Clash of the Sitcoms: Round 1, Heat 25.

[Rain Man]

Here's the story
Of a TV polling
It had five shows of which you can pick just three
All of them are kind of old
Like your mother
Who I will call a whore

[Rain Man]

This one was actually tougher than I expected. My thoughts:

#1 - It's not haha funny, but Andy Griffith is gently humorous. It'll get my #1 vote even though I'm a long way from being addicted to it.

#2 - I'm going to go off the beaten path and pick Veronica's Closet at #2. It wasn't a world beater, but it was pretty good for a while. I'll admit that it's pretty forgettable now, though, since I can't think of a favorite scene or line.

#3 - Everybody Loves Raymond. I rebel against watching a lot of family comedy, but this show is actually pretty good.

Didn't make the cut.

#4 - The Brady Bunch. I feel kind of bad not voting for this iconic comedy, but honestly I'd watch the other three shows first if they were all on at the same time.

#5 - Chico and the Man. I barely remember this show and wasn't a big fan during its short run. I could take it or leave it.

[Micjones]

Brady Bunch with a bullet.

[Predarat]

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

[blaise]

Andy Griffith and then the rest. Some of the later seasons were hard to watch though.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Snore

[eazyb81]

Andy Griffith easily. That show transcends generations.

I don't even know what Veronica's Closet is.

[LiveSteam]

I love the Andy Griffith show. Its takes me back to a time when the Moral fiber of this country was much different than today.

[Rain Man]

I love the Andy Griffith show. Its takes me back to a time when the Moral fiber of this country was much different than today.

I never really figured out who Aunt Bea was, though. I always wondered if maybe she was Andy's live-in lover and I was missing the hints in the scripts.

How was she related to Andy and Opie? Whose aunt was she?

[LiveSteam]

I never really figured out who Aunt Bea was, though. I always wondered if maybe she was Andy's live-in lover and I was missing the hints in the scripts.

How was she related to Andy and Opie? Whose aunt was she?

I think she was Andy's aunt & Opie's great aunt. Least thats the way I always figured it. Then again Andy's wife died. So she could be the older sister of the deceased wife. Good question I really have know idea

[blaise]

I think she was Andy's aunt & Opie's great aunt. Least thats the way I always figured it. Then again Andy's wife died. So she could be the older sister of the deceased wife. Good question I really have know idea

yeah, Andy's aunt. In one of the first ones she comes to stay with them because some other housekeeper/nanny had to move away. I think she got married. Opie doesn't like Aunt Bea at first because she can't play baseball or fish, and she's all set to move out. Then Opie comes running out, crying, and says something like, "Don't go! You gotta stay! Who's gonna show you how to catch a fish? You'll never survive!'

The show itself actually spun off from the Danny Thomas show, "Make Room For Daddy" Thomas was driving through Mayberry and was speeding or something, and refuses to pay a fine. Then he's rude to Andy so Andy locks him up. While he's in jail Opie comes in and talks to him about his dead turtle. It's a really great sitcom episode.

[mikey23545]

I never really figured out who Aunt Bea was, though. I always wondered if maybe she was Andy's live-in lover and I was missing the hints in the scripts.

How was she related to Andy and Opie? Whose aunt was she?

You really are a Rain Man, aren't you? I hope you can at least divide 12 figure numbers in your head.

Aunt Bea was Andy Taylor's maternal aunt. Andy's wife had died (I guess shortly after Opie was born) and he had a live-in housekeeper for a few years. She got married and moved out and that's when Aunt Bea moved to Mayberry and in with the Taylor's as a housekeeper and mother/guardian to Opie. All this is in the first episode of The Andy Griffith show.

[scho63]

Chico and the Man was the Hispanic Sanford and Son but not as funny!

[mikey23545]

Oh, and The Andy Griffith Show is the only one worth voting for in this round. It is one of the iconic American TV shows.

[Chiefnj2]

Best Andy Griffith Show reference, nsfw

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0BkLnkAPJ-A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[mikey23545]

This one was actually tougher than I expected. My thoughts:

#1 - It's not haha funny, but Andy Griffith is gently humorous. It'll get my #1 vote even though I'm a long way from being addicted to it.


And another thing...

If you can watch the show even a few times and not bust a gut laughing at some of Don Knotts characterizations as Barney Fife, your sense of humor is seriously impaired. Gently humorous my ass.

[Rain Man]

The show itself actually spun off from the Danny Thomas show, "Make Room For Daddy" Thomas was driving through Mayberry and was speeding or something, and refuses to pay a fine. Then he's rude to Andy so Andy locks him up. While he's in jail Opie comes in and talks to him about his dead turtle. It's a really great sitcom episode.

The Andy Griffith universe is confusing to me. So he was born from this appearance on the Danny Thomas show, but then Andy also basically played Gomer Pyle in some old movie, which seems like it could have been the genesis for either this series, or Gomer Pyle, or both. And then the real Gomer Pyle was on Andy Griffith as Gomer before Gomer joined the marines, so Gomer was playing a civilian who later joined the marines, while Andy was a civilian who had previously played more or less the same character as Gomer did, but much earlier.

[Rain Man]

Here's the movie where Andy is playing the bumpkin army private: No Time for Sergeants. Anyone else ever seen it? I caught it many years ago on some rainy Saturday, and it was kind of eerie how closely he played to the later Gomer Pyle character.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052005/

[blaise]

Here's the movie where Andy is playing the bumpkin army private: No Time for Sergeants. Anyone else ever seen it? I caught it many years ago on some rainy Saturday, and it was kind of eerie who closely he played to the later Gomer Pyle character.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052005/

Yes, I've seen most of it. Pieces here and there.

[mlyonsd]

Here's the movie where Andy is playing the bumpkin army private: No Time for Sergeants. Anyone else ever seen it? I caught it many years ago on some rainy Saturday, and it was kind of eerie who closely he played to the later Gomer Pyle character.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052005/

One of the best roles Griffith ever played.

The look on the Sergeants face when Andy rigs up all the toilet seats to stand at attention for inspection is hysterical.

[kc rush]

Andy Griffith is the only one I voted for.

I can't stand Ray Romano's whinny ass voice, so I never watched that show.

[mikey23545]

Has anyone ever seen Andy Griffith in "A Face in the Crowd"?

It was a movie that came out in 1957 in which Andy plays an absolutely evil, duplicitous character, so out of line with his usual persona it's amazing. It was a critical hit, no so sure how it did at the box office.

It was refreshing to see that Andy Griffith was actually a talented actor, not just a hayseed comedian. He is truly frightening at times in this movie.

[Garcia Bronco]

Everyone Loves Raymond is probably the best ensemble ever created in teh sitcom arena

[Deberg_1990]

Has anyone ever seen Andy Griffith in "A Face in the Crowd"?

It was a movie that came out in 1957 in which Andy plays an absolutely evil, duplicitous character, so out of line with his usual persona it's amazing. It was a critical hit, no so sure how it did at the box office.

It was refreshing to see that Andy Griffith was actually a talented actor, not just a hayseed comedian. He is truly frightening at times in this movie.

Andy Griffith was nails in Salvage 1

[mikey23545]

A review of A Face in the Crowd

"Andy Griffith made an unforgettable screen debut in this film as Lonesome Rhodes, a cracker-barrel philosopher discovered by Marcia Jeffries (Neal), who puts him on her local television station in Arkansas. His down-home wit and backwater jokes soon gain a wide audience, after which one of the state's largest stations picks up his show, followed by a network, until his face is seen throughout the land and his homespun wisdom becomes the creed of large numbers of Americans. But Jeffries and her assistant, Mel Miller (Matthau), soon realize that good old "Lonesome Rhodes" is not the kindly rural savant he appears to be.

Director Elia Kazan and writer Budd Schulberg, who collaborated so effectively in ON THE WATERFRONT, again proved their ability to produce a raw, penetrating, and terrifying portrait of humanity in "A Face in the Crowd". Griffith, who had made a name for himself on Broadway with No Time for Sergeants, skyrocketed to fame after his performance as the vicious but fascinating Lonesome Rhodes--capturing the character so well it would take him some time to live the role down. Neal is superb as the tough but vulnerable television producer snared by the hillbilly philosopher, and Matthau plays his cynical newsman to the hilt.

[mikey23545]

Andy Griffith was nails in Salvage 1

Have to admit I've never heard of it....Was it a comedy or dramatic series?

[Amnorix]

I voted for the Andy Griffith Show out of respect for its success, for Everybody Loves Raymond because I thought it was pretty darn good, and for Chico and the Man because my vague childhood memories of it were pretty strong and because I always liked Jack Albertson.

P.S. Holy crap I hadn't thought of that show in like 25 years.

[Rasputin]

I hate Raymond. The title of the show is a lie so fail for that show. I thought the mom and dad in the show were funny tho.

[Amnorix]

JFC I didn't know that the guy that played Chico committed suicide, which is why he disappeared from the show. After that, the ratings slowly tanked and the show was cancelled. :eek:

Meanwhile, a reference on this page to Sammy Davis brought back vivid memories of that episode. Meanwhile, I can't tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chico_and_the_Man

[Deberg_1990]

Have to admit I've never heard of it....Was it a comedy or dramatic series?

Dramatic series in the late 70's that only ran for about a year. Andy played a rich guy who owned a Salvage company. He built a spaceship with his team that took them to the moon in the pilot. After that they went on various adventures.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvage_1

[Amnorix]

I hate Raymond. The title of the show is a lie so fail for that show. I thought the mom and dad in the show were funny tho.


The parents were hilarious, especially the mean old dad, played by Peter Boyle. And, of course, every time I see him I think of Frankenstein, which kind of helps the humor value of the whole thing. :D

[blaise]

JFC I didn't know that the guy that played Chico committed suicide, which is why he disappeared from the show. After that, the ratings slowly tanked and the show was cancelled. :eek:

Meanwhile, a reference on this page to Sammy Davis brought back vivid memories of that episode. Meanwhile, I can't tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chico_and_the_Man

It's kind of weird to me that you didn't know that.

[Baby Lee]

JFC I didn't know that the guy that played Chico committed suicide, which is why he disappeared from the show. After that, the ratings slowly tanked and the show was cancelled. :eek:

Meanwhile, a reference on this page to Sammy Davis brought back vivid memories of that episode. Meanwhile, I can't tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chico_and_the_Man

Really? About the ONLY thing I knew about C&tM was that Buffy's hubby's daddy killed himself.

[cosmo20002]

Why even bother putting something like Veronica's Closet in here? If you were doing the top 200 sitcoms ever, it still wouldn't merit consideration.

[blaise]

Why even bother putting something like Veronica's Closet in here? If you were doing the top 200 sitcoms ever, it still wouldn't merit consideration.

Because, now shut up.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Oh, and The Andy Griffith Show is the only one worth voting for in this round. It is one of the iconic American TV shows.We typically don't agree, but we almost do here. I liked Chico and the Man enough to vote for it, but the other non-Andy Griffith options were garbage. I didn't realize that people could stomach Ray Romano.

[Brock]

I'd vote for AG because of it's historical value, but I don't really consider it to be a sitcom. The rest of the heat is garbage.

[Alton deFlat]

I voted for the Andy Griffith Show out of respect for its success, for Everybody Loves Raymond because I thought it was pretty darn good, and for Chico and the Man because my vague childhood memories of it were pretty strong and because I always liked Jack Albertson.

P.S. Holy crap I hadn't thought of that show in like 25 years.

Same three I voted for.

[T-post Tom]

Here's the story
Of a TV polling
It had five shows of which you can pick just three
All of them are kind of old
Like your mother
Who I will call a whore

Jive Turkey

[Zebedee DuBois]

Andy Griffith is iconic.
I voted Raymond solely because of Peter Boyle.

[Baby Lee]

Andy Griffith is iconic.
I voted Raymond solely because of Peter Boyle.

Holy Crap!!

[Dartgod]

Jack Nicholson
George Kennedy
Lee Van Cleef
Barbara Eden
Jamie Farr
William Christopher
Bob Denver
Alan Hale Jr
Rob Reiner
Howard Hesseman
Buddy Ebsen
Jerry Van Dyke
Bill Bixby
Gavin MacLeod
Jack Albertson
Don Rickles

All guest starred on Andy Griffith.

[blaise]

Jack Nicholson
George Kennedy
Lee Van Cleef
Barbara Eden
Jamie Farr
William Christopher
Bob Denver
Alan Hale Jr
Rob Reiner
Howard Hesseman
Buddy Ebsen
Jerry Van Dyke
Bill Bixby
Gavin MacLeod
Jack Albertson
Don Rickles

All guest starred on Andy Griffith.

And Denver Pyle, who played Jessie Duke on the Dukes of Hazzard.

[patteeu]

Everybody Loves Raymond got my only vote.

I couldn't quite pull the lever for The Andy Griffith Show or The Brady Bunch, both of which I watched a lot of as a kid. Neither of the other two interest me.

[Rain Man]

Why even bother putting something like Veronica's Closet in here? If you were doing the top 200 sitcoms ever, it still wouldn't merit consideration.

:shrug: If Diff'rent Strokes can make it to the second round, I'm not going to question the odds of any show.

[Rain Man]

The parents were hilarious, especially the mean old dad, played by Peter Boyle. And, of course, every time I see him I think of Frankenstein, which kind of helps the humor value of the whole thing. :D

PUHH-EH ON DA RIIIITZ!

That scene cracks me up like no other.

[blaise]

I always think of Peter Boyle from Johnny Dangerously when he goes, "Take it easy? I'm standing here with my dork in my hand!"

[Dartgod]

PUHH-EH ON DA RIIIITZ!

That scene cracks me up like no other.

My wife said I was singing that in my sleep once.

[cardken]

LOOKING GOOD!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=bXPQKAL-pP4!

[Bump]

Andy Griffith is the only one I voted for.

I can't stand Ray Romano's whinny ass voice, so I never watched that show.

this

[Rain Man]

And moving on like a rock skipped across a North Carolina creek are Andy Griffith, Everybody Loves Raymond, and the Brady Bunch.