View Full Version : Worst sitcom
What do you think is the worst sitcom?
I think Friends is one of the most overrated and worst sitcoms ever. Sitcoms like Seinfield and that 70s Show are much better, and as someone who's not a fan of sitcoms in general I can still agree with this. Why it was so popular I'll never know (but hey so are movies like Twilight and the "Scary Movie spinoffs", so go figure.)
I haven't watched Friends religiously so take what I say with a grain of salt, but here are my main gripes with the show.
*Characters are too dysfunctional, but show tries to hard to "make you like them" - It won't be a sitcom without dysfunction, but the show portrays the characters as too dysfunctional, yet at the same time wants you to think of them as "just a typical group of friends" who you can relate to. Just for comparison shows like Home Improvement did a better job - as in the characters had their own quirks and issues, but were still likable. Seinfield also managed to do a better job - I can't explain why, but I think it's because even though they were all dysfunctional, the show wasn't going out of its way to try to make you think they're "normal" either.
*Juvenile humor doesn't fit the show - the juvenile raunchy antics (ex. Joey and Chandler) fits a sitcom like That 70s Show a lot more since it deals with a bunch of immature HS kids and is somewhat believable. But in this show the characters are portrayed as adults with respectable careers, yet still behaving way too much like 13 year old kids. And again you're supposed to "like them" or relate to them in some way - just doesn't work.
*Relationships are creepy and mismatched - the entire thing about them being a "group of friends" who keep hooking up, having babies, and swapping out partners within their circle of friends just has a weird incestuous vibe. Ross and Rachel is probably the most cringeworthy couple in TV history. Sure Seinfield had George and his messed up relationships, but again the problem is this show couldn't stay consistent - on one hand the relationships are totally messed up, but at the same time the show's trying to make you want to see the characters "wind up happily ever after".
*Feels like it's just copying Seinfield - To me the characters in Seinfield were a lot better developed, and their quirks and personalities felt natural and original. To me Friends felt like there was very little consistency with the characters and their personalities, and it was just trying to shoenorn in every stereotypical 'dysfunction' it could find, most of which were ripped off from better shows like Seinfield.
The Rodent
05-18-15, 05:10 PM
King Of Queens.
Mainly revolved around Kevin James being a total douche to his family, even making his wife lead on a Cop, possibly even sleep with the Cop, so Kevin could get out of a speeding ticket.
Oh the hilarity.
Spaghetti
05-18-15, 05:13 PM
Harry and the Hendersons was absolute garbage, YOU CAN'T REMAKE ALF!
Didn't read past Friends being the worst sitcom. I understand people not liking it, and I could possibly agree that it's a bit overrated, but the worst :facepalm:
Anyway I had to look this up, but the worst I've seen is Rules of Engagement. I caught a few episodes on E4 while bored and its horrendous. I already disliked David Spade, and a Sitcom with him was overkill. It's that bad that I wouldn't even suggest you watch an episode to see how bad it is.
King Of Queens.
Mainly revolved around Kevin James being a total douche to his family, even making his wife lead on a Cop, possibly even sleep with the Cop, so Kevin could get out of a speeding ticket.
Oh the hilarity.
That's interesting thanks - I've only seen a few episodes of the show so I can't comment.
I hope though that the dislike of the show's coming from a genuine critique of the characters and performance - not just political correctness (ex. where if the genders were reversed, the same scenario would be funny).
That does make me think of Everybody Loves Raymond though (another sitcom that sucks) - where they portray the lead character as a weasel who's constantly manipulating his wife for adolescent games - yet at the same time "wants you to like them and relate to them as a couple".
The only redeeming quality of that show was Jerry Stiller
I've only seen about 2-3 episodes of it - the one I recall off the top of my head (something about some guys wanting to get a Big Screen TV to watch the Super Bowl) was really funny - I'd definitely like to watch more of it though to get a better opinion of it.
The Rodent
05-18-15, 05:19 PM
King Of Queens was being played at mega early times in the mornings and I'd watch it if I'd been up all night (insomnia).
Yeah, it's a similar vein to Everybody Loves Raymond. The lead character basically playing games with those closest to him and generally being a selfish turd so the canned laughter machine can get a workout.
Awful show. And Kevin James is simply not funny.
honeykid
05-18-15, 05:20 PM
What do you think is the worst sitcom?
I think Friends is one of the most overrated and worst sitcoms ever. Sitcoms like Seinfield and that 70s Show are much better,.
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic2.wikia.nocookie.net%2F__cb20120514170049%2Ftheofficialmeme%2Fimages%2F8%2F8d% 2FGtfo.jpg&f=1
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic2.wikia.nocookie.net%2F__cb20120514170049%2Ftheofficialmeme%2Fimages%2F8%2F8d% 2FGtfo.jpg&f=1
lol :) - well opinions are like @ssholes, everyone's got them.
Just remember to ask yourself how much nostalgia plays a role in how much you think you like something.
I've heard some people say 2/12 Men went to hell after Charlie Sheen left.
I watched some of the show where Aston took over and didn't like it, but didn't completely hate it either - I think it's definitely on the verge of being flat out bad anyway.
THEY ARE ALL THE WORST!!!!
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
honeykid
05-18-15, 05:52 PM
Maybe, but I watch Friends every day. Still makes me laugh.
As for Two and a Half Men, was that every funny? Mildly amusing at times I'll grant you, but funny? That's pushing the definition too far.
Gideon58
05-18-15, 07:10 PM
Worst sitcom of all time? Friends doesn't even come close...my candidates for worst sitcoms of all time:
We've Got it Made
Joey
The Tortellis
Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place
The Golden Palace
It 's Like You Know
Fish
The Girl with Something Extra
Checking In
Selfie
gbgoodies
05-18-15, 07:37 PM
Worst sitcom of all time? Friends doesn't even come close...my candidates for worst sitcoms of all time:
Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place
Was Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place really that bad? I thought it lasted something like 3 or 4 seasons.
I haven't seen it, but I wanted to find it when I heard that Nathan Fillion was in it.
christine
05-18-15, 07:39 PM
On The Buses. Gave me the creeps even when I was a kid.
honeykid
05-18-15, 08:15 PM
On The Buses is a hard watch even now. Even though I was just a kid back then, I still watch it and think "Really? This?"
I don't know if its' the worst, but the UK version of Married With Children was horrible. Of course, it did have the problem that I'd seen the far superior US version and you can't help but compare.
The Rodent
05-18-15, 08:27 PM
Thinking of British sitcoms.
Keeping Up Appearances is just annoying
Last Of The Summer Wine. Now, I get it, and it's not funny. Nor humorous. Or even clever for that matter. Last Of The Summer Wine is terminology for people at the end of their days, living their last days as youthfully as they can... yet, the characters have been doing it for 40 years.
My kids live in the area it's filmed and it seems to be a talking point for everyone who lives there. Whenever I visit, there's always someone who mentions it and I can't help but think "Really? You are aware the Moors Murders took place round here as well, yeah?"
Fabulous
05-18-15, 08:54 PM
I seem to enjoy Friends. Definitely wouldn't call it one of the worst of all time...
King Of Queens.
Mainly revolved around Kevin James being a total douche to his family, even making his wife lead on a Cop, possibly even sleep with the Cop, so Kevin could get out of a speeding ticket.
Oh the hilarity.
I like King of Queens okay. Neither character is intended to be this upstanding person, but they do care about each other. It's a direct descendent of The Honeymooners, and it's not like Ralph was husband of the century. The show is very aware of who these characters are and what they are and for me it works. Unlike Everybody Loves Raymond, where the show seems to be under the impression Ray and his wife are nice people. In fact Ray is a shifty little worm, and at a certain point in the show it seems everybody just hates each other. I won't watch it anymore.
I can't stand Friends. But the worst sitcom I'm aware of (and there are many I'm not) is Full House.
Back on the subject of Friends - I think the fact that they were trying to make the viewer root for Ross and Rachael as a couple is one of the worst aspects - that couple is cringeworthy - pretty much on the same level as if Jar Jar Binks and Padme had hooked up in The Phantom Menace
Well when you watch friends with laugh track, it's actually funny in a "WTF?" kind of way :D
Friends with no laugh track is incredibly creepy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/31/friends-no-laugh-track_n_4702216.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgKgXehYnnw
Monkeypunch
05-19-15, 12:07 AM
I'm sorry, the worst sitcom I have ever seen has to be Still Standing.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Still_Standing_-_Cast_Photo.jpg
Mark Addy (who was so good in Game of Thrones) and Jami Gertz play two abysmal parents who never matured past their high school selves. Their kids are a lot smarter than they are, and Addy and Gertz often ridicule and bully their son, who's a bit nerdy, for seeming gay or being generally uncool. I suppose if this had been played broadly, like Married With Children, it would have probably been palatable, but it's not. It's not funny, it's cruel, and it's incredibly stupid.
Worst. Sitcom. Ever.
Fabulous
05-19-15, 12:11 AM
Well when you watch friends with laugh track, it's actually funny in a "WTF?" kind of way :D
Friends with no laugh track is incredibly creepy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/31/friends-no-laugh-track_n_4702216.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgKgXehYnnw
In that case, check out The Big Bang Theory without a laugh track.
In that case, check out The Big Bang Theory without a laugh track.
Thanks - I did that - didn't really work for me though, it just bored me to death and I didn't laugh once. So not much different from watching the actual show, lol
Not to mention that nerdy chick with the squeaky voice is a lot hotter than Penny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8DGiYRhvC0
Monkeypunch
05-19-15, 12:21 AM
Not to mention that nerdy chick with the squeaky voice is a lot hotter than Penny.
Finally we agree on something! :D
matt72582
05-19-15, 01:03 AM
The Big Bang Theory - When I got back from Australia, I stayed with a friend for a few months, and she watched that show every single day, every time it was on, and it was her house, so I watched, and oh, it was so horrible, I couldn't watch anymore, I'd just get online and not pay attention.
TylerDurden99
05-19-15, 04:16 AM
Rules Of Engagement. I don't think it's entirely the worst sitcom I've ever seen, but it just irritates me more than any other because it lasted for SEVEN sh!tty seasons.
Iroquois
05-19-15, 05:47 AM
Thinking of British sitcoms.
You got an opinion on My Family?
The Rodent
05-19-15, 05:48 AM
Actually, My Family was pretty funny. It got a bit stale after Nick left, he was def the best character.
Gideon58
05-19-15, 10:45 AM
Thinking of British sitcoms.
Keeping Up Appearances is just annoying
Last Of The Summer Wine. Now, I get it, and it's not funny. Nor humorous. Or even clever for that matter. Last Of The Summer Wine is terminology for people at the end of their days, living their last days as youthfully as they can... yet, the characters have been doing it for 40 years.
My kids live in the area it's filmed and it seems to be a talking point for everyone who lives there. Whenever I visit, there's always someone who mentions it and I can't help but think "Really? You are aware the Moors Murders took place round here as well, yeah?"
OMG, I love Keeping Up Appearances...the only show on PBS I ever watched on a regular basis.
honeykid
05-19-15, 10:47 AM
Back on the subject of Friends - I think the fact that they were trying to make the viewer root for Ross and Rachael as a couple is one of the worst aspects
That never worked for me and it became downright annoying after they'd broken up. There again, I'm one of those weirdoes who liked Rachel and Joey as a couple. Ross and Rachel were the worst two characters for me whether together or apart.
Well when you watch friends with laugh track, it's actually funny in a "WTF?" kind of way :D
Friends with no laugh track is incredibly creepy
That's supposed to be creepy, though. That's the joke. The miscommunication.
Not to mention that nerdy chick with the squeaky voice is a lot hotter than Penny.
I agree. There again, I think all the women are hotter than Penny in that show. :shrug:
Re: My Family. I liked it when Nick was in it. After that it fell flat quickly.
SilentVamp
05-21-15, 05:26 PM
I didn't like "Suburgatory". No, it isn't a sitcom in the traditional sense, but it was a comedy nonetheless. I just thought it was so boring. I decided to give it a try more than once, but after the last attempt I just gave up.
honeykid
05-21-15, 06:11 PM
First two seasons are good, particularly the first, the third is a car wreck.
Feel free to included animated sitcoms in this list too.
Family Guy is up there for me, definitely one of the most overrated shows on TV - it feels like it was written for people with ADHD like Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon show for adults
Most of the humor centers around the characters just talking too fast for you to actually hear how unfunny the jokes are or how little sense the pop culture references make, and there's rarely even a coherant plot.
But I'm not a fan of animated sitcoms in general - the Simpsons, King of the Hill, and definitely South Park are worth watching though.
Iroquois
05-21-15, 11:15 PM
I think I'll nominate Housos because it is basically like an extremely obnoxious Australian version of Trailer Park Boys and its big-screen movie (http://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1294638-housos-vs.-authority.html) is quite literally one of the worst movies I've seen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhFIijFD9kg
Anyone ever catch this short-lived show? (Based off of the Geico commercials).
Has a reputation of being awful - personally the few episodes I've seen weren't that bad, but the show was basically a 1-trick pony (with the only gags being related to Cavemen living in the modern world), so I didn't think it would last long anyway.
Guaporense
05-27-15, 10:56 PM
According to Jim
honeykid
05-28-15, 10:13 AM
Having only managed about 3 or 4 minutes of it, that's a good pick, Guap. :up: That was ****ing horrible and that's coming from someone who's made it through numerous episodes of The King Of Queens and Seinfeld. :sick:
Guaporense
05-28-15, 12:04 PM
I know my American TV. :)
Used Future
05-28-15, 11:20 PM
The My Big Fat Greek Wedding TV spin-off was pretty awful.
Cop Rock is the worst show in broadcasting history. It technically isn't a sitcom but it might as well have been.
Cop Rock is the worst show in broadcasting history. It technically isn't a sitcom but it might as well have been.
Interesting, what's it about?
The Rodent
05-28-15, 11:52 PM
Recently caught BBC's newest sitcom Murder In Successville.
I get what they're supposed to be doing, but it's a total failure on all fronts.
I sat stony faced throughout the entire episode and, sitting here trying to remember the specifics, I actually can't remember anything about it.
Interesting, what's it about?
It was basically an embarrassing cop musical. From Steven Bochco who brought you actual outstanding programs like N.Y.P.D Blue. Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law.
Here's a clip of the piece of crap....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLm5Sn1cMyQ
honeykid
05-29-15, 10:21 AM
Recently caught BBC's newest sitcom Murder In Successville.
I get what they're supposed to be doing, but it's a total failure on all fronts.
I sat stony faced throughout the entire episode and, sitting here trying to remember the specifics, I actually can't remember anything about it.
I really like it. Preferred Stella Street, which it has a similar premise to, but I thought the first episode was the best so far. Cracked me up. Second one was good, but the third was a little off. I don't know that it plays as well when the person pushes against the scenario/interaction. Still not seen this week's yet.
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