Submitted by ShEditor83 t3_11cd0hk in television
Unpopular opinion, I suppose: Parks and Rec is my favorite show, I loved The Office, Community, B99, The Good Place, Modern Family, Ted Lasso, Seinfeld… so I really tried enjoying Abbott Elementary but I couldn’t and most of all I don’t find it fresh nor new. Of course humor is subjective and I don’t want to start a fight, I’m just interested in knowing if someone agrees with me because I find it a bad copy of my favorite comedies.
The principal gets me to laugh pretty consistently. I almost never laugh at anyone else.
I like the Philly Italian lady
I loved when Jacob corrected on her fight or flight instead of fight or fight and she tells him, "No, I said fight or fight, what am I a little bird?"
It's the janitor for me. He's the only one that makes me laugh.
I find the rest of the characters super charming and likable though which is why the show works even if it's not insanely funny.
The principal is partly why I couldn’t get into it. The actress is great and I would’ve loved the character as a teacher but it was just so jarring having such an incompetent person being in charge, even for a sitcom. And it’s blatant incompetency, not just a nuisance like Michael Scott. It’s like the writers use her purely as a conflict device. Maybe I didn’t watch enough yet but it was just so one dimensional
She gets more dimensional as the show goes on.
The thing is like alot of this is based off Quinta's mom experience as a teacher, and alot of teachers have chimed in that Ava is basically atleast someone they actually know from school administration/school districts.
They address her incompetency and there’s a whole episode explaining how she has the job.
She is the BEST!
I agree on this (and I loved Leslie Odom Jr. as guest star).
Yup, the dialogue isn't particularly witty or anything either. I usually find myself playing it in the background while I do other stuff. It's very much just "acceptable" as a TV show.
Abbot Elementary and Ghosts are lightyears better than any other sitcoms on television right now but I agree it's not as good as any of those you mentioned.
I'd say Abbot is a lot funnier than the Good Place, I love Good Place but more for its story, characters and the heart so its still one of the best, but pure humour wise I find it to just be good.
The good places humor was conceptual rather than situational. The episode where Chidi goes insane with the chili is still the funniest thing I have ever seen on a screen.
They’re both super hilarious! I love both those shows.
Those are the only two “network” shows my wife and I are watching now, even if we actually are streaming them.
US ghosts is trash compared to the original though
Disagree. I find it just as good, and even a tad warmer/cozier to watch.
It's good but it's way overrated
Depends what you are looking for. It's a sweet, clever show. It is not a hilarious show. So on a pure comedic standpoint? Maybe it is.
Perfect description. It's sweet. Shows can be sweet, and I want to watch sweet shows.
I find it basically identical in feel to Superstore. A good solid show with very likeable characters that you root for, with a lot of heart and you learn something about the discipline they work in. But you tend to forget about it afterwards and it isn't one you'd bother to rewatch.
I think AE is particularly strong in its characterisation - they're all very very different people, even the guest roles. Superstore was less strong in that sense. So I think I prefer AE.
But at the end of the day it's just another workplace comedy with a will they/won't they storyline in the middle.
Infact I didn’t like Superstore as well and for the very same reason.
It’s a mocumentary of/for teachers/elementary schools, but it also shows the struggles teachers go through in schools, just like parks and Rec is a mocumentary for government officials, and The Office for corporations. None of them are trying to be the other. It’s just a type
No, I love it. Happy to clear it up for you.
AE reminds me of old school sitcoms that children and parents could watch together. It has a TGIF vibe. So I think it’s really good at nailing that even if it isn’t as funny as a show that I wouldn’t let an 8 year old watch.
Yeah, I'd agree. I think it's just too wholesome for me. I really liked it in the beginning. I even rewatched the first few episodes but then I found myself hitting the pause button and doing some other stuff before I'd come back and watch more. It was taking me an hour or more to watch a 22min show so I cancelled the recording on the DVR.
Anyone else watching American Auto with Ana Gasteyer? It often makes me laugh at loud.
American Auto is my fav sitcom on tv right now. I hope we get a third season
I think American Auto is funny as hell, but so much of the humor causes me painful secondhand embarrassment 🫣
The second season is a lot better, I’m glad I gave it another shot.
It's a good show it's a little hyped because the state of the network sitcom is such a train wreck right now.
My wife and I got through first season and started the second but never felt the need to watch it.
I actually think one of the challenges is that isn’t quirky ENOUGH. The charm of shows it’s replicating are two fold:
I think the characters all actually have too much heart and aren’t kitchy enough and too often the interactions aren’t in a group setting.
Weirdly, the best comp I can think of how I feel about it is Will and Grace, a very consistent show with characters you just enjoy spending time with that occasionally speaks delicately on real world issues other shows aren't talking about (in this case the struggles of public schools and teachers) that is one of the best shows network sitcoms of its era, but still just not quite Friends or Seinfeld (or here Ted Lasso)
This description fits B99, Community, ParksandRec as well as One Day at a Time, Modern Family and others. I simply don’t find it funny or original, particularly for the use of mockumentary and the jokes, but I understand your point of view.
I dont think it's bad but the bar just isn't that high. There's barely been any new comedies released by networks the last few years, and everything else is past its prime.
Sitcoms have been dying a slow death for quite a while now. The formula is just a lot less preferable when you can make narrative shows that are just as funny but can also hit any other note.
i’m in your walls
Michael Schur rip off but they turned the “look they’re all friends 🥹” dial up to 11 and the comedy dial all the way down to 0.
Most of the characters don't even like Janine that much. It's not quite at the "through friendship we will do anything and everything we want because it's wholesome" level that parks and rec eventually landed on.
It’s an excellent network sitcom. It’s up there with Modern Family and the like. But like any network sitcom it can’t compete with modern comedy shows with no limitations (language, ad breaks, length and number of episodes etc) like Barry, Ted Lasso, Hacks, Mythic Quest, Only Murders in the Building, etc.
Maybe I shouldn’t have included Ted Lasso in the list, cause it’s a more deep and structured show (as the others you mentioned: I love every one of them!) but even in the realm of network sitcom I find it less original and funny than the ones we mentioned. Just my opinion, of course.
I would agree that it’s not as good as your favorites that you’ve mentioned. I still very much enjoy it, though.
Short answer…yes
I do think it is one of the better comedies on network TV. Granted, not every show is for everyone.
I tried to like this show but there are too many unlikeable characters.
I think this is it's biggest failing and I'd compare it to B99 the most in this regard. It's a show all about big personalities but ultimately a lot of them can get grating and drag things down for some people.
exactly and why I liked B99 so much. Yes there was Gina who was pretty bad but was really the only one of the cast that was bad. The rest of the cast were fun and enjoyable to watch. On AE most of the characters are either mean or so arrogant that the characters are unwatchable.
I don't even care if I get a laugh. Just make the characters watchable and enjoyable.
I feel the only person in Abbot that's really too much for me is the principal. She's like Gina but worse because she's in a position of power. But the rest I can live with.
Actually I think Gina was nicer but the Principal seems to have moments of goodness. 2 of the teachers and their arrogance drive me nuts.
I watched the first season, thought it was perfectly OK but didn't blow me away
Stopped watching in the 2nd season, just didn't think it was that funny
It's getting a ton of awards and plaudits but it just didn't amaze me
show designed to be the wholesomest wholesome thing, where every character is loveable. For hilariousness better seek in the past, actually funny sitcoms are dead
Edgy is not allowed anymore. Unless it’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Halfway through the first season, I think it’s good. All the characters mug for the camera too much though. On Parks and Rec or the Office the POV character was the only one that stared straight to camera very often, on AE every main character seems to do it 2-3 times an episode. It’s the same joke so there are diminishing returns imo.
Yes
The acting is a little rough for me. Particularly the lady with the red hair.
Yes!!
It’s too much of a chick flick to me .. and I’m a fan of The Golden Girls..
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Anything with a diverse cast is going to get a little extra push in the name of inclusion and increased representation. I don't have a problem with it, personally.
It's a really good traditional sitcom. Seinfeld is the goat traditional sitcom
the office redefined sitcom. Call it sitcom 2.0. modern family was an overrated version of 2.0 while parks might be goat of 2.0. B99 is if you took the sensibilities of parks with the so-so quality of modern family.
The good place and community are their own thing. Unique and awesome.
Ted lasso is kinda it's own thing. Maybe like a modern twist on 1.0.
Yes, and we know the reason why even though most people here won't admit it. The reviewers and awards are virtue signalling, thinking they're obligated to support a black public school show. The people who think this way have mostly lost their humor which is why they can't see AE's biggest flaw which is that it's just not a banger in terms of jokes hitting.
How can you admit comedy is subjective and still claim something is “overrated” in the same post? If it’s overrated that means there’s an objective correct rating that people should be giving it, but instead they’re rating it too highly. But there’s not “too” anything if we admit that artwork is subjective. You don’t like it as much as many other people but no one is under or over rating it because that’s not possible.
He is asking if some of us also believe Abbott to be overrated, no one claimed to have an objective take on the matter.
If you use the word “overrated” you’re claiming there is an objective correct answer. That’s what I’m saying. Something can’t be over or under rated unless there ls an objectively correct answer that people are missing when they rate it.
That’s your opinion.
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This is the first im hearing of this show, so ill say its properly rated since it isnt good
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I’ m not sure what you are implying, I just named shows similar in humor and style, I would have added Atlanta which is one of my favorite shows ever but I find it more deep and dramatic.
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Bellinghamster t1_ja2nidy wrote
The show has heart but I rarely find myself laughing.