There is this tradition of "Hey, your stand up is great, want a sitcom based on it?" And most of the time, it is a terrible idea. But every now and then, you get gold.
And that is what this list is going to touch on. Sitcoms that stem from a Stand Up Comedian's set, or just starring them in some way.
So... let's get into it.
Top 10 Sitcoms For Stand Up Comedians
Here we go...
Honorable Mention 1: The Bob Newhart Show: I didn't see much of Bob Newhart's stand up. But I know anything that I have ever seen him in as been nothing short of comedy genius. Just something about his delivery. And this show was legendary.
Honorable Mention 2: It's Garry Shandling's Show/The Larry Sanders Show: Here we have two shows starring Gary Shandling. Why both of them? They have very similar premises. Garry Shandling Show was... well... him. But Larry Sanders was Garry playing a character in a late night show. But the feel of both shows was the same.
Honorable Mention 3: Louie: Louis C.K. has been the center of controversy that he has now gotten past. And... he is one of the most successful stand up comedians in the modern era, winning MULTIPLE Grammys in the process. Makes sense to give him a show where he basically plays himself.
10. Mork & Mindy: Robin Williams cameos in Happy Days as alien Mork from Ork. Popular enough to give him his own spinoff... and... to say that Mork & Mindy was a very "Robin Williams" show is explanation enough.
9. The Steve Harvey Show: Did you know Steve Harvey had his own sitcom? I did... but after he got his talk show and the hosting gig for the Family Feud, I torally forgot. And it's sad because it was a great family sitcom.
8. Parks & Recreation: Amy Poehler starring series post SNL. But it isn't only HER show. Aziz Ansari & Nick Offerman are both huge parts of this show... leaning into their stand up prowess... and Chris Pratt becoming a huge actor comedy star. It bleeds Pop Culture.
7. Roseanne: A sitcom about what a real middle American lower class family would really be. Changed the sitcom forever, and the current follow up "The Conners" is still doing it right.
6. The George Lopez Show: I mean... self explanatory. George Lopez... Mexican American Family Sitcom based on Lopez's experiences. Pretty simple.
5. Seinfeld: Jerry Seinfeld is synonymous with Nothing Comedy. And that isn't a burn. It led to a Sitcom about Nothing. One of the MOST successful Sitcoms of all time. And... literally about him playing a Stand Up Comic... make a joke... and an episode of his "personal life" inspiration for the joke. Also... did you spot the Superman?
4. F Is For Family: Netflix Animated Sitcom created by Vince Vaughn starring the voice of Bill Burr. An amalgamation of King of the Hill and Married with Children. Definitely not for kids. So good. So... good.
3. The Drew Carey Show: Funny to think about Drew Carey being a Stand Up, given that he is now the host of The Price is Right. But it led to his own sitcom, and dammit... was it great. And it gave us Ryan Stiles... made Diedrich Bader even more famous... and CRAIG FERGUSON. I loved this show.
2. Home Improvement: Tim Allen's stand up was filled with self-deprecating misogyny. And weirdly enough, it made for a WONDERFUL Sitcom about a man who hosts a local Home Improvement show called "Tool Time", where Tim gets injured... constantly... due to his overconfidence and quest for "More Power". And... it gave us the very special Richard Karn, an American TV Treasure!
And the Number 1 Sitcom Vehicles for Stand Ups is...
1. Full House: Who doesn't know about Full House!?! 3 Men raising 3 young girls. And how that family grows. Of course, it was a vehicle for Bob Saget, one of the dirtiest Stand Up Comedians... ever. And ABC's bitch with America's Funniest Home Videos. But... people sometimes seem to forget... Dave Coulier was a stand up/impressionist who PLAYED Stand Up/Impressionist Joey Gladstone in the show... and had his own ABC home video show, America's Funniest People. This Sitcom defined the late 80s and early 90s. Led to many a viewers' crushes(yeah... I acknowledge John Stamos for the ladies... while also acknowledging that one of my first crushes was Jodie Sweetin... I am that age lol... I mean... have you seen her now!?!?!?!). Full House defined an era. And... even Fuller House defined how "Sitcom Sequels" should be done.
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So there is the list. Any Stand Up fed Sitcoms that I missed? Share them with me... I want to watch them.
Tell me what you think. Comment. Share.
Stay tuned for more HAHAs!!
Until next time...
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