Famm
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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I'd agree that MASH and Cheers were up there with Seinfeld. I'd say Scrubs actually deserves a mention for sitcoms too.
I don't agree that Seinfeld is "high brow" unless judged by the lowest common denominator middle American hick sensibility. Deconstructionist sitcom though, I like that better. That was part of the genius of Seinfeld, it had subtlety without being dense, it was smart comedy yet still full of accessible jokes. It had a classic sitcom feel and maintained a story and recurring characters without falling into the typical cliches and tropes we had seen in sitcoms too many times already. It had heady, dry moments interspersed with the confused, misguided and bumbling antics of Elaine and George, also with healthy doses of Kramer's masterfully executed physical slapstick. In short, it was a show about nothing but it had something for everyone and it reaped the rewards for nailing that widely accessible content.
When I think "high brow" and television, I'd think more of like Northern Exposure, though that certainly wasn't a sitcom and also equal parts drama and comedy.
When I think of funniest though, I don't really think sitcoms in general as much as sketch shows. Chapelle, Kids in the Hall, the best moments of SNL over the years, all got more pure out loud laughter from me than any sit coms. Probably some others too but I'm drawing a blank on what.
I'd call Always Sunny and Workaholics potentially as influential and evolutionary as any classic sitcoms, but their longevity and legacy remain to be seen.
I don't agree that Seinfeld is "high brow" unless judged by the lowest common denominator middle American hick sensibility. Deconstructionist sitcom though, I like that better. That was part of the genius of Seinfeld, it had subtlety without being dense, it was smart comedy yet still full of accessible jokes. It had a classic sitcom feel and maintained a story and recurring characters without falling into the typical cliches and tropes we had seen in sitcoms too many times already. It had heady, dry moments interspersed with the confused, misguided and bumbling antics of Elaine and George, also with healthy doses of Kramer's masterfully executed physical slapstick. In short, it was a show about nothing but it had something for everyone and it reaped the rewards for nailing that widely accessible content.
When I think "high brow" and television, I'd think more of like Northern Exposure, though that certainly wasn't a sitcom and also equal parts drama and comedy.
When I think of funniest though, I don't really think sitcoms in general as much as sketch shows. Chapelle, Kids in the Hall, the best moments of SNL over the years, all got more pure out loud laughter from me than any sit coms. Probably some others too but I'm drawing a blank on what.
I'd call Always Sunny and Workaholics potentially as influential and evolutionary as any classic sitcoms, but their longevity and legacy remain to be seen.
