & its characters, I mean 1500 AM WKRP ... in Dallas, GA. From 1979 sign on until 1989 however it was indeed WKRP.

The station was such a turkey eventually that it was actually donated to the local college, who then sold off the call letters for a relatively small sum as I recall.
WDPC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

Aha! I forgot about the 10-year rule. Good call.

No doubt about the no-brainers. Seinfeld is a no-doubter, but it has its detractors. There are others like that too. But I think there are four slam dunks. There are six shows I think will win -- although I won't be voting for two of them. I'll be stunned if something other than those six win.

The discussion period will be more important because there's more of a spread than you'd think. More households available, but much lower ratings for each individual show. There never was "must-see" television after the '80s.

I'll have to give this some thought before I post the initial nominations later. I am making one exception for the decade rule because it's on the line, had a significant '90s presence and was nominated for and won the most awards (Everybody Loves Raymond).

But Raymond was seen by an average of only 11.2 million households per episode. That's replacement level for a '70s sitcom. In 1970 total households with televisions passed 70 million. It passed 110 million in 2005. Yet replacement level was 50% higher in 1970.

That's why I feel there should be fewer '90s shows on Mount Rushmost, even though viewing is more scattered and there are at least eight that seem like major players here. Who knows? We'll have to deal with Garry Shandling again, this time with a show that was a hit with the critics. Sex and the City was definitely a '00s show, as was Will and Grace. The most viewed show was perhaps the most polarizing and was never nominated for best comedy.

The only one I'm certain about is Seinfeld.

Viewing really scattered in the 1990s. People watch more and more television, though. In 1970, average viewing was just a shade under six hours per day per household (holy crap that's a lot). In 2005, that was over eight hours. And only about half of that increase was due to multi-set households with fewer viewers per set. This trend is changing how television is delivered (we watch more than ever today, but live network viewing is way, way down).

[CrimsonFox]

Newsradio all the way!

f*** home improvement. formulaic and bad

Only one funny guy on it and all he got to say was "I don't think so Tim"

[CrimsonFox]

Here was my guilty pleasure of the early 90s. This Jon Cryer flop

[CrimsonFox]

Dharma and Greg was always a favorite and I believe it was Chuck Lorre's first show. At least the first one he did those "blogs" at the end of each episode.

(He's the guy that created Two and a Half Men, BIg Bang Theory, etc.

[NobodyHere]

My first thought is Seinfeld and Married With Children.

I turned 6 in 1990 so a lot of my nostalgia goes to the more youth oriented shows like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or whatever was on TGIF such as Family Matters.

Of course there's also all the kid-friendly shows that Nickelodeon aired but I don't think counts in this contest.

[CrimsonFox]

Primetime animation starts coming back in this decade. Simpsons definitely applies as a sitcom.

I'm not sure what sol was saying about the length of a series thing.
But to me, The Simpsons died in 2000 anyway.


ha...Invader Zim on this list would be funny

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

My first thought is Seinfeld and Married With Children.

I turned 6 in 1990 so a lot of my nostalgia goes to the more youth oriented shows like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or whatever was on TGIF such as Family Matters.

Of course there's also all the kid-friendly shows that Nickelodeon aired but I don't think counts in this contest.

I'd have to look up the air dates to see about their decade placement but, yeah, generally speaking there are quite a few kid-oriented comedies over the past 15 years or so that I not only watched but also enjoyed a great deal more than even some of the shows that have/will make it onto Mount Rushmost.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Another thought about one of those "kids shows" in particular: SpongeBob SquarePants was doing 15 million viewers a week at peak, at least 5 million of those were adults 18+.

It's another one of those changes-in-television things. The line between kids shows & adult shows got narrower over time.

[Radii]

If the Simpsons is eligible then its a no brainer for me along with Seinfeld. I wasn't sure if Animated shows were a part of this.

[cartman]

The Simpsons and South Park are excluded because they released new episodes after 2006. That is the cutoff for new episodes according to the initial post.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Radii

If the Simpsons is eligible then its a no brainer for me along with Seinfeld. I wasn't sure if Animated shows were a part of this.

I think it would depend on the show. We've been saying "sitcom" which definitely leaves out things like sketch shows.

But a number of animated shows (no matter how weird) were indeed sitcoms at their heart. Simpsons 100% is one.

I would even say Spongebob is a sitcom too really.

Now the thing I'm torn up about is that I can't vote for Northern Exposure. One of my favorite shows of the 90s! Definitely had the weird alternative sitcom thing going...but it was an hour long

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

SpongeBob SquarePants was doing 15 million viewers a week at peak, at least 5 million of those were adults 18+.

This is my wife's default viewing*, and is on as I type (good episode too, the one with the send-up of Are You Ready for This). She's 45.


* Between east, west, and toon it airs nearly all day.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

* Between east, west, and toon it airs nearly all day.

Yep, it's kind of the Law and Order of cartoons I guess

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

If a show has 97 or more episodes (you'll know why I picked 97 when we do the 1990s),

Waiting for the big reveal!

Originally Posted by Solecismic

Only 30-minute sitcoms are included.

Sad...NOrthern Exposure definitely out.

[Umbrella]

In continuing my love for sitcoms that were on the obscure side, I wonder if The Norm Show falls in the 90's. It ran from 1999-2001, and had 54 episodes (barely making the requirement). Ratings were good the first season.

[cartman]

Pretty sure the 97 episodes is for NewsRadio. It wasn't a Nielsen darling.

[CrimsonFox]

*sigh* and now we have to debate yet ANOTHER of cosby's shows :/

[Solecismic]

Mount Rushmost - The '90s

We will chose another six sitcoms to cover the 1990s. Eligibility is limited to network sitcoms that primarily aired during the 1990s. To determine the decade, I took the midpoint season of the series during its original run. In case of a tie, I moved the show to its starting decade. A show must have stopped airing original episodes by the 2004-05 season.

I made one exception for a show within a year of qualifying because we won't be including '00s sitcoms.

Listed are the first 45 nominees. This is not an exhaustive list, but I'd be surprised if we strongly considered anything not on this list.

Sitcoms are listed in order of first-run household impressions. The average number of households that saw a first-run episode multiplied by the number of original episodes. For shows that didn't place in the top 30 in the Nielsens for a season, I used a number equal to 80% of the 30th show's ratings as an estimate.

Show (Year began-Year ended), Impressions, Seasons, Episodes, Peak Season Average Viewers (NA means never in the top 30).

Roseanne (1988-1997), 3.72b, 9, 222, 21.6m
Friends (1994-2004), 3.64b, 10, 236, 18.5m
Murphy Brown (1988-1998), 3.21b, 10, 247, 17.1m
Frasier (1993-2004), 3.19b, 11, 264, 15.6m
Home Improvement (1991-1999), 3.16b, 8, 204, 19.0m
Seinfeld (1989-1998), 2.86b, 9, 180, 21.3m
Married... with Children (1987-1997), 2.67b, 11, 262, 12.2m
Coach (1989-1997), 2.61b, 9, 197, 16.3m
Full House (1987-1995), 2.57b, 8, 192, 15.7m
A Different World (1987-1993), 2.47b, 6, 144, 22.2m
Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005), 2.35b, 9, 210, 13.5m
Empty Nest (1988-1995), 2.23b, 7, 170, 17.6m
Family Matters (1989-1998), 2.20b, 9, 215, 14.7m
The Drew Carey Show (1995-2004), 1.98b, 9, 233, 11.2m
Wings (1990-1997), 1.84b, 8, 172, 13.4m
Mad About You (1992-1999), 1.63b, 7, 164, 14.5m
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996), 1.59b, 6, 148, 13.6m
The Wonder Years (1988-1993), 1.57b, 6, 115, 17.7m
Step by Step (1991-1998), 1.41b, 7, 160, NA
Grace Under Fire (1993-1998), 1.40b, 5, 112, 17.9m
The Nanny (1993-1999), 1.36b, 6, 146, 11.9m
Just Shoot Me! (1997-2003), 1.29b, 7, 148, 11.7m
Boy Meets World (1993-2000), 1.28b, 7, 158, NA
Evening Shade (1990-1994), 1.25b, 4, 98, 14.6m
Spin City (1996-2002), 1.22b, 6, 145, 11.3m
Major Dad (1989-1993), 1.19b, 4, 96, 15.5m
Dear John (1988-1992), 1.19b, 4, 90, 16.7m
3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001), 1.17b, 6, 139, 11.6m
Blossom (1990-1995), 1.14b, 5, 114, 11.6m
Ellen (1994-1998), 1.08b, 5, 109, 14.0m
Doogie Hauser, M.D., 1989-1993, 1.06b, 4, 97, 13.8m
Dave's World (1993-1997), 1.04b, 4, 98, 12.8m
Caroline in the City (1995-1999), 1.02b, 4, 97, 17.2m
Dharma and Greg (1997-2002), 1.02b, 5, 119, 10.6m
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992-1997), 0.98b, 5, 101, 13.6m
Suddenly Susan (1996-2000), 0.88b, 4, 93, 16.3m
Cybill (1995-1998), 0.83b, 4, 87, 12.2m
Love and War (1992-1995), 0.82b, 3, 68, 13.7m
Cosby (1996-2000), 0.82b, 4, 95, 10.9m
Veronica's Closet (1997-2000), 0.81b, 3, 66, 16.3m
NewsRadio (1995-1999), 0.78b, 5, 97, NA
Anything but Love (1989-1992), 0.67b, 4, 56, 17.2m
The Naked Truth (1995-1998), 0.63b, 3, 55, 16.3m
Hearts Afire (1992-1995), 0.57b, 3, 54, 13.2m
The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998), NA, 6, 89, NA

Emmy Nominations, Best Comedy

Frasier 8 (5 wins), Everybody Loves Raymond 7 (2 wins), Seinfeld 7 (1 win), Friends 6 (1 win), The Larry Sanders Show 6, Murphy Brown 5 (2 wins), The Wonder Years 4 (1 win), Mad About You 4, Home Improvement 3, 3rd Rock from the Sun 2.

Emmy Nominations, Major Acting Awards (both Lead and Supporting)

Everybody Loves Raymond 32 (10 wins), Frasier 24 (8 wins), Seinfeld 24 (5 wins), Roseanne 17 (4 wins), The Larry Sanders Show 17 (1 win), Friends 16 (2 wins), Murphy Brown 15 (5 wins), Mad About You 13 (4 wins), 3rd Rock from the Sun 9 (5 wins), Coach 9 (1 win), Evening Shade 8 (2 wins), Cybill 7 (1 win), Home Improvement 5, Spin City 4 (1 win), Ellen 4, Empty Nest 3 (1 win), The Nanny 3, Just Shoot Me! 3, Dharma and Greg 3, The Wonder Years 2, Wings 2, Love and War 1, Veronica's Closet 1, NewsRadio 1.

[Solecismic]

A few notes, in order of appearance...

I found Roseanne unwatchable. For a show this popular never to be nominated for best comedy speaks volumes. It also went out with a final season that makes the lost Dallas season look brilliant by comparison.

Friends was clever and cute and fast-paced, delivering more formulaic laughs per minute than any show in history. But they did recycle too many jokes. Were Ross and Rachel on a break? Is that OK? Why would anyone want them to reproduce in the end?

Murphy Brown shouldn't be dismissed so easily. Candice Bergen did well with the show and Faith Ford was an excellent foil. The show lasted too long, but it was pretty good in its prime.

Frasier, for me, is a no-brainer inclusion with the record five wins for Best Comedy. Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde-Pierce played so well off of each other.

Home Improvement was almost as bad as Roseanne.

Seinfeld was innovative and brought us new catch phrases on a weekly basis. At its best (my favorite is the Bubble Boy episode) it was nasty and you hated yourself for laughing, but you still looked forward to it. At its worst, you wanted all of them to wind up in jail forever (the finale is my second favorite episode). Like Cheers, I can't imagine not including Seinfeld.

I don't think Married... holds up. Ed O'Neill is a solid comic actor and can carry a show. Christina Applegate and Katey Sagal do an OK Suzanne Somers with an edge. But I think if you've seen one, you've seen most.

Coach needed Tom Cruise to return. I told you to play the ball, not the man. You cost us the game.

Everybody Loves Raymond has the awards necessary for heavy consideration. Was it warm enough? I struggled with Patricia Heaton in that role.

Empty Nest was competent, but not good enough.

Drew Carey deserved every one of the zero major nominations this show received.

Mad About You was two excellent actors surrounded by the most tedious marriage ever.

The Wonder Years is intriguing. It was original and watchable.

I think Grace Under Fire was underrated, and her own personal issues led to a rough ride for the show.

The Nanny defies logic. It was better than Roseanne, though, as long as you were quick on the mute button.

John Lithgow made 3rd Rock a decent show, but I don't think it had anything else going for it.

I am sad that I will never again watch a very special episode of Blossom.

Would NewsRadio get attention today if not for Phil Hartman's death? I found it OK, but not particularly clever.

What about The Larry Sanders Show? I hate to admit I haven't seen an episode of this one, either.

Overall... I have a handful of easy votes (Seinfeld, Frasier, Murphy Brown, Friends) and I have no idea what I will do with the last two spots.

[CrimsonFox]

Now this is the story all about how my life got flip-turned upside down...
...all the little chicks with the crimson lips go Cleveland rocks...Cleveland rocks!

[Radii]

Seinfeld
Friends
Fraiser
Larry Sanders Show
News Radio
The Wonder Years

I'll re-visit and think about this more, but these 6 all jump out at me in a very strong way, without a clear choice of what else I would include here if I decided to drop one of these shows (Wings? Fresh Prince? Murphy Brown?)

[Suicane75]

Roseanne: A much more relate able, and realistic version of the Cosby Show. It was great for a long enough stretch that I'm considering it. Hell, even a year or so after Darlene goes off to college it's still a great show. But man, when the cliff came, it came frigging hard. It's sad that how the show ended is how most people remember it. It was truly ground breaking.

Friends: No. It was funny in spots, but god damn if there was ever a "chick" show, this was it.

Murphy Brown: This isn't gonna make my list, but it was quality. Unfortunately I think it's fairly well dated already. Even being of the time, I've had trouble trying to rewatch it. Another Bloodworth/Thomason show that even at it's best, thought it was hipper and cooler than it was.

Frasier: Yes. The cast is great, the writing is funny and smart, and even Kelsey Grammers smug adoration of himself, which could be overwhelming at times, is offset by all the greatness around him.

Home Improvement: Nah. It was strong early on, but slowly and steadily declined into more of a silly show than a Roseanne with a male lead that it had the flavor of upon its debut. But Patricia Richardson? Yes sir.

Seinfeld: I mean, come on. Of course.

Married... with Children: On the fence with this one but I think it'll make my list. It was just so groundbreaking and legitimately raunchy AND funny. Sure it declined, but even at the end it was still funny, if meaningless.

Coach: I liked it, it was silly fun, but no, it's not making my list.

Full House: No way dude! Yeah, it was a good kids show for the time, but no.

A Different World: I just never got it. Now granted, I wasn't the target demo, but I think I can look at it objectively and say it's not Rushmore worthy.

Everybody Loves Raymond: Has a chance to make my list but I don't think it'll make it. It had a lot of funny characters, the problem I always had was that neither of them were the leads. The whole Ray/Debra dynamic almost infuriated my to the point of madness.

Empty Nest: Kristy McNichol crush aside, this was a perfectly fine and inoffensive show that is not making my list.

Family Matters: Heavens no. I get that a lot of people a bit younger than me loved it, but I just found to be brain numbing.

The Drew Carey Show: Has a good shot to make my list. As is the theme with a lot of these shows, it went downhill fast, but it's prime few seasons were great. The supporting cast five deep and any one of them could carry a particular episode. It did absurdist comedy about as good as any show in the decade.

Wings: Never saw a lot of it, and what I did see never made me want to become a regular viewer. It was fine, but never made me laugh enough to stick around.

Mad About You: I want to put this on my maybe list, but I honestly can't say it has any resonance with me other than remembering that I liked it when I watched it.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: This is basically Family Matters with a less goofy lead. Nah.

The Wonder Years: On my short list, but not quite sure if it makes it. I know I loved the hell of it, but I just stopped watching at some point and never revisited it. It might be that it was too nuanced and dramatic of a story to really appeal to just wanting to sit down for 20 minutes and laugh.

Step by Step: Saw it some, it is what it is, a Friday night kids show that was well past what I was looking for at the time.

Grace Under Fire: Not on my short list, but it was really good for about 2-3 years. Like, criminally underrated levels of good. Then she got drunk and tried to screw her son and cast members started jumping ship and it all went to shit.

The Nanny: No. Just No. Would sometimes keep it on just to look at Fran Drescher but you couldn't pay me enough to turn the volume up.

Just Shoot Me!: I enjoyed this for a season or two, but it's not cracking my list.

Boy Meets World: Never watched it, not in my demo.

Evening Shade: Have seen this is reruns, and it's really not all that good. Burt Reynolds just doesn't do it for me.

Spin City: Never watched it enough to form a good opinion on it. People I trust say it's good, but it never hooked me.

Major Dad: I know I watched it for a year or two, but it was just a sitcom.

Dear John: I liked Dear John. Not loved, but liked. Not making my list.

3rd Rock from the Sun: A show that wont make my list, mainly because I just haven't watched enough of it. I know I loved the first season, but like a lot of shows in this era, being a teenager, watching TV was usually the last thing on my mind so I just didn't watch much stuff. This is one that I really want to revisit.

Blossom: Whoaaa. Noooo.

Ellen: I friggin loved Ellen. I can't stand her now, but in this show, with the cast she had around her, she was perfect. I was actively bummed when the show ended. Makes my list as I'm sure I'd have a ball binge watching the entire series. Joely Fisher don't hurt the eyes none either.

Doogie Hauser, M.D: Didn't like it.

Dave's World: Loved the first season, stopped watching. Saw some of the later seasons years later and it didn't do it for me. Thought it had potential but was pretty well ruined by its time slot.

Caroline in the City: No.

Dharma and Greg: Yes. One of my favorite shows ever and I'll fight those who disagree.

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper: Never watched.

Suddenly Susan: The combined talents of Brooke Shields AND Kathy Griffin? Where do I sign up?

Cybill: I think it was good, but I never watched.

Love and War: Never watched it.

Cosby: Underrated. If I had to rewatch one of his shows, I'd much prefer it be this one. Not making my list though.

Veronica's Closet: Another good show that isn't going to crack my list. Just not at the top level of quality or longevity but it was funny. Another show that suffers from probably coming a few years too late.

NewsRadio: Beats out Seinfeld for my top spot if I had to rank them. My all-time favorite show.

Anything but Love: I've seen an episode here or there but never watched it with any vested interest.

The Naked Truth: Tea Leoni oh my. Love her, can't say I cared very much for the show.

Hearts Afire: Another show that I can't list, but think I'd really love watching. I liked the first season and from all accounts the show actually got better but I stopped watching. If anything, this exercise has provided me with the desire to go back and check some of these shows out.

The Larry Sanders Show: Easily makes my list and finishes my surefire top 3 along with Seinfeld and NewsRadio.

[Izulde]

1. The Wonder Years - I think Jeeber summed it up best when he said this was a show that had double resonance - our parents who grew up during that time period, and those of us who were Kevin Arnold's age when watching it. My #1 favorite show of all time, and it will break my damn heart if this isn't included. I mean, don't we even have a Kevin Arnold's girls thread here? (BTW this answer is Madeline).

2. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - Really imprinted itself on the national scene IMO, and even today people reference it. Remember The Carlton? And The Carlton appearing on Dancing With The Stars?

I'm going to have to think about my remaining four. But those two for sure.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My six ... I think. And maybe not surprisingly, some big names aren't going to make my list. This era had a lot of stuff I simply didn't find particularly funny, and in a number of cases found downright unwatchably unfunny / uninteresting.

--------------
Roseanne (1988-1997), 3.72b, 9, 222, 21.6m
Murphy Brown (1988-1998), 3.21b, 10, 247, 17.1m
Frasier (1993-2004), 3.19b, 11, 264, 15.6m
Married... with Children (1987-1997), 2.67b, 11, 262, 12.2m
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996), 1.59b, 6, 148, 13.6m
NewsRadio (1995-1999), 0.78b, 5, 97, NA
--------------

And I actually started worrying whether I was going to end up with six I felt okay with picking.

Notable in particular for me is the strength of Murphy Brown, given how far from my positions it tended to stake out its turf. Nobody ever did current events humor better in a sitcom though, and that made the absurdly ridiculous moments they indulged in even funnier to me. NewsRadio was, in some ways, everything WKRP wasn't. Where WKRP was far too recognizable for any radio veteran, NewsRadio stood that on its head a bit & created moments that were far enough over the top that the humor wasn't in recognizing the situations, it was in imagining some of the stuff that went down. Hartman was brilliant here, Foley played bewildered well, Root is a joy to watch, and Maura Tierney was a delight to watch for totally different reasons.

Of the shows not on my list two of the biggies amongst the nominees vex me in particular: Friends & Seinfeld. The latter at least was funny for moments on occasion, it could find a concept & beat the laughs out of it now & then. I simply didn't like anybody on it long enough to get to the jokes consistently. But Friends? With the exception of the dumb guy doing his Tony Danza knockoff, I think this might have one of the lowest laugh-per-minute ratios for me of any show on the nominations list.

[Suicane75]

Jeepers. Sports Night is not on the list. It ought to be though. Not sure it cracks my list because it hasn't aged well at all, but it deserves a mention.