The Greatest TV Comedies - I LOVE LUCY (1951-1957)

I have written about the greatest TV comedies of all time before on my blog and it makes for perfect timing as Lucille Ball is my TV goddess of the month. And without a doubt, her series, I Love Lucy is one, if not, greatest sitcom of all time. I know any number of fans can chime with their all time greatest but if you made a list of top 5 sitcoms of all time, I Love Lucy would probably be on 99.9% of those lists. 

Lucy in a typical Lucy situation

Lucille Ball created one of the most famous characters in TV history with the zany housewife Lucy Ricardo, who was married to Cuban bandleader Ricky (real life husband at the time Desi Arnaz). She would continually try to get into the biz herself through some kind of crazy shenanigans, usually involving her best bud, Ethel Mertz (played by good pal Vivian Vance). Ethel was married to Fred (played by William Frawley). The couples lived in the same apartment building which made for perfect comedic situations.

Fred, Ethel, Lucy and Ricky

The chemistry between the four leads was about as good as it gets. Ricky, usually losing his cool after finding out about Lucy's latest scheme...and the madder he got, the less English he would speak. And Lucy herself was perfect..playing off everyone with great timing. She wasn't called the First Lady of Television for nothing.

The Ricardos

The series produced 179 episodes over the course of six years to huge success and several Emmy wins. Everyone has their favorite episodes but once you start talking about them, a smile comes across your face and the memories come flooding back. Everyone remembers Lucy and Ethel working at the chocolate factory or Lucy get hammered on Vitameatavegamin, as she pitches the medicine for an advertisement. There are so many classic episodes to choose from that you can't go wrong with any of them.

Classic Lucy expression

Facts and trivia:

The original choices to play Fred and Ethel were Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet, the co-stars of Lucille Ball's radio show, My Favorite Husband.

William Frawley and Vivian Vance actually hated each other in real life. In the show, displays of affection were forced.

Voted #2 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Show of all time.

Desi Arnaz invented the rerun during the pregnancy episodes of this series by re-airing some episodes from the first season to give Lucy some rest.

Lucy and Vivian each won an Emmy for their performances during the series 6 year run. The fellas did not. The show itself notched 2 Emmys for Best Situation Comedy in 1953 and 1954.

Follow-up series: which both had lengthy runs as well...

The Lucy Show (1962-1968, 156 episodes)
Here's Lucy (1968-1974, 144 episodes)

The Greatest TV Comedies - Mary Tyler Moore (1970-1977)

Mary Tyler Moore created one of the most loved sitcoms of all time and one of the most iconic TV characters ever in Mary Richards. While Mary Tyler Moore was not her first sitcom, remember she co-starred with Dick Van Dyke for five years on The Dick Van Dyke Show, it turned out to be her best. Well in my opinion. This time she was single and very much a career woman. She leaves her town and heads to Minneapolis to get a job at the news station WJM. And surrounds herself with one of TV's best ensemble casts. There's Ed Asner as gruff Lou Grant, her boss. Gavin MacLeod as Murray Slaughter the writer. Ted Knight as blowhard Ted Baxter, the anchorman. Betty White as the passive-aggressive Sue Ann Nivens. Who can imagine sweet Betty White as the sex-starved Sue! Well she works it and is funny as hell. There is also best friend Rhoda (Valerie Harper). It should be noted that most of these stars would headline their own series as well. In fact Ed Asner and Valerie Harper would spin their characters into their own series. But in Lou Grant's case, it became a drama, which still made for good TV. MacLeod ended up as captain on the Love Boat. Knight would star in the vastly underrated Too Close for Comfort. And of course Betty White would star in The Golden Girls.

Look at the happy cast!

But they all would gel on this classic series, Mary Tyler Moore, first. There was no grandstanding or showboating here folks. Everyone worked as part of a well oiled unit. Moore, who was funny enough to carry the show by herself, didn't have to. I think one of the main reasons this series was so successful was because of the sharp writing. And the characters themselves who were fully developed and not caricatures. I mean this show won tons of Emmys and that's no accident. Let's see...Mary won, as did Asner, Harper, Knight, and White. As did Cloris Leachman who played perky landlady Phyllis for a few seasons before getting her own sitcom as well. I mean the talent involved on this series was crazy insane! Head writer/executive producer James L. Brooks led the way. Along with writer Allan Burns and director Jay Sandrich. All would have long successful careers in television.

Mary and Rhoda just hanging out on a Saturday afternoon

Back to the show, which logged 168 episodes over it's seven year run. I can't recall too many flat episodes. Most of them were hysterically funny. If you mention Chuckles the funeral, I'm sure most people will know what you're talking about. Mary has a hard time trying not to laugh at Chuckles funeral and it's one of the most iconic moments in TV history. When a series runs this long, you know that there is something going on. Great chemistry and performances coupled with excellent writing and direction makes this one of TV's greatest sitcoms of all time.

The one and only Mary Tyler Moore

Facts and trivia:


Won Emmys as Outstanding comedy series for three consecutive years (1975-1977).


Mary picked up three Emmys herself during the series seven year run (1973, 1974, 1976)


Betty White and Cloris Leachman both picked up two Emmys each during their stints.

Look at all those Emmys

Mary's house, which appears in the opening credits, is still standing in Minneapolis, Minnesota - the city in which the show takes place. 
  
When casting the part of Sue-Anne Nivens, producers were stumped for an actress to take the role. They wanted "someone like Betty White". Eventually, someone asked "Why not cast Betty White?"

This program has the most Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series - 5. 

Mary and Ted

Spin-off series:
Lou Grant (1977-1982, 114 episodes)
Rhoda (1974-1978, 110 episodes)
Phyllis (1975-1977, 48 episodes)

And that's a wrap!

The Greatest TV Comedies - The Partridge Family (1970 - 1974)

Since Shirley Jones is my classic movie goddess of the month, she will tie in wonderfully with my series on greatest TV comedies. She starred in The Partridge Family and let me state for the record she was my favorite TV mom of all time, just ahead of Donna Reed and Phylicia Rashad.

Shirley Jones as Shirley Partridge...my favorite TV mom

The Partridge Family was definitely a product of it's time as the show followed the adventures of Shirley Partridge and her musically blessed family. The group toured the country and usually got involved in some type of crazy situation. Co-starring then teen heart-throb David Cassidy (as eldest kid Keith, who was usually chasing or being chased by rabid teen aged girls); Susan Dey (as eldest sister Laurie, who made the perfect foil to Cassidy); Danny Bonaduce (as all around pest Danny); and Jeremy Gelbwaks and Suzanne Crough as twins Chris and Tracy. And of course their manager..the put upon Reuben Kincaid (terrifically played by Dave Madden).

The Partridge Family and their manager Reuben...

Shirley always played level-headed and made sure her family was taken care of and stayed together. Jones brought her actual singing abilities to the series as she provided vocals on several songs. Cassidy was the only other member of the series to have some real musical talent as he often provided lead vocals. The series is fondly remembered for the easy going laughs and story lines that were not too hard on the brain. It was one of my favorite series while growing up. I actually enjoyed it more than The Brady Bunch. Like I said earlier, much of the success has to be thanks to Shirley Jones as she brought experience and talent to this comedy series. Of course all the young  girls in America were crazy over David Cassidy. And the show actually spawned several hits including I Think I Love You.

The elder Partridge kids, Laurie and Keith...

The Partridge Family ran for four seasons and 96 episodes, just 4 shy of that magical 100. Take a trip back in time to the groovy 70's and catch this series on reruns and on DVD. And plus who can forget that psychedlice bus they rode in. And that catchy theme song.

The family that rides together, stays together...

Reuben looking all crazy-eyed...

Mom getting a little aggressive with some bus driving...

The Greatest TV Comedies - Three's Copmany (1977 - 1984)

One of my favorite comedies of all time, Three's Company definitely is on the list of greatest TV comedies ever. I can't remember exactly when I started watching it but I will say maybe around 11 as the show was already well into it's long run. I caught up with the earlier seasons through re-runs. The series centered on two women, Janet Wood (played by Joyce DeWitt) and Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers) who share an apartment in Santa Monica. Well during a party one night, the next morning they find a passed out guy in the bathroom. His name is Jack Tripper (John Ritter) and he happens to be an aspiring chef. Once the girls taste his cooking, they invite him to move in with them in a strictly platonic relationship. Which is fine with them but their landlord Mr. Roper (the wily Norman Fell) thinks a lot of hanky panky and sex will be going on. The girls manage to convince him that Jack is gay and the rest is history. The trio made an great team with Ritter doing all kinds of slapstick and pratfalls. Somers had that distinctive laugh and played the airhead blonde to perfection and DeWitt usually played it straight but she still got plenty of laughs. I loved how she always pronounced Jack's name when she was mad at him, putting the emphasis on the ac of his name. Fell was awesome as Stanley Roper and was Audra Lindley who played his wife Helen. Jack had a buddy named Larry Dallas (Richard Kline) who evoked memories of Bill Daily (from the Bob Newhart Show) as Larry was constantly coming by and getting Jack into awkward dates. The initial cast would last three seasons before Somers was let go due to salary demands and she was replaced by the fetching Jenilee Harrison who played Chrissy's cousin Cindy. She never quite jelled with the others and was soon let go to make room for Priscilla Barnes who played Terri Alden (a nurse). Barnes was perfect as Terri, and made everyone forget about Suzanne Somers, and clicked beautifully with Ritter and DeWitt. Fell and Lindley would leave for their own spin off show which paved the way for Don Knotts to come in as the new landlord Ralph Furley. Knotts nailed it as the swinging wannabe ladies man who proved he could play more than Barney Fife. Also memorable was the hot to trot Lana Shields (the sexy Ann Wedgeworth) who bedeviled all the guys on the show. Three's Company had it's best moments in the 70's and early 80's before the times changed. Their sexual antics were toned down as the characters starting behaving more like adults and prepared to settle down. Still it was a very funny show and I tuned in every week to get in some guaranteed laughs. Three's Company ran for 174 episodes on ABC and there was a spinoff with Ritter's character called Three's A Crowd, but that only lasted one season. You can still enjoy Three's Company today thanks to reruns on TV Land and DVD.

Memorable quotes:


Janet Wood Dawson: Chrissy, your dad is a minister, what does he usually say to couples in trouble?
Chrissy: He tells them to keep the baby.
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Chrissy: Jack, that smells good.
Jack Tripper: Chrissy, I haven't even started cooking yet.
Chrissy: Well, you better hurry up and start cooking so you can catch up with the smell.
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Ralph Furley: This is a respectable building. NO ROMAN ORGIES!


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Jack Tripper: It's time to toast the bride and groom. To Gloria and Larry, happy days!
Janet Wood Dawson: Good times!
Chrissy: Little House on the Prairie!

The Greatest TV Comedies - LAVERNE & SHIRLEY (1976 - 1983)

 
A wonderful mix of I Love Lucy and The Odd Couple produced this entertaining sitcom, which was spun off from Happy Days. Set in the 1950s, the story has roommates and friends Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall, who would later go on become a top female director with A League Of Their Own and Awakenings) and Shirely Feeney (the always sweet Cindy Williams). The girls worked at the Shotz Brewery in Milwaukee and got into several zany situations through the course of the series run. Marshall and Williams made an awesome team, and played off each other well. Laverne with her New York accent and take no crap mentality. And always wearing an embroidered L on her clothing. While Shirley was full of sunshine and undying optimism. I recall Shirley would routinely break out in song with High Hopes which would crack me up. And the duo had a strong supporting cast that would rival any of the big time sitcoms. Their upstairs neighbors Lenny and Squiggy as played by Michael McKean and David L. Lander always brought the house down when they entered the scene with their trademark "Hello..." as they flung the door open. Yes, they originated that move, not Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld). Laverne & Shirley's landlady was none other than former MGM musical star, Betty Garrett. And Shirley's on-again, off-again boyfriend Carmine, a dance instructor, played by Eddie Mekka. Those two provided many opportunities for song and dance numbers, which were always well done. And finally Laverne's dad Frank (Phil Foster) who owned the Pizza Bowl, where Laverne & Shirley frequently hung out.




There was a lot physical comedy involved in this series and it never got old. The entire cast was game for anything. One episode I remember well was the one where the girls endured a weekend of sleep and food deprivation for an experiment. The lengths the duo went would make Lucy Ricardo proud. Out of the 8 year run, the series had 5 great first years. I believe once the creators decided to move the series to California, the show suffered. By the time the eighth season rolled around, the only original member left was Penny Marshall. All the others left due the decline of the show. Give Marshall credit, she stayed to the very end and tried her best, but you can't have a show called Laverne & Shirley and have no Shirley. And there was no way you could replace Shirley at this late of stage of the series. So the show puttered out and ended on a flat note, but during it's heyday of the first 5 years, L&S was one of the best sitcoms of all time. And it produced one of the most infectious theme songs of all time. So that's why Laverne & Shirley made the list of greatest TV comedies.

 And I love the catchy theme song...

The Greatest TV Comedies - That Girl (1966 - 1971)

The adventures of fun loving and adorable Ann Marie (played by Marlo Thomas in her most recognized role) in Manhattan was one of my favorite shows that I watched during the 80's when WTBS was showing reruns at that time. The premise was simple as small town Ann Marie (great name by the way) leaves home and heads to New York to become an actress. Of course things are never easy and for 5 years Ann was put in about every comical situation you could think of. Marlo Thomas, daughter of Danny Thomas was awesome as Ann. Her performance is one of the best ever by anyone for television. The character of Ann could have easily become annoying and unfunny after awhile but Thomas kept her genuine and real. I'm sure there were tons of women and young girls that could relate to the problems and situations that Ann faced on a weekly basis. It also helped that writing was sharp and funny. It should be as it was created by Sam Denoff and Bill Persky, who wrote many episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show. And let's not forget that Marlo was a trendsetter as Ann was a young and single gal trying to make it on her own way before Mary Tyler Moore came along with her self titled series. Moore's show didn't air until 1970.

Ann would soon hook up with boyfriend Donald Hollinger (wonderfully played by Ted Bessell, a great light comedian, who jelled perfectly with Thomas). Donald would be the straight man to the wacky Ann, but he got in several laughs of his own as well. Also great was Lew Parker as Ann's exasperated dad and Rosemary Camp as Ann's mom. The running gag was that Ann's dad couldn't stand Donald and he was always suspecting the worse of Donald. The whole cast was just entertaining to watch and the show itself was always good for laugh aloud moments. Thomas proved to be a very gifted comedienne who wasn't adverse to getting down with physical comedy. She was a natural at it. And her being easy on the eyes didn't hurt matters either. I definitely recall having a crush on her while growing up. She was always wearing the newest and hippest clothes and lived in a huge one bedroom apartment. Don't ask how she afforded those things as she was always struggling to keep her job. But that was the best thing about this show. It never got serious or quibbled over such things like that. It's sole purpose was to make audiences laugh and forget about all the unrest going on in the turbulent 60's.

Featuring a cool opening sequence which focused solely on Ann gazing through a train window of the New York skyline, wearing if I remember correctly white gloves and a sailor hat. Then gazing at the billboards of Broadway, seeing herself as a queen in a store window display or flying a kite in Central Park. Take that Holly Golightly. That Girl would have a very successful 5 year run on ABC for a total of 136 episodes. It's said that ABC wanted Ann to marry Donald, but Marlo balked, saying it would be a betrayal of the single women who had watched the show all along to imply that the only happy ending was marriage. The show went off the air with Ann and Donald engaged and stuck in an elevator while on the way to a women's liberation meeting. That's Ann Marie all the way, playing by her own rules to the very end. The show is currently available on DVD which would be a great addition to anyone's classic film and TV library. Amazon is selling each season set for about $30 bucks. Anyway That Girl is a cherished memory of mine and it is one of the all time greatest TV comedies.






Ann: That's what I love about the theater! You know what I
mean, Donald? One day you're nobody, and the next,
Ethel Merman is stuffing your cabbage!

The Greatest TV Comedies - Fawlty Towers (1975, 1979)

Probably one of the funniest short-lived TV comedies of all time. Fawlty Towers ran for two seasons for only 12 episodes but every single one of those are all classics. I know, I've seen them countless times. Star John Cleese of the famous Monty (hey, name check) Python crew heads this cast as Basil Fawlty, an inept English hotel owner, who has to deal with his over bearing wife Sybil (Prunella Scales), an incompent waiter named Manuel (Andrew Sachs) and several hard to please guests. He gets help from Polly the maid/waitress (Connie Booth,who was Cleese's real life wife at the time). And from that simple premise, a comedy classic was born.

 According to legend, the Monty Python troupe once booked rooms at the Gleneagle, in the seaside town of Torquay,which became the basis for Fawlty Towers. Cleese brought to life one of the most manic and hysterically funny shows you will ever see. It's a shame that it only ran for two seasons and only 12 episodes. I would have loved to seen this show go on for another 5 years easy. But at least we have these few episodes to enjoy over and over.

Besides Cleese,who was in top form, the supporting cast was also top notch. Prunella Scales as his wife Sybil played the part to the hilt, matching Cleese with sarcastic one liner, one after the other. The more Basil got frustrated, the more Sybil became relaxed and reveled in her constant take down of him,with nothing more than words. Sachs who portrayed Manuel, was very funny, in the fact that he was so incompetent and his delivery was slow as molasses. Plus that Spanish accent was brutally awful, but in a funny way. Booth also got in on the fun as Polly, as she got to engage with some slapstick and pratfalls. One of the frequent guests at the hotel was Major Gowen (played to perfection by Ballard Berkeley), who was a little batty. And  also the dotty old ladies Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibs. If you were a little off, then you made a perfect resident here at Fawlty Towers.

Check out this funny clip below...

The Greatest TV Comedies - The Carol Burnett Show (1967 - 1978)

I remember watching The Carol Burnett Show every weeknight at 6:35 pm on the cable channel TBS during the 80's while in my teens. And it was one of the funniest shows I had ever seen. When it originally aired back in the late 60's through the late 70's, it was variety show unlike any variety show before it. Filled with skits, musical interludes and guest stars by the buckets. The crack ensemble cast was led by Carol Burnett, who for my money is the funniest woman on TV. Sorry Lucy and Mary. Carol would come out at the beginning of each show and talk to the live audience directly. She would answer questions and sometime bring guests up on stage with her. One of her most frequent requests was for her to do her famous Tarzan yell. She nailed it everytime, much to the delight of the audience. She also had the lovely habit of always tugging on her ear. Those two things quickly became her trademarks, much like Elizabeth Montgomery's nose twitching as Samantha on Bewitched or Telly Savalas licking a lollipop as Kojak.

Carol was backed by a wonderful supporting cast including Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Lyle Waggoner, and relative newcomer Vicki Lawrence (she was only 18 when cast on the show). The skits were so hilarious, sometimes it was hard for everyone to keep a straight face, especially Korman. He would dang near laugh before the punchline was delivered. One of the more popular recurring skits was Mama's Family, which cast Lawrence as the head of a Southern family who constantly bickered. Carol played Eunice, the daughter who loved being the center of attention and berating her lazy husband Ed (played by Korman). The skits proved so popular that it begat a series of its own for 7 seasons and 130 episodes.

I love this photo, especially with Vicki cracking up

Another popular recurring skit was the office centered one with Tim Conway as the befuddled boss Mr. Tudball and his secretary Ms. Wiggins (Burnett). Carol's slow and inept secretary constantly got on her boss last nerve.

Another popular recurring motif was spoofs of classic movies. Notable send-ups included Gone With The Wind, Pillow Talk, Snow White (with a terrifiic Ruth Buzzi as a demented fairy godmother) and a truly hilarious take off on Norma Desmond (with Carol having a field day taking the star to an even further level of craziness).

The Carol Burnett show ran for an astounding 11 seasons for an impressive 278 episodes. Winning tons of Emmys and Golden Globes and setting a new benchmark for all variety shows that followed. There is a loyal fan following of this amazing series and rightfully so. It was the perfect mix of entertainment for people of all ages. 

Here's a perfect example of a hilarious skit, only one minute long but very funny...

The Greatest TV Comedies - Bewitched (1964-1971)

Yes, Bewitched is one of my favorite shows of all time. I remember when TBS would air it alongside I Dream Of Jeannie, and while I also like Jeannie, I thought Bewitched was better. Mainly because of the terrific performance of Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha. Here is the story: Advertising executive Darrin Stephens (played by two different actors-Dick York and Dick Sargent: York was the better of the two) marries Samantha, a witch and they settle down in Westport, Connecticut at 1164 Morning Glory Circle. Samantha promised Darrin she would give up using magic to live the quiet life with him but that was easier said than done. Especially when Sam's mother Endora (played wonderfully by the great Agnes Moorehead) would pop in unannounced to stir things up. Endora and Darrin did not get along at all. She would constantly mispronounce his name and call him Durwood or Darwin. She would frequently turn Darrin into different kinds of animals or send to far away places. Of course Sam would have to do her best to bring these two together and it was never easy, but it provided plenty of laughs. Sam also had to deal with her nosy neighbor Mrs. Kravitz, who would always see Sam perform some magical trick and couldn't convince her husband of what she saw. Sam's mother wasn't the only relative to drop by. There was her dad, Maurice (played by Maurice Evans) who was debonair and doted on his daughter. But he too, despised Darrin. Sam had an uncle named Arthur (played to the hilt by Paul Lynde). Whenever Arthur showed up, it was like comedy night, as he let loose with a barrage of one liners and jokes. Next was Aunt Esmeralda (played by Alice Ghostley) who was very accident prone. Then there was Aunt Clara (Marion Lorne) who had trouble remembering certain spells. Sam even had a doctor at her beck and call named Dr. Bombay (Bernard Fox). Every fan should know the procedure for calling Dr. Bombay. Sam would recite his name several times like this: Calling Dr. Bombay..Calling Dr. Bombay. And he would magically appear right that second. And finally Sam had her wild sister Serena (Montgomery played both roles to great effect)who would constantly try to get Darrin into all kinds of trouble. That is an impressive cast list right there for supporting characters. And lets not forget Darrin's boss Larry Tate (David White) who was often confused at the antics going on at the Stephen's household. The series would eventually introduce a child into the mix as Sam and Darrin had a daughter named Tabitha (who also had magical powers).

Bewitched was a different type of sitcom during the 60's mainly because of the supernatural aspect of, but it was still one of the funniest ones ever to grace the small screen. Elizabeth Montgomery is truly excellent in her role as Samantha. She imbued Sam with smarts, good looks, and self reliance. She was nominated for an Emmy for five consecutive years for her role and don't ask me why or how she never won at least once. Major oversight on the Emmy's behalf. But anyway, Bewitched is a classic comedy series that ran for 8 years and produced a magical 254 episodes. It still airs today on cable and I watch it every now and then. And for the record I Dream Of Jeannie is a classic in it's own right too and I'm not knocking it. I will probably write a blog about it too. But there is something about Bewitched and Elizabeth Montgomery that had me at the very beginning. Her little quirks and sayings made her so adorable. Like before she performed any magic she would have to twinkle her nose or when she would get into trouble, she would draw out the word weeeellllllllllllll! Good stuff.



Check out this video clip of Samantha going through some highs and lows in emotions...