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[ghst]

as fun as it would be stoke the troll fires in a thread like this, my honest answer is a show that i'm sure none of you have even heard of.

adam buxton is one half of adam and joe, a much loved comic partnership who rode a wave of satirical 90's pop culture irreverence to a big cult appreciation here in the UK. when the "adam and joe show" ended, after a few scraps of other work they turned to radio, over the years joe cornish's screenwriting career gradually crept forward -- he's just finished writing the spielberg tin tin film -- but adam was left floudering. there was a soft desperation to him as the years took their toll on his ability to delve into youth culture, and in dire need of a new vehicle he signed up for a bbc2 sitcom called "the persuasionists".

written by an ex-new media honcho, the persuasionists was pitched as a brit-com take on mad-men. what materialized was something resembling what would happen if paul o'grady's audience had free reign over a collection of the worst comic actors in screen history and threw buxton in the middle of it. every joke misfired, every line coated in either jagged, unnatural hyperbole or sneering masturbatory smugness, with poor buxton playing a desperate flapping middle man, resembling a fish on the quayside with a pencil through its throat. lacquer the awfulness in an obnoxious coating of canned laughter and you have what i truly believe is the worst sitcom i've ever seen.

buxton is generally a sensitive guy, with his fanbase concerned about just how he would react to the (completely deserved) skull-fucking the show got from both critics and audiences, he made them a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tRXpkYLSIc

 

[siddx]

You can say that it's bad. You can say that it's terrible. You cannot say that it is the WORST sitcom ever aired on television. It's just impossible to say that.

Which is why I never said it was the worst sitcom of all time.

 

[Manmademan]

You can say that it's bad. You can say that it's terrible. You cannot say that it is the WORST sitcom ever aired on television. It's just impossible to say that.

we've been having that debate for ages now. Most people aren't even aware of the true depths that shitty tv can sink to. There's stuff out there that ran for years that makes the stuff Chuck Lorre writes look like Shakespeare. But for some people it's more fun to troll what's popular.

edit: I'm about to go to bed and leave this thread, but I was just reminded by something random about a show so terrible and preposterous it never made it to prime time. but the pilot still exists. That show? Poochinski.

A rejected TV pilot that starred Peter Boyle as a cop killed in the line of duty who returns to life as a talking bulldog puppet to try and avenge his murderer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFKqr5GhcxQ

"First I'm going to try licking myself, and then I'm going to catch my killer"

"you're a dog!" "I'm a COP!"

:lol

 

[Medalion]

Community's definitely not the worst, but it's definitely the most overrated. What a mediocre show.

I dont see how it is overrated since it is struggling amidst the current crop of sitcoms this season.

 

[wormstrangler]

I don't get the hate for Two & a Half Men.

I can always plonk down and enjoy whichever episode is on.

 

[Shiv47]

Small Wonder. I could try describing my hatred for this show, but such words do not exist.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

I dont see how it is overrated since it is struggling amidst the current crop of sitcoms this season.

The sheer amount of avatars and fanatical devotion many on GAF shower on it is what leads many to think it is overrated. The problem is that the fanbase is SO fanatical and defensive it actually makes people hate it and not want to give it a chance. The show is fantastic still, not as good as the first season, but still does deserve to be given a shot by many.

And on the flipside, if it were incredibly popular and successful it would probably get equal amounts of hate just for being the most popular thing, regardless of quality. But such is life on the internet.

Back on topic: Worst sitcom ever is a really hard thing to nail down. All have something bad to contribute. I honestly had forgotten about "All American Girl" until someone posted it above. Just a shameful stereotypical Asian American representation. And it is a damn shame, as Margaret Cho is a rather funny stand up comic.

 

[Night_Trekker]

Definitely Full House. Nothing could be cheesier. Nothing could be less funny. Nothing could have featured so many obnoxious, unlikeable douchebag characters and actors. It even gave us the horrible Olsen Twins.

 

[Medalion]

The sheer amount of avatars and fanatical devotion many on GAF shower on it is what leads many to think it is overrated. The problem is that the fanbase is SO fanatical and defensive it actually makes people hate it and not want to give it a chance. The show is fantastic still, not as good as the first season, but still does deserve to be given a shot by many.

And on the flipside, if it were incredibly popular and successful it would probably get equal amounts of hate just for being the most popular thing, regardless of quality. But such is life on the internet.

Back on topic: Worst sitcom ever is a really hard thing to nail down. All have something bad to contribute. I honestly had forgotten about "All American Girl" until someone posted it above. Just a shameful stereotypical Asian American representation. And it is a damn shame, as Margaret Cho is a rather funny stand up comic.

Weve actually gotten better 2nd season time around in terms of being less vocal outside our thread... Mostly thanks to banning of certain posters, and we have less new avatars as a result.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Definitely Full House. Nothing could be cheesier. Nothing could be less funny. Nothing could have featured so many obnoxious, unlikeable douchebag characters and actors. It even gave us the horrible Olsen Twins.

Yet Bob Saget is a very funny comedian. But I agree, Full House has no real redeeming values, but it was never so bad that I would lump it into a worst ever list. More like "most mediocre and bland" sitcoms ever.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Weve actually gotten better 2nd season time around in terms of being less vocal outside our thread... Mostly thanks to banning of certain posters, and we have less new avatars as a result.

It is vastly toned down from season 1, but I really think the insanity that spread during season one by people like Costanza painted an unfair picture of the show to many here. The sad nature of hype and fanatical fanbases. Sometimes fans of something can turn people off to things without ever trying them themselves. And then it also draws battle lines with people. Just look at Twilight or Harry Potter fanbases.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Yet Bob Saget is a very funny comedian. But I agree, Full House has no real redeeming values, but it was never so bad that I would lump it into a worst ever list. More like "most mediocre and bland" sitcoms ever.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

There wasn't enough of her like that in the show to compensate for Dave Coulier or John Stamos's hair.

Spoiler

dem abs

 

[Tabris]

 

[Gospel]

garbage

 

[Belfast]

garbage

Oh, misplaced nerd rage! I suppose this is the INTERNET after all.

 

[wayward archer]

That 70's show.

Not the worst show ever, but just so overhyped. Somehow they managed to stretch out and recycle 2 seasons worth of material into 8. My roommate watched it religiously, all the episodes just kind of run together. You can only take so much Fez and Ashton Kutcher doing the same shit over and over before it gets nauseating. Not to mention how uncomfortable Laura Prepon looked in every scene she was in, and I can't help but to feel sorry for Tommy Chong especially later in the series, the whole thing is incredibly painful to watch these days.

 

[SlickVic]

Used to hate Big Bang Theory when I watched a few random eps with friends, but then decided to watch Season 1 start to finish and found myself actually enjoying it and have since caught up with it. The thing that turned me off at first was the obnoxious laugh track (even by CBS/live audience standards, it's pretty damn loud) but once I tuned it out, the show became a lot better to me.

Two and a Half Men on the other hand, I've tried watching eps of that but never got into it. Not sure I hate it but it's just not for me.

 

[Gospel]

Oh, misplaced nerd rage! I suppose this is the INTERNET after all.

You don't know for sure if I was calling his post garbage or the show itself though

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Used to hate Big Bang Theory when I watched a few random eps with friends, but then decided to watch Season 1 start to finish and found myself actually enjoying it and have since caught up with it. The thing that turned me off at first was the obnoxious laugh track (even by CBS/live audience standards, it's pretty damn loud) but once I tuned it out, the show became a lot better to me.

Two and a Half Men on the other hand, I've tried watching eps of that but never got into it. Not sure I hate it but it's just not for me.

I was the same way with Big Bang, but it wasn't the laugh track that turned me off, but that I thought it was mocking and making fun of nerds and geek culture. But when I sat down and watched it from the start with a friends copy of the DVD, it sank in that it is lovingly sending up nerds and geek stuff. Most of all the stuff they talk about and make jokes about are on point and true.

And my wife enjoys the science jokes since she actually understands almost all of them, while I only get half of them.

 

[ivysaur12]

One more:

The Flying Nun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnhgpVb-u5s

 

[Night_Trekker]

Yet Bob Saget is a very funny comedian. But I agree, Full House has no real redeeming values, but it was never so bad that I would lump it into a worst ever list. More like "most mediocre and bland" sitcoms ever.

I think Bob Saget is one of the least funny people alive. His stand-up is just awful. He tries way too hard to be outrageous. You're just not fucking funny, Bob. You don't have to die but just go away. Please.

Take Michael Ian Black with you, too.

And IMO, Full House's bland nature is what makes it so terrible. There are worse shows objectively, shows that couldn't last more than a handful of episodes before being canceled, but Full House ran for years and it contains nothing. It's a nearly perfect vacuum containing only cliche after cliche and a few "heartwarming" moments. Just dreadful.

http://imgsrv.kink.fm/image/kink/UserFiles/Image/lori-loughlin-abs.jpg

I actually considered her as a positive, but she would have needed to be nude and proving her flexibility in every scene to begin to counteract the creeping banality of everything else about the show.

 

[bafflewaffle]

louis ck once made a great defense of sitcoms with audience laughter while shitting on the fake documentary single cam style. it was awesome.

 

[mj1108]

ITT half of GAF thinks the other half of GAF's taste in television sucks....

 

[KevinCow]

ITT half of GAF thinks the other half of GAF's taste in television sucks....

Well maybe half of GAF shouldn't have sucky taste in television. Duh.

 

[MechDX]

M*A*S*H? Seriously? Okay, maybe seasons 10 or 11 I can see, but before that? Really? I didn't even know it was POSSIBLE to hate M*A*S*H.

Anyway, as for me...eh, basically everything already been covered ITT already. Big Bang Theory is so offensive it's ridiculous, According to Jim is painfully unfunny, and My Wife & Kids is just awful. Oh, and any of the garbage Tyler Perry makes can go straight to hell too.

Good stuff would be M*A*S*H, Roseanne, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Frasier, Arrested Development, Everybody Loves Raymond (but only when Peter Boyle is on the screen), Sanford & Son, and Home Improvement.

MASH got too damn preachy after the 3rd season. I know its supposed to be somewhat dark but it just got boring after Col. Blake and Trapper John left.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Well maybe half of GAF shouldn't have sucky taste in television. Duh.

Well, it goes both ways.

The real question is what shows can nearly all of GAF actually agree on for being great or terrible? I think The Wire has been the only show that seems to be the great equalizer.

 

[Nert]

ITT half of GAF thinks the other half of GAF's taste in television sucks....

Half of GAF likes Two and a Half Men? Yikes :0

Well, it goes both ways.

The real question is what shows can nearly all of GAF actually agree on for being great or terrible? I think The Wire has been the only show that seems to be the great equalizer.

Early episodes of The Simpsons are universally praised, as they should be; Arrested Development is also very highly regarded. There doesn't seem to be much of a contingent that openly dislikes Mad Men or Breaking Bad, either.

 

[fortified_concept]

Btw Two and a Half Men is more cruel than funny. Everyone dislikes everyone and they make "jokes" in expense of each other even if someone is sick or desperate. It's a truly fucked up show and makes me wonder what kind of people watch it.

 

[Tabris]

Early episodes of The Simpsons are universally praised, as they should be; Arrested Development is also very highly regarded. There doesn't seem to be much of a contingent that openly dislikes Mad Men or Breaking Bad, either.

I hate The Simpsons in general, early episodes or new episodes.

 

[Salazar]

MASH got too damn preachy after the 3rd season. I know its supposed to be somewhat dark but it just got boring after Col. Blake and Trapper John left.

Agreed. Honeycutt was a douchebag and Potter was a bore. Winchester was almost interesting.

Trapper and Henry were gold.

 

[vicissitudes]

Well, it goes both ways.

The real question is what shows can nearly all of GAF actually agree on for being great or terrible? I think The Wire has been the only show that seems to be the great equalizer.

Check the 100+ page Simpsons thread.

 

[Freshmaker]

Women in Prison.
Herman's Head.

Take your pick.

 

[Future]

People talk about stuff like that 70s show, fuck. Shit like That 80s Show takes the cake. Fox actually has tons of absolute crap they tried to jumpstart in their sunday lineup after the simpsons.

 

[ThLunarian]

The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer

Homeboys in Outer Space

Shasta McNasty

 

[stonedwal]

Dharma and Greg. Fail to understand how it stayed on the air for as long as it did.

Gotta say I am a little surprised to see all of the How I Met Your Mother hate, seemed like that show was loved by all a few years back - granted, I haven't seen past season four. I am surprised about the hate for Big Bang Theory too, but not quite as much - it took a couple of episodes for the show to grow on me.

Btw Two and a Half Men is more cruel than funny. Everyone dislikes everyone and they make "jokes" in expense of each other even if someone is sick or desperate. It's a truly fucked up show and makes me wonder what kind of people watch it.

I think that's really what makes me question why anyone likes the show - the characters seem genuinely unlikeable, and the show's core concept is basically The Odd Couple with a bunch of sex jokes and a kid thrown in.

 

[Vyer]

Predictably this thread is full of the most popular stuff (Community, BBT, Seinfeld, Two and Half Men, etc). :lol GAF was going to jump all over the opportunity.


Mandmademan's lists are pretty interesting though. Nice work. And so is that thing about 'Til Death.


Also, House of Payne is some of the shittiest shit to ever shit.

 

[iamaustrian]

another sitcom out of hell is "Everybody Hates Chris"

it suffers the Seinfeld syndrome.

 

[Zep]

If anything, Everybody hates chris was underrated.

 

[bud]

i was never a big fan of two and a half men, but i'd watch i occasionally when nothing else was on. i liked it when the kid was still a kid--he was huggable and pretty funny. now that he's all grown up, the show's lost its charm.

 

[systemfehler]

The war at home...

 

[Chuckie]

Btw Two and a Half Men is more cruel than funny. Everyone dislikes everyone and they make "jokes" in expense of each other even if someone is sick or desperate. It's a truly fucked up show and makes me wonder what kind of people watch it.

Married with Children and Unhappily Ever After were also all mean persons that made fun of eachother. What kind of people watch those? I mean they were much much much more funny than Two and a Half Men but they were also much much much crueler so I really don't get your point.

 

[GoutPatrol]

gat dam!

Full House is still the worst though.

 

[hertog]

The american sit-coms I like are:

Seinfeld (godlike)
Frasier (semi-godlike)
The Office (2nd season is amazing, but is it a sit-com?)
Married.... with children (I miss Al )


Shows I hate:

Friends (liked it when I was 13/14)
Full House (ugh)
Dharma & Greg (how the fuck is this "Funny", it's goddamn annoying)
Will & Grace (please kill me, this is the worst television ever created)

 

[fisheyes]

I hate The Simpsons in general, early episodes or new episodes.

Just curious, how old are you? I'm 21, and I cannot think of a person anywhere near my age that doesn't like the Simpsons, but I can think of plenty from the next generation or above.