It’s become fashionable to hate on Friends. It still makes me laugh. I love that show.

It’s always been fashionable because it was a horrendous show. Friends is to sitcoms what a hamburger covered in dogshit is to food

Even at that age, Suzanne Pleshette still brought it.

The finale of Cheers was much, much better.

And the finale of Newhart was even better than that.

Great show until Monica and Chandler got together. Same goes for the Office when Jim and Pam hooked up. Both shows neededed to take a cue from Seinfeld and leave well enough alone

/thanks Dad!

JCVD

It got Super Bowl-type ratings, but it was an Alan Alda ego trip.
The finale of Cheers was much, much better.

“Ya got a good heart, Lionheart. Don’t you ever lose it.”

Haha.

I’ll start…. Lionheart

You’re alright in my book.

“Ya got a good heart, Lionheart. Don’t you ever lose it.”

Lost might have a better argument. But when you waste half a season with off-island nonsense that ends in a “they were all dead” cop-out while ignoring half the compelling questions the show raised, you drop down a peg or two.

I think how you feel about Lost is directly related to what you really cared about on that show. If you watched mainly for the mythology, you came away disappointed. For me, that stuff never appealed to me. I just wanted to know those characters past and what will happen to them in the future. I also liked the setting of the show. Primarily shot outdoors on an island, something you don’t usually see on network drama. Those things are what I cared about most. And for me, they gave a very satisfying answer to the questions that I wanted answered.

If I pay attention to it, it does bother me.

I watched a little MASH yesterday flipping channels. I had forgotten how annoying/prominent the laugh track was.

Sorry I can’t hear you over the artificial laugh track.

Gotta judge shows based on their own time. I can’t stand laugh track comedies anymore. Arrested Development, Always Sunny, The Office, Parks & Rec murdered laugh track comedy for me. But for 10 years Friends made me laugh. Sure, the guys on that show were emasculated, but they were pretty funny while doing so.

If I pay attention to it, it does bother me.

Sorry I can’t hear you over the artificial laugh track.

Did that turn you off Seinfeld?

I’m old enough to remember when the final episode aired and at the time, it was a ginormous deal.

Yes it was. Maybe “Who shot J.R.?” rivaled it, but I don’t think any of the other huge TV moments (mostly series’ finales) have rivaled it in the public consciousness.