[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Stu

People don't fall in love with a sitcom for years on end because the cast is pretty or because it is marketed well. If it doesn't strike a certain something with it's audience then the audience won't last. Friend's audience lasted because it's that perfect late evening television filler that's not too demanding of it's audience. It's the television equivalent of your most comfortable but not necessarily your highest quality of flashiest pair of clothes. It wasn't designed to be the smartest thing on the box. It was designed to have a likeable, somewhat goofy cast who went through believable, ordinary trials and tribulations of the human emotional range that viewers would respond to and would sympathise with.

The idea that the characters would pull a funny face or walk funny in the hope that the audience would laugh is just the show doing its job. It's not a Stewart Lee seminar on cultural phobias.

I don’t think the fans of Friends actually love it. I don’t think a lot of the people who like Friends have actually seen the likes of Seinfeld, Frasier, Everybody loves Raymond or Larry Sanders, I don t think many of the Friends fans are actually sitcom fans. I definitely DO think the endless repeats, pretty cast and marketing were a huge contributing factor in the success of Friends. The show is as superficial as its fans.

I don’t dislike Friends I just fell it’s wildly overrated by its fans who seem like they’ve never actually seen any other show. Friends started strong and finished strong but I still maintain that some episodes are un-watchable. You won’t laugh cuz it’s not funny.

I think a show where characters say a funny line then pull a funny face then do a funny walk has no right to be hailed as the best of all time by anybody. Also, when you take into the account the subtle and clever comedy of so many shows that were around at the time. In most of the polls I’ve seen conducted by ‘comedy’ people Friends struggles to make the top 20. I think that’s about right. It was never that great and I think you even inadvertently admit this in your post.

[reece(:]

Very stereotypical to judge all Friends fans as sitcom newcomers mind..

[Tom.]

Friends is good but its only so popular because its always on, so people of all ages have had a chance to watch it.

Quite surprised that some people haven't mentioned The Simpsons or Family Guy yet, both being animated sitcoms.

[Shaun]

oh The Simpsons is definitely in the top 5 comedy shows of all time. Family Guy got weak after the first 4 series though... American Dad is now much better. And I guess South Park deserves a mention too, though I'm not a fan (I get that it makes clever observations - I just can't get past how irritating the voices are)

[Zippy]

There's no point arguing over comedy. You either get it or you don't.

I will say that Friends has been on TV incessantly for nearly 17 years and there are many teen voters here who will have grown up with it their entire life. I'd say thats pretty much why its way in the lead.

[Beastie]

What about Sex and the City??? lol

[James]

Out of those, and based on how much I laughed in how short a time recently I think I'd have to say the first two series of The Inbetweeners. Though Fawlty Towers is obviously a classic.

Originally Posted by GiRTh

I don’t think the fans of Friends actually love it. I don’t think a lot of the people who like Friends have actually seen the likes of Seinfeld, Frasier, Everybody loves Raymond or Larry Sanders, I don t think many of the Friends fans are actually sitcom fans. I definitely DO think the endless repeats, pretty cast and marketing were a huge contributing factor in the success of Friends. The show is as superficial as its fans.

I don’t dislike Friends I just fell it’s wildly overrated by its fans who seem like they’ve never actually seen any other show. Friends started strong and finished strong but I still maintain that some episodes are un-watchable. You won’t laugh cuz it’s not funny.

I think a show where characters say a funny line then pull a funny face then do a funny walk has no right to be hailed as the best of all time by anybody. Also, when you take into the account the subtle and clever comedy of so many shows that were around at the time. In most of the polls I’ve seen conducted by ‘comedy’ people Friends struggles to make the top 20. I think that’s about right. It was never that great and I think you even inadvertently admit this in your post.

I started off really disliking Friends, and I only got into it on the repeats. At its best I found the writing to be very good. I actually think, and I'm being serious, that some of the writing is actually quite subversive, especially for a US prime-time show.

Problem with it was it went on for too long, and the 6-main-character format meant they had to keep pairing off the characters into relationships which I didn't think worked too well. I can't really get into other US sitcoms so can't compare it to those.

I like Red Dwarf as well, by the way. It was very well written - funny and clever at its best too.

[karezza]

Originally Posted by Stu

I can't take this poll serious when you consider Seinfeld is not on it. It's by far the greatest sitcom ever made and invented so, so many of the typical traits associated with modern sitcoms. Everything that came after it owes it a huge debt.

Friends is ace too. It lost it's way eventually [although Ross did a great job of channeling Kramer] but I don't get the folks who disregard it because it's not edgy enough or whatever.

Seinfeld is too Jewish for me - I can only take so much Jewishness.

Bus-wankers - Inbetweeners.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Zippy

There's no point arguing over comedy. You either get it or you don't.

I will say that Friends has been on TV incessantly for nearly 17 years and there are many teen voters here who will have grown up with it their entire life. I'd say thats pretty much why its way in the lead.

I agree, I love Friends, probably because like you said, I was a teenager when it came out and grew up with it. Having said that It's not my favourite of those listed, Father Ted is. Friends just kind of has sentimental value I suppose

[Stu]

Originally Posted by GiRTh

I don’t think the fans of Friends actually love it. I don’t think a lot of the people who like Friends have actually seen the likes of Seinfeld, Frasier, Everybody loves Raymond or Larry Sanders, I don t think many of the Friends fans are actually sitcom fans. I definitely DO think the endless repeats, pretty cast and marketing were a huge contributing factor in the success of Friends. The show is as superficial as its fans.

I don’t dislike Friends I just fell it’s wildly overrated by its fans who seem like they’ve never actually seen any other show. Friends started strong and finished strong but I still maintain that some episodes are un-watchable. You won’t laugh cuz it’s not funny.

I think a show where characters say a funny line then pull a funny face then do a funny walk has no right to be hailed as the best of all time by anybody. Also, when you take into the account the subtle and clever comedy of so many shows that were around at the time. In most of the polls I’ve seen conducted by ‘comedy’ people Friends struggles to make the top 20. I think that’s about right. It was never that great and I think you even inadvertently admit this in your post.

You lost me at 'Everybody Loves Raymond'.

Gotta give a shout out too to That 70's Show, which isin't mentioned in the poll. Kurtwood Smith owns that show. Let's pretend the awful final season never happened.

[Niamh.]

Also, Scrubs and My name is Earl are good.

[Shaun]

Scrubs is probably the worst

[Stu]

Scrubs was okay until it eventually became the televisual equivalent of slow acting AIDS. And it frustrates me because John C McGinley can do so much better. It's got a likeable supporting cast but it's an enabaler of this ~zany, whacky style of humour that people who enjoy should die in fires.

It doesn't help that Zach Braff makes my teeth crack with anger. He is the single most unlikeable actor I think I've ever seen. From his cancerous turn in Scrubs as the vile JD to his disgusting disease-ridden Generation X-aping Garden State to pretty much anything he ever gets involved in, the mutant taints the very celluloid that captures him. A loathsome creature, worthy of nothing.

Why the hell would he have a single friend left by the end of the first season? He is a slimy twat.

[Enid]

Frasier and The Office.

[Shaun]

-falls in love with Enid-

and I agree with you there Stu, it might be better if it had a decent lead character. Bob, Dr. Cox and Ted are pretty good characters - Turk and Elliott have their moments too. But Carla's bossy act and JD's "I'm going to think about life " balls got old.

[Tom.]

The Office was the worst programme on TV until OMG Peaches Geldof thing and The Only Way is Essex came along

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Scrubs is probably the worst

Originally Posted by Stu

Scrubs was okay until it eventually became the televisual equivalent of slow acting AIDS. And it frustrates me because John C McGinley can do so much better. It's got a likeable supporting cast but it's an enabaler of this ~zany, whacky style of humour that people who enjoy should die in fires.

It doesn't help that Zach Braff makes my teeth crack with anger. He is the single most unlikeable actor I think I've ever seen. From his cancerous turn in Scrubs as the vile JD to his disgusting disease-ridden Generation X-aping Garden State to pretty much anything he ever gets involved in, the mutant taints the very celluloid that captures him. A loathsome creature, worthy of nothing.

Why the hell would he have a single friend left by the end of the first season? He is a slimy twat.

Spoiler:

[Zippy]

Originally Posted by Tom.

The Office was the worst programme on TV until OMG Peaches Geldof thing and The Only Way is Essex came along

shut up!

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by Tom.

The Office was the worst programme on TV until OMG Peaches Geldof thing and The Only Way is Essex came along

probably went over your head.

[LemonJam]

I love Scrubs. Then again I have a pretty goofy sense of humour that's hit and miss with each person really. I find the characters are quite relatable as well which is always a bonus in my eyes.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by LemonJam

I love Scrubs. Then again I have a pretty goofy sense of humour that's hit and miss with each person really. I find the characters are quite relatable as well which is always a bonus in my eyes.

YAY. thank You

[Zippy]

dare I mention...

[Niall]

Where's How I Met Your Mother/The Simpsons/Family Guy?

[Stu]

I don't really think animated sitcoms should be considered in the same discussion. It never really works that way.

Family Guy is an embarrasment anyway. The Simpsons for it's part if clearly the best TV show ever. It stands alone.

[Tom.]

Originally Posted by Shaun

probably went over your head.

I did get it, I just thought it was boring and tedious. And I can't stand Ricky Gervais either, he's about as funny as a brain tumour

Originally Posted by Stu

I don't really think animated sitcoms should be considered in the same discussion. It never really works that way.

Family Guy is an embarrasment anyway. The Simpsons for it's part if clearly the best TV show ever. It stands alone.

Simpsons is flogging a dead horse, its been rubbish for years but at its best it was probably the best show ever.