Good Sitcoms Are Hard To Find

There are some sit-coms that I really enjoy and that make me laugh. Although most of the today's television comedy are mindless drivel, often relying on poorly written script, sight gags and slapstick, there are a few shows that are well written and well casted. These are usually the shows that run for years and then go to syndication.

Probably one of the best shows to ever hit television was M*A*S*H. One of the pioneer shows in continuous humor, it was the type of show that you can watch over and over and still not really absorb all of the jokes. This, of course, makes it a prime candidate for syndication and has been done so successfully. Born from the hit movie of the same name, the only character to successfully transition from the silver screen to television was Gary Burghoff, who played the inimitable "Radar O'Reilly".

The Honeymooners is another classic comedy show that was very successful. Jackie Gleason and Art Carney's routines continue to live on in syndication and some of the classic "takes' by both comedians are legendary. Gleason, in particular, was well known for his diatribe, "One of these days, Alice.... Pow! Right in the kisser" or "to the moon Alice, to the moon!" Art Carney, who played sewer worker "Ed Norton' was famous for his drawn out, compulsive hand and arm manipulations before undertaking any task. This was usually followed by a swat from "Ralph Kramden" and the classic line, "Would you get on with it!"

One of my favorite shows during its original run and again in syndication is Seinfeld. The ensemble of excellent characters and actors is always a delight and some of the shows have become classic. My favorite of the ensemble is "Kramer", whose moves have become classic. It's also fun to watch "George" and his continuous schemes. All of the players in this sit-com seem to fit the show perfectly and there is quite a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor which I especially enjoy.

Two and a Half Men is one of the current sit-coms that is destined for fame and syndication. Charlie Sheen is cast perfectly in this sit-com and the supporting cast is excellent. Once again, the casting is good and all of the players fit well into their roles. The writing on the show is great and the show continues to win awards.The idea for today's post was spawned while watching an episode of Seinfeld yesterday. Although I speak of good sit-com scripts, actors and their roles, I must admit that the episode that made me laugh was about flatulence, i.e., the fart. I don't know exactly why that makes me laugh, but it does. In yesterday's episode, Kramer is using a friend's horse and carriage to make a little money by taxiing people around Central Park. The scene is at night, in the dead of winter and Kramer has been hired by George to ferry girlfriend Susan's parents around the park.

Kramer, who had previously purchased food in bulk from the local warehouse club, has fed the horse a spicy food that he over purchased, While escorting Susan' parents around the park, the camera pans from the horse's head to Kramer and then to the rear end of the horse's tail which lifts slightly. The next shot is Kramer, whose nose turns up a bit and his face portrays the information his nose has delivered to his brain.

The following picture is that of Susan's parents, whose noses have also sent urgent messages to their brains. The camera then flips back and forth between Kramer and Susan's parents, with each facial expression becoming more and more agonizingly contorted. The scene finally ends as the parents demand that Kramer return them to their apartment.

Anyone who has inadvertently stumbled into an enclosed area that has been "contaminated" obviously can imagine the faces on the actors in the horse and carriage scene. Although elevators come to mind as the most largest entrapment imaginable, gaseous people crowded into cars, subways or trains are probably just as deadly.

Personally, in most social situations, and especially while dating, I always made it a point to associate with women who have dogs. It is just so easy to blame everything on the dog. This reminds me of the story of the young fellow who abused that particular excuse. While sitting on a front porch swing, the lad felt nature's gentle urging and release a SBD (silent but deadly).

His lady friend quickly admonished the dog and said, "Spot, get out from under the swing." The young man was relieved that his lady friend had blamed the dog, but soon thereafter, he once again felt the urge and release another SBD, this one much deadlier than the first. This time, the the young lady said, "Spot get out from underneath the damned swing before he shits all over you."

Friday's mean party time and AREA 51 is good place to hang out and chill. There's not many swings or dogs to blame there, so, as Larry the Cable Guy says, it's a great place to employ the "walking farts."

This Date In History: 1256; Pope Alexander IV organizes Italian hermits independently following the rule of Saint Augustine into a single order, the Augustinian Hermits. 1787; Pennsylvania becomes the second state of the United States of America.

1901; Gugliemo Marconi sends the first radio signal across the Atlantic Ocean, proving that radio ranges are not limited by the Earth’s curvature. 1963; Kenya gains its independence from Britain. 1989; The United Nations adopts the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Picture Of The Day: The great Jackie Gleason along with sidekick Art Carney was an oasis of excellent comedy in the days of black and white television. Although the show only ran for a short period of time, the episodes have continued to play over and over again in syndication. Most of the episodes are considered classic and sit-com of today owes a debt of gratitude in part to the antics of the cast of The Honeymooners.

Birthdays; Erasmus Darwin, doctor, inventor, and poet 1731, Gustave Flaubert, French novelist 1821, Edvard Munch, Norwegian artist 1863, Edward G. Robinson, American actor 1893, Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor 1915.

The Hits Just Keep On Coming:

One Christmas Eve, a frenzied young man ran into a pet shop looking for an unusual Christmas gift for his wife. The shop owner suggested a parrot, named Chet, which could sing famous Christmas carols. This seemed like the perfect gift. "How do I get him to sing?" The young man asked, excitedly. "Simply hold a lighted match directly under his feet." was the shop owner's reply. The shop owner held a lighted match under the parrot's left foot. Chet began to sing: "Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! ..."

The shop owner then held another match under the parrot's right foot. Then Chet's tune changed, and the air was filled with, " Silent Night, Holy Night..." The young man was so impressed that he paid the shop-keeper and ran home as quickly as he could with Chet under his arm. When the wife saw her gift she was overwhelmed. "How beautiful!" She exclaimed, "Can he talk?" "No," the young man replied, "But he can sing. Let me show you."

So the young man whipped out his lighter and placed it under Chet's left foot, as the shop-keeper had shown him, and Chet crooned, "Jingle Bells! Jingle bells!..." The man then moved the lighter to Chet's right foot, and out came, "Silent Night, Holy night..."

The wife, her face filled with curiosity, then asked, "What if we hold the lighter between his legs?" The man did not know. "Let's try it," he answered, eager to please his wife. So they held the lighter between Chet's legs.

Chet twisted his face, cleared his throat, and the little parrot sang out loudly like it was the performance of his life, "Chet's nuts roasting on an open fire...."

That's it for today my little turtle doves. Have a great and safe weekend and more on Monday.

Stay Tuned !