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Pierre the Great

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It failed because it came right after Home Improvement which was a family show. Sketch comedies don't do well on network television here. The Drew Carey show replaced it. If you want comedy in my opinion america is not the place because when most of the country thinks of comedy they bring up "I love Lucy" or Monty Python. The world has moved on in comedy and america is still stuck on fart jokes. (just watch snl now, its pathetically bad) I blame the censors.

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pierre, you have to be kidding me.

I love lucy? Really?

BTW - I notice a lot of slapstick, etc. when I watch comedy from other countries.

There are good comedians from the US. Maybe netowrk TV isnt the best venue for top comedies right now, but so what? If your argument is that comedy is moving to cable... well so are viewers. I kinda think Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and Scrubs are funny. I think their shows are broadcast in many countries around the world, so probably other countries think they are funny enough to compete in their marketplaces.

Edited by simonus
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It failed because it came right after Home Improvement which was a family show. Sketch comedies don't do well on network television here. The Drew Carey show replaced it. If you want comedy in my opinion america is not the place because when most of the country thinks of comedy they bring up "I love Lucy" or Monty Python. The world has moved on in comedy and america is still stuck on fart jokes. (just watch snl now, its pathetically bad) I blame the censors.

#1. I Love Lucy was in THE FREAKING 50s! Seriously, you think that is what Americans point to as the paramount of comedy? While the show was good and very enjoyable, there is little market for old comedies such as I Love Lucy. Nick at Nite is all but gone and older comedies only play in the mornings.

#2. Monty Python is a BRITISH comedy! If you want to bash the US, at least bash it for something American, lol. I've watched many episodes of the The Flying Circus, and didn't find most of them to be very funny. Quest for the Holy Grail is a hilarious movie, though.

#3. SNL has been terrible for years. I'll agree with you there. It has nothing to do, however, with censors. The show was clever and hilarious for over 20 years.

#4. If you ask Americans what their favorite comedy is, they will most likely say Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, or Seinfeld. I've never watched Freinds, but Raymond and Seinfeld certainly were not based on fart jokes. Also up there is Frasier, a very smart comedy that also is nowhere near fart jokes. Another popular comedy was Whose Line is it Anyway. Again, maybe the only the occasional fart joke, but for the most part, good clean humor.

#5. Please explain how you've come to be a connoisseur of world comedy. Living in the states, you have access to maybe a Spanish language channel and the BBC. Though I don't speak Spanish, everything I've seen on the Spanish channel looks like the acting is soap-opera level. Either way, you have access to maybe 2 sources of international comedy.

#6. As an American who actually likes my country, fart jokes are only rarely funny.

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I loved Fraiser Fan Puck but sadly it was precieved as high brow and gay by the general public.

Okay, well there is a french comedy on my regional cable system that comes on after the French 2 Journal here at 5 o'clock.

There is BBC America.

And if I wanted to see something overseas I could get it via the internet. I've seen a ton of european commericals that were hysterical but would never play over here do to either nudity or subject matter.

When I was saying fart jokes that was a shot at the movie industry. All those PG computer generated movies (besides Shrek but it sometimes does it too) depends on just stupid humor.

Fan Puck have you ever heard of the PTC? They are this right wing television media group that wants Comedy to be like I love Lucy. They are a huge lobby group in Washington and they have been getting there way recently. Because isn't it funny that the only funny tv shows happend to be on Cable.

Sitcoms today seem forced thats all and formulaic. All of them are family sitcoms where the male is obese and the wife is hot looking. How unrealistic is that. The Sitcom is dead in America.

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I am quite familiar with the PTC and while I disagree with a lot of their criticisms (i.e. saying Star Trek: Enterprise was too sexy), I fully support their efforts. There is a ton of smut on television. Drugs, sex, alcohol, and violence dominate primetime. This is not realistic at all. The majority of people do not act like that. They say they are just reflecting the viewership, which is a load of bull. It's just an excuse to get smut on the air. While I Love Lucy is outdated, television would be better if there were more family oriented shows. I can't imagine watching a lot of the shows I watch with children. The American family is in sad shape, and too many television shows make it seem like disfunctional families should be accepted as the norm. The Simpsons are seen as a normal family and that is a load of crap.

As for "stupid comedy," that has been a staple of comedy for ages. It is nothing new. The Three Stooges is a perfect example. Any Adam Sandler or Jim Carey movie. All of the National Lampoon movies. While I am not a big fan of this type of comedy, I understand the popularity. Similar to dirty jokes, they appeal to people's viceral side.

As for Frasier, of course it was high-brow and kinda gay. I mean, the show revolved around two brothers who hung out all the time together, were wealthy, and acted wealthy. Still, I assure you many people who called the show gay were at home watching it. Shows don't last 11 years on the air if nobody is watching.

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I don't buy that smut excuse. Thats americas puritan image talking. What was it like 15 years ago when Dennis Franz showed his butt on tv and the country went into an uproar over it. While they don't go in an uproar over the crime show violence and 24's violence. America is all about violence. Blood and guts are good for the soul. But a boob pops out and its hide the childern.

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Though you said it poorly, I agree with the concept. I mentioned above that there is a lot of violence on TV. I've been known to cringe when watching CSI and NCIS. And 24 obviously is full of it. If it were up to me, these shows would be on during the 10 PM hour, after kids have gone to bed.

And again, it's not like the popularity of violence is a new thing. There have been slasher films for years.

And if you ask me, sex on TV is worse than violence. With the violence on TV, at least it is for a reason. The good guys get the bad guys who want to kill everyone. The murderer gets caught and goes to jail. That doesn't exactly tell me that it is okay to go around shooting people. With all of the out-of-wedlock sex that is on TV, including many shows aimed at teens, the shows rarely show the consequences. How many shows have characters get an STD? Sometimes the girl gets pregnant, but they tend not to show how tough it is for a young, single mother to raise a child.

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You must really have a grudge on me. Wow.

Okay now that we are on sex and violence. I can say this. Violence on tv has scared me while sex hasn't. Violence is not natural, while sex is.

Europe has been dealing with this for years and I don't see them becoming smutville. There is a reason why the adult industry in america makes billions, and not billions in the rest of the world, like europe. Because its accepted and not shunned.

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Pierre, it's quite clear that you have no idea what you're talking about. Besides, it appears that you're from MISSOURI. I hope you are enjoying the country you despise so badly.

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If it were up to me, these shows would be on during the 10 PM hour, after kids have gone to bed.

If by kids, you mean someone my age then, trust me, we're up at 10 PM. lol... We also don't take violence in a show seriously (speaking for myslef, I guess) and I have to go by the argument that if someone sees something in a show and then goes and does it just because his Johnny Bravo did then the kid is crazy to begin with.

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If by kids, you mean someone my age then, trust me, we're up at 10 PM. lol... We also don't take violence in a show seriously (speaking for myslef, I guess) and I have to go by the argument that if someone sees something in a show and then goes and does it just because his Johnny Bravo did then the kid is crazy to begin with.

Or they kid just had shitty parenting. All these regulation groups or whatever are BS, it should come down to the parents. The same goes with music, movies, video games, all that kind of stuff. My parents did a damn fine job and I could watch hundreds of people die in a movie then go slaughter a bunch of people in a game while listening to violent rock/rap music without going out and killing a bunch of people in real life. Just because I was actually taught the difference between right and wrong.

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there is a thing called a remote. Don't like it, turn the channel or better yet just turn it off. There is no need for government intervention on a family issue. Bottom line its the parents who decide what and what not there kids should be watching. These fringe groups that want the government to crack down on tv and radio are basically telling the government that they cannot raise their kids anymore.

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lol...

Comedy shows are terrible these days. It's kind of like music, you can only come up with so many different patterns/jokes before you start to repeat them.

Best shows on television right now are Lost, 24, and Prison Break was good even though I didn't follow it through. Of course, these are the best shows to me, probably doesn't apply to everyone.

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lol...

Comedy shows are terrible these days. It's kind of like music, you can only come up with so many different patterns/jokes before you start to repeat them.

Best shows on television right now are Lost, 24, and Prison Break was good even though I didn't follow it through. Of course, these are the best shows to me, probably doesn't apply to everyone.

Don't worry Maca, our top 3 for TV shows are the exact same, lol.

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Or they kid just had shitty parenting. All these regulation groups or whatever are BS, it should come down to the parents. The same goes with music, movies, video games, all that kind of stuff. My parents did a damn fine job and I could watch hundreds of people die in a movie then go slaughter a bunch of people in a game while listening to violent rock/rap music without going out and killing a bunch of people in real life. Just because I was actually taught the difference between right and wrong.

I agree with you, to an extent. If a kid has decent parents, what is on TV won't matter because the parents will moniter what their kids are watching. The problem lies with families who have both parents working who don't have time to really raise their own kids. So many kids today grow up in day care. Then when they are home with their parents, their parents are too tired to do anything to set a good example. I think a lot of parents give kids too much freedom. There is no reason a kid 14 years old and youunger should have a TV in their room, allowing them to watch whatever they want un-monitored.

I'm in the same boat as jets, my parents did a damn fine job raising me. As I said, the problem lies with families and broken families, where kids grow up in front of a TV instead of out playing and learning about life first hand.

If by kids, you mean someone my age then, trust me, we're up at 10 PM. lol... We also don't take violence in a show seriously (speaking for myslef, I guess) and I have to go by the argument that if someone sees something in a show and then goes and does it just because his Johnny Bravo did then the kid is crazy to begin with.

By kids I mean 14 and younger. And geesh, I was 17 before I started staying up past 10 PM on school nights.

Comedy shows are terrible these days. It's kind of like music, you can only come up with so many different patterns/jokes before you start to repeat them.

Check out Scrubs. I wouldn't want to watch it with my parents, but an awesome show. NBC keeps screwing it over though, only running it as a mid-season replacement the last couple years. It's fairly unique as far as sit-coms go. They only use one camera and no laugh track.

Best shows on television right now are Lost, 24, and Prison Break was good even though I didn't follow it through. Of course, these are the best shows to me, probably doesn't apply to everyone.

I'll agree with you on 24 and Lost, can't say about Prison Break. Among my other favorites are NCIS, Scrubs, The Unit, CSI, and Monk.

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If you hate the US because of their TV shows then you will want to nuke Québec :P

Specially TQS.. o God this station is so horribly bad. Their only saving grace is the Simpsons.

Their news are especially bad, it's very biased and superficial. Plus they seem unaware than they're is something existing outside of Montréal.

And dont get me started on 110% and their so called hockey experts that see anti french conspiracy everywhere. Funny tough, they shout racism everytime a french player get benched, but they bitch all the time against europeans. They dont seem to get the irony. All shouting and arrogance, no content. Thank God Habs World aint like this one bit.

Fart jokes are the most complicated form of humor they can work with. So sad.

Ugh. I hate that channel.

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If it were up to me, these shows would be on during the 10 PM hour, after kids have gone to bed.

With the invention of VCRs, and now DVRs, the time slot of a particular program means very little, if anything. One kid records it, and all his buddies head over to his house after school to watch it. They don't have to see it in their own home anymore to be exposed to it. And the fact that it's on cable means nothing either. The genie's out of the bottle, getting it back in is going to be next to impossible.

As for the PTC, the AFF and all these other concerned citizens, they have a pretty narrow definition of what is offensive or obscene. They seem to stick to prime time television, but to beat a dead horse, daytime television has as much sexual content as any prime time television schedule. And that is as viewable by younger audiences as anything in prime time.

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You must really have a grudge on me. Wow.

Okay now that we are on sex and violence. I can say this. Violence on tv has scared me while sex hasn't. Violence is not natural, while sex is.

Europe has been dealing with this for years and I don't see them becoming smutville. There is a reason why the adult industry in america makes billions, and not billions in the rest of the world, like europe. Because its accepted and not shunned.

there is a thing called a remote. Don't like it, turn the channel or better yet just turn it off. There is no need for government intervention on a family issue. Bottom line its the parents who decide what and what not there kids should be watching. These fringe groups that want the government to crack down on tv and radio are basically telling the government that they cannot raise their kids anymore.

Do you think European channels show less violence because of ratings? Many european countries have more "censorship" than US, they just concentrate on violence rather than sex for the most part. The difference between the non-US 1st world countries and the US is what to censor, not whether.

FWIW, unrealistic violence is what bothers me. Not to be cliched, but its the wrestling style violence on US tv that I am sometimes disturbed by. The concept that I guy can get dropped on his head and then get up and karate chop in the throat and everybody walks out of the ring is a bit disturbing. I see similar tropes in sunday morning cartoons... course I did see a lot of lute back in my canadian childhood. Fanpuck, I guess your unrealistic sex problem is related. Of course, I'd rather a kid fool around with his girlfriend than backyard wrestle his neighbour.

I tend to think violence culture in US has more to do with social stratification than TV... although that is not to say media has no effect on opinions and behaviour.

Amazing topic-swerve btw....

Edited by simonus
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Not to be cliched, but its the wrestling style violence on US tv that I am sometimes disturbed by. The concept that I guy can get dropped on his head and then get up and karate chop in the throat and everybody walks out of the ring is a bit disturbing. I see similar tropes in sunday morning cartoons... course I did see a lot of lute back in my canadian childhood.

The WWE is some of the worst trash on television.

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I find this thread so hilarious.

Anyone growing up in Quebec in the 80's remembers watching the 1st Lance et Compte (hockey show) religiously like all the boys and men I know?

It was maybe at 8 or 9pm. And there was smut. Sex, boobies, asses. And violence too. I was maybe 9 or 10 yrs old back then. Funny, but I didnt go an knock a girl up as soon as could. I didnt go and tried to solve my problems by punching people in the face.

On one side you have cultural content as TV shows, movies, music; and on the other side you have cultural values, which are in the cultural content but also in your family, in your school, in your laws, in your friends, etc. What is valued in your social environment has 1000 times more impact than mere images on a screen.

If I was American (but its becoming the same up here anyway), I'd be much more concerned about the cult of shallow values like esthetism, being famous at all costs, money and consumerism values hidden being many apparently innofensive TV shows or movies. Lack of empathy and responsability by the careless pursuit of egoistical self-gratification is the real destructive force at work here; and its a thousand time more destructive than a pair of boobs on TV.

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If I was American (but its becoming the same up here anyway), I'd be much more concerned about the cult of shallow values like esthetism, being famous at all costs, money and consumerism values hidden being many apparently innofensive TV shows or movies. Lack of empathy and responsability by the careless pursuit of egoistical self-gratification is the real destructive force at work here; and its a thousand time more destructive than a pair of boobs on TV.

Very, very well put. I agree 100%. :o

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If I was American (but its becoming the same up here anyway), I'd be much more concerned about the cult of shallow values like esthetism, being famous at all costs, money and consumerism values hidden being many apparently innofensive TV shows or movies. Lack of empathy and responsability by the careless pursuit of egoistical self-gratification is the real destructive force at work here; and its a thousand time more destructive than a pair of boobs on TV.

Very true. In terms of TV and movies though, it is those people who are running the shows and calling the shots, trying to make as much money as possible, no matter the cost.

I'm quite torn in this whole argument. I've never been a fan of the "violence on television cause violence in real life," but I think some kids do learn from television when they lack real-life role models. In the ideal situation, television wouldn't make a difference in a child's development. The problem is that many children do not grow up in ideal situations. Whether television and movies play a vital role in children without role models, I can't say.

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If you don't like what's on TV or in the movies not, don't watch it. Buy the DVDs for the programs of yore that you yearn for. If I find something offensive, I don't watch it. It's called self control. It's called screening programs for you children. If there's too much violence and sex for you, go back to Ozzie and Harriet, go watch PAX, just don't blame the decline of society over something you have control over. Don't like it, turn it off. Don't like the society you're in, move. I'm sick of everyone trying to pawn their troubles off on other sources. In the days of this litigous society, lets sue whoever has wronged us. McDonalds made me fat, CBS showed a boob during the Super Bowl, hot coffee burned me, Schwinn didn't make a comfortable bike for me, so I'll sue them too.

Take responsibility for your own damn actions. ###### I'm sick of whining. Everyone has some power, quit sitting on your hands and take action for what you believe in (or don't believe in) instead of spouting off here about it.

Wow, I didn't realize we started censoring curse words here... the ###### equates to For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Figure it out...

Edited by huzer
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I'm tired of the celebrity too. Hollywood makes more money off themselves for just being famous then they do for what they actually suppose to do, act.

Tom and Katie Holmes pillow they named Suri. Brangelina, Bennifer Vaughnistan, Hollywood is in love with itself.

Since this hole thing started, I stayed away from mainstream movies and its culture. I too am tired of the entertainment shows, the today show which is suppose to be a news show is now all celebrity all the time.

One of my favourite channels Vh1 has now embraced that aspect. They used to be about music now its "The Fabulous Life of..." Celebreality and so on. Bring back behind the music, please.

Now for News I completely stay away from the american networks because I'm tired of sensationalism or those natalie hollaway stories.

I only watch the BBC News in the morning and French 2 Journal at 5. Thank god for the internet or I would be stuck reading the fallen star of a newspaper the St. Louis Post Dispatch. You wouldn't believe that paper was started by Pulitzer himself its that bad.

When people start becoming famous for just being famous thats when I change the channel.

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