As always, if you can think of others on you’d add to the list, please add them in the comments. I could use some good shows to watch over the summer.
10. M*A*S*H: I totally wanted to live in that tent with Hawkeye and Trapper. No, I wouldn’t have been Frank Burns. (True story: The real life Gooby, who is a character in my two novels, used to have a picture autographed by Larry Linville, the actor that played Frank Burns)
9. Cheers: Every episode Norm had something funny to say when they greeted him as he entered the bar. My favorite? ‘It’s a dog eat dog world and I’m wearing Milk Bone underpants.”
8. Friends: Definitely much better in the early years than the later ones, but a great portrayal of those fun years in your twenties when you’re figuring out how to be an adult and failing badly at it sometimes. And who didn’t sing Phoebe’s Smelly Cat song for a while after that episode?
7. How I Met Your Mother: Ok, I’m going to be that hipster doofus who likes to say ‘I knew about this before everyone else thought it was cool.’ I was on this show from the beginning and the Slap Bet and Robin Sparkles episodes were the best.
6. Family Guy: If this was a show with real actors and actresses none of the jokes would be allowed on the air. Seth McFarlane is an evil genius. Not a great awards show host, but an evil genius nonetheless.
5. The I.T. Crowd: Most of my American friends won’t have heard of this British sitcom. Do yourself a favor and look it up on Netflix.
4. Seinfeld: Only one other show, The Office, has as many quotable lines as Seinfeld. (True story, I had a conversation with someone that was in the last two episodes.)
3. Psych: A hilarious hour long comedy/suspense show that didn’t get the acclaim it deserved because it was on the little watched USA network. You’d be hard pressed to find a show with more sly pop culture references. This is another one where you can thoroughly enjoy a full weekend of binge watching the 8 seasons on Netflix.
2. The Office: I’m referring to the American version here. I haven’t watched enough of the original British version to render judgement. One of the best ensemble cast comedies ever. Great last two episodes.
1. Saturday Night Live: They recently celebrated their 40th anniversary. This show and the always changing cast have given us some of the most memorable live moments on TV.
Honorable Mention: The Kids in The Hall and Whose Line Is It Anyway? It’s hard to beat good sketch and improv comedy.
Well, how did I do? What shows would you add? If you did, what shows would you take off my list?
Have a great Tuesday! ~Phil
