The term sitcom is short for situational
comedy.It is a genre of comedy programming that originated over the radio and since the 1950’s has
become a dominant form of television show.Sitcoms are shown in 30 minute episodes.A
highly successful sitcom can generate tens of millions of weekly viewers.From the time of I Love Lucy
to The Brady Bunch, MASH, The Cosby Show, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, and Friends, some great sitcoms have entertained the world.Any one of these shows should show up on a list of the Top 10 greatest situational comedies.I have
decided to discuss 10 great sitcoms that you might not have seen.Some of the entries on the list are not
comedies, but are 30 minute educational programs.
10. Still Standing
Aired: 2002-2006
Still Standing follows
a working class couple in Chicago and their three kids, Brian, Lauren, and Tina.Bill and Judy Miller
are good parents, but their own past experiences often conflict with the lessons they try to teach to their children.The entire ensemble cast is great, including all of the children who receive a lot of air time.Ever
episode of this show is entertaining and it often uses crude and sexual humor, as most shows that deal with adolescent
growing children do.Still Standing was relatively popular for CBS in its first few seasons,
but gradually lost viewership and was canceled after 4 seasons.It had some serious competition in
its time slot.The show has been picked up for syndication by various networks, including Lifetime
in the U.S.
9. Saved
by the Bell
Aired: 1989-1993
Saved by the Bell
is a teenage sitcom that aired on NBC for 4 seasons.It dominated the lucrative Saturday morning children’s
television market during its run.Saved by the Bell followed the exploits of several students along
with their principal at Bayside High School.Zach, Kelly, Lisa, Screech, Jesse, and Slater encounter
many common high school scenarios.The show often incorporated dramatic elements into episodes by
dealing with real teen social issues, such as friendship, drug use, drinking and driving, homelessness, financial
issues, divorce, graduating, college, sibling rivalry, taking responsibilities for one's actions, being bullied,
death, and environmental issues.It teaches kids good lessons and is a bit different from modern children’s shows.
It might appear corny
to adults, but adolescents will enjoy it.The show does use stereotypical high school roles, including
the prep, jock, nerd, and popular girls.It has spawned two lack luster spin-off series.Today, the original Saved by the Bell can be viewed on various television networks and the entire series has
been released on DVD.
8. Duckman
Aired: 1994-1997
Duckman is another
animated sitcom to make the list.It might be the least known entry and was based on the characters
developed by Everett Peck in his Dark Horse comic.The series consists of 70 episodes that aired on
USA's Up All Night on Saturday nights on the USA Network.It is hard to get noticed in this time slot, but the show made an impact on cartoon animation and writing. It soon gained a cult following and is
targeted to the older crowd.The series follows the adventures of a private detective duck that lives
with his family and sister-in-law Bernice (his late wife's identical twin).
The tagline of the show, seen in the opening
credits, is Private Dick/Family Man, Dick being sort for detective.The show featured a long
list of guest stars, including Lisa Kudrow, Burt Reynolds, Brendan Fraser, and Ice T.It is one
of the best animated series ever developed and helped pave the way for the more edgy sitcoms we see today.The show was one of the first animated sitcoms to incorporate popular culture.The entire series
of Duckman has been released on DVD, but can’t be seen on network television.
7. Sports
Night
Aired: 1998-2000
Sports Night was
one of the best short lived sitcoms ever.It followed a fictional sports news show and the people
who worked there.The business was similar to ESPN’s Sportscenter.The characters
of the show worked in various positions at the studio, including anchor, managing editor, executive producer, and
associate producers.The show has some star power, including Robert Guillaume, Peter Krause, and Felicity
Huffman.The episodes followed the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the workers faced while
trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure.
It was a funny show that had some in depth
and interesting content.Sports Night entertained and taught the viewer a bit about running a successful
sports program.The ensemble cast is great and the program is considered a comedy- drama, as
it does contain some serious issues.Sports Night will appeal to those interested in sports or business.I was surprised when it was cancelled by ABC.The show has been purchased for syndication by
various television companies around the world.It can be seen on Comedy Central in the U.S. and
it aired on ABC1 in the United Kingdom.Sports Night has also been shown in Latin America and on Australia’s
Channel 7.The complete series can be purchased on DVD.
6. Yes, Dear
Aired: 2000-2006
Yes, Dear is a show that follows Greg Warner, his wife Kim, and their two children.Kim's sister Christine Hughes and her husband Jimmy, along with their two sons,
Dominic and Logan live in the Warners' guest house.Jimmy has an easy going approach to life,
while Greg is extremely uptight.The acting in this show is great and Anthony Clark’s portrayal
of Greg is hilarious.Mike O'Malley is also good, but the best part of the show is the writing
and usual production.It doesn’t rely on wave of bad sex jokes to get by.It
is noted for representing the average American family.During the shows run it received surprisingly
solid rating for CBS in spite of little to no promotion and a number of timeslot changes.Since the
end of Yes, Dear it has been purchased for syndication by various networks.Today, it can be seen
on TBS in America and the complete series has been released on DVD.
5. Entourage
Aired: 2004-Present
Entourage is an American comedy-drama program that airs on HBO.It is a 30- minute show that
chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list movie star, and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City,
as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood, California.The series deals with life in Hollywood, California.It also follows movie agent Ari Gold.Entourage is an entertaining
program targeted to adults.The ensemble cast is great, including Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly,
Kevin Dillon, and Jeremy Piven.The writing is funny and the show often features celebrity guest appearances.Entourage does a great job giving the viewer an insight into the world of movies, marketing, and a guy’s
point of view.The characters aren’t 50-years-old like Sex and the City either.The show has won numerous awards in the last couple years and is one of HBO’s most successful programs.However, it does not gain as large a viewership as primetime television.All of the seasons have been released on DVD and are readily available on the internet.
4. Fawlty Towers
Aired: 1975 & 1979
Fawlty Towers is a sitcom that was produced by BBC Television and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975, although
only 12 episodes were ever produced, the show has had a lasting impact in Great Britain.The program is set in the fictional hotel of Fawlty Towers located in the seaside
town of Torquay on the English Riviera.The series focuses on the exploits and misadventures of short- fused hotelier Basil Fawlty, his wife Sybil, and their employees, porter and waiter Manuel, maid Polly, and (in the
second series) chef Terry.The episodes typically revolve around Basil's efforts to succeed in
raising the tone of his hotel and his increasing frustration at the numerous complications and mistakes.It is really a funny and well written show.Fawlty Towers helped launch the career of English
actor John Cleese, who wrote and acted in the show.It is rare when a show with so few episodes has
such large cultural impact.You can purchase the complete series on DVD for a good price.This show is widely unknown in America and I had to purchase the series in order to view it.
3. Bill Nye
the Science Guy
Aired: 1993-1997
Bill Nye the Science Guy is an educational program that aired on PBS.While not
an official situational comedy, Bill Nye the Science Guy is a 30 minute program.The show was hosted
by Bill Nye and each episode is designed to teach a specific topic in science to a preteen audience.The
show does a great job explaining each topic fully and has great learning visuals, charts, experiments, and descriptions.Bill Nye the Science Guy is one of the most viewed educational videos in the U.S.Thousands
of teachers use the series to explain various scientific topics to their classes.Bill Nye recorded
100 episodes and covers one topic in each show.Some examples include Dinosaurs, Gravity,
Digestion, The Moon, Cells, Heat, Brain, Reptiles, Water Cycle, and many others.The complete series
of episodes has been released on DVD, but it is expensive and costs a couple hundred dollars.Bill
Nye Videos are always being sold on e-bay.
2. Futurama
Aired: 1999-2003
Futurama is an animated
sitcom that was created by Matt Groening, who also developed The Simpsons.The series follows the
adventures of a late 20th- century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who after being "cryogenically"
frozen for a thousand years, finds employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the 31st century.The episode plots revolve around the Planet Express interplanetary delivery company and its employees.Futurama is set in New York at the turn of the 31st century, in a time filled with technological
wonders.It is a funny show and the first science fiction cartoon series.Futurama
has gained an extensive following over the years and even has its own language, which appear in the background of episodes.The show received good ratings and managed 19 million viewers for its premiere episode.It can be seen on Comedy Central in the U.S. and was revived in 2007 as four straight-to-DVD films; the last of
the four was released in early 2009.
1. The Wonder
Years
Aired: 1988-1993
The Wonder Years is considered a sitcom, although it tackled more serious issues.The show
is set from 1968-1973 and portrays many historic events and social issues of that time through the eyes of main character
Kevin Arnold and his family.Kevin also deals with many typical teenage social problems. The
great thing about this show is that it can be enjoyed by both children and adults.Kids enjoy the
middle school life, but also learn about history.The Wonder Years did a great job showing a generation
what it was like to grow up in the late 1960’s.The show launched the career of the lovable
Fred Savage (Kevin) and Danica McKellar (Winnie).The voice over work of Kevin’s thoughts
was done by popular actor Daniel Stern.The show was successful and achieved a spot in the Nielsen
Top Ten for two of its six seasons, but was by no means a #1 hit.The Wonder Years also won many awards
during its six year run and Fred Savage became the youngest actor ever nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a
Comedy Series.
Copyright The List Blog - Top 10, All Rights Reserved, Posted Sept. 3, 2009