Honorable Mention:
How I Met Your Mother
I was gonna put this show on the list, but I never really continued watching it after the first five
episodes or so. Now I've just kind of lost interest because of another entry further up on this list. I have to give it something though because it was
quite funny.
Spot # 15 goes to
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Friends!
Friends is arguably one of the most successful shows to air that I've ever really watched. Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe and Joey lit up millions of television screens every week with a pretty damn funny dynamic. The show lasted for 10 seasons and made its actors really successful... movie star, a-list celebrity type successful. Well, except for Matt LeBlanc, but lets not think about his spinoff that shall not be mentioned in this thread.
The show tracked six friends as they progressed through their mid-twenties to thirties with each other in New York . They were a pretty dynamic group, and the characters were very well developed but the key element to the show is that the characters were likable(by sitcom standards). I honestly believed they were friends, which is hard to pull off in a show (there aren't many sitcoms that successfully pulled off a friend-based dynamic)
When you consider the entire running length of the show, it is pretty consistent. The show started off strong, but in my opinion it picks up after the second season. In its glory days (seasons 3-7), the show was fucking hilarious. We'll save seasons 8-10 for later...
By far the best part of the show was the ensemble cast. They worked really well with eachother. Sometimes a guest star would come on the show, but they never seemed to steal the show the main characters too much (except Bruce Willis and Janice).
It was also insanely well received. I don't even want to start listing what awards it won, but it probably tops most (if not all) shows on this list.
As a random side note it was very culturally influential. Jennifer Anniston introduced 'The Rachel' (a hairstyle) to the world and it was incredibly well received. Also, I believe it was very nineties-like to say 'How you doin'?'.
Friends is a show with a heavy list of pros and but an equally heavy list of cons - in fact I almost didn't put it on the list until last minute when I decided to the write up.I will just rant for a minute about the show:
Rachel? Joey? Together!? WTF? That was the dumbest fucking thing ever. Everyone knew that it was never going to happen. They had no chemistry. Also, why the FUCK did they decide to make Monica such a bitch the SECOND she got married? Seriously, the shit she put Chandler through . . . Even Ross was despicable in the end. I mean if you like Rachel so much then either get her back or move the hell on. Don't try to fucking ruin every relationship she's in. And Rachel was such a whiny manipulative bitch! I guess Phoebe was OK, but I really didn't think Mike was all that special. And Joey just couldn't decide to finish his career on television when everyone else did . . . not to mention Jen's bullshit with Brad . . . how the fuck did these people minus Mathew Perry fall from grace!?!?!?!??
OK so I guess I am being a bit harsh, but the biggest reason that I have trouble rating Friends any higher pertain mainly to the later seasons of the show. I hated Friends when it got dramatic. Rachel and Monica were such a whiny bitches. And Ross and Chandler were just so dumb at times. It was just aggravating and I did not want to see it. Unfortunately, IMO the last three seasons were drama packed.
Ummm, I really don't have much more to say about it than that. The end left me with a bitter taste in
my mouth, but I still really do enjoy it when it comes on. I can't help but shake the feeling that the last few seasons are probably better than I remember
them being (kind of like Survivor: Guatemala). In retrospect, I can't believe I almost didn't put it on the list.
