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| Looking back at unrealistic, cheesy sitcoms |
 I
long for the days when Zack Morris graced my television set.
The art of cheesy and unrealistic sitcom television has been rapidly
declining, and that is not a good thing. Television sitcoms have
been replaced by serious primetime adult dramas.
Here’s a blast from the past, a look back at the top three
cheesy yet wonderful sitcoms of my lifetime, with a couple of honorable
mentions as well.
“Boy Meets World” is my first honorable mention. The show
was funny, particularly George Feeny. The funniest sitcom moment
ever came from this show as well. Towards the end of its run, Topanga
gained a ton of weight. When it became so bad that everyone knew
the viewers could tell, they had a special episode where she went
on a diet. Just priceless.
“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Two actresses played Vivian
Banks, and that drove me crazy. The producers brought in another
actress after the first few seasons. That’s probably the most
annoying thing in the world. But on another note, Jeffrey the butler
was an absolute riot. Onto the Big Three.
3. “Family Matters,” Probably the earliest sitcom that
I ever started to watch, and it was sort of like the father of sitcoms.
The Steve Urkel character was amazing, even more amazing when you
consider the fact that he was not even supposed to last after the
first couple of seasons. This show is not without its mysteries
though. After season three, Judy Winslow suddenly disappeared. It
was later revealed that her character was cut from the show due
to a budget cut. I hate when characters get cut out of shows but
no one tells the viewers. If the producer has to cut a character,
they should at least write it into a script with a plot that develops
over three or four episodes. Think about it. What should have happened
is this: Judy is playing catch with someone, anyone, and chases
her ball out into the street where she is immediately hit by a car.
The conclusion, which could have also been the final show of the
season, is the one where Judy lapses into a coma and flat lines.
Cue the music and fade out. Not only does the producer set every
imaginable viewing record, but the viewer has a sense of finality.
2. “Home Improvement.” I find it absolutely staggering
that hardly anyone else likes this show as much as I do. My friends
and I still say quotes from this show everyday, namely “I don’t
think so Tim,” a comment made famous by Al Borlin. My only
complaint about this show is Mark Taylor. Yeah, he was cute as a
kid, but as he got older he eventually just got written out of the
script. They eventually wrote scripts where he was turned into a
teenage delinquent, complete with dog collar and all, as a reason
to not have him talk. As mentioned earlier with Judy Winslow, they
should have just written a few episodes where he moved out or was
given up for adoption. Wilson Wilson was amazing.
1. “Saved by the Bell.” Did you honestly expect it to
be anything else? Zack and the gang had an absolute television sitcom
monopoly from my elementary school through middle school years.
Much like my middle school years, this show has also been covered
in a cloud of mystery. When the kids were in middle school, the
school was located somewhere in a place like Indiana. Once they
move on to high school, they are mysteriously in California, seconds
away from the beach. The genius of this show is not appreciated
until after it is over. If you go up to someone right now and mention
Zack Morris, you will be engaged in a Saved by the Bell conversation
for hours. When Mark-Paul Gosselaar was being interviewed on “The
Jimmy Kimmel Show,” he stated that even though he is married
and starring on “NYPD Blue,” everyone still comes up and
asks him about Screech Powers. It was weird seeing Zack being called
“MP” and his once preppy blonde hair become balding. When
it comes down to it, this show was the best sitcom ever, maybe even
the best TV show ever, in any category. Come back Zack, we miss
you. |
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