Laughing Back

It's only the middle of the year, but we're starting to get decade-best lists.  For instance, TVLine's best sitcoms of the past ten years. Here it is--seems to be in alphabetical order.

30 Rock

Atlanta

Bojack Horseman

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Community

Crazy Ex-Girlfiend

The Good Place

Happy Endings

Parks And Recreation

Veep

Not a bad list.  30 Rock is a fine show, but it had more seasons before 2010 than after, so should it count?  If it makes it, how about The Office, then?  Or Arrested Development, with a couple late seasons in recent years after its cancelation a long time ago? Or Family Guy or The Simpsons?  For that matter, how about one of my favorites which no one saw, Party Down--two seasons, twenty episodes, in 2009 and 2010.

Atlanta I like a lot, though, as some have wondered, is it a comedy?  Actually, it reminds me of Louie, where it can be very funny sometimes, but does whatever it wants.  I expect Atlanta was inspired by Louie.  And yet, somehow, Louie isn't on the list.  Has Louis C. K. been officially forgotten?

I don't get the love for Bojack Horseman.  I sampled a fair number of episodes and it didn't do it for me.  But as long as they're listing animated sitcoms, how can they leave out Rick And Morty?

Good to see Brooklyn Nine-Nine make it.  Even better to see Community make it (my favorite three sitcoms of the past decade are two from Dan Harmon--Community and Rick And Morty--and Party Down).

I've never seen Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.  Of course, there are so many shows these days no one can catch them all.  I did watch a bit of Happy Endings and I'm surprised to see it on a list of good shows, much less a top ten list.

The Good Place is one of my favorites. Should definitely be on the list.  And I guess we can let Parks And Recreation in, too.  Though does this make the list a bit Michael Schur heavy, since he created both these shows as well as Brooklyn Nine-Nine?

And Veep seems right.  But is it the show to represent HBO when they've also got Silicon Valley and, if you allow it, Curb Your Enthusiasm?

A number of titles are conspicuous by their absence.  The two that stand out most are the biggest the networks have to offer--Modern Family, which dominated the Emmy awards in the past decade, and The Big Bang Theory, which had the biggest ratings.  Guess the list-makers are tired of them, or maybe feel they don't need the help.