Parks & Rec; The Best American Comedy of the past 10 years? If not, what is?

IvaBigWun · 14-09-2014 7:28pm #1

For me its Parks & Rec, just ahead of Community. But only just.

Parks has such a great cast, writing, deliverance of The feels when need be. Plus

This guy

This beauty

Aubrey+Plaza+Paley+Center+Media+Presents+Parks+67LocMZ-hJzl.jpg

The funniest stupid guy in sitcom history

One of the best TV couples ever

with the above two

and so much more besides.

The only thing it has going against it is a weak first season and

Leslie and Ben j

just not looking right together. The rest is TV gold.

Im very partial to the first 6 on this list and they are more or less in order of my favourites. And I think Veep is only getting warmed up, by the time its finished its run it could well be among the best of all time.

So thats my case for mine. Why did you vote for yours?

Poll to follow. I think Ive covered most bases. All shows must have had its majority TV run since, roughly, 2004 onwards.

Hidalgo · 14-09-2014 7:30pm

I'd give a shout to Modern Family.

Machismo Fan · 14-09-2014 7:38pm

I gave Parks and Rec the vote. Hilarious, loads of heart, an astonishingly good cast and great character development for a sitcom. Plus for much of the shows run it improved year on year. I'll be sad seeing it go this year but it is around the right time for it.

IvaBigWun · 14-09-2014 7:52pm

Hidalgo wrote: »

I'd give a shout to Modern Family.

Started off great but I bailed on it around season 3 or 4.

IvaBigWun · 14-09-2014 8:03pm

Remember when you vote to post a few words backing up your choice

Diabhal Beag · 14-09-2014 8:09pm

Parks and Rec just has the closest thing to a perfect comedy cast in the last 15 years for sure. Not so much Rashida Jones but everybody else. Aziz Ansari is a very under-rated and Jean Ralphio is one of the best cameos in comedy history.

Dunno why Entourage is on this. A total bro show where Jeremy Piven is the only comedic foil for a fairly dull main cast.

Never laughed once at Modern Family and don't really get its success at all.

IvaBigWun · 14-09-2014 8:14pm

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Dunno why Entourage is on this.

It could be argued that its more of a Dramedy than an Comedy but I included it based on the characters of Ari Gold and Johnny Chase alone. They were two of the funniest TV characters of the past ten years, at least for me.

Tipsy McSwagger · 14-09-2014 8:20pm

Curb

Rubberchikken · 14-09-2014 8:22pm

I voted for Big Bang, ewww and all

.
Love it, loved it from the very 1st episode.
Never saw parks &rec so cant comment.

dr.bollocko · 14-09-2014 8:23pm

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Curb

Feckin love curb your enthusiasm. LD released a movie recently called clear history. It's curb your enthusiasm with some character name changes basically. Worth checking out if you, like me, haven't had a curb fix in too long. Long balls larry.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 14-09-2014 8:23pm

For me it's very much a three way tie between Parks & Rec, Community and The US Office, but I ended up going with The Office as it's series finale is probably the most satisfying sitcom finale I've ever seen. I'm hoping both Parks and Community can manage such great final episodes.

Funnily enough all 3 of them has a dodgy season... Parks & Rec and The Office both had awful first seasons and of course Community had the gas leak year...

J. Marston · 14-09-2014 8:32pm

Parks and Rec is great but It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is my pick. Offensive humour at its finest.

deisedude · 14-09-2014 8:39pm

Arrested Development but only just ahead of Parks and Rec and Community. So hard to pick!!!!

ktulu123 · 14-09-2014 8:41pm

Parks is probably my all time favorite TV Show at this stage, I have re-watched the whole thing a good few times. So I voted for that. The last episode of last season was absolutely perfect. Hopefully this season doesn't drag it on longer than it should. Love the US Office & How I met Your Mother (It did go a bit **** after season 5 I think & the end was woeful). I still watch Modern Family & The Big Bang but that's just for something to watch really. Not shows I look forward to each week.

A show that seems to get little mention ever is House of Lies, caught up with it over the summer & it's fantastic imo. Great cast too, Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz(John Ralphio). If anyone is looking for a smart black comedy show to watch, give this a try

Edit: Also Arrested Development is fecking awesome!
2nd Edit: Brooklyn Nine Nine is deadly too

IvaBigWun · 14-09-2014 8:43pm

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

For me it's very much a three way tie between Parks & Rec, Community and The US Office, but I ended up going with The Office as it's series finale is probably the most satisfying sitcom finale I've ever seen. I'm hoping both Parks and Community can manage such great final episodes.

Funnily enough all 3 of them has a dodgy season... Parks & Rec and The Office both had awful first seasons and of course Community had the gas leak year...

Id agree with you re: the US Office series finale. It was so well done, right upto the final few seconds and who that chose to give the last scene to. Excellent TV and also in my top 3/4 American comedies.

It could be argued, however, that it had two dodgy seasons. The first one and at least one more after Steve Carrell left.

Still though, its up there with the very best.

Kirby · 14-09-2014 8:46pm

I found the Parks & Rec pilot seriously unfunny and was actually kind of bored.

I'm a big proponent of giving any show at least 8 episodes before making your mind up but I disliked it so much that I never went back to it.

IvaBigWun · 14-09-2014 8:50pm

Kirby wrote: »

I found the Parks & Rec pilot seriously unfunny and was actually kind of bored.

I'm a big proponent of giving any show at least 8 episodes before making your mind up but I disliked it so much that I never went back to it.

Do try and give it another go.

If people on here can get past 2 or 3 seasons of Person Of Interest before its gets great (apparently) then giving a 22 minute show like this at least 8-10 episodes should be easy!

Season one compared to season 2 onwards of Parks is like night and day.

IvaBigWun · 14-09-2014 8:56pm

Who is voting for The Big Bang Theory?

Footoo · 14-09-2014 9:02pm

Louie should at least be in the poll.

Love Parks and Rec but I think CYE and AD were better at their peak.

IvaBigWun · 14-09-2014 9:16pm

Footoo wrote: »

Louie should at least be in the poll.

I found Louie to be much more of a drama than a comedy.

Maybe a Mod could add it, I dont think I can now.

Tipsy McSwagger · 14-09-2014 9:58pm

I'd have Eastbound & Down as my second favourite after Curb.

Glebee · 14-09-2014 10:39pm

I like Parks & Rec but with out doubt The Office (US) up until Steve Carrell left was some of the best comedy ever, In my opinion mind..

the whole year inn · 15-09-2014 1:23am

Voted for 30 rock,easily the best for me,doesn't have any bad seasons ,episodes are great characters great and enough seasons to watch.
I watched ever episode about 5 times now and theirs still jokes only getting now.I think the fact they knew when to stop making them before it was ran into the ground.
I think AD is close but only 3 good seasons with a poor 4th
Is Frasier not supposed to be on this list as thats there or there abouts. Eastbound and down needs to be added and maybe Legit.

I think all those shows listed are very good and the bar was set very high.

Brooklyn nine nine only has one season but still very good as well as Silicon Valley but should be left off due to one season.

jacksie66 · 15-09-2014 1:30am

This post has been deleted.

the whole year inn · 15-09-2014 1:33am

jacksie66 wrote: »

Bobs burgers.

Archer

IvaBigWun · 15-09-2014 2:32am

the whole year inn wrote: »

Is Frasier not supposed to be on this list as thats there or there abouts.

Although it ended in 2003 Frasier is, fundamentally, a 90s show and isnt covered by this poll. Neither is Friends for the same reason.

I was on the fence about adding Scrubs but decided that it too felt too old for this particular era as its golden years were 2001-2003.

miralize · 15-09-2014 4:25am

Do the Venture Bros & Archer count?

FunLover18 · 15-09-2014 6:16am

I voted for Community, that said I've seen very little of the other top contenders. Nothing of P&R and only the first season of AD. But it's very difficult to imagine myself loving any of them as much as I do Community, but I haven't written it off. P&R has definitely gone up on my list of things to watch after seeing Pratt in Guardians.

Lovely Bloke · 15-09-2014 7:10am

J. Marston wrote: »

Parks and Rec is great but It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is my pick. Offensive humour at its finest.

This

Footoo wrote: »

Louie should at least be in the poll.

...and I find Louie way too crass, the situations are great cringe comedy though, but the stand-up segments are crass for crassness sake.

I really don't think Sunny/Louie should be considered to be the same genre as MF or P&R

Lovely Bloke · 15-09-2014 7:11am

...also..no Veep?

Cyrus · 15-09-2014 7:15am

Yep parks veep and ad for me

squonk · 15-09-2014 8:04am

I adore Parks and Rec BUT the pilot was very short on laughs and I wondered half way through season 1 why I was still watching. Since then there's been a massive turn around and it's one of my favourite shows ever at this stage.

HOWEVER I vote for It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. I started watching about 2 years ago during an extended stay in hospital. The very first episode was called "The Gang Gets Racist" which peaked my curiosity and the minute I started to watch I was hooked. I'm up to Season 9 now almost 2 years later and I'm saving episodes like fine wines at this stage. It's hard to find a show so offensive and hilarious at the same time. During the same time I've been watching Parks & Rec and it's had some off seasons and some great ones. The Parks & Rec crew are like buddies I'd like to hang out with so it's always great seeing more of them. I'd never want to hang out at Paddy's Pub though although the comedy is far more consistent and sharper.

AnonoBoy · 15-09-2014 8:31am

Too hard to call really (although I voted for Sunny)

It's pretty much a toss up for me between these four

Parks and Rec
Community (not season 4 - that didn't happen, ok?)
Arrested Development
It's Always Sunny

deisedude · 15-09-2014 9:49am

Don't get me wrong I love always Sunny but there are 1 or 2 absolutely terrible episodes per season where I don't laugh once. When its on form its exceptional though

don ramo · 15-09-2014 10:07am

i gave it to entourage as its the only show that i have actually gone back and rewatced on that list, and it was just as funny the second time around, the first 6 seasons are top class, the last 2 are pretty poor, but as a whole it was a great show, vince and E could be drags at times but the rest of the gang more than made up for it, every show on the list has its drama elements, entourage probably has the most drama of all the shows on the list, but id still consider it a comedy, and a damn good one at that,

of that list the only show that i would really look forward to re-watching is parks and rec, mainly cause it took me so long to really get the characters in the show, it wasn't until season 3 or 4 that i realised Ron Swanson was a complete legend,

pickarooney · 15-09-2014 11:01am

ktulu123 wrote: »

A show that seems to get little mention ever is House of Lies, caught up with it over the summer & it's fantastic imo. Great cast too, Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz(John Ralphio). If anyone is looking for a smart black comedy show to watch, give this a try

I knew there had to be someone somewhere who enjoyed this garbage. Don't be fooled by the great cast people, it's the worst show in the world. And I have never missed an episode.

lertsnim · 15-09-2014 11:35am

Arrested Development

Penn · 15-09-2014 11:39am

Tough call between Arrested Development and Community, but I went Arrested Development not just because Community had the gas leak year, but the season before that wasn't that great either bar a few episodes, so that brings its average down.

Arrested Development's 4th Netflix season wasn't fantastic, but I think it was still solid enough.

Vet Thrower · 15-09-2014 11:49am

For me, Curb Your Enthusiasm, It's Always Sunny, and Arrested Development are head and shoulders above everything else.

If I had to pick one, it would be Curb, purely on the strength of the ski lift episode, which is the funniest thing I have ever seen.

I hated Veep, although I watched every episode of it for lack of anything better to watch. These political porn shows are all the same.

Optimalprimerib · 15-09-2014 12:05pm

Im going for the league. Some fantastic characters. And each episode is very clever in which it can be very easy to miss the punchline first time round. Might watch parks later though

willabur · 15-09-2014 12:27pm

gave my vote for Arrested Development, for me the first two seasons are complete Genius.
I do love Its always Sunny in Philadelphia tho.

and like others have said I am going to have to revisit Parks & Rec, I found the episodes of season 1 that I watched really boring and hammy

Thargor · 15-09-2014 12:36pm

Its Always Sunny for me, funny that thats only the second time its been mentioned in 3 pages but its currently winning the poll. The occasional dud episode where there wont be a single smile as has been said but theres no other comedy on that list that comes close to making me laugh out loud like IASIP, sometimes Frank or Charlie will say something that will have me trying not to be sick Ill be laughing so hard, or it will just show the way they live, everything about them is perfect comedy, stuff like The Nightman, the D.E.N.N.I.S system and a million other things are just another level of intelligent writing compared to every other show on the poll, sometimes you get the same in Community.

Community: Intelligent, well written, perfect casting for every single minor and major character, perfect injokes and throwback references that other shows would assume their audiences are too thick to understand and wouldnt do, Alison Brie...

Modern Family - Smug, obvious cliches, obvious set ups, same old sh1t every ep, only the women in it keep me downloading tbh.

Office USA - My fave for a long time before I discovered Always Sunny but after Micheal left it nosedived and I grew to hate it a bit, as big a drop in quality between seasons as The Simpsons.

How I Met Your Mother - Utter sh1t, something to watch with a girlfriend.

Parks & Recreation - Had its moments in the first couple of series, Burt Macklen, Little Sebastian etc but it got a bit too smug and knowing in later seasons and I started to dislike it more than enjoy it, it was better when it was more subtle digs at small town America than the wacky adventures you get in later series.

By far the worst thing on that list though is The Big Bang Theory (2 And A Half Men doesnt even count as comedy imo), is it the only one with a laugh track aswell? That tells you all you need to know, its just not funny, its the same few jokes over and over and over, Sheldon was good for the first couple of seasons but I cant even watch it for 5 minutes when Im channel hopping now.

don ramo · 15-09-2014 1:16pm

Thargor wrote: »

By far the worst thing on that list though is The Big Bang Theory (2 And A Half Men doesnt even count as comedy imo), is it the only one with a laugh track aswell? That tells you all you need to know, its just not funny, its the same few jokes over and over and over, Sheldon was good for the first couple of seasons but I cant even watch it for 5 minutes when Im channel hopping now.

try not let facts get in the way of a good post, TBBT is the only show taped in front of a LIVE studio audience, and the reason the audience thinks the show is funny is cause they love the show, your not gonna advertise for fans of new girl or arrested development to come to the live audience event for the big bang theory,

every show has its audience, thats why there are over 500 shows currently being made in the US alone every year, what one person loves another will hate, so you have to make something for the latter also,

Thargor · 15-09-2014 1:22pm

There is no way in hell that that is natural laughter coming from a group of people, maybe they film it in front of a live audience but then tweak the laughing themselves later. Every single line from every character is followed by a pause and an exact amount of laugh track, no live audience sounds like that, especially with the multiple takes every scene would require...

don ramo · 15-09-2014 2:17pm

Thargor wrote: »

There is no way in hell that that is natural laughter coming from a group of people, maybe they film it in front of a live audience but then tweak the laughing themselves later. Every single line from every character is followed by a pause and an exact amount of laugh track, no live audience sounds like that, especially with the multiple takes every scene would require...

well prove it, they probably dont use the laugh from the 5th take, and more than likely use the laugh from the second or if it works out first take, most scenes are done 3-5 times in front of the audience and jokes are tweaked by the writers if the audience dont respond,

last time u was at a comedy show, or even a funny film, the audience generally laughs about the same at each joke, maybe the odd one would be of particular hilarity to get a more uncontrollable laugh, but in my experience the laugh from 100-200 people generally keeps the same note,

it quiet easy to just dismiss it, but fact are facts until proven otherwise,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_JpscKD5oc

philthrill69 · 15-09-2014 2:22pm

Any chance of adding silicon valley to the list if it's not already been suggested? I know they're only after one season but i honestly haven't laughed at a tv show like i laugh at silicon valley for years.

Thargor · 15-09-2014 2:31pm

don ramo wrote: »

well prove it, they probably dont use the laugh from the 5th take

Well what does it matter where they recorded the laughter? 1st take, 2nd take, studio audience, building across the street? The point is its still a laugh track and its still loud and intrusive that and grates on the ears, most other shows dropped it around the time Friends was coming to an end.

Every episode would be about 10 minutes long if they cut out all the long pauses in dialog after Every. Single. Line. out of each characters mouths to play this hysterical laughter over jokes that dont even deserve a smile.

Kirby · 15-09-2014 3:06pm

Thargor wrote: »

Well what does it matter where they recorded the laughter? 1st take, 2nd take, studio audience, building across the street? The point is its still a laugh track and its still loud and intrusive that and grates on the ears, most other shows dropped it around the time Friends was coming to an end.

Every episode would be about 10 minutes long if they cut out all the long pauses in dialog after Every. Single. Line. out of each characters mouths to play this hysterical laughter over jokes that dont even deserve a smile.

Humour is subjective. Some people like stuff like Mrs Browns boys and Tommy Tiernan which I find the least funny thing in existence....but some people like it.

ricero · 15-09-2014 3:10pm

no eastbound and down even in the options ? seriously underrated show and for me the best us comedy of the last 10 years.

kenny ****ing powers endorses this message

Thargor · 15-09-2014 3:12pm

Kirby wrote: »

Humour is subjective. Some people like stuff like Mrs Browns boys and Tommy Tiernan which I find the least funny thing in existence....but some people like it.

Of all the comedies mentioned in this thread the only ones with laugh tracks are Big Bang, Mrs Brownes Boys and 2 and a Half Men, none of the others on the poll do which I think supports my original point that only the lowest of the modern comedies need to use them, all the others stand on their own without having to tell the viewer when to laugh...

Chip Whitley · 15-09-2014 3:19pm

I couldn't choose between Curb, Sunny or Modern Family tbh.

Have yet to watch a full season of Parks & Rec, but very much looking forward to binge-watching them all it as I'm a big Amy Poehler fan and anytime I've seen clips Chris Pratt has been hilarious.

I really enjoyed Arrested Development, but it never made me belly laugh like the others above. Also, the Netflix season of AD bored the pants off me.

fwiw I think TBBT is an awful show and Two and a Half Men had its moments when Charlie Sheen was there.

Parks & Rec; The Best American Comedy of the past 10 years? If not, what is?

Parks & Rec; The Best American Comedy of the past 10 years? If not, what is? 323 votes

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