Classic Sitcoms: A Celebration of the Best in Prime-Time Comedy [Paperback]

Vince Waldron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1998

What a lovely surprise. A critical guide to all those classic sitcoms; and to be included among them is a distinct honor. -- Carl Reiner

A comedic compendium of the best television comedy ... the best way ever to watch reruns. -- Playboy

An excellently organized and researched book ... intelligent entertainment, shrewdly executed. -- Library JournalThe Dick Van Dyke Show

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

All in the Family -- M*A*S*H

The Bob Newhart Show

Barney Miller -- Taxi

What do all of these shows have in common? They are the sitcoms that forty-five TV critics from across the country voted to be the all-time best.

Classic Sitcoms provides sitcom fans, trivia buffs, and TV scholars with the inside information on each of these classic shows. Included are:
-- Behind-the-scenes stories of how each show got on the air
-- Storylines for every episode
-- Complete credits -- including writers, directors, and guest stars
-- Backstage anecdotes from the stars, writers, and producers
-- Tallies of Emmy awards and yearly ratings.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Waldron

Product Details

• Paperback: 603 pages
• Publisher: Silman-James Pr; 2 Rev Exp edition (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879505258
• ISBN-13: 978-1879505254
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,130,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A serious examination of some funny shows., September 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Classic Sitcoms: A Celebration of the Best in Prime-Time Comedy (Paperback)

Rather than another nostalgia-derived look at fondly remembered but essentially lame sitcoms, this book reflects critics' picks of the very best examples of the genre, then examines them with the seriousness and insight they deserve. The author is an expert on the subject--he also wrote the definitive work on the Dick Van Dyke Show--and he treats each of the ten shows, from I Love Lucy to Cheers--with thoroughness and affection. This book will enhance the viewing experience of any television fan.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With insightful behind-the-scenes notes and anecdotes, February 7, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classic Sitcoms: A Celebration of the Best in Prime-Time Comedy (Paperback)

Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded second edition, Classic Sitcoms: A Celebration Of The Best In Prime-Time Comedy by television history expert Vince Waldron provides tv sitcom fans with a complete episode-by-episode summary and guide to ten of the all-time best television sitcoms, as chosen by forty-five top TV critics. "I Love Lucy"; "The Honeymooners"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "All In The Family", "M*A*S*H", "The Bob Newhart Show", "Taxi", and "Cheers" are presented with insightful behind-the-scenes notes and anecdotes from the stars, writers, and producers. Complete credits, basic episode storylines, and tallies of Emmy awards and yearly ratings make Classic Sitcoms a superb and highly recommended resource for TV fans and trivia buffs alike.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A resource book that reads like a novel, August 14, 2011

By 

TomH1138 "tomakalinus" (Chicago suburbs, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classic Sitcoms: A Celebration of the Best in Prime-Time Comedy (Paperback)

This volume is a wonderful read for anyone who loves quality sitcoms. Though it's largely meant to be resource material, it's absorbing enough to be read as a novel! Vince Waldron, the author, does such an excellent job of charting the evolution of the shows behind the scenes and the character/story arcs within the show, that each section on each program feels like a satisfying story unto itself. While episode guides are now easily available on the Internet, what you won't get from them is the keen insight that Waldron offers.

The '87 edition is excellent, but the '98 edition is even more worth having, as it completes the episode guide for CHEERS. (When Waldron wrote the first edition, CHEERS was only in its fourth season! This volume covers the remaining 7 seasons of that program.)

With all the new quality sitcoms over the past 20 years, this is one reader who would be more than happy to pick up a follow-up book from Waldron covering those shows.