Sweet Baby Ricky!
Round One of our Classic Sitcom March Madness has already proven to be rife with controversy, shenanigans, and miss-deeds!
This year as part of our March Madness celebration, we pitted 64 classic sitcom, seeded by decade, against one another – and our first round free-for-all caused some considerable ruckus. Let’s review:
Growing Pains (1985) vs. Full House (1987)
Winner: Growing Pains
Reason: Nobody should like the Tanner family. Not even the Tanner family.
The Jeffersons (1975) vs. The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air (1990)
Winner: The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air
Reason: Controversy has already begun, as The Jeffersons were hurriedly added to the ballot after a error left them off. Yes, we’ve been accused of racism. Interesting note: The Fresh Prince resoundingly defeated the dry-cleaning prince in a twist commentators will hereby refer to as “depressing”
The Nanny (1993) vs. Happy Days (1974)
Winner: Happy Days
Reason: Probably a result of irregularities in the voting process, two people actually voted for the Nanny when every ounce of common sense says that that’s impossible.
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer (1998) vs. The Cosby Show (1984)
Winner: The Cosby Show
Reason: Haha, yep.
Alf (1984) vs. Chico and the Man (1974)
Winner: Alf
Reason: Alf may be the show to beat this year, as a huge number of supporters have come out of the woodwork to back the little cat-biter up!
The Bob Newhart Show (1972) vs. Diff’rent Strokes (1978)
Winner: Diff’rent Strokes
Reason: This contest was neck-and-neck up until a day or two before deadline, when the Diff’rent Strokes supporters came out and trounced Bob by twice as many votes!
Mister Ed (1961) vs. The Beverly Hillbillies (1962)
Winner: The Beverly Hillbillies
Reason: There is a small window of time between when polls close and when people keep making comment votes. That window shut just before Mister Ed surpassed the Hillbillies.
Maude (1972) vs. The Flintstones (1970)
Winner: The Flintstones
Reason: John Minus loves Bea Arthur. There, we said it.
The Facts of Life (1979) vs. The Golden Girls (1985)
Winner: The Golden Girls
Reason: Now if Mrs. Garret ever guested on The Golden Palace, we’d have had something…
Mr. Belvedere (1985) vs. The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
Winner: Mr. Belvedere
Reason: Purist might vomit with rage on this one, but Mr. Belvedere has retained some sort of cult following since the days it originally aired in college dormrooms through the 80s, while the Andy Griffith Show merely launched dozens of ultra-successful careers. Whatevs.
Three’s Company (1977) vs. The Critic (1994)
Winner: The Critic
Reason: Really internet? Really? I mean, I loved The Critic, loved it, but… Three’s Company defined the damn genre! Character names that live on as archetypes! Millions of viewers that kept the show going long after it became trite! The thing is, The Critic won by such a huge margin, we couldn’t even begin to fake it.
Caroline in the City (1995) vs. Car 54, Where Are You? (1961)
Winner: Car 54, Where Are You?
Reason: Not a single vote for Caroline.
Harry and the Hendersons (1991) vs. I Dream of Jeannie (1965)
Winner: I Dream of Jeannie
Reason: Much like the elusive bigfoot, Harry fans could not be found.
The Adams Family (1964) vs. The Munsters (1964)
STIILL. A. TIE.
WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO DO TO RESOLVE THIS?!
VOTE NOW!
Winner: The Addams Family
Reason: How could we not give the tie over to Charles Addams, an amazing artist who would have been 100 this year!
Charles in Charge (1984) vs. Newhart (1982)
Winner: Charles in Charge
Reason: Bob Newhart’s fans may have felt that they had a split decision this round, here’s hoping Bob stayed alive via his other show…
The Flying Nun (1967) vs. Hogan’s Heroes (1965)
Winner: Hogan’s Heroes
Reason: A tie for a very long time, Hogan’s crew crawled out from under the Nun’s barbed wire fence just in time for the win.
Step by Step (1991) vs. Get Smart (1965)
Winner: Get Smart
Reason: Somewhat surprising, but the truth is that the TGIF block simply didn’t have the staying power that one expected.
Mork & Mindy (1978) vs. Living Single (1993)
Winner: Mork & Mindy
Reason: Living Single meets Homeboys From Outer Space. Go.
Home Improvement (1991) vs. The Partridge Family (1970)
Winner: Home Improvement
Reason: Proof that without a strong male role-model, your children might grow to be a Danny Bonaduce.
Seinfeld (1989) vs. Coach (1989)
Winner: Seinfeld
Reason: Like all power-house shows, Seinfeld is in real danger of losing votes just because people assume that it will win a contest… this one was close.
All in the Family (1971) vs. Unhappily Ever After (1995)
Winner: All in the Family
Reason: Score one for the classics.
Blossom (1991) vs. Green Acres (1965)
Winner: Blossom
Reason: And toss that one right back again…
Married with Children (1987) vs. Dinosaurs (1991)
Winner: Married with Children
Reason: Dinosaurs was winning with a huge turnout, but when we were in sudden death, Married with Children just barely caught up and surpassed the fossils!
Benson (1989) vs. Gilligan’s Island (1964)
Winner: Gilligan’s Island
Reason: In a perfect world, we would have gotten Gilligan’s Island versus Dinosaurs! in Round Two.
Mad About You (1992) vs. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1977)
Winner: The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Reason: True story: most of the people that watched Mad About You are in insane asylums now.
Bewitched (1964) vs. F Troop (1965)
Winner: Bewitched
Reason: Score one for the pagans!
Get a Life (1990) vs. The Adventures of Pete and Pete (1993)
Winner: The Adventures of Pete and Pete
Reason: The battle of the quirky happened early this season, and I am proud to say that the best damn little show that could received the warmest of welcomes from NonProductive!
Clarissa Explains It All (1991) vs. Family Matters (1989)
Winner: Clarissa Explains It All
Reason: We were shocked as well, not because we don’t love Miss Darling, but because Family Matters was a staple for so long. My how the TGIF mighty have fallen…
Perfect Strangers (1986) vs. Cheers (1982)
Winner: Perfect Strangers
Reason: HOLD THE PRESSES – TGIF AIN’T DEAD YET! I’m sure this will get us death-threats and possibly government seizure, but Perfect Strangers beat Cheers for our Classic Sitcom March Madness. My lord in heaven.
Sanford and Son (1972) vs. Greatest American Hero (1981)
Winner: Greatest American Hero
Reason: Like The Critic, we love The Greatest American Hero, but beating Sanford and Son… wow. Also, and it’s been mentioned to us before… is it even a sitcom?
The Love Boat (1977) vs. The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961)
Winner: The Dick Van Dyke Show
Reason: Everyone loves Dick!
The Brady Bunch (1969) vs. Alice (1976)
Winner: The Brady Bunch
Reason: By court order, The Brady Bunch survives to Round Two.
So, how did your favorite shows fare? Sound off in the comments below, and stay tuned for Round 2!
[image source| Classic Movie Monsters]