most overrated comedy shows of all time...

[chav]

Well, one thing's for sure, some comedy is very much an acquired taste. Perhaps the thread should be renamed "Stuff that worked for the vast majority of the community but left me cold". Still, Absolutely eh. When the poster mentioned Stoneybridge I thought of the sketches, and tried to identify what was funny about them, and I couldn't. Even though I laugh a lot. It seems that stuff just "clicks" with some and not with others. Still, if I tried to explain the premise of "9 O'Clock Bruce" & "Brucie" to someone, I'd no doubt get a blank look.

[slim]

Becker over Seinfeld.

??

Really, ?? Frasier I can see, but I can categorically say that Becker has never, ever made me laugh. I didn't think anyone liked it.

[morgs]

Another one for The Office.  Hideous.

Over-rated?  Well, Friends is ok, but Channel 4 are still showing a million episodes a week it feels to me.  Does over-familiarity not help in some cases?  I understand totally about Fawlty Towers - I find myself twitching and getting worked up rather than laughing.  Much like The Office, which is where I came in.

[Little Hoover]

Fawlty Towers, it's annoying and repetitious, I just don't find the frantic running around every episode funny.

Curb your enthusiasm, don't see why people could hate the Office and like this. although I'm not sure if people here do this.

Seinfeld, I don't get it what's so funny I feel like I must be stupid and I'm not getting something because I don't find the jokes funny.

Family Guy, nothing on simpsons, sure briefly it was amusing to have a more cynical absurd show with wacky cut away sketches every few seconds, but I soon got tired of that. All it's really done for me has emphasised how important, the emotion and character depth of The Simpsons is.
also futurama is good, but it never comes close to simpsons quality on any level.

[Mr. Analytical]

Ross Noble I don't find funny in the least but then his star seems to have fallen despite being massively over-hyped a few years ago.

Monty Python's flying circus is over-rated too, moments of genius but as the series went on it was definitely the law of decreasing returns.  Particularly that series without Cleese. I actually think most of the memorable sketches were in the first series.

The Simpsons hasn't been must-see for about 7 or 8 seasons.   It's improved of late after a particularly low ebb but so much of the humour nowadays is broad visual jokes and absurdly self-referential nods that the social satire and verbal wit of the earlier seasons has almost disappeared.

I haven't laughed at Vic Reeves or Bob Mortimer since Big Night Out.

[rjd2]

Friends and Everyone Loves Raymond are the two most overrated comedies that have came out of America over the past ten years. I have seen a dozen episodes of ELR and I just don't laugh even where I think I should I just can't bring myself to like it. Also if we are doing comedians Jo Brand=not funny ever.

[Clerk]

Seinfield and friends are two that instantly come to mind as I thought they were nothing but crap, but then life would be dull if everything was enjoyed the same as everyone else.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Futurama - I always feel like I'm watching one of those old Childrens BBC cartoons for 13-year olds which occasionally throw in something a bit risque. It's a pleasant enough show, and there's some good episodes which have made me laugh, but most of the time it's just not very funny.

[Banana Woofwoof]

Do people really love ELR over in America then?  I had no idea it was so big.

[swarfmonkey]

Friends. It is a real Situation comedy where the characters are in funny situations but the actors, and indeed their characters, just don't come across that way. Strange, pathetic, loopy maybe but not actually funny.

[levitica]

The Office and Little Britain.  I don't think they're that bad, but too many people seem to think they're wonderful.  I'd rather watch either of them than go anywhere near My Family or The Catharine Tate Show.

[Mister Cairo]

Do people really love ELR over in America then?  I had no idea it was so big.

According to Zap2It, 33 million people watched the last episode in the USA, more than watched the last episode of Frasier.

Still, at least they won`t pump out any more

Offical shite- //www.everybodylovesray.com

[Munday's Chylde]

I'm with y'all on futurama - its only so-so funny and does indeed seem like a childrens show even though it isnt intended to be. I cant stand Malcolm In The Middle, its torturous viewing - in fact its as close as i've ever coming to genuinely hating something as unimportant as a tv show.

Everybody Loves Raymon I adore though, so what do i know?

[skinbeard]

Becker over Seinfeld.

??

Really, ?? Frasier I can see, but I can categorically say that Becker has never, ever made me laugh. I didn't think anyone liked it.

I'm not sure why I used it as an example but I do genuinely like the show.  It  vacillates from good to shit constantly and some of the support cast  bunt their big gags but Danson pulls the whole thing together.

To be honest seinfeld hasn't ever made me laugh, except for Jerry's stand up bit at the start.

[slim]

You probably get tired of people asking, but how many shows have you seen? I know almost everyone I've introduced to it have had to watch a few because a lot of the humour comes from knowing the traits of the characters.

[Mr. Analytical]

Agreed about Friends and Everyone Loves Raymond but I took it as read that those were over-rated... ditto Sex in the City while we're at it... I've never seen a programme just stop being funny.

As for Seinfeld I'm kind of with the detractors.  It's a very uneven series and the early seasons are particularly hit and miss.  What I will say though is that the stand-up bit from beginning to end was systematically unfunny.  Boring "men are idiots" gender-war bollocks.  Very 80's.

However... it does have moments of comedy brilliance rarely seen in comedy.  George's batchelor fantasy of sitting around eating huge blocks of cheese, "serenity now!" "Yoyoma!", Elaine's boss the retired adventurer.  The thing is that it's a mainstream comedy and as a result it's not all going to be gold and the US has those huge seasons ng sure that the quality's diluted.  But nonetheless, I think it's definitely up there if you're into proper comedy.

[Rich]

Sean Lock. I mean, he's alright, but...

Give the live album a spin, it's very enjoyable.

Where might one get hold of this?

I got my copy here.  I think it's hilarious and reccomend it highly.

I'm easily pleased so although I generally quite like them, the level of praise awarded to Family Guy, and I suppose to a lesser extent South Park isn't something I join in with.  Some episodes of both (and I've by no means seen all of them) have passed without so much as a chuckle.  Family Guy particularly seems a bit too aware of its own techniques and overuses them a bit.  Futurama on the other hand, I absolutely love.

[Dark Sky]

I would never say that Curb or Futurama are "overrated" 'cause I know no-one in real-life who's heard of the former, and the latter is very much a cult sci-fi thing which the general Simpsons fan just dismissed after one episode.  

Me, I believe that Futurama is superior to the Simpsons in every way, other than the fact that it's only aimed at a small audience, whereas the Simpsons is brilliant in the way that it appeals to everyone.  You have to kinda know and appreciate sci-fi to "get" Futurama, I guess.  That's not supposed to be a "pah, haters of Futurama are rubbish 'cause they don't GET it" comment; just a simple observation that it's not meant to be universally loved by all, as the Simpsons is.

As for "most overrated show of all time"...probably Monty Python's Flying Circus, which really isn't all that good really.  I mean, sure, it was influential and all that, but it's not actually terribly funny, is it?*  I mean, someone walking in an odd way?  Is that comedy gold?  Oh look, this parrot is dead, but if I say it in a silly voice that'll be funny?  Pah.  

Here is a candle to light you to bed, here comes a chopper to...  Well yeah so anyway.  I'm dead already, I might as well go on...

More recently, I think Help was a tad overrated.  I mean, it was quite good compared to everyone else on the TV comedy front at the time, but it wasn't great or anything.  Paul Whitehouse making nob gags, and the brilliant Chris Langham umming and ahhing but with no actual substantial material underneath it all, apart from a few ideas which were obviously unused material from the brilliant Kiss Me Kate.  Sod Quentin getting pregnant, they should have bloody well made that fourth season.  And People Like U.S., whilst they were at it.  It's sad...why are we lumbered with semi-good stuff which we have to blow up out of proportion to make ourselves feel better about the state of recent comedy?

Still, at least Curb and Futurama are still absolutely superbly brilliant.


*Don't you really hate it when someone is talking to you and states an opinion you don't agree with one iota but they say "isn't it" at the end as a statement, as though they already know that you agree with them.  I really really really hate that.

[skinbeard]

You probably get tired of people asking, but how many shows have you seen? I know almost everyone I've introduced to it have had to watch a few because a lot of the humour comes from knowing the traits of the characters.

I have no idea how many episodes I've seen over the last 7 years (since I got cable). I don't hate the show or anything, I just don't really laugh at it. I'll admit to not knowing the characters particularly well which may be a problem.

I find it hard to pinpoint why I can't get into the show, it may well be that I've watched the poorest episodes or that I've dismissed it beforehand. I also tend to find myself looking for obvious places to laugh, a quick putdown or a wry remark which occur more frequently in other shows, like Frasier. I do intend to watch more of it and hope to be proved wrong because I've become obsessed with CYE of late, (buying the first 3 seasons on the basis of one episode I saw on E4) and I'm sure there should be something for me.

[clareQuilty]

'Only fools and horses' leaves me completely cold as does anything Victoria Wood, Lenny Henry or Billy Connolly are involved with.
Futurama wipes the floor with most of the later Simpsons episodes, and is generally just a much nicer looking cartoon with more involved characters.

Family Guy is one of those shows which can either be shit or gold depending on what mood i'm in, the constant pop culture referencing in lieu of jokes can get tired pretty quickly but  often (particularly in the current series) it can be excellent.

Seinfeld is one of those litmus things with people I meet, generally if they don't like it i'm probably not going to like them. That being said I love Evan Dorkins comics and theres some real anti-Seinfeld bile in there, so who knows.

[Hardee]

Friends
(anything American)

[Chers penis]

(anything American

That's a little harsh i think. The sad truth about friends is that the first few series were actually not that bad but it went down hill very quickly and lost it's sense of reality very quickly.

[lankinpark]

The sad truth about friends is that the first few series were actually not that bad but it went down hill very quickly and lost it's sense of reality very quickly.

It ran out of ideas at about the same time Channel 4 started using it (and its imitators) as wallpaper, so it became very annoying very quickly. But the first couple of series were magic.

Will and Grace, though, is inexcusable.

[Chers penis]

Will and Grace

I'll see your Will and Grace and raise you Dharma and greg.

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

I always found Friends fairly consistently funny, even the last couple of series which I really enjoyed. Other than obvious modern stuff Night Night etc I can't think of many overrated shows that I really hate. I've never really been a fan of Victoria Wood but I more put that down to not seeing a huge amount of her shows.

[Chers penis]

I've never really been a fan of Victoria Wood but I more put that down to not seeing a huge amount of her shows.

Don't worry, you're better for it.

[lankinpark]

Will and Grace

I'll see your Will and Grace and raise you Dharma and greg.

Haha. My Dad used to work in Finland and one of the only English language programmes he could get on Finnish TV was Dharma and Greg. He quite liked it, but I guess that's what cabin fever does to you (five years and he didn't learn the language...).

Will and Grace though... it's all the screaming and forced campness.

[Munday's Chylde]

Will and Grace though... it's all the screaming and forced campness.

Quite, loud isn't funny, I wish someone could go back in time and explain that to Rik and Ade... now they're over-rated.

[purlieu]

Rik and Ade do it in a self-concious way, though. It's more of a "we know we're being loud, and we don't care. To make up for it we'll be even louder!"
Will & Grace is a pile of wank full of really, really bad gay stereotypes.

[Hoogstraten'sSmilingUlcer]

I don't Rik and Ade are over-rated actually. A lot of critics loathe Bottom, and The Young Ones has had a fair amount of vitriol hurled at it. But then again, I'm a 'to the death' Bottom defender

Another vote for Friends. It's a truly facist sitcom, and I'll point to Will Self's review of it, because he points much more succinctly than I could. Only Fools and Horses is sentimental toss for which I cannot produce enough bile for
at this moment. Needless to say, it is the worst comedy show ever produced.