long-running sitcoms that were never the slightest bit funny, ever.

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Yreka

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2005
4,084
0
76
Seinfeld shouldn't be on the list.. Most overrated sitcom maybe, people fawn all over it, but it was mediocre at best.

Raymond was decent because of his dad Frank..

My pick would have to be King of Queens. Effing worthless show.
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,231
118
116
while I still don't get this hate for MitM (Cranston and the Dewey character made that show--yes, the mother was horrid and absolutely could make this show unwatchable), I recently listened to a Fresh Air interview with Cranston. The guy is fucking awesome. He was talking about the pilot for MitM, a scene where the mom is shaving his back hair while he's sitting at the breakfast table, naked, reading the paper...the idea that kind of scene would be on a prime time sitcom at the time was simply bizarre. The details of shooting the scene were simply awesome.

Also, he had this story about being on an episode of Airwolf. At the time, Jan-Michael Vincent was a complete wreck of an alcoholic white bagger. he'd show up on set completely trashed, and they'd have to film. The one ~30 second scene Cranston had with him, involved hanging on to the helicopter while a passed-out Vincent acted his part from the cockpit. rofl.

Heh, awesome. I'll have to go listen to that. I did find Cranston enjoyable when he was on the Carolla podcast a while back.

My trouble with Malcolm was Malcolm. Every time I tried to watch that show, his ugly mug would show up on screen and I'd have to turn it off. He drove me nuts.

KT
 

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
3
81
I'm a little shocked that more than one person has mentioned Family Guy.
Unless you are offended so much that you can't see the humor, I don't know how anyone could not laugh at this show.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,855
31,345
146
Heh, awesome. I'll have to go listen to that. I did find Cranston enjoyable when he was on the Carolla podcast a while back.

My trouble with Malcolm was Malcolm. Every time I tried to watch that show, his ugly mug would show up on screen and I'd have to turn it off. He drove me nuts.

KT

as with Seinfeld, the title character is the least appealing. (oh wait...that really was the Mom. Malcom was lame and useless, though)
 

BrokenVisage

Lifer
Jan 29, 2005
24,771
14
81
as with Seinfeld, the title character is the least appealing. (oh wait...that really was the Mom. Malcom was lame and useless, though)

The thing with MitM is that it had some classic episodes.

The bowling alley episode where Malcolm totally missed hitting any pin from 3 feet away and Hal almost bowls a perfect game, the burning man episode, the episode where Hal crushes things with a steam roller to the tune of Slow Ride, the episode where Dewey smokes and Hal gives up coffee, the dominos episode, the episode where Mad Dog from Frasier lives in Lucky Aide... these were really well written and full of laughs.

Dewey is probably my least favorite character but as time went on he really was responsible for some of the best scenes. Jane Kcyznkjkdsjflk's character (Lois) gets too much hate though, she played a great mother in the show and was supposed to be super annoying, that was the point. No one can top Hal of course, he goes into the TV HOF for playing the trio of Hal, Tim Wattley and now Walter White.
 
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Perknose

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 9, 1999
46,865
10,651
147
That 70's Show mostly sucked big time. The Hispanic kid might have been the MOST annoying.
 

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
6,628
7
81
Frasier was hilarious.

This. I don't know how someone could not like that show, unless they just watched one episode somewhere in the middle of the series and missed a lot of the inside jokes, but I would say it's that way with any show.
 

BrokenVisage

Lifer
Jan 29, 2005
24,771
14
81
This. I don't know how someone could not like that show, unless they just watched one episode somewhere in the middle of the series and missed a lot of the inside jokes, but I would say it's that way with any show.

If they didn't end up putting Daphny and Niles together towards the end it could have been one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, but alas.. after that I just couldn't watch it anymore, his infatuation with her made up 50% of the laughs.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,758
603
126
As was 3rd Rock From the Sun.

John Lithgow is awesome...

For terrible shows, I'd vote for King of Queens.

Jerry Stiller had his moments on that show, but I honestly watched it mostly because of the way Leah Remini filled out a pair of jeans.

It is truly incredible how bad Kevin James standup is though. He just has no actual material. He just repeats like 3 jokes over and over again while less and less of the audience continues to laugh.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,855
31,345
146
The thing with MitM is that it had some classic episodes.

The bowling alley episode where Malcolm totally missed hitting any pin from 3 feet away and Hal almost bowls a perfect game, the burning man episode, the episode where Hal crushes things with a steam roller to the tune of Slow Ride, the episode where Dewey smokes and Hal gives up coffee, the dominos episode, the episode where Mad Dog from Frasier lives in Lucky Aide... these were really well written and full of laughs.

Dewey is probably my least favorite character but as time went on he really was responsible for some of the best scenes. Jane Kcyznkjkdsjflk's character (Lois) gets too much hate though, she played a great mother in the show and was supposed to be super annoying, that was the point. No one can top Hal of course, he goes into the TV HOF for playing the trio of Hal, Tim Wattley and now Walter White.

I like the episode where they're in that traffic jam and Dewey wanders off, stumbling into all these misadventures, unknowingly thwarting all of these random crimes...he kind of became the semi-evil zen hero of that show.