Sitcom Philosophy

[athelind]

Having a bit of time before my lady got home, I channel surfed, and ended up watching a couple of episodes of Home Improvement on Nick at Nite.

Back in the '90s, I espoused the theory that one could derive a full and complete insight into the workings of the male psyche by watching both Home Improvement and Frasier. Men, you see, don't have shoulder angels and shoulder devils. They have Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor on one shoulder, and Frasier Crane on the other.

I wonder what happened to that guy who starred in Home Improvement. He sort of reminds me of Tim Allen, but, well, he's actually funny.

I should note that I haven't found a sitcom worth watching since these two shows left the air. Perhaps I've just been infected by quelonzia's general attitude that "sitcoms are stupid" -- or perhaps sitcoms have taken a general dive in quality in recent years.

I suspect the former.

Comments

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

I get a kick out of Two And A Half Men.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

I've found that amusing the few times I've watched it -- just not sufficiently amusing for me to go out of my way to see it.

(Partly because the sparkly lady is such a grump about comedies.)

[bfdragon.livejournal.com]

They still make sitcoms?

[yasha-taur.livejournal.com]

> "sitcoms are stupid"

Network TV, with one or two exceptions, is incredibly stupid.

Cable can be better, if you watch the 'Science/Learniing/Discovery' channels. But every time I flip past the 'E!' channel, I feel my IQ decline...

[athelind.livejournal.com]

There are at least seven or eight smart, engaging, well-written shows that we watch regularly on network TV, and I will make no apology for enjoying them.

(We also watch Smallville. I'll apologize for that.)

The documentary channels tend to put me to sleep. I seldom learn anything from them that I haven't picked up long before, and in greater detail, from my daily online browsing or from nonfiction books. A distressing percentage of what they present is dumbed down, sensationalized, or both. The time constraints of a one- or two-hour time slot are simply not sufficient to explore any real-world topics in depth.

Quel likes movies more than I do. I prefer the series format, and the long-term story and character developments it allows.

Certainly, 90% of television is crud. As Mr. Sturgeon observed, that's because 90% of everything is crud.

[bfdragon.livejournal.com]

The interesting thing that netflix has taught me is that movies tend to linger here for a while. Series tend to hit the mail box every night.

I suppose it's the "job" of a series to keep you watching.. but when that is done well, rather then just formula cliff-hangers or other tricks, It's some of the most entertaining to me.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

*confused look*

Tim Allen played Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor.

[margaras.livejournal.com]

Our fine leezard was being subtly sarcastic. Naughty leezard.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Subtly?

[silussa.livejournal.com]

Given I deal with customers on a daily basis who couldn't grasp the humor of "okay, you'll have to drive around the block until the change fits in the gas tank"....I don't tend to look for subtlety. Or even not so subtlety.

Gee, just had a LARGE plane fly by my window fairly low. the problem? I'm not on a landing path, at least not a normally used one. Hmmm.