Hey all, I've been browsing these forums for awhile and thought I'd share my 2 cents with you guys about what I'm seeing throughout the years in TV sitcoms.

First off, my top sitcoms from the last 28 years in no particular order, there are other good shows out there, but these in my opinion are the top:

1. The Cosby Show(1984-1992)

2. Growing Pains(1985-1992)

3. Home Improvement(1991-1999)

4. Who's the Boss?(1984-1992)

5. Family Ties( 1982-1999)

6. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(1990-1996)

7. Friends(1994-2004)

8. 24(2001-present)

9. Law & Order series(1990-present) Every spin-off included

10. Cheers(1982-1993)

My reason for posting that list of 10 is because throughout the years, those are the shows that the rest of TV has been setting as the standard for quality. Those are the shows that have promoted values, humor, and gave relief from the stresses of every day life. Some of the most watched TV shows even today are shows that are run in re-runs such as "The Cosby Show", "Fresh-Prince", "Home Improvement", and "Friends". All of these shows that are listed seemed to be an example of what people can be like, and how people can live if they really strive to. These shows had a good balance of humor, be it cut downs, sarcasm, or good natured, contrasting the serious issue/moral lesson of the story. These were shows that marketed to various age groups. You could sit down and watch these and actually become engaged in watching them.

To me, Cosby, Fresh Prince, Who's the Boss, Growing Pains, etc.. represent what TV sitcoms need to be made of. There are shows out there that are good even today, but not quite up to the quality of these shows. With that being said, there are an enormous amount of shows out that are horrible right now. They promote and showcase just the opposite in an attempt to get higher ratings, because they feel like that's what sells. These are the kind of shows that promote cutting people down, low standards, low levels of respect especially toward your own family, and teach that it's alright to treat people however you like. They use sexual humor to the extreme with innuendo and use that to get people to laugh. That crap does sell, and there are some that may say that it's a different time now and that's just how it is. I understand that view point, but it doesn't need to be that way. There can be shows that promote the good values, the higher standards of living, all while using genuinely funny humor. I believe that if "The Cosby Show" were first being run in today's time on cable during prime time, it would beat out almost any show out right now by a large margin.

After awhile people get used to the garbage out now and become degenerated a long the way because they're constantly barraged and slammed in the face with all this crap.

For kids, all this stuff sends the wrong message, even down to what Disney Channel puts out there now. There used to be shows on that channel that all audience ages could watch. Now, most of the shows they put out are filled with spastic bright lights and colors and kids don't even need to really work that hard to keep their attention on the show, because the show freaks out on them every 5 minutes. There used to be cartoon shows like TaleSpin, Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers, Gargoyles, Darkwing Duck, etc... that would actually provide episodes that had an actual plot around adventure and humor of some kind. Now..they have Spongebob.

To me, if producers don't start putting out better stuff for people to watch, it's just going to progressively get worse, and a long with it, the mentality of society will also.

Today's sitcoms are not the sitcoms of years past. They change and evolve to fit the current viewers habits and wants. They are not as preachy as they once were. I think that writers and networks have found that people want to be entertained and not watch a "life lesson" when they sit in front of the TV. Today's viewers also realize that traditional sitcoms are not very realistic. Nobody stops and talks about what just happened and how they can learn from it. They still want to find something they can relate to while making up their own minds about right and wrong. While today's sitcoms do still have many elements of the past they are now looking for constant jokes and funny situations that in the end have nothing to do with an overarching story. This is why we have seen an evolution from traditional sitcom comedies to comedies that have a more realistic take on life.

Just out of curosity, why did you put 24 and Law & Order on your list? Were you trying to make a point about something? You know those 2 shows are not sitcoms, right?

You did make a good point about the comedy today vs the older sitcoms. I agree totally with you that todays shows seem to need to make sexual innuendos and off color comments to get a laugh. Maybe the writers are just not as good as they used to be.

Well sitcoms have evolved from The Beverly Hillbillies. Seinfeld handled some pretty racey issues although with a little more tact than we see sometimes now. Two and a half men is almost painfully dirty. But I maintain that it is not a hit because it talked dirty but because it is generally well written and it has a strong cast with good characters and relationships. In fact, I find the episodes of 2.5 men that are not openly dirty to be the funnier of the series.

There is another new strain of sitcom that is an entirely different kind of humor that plays on the foibles of people. The Office is the best of that breed. It also is painful to watch sometimes and it walks a line between comedy and soap opera. So as has been said, the fact that The Office is gritty and tries to be very close to reality and still be funny shows that we as consumers like that. If we wanted Beverly Hillbillies back, I am sure the networks would provide that for us.

I don't believe that today's issues are any different than what's been going on since life existed. Evolution in terms of human behavior and issues do not exist, humans are the same as they've always been, technology is the only thing that has evolved.

I'm not saying anyone's perfect, I'm saying that not everyone wants to watch the crap that we live through every day be portrayed on TV. Not everyone wants that, and anyone who thinks that is lying to themselves. A lot of people want something that's different, and something that provides an escape for them.

I really have no care for the Brady Bunch nor do I care for Beverly Hillbillies. Those shows I listed were among what today's society ranks as being some of the best shows to ever come on TV.

If you feel like a failure, and you want to see others that are just like you so that you can feel better about yourself, then that's your problem. If you want to live in depression, that's your problem. If you like settling for less, again, that's your problem.

Not everyone in the world wants that, nor should they be made to want that. Today's TV producer's and writers, at least the majority, market depression.

Just because a show isn't marketting to today's "real life problems" doesn't mean that it has to be Brady Bunch of Full House. It can be something that is mature with a balance of sophisticated humor and reality.

This concept of "Preaching" goes both ways. You don't want people to preach at you how to live, so don't preach at them how not to live. All I am telling you is that there are a vast majority of people in this world that want higher quality than they're being given. If you don't believe that, then I'm sorry, but you're in the minority.