Funniest of the Funniest (NBC -- September 1, 2013)

[Brock]

Lucy and I Love Lucy will feature in a new Paley Centre special on NBC on September 1:

 

The top laugh-out loud scenes from the greatest television shows of all time are celebrated in TV's FUNNIEST OF THE FUNNIEST: A Paley Center for Media Special," airing Sunday, Sept. 1 (9-11 p.m. ET) on NBC.

 

With 60 years of hilarious television show moments to choose from, the special focuses on the top 30 funniest moments - ranked in a countdown format and leading to No. 1 - in television history.

 

Unforgettable scenes are humorously captured from TV's most popular comedies, including "Seinfeld," "The Big Bang Theory," "The Simpsons," "Friends," "Will & Grace," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Cheers," "Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock," "The Cosby Show" and "Modern Family," as well as Unforgettable classics such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "I Love Lucy," "The Carol Burnett Show" and "All in the Family."

 

The lively laughfest will also include clips from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Taxi," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Married with Children," "Spin City," "The Office," "In Living Color," "How I Met Your Mother," "Roseanne" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

 

Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Matthew Perry, Betty White, Lucille Ball, Neil Patrick Harris, Jerry Seinfeld, Johnny Galecki, Dan Castellaneta, Lisa Kudrow, Larry David, Ted Danson, Michael J. Fox, Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen are just a few of the many performers who will be spotlighted in memorable moments. Comic gems will also feature Christina Applegate, Eric McCormack, Tony Danza, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinksi, Brad Garrett, Phil Hartman, Jane Kaczmarek, Katey Sagal and more.

The top laugh-out loud scenes from the greatest television shows of all time are celebrated in TV's FUNNIEST OF THE FUNNIEST: A Paley Center for Media Special," airing Sunday, Sept. 1 (9-11 p.m. ET) on NBC.

 

With 60 years of hilarious television show moments to choose from, the special focuses on the top 30 funniest moments - ranked in a countdown format and leading to No. 1 - in television history.

 

Unforgettable scenes are humorously captured from TV's most popular comedies, including "Seinfeld," "The Big Bang Theory," "The Simpsons," "Friends," "Will & Grace," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Cheers," "Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock," "The Cosby Show" and "Modern Family," as well as Unforgettable classics such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "I Love Lucy," "The Carol Burnett Show" and "All in the Family."

 

The lively laughfest will also include clips from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Taxi," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Married with Children," "Spin City," "The Office," "In Living Color," "How I Met Your Mother," "Roseanne" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

 

Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Matthew Perry, Betty White, Lucille Ball, Neil Patrick Harris, Jerry Seinfeld, Johnny Galecki, Dan Castellaneta, Lisa Kudrow, Larry David, Ted Danson, Michael J. Fox, Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen are just a few of the many performers who will be spotlighted in memorable moments. Comic gems will also feature Christina Applegate, Eric McCormack, Tony Danza, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinksi, Brad Garrett, Phil Hartman, Jane Kaczmarek, Katey Sagal and more.

 

 

Read more about Jerry Seinfeld, Lucille Ball & More to Be Featured on NBC TV's FUNNIEST OF THE FUNNIEST, 9/1 - BWWTVWorld by tv.broadwayworld.com

[C L A U D E]

Should be a great special, all of their previous ones have been and Lucy is always prominent and given her due.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Should be a great special, all of their previous ones have been and Lucy is always prominent and given her due.

...and underlined for emphasis!

[Neil]

I guess people didn't laugh much before the 70s....I only see I Love Lucy representing the 50s and Dick Van Dyke representing the 60s.

Usually The Honeymooners is included in a retrospective like this. And OF COURSE The Lucy Show is left out completely. To those completely unfamiliar with TLS--and I run into many these days--I show them "Electric Mattress". The stilt scene is one of Lucy's greatest bits and never fails to make people LOL. It's great on so many levels: it's amazing that she can physically do what she did and make it hilarious.

The trouble with these clip shows is that sometimes individual scenes need a set up there's not time for.

Besides the great "VitaMeta...", if I had to pick individual Lucy scenes for something like this, I'd include her stilt walk, the "Gets in Pictures" stumble down the stairs, the hammock scene from "Alaska", her hip swaying walk in "Charm School" and being pulled into bed by Danny in "Lucy makes Room"--none of which usually make it. I like Chocolate Factory but it's not in my top 10. The greatest moment in "Italian Movie" is when she decides to give Teresa a playful kick in the ass and falls backwards.

Other than Lucy, here are some TV moments that have made me double over with laughter:

The "Phyllis" episode when Mother Dexter gets married, particularly her phone call to the cab company ("How long would it take you to get a cab to the Paradise Trailer Court.....AN HOUR???..Why don't you try putting some wheels on it?.....What if I told you I'm in labor?....OK, I'm in labor...What was the last contraction?.....1914...but it was a dilly, so HURRY!").

When Felix is going on The David Steinberg Show, he hires a comic to write him Oscar insults but on the show, Felix gets more and more nervous as he's bombing. The comic's line about Oscar: "He was voted one of the best dressed men by Popular Mechanics" becomes "He was voted the most popular mechanic". (It's much more hilarious than it sounds).

In the same vein as this "Odd Couple", there's a mary Tyler Moore where Mary and Ted are in a creative writing class and they are supposed to read their compositions to the class. Ted suffers writer's block and appropriates Mary's story but bungles the whole thing like Felix did.

There are several Beverly Hillbillies episodes with Bea Benedaret as Pearl that are hilarious. I'm not sure which would stand on its own in clip form.

Something of Kaye Ballard in The Mothers In Law.

Alice Pearce from Bewitched. If I had to pick one moment, it would be an episode where Endora has done cosmetic surgery on a napping Darrin. Gladys knocks on the door and when she gets a look at Darrin, she lets out a little scream, looks away contorting her face (even more than it naturally is), looks back at him and screams again before running off. Never fails to make me laugh.

Where is 5 time Emmy winner Don Knotts as Barney Fife in this?? He's got so many great moments. Sometimes his body movements defied the laws of physics.

And who can forget "The Tammy Grimes Show"?

[HarryCarter]

In the same vein as this "Odd Couple", there's a mary Tyler Moore where Mary and Ted are in a creative writing class and they are supposed to read their compositions to the class. Ted suffers writer's block and appropriates Mary's story but bungles the whole thing like Felix did.

 

This has become my favorite (non-Phyllis or Rhoda) scene on Mary Tyler Moore. It is absolutely hysterical. This is another example of something that needs the set up to get all the humor. You need to hear Mary's story to get it. Mary's rant at the end is fantastic too.

 

Ted: One look at Edwina in her first strapless gown and I knew who the mature one really was.

[Neil]

"Edwina's father's prize stallion had gone into labor"

[HarryCarter]

"At dawn, I knelt down and saw my reward: six new baby horsies."

 

I love the scene from "Mother Dexter's Wedding" that you quoted. My favorite moment from the episode, though, is when Mother Dexter kicks Phyllis in the shin.

[C L A U D E]

I guess people didn't laugh much before the 70s....I only see I Love Lucy representing the 50s and Dick Van Dyke representing the 60s.

Usually The Honeymooners is included in a retrospective like this. And OF COURSE The Lucy Show is left out completely. To those completely unfamiliar with TLS--and I run into many these days--I show them "Electric Mattress". The stilt scene is one of Lucy's greatest bits and never fails to make people LOL. It's great on so many levels: it's amazing that she can physically do what she did and make it hilarious.

The trouble with these clip shows is that sometimes individual scenes need a set up there's not time for.

Besides the great "VitaMeta...", if I had to pick individual Lucy scenes for something like this, I'd include her stilt walk, the "Gets in Pictures" stumble down the stairs, the hammock scene from "Alaska", her hip swaying walk in "Charm School" and being pulled into bed by Danny in "Lucy makes Room"--none of which usually make it. I like Chocolate Factory but it's not in my top 10. The greatest moment in "Italian Movie" is when she decides to give Teresa a playful kick in the ass and falls backwards.

Other than Lucy, here are some TV moments that have made me double over with laughter:

The "Phyllis" episode when Mother Dexter gets married, particularly her phone call to the cab company ("How long would it take you to get a cab to the Paradise Trailer Court.....AN HOUR???..Why don't you try putting some wheels on it?.....What if I told you I'm in labor?....OK, I'm in labor...What was the last contraction?.....1914...but it was a dilly, so HURRY!").

When Felix is going on The David Steinberg Show, he hires a comic to write him Oscar insults but on the show, Felix gets more and more nervous as he's bombing. The comic's line about Oscar: "He was voted one of the best dressed men by Popular Mechanics" becomes "He was voted the most popular mechanic". (It's much more hilarious than it sounds).

In the same vein as this "Odd Couple", there's a mary Tyler Moore where Mary and Ted are in a creative writing class and they are supposed to read their compositions to the class. Ted suffers writer's block and appropriates Mary's story but bungles the whole thing like Felix did.

There are several Beverly Hillbillies episodes with Bea Benedaret as Pearl that are hilarious. I'm not sure which would stand on its own in clip form.

Something of Kaye Ballard in The Mothers In Law.

Alice Pearce from Bewitched. If I had to pick one moment, it would be an episode where Endora has done cosmetic surgery on a napping Darrin. Gladys knocks on the door and when she gets a look at Darrin, she lets out a little scream, looks away contorting her face (even more than it naturally is), looks back at him and screams again before running off. Never fails to make me laugh.

Where is 5 time Emmy winner Don Knotts as Barney Fife in this?? He's got so many great moments. Sometimes his body movements defied the laws of physics.

And who can forget "The Tammy Grimes Show"?

Yeah, i'm really counting on Hillbillies clips being included, ahem! I love your list of some of the best Lucy moments, that scene with Danny Thomas in bed was so unexpected and as usual expertly executed by the Queen of Comedy. If you ever want to see how great the chocolate factory scene is with Lucy, check out when Carol Burnett tried to imitate it. Lucy's frequent pantomime scenes, Holden and Van Johnson, coming face to face with them are priceless. And the nose on fire, well, doesn't get any funnier than that. As for Mary Tyler Moore, Chuckles the clown is always included but I prefer Mary winning an award and showing up looking like hell, I USUALLY LOOK SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS!

[Neil]

I love a lot of the Mary Tyler Moores but NEVER understood the big deal about "Chuckles Bites the Dust". I don't really even like it. Favorites: the "Writing Class" one we discussed above, "The Good Time News" "Sue Ann's Understudy Takes Over" and "Ted Baxter's Broadcasting School" (probably not their real titles). It's like with Andy Griffith. The stand-out episode mentioned often is "the Pickle Story" where Aunt Bee makes bad tasting pickles and the boys try to get rid of them. It was done early, before the series really found its groove and not up to the standards they would set later, IMO. I know my favorite Andy Griffiths, just don't know the titles.

[C L A U D E]

I love a lot of the Mary Tyler Moores but NEVER understood the big deal about "Chuckles Bites the Dust". I don't really even like it. Favorites: the "Writing Class" one we discussed above, "The Good Time News" "Sue Ann's Understudy Takes Over" and "Ted Baxter's Broadcasting School" (probably not their real titles). It's like with Andy Griffith. The stand-out episode mentioned often is "the Pickle Story" where Aunt Bee makes bad tasting pickles and the boys try to get rid of them. It was done early, before the series really found its groove and not up to the standards they would set later, IMO. I know my favorite Andy Griffiths, just don't know the titles.

The only Mary Tyler Moore shows I absolutely LOVE and want to see over and over are the ones where Betty White plays Sue Ann Nivens, and they were few I can tell ya.

[Lucyilove]

I love a lot of the Mary Tyler Moores but NEVER understood the big deal about "Chuckles Bites the Dust". I don't really even like it. Favorites: the "Writing Class" one we discussed above, "The Good Time News" "Sue Ann's Understudy Takes Over" and "Ted Baxter's Broadcasting School" (probably not their real titles). It's like with Andy Griffith. The stand-out episode mentioned often is "the Pickle Story" where Aunt Bee makes bad tasting pickles and the boys try to get rid of them. It was done early, before the series really found its groove and not up to the standards they would set later, IMO. I know my favorite Andy Griffiths, just don't know the titles.

 

I immediately "liked" your post because I'm in complete agreement about "Chuckles Bites the Dust" (rather pretentious attempt at Norman Learesque comedy) but disagree about your pan of "The Pickle Story" from TAGS which I absolutely love. I always prefer TAGS eps with "Aunt Bee" in a promenient role.

[Lucyilove]

Yeah, i'm really counting on Hillbillies clips being included, ahem! I love your list of some of the best Lucy moments, that scene with Danny Thomas in bed was so unexpected and as usual expertly executed by the Queen of Comedy. If you ever want to see how great the chocolate factory scene is with Lucy, check out when Carol Burnett tried to imitate it. Lucy's frequent pantomime scenes, Holden and Van Johnson, coming face to face with them are priceless. And the nose on fire, well, doesn't get any funnier than that. As for Mary Tyler Moore, Chuckles the clown is always included but I prefer Mary winning an award and showing up looking like hell, I USUALLY LOOK SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS!

 

I would love to see the Hillbillies gets their just rewards but I won't be surprised if it doesn't happen. It really does sound like there's not going to be much pre-1970 besides Lucy and Dick and that the show is going to butt-kiss a lot of very second-tier sitcoms of recent decades because they can get their cast to appear on the show.

 

The Granny/Pearl fights are some of the funniest things ever filmed for television and I wouldn't put the Granny/Mrs. Drysdale rows that far behind. Also absolutely priceless (to name a few): Pearl's bogus wedding proposal in front of a movie theater packed with nosy hicks, the episode in which Jetherine and Pearl move to Beverly Hills, the Rebecca of Donnybrook farm "rasslin'" episodes, Mrs. Drysdale unwittingly competiting for "Possum Queen", Charles Ruggles' appearances as Mrs. Drysdale's father, Mrs. Drysdale pretending to be in love with Jed via Granny's love potion in an attempt to run them off, The Clampetts buying a exclusive fashion shop and turning it into a rural general store, the wonderful silent movie spoofs with Hedda Hopper and later Gloria Swanson, and of course Kathleen Freeman's riotous turn as the housekeeper next door whom Granny thinks is the lady of the house and a potential mate for Jed and our beloved Mary Wickes as the queen of society from the hills who visits the Clampetts and whom Miss Jane has Mrs. Drysdale believing is an international society queen. I think those episodes may have been the best showcases for Kathleen and Mary ever on television.

 

I'd also love to see some clips of Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca, The Honeymooners, Our Miss Brooks, Milton Berle with Ruth Gilbert, The Munsters, Shirley Booth's Hazel (this is actually a very funny show, I was surprised!), Lily Tomlin as Ernestine and Ruth Buzzi's Gladys from Laugh-In, etc. but again probably won't happen.

 

And oh man, Judith Lowery on Phyllis - was there ever a better supporting character on a mediocre sitcom? That old gal deserved an Emmy for sure.

[HarryCarter]

I love Chuckles Bites the Dust. It's not my very favorite, but it's close. Your list of Mary Tyler Moore favorites is great, Neil. My favorite episodes usually have some good Rhoda/Phyllis interaction. My top two would be "Rhoda the Beautiful" (Phyllis singing "Ten Cents a Dance" is my all time favorite moment of the series) and "My Brother's Keeper" with Phyllis' brother. Other favorites: the aforementioned "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Writer" and "Chuckles," "The Lars Affair," "The Dinner Party," "Divorce Isn't Everything" ("I'm splitting with Roy. We're getting flashlights and going out hunting for losers."), and "Murray Can't Lose" (every cast member shines in this one: Mary does her terrible rendition of "One For My Baby," Ted has his ventriloquist act with Lou as his dummy, and Georgette answers the musical question "Steam Heat.") I could easily name ten more.

[C L A U D E]

I would love to see the Hillbillies gets their just rewards but I won't be surprised if it doesn't happen. It really does sound like there's not going to be much pre-1970 besides Lucy and Dick and that the show is going to butt-kiss a lot of very second-tier sitcoms of recent decades because they can get their cast to appear on the show.

 

The Granny/Pearl fights are some of the funniest things ever filmed for television and I wouldn't put the Granny/Mrs. Drysdale rows that far behind. Also absolutely priceless (to name a few): Pearl's bogus wedding proposal in front of a movie theater packed with nosy hicks, the episode in which Jetherine and Pearl move to Beverly Hills, the Rebecca of Donnybrook farm "rasslin'" episodes, Mrs. Drysdale unwittingly competiting for "Possum Queen", Charles Ruggles' appearances as Mrs. Drysdale's father, Mrs. Drysdale pretending to be in love with Jed via Granny's love potion in an attempt to run them off, The Clampetts buying a exclusive fashion shop and turning it into a rural general store, the wonderful silent movie spoofs with Hedda Hopper and later Gloria Swanson, and of course Kathleen Freeman's riotous turn as the housekeeper next door whom Granny thinks is the lady of the house and a potential mate for Jed and our beloved Mary Wickes as the queen of society from the hills who visits the Clampetts and whom Miss Jane has Mrs. Drysdale believing is an international society queen. I think those episodes may have been the best showcases for Kathleen and Mary ever on television.

 

I'd also love to see some clips of Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca, The Honeymooners, Our Miss Brooks, Milton Berle with Ruth Gilbert, The Munsters, Shirley Booth's Hazel (this is actually a very funny show, I was surprised!), Lily Tomlin as Ernestine and Ruth Buzzi's Gladys from Laugh-In, etc. but again probably won't happen.

 

And oh man, Judith Lowery on Phyllis - was there ever a better supporting character on a mediocre sitcom? That old gal deserved an Emmy for sure.

I know, Judith Lowry was terrific, I can see her smiling face now. As for Hillbillies, funny you should mention them, I've been playing the early eps all day, loved that show so much, of course I was twelve when it started. The early eps were the absolute BEST, but like Roseanne and so many other shows, they got so stupid at the end and were seldom funny in their last years. Now Raymond only got better with age, the last ones are the best of that series but the early ones I don't like so much, they messed with the usual sitcoms ways here.

[C L A U D E]

I've only got the first F O U R seasons of Mary's show and yet all my faves on that one are at the end or early ones with Rhoda or later ones with Sue Ann of course, which Josh copied for me, I adore those. But I rarely watch any of them, even though they play both MTM and Rhoda every day here.

[HarryCarter]

Betty White will serve as host for the special on September 1. I think the past few years the hosts have just done narration, so I'm not sure it we'll see her on camera.

[C L A U D E]

O M G did not realize this is being shown this coming Sunday of Labor Day weekend, can't wait!!!!! Lucy on tv September first and then in December on her own former network.

[Brock]

Don't forget about the show tonight!

[C L A U D E]

Don't forget about the show tonight!

I'm waiting with a blank DVD now as I type this, approximately an hour and a half to go . . . .

[upperco]

Just tuned in. Anyone making a list of the 100?

[C L A U D E]

Just tuned in. Anyone making a list of the 100?

Why 100, there are only T H I R T Y !

[upperco]

Oh, good! I started with #30.

[C L A U D E]

Oh, good! I started with #30.

LOL! So did I, was watching America's got talent and doing my movie and tv show inventory so i missed the first few minutes.

[C L A U D E]

So, what did you guys think of the special? Although I was thrilled to see Lucy again in the number one position, where she rightly belongs, I hope to God fans didn't react to her CHOCOLATE FACTORY scene the way I did to Chuckles the clown and Gone went the wind, I am so sick of those two scenes. It WAS very nice to see some different clips for a change. AND the public voted for these so Lucy's still in the top position, so as long as she beat Carson and Seinfeld, that's good enough for me.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

So, what did you guys think of the special? Although I was thrilled to see Lucy again in the number one position, where she rightly belongs, I hope to God fans didn't react to her CHOCOLATE FACTORY scene the way I did to Chuckles the clown and Gone went the wind, I am so sick of those two scenes. It WAS very nice to see some different clips for a change. AND the public voted for these so Lucy's still in the top position, so as long as she beat Carson and Seinfeld, that's good enough for me.

Oddly, I don't recall any Carson clips! They seemed to all be derived from sitcoms -- a couple even supposed "outtakes" -- except of course for the classic GWTW spoof/scene from TCBS.

 

I really would like to meet the bafoons who come up with these so-called "best of" lists, etc. given the great "breakdown scene" from MTM's Chuckles Bites the Dust was the lowest entry on this "list" of 30 yet inanities from such other "classics" (cough, cough) as "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" (!) and "Family Matters" (really?? An Urkel clip higher than MTM or other more deserving classics??) rank higher on the list. Travesty!