Most overrated series ever?

[rtrombone]

Does anyone else think this about "Friends?" How often did you laugh out loud while watching?

"Seinfeld" reruns are losing their charm, too. It's amazing how a guy whose stand-up is so bad was able to develop a fairly decent show.

My nomination for most underrated: "NewsRadio." Anyone with me?

[Clarkmeister]

Friends was successful because it addressed a demographic that had largely been ignored. It was a decent show, not great.

Seinfeld is IMO in the Big Three, along with Cosby and Simpsons. All due respect to MASH, Cheers and All in the Family, I just like the first three I listed a bit more.

[andyfox]

Probably a generational thing. I never liked Friends much, I think I'm too old. And MASH, All in the Family, and Taxi do it for me more than Seinfeld, the Simpsons, and Cosby, all though I liked all three of those too.

I don't think people realize the impact All in the Family had at the time. To hear someone say such outrageous things, to belch, flush the toilet--sounds ridiculous, but those things were never on TV before.

Raymond's my current favorite, Taxi my all-timer.

[sfer]

Taxi is absolute genuis.

I still think nothing on TV has been funnier than the early Moonlighting episodes, but maybe that's just nostalgia.

[andyfox]

Moonlighting was so unique, I also thought it was great. Once Maddie keeps imploring Davis to come closer to her and finally he says, "Any closer and we'll be on cable."

[andyfox]

Probably a generational thing. I never liked Friends much, I think I'm too old. And MASH, All in the Family, and Taxi do it for me more than Seinfeld, the Simpsons, and Cosby, although I liked all three of those too.

I don't think people realize the impact All in the Family had at the time. To hear someone say such outrageous things, to belch, flush the toilet--sounds ridiculous, but those things were never on TV before.

Raymond's my current favorite, Taxi my all-timer.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

[ QUOTE ]
Friends was successful because it addressed a demographic that had largely been ignored.

[/ QUOTE ]

The demographic's key members...

the david schwimmer whiner type lovers

the phoebe "I'm pretty but so incredibly stupid that I should be shot" lovers

twas a shame. the show might have been likeable for me, save for these two. I like Courtney Cox and a couple of the others on the show.


Really I think it was the "hurry up, let's go, starsbucks is almost open!" demographic that they tapped into.

al

[imported_Chuck Weinstock]

It's definitely an age thing...

My top four: The Honeymooners, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show, and "You'll Never Get Rich" (Bilko).

Of the current crop I have to go with "Two and a Half Men".

Interesting piece on NPR this morning about the end of Friends and the end of Frasier. Their reviewer said that Frasier was the better show...but ran out of ideas, and that Friends started out extremely weak but evolved into a soap opera (as someone else in this thread noted) aimed squarely at its demographic.

I stopped watching Frasier about 2 years ago. I only occassionally watched friends over the last several years. I really started to get annoyed with their titles: "The one where..." as if they expect us to love the show so much that we'll remember them by some event in them. (Never would have known the names except for Cable's/DirectTV's program guide.)

[andyfox]

I agree it's an age thing. I never like Friends much; I'm too old. While I enjoyed Cosby, the Simpsons and Seinfeld, I prefer All in the Family, MASH, and Taxi, with Taxi being my all-time favorite.

I don't think people realize the impact All in the Family has on TV. To hear Archie Bunker rant, belch, and flush the toilet, was something new for TV. The show was electrifying in terms of dealing with issues. I remember one show where a father who had lost a son in Vietnam had dinner at the Bunkers with a draft dodger who had fled to Canada. Great television.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree it's an age thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

So is forgetting you made essentially the same post last night- twice.

I'd put All in the Family as my #1 sitcom by a good margin. I'm the same age as Clarkmeister.