Mr. Sunshine : Why are TV shows so bad these days?

Why are TV shows so bad these days?

First, don't mean to offend any fans of Mr. Sunshine...but I watched the most recent episode and found it to be yet another trawl of forced laughs, actors trying WAY too hard, and little (VERY little) comedic merit. In other words, typical of ABC's "laugh out loud Wednesdays."

Watching the episode, I got the same feeling I had when I made the mistake of watching Cougartown when it debuted -- it's like every single "comedy" these days tries so, SO hard to be funny...zany characters and little musical bits between scene changes and a desperate attempt at snarkiness and witty rapport. I will always love "Arrested Development," but sometimes I hate it because I think so many shows today try to ape its format, but with no success at all. And with none of the heart.

For example, in Mr. Sunshine, Perry's heavyset pal, his weird-o assistant, the boss...all of these characters are played over the top, and it's all so forced. But without a laugh track it just comes off as sterile and fake. These people are acting like they're in a basic 3-camera sitcom setup, with a live studio audience watching.

The ONLY way shows like this work is if it's played "down." Perry kind of has it, sometimes...but there are many moments where he over-acts as if he's on "Friends." Mugging for an audience that isn't there.

But what gets me most is how everything today just tries so hard, and as a result comes off as sterile and stupid.

It Takes a Fan of Richard Lewis and Great Direction

Anyone who knows Richard Lewis...the neurotic type of nervous person (most of America's youth today...ie under 40) knows how and when and why to laugh at his jokes. But, to do this, you must feel his pain. If you cannot relate to pathos, or to the actor's fears and hopes, you must give up the idea of understanding this kind of comedy.

Also, in the camera shots and direction, a soap opera kind of use of the cameras (tight close ups) is not proper in a sitcom at all, and leaves one examining the hairs and moles and pores on the faces of the comedy actors. Even Brad Pitt does not look good THIS close up.

WHY would a female director of a show do this to a sitcom? From a psychologist's point of view... close space encounters indicates love and strong affection for the target... the actor on camera. This works on a soap opera... the women get to survey the pore conditioners of the actor on screen, the shaving closeness and the hairs and moles on his face. But, this is entirely out of propriety for a comedy. Big eye movements in comedy... close up... turn into shocking horror movie scenes. Pull the cameras back a little there, sweetie!

Males watching a closely shot sitcom will find a subconscious discomfort with being in that close of the personal space of a male actor. I don't want to be within three inches of any male's face... (I have no desire to kiss a male... not that there's anything wrong with that)... and I think men finding a kind of unknown displeasure in watching a show this funny may do so because the cameras are invading the actor's personal space. Fine to grab the female audience, but also a very good way to repel the male audience. I think this may be the reason you are being so overly critical of the material in the manner you have stated above.


Re: It Takes a Fan of Richard Lewis and Great Direction

You make a very good argument for gender differences when watching sitcoms, however - off the top of my head - How I Met Your Mother has had a female director (Pamela Fryman) for the majority (iirc, it was over 95% when NPH directed one last year) of its episodes and I don't know any of my male friends who feel uncomfortable watching it. Quite the opposite in fact; HIMYM is almost like their sitcom equivalent of chicken soup for the soul.

Re: It Takes a Fan of Richard Lewis and Great Direction

Fortress, I appreciate your well thought-out response. (And yes I do remember Richard Lewis, I'm in the age range you mentioned.) To clarify, I don't find "Mr. Sunshine" unfunny because it raises any sort of confused or unsettled or homosexual feelings in me...rather, I find it unfunny simply because it is not funny.

Here's another thing that gets me about the modern "comedy" show, "Mr. Sunshine" a prime example -- the arrogant certainty that the show is an instant classic. I say again, it's all just so damned forced. Could someone PLEASE tell me what is funny about the heavyset assistant singing Cher while laying on an industrial fan?

If you consider shows that ARE considered classics these days...Everybody Loves Raymond or, more appropriately, Arrested Development, you will find that the producers took pains to get their footing before going off the deep end for the big laughs. "Mr. Sunshine" and "Cougartown" and etc, they launch straight off without bothering to ground their characters or their world in a desperate attempt for the big laugh -- and again, it comes off as desperate.

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Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

Kami, if you're going to try to attack my post, then at least make your response more clever.

"So like your post then?" is about as embarrassing an attempt at cleverness as "Mr. Sunshine" itself.

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Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?


If this thread were about the above disagreement and not the merits of a specific television show, I'd come down heavily on the side presented by aurileo. If you can't handle someone disagreeing with your opinion on a public forum, perhaps you should explore other options. Beside the point, though.

There may be a very funny and enjoyable show to be done by this great cast and proven production team, but "Mr. Sunshine" just isn't it. Sports arena? The characters and the dynamic of the relationships? The broadness of the comedy?
Don't know. What I do know, is that it's just not very funny. And yes, that's "not very funny - - to me." Your mileage may differ. If so, gather some friends. The show's going to need them.


--------------------
"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."

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Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

You make some valid points here, but please don't compare this show to COUGAR TOWN, which is a much better show, now that its ditched its original premise and found one that really works for Courtney and her cast.

Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

i dont understand why everyone is comparing this show to arrested development, that show was amazing and i consider it a diamond nugget of television. its a shame it didnt catch on when they needed it to. i for one am guilty of it. i only discovered the show a few years ago-post cancellation.

but arrested had a COMPLETELTY differant format than this show. for one ron howard was there delivering great narration. he was almost a charachter himself considering what he added to the show, and AD had overlaping jokes that would go on for episodes like for example the "ive made a huge mistake" gag.


while mr sunshine is more episode-to-episode format. yes its a little cheesy and the writing isnt as smart as it could be but this show is solid and the charachters are good, ill admit they could go in depth a little more about the carachters, so far 99% percent of the show doesnt leasve the stadium, you just see bens apartment in i believe the 4th or 5th episode. but other than that i enjoy it.

and to say tv shows are "bad" these days is generalizing WAY to big of an awesome industry, take cable shows like weeds, dexter, penn and teller, eastbound and down, episodes and curb your enthusiasm, maybe NETWORK tv has gotten a little stale but im sure worse is still to come, oh yea and raising hope kicks ass but greg garcia is a god watch that show

Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

God I miss the nineties to maybe 2002 there was just so many great shows to watch every single night there was the x-files, the simpsons back when they were really good, news radio, seinfeld, just shoot me, mad about you, futurama, southpark back when they were less preachy and just cranking out good eps and at least the comedy sitcoms back then were at least watchable even the crappiest ones. Tv kinda died after that and the only really good sitcom the last 10 years has been arrested development and chappelle show but at least britain is still cranking out comedy gold like the i.t. crowd, how not to live your life, newswipe and screenwipe and the inbetweeners.

Tonight I gotta cut loose, footloose
Kick off your Sunday shoes

Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

I personally expected this show to be a lot funnier than what it is now. Perhabs because of MP or some other reason. So far this show has proven that it is just another silly comedy like "Running Wilde" which just cannot deliver an intelegent line. I hope it will get better. By the way, my favourite is crystal.

Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

because its all the same zionist hollywood ameriKKKan jew stuff over and over again... at least show like thise keep us away from the tv to actually learn something while reading a book or something

Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

I think you have a good point there. Especially with AR although the characters are way over the top the seems to work. But I guess that is because the characters are not only very unique but the premise is just really good to milk.

Whereas in Mr. Sunshine there is not really a big relationship between the characters etc. none of them are really appealing to me either. It feels forced (the boss) especially and I hardly laugh ever. :(

Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

Because Network Execs much rather inverse in dumb reality TV shows.

Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

I ask myself the same question: "what happened with sitcoms last years?"

Every show that I watch is filled up with superb stereotypical characters (Two and Half Man, Joye, Couger Town... etc. etc)
When I watch them , I really see one and the same atmosphere: Fake life in USA.

Which I am sure is not so sterile and stereotypical like these shows try to present.
My points it that all these new sitcoms is almost the same, not fresh ideas, not good jokes, same characters (Joye, Charlie Harper, Kelso etc. etc) I didn't say is bad shows but is just too mediocre and year after year they became less and less funnier.
Why almost every show must be focused on mid-life crisis period? Why so much stereotypes? Why so many fake and unbelievable characters? Why so unfunny physical comedy?
"Mr. Sunshine" has all problems like all other sitcoms in recent years.

The only show that is really nice and FUNNY is "Episodes" it has originality , deep characters, and good real situations, not some fake cartoonish/caricature and unrealistic dialog and events that is just hard to believe that is possible to be said from a grow man.
For me these is the problems that I see in most of the new shows (I watch just one episode of "Modern Family" so don't attack me if the show is really good, I should watch more episodes and see if I like it)
Also one more thing that bugs me very much: Why so much sexuality and sexual subjects in these shows??? Is that a just cheap way to keep audience entertained?
The sits. in the 80's has this innocent in them. They also had these sexual subjects and jokes but somehow was little bit more subtle and funnier than today. I just can't stand 22 min sitcoms and 90% of the time subject is SEX or MARRIAGE. It's just not funny the way they try to introduce.

Sorry for the long post, but I think sitcoms going down very seriously . Just look at the amount of the shows that is canceled. Its disturbing :/

Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

I mostly agree, but I think most of the crap these days come from laugh track sitcoms, yeah this show is not good, and I would never find anything like cougar town funny, but i think the real crap still keeps coming from the same laugh track sitcoms like whitney and HIMYM, after watching AD, always sunny, community, eastbound and down, bored to death, and parks and recreation, i dont think shows are as bad as you say, i find all these shows smart and incredibly funny, the thing is that crap is still being produced at a large scale, but if you dig a little you will find real treasures.

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Re: Why are TV shows so bad these days?

sometimes sitcom style comedy works... HBO's Newsroom is big right now but all the comedy in it is generic sitcom style that looks like it should be performed in front of a live studio audience.
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