Saturday, March 10, 2012

A guest article by Dylan Harper

Because this blog is designed to be a safe place for TV fans to indulge in further exploration of this often underrated medium, I have asked a few of my fellow TV junkies to write me some stuff about any television topic that struck their fancy. The first to provide me with content (even before I had any content of my own, actually) was Watchin' Stuff ally and KSFS Radio big wig, Dylan Harper. So, for you reading pleasure, here is Mr. Harper's FrasierIt's Always Sunny In Philadelphia comparison.


It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: The new smartest show on television

by Dylan Harper

Upon first glance, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia may seem like an odd heir to a thrown last held by Frasier; in many ways, the two shows are complete opposites of one another. There are some comparisons to be made however, the most prominent being the great writing that carries both shows.

Frasier toured a world of learned individuals who were obsessed with living a high-class lifestyle, and determined to justify that lifestyle with vain attempts at helping those around them around them cursed with normality. The master of sensational repartee, the joke delivery on Frasier is so fast and fluid that some episodes barely leave the viewer time to take a breath. Frasier is the fastball pitcher of high-class wit. In contrast, Always Sunny delivers low-class change-ups. The plot is set up even before the opening credits. While on the surface this seems to be a separation device meant to highlight the differences between Always Sunny and your average sitcom it's actually a necessity. The jokes on Always Sunny are slow developing. The viewer is given time to settle in and often starts laughing without even realizing when the punch line occurred.

But don't be fooled by the Caddyshack level of class disparity, these two shows are remarkably similar. The low-class material on Always Sunny isn't the result of lazy or slow-witted writing. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The long form jokes often work on several levels and relate back to a previous joke or plot point. There are almost no throw away jokes. Always Sunny is certainly working on the same intellectual level as Fraiser. There are more similarities in the style though; Frasier is about high-class people doing good and Always Sunny is about low-class people doing bad, but both are an exercise in escapism.

A theme of 21st century sitcoms is to provide characters to whom the viewer can relate. For example, one of ABC's newest shows, Last Man Standing (*Kait's feeling on this show: "In the words of Jon Stewart, 'stop hurting America' Last Man Standing!"), tells the story of a man "whose world is dominated by women." Here, ABC is making a shameless attempt to connect to men from the Baby Boomer generation who still want to be thought of as manly. Both Frasier and Always Sunny do the opposite.

The characters in both shows are meant to be laughed at, not with. The viewer has no interest in sympathizing with anyone, except maybe the unfortunate souls who inhabit the story world of the main cast. With Frasier, humor stemmed from the fact that he never broke discipline. From Boston to San Francisco, he remained the naive, pompous socialite, who views himself as at least a minor celebrity, allowing the audience to find amusement in his self-importance. With The Gang on Always Sunny, humor is derived from the fact that all of the characters remain only self-interested as they continue to cower at the prospect of ever leaving Philly.

The plots of both shows themselves share little in common, except essence. Undeniably, the location of each show plays an important role. Where Niles Crane embodies everything that is Seattle, Mac and Charlie are the definition of South Philly. Additionally, when the writers of either show wanted to make a point, neither did it too directly. Both shows crafted symbolism into their episodes that is easy enough to read into, but never feels forced or preachy. The careers of the characters also contribute heavily in both shows. KACL Radio is the center of many a storyline, as is Paddy's Pub, but neither abuse the job sites to the point that they would dominate the show.  Both shows are so character driven that you could move The Gang to Seattle to do a radio show (maybe someone heard Dennis and Dee's air check?) and you could bring Frasier back to a bar (for those who don't know, Frasier Crane got his start on Cheers), but this time in Philly, and the shows wouldn't lose a single laugh.

Unfortunately, Frasier gave up his radio show in 2004 but The Gang was right there to pick up the "smartest show" torch shortly after in 2005 and has been carrying it ever since. Sure, the shows have their differences, but the success of both are long standing examples that there will always be a place on TV for great writing.

Thank you for your two-cents Dylan, it's greatly appreciated. And for those who have yet to see it, Frasier is available on Netflix instant.  Unfortunately, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is not but here are some clips from both shows.

The best of Frasier Season 1

One of my favorite It's Always Sunny clips from Season 3 Episode 9, Sweet Dee's Dating A Retarded Person.

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