8 Simple Rules

[MelissaY1]

I try very hard not to come into a discussion of a show I hate and burst someone's bubble unless I feel it is necisarry. This is one of those times. John Ritter dying on the set of this show is almost as embarassing a way to go as Elvis dying on the toilet.

The series was routine, pedestrian, unfunny, and just a waste of a time slot. It was exactly like every other family sitcom the public got sick of in the 90's only less enjoyable. The only reason it was on the lenght it was is that they felt guilty John Ritter died making it. ANd now they repeat it on the WB, twice a day.

I felt the show wasted the talents of Ritter and Katey Segal, who have much bigger career highlights in more groundbreaking shows. The addition of the cast members after the death was overcompensating for the fact the show was still lousy.

I mean, as shows like Everybody Hates Chris, the Office, and My Name is Earl prove the "laugh track" sitcom is dead. 2 and a Half Men is good, and I LOVED king of Queens (until CBS had to can it for more "idiot singles trying to find sex" shows), but there's nothing interresting anymore. Thank god this one was canned a year ago.

I agree to an extent with your opinions of the show. It wasn't anything original or groundbreaking as far as sitcoms though but saying John Ritter dying on the set is an embarassment?? I think that's kind of harsh. It's a very unfortunate thing that happened to him. To compare his death to Elvis' is like comparing apples and oranges. Elvis was on medications, etc, suffered with bouts of depression and so forth that ultimately in the long run played a card in his overall death. The only people who should be embarassed about John Ritter's death is his doctors who didn't detect anything like this earlier and possibly help prevent his early passing at such a young age.

 

[Drtooth]

its quite good, whats the "laugh track" thing about? Wasnt it done live until that bloke died?

Decent for a run of the mill comedy series, ended before it got tiresome.

Everybody hates Christ is terrible anyway. Drtooth needs to loosen up I think.

Laugh track... as opposed to shows like the Office...etc... that either has a laugh track or a studio audience that are told to laugh, often at very unfunny parts. Office like shows are done "filmed" giving them a more theatrical appreance, like you're almost watching a movie, and you can decide when something is a laugh and what isn't. It ads a nice realism element, and no ones is focred to give tepid one liners to get a laugh.

By saying that kind of show died means there's nothing more than can be done with the "One liner gets a laugh" type shows. They still crap things out like this, like "the Class" (pretty wreched, actually), and they wind up failing because of less than mediocraty.

I regret saying something back in 200 or so, when I said "I'm sick of all these single idiots looking for sex shows that were obvious knock offs of Friends and Seinfeld. I almost want the 80's family sit com back." Now we have both. Ik. That's why King of Queens was so appealing. It was a married couple without kids. I'm sick of either pretentiously cute kids or annoying teens trading one liners reguarding sibling rivalry. I do not think it's funny. It's why I can't watch Home Improvement anymore.

8 Simple rules was amongst a long line of terrible ABC sitcoms regaurding families in order to attempt the same success they had with Fll House, family matters and other MUCH better ones in the 80's (and I don't even like Full House now... Family Matters is still good to me as long as Urkel is under 20... it got creepy after that) I mean, we have According to Jim, starring the untalented Belushi brother (I really wish someone had saved John), My Wife and Kids (Damon Wayans used to be funny in "In Living Color") and Rodney... who has even heard of him? He's not even a popular comedian. It's shows like these that kept ABC far behind all the other networks before Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, and Lost came up.

With that said, I did like that late 90's one with Dan Aykroid as the Minsiter. That was funny... but then again, he had talent.

Now, I really do appologize about that John Ritter comment. That was off base. It's something I've said for a year now because that show really got me angry when they syndicated it on thew "Daytime WB." Seindfeld, Friends... something successful, I wouldn't have been angry. They took off cartoons for that. They weren't necissarily great cartoons, but they were a mkillion times better than that show.

I will say, John, Peggy, David Spade, and the rest are talented... just not the kids... and they were wasting their talent on such a hack show.

 

[messyplace]

but a laugh track suggests its fake laughter surely?

It was filmed in front of a live audience...they cant laugh at "unfunny moments" they might not be to your taste, but that doesnt mean its unfunny.

I love the Office, especially being English, thinking its one of our best shows in years.

Saying stuff like they took off cartoons a million times better is just your opinion anyway. What about all the people who liked the new show? Maybe they were sick of the cartoons.....

As I say, for a run of the mill same old same old comedy, its a good offering. Has funny moments. What more can you ask for?

Not everything can be as original as The Office...mostly because not everyone can be as original thinking as people like Ricky Gervais...or the people that made South Park...etc.

 

[Drtooth]

Saying stuff like they took off cartoons a million times better is just your opinion anyway. What about all the people who liked the new show? Maybe they were sick of the cartoons.....

Actually... all syndicated networks have dropped weekday cartoons from the overwhelming competition of 4 cable networks that run kid's programming. They felt they can get better ratings rerunning newer shows. When it was ER and 8 rules, It wasn't too bad... angering maybe... but then they put on "What I like about you"... now 8 rules is gone, and replaced with Reba... which is EVEN WORSE. At least the people on 8 had talent. Reba can't act. I caught a glimpse of her horrid acting on the PBS special "South Pacific" (which they ran almost every night last month... pledge drive, you know).

Now, I'm just a little upset that while we're embrasing animation culture in ways we never have before, there are less and less cartoon on... less and less call for them... and obviously it leads to less and less animation jobs. I'm not even saying the cartoons they were using were good... it's basically chosing between getting your teeth cleaned with that metal hook scrape thingy and getting a root canal without novacaine.

 

[messyplace]

well if they're getting better ratings than cartoons someone obviously prefers them.

 

[Tonichelle]

I never got into the show... but the episode where they all said goodbye to John was incredibly touching... I can remember my dad crying through the whole thing...

 

[MelissaY1]

Apology accepted, Dr. Tooth. I apologize if I came off harsh in my post. I just was very very devastated when John Ritter passed on so suddenly and took it very hard even though I didn't know him personally but had the blessing of meeting him once. To say anyone's death is an embarassment is just very cold hearted UNLESS they purposely did something very very stupid to themselves and died as a result but that's a whole other topic.
Getting back to 8 Simple Rules...I thought the rest of the cast on the show was great particularly Katey Sagal and I liked the redheaded daughter, but that's my opinion. I can understand about having your favorite lineup on a channel get screwed up. I'm personally not into any of the new cartoons that are shown today I kind of gave up on them in the mid 90's with the early NickToons, etc.

Laugh track... as opposed to shows like the Office...etc... that either has a laugh track or a studio audience that are told to laugh, often at very unfunny parts. Office like shows are done "filmed" giving them a more theatrical appreance, like you're almost watching a movie, and you can decide when something is a laugh and what isn't. It ads a nice realism element, and no ones is focred to give tepid one liners to get a laugh.

By saying that kind of show died means there's nothing more than can be done with the "One liner gets a laugh" type shows. They still crap things out like this, like "the Class" (pretty wreched, actually), and they wind up failing because of less than mediocraty.

I regret saying something back in 200 or so, when I said "I'm sick of all these single idiots looking for sex shows that were obvious knock offs of Friends and Seinfeld. I almost want the 80's family sit com back." Now we have both. Ik. That's why King of Queens was so appealing. It was a married couple without kids. I'm sick of either pretentiously cute kids or annoying teens trading one liners reguarding sibling rivalry. I do not think it's funny. It's why I can't watch Home Improvement anymore.

8 Simple rules was amongst a long line of terrible ABC sitcoms regaurding families in order to attempt the same success they had with Fll House, family matters and other MUCH better ones in the 80's (and I don't even like Full House now... Family Matters is still good to me as long as Urkel is under 20... it got creepy after that) I mean, we have According to Jim, starring the untalented Belushi brother (I really wish someone had saved John), My Wife and Kids (Damon Wayans used to be funny in "In Living Color") and Rodney... who has even heard of him? He's not even a popular comedian. It's shows like these that kept ABC far behind all the other networks before Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, and Lost came up.

With that said, I did like that late 90's one with Dan Aykroid as the Minsiter. That was funny... but then again, he had talent.

Now, I really do appologize about that John Ritter comment. That was off base. It's something I've said for a year now because that show really got me angry when they syndicated it on thew "Daytime WB." Seindfeld, Friends... something successful, I wouldn't have been angry. They took off cartoons for that. They weren't necissarily great cartoons, but they were a mkillion times better than that show.

I will say, John, Peggy, David Spade, and the rest are talented... just not the kids... and they were wasting their talent on such a hack show.