Top 5/Worst 5 Comedies on TV

Evan Sasiela ’14

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Since a number of shows take a holiday break with new episodes, Christmas vacation can be a great time to catch up on any you may have missed. Here are a few recommendations if you are looking for a few laughs…

Top 5

1. Modern Family – Modern Family is a fan favorite by all comedy lovers. If you haven’t seen it, the show follows focuses around husband and wife Phil and Claire and their three children, Haley, Alex, and Luke. It also includes plot lines involving Claire’s brother Mitchell, his partner Cameron and their adopted daughter Lilly. Claire and Mitchell’s father Jay is married to Gloria (played by Sofia Vergara) and they have two sons, Manny (from Gloria’s previous husband), and baby Fulgencio Joseph. The show follows the family and their wacky events. Catch it on Wednesdays at 9 on ABC.

2. The Big Bang Theory – The Big Bang Theory is one of Chuck Lorre’s greatest masterpieces. The show centers around four young college professors and geeks who live in Pasadena, California. They are Sheldon and his roommate Leonard, Howard Wolowitz, and Raj. There is also a lady that lives across the hall named Penny, who takes on a relationship with Leonard. The show features also features Howard’s wife Bernadette and Sheldon’s girlfriend Amy (played by Mayim Bialik.) The guy’s geekiness and Penny’s lack of common sense make this one of the best comedy show on TV. Watch it Thursdays at 8 on CBS.

3. Saturday Night Live – For 39 years, SNL has brought us some of the best sketch comedy known to man and has produced stars such as Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kristen Wiig, etc… Lorne Michael’s variety show is one of the best comedy shows out there. The show starts out with a cold open sketch, which is then preceded by the host’s monologue. The show then runs off sketch after sketch, such as The Miley Cyrus Show or What’s Up With That? Then, the musical guest performs and then Weekend Update appears on your TV screen, hosted by Seth Meyers and Cecily strong giving you the scoop. SNL is continuing to grow and you can catch it on Saturdays at 11:30 on NBC.

4. Brooklyn Nine Nine – This is, in my opinion, the best new comedy that is out there today. The show stars SNL product Andy Samberg as Jake Peralta, a top detective in the 99^th precinct of Brooklyn, and the precinct itself. He battles with Amy Santiago for the top detective spot. His best friend’s name is Boyle, a weird, funny guy, who is in love with Rosa, the mean, cold-hearted person of the group. The show features Terry Crews, who plays Jeffries, and Chelsea Peretti, who plays Gina, the desk worker at the precinct. Peralta’s performance is watched by Captain Holt, a gay black man who is both harsh and caring for Peralta at the same time. Each episode revolves around a case and the group’s way to solve it, and you can see it Tuesdays at 8:30 on FOX.

5. Mike and Molly – This is another great comedy to watch if you are bored on a Monday night and decide to flip the remote to CBS at 9:00. The show stars Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy as Mike and Molly, a couple living in Molly’s basement in Chicago. Mike is a police officer who works with his best friend Carl and they have a friend named Samuel, a café worker. Molly is a writer who has an alcoholic mother and sister and a stepfather, Vince, who cracks one-liners. The best character in the show is Mike’s mom Peggy, a cafeteria lady who worked at the school Molly used to teach at. The personalities of these characters make it a truly great CBS sitcom.

Worst 5

1. Dads – Dads is a comedy about Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi, who have collaborated with Seth MacFarlane, who live with their dads. I watched the first episode and was disappointed. It is awful, and you can catch this garbage Tuesdays at 8 on FOX.

2. Mom – This show stars Anna Faris as an alcoholic mom who deals with a pregnant daughter, another son, and a nasty relationship with her mother. It premiered as CBS’s lowest rated sitcom, and you can catch this trash Mondays at 9:30 on CBS.

3. New Girl – Zooey Deschanel makes this show somewhat watchable because of quirkiness. It was good a couple years ago, but it’s starting to lose its touch. You can watch it Tuesdays at 9 on FOX.

4. Two and Half Men – This shouldn’t be here. For a long time this was one of the best, if not the best comedy on television. But is has seen a fall from grace after the firing of Charlie Sheen and hiring of Ashton Kutcher. Plus, little Angus T. Jones is all grown up now. If you are still interested, it is on Thursdays at 8:30 on CBS.

5. Two Broke Girls – The show stars Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs as two waitresses, Max and Caroline, at a diner who attempt to raise money to open a cupcake shop. It is funny at times, but is more raucous then laugh out loud comedy. You can catch the Whitney Cummings comedy show Mondays at 8:30 on CBS.