Top 10 Best Sitcom Episodes of the 2008-2009 Television Season

Well, I had meant to do this before the Emmy nominations were out, but now they are, so that ship has sorta sailed. I'm still offering my opinion, even when there is a much more respected one out there!

10. 30 Rock - "Kidney Now!"

I think I was more into this year's 30 Rock finale than most people--I thought it was far better than last year's finale, scattershot Emmy winner "Cooter." A lot of my enjoyment came fromm the fact that I'm a sucker for satirical points about the division between medium and message, which two of the three plotlines (1. a charity song to selfishly get one person a kidney and 2.a catchy but relationship-destroying catchphrase) dealt with.

9. Flight of the Conchords - "Prime Minister"

Of all the fun things in this episode--the guest starring roles of Art Garfunkel-obsessed Mary Lynn Rajskub and self-important Elton John impersonator Patton Oswalt to start, not to mention the cameo of Garfunkel himself--the one that pushes this episode into the sublime is the parody of Korean karaoke. The whole bit, sung by Bret, complete with both-languaged subtitles and marvelously weird stock footage, is the most consistently hilarious straight two minutes on TV since Alec Baldwin's therapy session last year on 30 Rock.

8. South Park - "The Ring"

I've knocked South Park before here, but man, when they get it right, they get it right. Calling out the Jonas Brothers' purity rings not for being lame but for being an elliptically dirty marketing trick--THAT is satire.

7. The Big Bang Theory - "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis"

This is a show that started with a terribly lame pilot, but has grown into one of the best sitcoms on TV, centered on Jim Parsons playing an self-important Aspegian asexual (and getting an Emmy nom for it, huzzah!). I wouldn't pick this episode to start with (for that I'd recommend either the first season's "The Loobenfeld Decay" or this season's "The Vegas Renormalization") but once you've familiarized yourself with Parsons' character, his every move in this episode is gold.

6. How I Met Your Mother - "The Naked Man"

Television critics smarter than me have pointed out that at HIMYM's best, it often recalls Seinfeld's social-deconstruction-via-term-invention but with more heart, and this episode is a prime example of that, in what is almost certainly the show's best season to date.

5. 30 Rock - "Gavin Volure"

I was a lilttle underwhelmled by this episode at first, but I kept thinking about it and remembering lines from it, and when I watched it again and realized that it's exactly the groove that 30 Rock has settled into--in a good way. It's not as mind-blowingly surprising as, say, last year's "Secrets and Lies," but it's just an excellent and consistent half-hour of comedy, with jokes like, Steve Martin: "This is my expert on fine art and yelling," John MacEnroe: "Why isn't there any good art in this house!" that I can only describe as perfect.

4. How I Met Your Mother - "Intervention"

Maybe my favorite episode of HIMYM to date, this just has callbacks building on callbacks building to an earned climax--this is like great sitcom writing 101. And something as wacky as old-man makeup as a plotline could only be sold by Neil Patrick Harris.

3. 30 Rock - "Generalissimo"

As I indicated before, I don't think that 30 Rock quite had the highlights of its best episodes last season, but was overall more consistent. That was helped out by a pair of reliably good-quality romantic storylines, Baldwin with Selma Hayek and Fey with Jon Hamm (whose good looks and serious comedic chops make him my biggest man-crush in a long while). This stellar episode is kind of a stand-in for how the several episodes with those characters were for me--brought over the top by Baldwin playing his gay Mexican doppelganger.

2. The Office - "Broke"

Even more so than 30 Rock, this one is a stand-in for The Office's superb 6-episode storyline about the clash between Michael Scott and Charles, the stuffy suit played by Idris Elba. This whole season saw Michael Scott shouldering not only the comedic weight that he always had on the show, but also the dramatic weight--with a major love interest early on and a major professional conflict later. Together they made this season of The Office the best yet, though it was more about the consistency in arc from episode to episode than it was about individual 22-minute chunks. I elected this one the best (over other close calls like "Heavy Competition," which may have the best Office line of all time in, "The meatball parm is their worst sandwich!") in part because all of the wonderful subtle details about Michael that appear when this show is firing on all cylinders. The fact that he has been drinking milk and sugar--JUST milk and sugar--every morning for the past six years, is too perfect for words.

1. Better Off Ted - "Racial Sensitivity"

Well. I have waxed poetic about this episode already. Suffice to say I thought it was the best half-hour of TV this season. Watch it, already.

CAVEAT: I have yet to see more than the pilot of Party Down. Also, there are other shows that I didn't watch, but they're shows that for the most part I don't like.

Top 3 Comedies I Really Wanted to See But Then They Got Kinda Bad Reviews

F the man, I still want to!

3. Whatever Works

A theme of this list: how could this NOT work? One of the funniest, most transformative figures in comedy stars in a film by his even funnier, even more transformative predecessor. Okay, I admit that the trailer doesn't look amazing, but seriously, this is the convergence of two of my personal comedy heroes. I AM SEEING IT ANYWAY.

2. Away We Go

How the hell could this have gotten bad reviews, whether or not it was any good? It's got all the hallmarks of that nobody-actually-laughs-at-it-but-it's-considered-a-brilliant-comedy type of indie movie: it's written by respected and literary figures (Dave Eggers and his wife), stars comedy actors taking an unexpected dramatic turn (John Krasinksi and Maya Rudolph), and it's directed by Sam effing Mendes. Apparently critics think it's lame. I AM SEEING IT ANYWAY.

1. Year One

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTNBwIAY9Zo (embedding disabled)

On the opposite end, this looks like one of those ACTUALLY funny, laugh-out-loud, broad but smart comedies based on the trailer. And, natch, it's helmed by the king of broad and smart, Harold Ramis. What's more, it's co-written by two of the Office writers responsible for a disproportionate amount of excellent episodes, and it stars Jack Black and Michael Cera--neither of which are absolutely amazing all the time, but when they get good material, they knock it out of the park. I AM SEEING IT ANYWAY.

Top Two Videos that Together Constitute a Play I Wrote and Directed

First of all, congrats to anyone and everyone who worked on the 115th Annual Varsity Show! It was great and I loved it, and imagining the pride you guys must have felt made me jealous that I wasn't involved this year. As a consolation to myself, here is a short (20 min.) play that I recently wrote and directed (which is partially to blame for my list absenteeism), and that I had a lot of fun doing!

The camerawork is mine and it blows!

1. Murder Mystery (Part 1)

2. Murder Mystery (Part 2)

3 Eloquent Defenses of Laugh Tracks on the Blogs of Television Writers/Critics

While I was wasting a little time in between writing my paper, I found these today.  I thought they all had something interesting and worthwhile to say, especially as I have often personally defended the laugh track as having its place and time and enhancing a show that is well-built with it in mind.  Maybe some time I will share my own thoughts on the laugh track/studio audience laughter issue in full.  Until then, THESE:

3. "Bring Back the Laugh Track!" by Jaime J. Weinman

A pretty full-throated endorsement of laugh tracks for single-camera comedies.  Not sure if I fully agree, but interseting.

2. "Laugh Tracks" by Ken Levine

Probably more negative than positive in this one, but it contains an good defense of the laugh track's use in certain situations.

1. "Laugh Tracks" by Earl Pomerantz

The best of these, though it's more about studio audience laughter than laugh tracks per se.  That's probably good, since very few people (other than #3 above) I know of actually think that canned laughter in single-camera sitcoms should come back.  So the point about taped-live shows is more interesting to argue.  Also, might I add that this blog, written by a former writer for Taxi among other shows (but it's Taxi that I care about because I LOVE TAXI) is absolutely delightful in general.  I'm going to subscribe to it in Google Reader right NOW.

Top 7 Reasons to Watch Better Off Ted on ABC

First off, I would like to take a moment and give Peter and me the sole credit for How I Met Your Mother having a banner year ratings-wise.  I'm willing to say that the show's increased viewership this year is mostly related to our constant plugs.  (The show has also been fantastic writing-wise this year, something for which we can take less credit.)  However, HIMYM no longer really needs your support to ensure its survival--it's been renewed for at least two more seasons.  But I DO need you to watch Better off Ted, an ABC sitcom about the research and development firm at a large, slightly evil corporation.  Here's why:

7. Portia di Rossi is fantastic

Almost the entire main cast of Arrested Development have gotten quite a career bump from the canceled series--the show made a star out of Michael Cera and re-made a star out of Jason Bateman, as well as bringing a lot more light to people like David Cross and Jeffery Tambor who had been quietly having already fantastic careers.  But it never seemed to me like di Rossi had gotten the Arrested bump into another great role, until now.  She's the highlight of the show as the titular Ted's boss, Veronica, played with some of the same energy as Lindsay Bluth but directed in a much colder, more megalomaniacal way.  In some ways, she's a female Jack Donaghy, but she's both less human and more prone to error than him.  Check out this great bit of dialogue:

Ted: I have to watch Rose [Ted's daughter].

Veronica: I can wash Rose.

Ted: I said watch her, not wash her.

Veronica: Hmm.  Even easier.

Ted: The fact that you thought I was going to go wash Rose right now makes me thing that you may not know much about children.

Veronica: I know they need to be cleaned.

That sums up di Rossi's character very well, to me.

6. Speaking of which, that dialogue

A lot of shows and movies attempt and fail to get that kind of fast, banter-y funny style of dialogue down, and it often either comes off as overly smart and not actually funny (I'm looking at you, Diablo Cody) or like it's just about subjects too dumb for anyone to ever talk banter-y about.  But Better off Ted does it and succeeds, mostly because it has real jokes:

Ted: We may have created a monster in the lab.

Veronica: It's not a monster, it's a cyborg that can kill without remorse.

Ted: I was talking about Phil.  What were you talking about?

Veronica: I was...also talking about Phil.  (beat)  It's classified. (beat) But it's going to be a fantastic new tool if we can get it to tell the difference between soldiers and children.

Shit yes.  That is just straight funny.

5. Research and development is a great area for a comedy

I can't believe that I haven't seen a comedy deal with this before, because the possibilities for plotlines are seriously endless.  A company that makes new things can always make something new to have a conflict around.  A short list of things that the company has made/done so far (mini-list!)

1. weaponized a pumpkin

2. created ascratchy material for chairs to make employees uncomfortable and more productive

3. cryogenically frozen one of their scientists, just to see what would happen

4. grown beef outside of a cow

5. installed new towel dispensers that only dispence about an inch of towel when prompted

6. installed new motion-sensors that don't sense black people (more on that...NOW)

4. In the most recent episode, "Racial Sensitivity," the company INSTALLED NEW MOTION-SENSORS THAT DON'T SENSE BLACK PEOPLE

I can't stress how much I want to high-five the person who thought of this brilliant concept and the brilliant developments that ensue--first, the company attempts to make amends by creating separate, manually operated "blacks only" versions of everything run by motion-sensors (which is just about everything in the building, including DRINKING FOUNTAINS).  Then, the company decides to hire white people to shadow the black people and set off the sensors for them--a really wonderfully underplayed white slavery joke.  THEN, the company realizes that they'll get prosecuted for racist policies if they only hire white people for this shadowing job, so they have to a black person and a white person to shadow the black person, then another black person and another white person to shadow THAT black person, ad infinitum!

There's little more in the world that I like than a joke that goes to infinite regression.

And there's also little more that I like than a good race joke that doesn't trade in stereotypes OR people's misconceptions of stereotypes.

3. The scientists' lab is a meatbone science-lab

Okay, maybe this is the real reason I like the show.  The portrayal of an R&D lab doesn't even pretend to be realistic, but is rather like a live-action version of a cartoon science lab.  Which is AWESOME.  Beakers of green liquid bubbling everywhere, droppers used for everything, two of the main characters frequently described as "lab partners"--man, I cannot get enough of that.

2. The show gets good REALLY fast

I'll be honest, Better off Ted has a mediocre pilot.  But almost every sitcom ever has a mediocre pilot--it's just something really hard to do quite right.  (Arrested Development and the British The Thick of It are just about the only two pilots I would describe as great.)  So let's go by how long it took other currently-great shows to get great.  The US Office took around ten episodes (until "The Fire"), 30 Rock took eight (until "The Break-Up"), How I Met Your Mother took six ("Slutty Pumpkin"), but Better off Ted took four.  Or, if you're feeling generous, I'd even listen to an argument that it took only two--the second episode, "Heroes," is extremely strong.

1. The show doesn't have great ratings right now, spread the word and KEEP IT ALIVE!

This show has a fresh voice, its own style, and tons of potential, which it's already delivered on in 3 of its 4 episodes.  This show must be kept alive, because it is good television.  WATCH IT.  Do it for me if not for yourself, and you will end up doing it for yourself.

Top 6 Best Butcherings of the National Anthem

This is one of my new favorite things to search for on YouTube.  Enjoy the fruits of my labors:

6. Pretty standard-issue bad, until 2:10, then the rest is amazing

5. American Idol is uniquely good at finding the worst people at everything...INCLUDING THEIR WINNERS!! ZING!!!

4. Roseanne.  Just...Roseanne

3. This one's funnier for what happens than it is a truly heinous piece of singing...but it's still great

2. Within fifty years, this National Anthem will have somehow started an entire artistic movement (sorry about the jump cuts)

1. But the best of all is Carl Lewis.  Two clips, because neither of them contain the entire thing:

Top 3 More Videos For You to Enjoy!

Thanks to the people who came to our first live show.  Now, even if you didn't go, enjoy three more short videos from The Works!  Also subscribe to our shit or whatever!

3. 555

2. Home-Mercials

1. Two Truths and a Lie

6 Screenwriting Tips from Judd Apatow

Hey guys, it's Judd Apatow here to write a guest list!  That's right, I'm the critically-acclaimed, box-office-dominating writer/director of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, as well as the executive producer of Superbad and Pineapple Express.  I'm here to make your screenplay stop suckin' a big chode and start boning some chicks way out of your attractiveness range.  Ready--go!

6. Meaningful relationships are between dudes!!!

Here is the first thing to check to see if you wrote a good movie--is the main story arc about friendship between two or more dudes?  If so--nice!  If not--don't worry!  Before I talked to the writers, Superbad was just some dumb teen sex comedy and Pineapple Express some dumb stoner/action comedy.  But with my help, Superbad became a teen sex comedy about the friendship between two dudes!!!  And Pineapple Express became a stoner/action comedy about the friendship between two dudes!!!  Seriously, I didn't even have to give Rogan and Goldberg different dialogue for those two movies.  Just, like, add in one scene where the guys are bein' cool friends, then one scene where they get angry at each other and separate for a bit, then a scene near the end where their friendship is all awesome again!  You don't even need to change the rest of the script!  Tight!

5. ...but be sure to laugh at them if it gets too gay

Friendship is cool, but sometimes when you're bein' all friendly it seems kinda gay.  That's okay--don't remove those parts of the script, just play up the funny, because haha, gays!  Like in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, when they call each other gay, it's funny because who would want to be gay?  NO ONE.  Also, you can thank me for that Pineapple Express scene where they were trying to untie each other's hands and it looked really, really gay.  Haha, oh God, I'm just remembering how gay they looked.

4. Dick jokes!!!!

Shit yeah, bread and butter.  Make sure that there are a lot of dudes who like droppin' joke-bombs about gross stuff like dicks and buttholes.  Here is some dialogue that I have layin' around that you can use if you want:

Dude 1: "My dick is as big as the Eiffel Tower." (This is funny because the Eiffel Tower is BIG!)

Dude 2: "Yeah right, your dick is as big as a snail but smells funnier."  (This is funny because a snail is SMALL and smells BAD!!!  Another thing that is funny is the second level because they eat snails in France (where the Eiffel Tower is also!)!)!

Also note that this dialogue is between two dudes, which can be your main two dudes like in tip #6 if you want!  Nice!!!  I've like, half-written your screenplay already!

3. ...but then make it awkward and it goes from, like, low comedy to high comedy

Okay, so the dick jokes will win over all the chill bros, but we have to make sure that everyone will laugh at this!  The way you do that is have some chick hear their conversation and be all like, "Ugh gross stop talking about your dicks," or just make an uncomfortable face at them or some other dumb shit.  Then it's like, any girl or snob or whatever who is watching the movie will be all, "Oh man it was really about the awkwardness of social interactions and I really like The Office and the British one is better and shit!" or whatever annoying things they say.  Anyway, this way the prudes and movie reviewers will think you're funny, too.

2. On that note, comedy is fun!!!

Seriously, let's keep it real, we're making a movie that's gonna make people laugh.  Then they will tell their friends how much they laughed and stuff and that way you can't criticize them because anyone else can be like, "But did you laugh!" and they'll be all "Shit yeah son!  I love Judd Apatow!" and then everyone in the city will come carry me on my back like some sort of populist film hero or some crap and award me with 10,000,000 awards that they made out of paper and love for me and I'd rather have that than a fucking Oscar anyway because Oscars are shit.

1. ...but drama is fuckin' deep

Really, though, if it makes them laugh but also tugs them where it hurts (the heart and the dick), then you know you have made a great movie.  Like, check the trailer for my new movie, Funny People.

Holy balls, did you see what happened at 0:54?!?!?!  It was all fun and shit but all the sudden ADAM SANDLER IS DYING??!?!?!  MOTHERSHIT!!!  Then the music gets serious and stuff so you know this is the serious part because you're all "Adam Sandler don't die!!!"!

Note that he is NOT going to die but it lets us get at the serious shit about his friendship with Seth Rogen.  Which is a friendship...BETWEEN TWO DUDES TELLING DICK JOKES THAT SOME GIRLS ARE KINDA AWKWARD ABOUT!!! I AM A BRILLIANT GOD OF CINEMA!!!

(Also please make sure to laugh at how they are kinda gay at 2:14)

Top 3 Reasons to Come See Calgary Whalers Present the Deck Today (Monday, January 19)

Occasionally I do these when I am going to perform some stand-up!  Hooray, these posts are ubiquitous and annoying!  The time is 8:30 PM and the place is Broadway Comedy Club.

3. Justin and Mike will be hosting like USUAL

They will be great hosts like they always are and great people and stuff and also maybe they will talk about the fact that their MADE follow-up has now aired even though I haven't actually seen it but I heard that it did air.  COOL.

2. Sam Grittner, Andrew Ward, For Richard Stands, Mancrush, and Mickey and Sandy will be there

Grittner has been there before, and he's very funny.  I haven't seen any of the rest of these groups before, but I'm sure they'll be great!

1. I will be doing a fully new 10 minutes

Yes these lists always end with me being self-important and telling you to come see me!  This time it will be 10 completely new minutes that you have never heard before! NICE.  Also though some of it might be kinda crappy since I've never done it before.  But some of it will be hilarious and all the more so for being so brand spanking new.  NICE AGAIN.

The 26 Comedic Situations

Do you know about this one thing? This fella in the 19th Century, Georges Polti, came up with a list of 36 Dramatic Situations... it was founded on research and science, even. Well, guess the fuck what?! They don't have a list of comedic situations! Georgio was slackin"! Geo-polts totally bounced out on half of the job. Like, half of life is comedy, brother... as a matter of fact, I am watching Pineapple Express right now. SO. I went ahead and did the ol' bastard's work for him...

Also, see The Wrestler.

Also, as a preface, you should know that Rob's favorite genre of comedy is large pyramids of cans being knocked over. I went a little overboard to please Rob...

26. Humor

A man knocks over a pyramid of cans

25. Gender humor

A woman knocks over a pyramid of cans

24. Reversal

A man dressed as a woman knocks over a pyramid of cans

23. Shakespeare

A woman dressed as a man in order to further her career (but with unforeseen complications involving her crush) knocks over a pyramid of cans

22. Political Humor

The president knocks over a pyramid of cans (note: the cans represent the economy!!!)

21. Sports Humor

The cans get knocked over, then they get back up and win State

20. Farce

A mostly-naked man running from one bedroom to another knocks over a pyramid of cans

19. Comic Juxtaposition

A man knocks over a pyramid of cans... on the moon!

18. Ethnic Humor

A man with an accent knocks over a pyramid of cans

17. Sexual Humor

A man knocks over a pyramid of dicks

16. Parody

A man dressed as the approximation of a popular, recent film character knocks over a pyramid of cans designed to look similar to a popular, recent pyramid of cans (note: the result will most likely be titled "Can Movie")

15. Situation Comedy

A father who works too damn hard every day to have to come home to this is unable to fulfill his wife sexually or keep his kids from knocking over the family's pyramid of cans

14. Prop Comedy

A woman opens a closet and a pyramid of cans falls out (note: why the fuck are there cans in your closet, woman?)

13. Religious Humor

Several spiritual leaders, each belonging to a different faith, knock over a pyramid of cans

12. Mockumentary

A man who has spent the last year of his pathetic, small-town life constructing a pyramid of cans is interviewed in the foreground, while the pyramid of cans collapses in the background

11. Greek Humor

The will of the gods causes a pyramid of cans to fall over--the pyramid of cans was a symbol of sexual frustration, and now all the men and women are allowed to make love again

10. Fish-out-of-Water

A New York City woman knocks over a cans in rural Montana, forcing her to restore the pyramid--and in the process, lend some style to the locals

9. Animals

A dog knocks over a pyramid of cans

8. Ridiculous Animals

A talking dog knocks over a pyramid of cans

7. Ridiculous Cartoon Animals

A talking cartoon dog knocks over a talking pyramid of cartoon cans (or cats)

6. Zom-Rom-Com

A horde of zombies knock over a pyramid of cans that two exes are hiding behind

5. War Humor

A war knocks over a pyramid of cans, to the delight of a platoon of fun-loving soldiers, who choose to indulge in pranks and frivolity to avoid the horrors of war

4. Dark Comedy

A man commits suicide by allowing a pyramid of cans to topple over onto him

3. Romantic Comedy

A pyramid of cans falls over, causing a man and woman to fall in love

2. Tragicomedy

A man building a large structure out of cans realizes that he is building his own prison. Upon this realization, he bellows, "I'VE BUILT MY OWN PRISON!!!" causing the cans to collapse and kill him

1. The Absurd

A man knocks over a can of pyramids