Top 6 Sitcoms You Have Never Seen (Maybe) - CONTINUED

Coming in as dull as a rerun of "Mama's Family"...I am back. Today we're dealing with innovative/original/inspirational single camera sitcoms.

The first three can be checked out here.

Here are three more great sitcoms that you probably haven't seen, unless you're me, in which case you should definitely get out more. Oh, and get that weird thing checked out. You know what I'm talking about.

4) PEEP SHOW (2003-present): "Peep Show" is probably the most innovative sitcom to come about since "Seinfeld"...at least up there with "Arrested Development" in terms of sheer originality.

Sure, it's got all the trademark awkward ingredients of a 2000-era sitcom; uncomfortable sexual situations, characters doing extremely embarrassing things, et al...but unlike other single camera "awkwardfests", this show does something unique: it's shot entirely from the point of view of the characters. This, combined with a good deal of "uncomfortable internal monologue" voice over, makes for a suitably original show that really allows you to understand, identify and empathize with the main characters.

Also, the dialogue is pretty fucking sparkling. I'm glad it's lasted as long as it has. US stations have tried a few pilots, but it was never picked up. Surprise! Can you imagine a major network taking a risk on something like this?

Again, like "Black Books" embedding was disabled on all youtube videos...so this was all I could find...

The premise: one of the characters wants to trip on acid with a bunch of his friends, while his roommate is sick and needs the living room to watch training videos to prepare for a big conference. Solution: he drugs his roommate and contemplates raping him.



5) ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (2003-2006): OK, you've probably seen this, thought..."hey, this is funny", then turned it off and forgotten about it. Seriously, this might be one of the top three or four sitcoms to have come around in the last 20 years.

What's so amazing about it? Well, first, the cast. Each and every single actor is hilarious. Even the kids; sure, everyone thinks Michael Cera is guffaw-inducing now, after "Superbad", but he was even funnier as the awkward George Michael. Jason Bateman? Who knew that one of the "Hogan Family" would end up being so naturally jocose.

Second, the scripts: as tight and plotted as a late-season "Seinfeld", but with enough room to allow the actors to improv and squeeze every last bit of funny from each quip. The jokes felt natural without that sickening "babbling improv" crap that most single camera comedies have now.

Third, the style; yeah, almost every sitcom on TV is single camera now...but that wasn't the case in 2003. Why are shows single camera now? Because...it's what's popular. Why was "Arrested Development"? Because, narratively, it was a mockumentary. The verite style MADE SENSE with a single camera. Why is "Kath and Kim" a single camera? Because 3 camera shows don't sell anymore.

Much like Jesus, "Arrested Development" had to die in order for lesser single camera shows to live. Watch this clip...but better yet, catch up with this show on Hulu. I believe every episode is available.





6) SPORTSNIGHT (1998-2000): Aaron Sorkin's version of a network sitcom. To my knowledge the absolute first single camera "situation comedy", although it felt much more like a dramedy than anything else.

Kind of like a funnier version of "The West Wing" the show never really felt long enough, but on the plus side, it made you always want more. Intellectual, emotional, and occasionally overwrought; this was a show about 10 years ahead of its' time.

Put it on now, and it's a thinking man's "30 Rock". 10 years ago, it was just super confusing (is it a comedy, is it a drama? why aren't there 3 cameras?). So confusing, in fact, that ABC thought it needed a laugh track ("see, this is supposed to be funny!"). Can you imagine a single camera show having a laugh track now? Thankfully, it was removed after a few episodes or so.

In any case, totally worth Netflixing, if just to get a lesson in intelligent, witty dialogue. Thank God Sorkin was still on the crank when he was writing this!

What I truly love about Sorkin's writing is that he's able to squeeze mini tangents into his dialogue. As a writer, you're tempted to put something off-topic, but interesting and amusing into your conversations, even if it's not germane to the scene. Invariably, you take it out because...it's not germane to the scene.

Sorkin, somehow, manages to keep them in AND make them germane to the scene, at least emotionally. Take the "what's not an insect?" line in this scene. What does that have to do with the conversation? Nothing. Is it a cherry on the delicious conversation cake? Definitely.

I promise to never, ever refer to anything as a "delicious conversation cake" again...




Well, I hope if you've read this far, I've managed to pique your interest in at least one of these tasty shows. If not, EPIC FAIL...as the kids these days say.