SITCOM: A HISTORY IN 24 EPISODES FROM I LOVE LUCY TO COMMUNITY

By Saul Austerlitz. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, 2014.

The most pleasurably addictive book I've read in a while.

Austerlitz uses 24 specific sitcom episodes to trace the history of the TV situation comedy from the one show in the book's title to the other show in the books title, using the specific episode as a jumping off point to talk about the sitcom of which the episode is a part, as well as similar shows both of that particular program's era and across different television eras.

. This book is interesting, informative, thought-provoking, rant-provoking, and fun to read.

I highly recommend picking up a copy and will provide the usual link at the end of this post, but first, I would like to do something a little different. On this blog, I usually either do straight book reviews or I do sort of commentary posts on certain books. In this post, I would like to combine the two and express some of the thoughts and reproduce some of the rants this book has provoked in me.

The Honeymooners, (Better Living Through TV): Since I couldn't find "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" or "Beaver Gets 'spelled" on YouTube, I will use this episode of the Jackie Gleason sitcom to talk about fifties sitcoms in general and especially family sitcoms.

From watching "Better Living Through TV", it is clear why so much television is formulaic. In an era when shows weren't re-run (at least not as much) and there was no way of home recording anything or distributing recordings of your show to the public, the public needed to see variations on the same theme week after week. If you told your buddy at work about "The Honeymooners" or "Leave It to Beaver" and they'd never seen the show, they would expect to tune in and see the basic thing you'd told them about. Television couldn't be as experimental, playing with form and having wildly different plots week after week.

Though I don't think I've ever seen the first episode of "Leave It to Beaver" and, as I said above, couldn't find it on YouTube, I have seen many episodes of that show thanks to it airing at noon on CKWS and CHEX-TV when I was growing up, and on CKVR-TV Barrie so I could watch it when I was visiting my grandmother in Toronto. Therefore, I get what the book says about it being a parody.

When I hear people in Christian culture prattle on about returning to the time when "Leave It to Beaver" ruled the airwaves and Father knew best, I wonder if these people have ever actually watched these shows. "Beaver (that sounds horribly pretentious, I know, but I'm rapidly becoming fed up with writing the title out in full) is, as I just said, clearly a parody of itself. Try frying bacon in crinoline if you doubt that. Also, as if a man would wear his tie at the dinner table.

One reason the world of "Beaver" is so innocent and sanitized is because it's from Theodore Cleaver's perspective. When you're a child, your house is always warm and the television and other electrical appliances always work and water always comes out of the tap. You don't realize the struggles your parents go through. You don't see your mother napping on the couch during the day because she's tired.

Second, "Beaver" and similar shows were, as the book says, what people wished society to be, not the way it actually was, although, granted, society was probably more like "Beaver" than it is now.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, (Chuckles the Clown Bites the Dust): Since "The Dick Van Dike Show" is in a somewhat similar vein as other sitcoms of the era and since I couldn't find "St. Gilligan and the Dragon" on YouTube, we are now up to "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

Though Moore herself was not a second wave feminist, the show helped set up the future's of many unhappy second or third (2.5?) wave feminists today. Contrary to Mary Richards' speech in the last episode (which I haven't actually seen), a family is not whatever you want it to be, your work colleagues or your friends or neighbours or whatever. For one thing, statistically speaking, a child needs a mother and a father in the home, in addition to, ideally, lots of extended family close by.

Second, unlike a family, workplaces, especially today, are more transitory. People leave to start their own businesses or to go back to school or start a family or whatever, and you might never hear from them again.

The results are that we now have a whole bunch of bitter old feminist women who have only their cats to come home to because they've bought into Mary Richards' great lie.

All In the Family, (The First and Last Supper): I saw most episodes of "All In the Family", including this one, when it ran on Canadian specialty channel Prime in the early 2000s. Incidentally, I believe Prime is now called Travel + Escape.

Anyway, even when I first started watching "All In the Family" I looked at it as a relic. In fact, as the book says, the show became irrelevant even while it was still on the air. Definitely by the time it ended in 1979, the troops had left Vietnam, Nixon had resigned, and whatever "racist" attitudes Americans had had toward blacks, Hispanics, Polish, and other peoples had somewhat dissipated, and the fact they ostensibly kept "All In the Family" going with "Archie Bunkers' Place" is even more pathetic.

I would like to take this opportunity to further state that liberals (in the American sense of the word, not meaning the Liberal Party of Canada, although this statement applies to a lot of them, too, especially our current Prime Minister) are the Archie Bunkers of the twenty-first century: everything around them has changed but they haven't.

For example, take the issue of abortion. Though liberals frequently try to paint it this way, it is no longer (like on Degrassi High) the teenage girl who gets knocked up at summer camp by a boy who said he'd love her forever but from whom she only received two letters and then nothing after October. Most women who get abortions are married and in their thirties.

Similarly, homosexuality is no longer two guys who live together and like arranging flowers. It's nearly naked people parading down the street on a summer weekend throwing condoms.

In the same way, transgenderism is no longer Beverly Lasalle, a guy who dresses in women's clothing and gets murdered, as Edith says, "because he's different." It's grown men who think (or at least claim to) they're really six year old girls and want to play in the sandbox with your kids.

M*A*S*H., (Yankee Doodle Doctor): I saw most episodes of this show when it ran on Prime in the late nineties/early 2000s, too, as well as on CBS afiliate WWNY Watertown, New York when at home and on CKVR Barrie at my grandmother's.

The show definitely took a downturn when Hawkeye stopped drinking and womanizing. In real life, that wouldn't have happened. When you spend most of your time facing the horrors of war and being concerned about whether you yourself will become a patient of the 4077, you don't really have time for introspection. Eventually, Hawkeye would have probably cracked up and not even Sidney Freeman would have been able to do much of anything. Captain Pierce was just too idealistic and sensitive to have survived the Korean War for very long.

Taxi (Latka The Playboy): TNN ran "Taxi" for a brief period one summer in the nineties. I also remember it being on WUHF-TV, the Fox afiliate in Rochester, New York for a brief time around the turn of the millennium, as well as being on Prime in about the mid-2000s, though I really didn't watch "Taxi" then. I watched the episode in question on YouTube.

This is a good episode which showcases the talent and versatility of Andy Kaufman and how great the interaction of Alex and Latka was. Robin Kline, the actress who plays the girl Latka fancies in this episode, was also quite talented.

Cheers (Strange Bedfellows 2): Now we are up to shows whose original run I can remember, if only vaguely for "Cheers" and the next program up for discussion. I also remember "Cheers" reruns being on many stations during and for the first few years after its original run. I watched this episode on YouTube, however.

When I watched "Strange Bedfellows 2", I realized I'd forgotten how bloody great "Cheers" was. There are a diverse group of characters and all types, from what I here anyway, you'd expect to find in Boston. There are also loads of funny lines and sight gags, which, being blind, I only learned about from reading the book.

Most importantly, however, everyone on the show gets lots of funny material. "Cheers" wasn't like a lot of sitcoms where many of the actors exist mainly as straight men to set up the funny character, usually the star.

What's also crucial is that Cheers the establishment isn't relied on for jokes, the show relying on the characters and situations for them instead. In other hands, "Cheers" could have been like Duffy's Tavern, a run down dive bar which would have been a punchline in itself, and even though "Duffy's Tavern" was a funny show, I'm glad the creators of "Cheers" decided not to go that route.

The Cosby Show (Pilot): I remember this show vaguely being on the air originally and I remember reruns on many stations, as well. I remember this episode from when Vision TV started rerunning "The Cosby Show" in the fall season of 1998.

I would like to take the opportunity the inclusion of this show affords to talk about something I've noticed but I can't seem to find anyone else on the internet has noticed. There are a lot of so-called family-friendly television shows whose messages are actually more destructive than shows where characters are swearing their heads off, chopping each other's heads off or jumping in and out of bed with each other.

For example, just look at the main premise of "The Cosby Show" that Cosby pitched to NBC in 1984: "There's a war on between parents and kids." (If I didn't get that quote exactly right, it's in the book.) Parents and children are at war? Really! I thought being a family was supposed to be about loving one another and being subject one to another as the Bible says in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Apparently, however, Mr. Bill (TNB) Cosby seems to think it's about figuratively wrestling with your kids over time, money and resources.

Cosby as Cliff Huxtable is apparently as manipulative a father as he was as an alleged rapist. I would not, if I caught my kid drinking, force her to play a drinking game with me. In fact, I would probably approach alcohol in a totally different way, allowing my teenager to consume small amounts on my property under my supervision. That way, they would be less likely to drink behind my back or to go to parties or bars with their friends where they could have something slipped in their drinks, probably by someone who works for Bill Cosby or someone like him.

To return to the episode in question for a further example of what I'm talking about, what's wrong with being "regular people." Congratulations, Bill (the Manipulative Alleged Rapist) Cosby, you've just told a whole bunch of young people in your audience who aren't cut out for university and grad school that they will have an utterly horrible life with nothing to show at the end of the month. (On the other hand, if they don't go to university there's less of a chance young female fans of the Cosby show will be allegedly raped by you so there's actually a distinct advantage there to being "regular people.")

A similar "family-friendly" show with a dangerous message is the original series of "Full House." DJ, Stephanie and Michelle are the most selfish, ingrateful, neediest children in the world. In real life, kids, people are not going to put their lives on hold to move in with you for eight years. If they have a number one hit in Japan, they aren't likely to cut the tour short because they miss you three brats so goshdarn much. And, kids, their spouses really aren't going to be inclined to move in with you and live in your attic, to say nothing of raising their children up there as if your relatives live in a V.C. Andrews novel or something.

I would also like to take "The Cosby Show" as an opportunity to give my opinion about black people in sitcoms.

The best black sitcom was "Amos & Andy." Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll's creations lived in a truly post-racial world. Blackness versus whiteness never came up, and the characters were (except for Kingfish of course) decent, hardworking people who lived in nice neighbourhoods and didn't expect the white man, aka the welfare system, to take care of them for the rest of their lives.

However, every other black sitcom has, to some degree or another, been the black man against the white man, meaning, in this case, simply the white man and not the welfare system. "Good Times", "The Jeffersons" and "Sanford and Son" are notable examples of this. From what I've heard, "What's Happenin" is just some black teenagers getting into trouble all the time and begging the sister of one of them "Don't tell Mama." "Different Strokes" is the white man taking care of the black people (again) and "The Fresh Prince" is basically the tention between Will's traditional world of "West Philadelphia" and his aunt and uncle's family in Bel-Air. In real life, Will's friends would have referred to the Banks' as Uncle Tom's or houseniggers.

Even "Family Matters" delved into racial issues a bit, and "The Cosby Show" did the same thing. It is worth noting that, on a Christmas episode of "The Cosby Show", Cliff Huxtable got into a discussion with a child about whether or not Santa Clause is white. On the other hand, the Christmas episode of "Amos & Andy" featured Amos explaining to his daughter the meaning of the Lord's Prayer.

Hence, take note, TV producers. All you have to do to get truly equal representation of minorities (especially blacks) on television is to catch up to a program that was doing it on the radio probably as early as 1925.

Roseanne (Terms of Estrangement, Part 1): "Roseanne" was also in it's original run and re-run a lot on many different stations so I saw the majority of episodes, including this one, when I was a kid.

I definitely agree with the book that the show went off the rails in the last two seasons.

I also agree with the book that it was the best of the sitcoms of its kind at the time. "Married ... With Children" had lots of funny lines and hilarious situations, but, as Austerlitz says, it had no nuance. Al was the most down-trodden, pathetic blue collar worker in the world. Peg was the laziest housewife in the world. Bud was the most borderline juvenile delinquent and later most sexually frustrated teenager in the world. Kelly was the biggest teen slut in the world.

As well, if the writers meant some of the jokes about Peg's poor home economist skills and Al's lack of earning power to be true, then literally how did the family survive?

I do disagree, however, with the book where "Home Improvement" is concerned. The Taylors are not blue collar. Tim hosted a TV show and in the first episode told Jill "I make enough money for both of us." Jill was a magazine editor who later became a college professor. Not exactly the same socioeconomic strata as throwing steel.

As with the star of the previous show, Roseanne would also meet her downfall, albeit after a one season revival of her eponymous program. Unlike her country's president, her undoing would come about because of a single tweet.

The Simpsons (22 Short Films About Springfield): I remember this episode from the night it aired.

The neighbour's children first introduced me to "The Simpsons." We were close friends and they would come over Thursdays (the day of the week on which the show aired until 1993) to watch it because their Dad wouldn't let them watch "Bart Simpson" as they referred to the show. I would watch it with them, but since I didn't hang around a lot of other kids as a child, I bought into what the adults were saying that it was a horrible, immoral show and would be a bad influence on me.

My sister continued to enjoy the show, however, and one day, while visiting my grandmother, I decided to watch a rerun of it with her on CBC. From then on, I was hooked. It's like my uncle said: "People don't get the point of The Simpsons. It's a lampoon."

Although the real point of Homer and the other residents of Springfield is Jewish Hollywood getting the white man to laugh at the downfall of his society and his supposed idiocy, on a lower level "The Simpsons" is (or was for the first eight or twelve years at least) as groundbreaking, creative and all-round wonderful as everybody says.

I will say more about "The Simpsons" when I review Mike Reiss's "Springfield Confidential."

The Larry Sanders Show (The Mr. Sharon Stone Show): I remember hearing "The Larry Sanders Show" mentioned as a kid, but I only saw my first episode on YouTube this morning as I got to the chapter discussing it in the book. Our cable company didn't provide the Canadian channel on which it was broadcast.

It's a good show. Would I watch the episode under discussion again? No, but I'm glad I watched.

Larry Sanders is a well-drawn character. I don't know if the word depth is appropriate when talking about Larry Sanders, but the fictional talk show host possesses just the right amounts of self-absorption and insecurity that make him so watchable.

Of course, the idea of a TV show about a fictional talk show host featuring bits of the show either being taped or broadcast on the actual show is inventive, and the other characters are well thought out, too. Jewish Hollywood telling us how self-centred, amoral and scheming the place where so many people get their values actually is.

Friends (The One With the Embryos): I think I can actually remember the day "Friends" premiered. I watched it a bit in its first couple seasons, and was forced to watch reruns at the W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind where I went from grades 9-12. I remember the show being extended by ten minutes in order to compete with the newly-launched "Survivor" on CBS. I also remember NBC's countdown to the finale in 2004, which I tuned into. Wasn't actually a big fan of the show, though.

I watched "The One With the Embryos" this morning on Daily Motion. My biggest take away from the episode is boy, those six people liked to flash their money and possessions around. "I'll bet you ten dollars, 100 dollars, 150 dollars, 300 dollars, our luxury apartment." I hate people like that.

Also, I remember once on "Degrassi High" the class was having a debate about abortion and in response to a pro-life comment, a pro-abortion girl responded, "So women are just baby factories?" I guess when it comes to a woman not killing her unborn baby women are baby factories, but when it comes to surrogacy, being a baby factory is a wonderful thing.

As well, what realistic apartment building would have a West Village apartment across the hall from a suite that looks like a dorm room? Units in apartment buildings generally tend to be uniform.

Also, I'm pretty sure you can't just trade apartments. You'd probably have to clear it with the landlord or something, and even back then, it probably involved a lot of paperwork.

Freaks and Geeks (Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers): I remember the promos for this show, which featured a laugh track, by the way. I never tuned into it at the time.

I saw "Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers" this morning on Vimeo and will join the chorus of everyone asking, "Why the heck did they cancel this?" Freaks and Geeks has just the right mix of comedy and drama. It also has great pop culture references appropriate to the era in which it is set, as well as sneaking in a pop culture reference for the time in which the show aired, namely "The Magic School Bus." It also has a wonderful soundtrack, which at the end of the episode in question serves as a joke in itself. (The Who vs. Seals and Crofts.)

On another level, though, the obsession this show (and the other show from its creators, "Undeclared) has with cliques is kind of disturbing. Why not be an individual? Why can't Bill like sports as well as sketch comedy and "Dallas?"

The Office (Casino Night): I watched the premier of this show back in 2005. Being a British comedy fan, I eagerly anticipated the American version of this show.

I watched it with my college roommate at first, then at home after I moved back their. My roommate, his friends and I were all pulling for this show because we thought for sure it was going to be one of those American sitcoms that's cerebral, well-done and gets cancelled after a few episodes because the audience doesn't get it. I'm glad the show proved me wrong and went on to run for a successful nine seasons.

I remember watching "Casino Night" the night it aired. I watched "The Office", seeing most episodes of the first two or three seasons. Subsequently, however, I missed several episodes and thus, due to the serialized plot, never bothered to tune in again.

Community (Modern Warfare): I heard about this show when it aired but never tuned in.

I watched this episode last night on Daily Motion. It was good, but fairly unsettling at the same time.

This is one entry where I agree exactly with the book. With "Community" we are seeing the sitcom, which at one time showed at least some version of the reality of the average person, "turning the mirror on itself" and being all about pop culture references, held together with bedroom and bathroom humour of course.

We saw this on the other shows of the decade as well. Michael Scott of "The Office" thinks HBO shows are mostly based in reality, thinks he can do improv because he's watched "Whose Line Is it Anyway" and, for him, the highlight of the novel experience of being on a boat is to re-enact the "I'm king of the world" scene from "Titanic."

Now with "Community", we see this pop culture autism come to a head.

As Daniel Estulon points out in his 2013 book, "Transevolution", this autism is what the new world order strives for. Though it has advanced through the medium of television, including the sitcom format, this global autism won't be completed with legacy media. Instead, virtual reality and artificial intelligence will be the keys.

Television and smart technology have already done a lot to destroy people's social skills, but virtual reality will complete that destruction. A group of people will physically gather for lunch at a restaurant, let's say in small-town Ontario, although thanks to Agenda 2030 there won't be any small towns left. Three people will be sitting at the table, but person A will be eating their spaghetti at a villa in Tuscany (apologies to the people of Tuscany if spaghetti is not native to that region of Italy), person B will be eating their club sandwich in a thirties diner in Los Angeles out of a Raymond Chandler novel and person C will be eating their fish at a wharf-side restaurant in Halifax, Nova Scotia, staring at boats. Additionally, you'll have whatever musical accompaniment you desire with your vr experience. If you're a punk fan, it won't matter punk rock wasn't around in depression-era Los Angeles. It'll be your reality, baby, in actuality the reality of the new world order.

Purchase "Sitcom" here.https://www.amazon.ca/Sitcom-History-Episodes-Love-Community/dp/161374384X