Kiss. Our. Grits.
Round Three of our Classic Sitcom March Madness is sassier than a southern waitress!
As you know, this year as part of our March Madness celebration, we pitted 64 classic sitcom, seeded by decade, against one another – and some exciting things happened in our third round. Let’s review:
The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air (1990) vs. Happy Days (1974)
Winner: The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air
Reason: Happy Days was probably the best 70s show about life in the 50s (well, in the top twenty for sure!) but the Equal Rights Amendment just had to hit Wisconsin at some point. That or the most iconic of sitcoms just couldn’t stand up to Big Willie Smith. Or, NonPro‘s audience demographic is skewed young and profoundly stupid. Yeah, probably that one.
Will this pave the way for a Ron Howard directed, Will Smith starring big budget “Happy Days: The Movie”?? Clearly, the only answer is yes.
Alf (1984) vs. The Flintstones (1970)
Winner: Alf
Reason: Another iconic series hits the dust, but we understand why. As awesome as this primetime cartoon family was when originally aired, The Flintstones had devolved into cornball “cartoony” gimmicks and specials, and are now basically cereal and vitamin pushers. Plus, two terrible movies. Simpsons writers, please take note!
Alf, on the other hand, left us wanting more. Which is inexplicable considering the fact that the show was pretty much all the Great Gazoo gimmick from the start. On second thought, this doesn’t make any sense. Screw you, internet!
The Golden Girls (1985) vs. The Critic (1994)
Winner: The Golden Girls
Reason: With the passing of The Critic and The Flintstones, Round 3 has wiped out every cartoon from our list of sitcoms.
Plus, the Golden Girls are almost all pure energy now, so good luck beating that.
The Addams Family (1964) vs. Charles in Charge (1984)
Winner: The Addams Family
Reason: This was a close call for quite a while, but The Addams Family fans rallied in the last few days of the contest to vote them ahead.
This seems to be a running theme. Are Addams fans just trolling us to create a sense of suspense?
Get Smart (1965) vs. Seinfeld (1989)
Winner: Seinfeld
Reason: We’re not sure if weird series relaunches and poor movie interpretations took down Get Smart, of if Seinfeld’s ubiquity just carried it over, but this contest was a little one sided.
This much is for certain; the people that hate Seinfeld really hate Seinfeld.
All in the Family (1971) vs. Married with Children (1987)
Winner: Married with Children
Reason: These two legendarily dysfunctional families fought in round three, but only Married with Children stayed together. We think we have a reason why:
Both showcased the trials and tribulations of a family that wasn’t picture perfect, but “Family” brought in a lot of serious topics and episodes, while “Children” kept things goofy and fun. It’s not that melodrama can’t work in a sitcom (in fact it’s what makes some shows classics) it’s just that if you have to choose between two similar themes, and one is far more lighthearted, we can see why you’d go with that.
Bewitched (1964) vs. The Adventures of Pete and Pete (1993)
Winner: The Adventures of Pete and Pete
Reason: Ah, Pete and Pete – you are a juggernaut of awesome that can not be touched.
Perfect Strangers (1986) vs. The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961)
Winner: Perfect Strangers
Reason: These were two absolutely awesome shows, from theme to cast, from the witty writing of The Dick Van Dyke Show to the catchy one-liners of Perfect Strangers.
But it’s been awhile since Van Dyke was on the air, and the basic premise of Perfect Strangers is far more high-concept and memorable. People just knew that later show better.