Top 5 Comedies of All Time

1. Seinfeld

2. Curb Your Enthusiasm

3. Modern Family

4. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

4. South Park

1. Seinfeld

I can sum up this entire show in one word; NOTHING. Other than quoting George during an episode, everyone knows that is all you need to know about Seinfeld. Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld created one of the most popular, hysterical and recognizable shows of all time on the premise of… nothing. Who would have thought that four friends, hanging out in a New York apartment and coffee shop, would turn into something so big?

The list of spectacular episodes goes on and on. First one that comes to mind has to be the contest. Who truly is king (or queen) of their domain? The soup Nazi is another classic. NEXT! Other great episodes include Babu, Little Jerry, Puddy and the Devils, the Chinese restaurant, Kramer’s intern and so much more. And how many Seinfeldisms were formed after this show? There is the yada, yada, yada, shrinkage, “get out” or even the interaction about car reservations. Seinfeld truly is the classic comedy of our time and it was based on NOTHING.

2. Curb Your Enthusiasm

Pretty, pretty good. Judging by my first two picks, you can imagine that I am big fan of Larry David. Unlike Seinfeld, this show isn’t necessarily about nothing, but nonetheless, it does not have much of an ongoing plot. Yet, Larry David plays the role to perfection. Shockingly enough, it’s almost as if he is not even acting. He is just being himself.

What other show could you get a random African-American family living in a mansion with Larry David who he just met weeks earlier? Or how about after Kramer’s incident at a late night club and then David incorporates into the show. Genius. A personal favorite had to be Wendy wheelchair and Denise handicap. Not in the same manner, but I think some of us can relate to inserting special names into our phones just so we remember who they are. Then we got the social assassin, the ratdog, the ski lift, the black swan and so many other memorable episodes. Larry David bleeds genius ideas. So, yeah, I’d say this show is pretty, pretty… pretty good.

3. Modern Family

Although I dislike picking shows that have not been on air for at least three or four seasons, Modern Family is undeniably moving up the ranks of best comedy of all time. If there is a classic, family oriented comedy with better writing than this, I haven’t heard of it.

As times change, so does TV. Men are marrying younger women. More and more states are allowing gays to marry. The goofiness of Phil can make any Wednesday seem that much brighter. Sofia, despite the most annoying voice on television, is gorgeous. Manny, and I bet I will get some grief for this one, is hysterical as a 12-year-old portraying a 40-year-old man. Then we get to Cameron and Mitchel. Cameron may be one the most underrated comedy actors on television right now. He is your stereotypical homosexual that people love to be around and love to watch. Modern Family reflects the way in which the world has changed and has turned into an ABC great we all love to watch. 

4. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Talk about a show of our generation. Four friends and a father own a bar and act out the dumbest, most hysterical and outrageous acts of all time. Think about this. When Dennis and Mac go to an abortion rally to hit on women was by none one of the funniest episodes of any comedy I have ever seen. The road trip is another fantastic episode. Who throws an entire beer bottle at a random biker? In the same episode, they play the drinking state game. According to D and Charlie, South Virginia and Detroit are states. Greatness.

Later on in the series, Frank comes to form. After becoming a raging alcoholic, he starts sleeping with his cousin and dropping acid. Speaking of the same episode, Charlie joins in on the acid and brings out green man. Charlie dancing around with the Mcboyles is a first class scene for the comedic ages. Think how prevalent green man has become. You can’t see a highlight of a Phillies game without seeing at least one of those in the stands. Although the series has gone a bit downhill the past two years, you can’t deny the greatness in the hit FX comedy.

5. South Park

As a true TV writer, I have to give credit where credit is deserved. Even though I have not seen many of the episodes, I fully understand the fame and popularity this show has generated over the years. South Park, unlike many other shows on TV, is not afraid to say what the world is thinking. Much like Always Sunny, South Park takes today’s topics, whether it’s social media, child molestation, human centipad or dumbass movies, and capitalizes on its faddish status. When a show holds nothing back, knows when to push the limits and has been on air for 20 seasons, it must make the list.

Honorable Mention

• Arrested Development
• Friends
• The Office
• How I Met Your Mother

Game of Thrones

A key trait to great TV writing is anticipation. It is anticipation that brings back an audience week after week after week. No doubt, the shows you have read about have talented writers. In fact, there is hardly an episode of Dexter that doesn’t leave a viewer cringing for next week. It is viewership that keeps a show running and I have just found the next great.

Game of Thrones is confusing to say the least. Figuring out who is who, where is where and what is what is more than enough thought for one TV series. But if a great writer is present, its writing always comes out of the woods at some point. I have now watched five episodes of this scintillating series. The ending to episodes three through five are nothing short of brilliance. Let’s get into it.

As I said, this is a confusing show to say the least. I will do my best to bring everyone up to speed. The Starks have followed the King back to his kingdom. They are now preparing to live a new life at the hand of the King. Earlier on, Jaime Lannister decided to kill young Stark after seeing him fuck his sister. Boy don’t we see that theme in my shows. Anyways, the boy lives but can’t remember the incident. Another attempt on the boy’s life is made but it falls short again. The blade used was Tyrion Lannister’s. Now the real battle gets on.

Arya Stark, one of my favorite characters thus far, decides she does not want the life of a lady lord. She needs to learn to fight with the rest. After seeing her wolf run away and having the king kill another, she decides it’s time to learn. Her father gives in. At the end of episode three, we see Arya training with her new master. This guy isn’t fooling around. A warrior stands up straight. A warrior uses one arm. A warrior always keeps his eye on the target. A viewer gets the sense that things are about to change. And guess what. They did.

Jumping to episode four, we see Tyrion traveling the empire. We also see a vicious jousting match. Unfortunately, a young knight who may have known the mystery (kind of) behind the former King’s death, is killed during the match. Lord Stark was so close. Jumping ahead to the last scene; the scene which should capture your mind until next week, we see Tyrion at a tavern where Lady Stark happens to be dining. She thinks Tyrion had a hand in killing her son. Since she is close to her sister’s palace, she has certain friends. She demands the imp be taken into custody. All at once, the soldiers draw their swords toward the little Lannister. And there you have it. Your anticipation until next week. I literally gasped with joy when this scene took place.

Clearly, the next episode would revolve around the kidnapping. In addition, Robert finds out that lady Targaryen is pregnant. This baby can not be born. The King demands her head on spikes but Ned won’t have any of it. He leaves the empire. However, not before older brother Jaime could get to him. After a vicious battle, Jaime is bailed by a foolish guard who takes out Ned’s leg. Ned is now captured by the man who killed his son. And there you have it. What could come next? Where is the show going to go? What is going to happen with Tyrion? I can not fucking wait to see what happens? 

Boardwalk Empire vs. The Sopranos

Before Boardwalk Empire ever started, true HBO watchers knew this had to be the next Sopranos. The characters, the storyline, the channel, the time and the writers all gave you the feeling of the greatest show ever to hit television. For my last Boardwalk blog, I am going to jump back into the season and compare/contrast four characters from the thrilling HBO dramas. Let’s get into it.

Margaret versus Carmela

When the series started, we see Margaret as a weak, shy and timid mother of two. Boy what a change a season makes. We now see her standing up to her more powerful, rich and straight up baller husband in Nucky Thompson. She now steals from him. She cheated on him. She treats their housekeepers like they are below her, when in fact, she was in their position not long ago. Now who does this all remind you of?

Carmela Soprano. Let me start off by saying she may be one of my most hated characters in all of TV, so I may have some bias here. Anyways, at the beginning of Sopranos, Carmela wasn’t really a factor to the show. She was more of an afterthought. She was Tony’s wife who helped him portray that frame of normalcy in a mobster’s world. However, as the series progressed, she gained some steam. She had romantic relationships (in non-sexual ways). She started stealing money from the bird feed out back and giving it to the church or school (remind you of anyone?). She had more of a pivotal role in the show during the divorce that happened later on in the series. At certain points, she was the vocal point of the show, when in all honesty, she had no business being the center of attention. Really sounds familiar doesn’t it.

Jimmy versus Christopher

The most intriguing comparison has to be Jimmy and Christopher. When the second season of Boardwalk got under way, the audience has that feel that Jimmy is on his way up in the world. As expected, he starts making moves. He leaves Nucky and runs back to the father who abandoned him. He then teams up with fellow second men Lucky Luciano and Al Capone. They end up forming their own bootlegging business. Turns out, Jimmy bites off more than he can handle. Jimmy doesn’t know how to play the politics game. He doesn’t know the finance world of Atlantic City. He doesn’t know how to handle business in a nonviolent manner. After failing on his own, killing his father, reflecting on his wife’s murder, he comes running back to Nucky. Mr. Thompson sees this as an opportunity. After convincing Jimmy to do his bidding, he ends up killing him. It was a surprise ending, but not unexpected.

And now we go to Christopher. A bright up and comer related to the big man. At the beginning, there wasn’t much Chris couldn’t handle. Nevertheless, it was clear he was not ready for the big time. As time moved on, Chris gained more confidence and looked for ways to move up. He started his own dealing business. He bought a club for his wife. He was an ambitious kid looking to become captain, if not more. Then, drugs got to him. He got greedy. He wanted the world before he was ready. That’s when it changed. He bit off more than he could handle. He debated killing his Uncle Tony (hint, hint). His wife turned into a rat and therefore, had to be taken out. He took his relationship with Tony for granted. In the end, Christopher was too much. After a car accident most likely caused by Chris’s drug habit, Tony decides it’s enough. He chokes him on his own blood, putting an end to the “up and coming.” I can imagine, something along the lines of “I don’t seek forgiveness” was going through Tony’s head at that moment.

Other tidbits in Boardwalk Empire that reminded me of Sopranos;

• In Boardwalk, the priest mentions the children having a better life as a result of blood money.
• In Sopranos, Carmela went through the same situation with her priest (who she had a bizarre relationship with).
  
• During her preparation, the DA in Nucky’s trial said “he orders up murder like you or I order up a cup of coffee.”
• During Uncle Junior’s trial (who, by the way, is a regular on Boardwalk), the DA mentions the line, “he orders up murder like you or I order up a steak.”

As the seasons move on, keep an eye out for Soprano moments in the hit series Boardwalk Empire.