This is why I stopped watching The Big Bang Theory after 3 seasons
Fair play to you for sticking out 3 seasons, Big Bang Theory is one of those shows I just cannot tolerate. Itself, 2 and a Half Men and King of Queens make up my unholy trinity of sitcoms.
Fair play to you for sticking out 3 seasons, Big Bang Theory is one of those shows I just cannot tolerate. Itself, 2 and a Half Men and King of Queens make up my unholy trinity of sitcoms.
Two and A Half Men and King of Queens, yes, they belong in the screaming monkey hell of unforgivable sitcoms. And while The Big Bang Theory had its moments, several jokes are just embarrassing to think about. I mean, explain to me why "Bazinga!" deserves not only a laugh track, but also became a catchphrase.
Though, I don't know if I hate The Big Bang Theory, since I simply lost interest rather than find it intolerable.
Anyway, I've been meaning to check out Red Dwarf. That would mean watching about 9 seasons. Then again, it's a British sitcom, so that's probably about 60 episodes, right?
Less, actually!
Series 1-6 had six episodes each (26), while series 7 & VIII had eight (42). There's also Back to Earth, which aired as a three-parter (total of 45 episodes). Finally, there's also going to be a series IX at some point, though they've only recently announced that it'll happen, so don't hold your breath for that.
On the plus side, each episode is 30 minutes, not your American 22 + ad breaks. And it has a really bitchin' theme tune.
Series 1-6 had six episodes each (26), while series 7 & VIII had eight (42). There's also Back to Earth, which aired as a three-parter (total of 45 episodes). Finally, there's also going to be a series IX at some point, though they've only recently announced that it'll happen, so don't hold your breath for that.
On the plus side, each episode is 30 minutes, not your American 22 + ad breaks. And it has a really bitchin' theme tune.
In my opinion, the thing about laugh tracks is that it points out jokes. Not good jokes, but every joke. Every sitcom makes bad jokes, with or without laugh tracks. There has to be at least one or two jokes in a sitcom that really just didn't have laughs. The trick is to make the ratio of bad jokes small compared to all the good jokes.
When a sitcom tells a good joke, people will laugh at it and remember it, with or without laugh tracks.
This was one of the things I loved about Scrubs. It had plenty of well-written humor and no laugh track.
In my opinion, the thing about laugh tracks is that it points out jokes. Not good jokes, but every joke. Every sitcom makes bad jokes, with or without laugh tracks. There has to be at least one or two jokes in a sitcom that really just didn't have laughs. The trick is to make the ratio of bad jokes small compared to all the good jokes.
That's what was good about Red Dwarf; if a joke fell flat, it fell flat and you moved on. Sometimes you'd realise you hadn't heard a laugh track in five minutes but the story is still engaging you. On most American sitcoms it seems like EVERY FUCKING SENTENCE has to be some kind of joke.
So, my list. In no particular order.
Doctor Who
Stargate SG-1
Stargate Atlantis
The Lost Room (WTB season 2)
The Coupling
Red Dwarf (early seasons)
Blackadder
Burn Notice
Wow, that was short.
The Coupling was written, I believe, mostly by Moffat, so I'd recommend any fans to look at that. He also wrote a series called Jekyll which was pretty good. As with any comedy, though, it grew stale around the fourth season.
There was one episode of Scrubs that used laugh rack...
...I MEAN, uh, track.
Never watched Scrubs, but 30 Rock did a live episode recently with a laugh track. It was actually pretty funny because it made fun of live productions.
The Coupling was written, I believe, mostly by Moffat, so I'd recommend any fans to look at that. He also wrote a series called Jekyll which was pretty good. As with any comedy, though, it grew stale around the fourth season.
This was one of the things I loved about Scrubs. It had plenty of well-written humor and no laugh track.
Yes and I loved that show, except the last season without JD.
I stopped bothering with the Simpsons around Season 13. It became unoriginal and a shadow of itself. Plus I got sick of Marge and Homer fight #502. Seasons 3-8 were my favorite.
A show a thought was really good when it was on was Smallville, which is the Adventures of Superman when he's a teenager. Great to seem how he grew into the superhero.
Yes 3rd Rock from the Sun is great, although John Lithgow makes the show so darn funny.
A show a thought was really good when it was on was Smallville, which is the Adventures of Superman when he's a teenager. Great to seem how he grew into the superhero.
Yes 3rd Rock from the Sun is great, although John Lithgow makes the show so darn funny.
Smallville is really that good? I tried to get into it, but the first season or two were just so... "oh hey a new random teenager gets super powers, Clark has to fight him now!"
And I second 3rd Rock. I forgot about that show. It may not have been the best show ever, but John Lithgow was always infinitely watchable on it.
Yes and I loved that show, except the last season without JD.
Doesn't count. Scrubs only had 8 seasons. Any suggestions of a ninth season (supposedly called "Scrubs: Interns") are lies, hallucinations, or a cruel cosmic joke.
A show a thought was really good when it was on was Smallville, which is the Adventures of Superman when he's a teenager. Great to seem how he grew into the superhero.
Meh, it started getting better when they moved away from the villain of the week type thing, but it didn't do so great in the last few seasons, when it was obvious that they were trying their hardest not to let him become Superman while they dragged the show out. Probably the worst offense was season 9's Zod, with season 10's "The Darkness" (Darkseid) not being much better. At least the Darkseid arc didn't make the show nearly unwatchable the way the Zod arc did.
Never watched Scrubs, but 30 Rock did a live episode recently with a laugh track. It was actually pretty funny because it made fun of live productions.
I loved 30 Rock at the start, then it fell into its own traps 'Isn't product placement lame? Well we're going to break the fourth wall while we do our product placement, makint both obvious ah heeelarious!' said 30 Rock 'Oh fuck off would you?' I say and 30 Rock dug its own wee personal grave.
Obv other stuff like the characters all becoming 2D caricatures and the fact it just isn't as funny as it was, but goddamn the product placement/addressing the viewer thing really got grating
That's what was good about Red Dwarf; if a joke fell flat, it fell flat and you moved on. Sometimes you'd realise you hadn't heard a laugh track in five minutes but the story is still engaging you.
Wasn't that a live audience, not a canned laugh track? Makes a big difference, because the actors play to the audience and the laughs are organic, rather than being shoehorned in after the fact. That's probably why the laughs in Red Dwarf don't bother me at all.
And HBO's animated version of The Ricky Gervais Show. I know, it's basically just the podcast, but I've never listened to the podcast, and the animation is pretty cool. Also, I heard that they'll be using new audio in the future instead of using existing podcasts.
If you've not already seen it you should check out An Idiot Abroad about Karl Pinkington travelling around to world to see the wonders of the world and complaining about everything. His comments are great like complaining his hotel room has an 'ensuite shed' and his wife calling him up to ask how to use the DVD player.
If you've not already seen it you should check out An Idiot Abroad about Karl Pinkington travelling around to world to see the wonders of the world and complaining about everything. His comments are great like complaining his hotel room has an 'ensuite shed' and his wife calling him up to ask how to use the DVD player.
Yeah, I saw some clips. It's funny, but I really feel bad for Karl. At one point, Ricky actually says that his misery is good entertainment. Ouch.
EDIT: Just watched the first episode of Bob's Burgers. It's pretty cool. I like how it doesn't try to be The Simpsons, but it can make me feel like when I watched a Simpsons episode for the first time. Also, I love H. Jon Benjamin's voice. It's the main reason I watch Archer, though I have not seen Home Movies.
What country is that, exactly? As it happens, I just researched series & books. No trouble getting the books on the German Amazon, English or German...
What eventually convinced my to put any interest on hold was the following quote:
Author George R.R. Martin was asked if he had a resolution or ending to the seemingly endless conflict. He replied that the end would be a cloud of dust or snow being driven by the wind across a vast graveyard full of tombstones.
Well... if one book ends that way, it might be regarded as a warning to humanity. I'd read that. But if that's where a series of more than five books inevitably leads, I'm not sure if it's worth the effort. Hope I didn't spoil the ending now.
What country is that, exactly? As it happens, I just researched series & books. No trouble getting the books on the German Amazon, English or German...
What eventually convinced my to put any interest on hold was the following quote:
Well... if one book ends that way, it might be regarded as a warning to humanity. I'd read that. But if that's where a series of more than five books inevitably leads, I'm not sure if it's worth the effort. Hope I didn't spoil the ending now.
Of course Amazon is an option, but that requires shipping and wait time and BLERGH. Went trough a few bookstores, no luck. Will try a few more.
The issue you're stating might not be as bad as it sounds, it could be pulled masterfully. One way to find out, though.
Oh, and watched the first episode and enjoyed it very much. Good stuff!
How come there are only three eps of Sherlock? The thing is amazing.
Source on that?
Erm, he said in interviews that he thought it ended saying THEY WERE DEAD THE ENTIRE TIME, which was established as not true. He liked the show, he just didn't understand it. Out of all the things in Lost, the ending was one of the things established simply with merely a few lines of dialogue that people under the age of ten should be able to interpret, and a guy who can't understand that shouldn't be doing a show, in my opinion. Also, he said 'pulling a lost' was a term used to making a bad ending, which is incredibly rude.
You keep telling yourself that, bud. I'm just sitting here, contemplating watching what in my opinion is one of the best finales since All Good Things... for the sixth time.
Moral Orel had a far more amazing finale, and it actually brought satisfactory closure to all major storylines, so there's a bonus there. You know, having the whole series not be a tremendous ass pull. It's a good thing.
Moral Orel had a far more amazing finale, and it actually brought satisfactory closure to all major storylines, so there's a bonus there. You know, having the whole series not be a tremendous ass pull. It's a good thing.
Having not seen Moral Orel, I won't judge, but I said one of the best for a reason.
It doesn't matter anyway, since I haven't watched more than a couple episodes of LOST and they were at the beginning and I've never actually even seen a second of the ending at all.
It doesn't matter anyway, since I haven't watched more than a couple episodes of LOST and they were at the beginning and I've never actually even seen a second of the ending at all.
Heh, I've found roughly 95% of arguments regarding Lost end in the same way.
So many hipsters like me is posting in this thread.
I'm not a hipster. I've been posting in this thread before it was cool. I used to watch Heroes, but then it got all mainstream, so I stopped watching because I'm like that.
Alright, hipster mode off.
Though, seriously, I watched Heroes for 2 seasons before quitting and losing my faith in sci-fi TV shows. Thank god Doctor Who got me back into it.
Comments
Fair play to you for sticking out 3 seasons, Big Bang Theory is one of those shows I just cannot tolerate. Itself, 2 and a Half Men and King of Queens make up my unholy trinity of sitcoms.
Two and A Half Men and King of Queens, yes, they belong in the screaming monkey hell of unforgivable sitcoms. And while The Big Bang Theory had its moments, several jokes are just embarrassing to think about. I mean, explain to me why "Bazinga!" deserves not only a laugh track, but also became a catchphrase.
Though, I don't know if I hate The Big Bang Theory, since I simply lost interest rather than find it intolerable.
Series 1-6 had six episodes each (26), while series 7 & VIII had eight (42). There's also Back to Earth, which aired as a three-parter (total of 45 episodes). Finally, there's also going to be a series IX at some point, though they've only recently announced that it'll happen, so don't hold your breath for that.
On the plus side, each episode is 30 minutes, not your American 22 + ad breaks. And it has a really bitchin' theme tune.
Because it's extremely simple and some people will laugh at anything that is followed by a laugh track.
The first time I've heard it, I didn't really mind. But I agree with you on it becoming a catchphrase, got very tedious.
Just to say that 6 x 6 is 36.
This was one of the things I loved about Scrubs. It had plenty of well-written humor and no laugh track.
That's what was good about Red Dwarf; if a joke fell flat, it fell flat and you moved on. Sometimes you'd realise you hadn't heard a laugh track in five minutes but the story is still engaging you. On most American sitcoms it seems like EVERY FUCKING SENTENCE has to be some kind of joke.
So, my list. In no particular order.
Doctor Who
Stargate SG-1
Stargate Atlantis
The Lost Room (WTB season 2)
The Coupling
Red Dwarf (early seasons)
Blackadder
Burn Notice
Wow, that was short.
The Coupling was written, I believe, mostly by Moffat, so I'd recommend any fans to look at that. He also wrote a series called Jekyll which was pretty good. As with any comedy, though, it grew stale around the fourth season.
There was one episode of Scrubs that used laugh rack...
...I MEAN, uh, track.
I didn't count the cameras but I was checking four of something else during that sequence.
Never watched Scrubs, but 30 Rock did a live episode recently with a laugh track. It was actually pretty funny because it made fun of live productions.
Add 10 to my total then - Red Dwarf has 55 episodes.
But Jekyll only had one series...
First, the David E. Kelley three (not naming "not for everyone" Ally McBeal):
The Practice
Picket Fences
Boston Public
and
The Good Wife
...and at least two seasons of House, M.D.
and Due South, why oh why didn't anyone mention Due South?
In the "just cause" category, there's still Third Rock from the Sun to be mentioned.
Yes and I loved that show, except the last season without JD.
I stopped bothering with the Simpsons around Season 13. It became unoriginal and a shadow of itself. Plus I got sick of Marge and Homer fight #502. Seasons 3-8 were my favorite.
A show a thought was really good when it was on was Smallville, which is the Adventures of Superman when he's a teenager. Great to seem how he grew into the superhero.
Yes 3rd Rock from the Sun is great, although John Lithgow makes the show so darn funny.
Dexter is awesome too, and a little creepy.
Smallville is really that good? I tried to get into it, but the first season or two were just so... "oh hey a new random teenager gets super powers, Clark has to fight him now!"
And I second 3rd Rock. I forgot about that show. It may not have been the best show ever, but John Lithgow was always infinitely watchable on it.
Doesn't count. Scrubs only had 8 seasons. Any suggestions of a ninth season (supposedly called "Scrubs: Interns") are lies, hallucinations, or a cruel cosmic joke.
Meh, it started getting better when they moved away from the villain of the week type thing, but it didn't do so great in the last few seasons, when it was obvious that they were trying their hardest not to let him become Superman while they dragged the show out. Probably the worst offense was season 9's Zod, with season 10's "The Darkness" (Darkseid) not being much better. At least the Darkseid arc didn't make the show nearly unwatchable the way the Zod arc did.
I loved 30 Rock at the start, then it fell into its own traps 'Isn't product placement lame? Well we're going to break the fourth wall while we do our product placement, makint both obvious ah heeelarious!' said 30 Rock 'Oh fuck off would you?' I say and 30 Rock dug its own wee personal grave.
Obv other stuff like the characters all becoming 2D caricatures and the fact it just isn't as funny as it was, but goddamn the product placement/addressing the viewer thing really got grating
This makes some shows absolutely unwatchable for me. Just make your stuff funny and I will do the laughing.
Wasn't that a live audience, not a canned laugh track? Makes a big difference, because the actors play to the audience and the laughs are organic, rather than being shoehorned in after the fact. That's probably why the laughs in Red Dwarf don't bother me at all.
If you've not already seen it you should check out An Idiot Abroad about Karl Pinkington travelling around to world to see the wonders of the world and complaining about everything. His comments are great like complaining his hotel room has an 'ensuite shed' and his wife calling him up to ask how to use the DVD player.
Yeah, I saw some clips. It's funny, but I really feel bad for Karl. At one point, Ricky actually says that his misery is good entertainment. Ouch.
EDIT: Just watched the first episode of Bob's Burgers. It's pretty cool. I like how it doesn't try to be The Simpsons, but it can make me feel like when I watched a Simpsons episode for the first time. Also, I love H. Jon Benjamin's voice. It's the main reason I watch Archer, though I have not seen Home Movies.
It seems to get some srs ratings on IMDB, but opinions would be nice.
I do, yet I've never read them.
I heard some really good stuff about those books, but couldn't find them anywhere in my country. Is that a deal breaker?
What eventually convinced my to put any interest on hold was the following quote:
Well... if one book ends that way, it might be regarded as a warning to humanity. I'd read that. But if that's where a series of more than five books inevitably leads, I'm not sure if it's worth the effort. Hope I didn't spoil the ending now.
Of course Amazon is an option, but that requires shipping and wait time and BLERGH. Went trough a few bookstores, no luck. Will try a few more.
The issue you're stating might not be as bad as it sounds, it could be pulled masterfully. One way to find out, though.
Oh, and watched the first episode and enjoyed it very much. Good stuff!
Source on that?
Erm, he said in interviews that he thought it ended saying THEY WERE DEAD THE ENTIRE TIME, which was established as not true. He liked the show, he just didn't understand it. Out of all the things in Lost, the ending was one of the things established simply with merely a few lines of dialogue that people under the age of ten should be able to interpret, and a guy who can't understand that shouldn't be doing a show, in my opinion. Also, he said 'pulling a lost' was a term used to making a bad ending, which is incredibly rude.
There's supposed to be a second series of three 90-minute episodes airing on the BBC this autumn.
You keep telling yourself that, bud. I'm just sitting here, contemplating watching what in my opinion is one of the best finales since All Good Things... for the sixth time.
Having not seen Moral Orel, I won't judge, but I said one of the best for a reason.
Heh, I've found roughly 95% of arguments regarding Lost end in the same way.
I'm not a hipster. I've been posting in this thread before it was cool. I used to watch Heroes, but then it got all mainstream, so I stopped watching because I'm like that.
Alright, hipster mode off.
Though, seriously, I watched Heroes for 2 seasons before quitting and losing my faith in sci-fi TV shows. Thank god Doctor Who got me back into it.