HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SHOULD DO?

Hey you know what you should do presents:

 The doctor will see you now: The Three Best Sitcoms about Doctors

3. Scrubs. Scrubs has gotten a lot of flack from the Zach Braff haters out there, but there are a lot of good things to pull out of the show. The number one thing being the chemistry of the characters; the most palatable and authentic being the one between real life best friends Zach Braff and Donald Faison who play J.D and Turk. Their behind the scenes relationship inspires a chemistry unlike anything I have ever seen before between two characters. Also, the mechanics of the show are pretty mind blowing: the way J.D’s daydreams are shot by visually balancing reality with fantasy, the transitions from scene to scene are non traditional and clever and the way the bit characters stories are woven into the main storyline is, at times, inspired; who can forget Snoop Dogg Intern and that Hooch is crazy? The show is pretty consistently funny although when the show made the leap from NBC to ABC in its 9th season it broke away from the main plot and starred a whole new cast of interns. I’m not including this season as part of the recommendation because it isn’t the same show; it’s basically a spin off with the same title. The many body of work has a lot of rewatchability. So if you’ve never seen it or it has been a while, watch it.

2. M.A.S.H. There is a kind of general aversion to sitcoms that are more than 20 years old. For good reason, comedy is genre that is very in the moment. Jokes are best when they are fresh and topical or reveal a truth about the human condition. (Like how farts are man’s great equalizer). The reason why M.A.S.H is on this list is because it operates in that latter group by making commentary on man’s basest instincts with expertly crafty dialogue and by the balancing the dualities of goofy humor and the macabre. As long as there is a dark side to mankind, M.A.S.H will be relevant.

1. Children’s Hospital. Children’s Hospital is an off the wall, bonkers show. The first time I ever saw it I consumed an entire season and the only question I had was, “What the hell did I just watch?” I spent the entire time laughing out loud and wondering if the fact that none of it made any sense should bother me. This kind of viewer experience seems to be the hallmark of alt comedy. Now, our resident TV expert Mike Gravagno says that we should stop calling the genre “alt comedy” and just call it comedy, and he makes a fair point. Something that is popular enough to make onto basic cable for three seasons cannot, by definition, be considered underground or alternative. The reason I’m calling it alt comedy is because I believe this brand of humor is only accessible to those of us in our wonderful internet generation (y’all). I don’t think older generations find its random, fast paced, loose grip on reality watchable. CH doesn’t feel the need to remember plot points established in previous episodes, makes loose connections to reality and breaks all the sitcom rules making it seem foreign to anyone who is used to the standard operating procedures established since the beginning of television. The people who watch it and enjoy it for these reasons also enjoy a broader definition of comedy–allowing the genre to grow and break new ground. Watching it is a highly enjoyable experience for anyone who loves to laugh and doesn’t believe sitcoms need to follow prescribed methods to be great.