Ashley's Top Ten 2000-2010 Comedy Show Pick

1. The Simpson's: First aired December 17, 1989 - present. Actually, it began as a sketch on The Tracy Ullman Show with first appearance on April 19, 1987. I had three seasons of skit until 1989 then becoming a half-hour prime-time show. It was created by Matt Groening based on his family with the name Bart substituting his own name. Classified as an animated comedy. The voice cast includes Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer. Tress MacNeille, Pamela Hayden, Maggie Roswell, Russi Taylor, Marcia Wallace, Marcia Mitzman Gaven and Karl Wiedergott have appeared as supporting cast. Repeat guest cast members include Albert Brooks, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Joe Mantegna and Kelsey Grammer.
The plot for this show: "The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional city of Springfield, and lampoons American culture, society. . ." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Simpsons_(TV_series)
There was a time when I didn't watch The Simpson's due to the fact I was tired of some of the violence. But then meeting my current husband, I got back into it. He's a big, big, big, fan of the show and I don't believe that theres a single thing that he doesn't know about the show. He has all the episodes that are available on DVD and a few memorabilia and not to forget articles of clothing featuring mostly Bart and Homer. He even keeps up with the new episodes close enough to be a religion. My youngest daughter has become a Simpson's fan at the young age of four. I kind of feel bad for her and hope that, just like Maggie, she wont pick up on some of the actions of the characters. It's a good show to watch. On many accounts it makes a point about certain aspects of society. The show rates a 9.1 stars with 26,251 votes on www.tv.com

2. Two And A Half Men: First aired September 22, 2003 - present. Created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn as a TV comedy. The cats includes, Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones, Conchata Ferrell, Holland Taylor, Marin Hinkle, and Jennifer Taylor.
The plot for this show: "The show is about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's young son, Jake. Charlie's free-wheeling life is complicated and altered when his brother gets divorced and moves into Charlie's beach-front house." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_and_a_Half_Men_(TV_series)
I used to watch this show with my Grandmother before she died early this year from cancer. It was one of her favorite shows. I didn't always get the chance to just walk in her room and sit down with her. Sometimes I'd be at work. So, I don't recall many of the episode. I only watch a few during 2005-2007. What I do recall is the episode where Charlie Sheen's character has a baby but doesn't keep the relationship going with the mother. I am a fan of Charlie Sheen despite any off-stage goings-on he's had. I follow some of his movie biography.

3. Drop Dead Diva: First aired July 12, 2009 - to present. Created by Josh Berman as a supernatural-legal-comedy. Cast includes, Brooke Elliott, Margaret Cho, April Bowlby, Kate Levering
Jackson Hurst, Josh Stamberg, and Ben Feldman.
The plot for this show: "The series revolves around vapid blonde and aspiring model, Deb Dobson (played by Brooke D'Orsay in the pilot and in flashbacks), who is killed in a car crash. As her soul enters the gates of Heaven, she finds herself declared a self-centered "zero" (meaning she has performed zero good deeds and zero bad deeds during her time on earth; she is simply shallow) by the gatekeeper Fred. After not liking what she hears, she presses for a return to her former body, hoping to get back to Earth. Deb gets her wish, only to be brought back to life in the body of a recently deceased, intelligent, overweight lawyer named Jane Bingum. Initially horrified, Deb - in her new human form - discovers the meaning of inner beauty as she finds the ability to juggle legal cases, aided by her assistant Terri, while attempting to reconnect incognito with her still-grieving boyfriend, Grayson Kent, who just started working at Jane's law firm. At the same time, Deb begins to rediscover her past while learning more about her inherited body's current life and how Jane was treated when she was alive. In addition to former gatekeeper Fred (who was demoted to guardian angel and had been assigned to watch over her at the law firm), only Deb's long-time mortal friend Stacy knows Jane's true identity." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_Dead_Diva
I don't watch much of the Lifetime Channel. But just hearing about the storyline for the show had me very curious. I always thought about what it would be like for a shallow person to experience what others go through. I never really thought of them having to die and come back in someone else's body just to get the gist. That's what makes the show so cute. She has her old memories but the legal knowledge without the memories of her new found self. The episode I found most revealing about weight issues was when Jane (Deb) has to pursue a case involving the medical stances on a dieting program that has physically harmed a young girl on the program. The woman who was the founder of the diet doesn't have a strong case. She supports her product but has never actually used it. Basically a promoter for money. The young girl involved is close to death and weighing so little that her heart could give out at any moment. She says she did it so boys would like her and she could become popular after having to live the life of a "fat" girl. This effected Deb. As in her previous life she was obsessed with appearances and looked down at "fat" people as not being responsible for themselves. Additionally, there was another case that involved a waitress getting fired because of her weight gain after having a kid and going through tough times. Deb goes to the bar to evaluate the appearances of other waitresses. She notices that most have hair extension's, big breasts, and are very dolled up in the makeup category. They seem to have to go by visual attributes to get and keep the job. Gee sounds like the requirements to be a Rockette. This show has a 7.1 star rating based on 251 votes on www.tv.com

4. Everybody Hates Chris: First aired September 22, 2005 - May 8, 2009. Created by Chris Rock and Ali LeRoi. It is a situation comedy with the cast of Terry Crews, Tichina Arnold, Tequan Richmond, Imani Hakim, Vincent Martella, and Tyler James Williams.
The plot for this show: "The show revolves around the everyday life of Chris, who is a 13-year-old seventh grade student in the series' first episode. Chris is one of the few 'normal' characters on the show, surrounded by a collection of crazy characters that, in his point of view, act as if they dislike him. Chris lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, a low-income community and attends an all-white school, where students and teachers alike pick on him. If events progress favorably for Chris throughout an episode, they will almost certainly backfire on him by the end. Likewise, if a situation isn't going Chris' way, it always manages to get even worse for him, whether or not he tries to change the course of events." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Hates_Chris#Plot_summary
From what I understand the show is loosely based on Chris Rock's experiences growing up. I guess that is what got me watching the show since I'm a fan of Chris Rock and his brand of comedy. The big cookie episode is my favorite and from I understand it was close to the truth of a situation that occurred in real life. This show received a 8.8 star vote based on 3,234 votes on www.tv.com

5. That 70's Show: First aired August 23, 1998 (1998-08-23) - May 18, 2006. Created by Mark Brazill, Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner as a TV sitcom. The cast includes, Topher Grace (1998-2005), Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher (1998-2005), Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, Tanya Roberts (1998-2001, 2004), Don Stark, Lisa Robin Kelly (1998-2003), Tommy Chong (1999-2002, 2005-2006), and Josh Meyers (2005-2006).
The plot for this show: ". . .centered on the lives of a group of teenagers living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 1976 to 12:00 a.m., January 1, 1980."
I hadn't taken to the show at first. It took me until I meet my ex-husband to watch the show. Around 2002. I wondered how accurate it was compared to the lives other teenagers in the 70's. I liked how each character evolved through the course of the shows sessions. How the popular girl eventually became a regular teen after having both parents leave. She still had her high expectations on her looks but also ended up with a more down-to-earth boyfriend who'd experienced more of life's disappointments then to move on with the foreigner (who knows why, I just didn't see that working). The rebel rock-n-roller found the family had never knew and learned more about culture in the process. The geek doesn't end up marrying his tomboy girlfriend, instead he ventures to help people on a more worldly cause. The pretty boy who doesn't always have a brain has a kid and grows up a little bit while keeping his prankster side. The foreigner remains the foreigner who dates several ladies some of which do like him and others who find him pesky. I love the episode when Kelso finally gets to see his friend Donna's chest because he complains that everyone else has. When he gets his chance, he faints. I couldn't stop laughing. The show received a 9 star rating based on 8,570 votes on www.tv.com

6. Malcolm In The Middle: First aired January 9, 2000 - May 14, 2006. Created by Linwood Boomer as a situation comedy. Cast includes, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan and Frankie Muniz.
The plot for this show: "The show is about a boy named Malcolm and his dysfunctional family. The show stars Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, the third of four boys, his brothers and their parents, Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). The oldest, Francis (Christopher Masterson), was sent away to military school, leaving at home his three younger brothers, Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan), Malcolm being the middle child still at home (hence the show's title). . . The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm dealing with the rigors of being an adolescent and enduring the eccentricities of his life. Later seasons gradually explored the other members of the family and their friends in more depth." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_in_the_Middle#Premise
The episode that I most liked was when the family was about the have another baby boy and the parents has decided to have him induced on a particular day that didn't set well with the soon t be second youngest boy. His birthday. So, while at one of those places where you can try products before buying them he announces over a speaker about how hurt he is that his parents basically forgot that his birthday would be over shadowed by a new bundles arrival in the world. I'd feel the same way. The show received 8.9 star rating based on 4,910 votes.

7. South Park: First aired August 13, 1997 - present. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone as an animated situation comedy. Voice cast includes, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mona Marshall, and April Stewart.
The plot for this show: "The show mostly follows a group of four boys-Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick-and the adventures they share in South Park, a fictional small town located within the real-life South Park basin in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. The town, sometimes described within the show as "a (phrase removed for reading audience) white-bread mountain town", is also home to an assortment of frequent characters such as students, families, elementary school staff, and other various residents. Prominent settings on the show include the local elementary school, bus stop, various neighborhoods and the surrounding snowy landscape, and the shops and businesses along the town's main street, all of which are based on the appearance of similar locations in the town of Fairplay, Colorado." -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Park_(TV_series)#Premise
I only really watched this show when in high school with a few of my loner friends. I think at the time it felt like a way of expressing ourselves about the world we were experiencing at the time. I still love the line from the episode, "DO NOT DISREPECT MY AUTHORIT-I!!"
Authority being pronounced with an "I" at the end instead of an "ee". The background on the sunglasses never ever changed. And I have had to point that out to people. Other than that I don't watch much of it anymore. It's not how I view the world. The show receives a 9.1 star rating based on 19,174 votes.

8. How I Met Your Mother: First aired September 19th 2005 - Present. Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas as a sitcom. The cast includes, Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, and Alyson Hannigan.
The plot for this show: "As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor), in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting their mother, which explains the title and allows for a narration in the past tense. " -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_I_Met_Your_Mother
I haven't got the chance for a while since it aired to see episodes. Primarily due to turning off cable, the TV being overrun by my husband or just not catching it and not knowing when it's going to be on. The idea of having to re-count how you met your kids' mother in this matter would be a very long nightly story. But still interesting to see all the events leading up to and past the point. If one could remember that much detail, it would be amazing unless they kept full notes in their journal. I know I will have to tell my kids how I met their fathers. And why with two, I'm not with him any more. The show has a 9.1 star rating based on 12,373 votes.

9. Futurama: First aired March 28, 1999 - Present. Created by Matt Groening as an animated science fiction sitcom. The voice cast includes, Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Phil LaMarr, Lauren Tom, Maurice LaMarche, David Herman, Kath Soucie, and Frank Welker.
The plot for this show: "series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who after being cryogenically frozen for a thousand years, finds employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the 31st century." --
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama_(TV_series)
I don't always watch it. Work in some way shape or form stops me from doing so. But I'd have to say that my favorite episode would be where Fry goes in search for his grandfather in the 1950's on Earth only to find out that he is his own grandfather. The line from that show that I'll never forget was when Bender lost part of his body, which landed I Area 51. The people of Earth that that it was a space ship; Bender was watching this on the television and remarked, "That's not a spaceship! That's my a**!" He does retrieve his body back before they go back to the future. Still, it makes me laugh when I spontaneously say it for no reason at all. The show receives a 9.1 star rating based on 15,925 votes.

10. Friends: September 22, 1994 - May 6, 2004. Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman as a situation comedy. The famous cast includes, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer.
The plot for this show: "Six young people, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world, find the companionship, comfort and support they get from each other to be the perfect antidote to the pressures of life." Written by Kevin Ackley {kackley1@aol.com} of www.imdb.com
I didn't start watching this show until high school (1997) more due to the fact that there was so much hype over the show. I don't go with hype initially. If something's too popular for my tastes, it kind of makes me not want to run with the crowd. I did eventually start watching it when the hype slowed (but it was still rather popular). There are many episodes I liked. Monica and Chandler getting together and marrying and adopting kids. Rachel having a baby and going through the throws off an on-again off-again relationship with Ross (I think it should have stayed off, but not everyone agrees with me. I think he messed up too many times). But the one episode that stands out the most was when Rachel had her baby. Because the second time I got to see it I was in the hospital having my first child. I also watched the Simpson's that same night too. So, that episode means a bit more to me. It was like sharing an experience with a close friend. The show received a 9.2 star rating based on 17,029 votes.