Beech Tree News Network

What are the funniest shows of all time? That will be forever debated, just as is any greatest list.  It’s all a matter of opinion. I surveyed several and their responses varied.  I did notice that every single one were comedies, which proves that everyone loves to laugh.  “Laughter is the best medicine” isn’t just a meaningless phrase.
I got responses varying from Gilligan’s Island, Cosby Show, Home Improvement, ALF, Barney Miller, Roseanne and I Love Lucy.  As expected, different generations provided culturally different answers.  Let’s face it; comedy has certainly evolved over the years, such as everything.  Culture-wise, the Cosby Show broke ground.  It was the first time a non-stereotypical African American family was portrayed on television. They were a tight-knit one as well.  They actually talked through their problems, provided solid answers we ourselves could use, and were the ultimate model television family of the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s.  Now I’m going to have to search for Cosby repeats.
On the radical flip-side was the ‘90’s sitcom Married…With Children.  No doubt the most memorable dysfunctional television family this side of the Bunkers.  MWC was, in essence, FOX’s first hit, though it didn’t start out that way.  The first season was critically panned and the show was on the brink of cancellation. 
Other favorites that got mentioned from friends were Three’s Company (ground breaking in its own right for that era), 3rd Rock From the Sun-’96-’01 (the Joe Diffie song of the same name was released in ’94-no word if the song inspired the show, though I wonder), Sanford and Son- iconic show, not to mention the inspiration behind the ever popular (maybe) Big Dummy Awards), Friends, Psych, the Office(the Michael Scott years were best) and Golden Girls were also mentioned. These were all top sitcoms of their day.
The true test of stamina in a show is syndication. All of these shows I have mentioned are now, or have been, in syndication.  You can still turn on the television at any time, day or night, and find re-runs of 14 of the 15 shows mentioned here. Who knows the whereabouts of those ALF repeats? And yes, I had an ALF stuffed animal.  I still have it somewhere, actually.  I saw it the other day.
In future columns, I may take a favorite show and tell where the actors are present day.  As you know, I like looking up things like that.  I would do it here, but that would make this column a lot longer!
Hello, my name is Andy Sullivan. I received my bachelor’s degree in business from Mid-Continent University in May 2009. I began writing for Beech Tree News in July 2009.  I enjoy playing guitar, the occasional Wii game, writing, and listening to music. I write a sports blog that can be found at http://andyuk79.tumblr.com
   If you have a comment, feel free to leave it in the space below.