Thursday, September 30, 2010

THIS IS THE NIGHT BEFORE MY WEDDING AND I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF A SWEAT CONTEST: Following up on his drama list, MZS slideshows the ten greatest comedy pilot episodes of all time.  Some very nice choices from the 1980s in particular.

14 comments:

  1. For me, the hook with The Wonder Years was that I was the exact same age as Kevin.  I mean, when it debuted, he was going into the same grade I was in real life. In a lot of ways, it didn't matter that it was set in the 60s, the struggles of growing up were the same as what I was going through.  And the show finished my senior year of high school, just like Kevin's.  I still have the finale on VHS and it's one of the few reasons I keep a VCR.  Guaranteed cry, when I need it.

    I've never seen an episode of the Dick Van Dyke show, but it's available on Netflix Watch Instantly, so I might have to give it a try.

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  2. Joseph J. Finn10:36 AM

    Cosby is rightfully on that list, if only for how both actors play the "how much money are you going to need in the real world" scene.  Serious kudos for including Police Squad!, which I'll just note has listed as the cast on Netflix:

    <span>Robert GouletFlorence HendersonWilliam ShatnerLeslie NielsenLorne GreeneWilliam ConradJoyce BrothersDick ClarkAlan North</span>

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  3. Clearly I'm much older than you, but I can't imagine a life without the Dick Van Dyke show's contribution to the history and development of television and comedy in general, and situation comedies in particular. It will be dated for you now, but it's the same era as Mad Men. I will never tire of the episodes, most of which I know by heart.

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  4. I recently rewatched the pilot of The Cosby Show and was again struck by how funny and unexpected Cliff's response ("That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life!" is to Theo's heartfelt, sitcommy speech. 

    I was too young to watch MASH when it was on originally, and I've caught a lot of it in reruns, but this made me realize I've never seen the first episode.  I've also never seen a single episode of Dick Van Dyke or Police Squad.

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  5. isaac_spaceman12:04 PM

    That is a seriously great list.  I probably would have come up with a mostly different list (I'm sure I would have had AD and Police Squad on it), then I would have read MZS's list, and I would have changed mine. 

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  6. Meghan12:31 PM

    When I looked at it, I was outraged (outraged!) that AD was number 9.  And then I saw the rest of the list and, well, yeah.  I still might have it higher but I didn't remember how many great pilots there were.  I never saw Dick Van Dyke but maybe I'll check it out.

    I heard Garry Shandling on Howard Stern earlier this week and it made me want to go get the Larry Sanders Show box set as I've never seen an episode.

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  7. Um. yeah.  The Larry Sanders Show is .. the Guardian (UK) just wrote this:

    There are a total of 89 episodes of HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show, and this batch, the first 13, slip down like nectar – a deliciously bittersweet nectar, perhaps – in a couple of evenings (they’re only about 25 minutes long, but – just as the best short stories feel like compressed novels – these gems of wit, economy, insight and irony are as rich as features). ...

    Extras by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, and the amusing but comparatively toothless 30 Rock – though Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Alan Partridge and The Office have also been mentioned in the same breath, with some justice.

    Nothing, however, has exceeded its power to shock, amuse, unsettle and dazzle with its dry, sharp intelligence and verve.

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  8. Joseph J. Finn1:14 PM

    And don't forget the original Garry Shandling Show, which is a completely different beast but also hilarious.

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  9. The Pathetic Earthling1:50 PM

    Certainly the Garry Shandling Show had the best sit-com theme ever.

    "This is the theme to Garry's show.
     The theme to Garry's show.
     This is the song we play,
     When we roll the cred-its!"

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  10. Watts2:37 PM

    I always wanted to use a modified version of that themse song for my answering machine outgoing message.  "We're almost to the part where it's going to beep now, and then it's time to leave your message here"

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  11. Joseph J. Finn2:45 PM

    Oh, I'm a nerd.  It actually went:

    <span>This is the theme to Garry's Show, 
    The theme to Garry's show. 
    Garry called me up and asked if I would write his theme song. 
    I'm almost halfway finished, 
    How do you like it so far, 
    How do you like the theme to Garry's Show.</span>

    <span>This is the theme to Garry's Show, 
    The opening theme to Garry's show. 
    This is the music that you hear as you watch the credits. 
    We're almost to the part of where I start to whistle. 
    Then we'll watch "It's Garry Shandling's Show". 

    This was the theme to Garry Shandling's show."</span>

    Weanwhile, Gary feeds his fish.

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  12. Great list -- I would have added The Mary Tyler Moore Show myself, but everything there is good.  Makes me want to watch some Police Squad! now!

    For those who have never seen The Dick Van Dyke Show, I envy you getting to watch for the first time a show I saw over and over again in syndication.  You are in for a treat.

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  13. I would find a way to include Titus. Whatever else you can say about that show, the pilot ("Dad Is Dead") is one of the best half hours of television ever. Just brilliant.

    Also, I'm surprised by the number here who haven't seen Dick Van Dyke. Classic for a reason!

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  14. Sophietje3:20 PM

    There's a show on A&E or something called something similar to 'Police Squad'.  I get super excited, change the channel, and then realize it's some real life police show.  EVERY.DAMN.TIME.

    So, yes, Police Squad! is great. Watch it now!

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