10 Funniest Sitcoms You're Probably Not Watching

[Blake (HDLYR)]

I decided to make a list of the 10 sitcoms that I find hilarious (and you should too!), but they're sadly and unfairly not receiving the attention they deserve. They're all hilarious shows, and I highly suggest you check them out!

I won't be doing a game or keeping score, but I will post hints for each series if you feel like guessing what's next on the list.

10. 10 Things I Hate About You
ABC Family
It might seem a little uninventive basing a TV series off a decade-old movie of the same name (which is itself based on a Shakespearean comedy), but somehow it fights the odds and works. The dialogue is clever, snarky, and finally gives a bit of edge to the present day world of watered-down teen comedies. The show isn‘t afraid to be a little inappropriate at times - which is exactly how high school is supposed to be.
The two lead characters, sisters Kat and Bianca, carry the weight of the comedy. Kat is much more self-aware than the average teenager, so she typically fills the role of the “straight man” in comedic situations. But her unrelenting stance-taking on nearly every issue environmental, political, and feminist keeps her dishing out the holier-than-thou insults and snappy one-liners without fail. It’s always great when your straight man can add to the comedy, especially when she comes to discover you can never have high school completely figured out.
Bianca’s innocent superficiality and misguided aspirations of popularity are always amusing. She’s the complete opposite of Kat and they always butt heads, but that fact never seems to slow her down. She seeks “celebrity status” at school, constantly cat-and-mousing with the head cheerleader (played by Dana Davis). Mostly it’s all harmless aspirations to fit in and survive high school - but her oblivious self-absorption constantly gets her into trouble with friends.
Reprising his role from the film, Larry Miller plays the girls’ father, an over-protective single parent and gynaecologist. His delivery of jokes is classic and he steals every scene he’s in. Hopefully future episodes will include more of him.
Admittedly, the plotlines are pretty much your typical, contrived high school situations: finding a date to the school dance, joining the cheerleading squad, throwing a party to become popular, etc. It’s all very familiar. But it’s the delivery that counts. The characters really shine and the dialogue is superb, and like I said, it’s not afraid to make those typical teenage stories to include actual teenagers, instead of Disney drones. A hilarious show that reminds me what it’s like to be a kid.

9. ? (hint: Cookie Party!)
8. ?
7. ?
6. ?
5. ?
4. ?
3. ?
2. ?
1. ?

[indy42 - THE FILMMAKER]

The Sarah Silverman Program?

[Blake (HDLYR)]

EDIT: I changed this thread from 5 Funniest to 10 Funniest. Don't worry, the bottom two don't change. I squeezed other sitcoms in the middle.

[Blake (HDLYR)]

10. 10 Things I Hate About You

9. The Sarah Silverman Program
Comedy Central
This show is not for the easily offended - because it pretty much aims to cross every line imaginable. What makes it so hilarious is that Sarah can say the most crude, offensive, and vile things with such child-like innocence and charming immaturity. It’s a show about a grown woman who is too naïve to realize how horrible she is, and the mock “family friendly” tone caps it off nicely. Anyone familiar with Sarah Silverman’s stand-up will love this show - which is sort of a spoof of herself.
Brian Posehn and Steve Agee play Sarah’s hilarious gay neighbors. They aren’t the victim of too many inappropriate gay jokes - the joke itself is that they break the stereotype. They’re overweight, hairy nerds who love video games and pot.
It’s worth a watch, especially for some mindless laughs. The biggest problem is that finding the show is basically looking for a needle in a haystack. The seasons are only 6 episodes long so they hardly air for any time at all, and if re-runs ever show up, I’m unaware of them. Check it out on DVD or iTunes though.

8. ? (hint: married, engaged, single)
7. ?
6. ?
5. ?
4. ?
3. ?
2. ?
1. ?

[Dominick]

I love both of these

[indy42 - THE FILMMAKER]

Rules of Engagement?

[Necktie]

How I Met Your Mother?

[Blake (HDLYR)]

10. 10 Things I Hate About You
9. The Sarah Silverman Program

8. Rules of Engagement
CBS
This is a show about a married couple, an engaged couple, and their single friend. It's part of the CBS comedy line-up, which is currently producing some of the best sitcoms on TV. The writing is top-notch and amusing, and the delivery from actors Patrick Warburton and David Spade is particularly laugh-out-loud funny.
It fits the mold of countless sitcoms from the past, seeing as most plotlines are about the goofus male falling short with the overly attentive female, or the single bachelor who loves to womanize. But there's usually some added factor that makes each episode fun and fresh, and all the characters have fine-tuned and apparent personalities. The two female leads generally act as the straight men and don't really produce as many laughs, but the three males unquestionably never fail. Like I said, Warburton and Spade could carry the show by themselves if they had to, and they help make this one of the best sitcoms out there.

7. ? (hint: vomit free since '93)
6. ?
5. ?
4. ?
3. ?
2. ?
1. ?

[Necktie]

Previous answer.

[indy42 - THE FILMMAKER]

Nov 15, 2009 21:52:31 GMT -5 Necktie said:

Previous answer.

Ditto.

[Dominick]

Uhh, Sitcoms you're NOT watching guys. Everyone watched HIMYM

[indy42 - THE FILMMAKER]

Nov 16, 2009 0:41:58 GMT -5 Dominick said:

Uhh, Sitcoms you're NOT watching guys. Everyone watched HIMYM

Not me! HAHA!

*runs off*

[flashback]

How I met your mother!

[Blake (HDLYR)]

10. 10 Things I Hate About You
9. The Sarah Silverman Program
8. Rules of Engagement

7. How I Met Your Mother
CBS
This show has definitely increased in popularity over the years, it's even garnered multiple Emmy nods and wins, so maybe you are watching it. But just think about how many people you know personally who have never even heard of the show. It's mind boggling.
This is undisputedly one of the funniest shows on TV, not to mention one of the most creative. It breaks the typical format of multi-camera sitcoms, and doesn't fear using hilarious cutaways or telling stories out of chronological order. Most of the plotlines are layered and able to be told out of your standard A to B to C order. Just look at the episode "The Pineapple Incident" from season one.
The characters each have their quirks and signature personalities, but the chemistry between them all is what makes them one of the most entertaining groups of friends out there. They even have their own vocabulary and terminology, which really grows on you. Neil Patrick Harris as Barney steals the show, no doubt about that, but everyone else has their fantastic moments too. Marshall the gentle giant and completely loyal friend and husband. Robin the oafish Canadian girl who can't help that she's tougher than most dudes. And Ted with his desperate inadequacies and imperfect search for the perfect mate. My personal favorite is Alyson Hannigan's Lily - kind hearted and gentle, but always unleashing those master manipulator skills or closeted nymphomania at the funniest possible moments.
The show's premise of actually finding "the mother" - Ted Mosby's future wife - might have become a distant sideplot that only loosely binds the seasons together, but for most of us it's not a regrettable thing. It's a story about the group's friendship and how romance usually just adds to the laughs. You won't find a show out there this uniquely original and with this much heart. So tell your friends, darn it!

6. ? (hint: Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros)
5. ?
4. ?
3. ?
2. ?
1. ?

[Necktie]

Concords

[Dominick]

Nov 16, 2009 0:42:46 GMT -5 indy42 - THE FILMMAKER said:

Nov 16, 2009 0:41:58 GMT -5 Dominick said:

Uhh, Sitcoms you're NOT watching guys. Everyone watched HIMYM

Not me! HAHA!

*runs off*

I don't either, but everyone I know does.


And obviously FOTC.

[Blake (HDLYR)]

10. 10 Things I Hate About You
9. The Sarah Silverman Program
8. Rules of Engagement
7. How I Met Your Mother

6. Flight of the Conchords
HBO
It's a possibility you've never heard of the New Zealander comedic folk-music duo named Flight of the Conchords. It's also a possibility you've never heard of their BBC radio show of the same name. But the biggest shame is that you've possibly never heard of their genius sitcom on HBO (also of the same name).
Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement play two Kiwi musicians trying to make it big in the daunting city of New York. The problem is that their humble foreign upbringing makes them two of the most naive guys on the planet. With their one and only fan, Mel (played by Kristen Schaal) - who is more of an obsessive stalker than anything else - they are about as far as you can get from "making it big".
The show is virtually a parody of the real-life musicians themselves. Bret's the kind of guy who has an accidental charm with the ladies and a lackadaisical attitude toward the band. Jemaine is a bit of a stoic lug - believe me when I say the actor can say ANYTHING with a straight face, no matter how hilarious. Together, their comedic delivery is unmatched, and their ability to deliver jokes in song is second to none. Equally critical to the duo is their even more naive, fellow Kiwi band manager, Murray (played by Rhys Darbies). His constant half-baked plans to get the guys a record deal are always heartbreakingly pitiful, despite being completely hilarious.
The show constantly breaks out into musical numbers, showcasing the band's talent - both comedic and musical. No two songs follow the same style, and the guys are always changing it up - from rap to rock, to ballads about leggy blondes and techno beats about robots, Bowie-esque glam, French folk, piano duets, all the way to Hindi carnatic party rhythms. Don't think it stops there. Sometimes the humor in the songs is hit or miss, but as for the sitcom itself - the subtle brilliance of the writing for these poor guys and their awkward lives will never let you down.

5. ? (hint: ba-zinga!)
4. ?
3. ?
2. ?
1. ?

[Chubby - FACT: Cooler than you]

I'd like to say Big Bang Theory, but that's rather popula, isn't it? Meh, I wouldn't know I don't watch comdey network... EVER.

*looks around*
*backs down slowly*
*embarrased giggle*

[Blake (HDLYR)]

10. 10 Things I Hate About You
9. The Sarah Silverman Program
8. Rules of Engagement
7. How I Met Your Mother
6. Flight of the Conchords

5. The Big Bang Theory
CBS
This is, like How I Met Your Mother, another show that has gained a good amount of attention and probably doesn't need to be on the list. That's why I'm just going to keep it at number five.
This is a show about how four super-smart geniuses with IQ's well above the average man can, well... can be just as socially inept as the rest of us, if not more so. Sheldon (Emmy nominated Jim Parsons) is easily the funniest - with his unrelenting narcisissm, perfectionism, and compulsive ticks piled on top of a slew of personality disorders. His sheer genius is matched by none... but throw a little sarcasm his way and he's baffled for ages.
Howard is an aerospace engineer with a penchant for cheesy pick-up lines and the romantic savvy of a pack of coyotes. Raj, the astrophysicist, has a perpetual inability to speak around women - but put a little alcohol in him and he's smooth as silk. Leonard (Johnny Galecki) is the default leader of the guys, and his on-going attempts to woo the girl-next-door, Penny, is easily the heart of the story.
Penny (Kaley Cuoco) is the perfect addition to round out the cast. The only non-genius, just a normal gal from the Midwest trying to make it Cali. She's the classic "hot girl out of your league who you might actually stand a chance with". Penny and Leonard's relationship might be front and center, but here's a hint: it's the relationship between Penny and Sheldon that's really made for laughs. Her ditzy, occasional superficiality plus his condescending brilliance? Yeah.
If I had to pick a flaw with the show, I'd say now in its third season, I'm starting to notice an occasional lack of new material - old jokes being recycled. Let's hope it's not something to expect from here on out, because this is easily one of the funniest sitcoms you should be watching.

4. ? (hint: 2 guys, 1 name)
3. ?
2. ?
1. ?

[Dominick]

*puts on thinking cap*