Welcome to a new Wildcard Wednesday This week, I’ve got a new Q&A entry, where I answer questions submitted by readers. Thanks to everyone who sent in something — if you don’t see your “Q” here, I just may “A” it next time. (And keep them coming — any related topic on which you want my opinion and/or a little research? Just let me know!)
Miranda asks… What do you think people most get wrong about the 1950’s?
When it comes to sitcoms, I think most people believe that boring suburban-set nuclear family shows were the bulk of what was produced in the 1950s. In actuality, the best comedies of that era totally eschewed that sensibility. (And for good reason — those shows, like Father Knows Best in particular, were indeed banal and unfunny.) For instance, the finest sitcom of the decade, I Love Lucy, literally premised itself on character-rooted conflict regarding Lucy’s desire to be more than the ordinary housewife and mother. To have roles outside the nuclear family. Additionally, one of the most underrated programs of the era, The Bob Cummings Show, is very decidedly an anti-family sitcom, with premised tension about a guy who is forced to play the role of proxy-patriarch (by his widowed sister and her son). He’s thus thrust into a version of domesticity, even though he’d much rather remain a carefree bachelor with a carousel of hot models by his side. It’s all very subversive — the tonic to fare like Ozzie and Harriet, which represents the 1950s, yes, but not in its totality. Read more about all this in my book!
Silver Otto wants to know… Why do you think 1980’s sitcoms are not as good as 1970’s or 1990’s?
I’ve written about this before, but my thoughts are ever-changing (or open to change), so I’ll give you a window into my basic perspective as it stands today. First, I think the 1980s is a decade of high highs and low lows with regard to sitcoms. On the high end are masterworks like Cheers and The Golden Girls, which constitute some of the finest examples of this art form ever produced — offering beautifully crafted characters who earn huge laughs. On the low end are a lot of forgotten duds, and frankly, even popular titles that nevertheless aren’t very funny and/or well-designed in terms of their situations and how those situations are reflected on a weekly basis. In particular, the 1980s had a huge uptick in boring family shows (reminiscent of the worst of the 1950s) that rely more on positional clichés than well-designed characters. Those tend to be subpar in every era. But in the post-Norman Lear decade, they were worse than ever — for many of them tried to overcompensate for their saccharine taste by proving their worth on the metric that he deemed most valuable: Social Importance. I call this the “Very Special Episode” era — where typically trite and formulaic post-Lear sitcoms were nevertheless thrilled to go out of their way to be “Very Special” by engaging dramatic topics, never mind how they hampered their implied comedic obligation to the genre or harmed their situation’s elements, which were either pushed aside or contorted to allow it. A lot of this also registers as “cheesy,” for these are fundamentally un-clever shows taking themselves way too seriously, veering between the two sensibilities of light and dark without the continuity of character or strength of situation that would anchor this tonality with any degree of human truth or artfulness. Fortunately, the 1990s eventually reconciled back to a healthier prioritization of comedy, and in more low-concept situations that naturally emphasized characters, just like the best sitcoms of the 1970s had done (including the actual best of Norman Lear’s).
Jon B. says… I don’t know if you’ll answer this here, but if you were ranking the ten best sitcoms you’ve covered from the 2001 to 2002 season, what would they be?
I haven’t put as much thought into this as my 2000-2001 list, but here’s my gut reaction…
- EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND (Season Six)
- FRIENDS (Season Eight)
- CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (Season Two)
- THE KING OF QUEENS (Season Four)
- THAT ’70S SHOW (Season Four)
- MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE (Season Three)
- WILL & GRACE (Season Four)
- SCRUBS (Season One)
- FRASIER (Season Nine)
- TITUS (Season Three)
esoteric1234 has a fun question… What’s the biggest surprise about sitcoms you’ve had lately? Like a “Wow I didn’t expect that” moment.
My biggest “aha!” lately is that I failed to appreciate the generally pro-sitcom environment of the early 2010s when it was happening. Now, with hindsight, I recognize that mini-era as being such a contrast to what would follow, as negative, anti-sitcom trends have unfairly, but inevitably, come to define the Peak TV decade in total, pushing those early shows, and their ethos, even further from memory. Sitcom Tuesdays this year have been a refreshing reminder.
Mr. Melody is curious… How do you typical review the media you analysis on your blog?
It’s changed over the years. But lately, I watch every series all the way through and take notes on each episode, along with each season. Then I do a draft of my opening essay (which will likely get revised a bunch). After that, I comb through the show again season by season, picking my favorites and writing my lists (with their seasonal essays), all in chronological order. After that, I do a rigorous copy edit of each post, during which it’s possible I’ll rewatch some episodes to make sure I’ve chosen correctly and that I stand by my commentary. It’s a lot of work!
Have a question for me? Submit it at the “Ask Jackson (Q&A)” link.
Come back next week for another Wildcard! And stay tuned soon for Modern Family!