The best sitcom episode of all time

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

“Aye. The hot pants.”
“In your face, space coyote!”
“Look at that Homer Simpson. He thinks he’s the pope of chilitown.”

fork. I’m watching it tonight!

"Well, Chief, don't quit your day job. Whatever that is."

I also love that Ralphie both gives Homer the idea he needs--drinking wax--to embarrash his Dad and then is the one chasing after him.

 

[swingline]

The final episode of Newhart is an all-timer.

This

 

[swingline]

The WKRP episode where Johnny and Venus participated in a police demonstration about how alcohol dulls your senses and reflexes. Except Johnny gets better the more he drinks.

Also the phone cops episode.

 

[zufer]

Give me Newsradio and “The Cane”

 

[Slacker]

Give me Newsradio and “The Cane”

Love this NewsRadio scene. It builds and builds to the moment when Phil Hartman's head explodes, and then, for just 5 seconds, he goes off like a Beast from Hell. ... So many great Phil Hartman moments in my memory banks, and because this one wasn't on SNL, it probably didn't get a wide view. But it was an Instant Clashic, even for him.

Dave Foley also nails his part, but, man oh man, just watch Phil work his magic yet again.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

If the turkey episode has WKRP's best ending, then the best cold open is surely the episode where Johnny is alone in the station, mortally hung over, and mumbles out, "it's 6:38 a.m. in Cincinnati and the temperature is 17 degrees" immediately followed by a commercial booming, "wouldn't an ice cold beer taste great right about now? Sure it would!" The spiel continues as Hesseman does amazing acting with just his shoulders as he slumps further and further down in his chair in agony. Commercial concludes, "look for the smiling face of the Archduke Ferdinand on every can!" I cannot give further guidance as I honestly do not recall another moment of that episode.

 

[TwoGloves]

Seinfeld: The Strike

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

The sitcom characters that stand out for me are the zanies that have a touch of pathos -- Les Nessman, Jim Ignatowski and Bull Shannon of the so-far unmentioned Night Court. That has to be one of the zaniest sitcoms ever on network TV.

There was a Night Court episode where Bull chains himself to the doors of an old vaudeville theater that was going to be demolished. As his co-workers ponder whether he's pashing the time singing protest songs, the scene cuts to Bull singing "John Jacob Dinkelheimerschmidt." I can play that over in my head to this day.

 

[Songbird]

Best skit SNL ever did.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Perfect Strangers was as formulaic as it gets, but I loved Balki and Larry. In fact, Larry might be one of the more underrated sitcom characters.

The best episodes are probably when Larry and Balki join a health club to impress Jennifer and Marianne, or the one when Balki loses a bunch of money playing poker.

 

[Songbird]

This is elite social commentary through the heart and soul of comedy writing.

 

[Huggy]

I remember the episode of Cheers around Woody's wedding being really funny.

The All In The Family episode when Maude shows up to help them get through the flu was great too.