Show That Have Overstayed Their Welcome

[D'Snowth]

Wasn't it kind of the point to make them look almost like actual Muppets as much as possible?

 

[Drtooth]

The irony is, making Muppets isn't exactly cheap either.

Ugh... I can't remember the quote from The Neighbors, but they had a very brilliant line pwning American Idol. It's like... jeez. Who cares anymore, right? The only people who became popular weren't even winners. And does anyone remember the last few winners? I's like the longer the show's been on, the more disposable the winners get. Did they even release contractual obligation albums?

Also, why do they keep renewing Rules of Engagement? Of all the things Patrick Warburton is on, how come this is the one thing he's not funny in? I'm a huge fan of the guy. I really really wanted to like the show, but it's dreadfully dull and unfunny.

 

[D'Snowth]

Practically ALL "sitcoms" today are dreadfully dull and unfunny.

I SWEAR, I had NO idea shows like GLEE, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, and SEX AND THE CITY, among others were actually "comedies", and you wouldn't be able to tell shows like THE OFFICE or PARKS AND RECREATIONS are sitcoms either... give us a hint, put on a laugh track or something.

 

[Scooterforever]

Practically ALL "sitcoms" today are dreadfully dull and unfunny.

I SWEAR, I had NO idea shows like GLEE, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, and SEX AND THE CITY, among others were actually "comedies", and you wouldn't be able to tell shows like THE OFFICE or PARKS AND RECREATIONS are sitcoms either... give us a hint, put on a laugh track or something.

How about the criminally underrated COMMUNITY? It's in its last season, and was on the verge of being cancelled at the end of every season since it aired, while dumb laugh-track sitcoms like THE BIG BANG THEORY are still going strong. As a graduate of a community college as well as a nerd, I actually get 99% of COMMUNITY'S jokes.

 

[D'Snowth]

I had NO idea what the frog COMMUNITY was even about! Seriously, I watched an episode once when there was nothing else on with my dad, we sat there the whole time with confused and bemused looks on our faces, then when they went to commercial, we looked at each other and asked, "What did we just watch?"

Again, the problem with BBT is the underlying sexual aspect of the show (what do you expect from Chuck Lorre)... but that's another thing too, Chuck Lorre almost seems to be like a modern day Norman Lear: he's involved with all these different sitcoms on, and they're all pretty much successful even though they're not really that great (not to say Norman Lear's stuff was bad, but I just can't think of another mogul to compare Lorre to). But yeah, I've ranted a hundred times about BBT, and I don't feel like doing it again, so I rest my case.

And again, BBT is NOT a laugh track sitcom, it's shot in front of a live audience, there's a difference: just because you hear laughter, that doesn't mean it's a laugh track.

 

[charlietheowl]

Also, why do they keep renewing Rules of Engagement? Of all the things Patrick Warburton is on, how come this is the one thing he's not funny in? I'm a huge fan of the guy. I really really wanted to like the show, but it's dreadfully dull and unfunny.

I think CBS uses Rules as an easy cancellation replacement; if something bombs, they can paste that in there knowing it will not hurt their ratings that much. It's the equivalent of a sports team signing an old veteran as an injury replacement instead of risking the chance of trying another young player. Plus the show's been on long enough to actually get syndication dollars.

 

[Scooterforever]

I had NO idea what the frog COMMUNITY was even about! Seriously, I watched an episode once when there was nothing else on with my dad, we sat there the whole time with confused and bemused looks on our faces, then when they went to commercial, we looked at each other and asked, "What did we just watch?"

Again, the problem with BBT is the underlying sexual aspect of the show (what do you expect from Chuck Lorre)... but that's another thing too, Chuck Lorre almost seems to be like a modern day Norman Lear: he's involved with all these different sitcoms on, and they're all pretty much successful even though they're not really that great (not to say Norman Lear's stuff was bad, but I just can't think of another mogul to compare Lorre to). But yeah, I've ranted a hundred times about BBT, and I don't feel like doing it again, so I rest my case.

And again, BBT is NOT a laugh track sitcom, it's shot in front of a live audience, there's a difference: just because you hear laughter, that doesn't mean it's a laugh track.

Yes, Community is a pretty bizarre show, I'll give you that; my mother, a fan since the show started, even thinks it's gotten too bizarre. Like BBT, a large part of Community's target audience is nerds, which is why they have entire episodes parodying "Dr. Who," "Dungeons and Dragons," and the "Mirrorverse" concept from Star Trek. But unlike BBT,(at least IMO) Community laughs WITH the nerds at their own culture, whereas BBT is just like "look at how fking stupid these comic book geeks are, what a bunch of losers!"

 

[MrBloogarFoobly]

Practically ALL "sitcoms" today are dreadfully dull and unfunny.

I SWEAR, I had NO idea shows like GLEE, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, and SEX AND THE CITY, among others were actually "comedies", and you wouldn't be able to tell shows like THE OFFICE or PARKS AND RECREATIONS are sitcoms either... give us a hint, put on a laugh track or something.

I don't get the appeal for THE OFFICE, but I really like PARKS AND RECREATIONS. Laugh tracks are a thing of the past. If you need to be told something's funny, it's not your kind of humor, which is fine. But it isn't less of a comedy because there is no laugh track.

 

[D'Snowth]

A laugh track DOESN'T tell you something is funny, or when to laugh, or anything like that, the laugh track recreates the ambience of watching a comedy with a group of people, rather than by yourself.

And laugh tracks are still in use today, just rarely by themselves anymore (save for like kidcoms), they're mainly used anymore for sweetening, if the actual audience isn't as desired, or to smooth out the audio from one cut to another.

 

[Drtooth]

I think CBS uses Rules as an easy cancellation replacement; if something bombs, they can paste that in there knowing it will not hurt their ratings that much. It's the equivalent of a sports team signing an old veteran as an injury replacement instead of risking the chance of trying another young player. Plus the show's been on long enough to actually get syndication dollars.

And it also gets the plum spot after How I Met Your Mother half the time. But I think you hit the nail on the head with that one. They use it as a seasonal replacement when whatever bad sitcom CBS tries to force down our throats flops. At least we don't have to deal with KoMut's horrid Partners series. Really. How the heck do they keep getting hired? They have made some of the worst sitcoms in existence, and with the exception of Will and Grace, they were all flops. If there's one thing that's overstayed its welcome, it's their career.