Least Essential Sitcoms of All Time

Seeing as I missed the whole "old threads reborn as mutant vampire strains on content at NOOL" mess, let me offer up this brand-new and in-no-way-derivative-or-been-done-before idea

The Least Essential Sitcom of All Time doesn't necessarily have to be a terrible one (though it helps), but a show that quite frankly has no purpose for being. Whether it's because it's built around an untelegenic personality or because it's a vechicle for some asshole Seinfeld-wannabe, it has to be a show that goes by unnoticed by most sane folks and thus is insanely popular.

Thus my nominee....Home Improvement

What's yours?

i think you pretty much said it all, trev.

no, wait. just the ten of us.

i try and forget those.

On a bad note,what was that shite with Jasper Carrott in,with a multi-racial family,with a kid in a wheelchair? It had PC written all over it,and was about as funny as clap.

monty wrote: On a bad note,what was that shite with Jasper Carrott in,with a multi-racial family,with a kid in a wheelchair? It had PC written all over it,and was about as funny as clap.

BIGINOIL wrote:

monty wrote: On a bad note,what was that shite with Jasper Carrott in,with a multi-racial family,with a kid in a wheelchair? It had PC written all over it,and was about as funny as clap.

It WAS terrible...........what the hell was it called now?.......Hang on, I'll just go and knock Jasper's door.....sure he won't mind 'oi Jasper, what was that crap sitcom you were in last year mate?' Ok, I admit, I'd have to get a bus.......

How about 2 point 4 children - that's really bad. My Family - awful. (All 3 my youngest loves! - and he's supposed to be intelligent!)

Wino wrote:

How about 2 point 4 children - that's really bad. My Family - awful.

the british are supposed to produce quality television and what appears on TV? those two plops of poo!

Al Jarvis wrote: Worst sitcom in history has to be 'Going Straight'!

Anyone remember it, or who the cast and characters were?

A dismal faiure considering what it followed on from.

If you don't remember it ...Going Straight

Oh yes, I do remember that. I hope Ronnie Barker's Agent paid for his error by way of redundancy.

AgentWood wrote:

Wino wrote:

How about 2 point 4 children - that's really bad. My Family - awful.

the british are supposed to produce quality television and what appears on TV? those two plops of poo!

'Supposed' being the operative........

actually i did, sometimes, on occasion, when i was bored, kind of watch my family.

*ducks*

AgentWood wrote: actually i did, sometimes, on occasion, when i was bored, kind of watch my family.

*ducks*

Hopefully not before you needed a check up at the dentists?

monty wrote: On a bad note,what was that shite with Jasper Carrott in,with a multi-racial family,with a kid in a wheelchair? It had PC written all over it,and was about as funny as clap.

Not that I'm proud or anything......but......'ALL ABOUT ME!' was the title of the crap.......; why did it have personal computer written on it though?:D

Wino wrote:

AgentWood wrote: actually i did, sometimes, on occasion, when i was bored, kind of watch my family.

*ducks*

Hopefully not before you needed a check up at the dentists?

never went to the dentist in the UK, actually.

and the dad was probably the best part of the show. ;)

Wino wrote:

monty wrote: On a bad note,what was that shite with Jasper Carrott in,with a multi-racial family,with a kid in a wheelchair? It had PC written all over it,and was about as funny as clap.

Not that I'm proud or anything......but......'ALL ABOUT ME!' was the title of the crap.......; why did it have personal computer written on it though?:D

'Cause the kid in the wheelchair had a "funny" line in every episode,by pressing this "Speak & Spell" thing,but he used to do it with one button! Mine's got two buttons....music and porn!

Taboo # 7 wrote:

The Least Essential Sitcom of All Time doesn't necessarily have to be a terrible one (though it helps), but a show that quite frankly has no purpose for being. Whether it's because it's built around an untelegenic personality or because it's a vechicle for some asshole Seinfeld-wannabe, it has to be a show that goes by unnoticed by most sane folks and thus is insanely popular.

Thus my nominee....Home Improvement

What's yours?

Well, Tabsy, you gotta admit that Home Improvement did give Pamela Anderson a start, thus keeping some plastic surgeons very, very happy, so I can't quite go that far as calling it 'least essential'. Though in our household at the time, we would always opt for Seinfeld, which used to run at the same time as HI.

My choice would be whatever the hell the show's called that had Urkel on it. Five minutes of that was more than enough.

[darkgreen]Green[/darkgreen] wrote:

My choice would be whatever the hell the show's called that had Urkel on it. Five minutes of that was more than enough.

that would be family matters, green.

another one i've never understood is all in the family. i don't see why it's considered 'the greatest comedy of all time.' the only redeeming factors are that rob reiner got his start acting on the show and that one vichyssoise episode. oh, and the one where sammy davis, jr. kisses archie bunker on the lips.

Dang.. I had a massive diatribe against 'My Family' lined up, but it's already been mentioned.

OK.. I'd just like to mention the Xmas special was possibly the most unfunny piece of "entertainment" that has graced Festive TV in living memory. The Clown gag was piss poor; Citizen Smith would roll in his grave. Will the real Robert Lindsay please stand up?.. or have you turned into a c___?

we had an all time stinker here called "let the blood run free". a hospital type sitcom. it was worth catching it just to see how bad it was.

After not watching TV for four months, I had to watch some show that had Seth Green and some other twentysomething guys living in an apartment as my family was eating dinner one night. I didn't catch the title, but it was simply awful. The sex jokes were awkward, most of the show seemed sexist, and none of the characters stood out.

Another candidate are some of those "urban" sitcoms that used to be on the WB network when it started out around a decade ago. I remember having to watch really awful shows like "The Parent 'Hood", "Unhappily Ever After" (a Married with Children rip off), and "Homeboys in Outerspace."

Or else it's crap like "Blue Collar Comedy" and other shows that play being working class as humor. In case the television networks didn't realize, most working class whites are not hicks. "Roseanne" did it well and was mildly realistic. Why can't there be a show with working class or middle class characters that is a drama, instead of a crap comedy? Why do we get "drama" like the OC, with filthy, overly dramatic rich kids?

The WB "Urban". Martin Lawerence had one and that was the first time I heard one of those made up African-American names. Moesha I think his love interest was named.

Full House although my 4 year old enjoys it.

That spin off of Happy Days featuring Scott Biao.

The spinoff from M*A*S*H

Whoopie Goldberg's anti-Bush show that lasted about two episodes

Rebba

i have to mention raymond here. it is currently on the telly as i write this. i just don't get it. all the characters are stereotypes. there are some people who i consider reasonably bright, who just love. i don't understand. i wish they would cancel it and put seinfeld back in its rightful place in the tv schedule. did i mention seinfeld in the top tv thread, probably not.

twist wrote: The WB "Urban". Martin Lawerence had one and that was the first time I heard one of those made up African-American names. Moesha I think his love interest was named.

Martin Lawrence's show wasn't on WB; it was on Fox. And it was just called Martin, although Moesha was a show on UPN with Brandy.

Both were crap, anyway.

something horrible called george lopez just appeared on the telly.

I know that it might be taken as homophobic or as a narrow-minded attack by some... but I seriously found "Will and Grace" to be unwatchable and unfunny with really annoying characters, so cliched and predictable

if you remember there was an very obvious Seinfield clone on NBC, slotted after Seinfield, that was so lame that NBC even cancelled the show even thou it had top ten ratings... it was so lame and forgettable I don't remember the title even, all I remember was that it had an embarrassing performance of Ernest Bourgine as the doorman.

pumped full of drugs wrote: if you remember there was an very obvious Seinfield clone on NBC, slotted after Seinfield, that was so lame that NBC even cancelled the show even thou it had top ten ratings... it was so lame and forgettable I don't remember the title even, all I remember was that it had an embarrassing performance of Ernest Bourgine as the doorman.

Is this what you mean?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112163/

i actually vaguly remember that one. i never got into that one.

pumped full of drugs wrote: I know that it might be taken as homophobic or as a narrow-minded attack by some... but I seriously found "Will and Grace" to be unwatchable and unfunny with really annoying characters, so cliched and predictable

if you remember there was an very obvious Seinfield clone on NBC, slotted after Seinfield, that was so lame that NBC even cancelled the show even thou it had top ten ratings... it was so lame and forgettable I don't remember the title even, all I remember was that it had an embarrassing performance of Ernest Bourgine as the doorman.

I can't stand Will&Grace. All of the characters get on my nerves. It has nothing to do with the characters being homosexual. It's just that they're all annoying and you wish they would just shut up.

Taboo # 7 wrote:

pumped full of drugs wrote: if you remember there was an very obvious Seinfield clone on NBC, slotted after Seinfield, that was so lame that NBC even cancelled the show even thou it had top ten ratings... it was so lame and forgettable I don't remember the title even, all I remember was that it had an embarrassing performance of Ernest Bourgine as the doorman.

Is this what you mean?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112163/

I do recall that show. I remember watching it and thinking, "This is some really bad writing."

Ah, but Jonathan Silverman has gone on to bigger and better...scratch that :p