Taking a cue from "High Fidelity," every so often I'll be listing my Top Five (Fill in the Blank). I was going to do it every fifth week of the month, but then realized that might not be the most practical method. What would I do in February? I could do it every blue moon, but there's a reason for the saying, and I just don't have the patience. So I'll do it whenever I please, or whenever I develop a severe case of writer's block. Who needs rules anyway? Not me.
Today's topic: Top Five Sitcoms of My Lifetime (which began one September morning in 1984; my first toy was a remote control; and I learned to read from the TV Guide). I went with my lifetime because I can't say "ever," having not fully examined much of classic television enough to give those shows a fighting chance. They'd surely lose, but just to be certain, I'll stick to my lifetime.
First of all, since there is debate on a cut-and-dry definition, I'll describe what I consider a sitcom. A sitcom is any comedy show that inserts its characters into humorous situations. It is usually 30 minutes in length, but doesn't have to be, although most hour-long comedies are better described as "dramedies," a term I despise but realize is a necessary evil. It may have a laugh track or it may not, it may be live action or animated, it may be exclusively episodic or contain complex story arcs that run over the entire season or series. The two things a show must have to be a sitcom are some type of storyline and a consistent flow of jokes. That's it.
You may also want to know what criteria I'm using to rate these shows. I could tell you that I'm carefully calculating each show's "laughter quotient," but I'd be lying. What I can say is I own every single one of these series on DVD and have studied every second of them multiple times, in addition to watching them during their original airings and reruns. This is usually followed by examining my life and quietly weeping.
No. 5: "Strangers With Candy." Amy Sedaris is Jerri Blank, a middle-aged ex-junkie former whore, trying her best to get her life together by returning to the ingeniously oxymoronic Flat Point High. This was Comedy Central's first live-action sitcom, and it lasted a mere three seasons. However, these three seasons are packed with so much offensive, off-color, over-the-top hilarity that the show cannot be ignored. Along with the homosexual affair between the ballsy Stephen Colbert and the always-awkward Paul Dinello, "Strangers with Candy" toyed with the conventions of traditional sitcoms and after-school specials.
No. 4: "Scrubs." Here's a show that successfully combines comical flashback and fantasy sequences with well-written, meaningful storylines. Zach Braff stars as Dr. John "J.D." Dorian, a doctor in constant need of help and validation. However, the real star of the show, in my opinion, is the always-brilliant John C. McGinley as the fast-talking curmudgeon, Dr. Cox. There should be an acting class in which his rants are studied and performed as monologues. I'm serious.
No. 3: "Seinfeld." An untraditional traditional sitcom. The show is often touted as a show about nothing, but it's actually about everything. It examines the minutest details of everyday life better than any show before it, and, I predict, better than any show to come. Jerry Seinfeld stars as himself alongside an ensemble that truly holds the show together. Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer are such awful human beings that even when they attempt to do something good-natured for someone (e.g. sincerely helping Babu Bhatt on two separate occasions), they still manage to ruin that person's life. "Seinfeld" is like "Friends" on crack, and no, I'm not comparing Jerry Seinfeld to Matthew Perry.
No. 2: "The Simpsons." This is a show that has defined my generation. I can barely remember a time without it. My sense of humor was basically born from watching it. I honestly don't know one person who hates "The Simpsons," because there is no reason to hate it. The show is unbelievably brilliant satire, putting the animated family into ridiculous situations with even more ridiculous results week after week. Sure, it had some low points, but it continues to make millions of people laugh every week, as it has for the past 18 years, which is quite an accomplishment.
No. 1: "Arrested Development." Breaking my string of alliterated titles that would make someone with a lisp cringe is "Arrested Development," which never gained a large television audience but always was strongly backed by the critics and a hardcore group of fans. It seems to be growing in popularity now that the series is available on DVD, and for good reason.
Jason Bateman was the glue that held the family together. Solid as a rock, you might say. His straight-man delivery was the ideal foil to his ridiculous relatives. Among them are an alcoholic mother; a jailbird-turned-fugitive-turned-house arrested father; a mama's boy brother; an incompetent older brother who's a disgraced magician; a pill-popping sister; a terrible psychologist-turned-terrible actor brother-in-law; a deceitful niece and a son who is in love with his cousin. With its intensely complex storylines that always managed to cleverly include every main character and more and countless running gags and callbacks, "Arrested Development" shattered every rule in the sitcom handbook.
Besides, who needs rules anyway? Not "Arrested Development."
Did a different set of sitcoms shape your childhood? Tell Mike all about it at [email protected].
