Well my friends it’s been awhile hasn’t it? As I said at the start of the year, I was burned out. I just didn’t have any more ideas and needed a break. Even I’m surprised how long. So, what are we discussing today?
Normally I’d joke around a little, but honestly this virus isn’t funny. I never thought I’d see the whole world shut down like this with so many sick. I even have a family member who tested positive. My job is requesting everyone work from home, but one needs work to be able to do that and things have been slow. So as long as I an stuck here may as well get back into something which has proven to be a healthy distraction in before in trying times.
With so many stuck at home, a lot of people are putting out binge watching suggestions. But when I look at these lists there are movies and series ranging from drama’s to sci-fi, but very few sitcoms on them. So today, here are ten sitcoms I believe make great binge watching material. And yes I was inspired by Les’s fine article, and he did mention one good sitcom-MASH.
Before I begin, you may ask yourself-why sitcoms? Well I’ll explain individually as I go but there is one large reason that overrules them all. We need sitcoms right now. With times being this tough, and so many people depressed or filled with anxiety, we need a break. Sure there are several ways to do that, including music and online media, but sitcoms have endured for as long as they have because of this one reason. I’ve said it before, it’s why drama’s tend to fade away but we all remember a good sitcom. These shows bring people together at home, work, and even conventions. There is all kinds of love for these shows because they can so something that is unparalleled- they give us hope, and make us laugh when we really need to.
So here we go, in random order. And no, not every sitcom is “binge watchable” in my opinion. Some are to boring, Full House comes to mind. And others get so bad that unless you stop at a certain point the show is very hard to get throug (Murphy Brown comes to mind). These are ten shows that you can watch from pilot to finale. And as always, just opinion feel free to disagree or add to list:
This is one show that often pops up on these kind of lists, But it’s easy to see why. Not only is it funny with good characters, but it’s also kinda serialized. Yeah every single episode even in a small way make up a ten season story of these characters growing up and leaving their youth behind. Unlike a lot of shows, episodes lead into the next and events have an impact on the characters (rather than being forgotten or retconned out like many series do).
I made a mistake not choosing to review every episode of the series. I am proud to say I have caught up with the Diane episodes, and man is this a good show! I am going to talk more about it in my next article but the more I watch, the mire I love this series. Yeah it’s true Diane became insufferable in her last season. This show was just so damned funny. It's one of the few shows that makes me sad when I run out of episodes
While different from Cheers in many ways, one of the reasons it worked, the show is still a fun watch. The main characters are so likable the that even when they are being stupid we keep wanting to come back. While not a serialized show like Friends the finale still ties up the series in a very satisfying way.
Yeah you all knew this was coming. This show is not serialized, the characters never learn anything, and the finale was more of a middle finger to the audience than anything else. It’s also kinda dated after all this time. This show is like the TV version of Ghostbusters, like that movie there were a million reasons this show should have failed and instead it was lightning in a bottle. I can watch these episodes a million times and not get sick of them. Heck, the title of this article is rip off of class Seinfeld expression!
So I’ve been trying to watch more 70’s stuff. I tried an episode of The Bob Newhart Show but it was stupid. For some reason I can’t get into that show. This one, yeah it’s really good. At only seven seasons it’s a quick watch but any show that has Mary Tyler Moore in it has to bring a smile to your face.
I have found this show to be a great background show. You know, when you want the TV on but maybe your not really paying attention to it? The show is sorta serialized, especially the later years. It’s an easy watch and still funny to me.
Kinda how we have “feel good” movies, we also have “feel good” shows, where the content may be fluff but we love the characters and enjoy watching anyway. The Brady Bunch is an example. But the best ever has to be this series. Not only did we love the characters, but you tell they loved each other. You may wonder why I added this considering the last couple years were less than stellar. Well, even when the series wasn’t at its best we could always rely on The Fonz to make us smile.
I’ve talked before about why I never got into this show, but the legions of fans who do deserve to acknowledged. This shows always shows up on binge lists and I can see why. The characters are fun and the way the show was shot is unique. As I noted the unique style of this show was so popular it influenced many others from Parks and Rec to Community to Scrubs.
Yeah there is definitely no serialized story here, episode is pretty just a day in the life of this dysfunctional family. But that’s part of the show’s charm, that it does feel like we’re peeking in on this family during some random day and watching what happens. The problems are never huge or earth shattering, their just the little things people have to cope with when married and living with so close to their parents. This is one show, like Seinfeld, where it isn’t the characters bringing me back, it’s the situations.
or 
I couldn’t decide. Both of these shows are funny and a nice distraction from the real world. Though Golden Girls tends to get serious at times, and Who’s The Boss? was hardly perfect every episode (especially in their run). So I just put them both on here. Besides when do I ever not have a tie? These shows have one important thing in common, we like the characters and enjoy watching them every week. Yeah, Golden Girls is probably a little better.
That’s it my friends. Does this mean I’ll be posting a lot more? Only time will tell. For now, stay inside with some of these great shows and stay healthy!
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