Courting Alex is on as I type this; how
this show has managed to stay on the air is beyond me. Case in point is the following line, which just spilled out of
Dabney Coleman's mouth in response to an accusation made by Jenna Elfman's character:"Alex, what goes on at the corporate retreat stays at the corporate retreat!"
AUUUGGGHHHH! How many times since that Las Vegas ad campaign came out have we heard that idiotic "What happens in blah stays in blah" line in a sitcom or Jay Leno monologue somewhere? Don't sitcom writers realize how tired and stupid that line sounds?
Here's another example: a new sitcom, Teachers, premiered last night. It was awful, with barely a chuckle to be had. And the premise, about a high school teacher who seemingly doesn't give a shit, was sabotoged at the last minute by the main character showing he actually does care. But the writing isn't helping matters; for instance, one of the main teacher's buddies, expressing surprise at his friend's sudden maturity, utters this "classic":
"You still laugh when someone says 'penal colony'."
PPPPPFFFFT! That was me spitting out my drink at the utter hilarity of that line.
Jeez. I can just imagine the writers' room when someone came up with that joke: "He laughs... at penal colony! Get it? It sounds like penis! Huh? Anyone? Come on! Penis! Anyone?"
They must know these jokes suck. So why don't they try harder to make the show better? Are there time constraints? Network interference? Laziness? With so many innovative sitcoms out there, why are the "traditional" ones (i.e. three cameras and a studio audience) so freakin' lame? Let me know in the comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-29-2006 @ 10:41PM
frankpentangeli said...
People that laugh at jokes like that think that they're smart for realizing where the joke comes from, and are laughing to show they are in the know.
Reply
3-29-2006 @ 11:15PM
Borat said...
99% of the "traditional" sitcoms out there are horrible. This Jenna Elfman show, all the WB ones, and all the other crap.
The promos for "Teachers" were so gag-inducing I wonder why anyone would even watch it. The only good ones are Two and a Half men and How I Met Your Mother, but even those two don't hand a candle to shows like Scrubs, The Office, Arrested Development and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Sons and Daughters is new but I'm liking it a lot.
I just hope the "traditional" sitcom dies soon.
Reply
3-29-2006 @ 11:40PM
RFRY said...
Man, the thing with the penal colony joke is that it's funny on "Teachers" not because 'penal' sounds like 'penis' but because the /character/ would be *exactly the type of person* to laugh when someone says 'penal.'
Hell, I laugh every time someone says penal. And I enjoy "Itchy and Scratchy" but I still love "Scrubs" and A.D. and "smart TV" as much as the next guy and probably a lot, lot more, but there's room for including dumb jokes if they help characterize the person that they're told to / about.
A lot of the shit J.D. fantasizes about on "Scrubs" isn't funny of itself, it's funny given that we know J.D. and expect something different of him, as he's a doctor (and, apparently, a pretty good one).
Now, as to "Courting Alex," well, that dog won't hunt. The show's just no good. But I'll stand up for "Teachers" and that penal joke because gag inducing though parts of it were, that joke, at least, served a purpose, particularly given that little speech he delivers to the luminous Sarah Alexander at the end of the episode.
Reply
3-30-2006 @ 12:55AM
Jason Anderson said...
People watch Leno?
And yes, I agree.
Reply
3-30-2006 @ 7:34AM
marty fitzpatrick said...
Sarah Alexander deserves better than to be stuck in a show as bad as this one. She's had some stinkers on this side of the pond too but always manages to shine no matter how bad the material.
Reply
3-30-2006 @ 9:44AM
Tim said...
Four years of Harvard undergrad: $120,000
Two years of scriptwriting classes: $18,000
Seeing your hacky script filled with tired jokes produced by a major network: pricess.
Reply
3-30-2006 @ 9:45AM
Tim said...
Misspelling the punchline to your tired joke: stupid.
Reply
3-30-2006 @ 10:37AM
AR said...
duh, courting alex is still on the air because jenna elfman is smokin'. that alone has to get that show a few hundred thousand viewers.
Reply
3-30-2006 @ 2:46PM
Me said...
These are "situation comedies", not Shakespeare and not a documentary. They are supposed to be stupidly funny and entertaining, not thought provoking and hard to decipher. These shows are the kind of show that you sit back with a drink and a snack and relax too. And remember that most of the population is below average and want to hear simple jokes. (and see gorgeous, tall, funny blondes like Jenna telling them)
:-)
Reply
3-31-2006 @ 5:52PM
PB said...
I hate "what happens" line as well...my favortie is a shirt my friend got...
"What happens in Kansas City..."
Has a picture of the Las Vegas welcome sign with Kansas City wrote on it
"...doesn't really matter."
Reply
3-31-2006 @ 11:32PM
brykmantra said...
And don't forget the Dabney Coleman jinx factor. Just because he was on the fairly good drama, The Guardian, should not distract us from the time-tested truth that Dabney Coleman is Nielsen poison in a sitcom.
Reply
4-03-2006 @ 10:54PM
Jim said...
> Dabney Coleman is Nielsen poison in a sitcom.
You are obviously too young to have seen "Buffalo Bill."
Reply