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NBC's premiere Thursday night just happened. At least the part I care about. I didn't watch the "live" ER. I'm more into half hour comedies than hour long ensemble dramas.
That did not help tonight. I watched one comedy and three shows where characters made wisecracks in the middle of dialogue. These shows are often labeled sitcoms. That is a misnomer. Sitcom is derived from situational comedy. Aside from "Seinfeld", none of the NBC lineup last night centered on situational comedy. Instead, dialogue moves the storyline along, and the laughs come from smart remarks thrown inbetween.
The closest any of the three came to good situational comedy came in the new "Veronica's Closet", when Veronica (Kirstie Alley) worked out with her physical trainer. I don't want to see physical comedy all of the time, but a little thrown in helps break things up. Biting wit can't carry the whole show. It does help disguise that nothing funny is actually happening.
An aging model unable to deal with her philandering husband (Veronica's Closet) does not make for a funny half-hour. Neither do the out-of-work statuses of New York actors and playwrites (Union Square). The latter is downright cliche. So throw in some zingers, add a straight man and an airhead, and poof Instant Comedy.
Seinfeld is so damn funny because the situations are funny. The odd insult gets in now and then, but the funniest parts of an episode are those ridiculous elements: the inane conversations, the petty self-indulgent behavior, and the unbelievable situations. I forget Chandler's lines an hour after "Friends" is over. I laugh every time I think of the mannequin that looks like Elaine, or Jerry breaking up with his girlfriend to preserve good standing with the Soup Nazi.
I would say someone should remind NBC about this, but Mr. Neilsen probably will early next week.
While I am thinking about it, here's a link to The Real Kramer's Homepage. It is a hoot.
In case you want to refresh your memory about a Seinfeld episode, or just want a good laugh or two, might I also suggest the Seinfeld episode guide. It is extensive, detailed, and a good example of the time you can waste on a good web site.
Ya know, like this one.
Last Updated: 25 September 1997
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