Discuss!

Thought I'd post a "talking point" type of post. It's about sitcoms - the bbc poll thingy's got me thinking in a way I'm sad to report the Big Read couldn't. I just like sitcoms more than books. So - favourite ever sitcom - it's SO hard! The first necessary step is to separate US and UK sitcoms, because they are essentially a different form altogether - US sitcoms are predominantly team written, and have been since the days of Sid Caesaer, whose writers included Woody Allen, Mel Brooks and Neil Simon (who wrote a play about the experience called Laughter on the 23rd floor) amongst many others. The successful ones also last for ages and ages - seinfeld did (I think) 9 seasons of over 20 a season - Friends is finishing after 10 seasons of 24 episodes and Frasier is still going after 11. Whereas the classic british sitcoms of the modern age (by which I mean post 70s, because I have no idea about what used to happen!) generally are shorter lived - Fawlty Towers of course famously ended after 2 series, same with the Office - Dinnerladies (which I love, even though I know it makes me unpopular!) made 3 series of 6 episodes - anyway, you get the gyst...

So, US Sitcoms - well, I've put a lot of thought into this and I think Seinfeld's probably going to pip it - the sheer never ending quality of the writing, the fact that barring the finale it never lost it's edge and brilliance. I love Friends (or at least I did, until about series 6 - since then it's been "only ok" - I could write a long essay on that but I won't.) I also LOVE the Larry Sanders Show, which I am eternally grateful for the lending of the DVD that has taken place (you know who you are!). In fairness though, I could watch US sitcoms all day (and when I had the Paramount comedy channel, I did) but Seinfeld's the one for me.

As for UK sitcoms, Towers just pips Adder to the title , with honourable mentions for The Office and Phoenix Nights. Also, a sneaky outsider, which I really, really, really like is All about me - it's not the best ever, but it's the best "8.30" sitcom in recent memory. The very very very very very poor My Family, and the veryveryveryveryveryveryveryveryreallybeyondajokeunbelievablyawful My Hero being fine examples of how not to do it. And as for the Jamie Theakston one....*shudder* - it's too early to call, but it is auditioning for a place along side 'O'Hanlon's Bane' as it shall now be called...

The reasons for siding with Cleese over Atkinson are tricky to pin down - there's the occasional thing that erks me about Adder, which I can't really say about towers - also, the last episodes of series 2 and 3 of Adder are too unsettling for my delicate tastes (unlike the ending of series 4 - a bit of a cliche to talk about how good that is, but it did make me cry the first time - I'm a big girl's blouse.)

Please comment! Favourite US and UK sitcoms....