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TV Snob Thread

Goaldeje

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Never really considered myself a TV snob until I was talking with a close friend and found myself feeling considerably superior because of the amount of reality TV crap he watches. I kept thinking how much better the shows I watch are:

Mad Men
The Wire
Friday Night Lights
The Good Wife
30 Rock
Justified
Walking Dead

So what shows do you watch that make you feel like a snob? And what shows do people tell you they watch, and you have to refrain from rolling your eyes in front of them?
 
I have never watched a single one of those shows. I also hated Seinfeld, so I guess I'd be the opposite of a snob lol.

Currently the shows I must watch are:
House
Dexter
The Glades
I Almost Got Away With It
Full Throttle Saloon
Hell's Kitchen
Boardwalk Empire

My favorite shows of the past were Married With Children, Oz, The Shield and Lonestar (which I am aware was cut after a couple of episodes, doesn't make it any less awesome)

I'm sure there are a lot of others I'm not thinking of since their season is over, so this is all I got. I have no problem with reality tv unless it's on MTV. I don't watch all of it, but I watch all the Chef Ramsey shows, Shark Tank and Big Brother.
 
NCIS
NCIS-LA

Also watch (at times) TLC, History, Discovery, and the like. The usual sporting events.
 
Raising Hope is a show I watched originally because I didn't know where the remote is, and my fat ass wasn't about to go back to the stone age and manually change it. I never had any intention of watching it, but I was thoroughly surprised at how hilarious it actually is. If you haven't seen it, give it a shot, it's not what you would expect it to be.
 
Raising Hope is the worst show on television (outside of reality crap), except maybe for the new show with the wife from Everybody Loves Raymond (no idea what the name of that show is, I watched it for approximately 37 seconds before almost vomiting and changing the channel).
 
Raising Hope is horrible? I have a serious question....do you two watch South Park and The Simpsons? Or were you a member of the "Friends and Seinfeld were the funniest shows ever" crowd?

I ask, because I've noticed that when people disagree with me on what shows are funny, they are generally fans of the comedy I think was boring as hell or written by a child. This isn't always the case, it's just usually the case.

In my lifetime, these are the 10 shows, in no order, I think were the funniest at some point during their run.

Married With Children
Roseanne
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Arrested Development
Two And A Half Men (In the beginning before Jake grew up)
Raising Hope
In Living Color
Big Bang Theory
Sanford And Son
All In The Family

In my experience, the people I talk to that don't agree, think the top 10 funniest shows are as follows....

Cheers
Seinfeld
Friends
MASH
South Park
Family Guy
The Simpsons
Frasier
Everybody Loves Raymond
Family Ties

Now I have to admit, I can't judge MASH, because I never saw an episode. The Simpsons were funny 15-20 years ago, South Park was good the first year since they weren't recycling 3rd grade jokes yet, Frasier had its moments, and Family Guy was a new age Simpsons ripoff that never appealed to me from the start. Almost every joke in that show is something I have said or done in real life years ago. It's not original or the comic gold legions of fans make it out to be. Generally speaking, the people I know who love it have low IQs. Again, not saying everybody, just in my experience, I am not calling all of the fans idiots.

Aside from what I've mentioned, I think all of the shows on that list sucked. Especially Seinfeld. Keith Richards, Jason Alexander and Jerry Seinfeld are 3 of the least funny people ever put in front of a camera. Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up from the early 90s is gold, and I like Jason Alexander in other stuff, but for me the show just ate ****. I tried to give it a chance by watching an entire season on DVD that my brother assured me would convert me, but it just never made me laugh. It's like every week was "oh gosh, I wonder what silly predicament these wacky characters will find themselves in this time." It just sucked, period.

We all have our opinions, but I tend to be a fan of original or raunchy comedy.
 
It's all personal opinion and not everyone is going to agree. Why get into a intellectual debate about it? Cheers was one of the best series on TV for the time as evidenced by it's tremendous success. So was Seinfeld and many of the others you mentioned in your worst list Extreme. I watched these series religiously, but I cannot sit through an episode of any of them today! The same goes for the shows you listed on your top 10 favorite. Some of them are comic genius, but much of it is just another in a series of shows that have reached their apex or others find poor tv. That doesn't make anyone right or wrong in what they think is funny, it's all about personal taste.

Sometimes I wish some people would add, "I believe" in front of some of their statements, it would save us all a bit of angst when reading threads but that is just me being high and mighty I guess...
 
I don't actively watch South Park or the Simpsons, but will watch reruns if nothing else is on. Raising Hope has terrible acting, and is made up of unoriginal redneck jokes.

I don't get people who don't like Seinfeld. One of the most brilliant sitcoms ever put on television, hands down.

As to your lists, I like & despise a handful of shows from both lists. Its ironic that you don't like Seinfeld yet you love Curb Your Enthusiasm - its essentially the same show (same formula, anyway). I agree with you about the Simpsons - seasons 1-8 were much better than anything since then, after they fired all the writers and got a new producer.

Here is probably what I consider the top 10 funniest sitcoms of all time:
1. Seinfeld
2. The Cosby Show
3. Are You Being Served?
4. The Office (Steve Carrel version)
5. Party Down (if you haven't seen Party Down, its essentially The Office in the catering business setting)
6. The Simpsons
7. Friends
8. Curb Your Enthusiasm
9. Futurama
10. M*A*S*H (if you've truly never seen an episode, you should.)

Family Guy is great, but I agree that its sort of Simpsons rip-off. Its what the Simpsons wanted to be when they changed formats after season 8 or 9, but never quite accomplished.

PS - Keith Richards is the drug-infused guitarist for the Rolling Stones, Michael Richards played Cosmo Kramer.

PPS - You contradict yourself several times in that post, including saying you like original or raunchy comedy, but leaving the Sitcom founding fathers (M*A*S*H, Cheers, Friends) off your best list, and leaving raunchy comedy like South Park off your list.
 
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It's all personal opinion and not everyone is going to agree. Why get into a intellectual debate about it?

Because its the title of the thread? And because this isn't the PA forum so we can't get into a catfight? ;)

In reality, you can say that about most threads started on the internet...but its never stopped anyone before!

Cheers was one of the best series on TV for the time as evidenced by it's tremendous success. So was Seinfeld and many of the others you mentioned in your worst list Extreme. I watched these series religiously, but I cannot sit through an episode of any of them today! The same goes for the shows you listed on your top 10 favorite. Some of them are comic genius, but much of it is just another in a series of shows that have reached their apex or others find poor tv. That doesn't make anyone right or wrong in what they think is funny, it's all about personal taste.

Sometimes I wish some people would add, "I believe" in front of some of their statements, it would save us all a bit of angst when reading threads but that is just me being high and mighty I guess...

I can watch M*A*S*H or Cheers episodes these days, but I know what you're saying. I have to be in the mood to watch them. I've seen every episode of Seinfeld at least twice, and die laughing every time I see them again. I could watch them all again (aside from maybe season 1) tonight and laugh again.
 
I used to hate Scrubs, but gave it a second chance and I like it a lot now. Not in my top 10, but 1000x better than most of the rubbish on TV these days.
 
In reality, you can say that about most threads started on the internet...but its never stopped anyone before!

I guess you have a point there, except when it comes to Michelle Bachmann...

I keed! I keed! :moon:

What about Cosby? Family Ties? :laugh:

My new favorite show today, well... I don't have one that is airing anything but reruns right now, but Boardwalk Empire has to be my current favorite.
 
I guess you have a point there, except when it comes to Michelle Bachmann...

I keed! I keed! :moon:

What about Cosby? Family Ties? :laugh:

My new favorite show today, well... I don't have one that is airing anything but reruns right now, but Boardwalk Empire has to be my current favorite.

Awww, CRAP! Forgot The Cosby Show! Gotta be in the top 10.

Personally, I don't like Boardwalk Empire. Not a lot of substance or direction, IMO. Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance (~6 or 7 episodes, I think).
 
ive seen every episode of MASH at least once.
I might have to get around to watching it at some point, because I've never once heard anyone say it sucked.

It's all personal opinion and not everyone is going to agree.
I agree. Do you see what I did there ;)

Cheers was one of the best series on TV for the time as evidenced by it's tremendous success.
Ratings success is not a measure of whether a show is good or not. We have all seen a show or ten that we thought was one of the greatest ever put on tv, only to see it canceled due to a lack of ratings.

Sometimes I wish some people would add, "I believe" in front of some of their statements, it would save us all a bit of angst when reading threads but that is just me being high and mighty I guess...
I put the words "I think" in my post several times, isn't that the same thing?

Raising Hope has terrible acting, and is made up of unoriginal redneck jokes.
I agree with you 1000% that the acting is beyond horrible for the most part, but Chloris Leachman is a genius in it. By you saying it is a bunch of unoriginal redneck jokes, that is evidence enough to me that you couldn't possibly have watched more than one episode, because there is absolutely nothing redneck about the show at all. I have seen all but maybe 1 or 2 episodes, and can't recall any redneck joke ever being made.

It's about a guy who lost his virginity to a serial killer and got the girl pregnant, then he got custody when the mother was executed. He lives with his idiot parents and his mentally unstable grandma that drifts in and out of lucidity. It's basically about a seriously dysfunctional family, and nothing at all to do with rednecks. There is never a NASCAR, trailer, or any other redneck stereotype reference, nobody on the show drinks, I just don't get what episode you saw.

I don't get people who don't like Seinfeld. One of the most brilliant sitcoms ever put on television, hands down.
Opinion, but in my opinion it's one of the most undeservedly praised sitcoms ever written.

Its ironic that you don't like Seinfeld yet you love Curb Your Enthusiasm - its essentially the same show (same formula, anyway).
SImilar formula, not the same, but every show is different. On Seinfeld, you always knew Jerry was gonna play the confused and befuddled Jew, regardless of the situation, Michael Richards was always gonna burst through a door or stumble into the room sweating and a nervous wreck mumbling some idiotic statement, and Jason Alexander was always gonna be stuck in a situation where you thought man, how does this stuff always happen to this guy? It's the same script week after week, completely recycled.

Here is probably what I consider the top 10 funniest sitcoms of all time:
1. Seinfeld
2. Are You Being Served?
3. The Office (Steve Carrel version)
4. Party Down (if you haven't seen Party Down, its essentially The Office in the catering business setting)
5. The Simpsons
6. Futurama
7. Friends
8. Curb Your Enthusiasm
9. Sanford & Son
10. M*A*S*H (if you've truly never seen an episode, you should.)
I'm gonna have to watch MASH when I get a chance, just so much praise for it not to be funny. I forgot all about Futurama, that **** is genius.

Number 2,3 and 4 I have never seen either. I'm a huge Steve Carrel fan, so I don't know why I never got around to watching The Office when he was on.

PS - Keith Richards is the drug-infused guitarist for the Rolling Stones, Michael Richards played Cosmo Kramer.
The funny thing is, in my mind I typed Michael Richards lol.

PPS - You contradict yourself several times in that post, including saying you like original or raunchy comedy, but leaving the Sitcom founding fathers (M*A*S*H, Cheers, Friends) off your best list, and leaving raunchy comedy like South Park off your list.
I never saw MASH, and my disdain for Cheers is mainly because I hate damn near everyone on it. As far as Friends, that was not a founding father of anything, nor was it original. You could make a case that it ripped off shows prior like Happy Days and Cheers.

As far as South Park goes, I was a fan season 1 and 2, before it became the same jokes on an endless loop. Besides, I didn't say I liked every single original or raunchy comedy ;)
 
Scrubs..that is one of my favorite and most underrated shows of all time.
Agreed, and another show I get bashed for loving.

Janitor = one of the greatest sitcom characters of the last 15 years.

Lanky Livingston said:
....most of the rubbish on tv these days.
This is something we agree upon whole-heartedly!
It is a point that cannot be argued.

cos was great...they had thursday nights locked down for a long time on NBC

cosby
different world
cheers
night court

friends
seinfeld
Night Court was hilarious. I remember when I was a kid I had to sneak to watch it, because I was supposed to be in bed.
 
Uhhh, Extreme? You know there's a "Norm!" thread here, right? I'm thinking bashing Cheers may not be your best course of action...

:paranoid:

I love Cheers, can't believe there are people who don't. Never liked Seinfeld while it was on, but I like it more now. Likewise, I never liked Arrested Development while it was on, love it now.

Scrubs is one of my all time favs. For those of you who like Scrubs, you should really check out Cougartown. I know, I know. The name sucks. But it's written by Bill Lawrence, has Christa Miller (Jordan from Scrubs, in a VERY similar role - she is Bill Lawrence's wife, btw) and has that same goofy, weird vibe to it that I loved from Scrubs.

And as for the popular notion that TV is at an all time low point these days, I have to respectfully disagree. No offense at all to those who watch(ed) reality TV, but at the height of reality shows, in the early 2000's, that was the death of the written sitcom/drama. The only scripted shows were already established or the CSI spinoffs, it was bleak. HBO saved us with the Sopranos, reminded us all how good TV could be.

And now, with Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Friday Night Lights (still in denial it's ending - work with me), Justified, etc., there is no paucity of shows that are very, very well done. Yes, there is a lot of crap (2.5 men, Big Bang Theory - sorry Extreme, I can't stand those), but if you know where to look, there is some really spectacular stuff too.
 
Haha, I can't stand Cougartown. Maybe just like Scrubs I'll find the humor in it later on, but for now I hate it!

My terrible TV comment was aimed more at Sitcoms - there are some fantastic dramas on TV these days, this is true.
 
Haha, I can't stand Cougartown. Maybe just like Scrubs I'll find the humor in it later on, but for now I hate it!

My terrible TV comment was aimed more at Sitcoms - there are some fantastic dramas on TV these days, this is true.


Cougartown starting nailing it (pun intended) this year, imo. They stopped focusing on sex, and realized they have a really good set of ensemble actors who play off each other really well.

Or maybe the only reason I like it is because the wife and I have a bottle of wine with each other when we watch it, follow by drunken grab-assing and feeling each other u... ahem.

I really like the writing. :)

Sitcoms are down, granted. I wonder if we will ever see another "traditional" sitcom, ala Raymond, Friends, Cheers, Cosby, etc? Seems like they are mostly moving away from that towards 30Rock style.
 

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