Everyone knows television, and we've all consumed enough of it to feel comfortable acting as critics. So when AOL produces a list of the top 50 TV comedies [1], well, pardon us if we feel entitled to disagree.
Here are the teasing questions posed here yesterday about AOL's list.
Which of these shows was chosen No. 1?
AOL's choice is "The Simpsons." It's an interesting call. Maybe it's because "The Simpsons" is an animated show, but it wouldn't have come to my mind immediately. All of the others would have. But there's no denying the long-running genius of the show, even if the genius is doled out in smaller portions these days.
Here's AOL's top 10, which includes all of the above:
1. "The Simpsons"
2. "Seinfeld"
3. "All in the Family"
4. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
5. "Cheers"
6. "M*A*S*H"
7. "The Cosby Show"
8. "Rosanne"
9. "I Love Lucy"
10. "Friends"
Yesterday's other question: Rank these four shows in the order they appeared among the 50. In other words, which was the best-ranked, second-best and so on.
- "The Office"
- "Welcome Back, Kotter"
- "The Dick Van Dyke Show"
- "Happy Days"
Hold on to your hats, fans of "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Here's how AOL ranked them:
- "The Office" -- 14th
- "Happy Days" -- 29th
- "Welcome Back, Kotter" -- 31st
- "The Dick Van Dyke Show" -- 33rd
"Happy Days" ranks higher than "Dick Van Dyke"? "Welcome Back Kotter" ranks higher? For cryin' out loud, what's wrong with this picture?
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" was one of the brightest lights of pre-color television, smart and real in a way that seems more Bart Simpson than Lucy Ricardo, even though it was virtually a contemporary of "I Love Lucy." In a half-dozen seasons, it produced episodes still remembered fondly 40-some years later.
Even "The Office," as enjoyable as it is -- and it's one of the best of today's comedies -- benefits in the ranking because it's a contemporary show. But the same can't be said for "Happy Days" and "Welcome Back, Kotter," two shows from the Dark Ages of TV comedy. AOL and any nostalgia aside, who remembers those shows as among TV's best?
The only show I could think of that didn't make the top 50 and should've: HBO's current series "Entourage." You can disagree, but any list that includes "Hogan's Heroes," "Laverne & Shirley" and "Gilligan's Island" -- not to mention "Happy" Days" and "Welcome Back, Kotter" -- can make room for "Entourage."