May 6, 2005

Married With Children?
G

I've been waiting for some unfortunate soul to mention Married with Children. The show sickens me. I don't find it offensive (I don't really find anything offensive, except maybe Mrs Thatcher *shudder*), just deeply deeply unfunny. The show had a British following of a few 13-year-old boys for a couple of years but I think we must have deported them (I'm against the death pennalty but it would've been nice to see it temporarily reinstated) for crimes against taste. I don't mean to cause any offence Everett because I enjoy your contributions to this forum and your last post ws very, very funny but why, why WHY include Married with Children in your list over works of greatness such as Frasier, M*A*S*H and The Flintstones? WHY? And while Home Improvement, Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond are enjoyable passers of the occasional day off work, none are really particularly sidesplittingly funny.

Anyway, you gave us a list of 16 great American comedies (some notably geater than others, although you're right about Cheers, The Simpsons and Malcolm) and said you highly doubted any British list could hold up against it. Here are my 16. No particular order.

The Office; Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights; Father Ted; The Two Ronnies' Sketchbook; Blackadder (my personal favourite); Are You Being Served (I've heard this has a large following in New York. Is this true?); Monty Python's Flying Circus; Fawlty Towers; Dad's Army; Yes Minister; Porrige; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Red Dwarf; Only Fools and Horses; Spaced; 'Allo 'Allo!

And there are many more I could have mentioned. What do you all think?

Maried with Children? 10 out of 10 for style but minus several million for good thinking.

G.