Sitcoms

[Kiddington]

Part of the appeal, I guess, to TBBT is that the token "nerd" references are so overt and in your face, it's an easy sell. I'm not exactly sure how NBC promotes Community, but the way CBS promotes this (with numerous Star Trek plugs right in the ads), it's very obvious to all who they're targeting... and it seems to work.

I dunno. Probably my biggest issue with the show, more than anything, is the quote unquote "appeal" of Sheldon Cooper. Why he was pegged as the series "breakout character" when all does is act like a stiffened idiot who repeats the same joke time and time again (Penny *knock* Penny *knock* Penny *knock* PENNEH... yeah, you know what bit I'm talking about) is something I will never quite comprehend. The fact that Jim Parsons is also running away with a truckload of Emmy's every year for playing this role is another issue in of itself.

...and speaking of CBS, here it comes; Two and a Half Men. Please, PLEASE, tell me I am not alone here in hating it. My entire family loves this show, but the appeal is totally lost on me (it's basically nothing but rapid fire sex jokes, an occasional touch of ill-timed toilet humor from the kid, and the whole "LOL ALAN IS POOR" gag they've been driving into the ground for years). I'm still convinced that if it weren't for Charlie Sheen being a douche, this show wouldn't even be HALF as big as it is.

[Avaitor]

I'm surprised that 2 1/2 Men is the highest rated sitcom on TV. I honestly don't know that many people who watch it, and when they do, they only catch syndicated repeats and don't catch it regularly.

And you're not alone. Just like anything that's popular, there's a fair amount of backlash towards the show's existence. I actually kind of like what I've seen, but I can understand why it has haters. Alan's a weasel, Jake is tedious, and a lot of the jokes are lame. But clever lines slip out of the cracks every now and then, and Charlie Sheen actually pulled a good job as himself.

Still, I think it's fair to say that HIMYM is by and far the best of the CBS comedies.

[Rosalinas Spare Wand]

I'm literally appalled Big Bang Theory is not only popular, but there's an audience that actually finds this shit funny. I laughed more at the comments than that fucking scene.

As for other shows...well, I still think Step by Step is one of the worst ones to come from the 90s. Painfully unfunny, boring characters, its probably one of the most generic TGIF shows to come out of that block. And yet that theme song remains stuck in my head after all these years. Fuck you ABC.

[Kiddington]

I'm literally appalled Big Bang Theory is not only popular, but there's an audience that actually finds this shit funny. I laughed more at the comments than that fucking scene.

Welp... I guess if nerds find that funny, more power to 'em. Jesus Christ, though... that was painful.

That clip leads me to something I've always wondered about this show; anyone know if that's an actual studio audience busting a gut over the "joke", or if that's just the good ol' fashioned laugh track that, I thought, people hated nowadays?

If that IS indeed canned laughter, and this show actually remains popular in spite of that, than the excuse that today's audiences don't like multi-camera "typical" sitcoms is quite simply bullshit.

[Foggle]

Welp... I guess if nerds find that funny, more power to 'em.

They don't. Big Bang Theory's target audience is middle-aged people and 12 year old girls who think it's "cool" to be "nerdy."

[Spark Of Spirit]

Most of CBS's sitcoms routinely rely on the same jokes episode after episode to the point where it feels like every episode is the same freaking thing.

It's too bad that they seem to be the only network of the "big 4" trying with sitcoms, because their track record has been awful as of late.

[Avaitor]

I just can't get into Chuck Lorre's stuff at all. Even his older work, like Roseanne, I can appreciate, but have never been able to get into.

Another sitcom that I hate which I can't believe I forgot to mention is Full House. I watched a lot of crap back then, but the fact that I ever liked this show just sickens me.

I mean, I think Pokemon and Power Rangers are junk now, but I'll gladly admit that I loved those shows back then, and while I think the X-Men and Spider-Man shows were lifeless rips from the comics, I at least give them credit for giving me interest in the Marvel Universe at a young age.

Full House... the Nostalgia Critic's review of that is my personal favorite of his, just because of how he trashes the show. And I think he was too kind.

[Kiddington]

The only thing I can "appreciate" (if you call it that) about Full House is the fact that Dave Coulier wears a Red Wings jersey during the opening title sequence. Everything else is just... wow. 'Twas one awful show, during a period that gave us a lot of great sitcoms.

Watching it now, another show from around this time I cannot stand anymore is Family Matters. A half-way decent, if unspectacular and/or slightly corny, family sitcom in the early going quickly erodes into the Jaleel White variety hour within the matter of one season, and it's an all downhill slide from there. You'd hardly know the other characters even exist in those later seasons. They merely serve as cannon fodder to Urkel and his nonsense for 22-minutes a night. Sitting through this now, it's really embarrassing.

Even his older work, like Roseanne, I can appreciate, but have never been able to get into.

Personally, I can't even go that far.

To be honest, I probably wouldn't hate the show THAT much if it weren't for Roseanne herself. Everything about her just gets under my skin. I probably still wouldn't like it even without her (the writing it atrocious, for starters), but most of my overall dislike stems from her involvement. She's just so painfully unfunny to me, I can't take her presence for more than 10 minutes.

As far as "family sitcoms" go, I've always thought Home Improvement does everything Roseanne tries to do, but that much better. I understand that it's not quite the same type of show (the Taylors are pretty well off, whilst the Connors are borderline poor, among other differences), but just as far as a general "raising a family" sitcom goes, Home Improvement is just much more enjoyable for me. It's funnier, and the characters are far more likeable, IMO.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I think Family Matters was pretty average, but I thought Waldo was pretty funny. Whoever wrote his dialogue was the best writer on the show by far.

[Avaitor]

The only TGIF shows I ever really got into were Full House, Boy Meets World, and Sabrina.

You know my opinion on the first and probably the second as well. As for Sabrina, it's not awful, but from what I've seen of it in recent years, I think Clarissa holds up better.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I actually enjoy Step By Step a lot. It's completely unoriginal in about every way, but I never turn it off when it comes on.

[Avaitor]

I don't think I ever really got to watch Step by Step. I think it was a little before my time on the block, and I don't recall catching any repeats.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Really? I think it was one of the longer running shows on the block. I mostly started it when Full House was moved to Tuesdays, so I don't even remember seeing Perfect Strangers when it was on there.

Mainly Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Step By Step and Sabrina is what I remember. Most of the later shows after them ended pretty fast from what I remember.

[Avaitor]

I don't think I really watched the block that much at all. I mostly remember watching BMW on Disney Channel, and I know I've only seen Full House in syndication, along with some Family Matters. I watch Sabrina on the block sparingly, and maybe BMW as well. That's about it.

[Commode]

I love Roseanne, was always one of my favorites growing up(although so was Home Improvement).  The thing about it though was, like The Simpsons and Married... With Children, it dealt with many issues that most other sitcoms weren't touching on at that time.  It was a much more crass show than Home Improvement or Full House or The Cosby Show, a much more honest look at middle class America.

And how can you not remember Step by Step?  Fox Family/ABC Family reran the shit out of that show for years, and I actually thought the reruns could still be found on the channel.