Old Television Comedies

[kynardsj]

Some of the younger members won't remember these shows. Some might have watched reruns of them. Folks around my age (57) or older will remember them but three of, in my opinion, the funniest shows on television back in the day were The Beverly Hillbillies, The Carol Burnett Show and the Red Skelton Show. The Carol Burnett Show became even funnier after Tim Conway came onboard. Just good clean comedy.  

[magooch]

I think the funny stuff of today is much better, but most of it should be x-rated. 

[LONGTOM]

I haven't seen much on TV these days worth watching, comedy wise.
Give me Red Skelton anyday!
Laurel & Hardy, the Marx brothers, the Three Stooges, even Uncle Milty and George Burns along with some Jimmy Duranty and what more could you want.
Then there was always Ma & Pa Kettle, the Little Rascals (Our Gang) and the Dead End Boys.
Never afraid to let the kids watch.
Just good, clean humor!



LONGTOM

[jimster]

The Carol Burnett Show and the Red Skelton Show.

These were so funny....the The Carol Burnett Show was so funny even the cast could not always keep a straight face while doing the skits and would crack up, which got me laughing even harder.

Let's not forget the "The Honeymooners" with  Jackie Gleason and Art Carney.

[powderman]

The Carol Burnett Show and the Red Skelton Show.

These were so funny....the The Carol Burnett Show was so funny even the cast could not always keep a straight face while doing the skits and would crack up, which got me laughing even harder.

Let's not forget the "The Honeymooners" with  Jackie Gleason and Art Carney.

YEP. The garbage today is trash. I haven't seen anything funny about them. POWDERMAN. 

[Pat/Rick]

Some of the newer comedies are okay, seems alot are just a repeat of older shows in a new setting.

+1 on Carol Burnett and Red Skelton. We didn't watch much of "Uncle Miltie" cause dad didn't care for him so much, or maybe it was scheduling conflict, (among three channels? How could that be? LOL!)

Good list Longtom! LOL!

[buck460XVR]

The big difference was that most of those old comedies whether series type or variety type were filmed live in front of an real audience. Nowadays they are shot and re-shot with canned laughter(if any) and edited and re-dubbed before it hits the screen. Of course nowadays they must include a fair amount of cleavage and cuss words.

[Old Syko]

It all comes down to "class", something that doesn't exist today.  Even the more on the edge shows were done with class and respect.  Dean Martin comes to mind.

[magooch]

Hhmmm, I wonder if anyone has thought about bringing back Amos and Andy?  Osama and Dandy?

[powderman]

It all comes down to "class", something that doesn't exist today.  Even the more on the edge shows were done with class and respect.  Dean Martin comes to mind.

Very true. Look at a rerun of HEEHAW. They all dressed respectfully when they performed their music. the older entertainers had pride in the way they looked and presented themselves. look at the slobs today. POWDERMAN.

[gstewart44]

I find the older shows much much funnier that the expletive-laced garbage that passes for comedy today.     Think about it, Carol Burnett, Red Skelton and the likes could not drop F-bombs on camera.....nor did they need to.    they had boundaries to stay within and they made it "laughtilyoucry" funny.     I saw a big transition in Eddy Murphy from his SNL days (where he couldn't throw out a dozen profanities per line of script) - he was comedic genius back then.    today his shows (and those that followed) are nothing but a potluck stew of vulgarity and profanity.  Not funny to me.   

give me Carol, Red, Buck and Roy, with a good helping of Jerry Clower any day!

[Old Fart]

A tad off subject and certainly may not be 100% family friendly but I picked up the box set of cd's of the old Dean Martin Friars roast.
I haven't got to watch any yet, but winter will be here soon enough.
Those guys were the king of comedy back in the day.

[powderman]

Don't forget Andy griffith. POWDERMAN. 

[MGMorden]

The big difference was that most of those old comedies whether series type or variety type were filmed live in front of an real audience. Nowadays they are shot and re-shot with canned laughter(if any) and edited and re-dubbed before it hits the screen. Of course nowadays they must include a fair amount of cleavage and cuss words.

Actually most of the older stuff of the series type is all canned laughter.  It wasn't until "All in the Family" in the late 70's that they commonly began being filmed in front of a live studio audience.  In modern television the general trend - particularly in the last 10 years - has been to generally eliminate the laugh track entirely, to which I say good riddance.  If a show is so dull that you need cues from imaginary people to tell you when you're supposed to laugh, then it's just not working.

It's probably generational though.  Anything before Cheers (and even it is BARELY there) or so I find thoroughly unfunny - PARTICULARLY stuff like Monty Python or The Three Stooges.

I often tend to prefer standup comedy myself.  A lot of if live (there's a local comedy club in downtown Charleston called Theatre 99 that's good), but of recorded stuff I really like Jay Mohr, Rodney Carrington, Bernie Mac (RIP), etc.  If you want clean stuff James Gregory is good.

I will admit though that I do tend to like some darker comedy films like Pulp Fiction, In Bruges, etc as well.  Then again, I'm very much in the "not easily offended" category.  

[Old Syko]

Actually most of the older stuff of the series type is all canned laughter.  It wasn't until "All in the Family" in the late 70's that they commonly began being filmed in front of a live studio audience.   

Not according to Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugh_track
Laugh tracks used later to sweeten a track were recordings from some of the original shows mentioned in this thread such as Red Skelton and others that were both aired and recorded  in front of live audiences.   I had the opportunity to be in the audience of some shows in the 50's and 60's myself that were aired live.  They were not only aired live but were done that way without so much as the 7 second delay used today.  They got away with it because as said before, people had class and understood respect.

I'm not easily offended either, but I have enough respect for others to not unnecessarily step where I don't have to.

[MGMorden]

Not according to Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugh_track
Laugh tracks used later to sweeten a track were recordings from some of the original shows mentioned in this thread such as Red Skelton and others that were both aired and recorded  in front of live audiences.   I had the opportunity to be in the audience of some shows in the 50's and 60's myself that were aired live.  They were not only aired live but were done that way without so much as the 7 second delay used today.  They got away with it because as said before, people had class and understood respect.

I'm not personally familiar with Red Skelton (before my time), but from what I'm seeing it looks like he did a variety show, not a scripted series.  I'm not aware of any variety or sketch type shows that ever used canned laughter.  It's use was primarily in the scripted shows (eg, MASH and such).  As said, during the 1970's the "Filmed before a live studio audience" phase became popular for those shows, and in modern times that and the laugh track have largely disappeared.

I'm not easily offended either, but I have enough respect for others to not unnecessarily step where I don't have to.

I've always just been a fan of "If you don't want to watch it, don't tune in.".  There is a lot of good comedy out there that isn't necessarily "family friendly", and as long as no one is forcing anyone to watch it then it's fine for people who want to see that stuff to have a venue for it.

Interesting though that a group that largely belittles lots of people for being "afraid to speak their minds" due to being "politically correct" is so quick to jump on other people for . . . not being PC.

[Old Syko]

Not according to Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugh_track
Laugh tracks used later to sweeten a track were recordings from some of the original shows mentioned in this thread such as Red Skelton and others that were both aired and recorded  in front of live audiences.   I had the opportunity to be in the audience of some shows in the 50's and 60's myself that were aired live.  They were not only aired live but were done that way without so much as the 7 second delay used today.  They got away with it because as said before, people had class and understood respect.

I'm not personally familiar with Red Skelton (before my time), but from what I'm seeing it looks like he did a variety show, not a scripted series.  I'm not aware of any variety or sketch type shows that ever used canned laughter.  It's use was primarily in the scripted shows (eg, MASH and such).  As said, during the 1970's the "Filmed before a live studio audience" phase became popular for those shows, and in modern times that and the laugh track have largely disappeared.

I'm not easily offended either, but I have enough respect for others to not unnecessarily step where I don't have to.

I've always just been a fan of "If you don't want to watch it, don't tune in.".  There is a lot of good comedy out there that isn't necessarily "family friendly", and as long as no one is forcing anyone to watch it then it's fine for people who want to see that stuff to have a venue for it.

Interesting though that a group that largely belittles lots of people for being "afraid to speak their minds" due to being "politically correct" is so quick to jump on other people for . . . not being PC.

Because of your lack of age, you wouldn't know anything about other "scripted series" from the 50s like The Honeymooners and This is Your Life that were aired in front of live audiences also.  Live audiences were in place for some early radio shows even before TV was popular.

Understanding respect has nothing at all to do with being PC.  Hopefully more people will figure this out before it's too late, if it isn't already.

[gypsyman]

And, alot of the comedians,Skelton,Berle.Roeney, got their start, and learned the trade, in vaudville and burlesque. Which, wasn't the burlesque of the late '60's and early 70's. The women of early burlyque, kept their cloth's on. At least some of it.Gypsy Rose Lee and the like.
I guess the comedy clubs of today are the training grounds, but one thing is for sure, I'ld never take my kids to most of the acts now days. And, one of their favorite shows, if they can catch them, is the 3 stooge's. Which,dates before my time, but still pretty funny. gypsyman

[MGMorden]

Understanding respect has nothing at all to do with being PC.

Ah, but it does. It really, really does.  It's the idea that you shouldn't say what you want because it might offend someone else who may or may not be listening.  The only thing that changes is which group is going to be possibly offended, and which group is urging the moderation.  It's the same game, just different players.

I guess the comedy clubs of today are the training grounds, but one thing is for sure, I'ld never take my kids to most of the acts now days.

I certainly don't blame you for that, but I, being an adult, am not a big fan of many things that are "child friendly".  I have two young nieces and when they come over we don't watch the stuff I normally watch - we watch Monsters Inc, Shrek, Wall-E, Toy Story, etc.  When they leave, I'm not going to continue to watch that same stuff.  It'd be like going to eat dinner and ALWAYS going to McDonalds or Chucky Cheese.  Sometimes I need grown-up food.

[kynardsj]

I know that I get ill and cuss sometimes but even when ill I'm careful who I cuss in front of. I don't mind some of the comedians these days that say a cuss word or two in their routines but some say some really bad stuff with every other breath. Some of the ones that have a clean routine that are funny to me are Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Ingvall. " You might be a redneck if " and " here's your sign."

[Old Syko]

Understanding respect has nothing at all to do with being PC.

Ah, but it does. It really, really does.  It's the idea that you shouldn't say what you want because it might offend someone else who may or may not be listening.  The only thing that changes is which group is going to be possibly offended, and which group is urging the moderation.  It's the same game, just different players.

You seem to be confusing the now common "it's all about me attitude" in your response with respect and PC as though there wasn't enough confusion already.  As an example of being PC one might make a statement to another such as, "I was just discussing last nights game with the little person down the street."  That same statement when done with respect might be, "I was just discussing last nights game with the person down the street."  An example of the same statement using the all about me attitude you describe might be "I was just discussing last nights game with that &*%$@#^ midget down the street.

As I said before there is a difference and most don't get it.

[MGMorden]

You seem to be confusing the now common "it's all about me attitude" in your response with respect and PC as though there wasn't enough confusion already.  As an example of being PC one might make a statement to another such as, "I was just discussing last nights game with the little person down the street."  That same statement when done with respect might be, "I was just discussing last nights game with the person down the street."  An example of the same statement using the all about me attitude you describe might be "I was just discussing last nights game with that &*%$@#^ midget down the street.

Nonsense.  Your last statement isn't the equivalent of the prior two.  It's directed as an attack on the person rather than a neutral tone.

For examples of being PC, you can take the two following statements (trying to stay close to your examples):

Non-PC version: "I was just discussing last night's game with the midget down the street."
PC version: "I was just discussing last night's game with the little person down the street."

Most of them consider the term "midget" offensive.  It's that choice of term, not the profanity, that would offend them.  The PC version - which can be just as easily labeled the respectful version, would be to go by their choice of acronyms, which is "little person" or "dwarf". 

You're specifically editing your language so that that group won't find it offensive.

Now consider this: "I was just discussing the game with Kyle.  He's a little person, but he's one of the coolest f****rs you'll ever meet!".

F-bomb.  Profanity.  World is coming to an end.  It's not the little people being offended in this case, and it's not an attack on his person.  It's a compliment, but a different group might be offended at this: rather than the little people being offended it's the prudes of society. 

Two sides of the same coin.  Different people find different things offensive.  Personally, profanity doesn't bother me, and a show that's funny I'll watch regardless.  Witness "Office Space" - it's got quite a bit of profanity, lots of dirty jokes, and is probably the funniest movie I've ever seen. 

[Old Syko]

Again you show nothing more than an example of all about me attitude.  You seem to feel any action that suits you is OK because it suits you which is nothing more than disrespect for anyone with a different view.  As I said earlier, there is a big difference between respect and political correctness.  I'm not surprised you disagree.  You've already stated you're not old enough to remember the times and shows we have been discussing here, so you can't be expected to understand what it is myself and others are referring to. 

[oldandslow]

Red Skeltom was one of my favorites and I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Bob Hope. I don't have any problem listening to some of the modern comedians either as long as they are FUNNY even if their routine includes profanity. My kids are grown and so or my grandkids so they can listen or not. Now the great grand daughter is a different story.

As to being PC and the midget. If I were referring to him I would refer to him by name. If I didn't know his name I would just say "that guy down the street".

Typical thread on here. Gets off the subject and degenerates into an argument.

[Spirithawk]

Don't forget " I Love Lucy ", The Danny Thomas Show, Steve Allen, That Girl with Marlow Thomas, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, Dick Van Dyke, Gilligan's Island, F Troop

[Old Fart]

What were we talking about? 

[Brett]

Bob Newhart is another great old comic genius.   Carol Burnett, Tim Conway and Harvey Koman where the best though.  Conway's adllibs would have his castmates in tears.   

[powderman]

To tell you the truth, comedians like red Skelton didn't need canned laughter, he was genuinely funny as were  most of the rest. Just for the heck of it I watched dave Lettermans mologue one night, he couldn't even make me grin, gag.  POWDERMAN. 

[LONGTOM]

Gomer Pyle USMC   (spelling may be wrong, it was a long time ago!)

I hear enough profanity from live people that I can't do anything about but I surely am not going to watch or hear it on TV when I can either change the station or just turn it off!
I guess I am old school, so be it.



LONGTOM

[powderman]

LONGTOM. I reckon we were raised when pride, morality, and family values were important to Americans, and proud of it. POWDERMAN.