I cheated when answering:
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I've found that most sit-coms in the
last 10 years have had one or two seasons of greatness (or greatness
sprinkled all the way through.
So, picking only one? Nope. But …
Arrested Development (2003-2006) is the
master of the gradually building running gag.
Community is inventive and has the
bonus of pulling back the curtains on how a sit-com works. Not only
about the plot mechanics, but about watching a team of amazing
writers correct the faults it discovers in the show as it's running.
It needs to be heavily curated though. I'm happy to point you in the
direction of what I consider to be the 'right' episodes to watch. The
creator, Dan Harmon, has also done great in-depth interviews with the
AV Club and Alan Sepinwall that make great companion pieces.
The Thick of It (Season 3) combines
humanity, astute observations about how political power is wielded
and lost, and is pretty damn filthy.
How I Met Your Mother (Seasons 2 and
3) are a show coming into its height: most episodes play around with
narrative structure or running gags. It also has a lovely rom-com
heart.
Louis (Season 2) is something I haven't
seen, but reliable reviewers have described it as incredible.
Silicon Valley (only one season so far)
has the setting with the most comic potential of any sit-com I've
ever watched.
Personally, I've also found Big Bang
Theory has executed its premise splendidly. It's trad multi-camera
comedy, and one day I will write my defence of it—but I have found
(a) that by turning geeks into the lead characters, the first few
seasons found an entirely fresh field of jokes to plough, and (b)
despite massive stumbling blocks in Seasons 3 and 4, it fulfills the
promise it makes to the audience and is not afraid to let its
characters grow. The latest season I've watched (7) is
disappointingly filled with misogyny and jokes about obesity: some
episodes were basically unwatchable as a result.
2 comments:
I've given up on Big Bang Theory. I used to like it, but the jokes are getting nastier and nastier and it just depresses me.
Stephanie
Better Off Ted and 30 Rock are the only sit-coms highlighted in the viewing diary.
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