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Editorials / Re: My sitcom Mount Rushmore
« Last post by AllThatJazzZ on Today at 01:22:54 pm »Tough sledding if the title describes the setting.
MtRushmore is in SoDak, in badlands... All of the work you are patterning are big-city or suburbia, except the honorable mention of Mayberry RFD.
That's small town America. Cow country and farmers.
Jussayin.
Lighten up, FRiend. Could one thread on this board be enjoyed without some major statement needing to be made?
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Here are mine without regard to the era of their airing, rather with regard to (a) which reruns I would prioritize watching over other programming simultaneously airing, plus (b) which ones were considered must-watch TV -- or must-record TV in more recent years -- when they first aired, with equal importance given to both.
Dick Van Dyke (Wholesome family viewing. Amazing cast whose characters played well against each other. Excellent writing, interesting story lines. This was essential viewing in our house. Watching these reruns gives me a longing for the culture of that era.)
M*A*S*H (Excellent humor. Crazy pranks. From sensitive moments to zany antics, you never knew what was in store. I might have had a teeny tiny crush on Hawkeye because of his humor, but I didn't discover that until they were well into reruns. In the 80s, the reruns were at 4:30 in the afternoon. I was working at NASA at the time and got off at 4. If I left the building at 4 straight up and didn't encounter any backed-up traffic, I could get home in time to take my dog out, grab a coke -- which in Texas is any soft drink -- put my feet up and watch the episode. There was no margin for error! While I enjoyed the entire run of the sitcom, my favorite era was when Potter was in charge, Charles had replaced Frank, Radar was still there, and Klinger was still dressing in women's clothes.)
Cosby (I had everyone trained not to call me during the Cosby show, which, IIRC, was on Thursday nights. I'm sorry that Bill Cosby's troubles cast a pall on the show, but I can enjoy it for what it was in those days. I really appreciated that Cliff and Claire didn't coddle their kids and never let them be disrespectful without having to pay a price. Excellent family viewing.)
Frazier (What an excellent cast! Hilariously dry at times. If I could wave a magic wand, I'd remove the ribald humor and the bed-hopping that had become more prevalent by that era. Sophisticated writing, outstanding character development. The character of Frazier had little resemblance to the Frazier of Cheers. The character of Niles was perfectly cast and a huge reason for the success of the show. One of my favorite episodes ever is the Leap Year episode where Frazier, who was scheduled to perform a number on the PBS fundraiser, planned to leave his comfort zone and sing an aria rather than his usual "Buttons and Bows." He loses his nerve and his ensuing performance is comedy gold. I can't imagine anyone but Kelsey Grammer being able to pull this scene off! Video below.)
In the running but didn't make the cut:
Father Knows Best
Everybody Loves Raymond
Home Improvement
Golden Girls
I never watched Seinfeld, Friends. Honeymooners,
I'm old, but not old enough to have ever listened to radio sitcoms, so I have no frame of reference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvAWUJCjgQE