Ageless and Funny Sitcoms

January 7, 2010 by Hank Evans
Filed under Humor

Barney Miller (1975-1982): A precursor to NYC workplace shows like \’The Job\’ and \’Rescue Me,\’ \’Barney\’ starred Hal Linden as a police captain who shepherded a lineup of quirky suspects through the precinct and mentored his detectives, from grumpy Fish (Abe Vigoda — still alive!) to aspiring novelist Harris (Ron Glass).

Good Times (1974-1979): \’Maude\’ spin-off \’Good Times\’ was another seminal series, tackling issues of race, sex and class with pointed wisecracks. Jimmie Walker\’s became a star as J.J. \’Dyn-o-mite!\’ Walker, but it was the Walker parents (Esther Rolle and John Amos) who infused heart into the show\’s sillier antics.

The Odd Couple (1970-1975): The show that asked if \”two divorced men (could) share an apartment without driving each other crazy\” answered the question with as much hilarity as the preceding play and movie, earning Emmys for stars Tony Randall as neat freak Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as proud slob Oscar Madison.

Get Smart (1965-1970): Forget the cell phone: Maxwell Smart, aka Agent 86, had a sole phone, his shoe-set rotary dial; it was just one of the gadgets that helped the bumbling spy save the day after nearly ruining it every time. He also relied on help from comely Agent 99 and the patience of The Chief in battling KAOS.

The Office (2005-present): Some argue the original series is better, but for our Schrute Bucks, it\’s the Dunder Mifflin gang that most hilariously captures the monotony of \’Office\’ life. Michael Scott over David Brent? Yep. Dwight over Gareth? Indeed. And not since Sam & Diane have we been treated to a sitcom couple as hot as Jim & Pam.

Friends (1994-2004): The fact that Monica and Rachel lived in a swanky New York apartment they could never have afforded in the real world didn\’t diminish how much we loved the \’Friends\’-ship of the Central Perk gang, the Ross-Rachel romance and our favorite TV wiseacre, Chandler Bing.

Roseanne (1988-1997): This picture of a working-class family was loving but not mushy, and didn\’t gloss over mundane worries like paying the mortgage, working a dead-end job and dealing with sassy kids. In fact, Roseanne mined them for comedy gold, and did so without looking or sounding like the typical sitcom mom.

Seinfeld (1990-1998): A show about nothing? Nah, it was about everything in the lives of four self-involved New Yorkers. Not that there\’s anything wrong with that, because no one but Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer — and show co-creator Larry David — could have turned minutiae into nine seasons of comedic brilliance.

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