Frasier

I am talking about the charming and witty 1990s sitcom. Not the sad remake.

I am really enjoying this show. The writing is clever, subtle, and full of delightful irony and callbacks to scenes in the same episode. This show rewards the viewer's attention, since every detail can be used for comedy. Frasier also demonstrates that, unlike what young people seem to believe, live audiences were not the reason for the downfall of the 1990s sitcom.

And yes, I am using the correct term: live audience. Popular 1990s sitcoms did not, at any point, use pre-recorded laughs. The live audience makes for a theater-like experience with the dynamic and runtime of TV editing. The audience energizes the performers. They also allow for a rhythm that feels cozy and inviting, with a sense of community.

Sometimes you laugh out loud, sometimes you are merely amused. And that is perfectly fine! I am not counting jokes-per-minute with a chronometer like a YouTuber once did with the TV show Friends. What a pointless exercise! My enjoyment is more important than stupid Zoomer metrics. This is comedy, not an Amazon warehouse. I can spare the time to laugh at my leisure along with the people in the theater. Live audiences on TV shows do not ruin comedy. Bad writing does. And there's absolutely none of that in Frasier.

I watched Anxious People and enjoyed it. I was partly watching to see what they would do with the story, which I had already read as a book. They were pretty faithful to the source material and I enjoyed the show.

I swear to God I did not start watching The West Wing for political reasons. It's just that I was watching the Charlie Sheen doc which reminded me of Martin Sheen. Who doesn't love Martin Sheen? But anyway, it's a good time to watch that show. I'm not American but I follow the news. I remember a time when everyone looked at the US for inspiration and values. I know West Wing is fiction. Highly devoted, intelligent, scrupulous civil servants under ethical leadership. In the first episode everyone seems very concerned with treating Cuban migrants arriving in boats non-volently, with the utmost respect. It is indeed a very good time to watch that show!

I do not recommend the Netflix documentary aka Charlie Sheen. It's a puff piece vetted by PR, and I say that as someone who loved Two and a Half Men.

And they don't even mention Anger Management, a 100-episode sitcom Charlie did in 2012 that reflects a lot about his personality. Perhaps Charlie directed them to ignore it because it's not good.