It's OK but I don't hold it in the same regard as other US sitcoms like Frasier, Friends, Seinfeld, King of Queens, Cheers etc. It's just cheap sex joke after cheap sex joke. It's nowhere near as skillfully crafted as some of the aforementioned classics. Comedy has really taken a nosedive on both sides of the pond in the latter half of the decade, in my opinion. Well, apart from Michael McIntyre, who's absolutely hilarious. For me, he's the saving grace of the decade.
The only US sitcom I ever really got into was Frasier, though I've always thought Scrubs was pretty good, but not quite good enough for me to make an effort to watch it. One of those shows that I enjoy when I watch them, but wouldn't consider myself a fan - same with The Simpsons really.
And although it's easy to feel like TV this decade wasn't as good as the nineties, when it comes to comparing programmes I think I'd say this decade actually wins hands down. Probably fewer - but bigger and generally better shows. I think though where the noughties loses is with what else is on the box - once you put the big hits to one side and deviate say into daytime and late night TV this decade just doesn't compare.
Back to over-rated though - and The Office. Having seen Ricky Gervais act the same in everything else he's ever been in, and in any interviews where he's appeared as himself, how anyone can praise the character of David Brent when it's nothing other than Ricky playing Ricky is beyond me.
It's all in the writing though really isn't it. I'd hardly say 'over-rated' in my opinion.
If The X Factor represents the best the Light Entertainment departments could throw at us in the last decade then they should shut them down quite honestly. Programmes like that in my opinion marked the point at which British television totally lost the plot.
So back up your view then with an example of a better entertainment show in the last decade. You may not like the genre, but that's a very snobbish attitude when in fact however contrived, the production values of The X Factor (and Britain's Got Talent) are incredibly high. You only have to see a BBC equivalent to understand that.
That's the problem though isn't it. Yes there were no better LE shows in the last decade, and that is incredibly sad. X-Factor/BGT are the ultimate examples of turd-polishing. Take one incredibly tired old format (all these shows are are "New Faces" with the voting system from Big Brother) and spend an absolute fortune on production.
Sums this last decade up really -- creatively bankrupt shiny things for an audience that have to be permanently comatose not to realise.
I really hate that sort of snobbish and stuck up attitude. I, my family and many other people enjoy X Factor / BGT. If i wanted to watch highbrow entertainment I would look for it instead of just moaning. This is what people want, if they didn't they would not watch.
JJ
jjne
In fact, that doesn't just apply to the Cowell shows. Look again at that list:
No19: Im celeb
No18: Strictly come dancing
No6: X factor
No4: Britain GOT talent
No2: The Apprentice
A quarter of the best 20 shows of the last decade, owing their existence to this monotonous practice of the vote-off. It's not even a British idea. And all bowing before the god of the famous-for-being-famous "celebrity" cult.
No20: Dragons den
Deserves its place, a simple but original idea, but did it really take the Japanese to think such a format up?
No16: Corrie
A fifty year old clone of an eighty year old format. Still, at least it gives work to jobbing actors I guess.
No14: Grand design
Nineties format.
No12: Harry hill TV burp Burp
Just about the only watchable programme on ITV at present.
No11: Friends ( WHY )
No7: The Simpsons ( it was this past 10 years that made the show go down hill:: even Family guy and Furamma is better)
More 90s -- and formulaic US programming at that.
No5: QI
Yay -- another "4 people in a small studio not answering questions" panel game. Anyone would think this was 1955, although I will admit I find this amusing.
No3: Doctor Who
Another one that, while I enjoy it, raids the bins of previous decades.
No1: Top gear
And another one.
Were there *any* genuinely challenging and original ideas in the last decade that came out of British heads? On balance, of that list, Life On Mars towers over the rest. And ITV turned it down.
I really hate that sort of snobbish and stuck up attitude. I, my family and many other people enjoy X Factor / BGT. If i wanted to watch highbrow entertainment I would look for it instead of just moaning. This is what people want, if they didn't they would not watch.
Irrelevant -- I'm not making comment on what I "like". For heaven's sake, why can't so-called "creatives" actually come up with a few original ideas?
The thread of the argument is a truth -- there is nothing remotely original or unique about these programmes. They're a deeply cynical run of shows, specifically designed to extract money from the viewing public.
That's all well and good, but some of the best shows of the decade? Christ on a bike, that's depressing.
I'm surprised Big Brother was not some where on the list, given the fact that it changed Channel 4 this decade, dominated the summer throughout, created celebs for doing nothing and was one of the first shows to let the public vote off and "control" what is going on. While many my loathe it, you can't deny that it's been at the forefront of television, newspapers and gossip this decade.
JJ
jjne
I agree with you. Despite being a '90s programme -- that hasn't stopped a lot of others -- BB was a genuinely groundbreaking television spectacle, and is probably now suffering because of what it has become, rather than what it was originally.
It has left its mark, for better or worse, whatever you think of it.
Irrelevant -- I'm not making comment on what I "like". For heaven's sake, why can't so-called "creatives" actually come up with a few original ideas?
Other formats were tried though by both the BBC and ITV - but their success is dependent on whether the viewers take to them, and often they just don't. I'd put Duel as one of the best quiz shows of the decade - but it's a one series wonder unfortunately. Beat the Star is another show in the mould of some classic light entertainment hits - axed after two series.
Take Me Out next week looks to be a relatively original take on the dating format too - and is a Saturday night show not based around a talent contest and the public vote - but it'll be very lucky to get a second series. Indeed it'll be lucky to make it to the end of the first.
Drama wise the US has stormed ahead of the UK this Decade. The Wire, Soprano's, Six Feet Under, True Blood, Dexter, Deadwood, Californiacation, Mad Men, Damages, Weeds etc. We've been really lagging in contemporary creative Drama. Oh look...here's another Pride & Prejudice remake. Arrested Development was the best US 00's Comedy but no-one watched it, and The Daily Show does satire better then our many tired old panel shows.
As for the Talent Shows, they have a place but it wouldn't be so bad if there were other decent Entertainment shows too. But there isn't. And that is tragic.
If anything, that list shows exactly what is wrong with television today.
Anyone who has even a modicum of common sense will realise that television has, on the whole, been absolute balls for the past decade. Occasional exceptions (including last night's wonderful re-telling of 'An Englishman In New York', which was strangely approaching highbrow for ITV) have kicked the trend, but only briefly.
TV now lacks any sort of desire to be original. We've seen this in ITV's schedule. ITV, once the pinnacle of Saturday night entertainment, has become Simon Cowell's bitch, replacing any semblance of decent entertainment pitched above your average queue in the Jobcentre with mindless talent show after mindless talent show. The fact that two of those made it onto the 'best programme' list just proves that theory. There's nothing 'good' about them - they're televised karaoke/knobbly knees competitions, albeit with bigger prize funds and a bigger audience to get on your side in the pub. The fact that 19m people watched the final of said televised karaoke competition (compared with something like Remembrance Sunday, which probably mustered around 5 or less million - and no, they're not all out at church) means that our world is doomed - because there'll just be more of the same next year.
More of the same comedy too - though hopefully not from James Corden and Mat Horne. On his own, Matthew Horne's very funny, and a very talented actor too. But when paired with James Corden (who just seemed determined to prove that he was fat in their ill-fated sketch show) it's a bit like watching two kids get up at the Year 2 talent contest, fighting to the bitter end to see who can fart the loudest. Although 'Gavin and Stacey' was admittedly funny, it's hardly one of the best TV shows of the decade, and certainly shouldn't be on said list. However, the presence of 'I'm a Celebrity' on that list merely defecates on that list completely as a testament to bullsh*t, so it's pretty pointless discussing whether a programme should be there.
'The Simpsons' lost its way towards the end of the 90's, when the writers started struggling for material, and there's been very few moments in the latest seasons which have really been worth laughing at. In fact, in many ways, 'Family Guy' is doing a lot of what the former wishes it could do, shocking and creating laugh-out-loud humour, albeit in a different style. Same with 'Friends' - it became hard to believe that 6 supposedly adult people could still live together and not have jobs, or have moved away, or do anything approaching normal.
It's not surprising to see that one show is missing, however, from the list. That show is 'The South Bank Show', which had its last original documentary shown last night, and has therefore tolled the death bell for any viewer of ITV who still loved culture. I think last night was the last time I'll be watching ITV for a while.
Arrested Development was the best US 00's Comedy but no-one watched it, and The Daily Show does satire better then our many tired old panel shows.