[James]

Original thread here.

Got 2008 off to an excellent start by re-watching the second season of Arrested Development, the third best sitcom ever. With guest appearance by Tom Jane!

Bit of a lame way to start this thread, I know, but sod it.

[Mark]

I'll use this opportunity to repeat my unholy love for 30 Rock - easily the best sitcom since Arrested Development (not quite as good as that, perhaps, but since James is entirely correct to cite AD as one of the very best sitcoms ever, that's hardly a damning indictment), and showcase for the Woman Who Shall Become My Bride, the utterly delicious, charming and hilarious Tina Fey. Also: Alec Baldwin's career suddenly has a reason to exist.

The enforced abbreviation of the second season is the only instance to date of the WGA strike having any impact at all on my television-viewing pleasure. At least there's one more new episode to air before they run out.

As just about everyone who's seen it has observed, I love this show so much I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.

[JohnMcMahon]

Just can't get into 30 Rock myself, a little too 'zany' for my tastes.

Reaper is probably my favourite of the US stuff currently stuck in hiatus due to the strike. I can understand why the Jack Black-esque exploits of Sock put so many off but the chemistry between the main cast, combined with the sublime presence of the chap playing Satan, made it must-see tv for me. It's coming to Channel 4 soon, so non-torrenting folks will have a chance to catch it.

10 episodes aired before the strike caught up with it, with 3 more commissioned, judging by the Wiki entry it was holding its audience and was in with a real chance of getting a full season pickup. Hopefully them damn talented writer folks haven't doomed it by trying to get what they deserve, fuckers.

I watched the chicken yoke with Hugh wotshisface over the last couple of nights, his heart was in the right place but I don't think he ever really grasped the fiscal reality that most people have to live with - despite his assurances to the contrary. The fact that he had a new shop opening up in the middle of the whole thing was well suss too, though in fairness they gave that fair coverage.

[Mark]

On considered reflection, I'm increasingly coming around to the idea that the word "third" in James' first post is actually unnecessary. It was remembering Buster's hook-hand ("I'M A MONSTER!!!") that really did it for me.

[electricinca]

Like to echo Mark's love of 30 Rock. The hiatus over Christmas has left me bereft and the only solution was to watch the entire first season again followed by the episodes of the second that have been screened so far. Tine Fey and Alec Baldwin are both sublime in it.

Watched yesterday via the BBC iPlayer service a documentary titled Pop! What is it good for?

Music writer and self-confessed pop addict Paul Morley presents a documentary which explores and celebrates the beauty and mystery of the three-minute pop single.

http://www.bbc.co.uk.../b008njys.shtml

[James]

That pop documentary is indeed brilliant, and I'd recommend that anyone not living in Britain try to track it down on BitTorrent or something. Wasn't that impressed by Simon Armitage's analysis of This Charming Man, however.

On considered reflection, I'm increasingly coming around to the idea that the word "third" in James' first post is actually unnecessary. It was remembering Buster's hook-hand ("I'M A MONSTER!!!") that really did it for me.

1- The Simpsons
2- Seinfeld
3- Arrested Development/Curb Your Enthusiasm (joint)

Although I can't bring myself to watch The Simpsons any more, and there are already more medicore/bad episodes than there are brilliant ones, so it almost feels unfair to put it ahead of something that's uniformly brilliant, like Arrested Development.

[JohnMcMahon]

Mark, have you watched the US Office ? The couple of people I know who're smitten with 30 Rock can't get enough of the US Office.

[Lou K]

LOVE the US version of the Office.

Looking forward to the Lost 2 hour premier at the end of this month.

[Mark]

1- The Simpsons
2- Seinfeld
3- Arrested Development/Curb Your Enthusiasm (joint)

Although I can't bring myself to watch The Simpsons any more, and there are already more medicore/bad episodes than there are brilliant ones, so it almost feels unfair to put it ahead of something that's uniformly brilliant, like Arrested Development.

I'll grant Seinfeld (as is almost inevitable for such a long-running show, there were a lot more poor/mediocre episodes of Seinfeld than there were of Arrested Development, but the corollary of that is that there are more genuinely brilliant ones, too.

100% agreement re. The Simpsons.

Honourable mentions: Father Ted, Blackadder, Fawlty Towers,, Yes, Minister, Porridge, (Whatever Happened To) The Likely Lads. Also Frasier, Dad's Army and Married...With Children, all of which would be contenders if they'd been more consistent, but ran for too long, with too many poor episodes along the way, to really count.


John - no, I've never gotten round to the US Office. It's on my shortlist, though, so one of these days...

I've watched very little television lately, to be honest.

[Pooka]

I know it was last year, but did anyone see Flight of the Conchords?

I thought the songs were very funny.

[sethos]

I know it was last year, but did anyone see Flight of the Conchords?

I thought the songs were very funny.

I love Flight of the Conchords. "Business Time", "Frodo" and "Bowie" are all in my main playlist in iTunes.

[James]

I'll grant Seinfeld (as is almost inevitable for such a long-running show, there were a lot more poor/mediocre episodes of Seinfeld than there were of Arrested Development, but the corollary of that is that there are more genuinely brilliant ones, too.

Just watching the start of series two and every scene involving Michael forgetting Anne has me in stitches. I'd forgotten how densely packed it is with jokes, and how well the plotlines in each episode weave together. Given the slightly lacking last two seasons of Curb, I think it might well be deserving of the whole of the third place.

Honourable mentions: Father Ted, Blackadder, Fawlty Towers,, Yes, Minister, Porridge, (Whatever Happened To) The Likely Lads.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Rising Damp...

Also Frasier, Dad's Army and Married...With Children, all of which would be contenders if they'd been more consistent, but ran for too long, with too many poor episodes along the way, to really count.

Contenders for what? As good as the first two are, I don't think even their best moments came close to The Simpsons, Seinfeld, AD or Curb's.

Also, I've only recently found out that Married With Children isn't the bog-standard sitcom I'd always thought it was, but actually had lots of bizarre stuff like Al getting killed every so often. What would be a good season to pick up on DVD?

[Mark]

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Rising Damp...

Good calls, both.

Also, I've only recently found out that Married With Children isn't the bog-standard sitcom I'd always thought it was, but actually had lots of bizarre stuff like Al getting killed every so often. What would be a good season to pick up on DVD?

I've got no idea, I only made the same discovery myself a few months ago when I started watching it on Norwegian TV, where it seems to be running every evening on some channel or other. I've seen quite a lot of it since then, but I've no idea about which seasons are particularly decent, since it's largely been out of order.

There's an undercurrent of genuine, bitter nastiness which really stands out compared to almost all the other US sitcoms I've seen. At times, it's even more nihilistic than the darkest moments of Seinfeld, although not usually in quite such a brilliant way.

[Twilight]

Its been ages since I watched Married with Children, I really loved that show when I was younger...

I've somewhat lapsed in my TV viewing habits over the last year or two so I haven't caught a lot of the more recent comedies mentioned here. Any list that features both Yes, Minister and Frasier gets my endorsement though.

[James]

So that's 30 Rock and Married With Children on the list...

[Atticus]

Haven't really watched much new TV this year, but it did get off to a high start by realising on New Year's morning that the Doctor Who Christmas Special (that I'd missed on Christmas day*) was repated that afternoon. A pleasant surprise, since I'd resigned myself to coming back to boards and begging for a copy from anyone here who still used that ancient device known as a vid-ay-o recorder.

Anyway, have been watching series 1-5 of Still Game that Mrs Atticus got me for Chrimbo.
For those of you who don't know it it's probably best described as Men Behaving Badly for OAPs, set on a Glasgow housing with two main characters - Jack and Victor - and a rich supporting cast of the type of jakeys, gossips, shopkeeper, tight bastards, sneaky bastard bookie and wanky barman that you'd get on any estate.
Can be a bit hit-and miss, certainly in series 1 and 2, but series 3 is shaping up to be hilarious. Excellent running gag about how the barman Bobby greets Jack & Victor every time they enter the local:

Bobby: Hey look! It's Lambert and Butler!
Jack: Shut it Bobby, you're the only fag in here.

Bobby: Oh, look who it isnae.
Jack: Oh, that is fantastic patter, Bobby, who are we no today, ya prick?
Victor: Two lagers, ya fanny.

Bobby: Oh, here they come. Abbott and Costello. You're putting the beef on Jack.
Jack: Aye, that right. Everytime i shag your wife, she makes me a sandwich.

Bobby: Ho-ho, it's the two Ronnies.
Victor: The two Ronnies is it, aye? Well, then, it's shut-up-ya-prick frae me...
Jack: And its shut-up-ya-prick frae him.


They say swearing isn't big or clever. But it is funny when old folk do it.

*So I head up to the auld country for Christmas, carefully setting the timer on my video for the Doctor Who Christmas Special, remembering to make an allowiance of additional minutes either side of the programme directly proportional to my desire to see said programme (in this case 20 minutes) and double checking time date and channel setting. Sat smugly on Christmas Day at my mum's while my brother complained he was missing it due to his inability to properly operate his new on-demand hard-drive thingy. Managed to avoid any reviews of it all week, and returned to London on Saturday.

Got in from a hellish eight hour drive, settled the twins down, unloaded the car, got the babies to bed; rolled a joint, opened some wine and sat down with video remote control in one hand, and a plate of rolls and sausage in the other.
Rewound videotape, pressed play and found myself watching the news. Must've been on before Doctor Who thinks I (but wasn't eastenders on before it? nags a small voice at the back of my head), and a slow sinking feeling occurs in my stomach.
I'd forgotten that my video recorder - the one I've had for about 7 years, the one on which I set the timer successfully maybe twice a week for the past 7 years - uses the 24hr clock. In a brainfart moment I'd recorded nearly 2 hours worth of morning news from the BBC.
How much of a fucking idiot did I feel.

[Malin]

There was a musical number! They all sang!

[jae]

Flight of the conchords is coming back for a second season along with big love for its third... I can't wait to see the mini series of john adams...I usually ignore most of hbo miniseries...

The lword has been off to a better start than season 4 they got fresh directing blood of angela robbins and jaime babbit who freshened the show up after the disastrous start to the 4th season.

[Atticus]

Watched Damages on BBC1 the other night, and enjoyed it greatly (I presume this has already run in the US or on satellite somewhere, so spoilers will NOT be appreciated).

What pleasantly surprised me was how good an actor Ted Danson is: at absolutely no point through the first two episodes did I think "Sam Malone", which is bit of an achievement considering how long he spent behind that Boston bar.

A nice twisted plot, with plenty of shades of grey between the characters; no-one seems readily identifiable as "goodie" or "baddie", the antagonists being just ambiguous enough in this regard to keep you guessing. You can see the motivations of Danson's character in trying to fight the lawsuit, and I'm his sure role in the case will not turn out to be as clear cut as Glenn Close paints it. Good performances from Danson & Close, although Rose Byrne does seem to be a bit wide-eyed and naive but I'm sure that's part of the drama to contrast with the bloody wreck in the police interview room in the flash-forwards.

Definitely recommended.

[James]

Having watched more Curb than Cheers in recent years, I'd still find it hard to get away from the feeling that Larry David should walk in and balls things up any second.