#don't think about why i'm watching 80s sitcoms again

[lensinski]

tvtropes.org is not holding back

[micamicster]

Micaaaaaa I am in need of a good TV show. IWTV left me craving for some good writing, please help 💙 I know some of your all-time favourites are Black Sails and The Wire, I gave them a try, but I'm afraid they're a bit too bleak for me :(( Any good recs?

Bestie this is a great question and im honestly a terrible person to direct it to because the truth is I really don't watch a ton of tv! But I'm gonna do my best!

Beneath the cut find a list of shows I think are particularly well written, divided into vague and confusing categories based on how similar to iwtv they might seem?

<3 <3 <3

(Totally get Black Sails and the Wire feeling too heavy. The wire in particular is imo the single most upsetting thing thats ever been put on television so I completely get not being up for it. But if anyone else is looking for shows I think are really well written those would be good places to start! Black Sails would be my first rec for iwtv fans tbh)

Dramas with syfy/fantasy elements:

Russian Doll: for literally anyone other than you (who's already watched it!) this would be my number one rec. One of the best (and specifically best written) shows of all time, has those spec fic surrealist elements, combines comedy and drama, just love it.

Andor: I know, I was surprised too. But despite being a star wars tv show it actually has writers that do a? good? job? And Diego Luna is spectacular. (If black sails was too grim this might also feel that way given our knowledge of the main character's fate, but it might be worth checking out anyway)

I forgot what i was going to put here

Not sf:

Reservation Dogs: Taika Watiti can be hit or miss for me, but this show is the best of his particular combination of humor and pathos. Also he's just really good at writing kids? (I would be remiss if I didn't point out that he has been (rightfully!) criticized for the antiblackness of couple of minor characters who appropriate black culture pretty egregiously, iirc they don't feature after season 1? But it is a flaw to be aware of). Why didn't I put this with the sitcoms? My mind is mysterious even to me

Bad Sisters: great 1 season irish show about a group of sisters trying to murder their sister's abusive husband. Again a really strong writing combo of humor and genuine emotion!

The Get Down: still not over this cancellation it hurt me in ways I can't even begin to explain... anyway a great show about the birth of rap in 70s nyc with beautifully thought out costumes, music, writing, visual style <3

The Americans: two russian spys undercover as an american suburban couple in the 80s is actually a vehicle for a probing exploration of marriage and intimacy. Also pretty grim (the cold war. yeah.) so idk if it would be for you.

The Knick: nobody ever watches this when I rec it because it's too gorey but I don't care! I love it! Period drama about a public hospital in early 1900s new york.

Sitcoms!: (sorry I know you've watched half of these just wanted to include them in case anyone else looked at this list!)

Derry Girls: this show is just hit after hit. Best written show about teens in the world!

We Are Lady Parts: See this entire blog. Genuinely one of the best shows ever made

American Vandal: Ok technically this is more of a mockumentary than a sitcom but i wasn't sure where else to put it. Season one in particular is some of the best tv show writing I've ever watched it is perfect in every way!

MASH: 70s sitcom about a US military field hospital during the Korean War. At its best it's hysterically funny, absurdist, and bitingly furiously anti-war. (At its worst it's racist, sexist, and boring. It was the 70s) This show was a cultural phenomenon, but it has literally over 200 episodes so I would recommend just googling for a best-of list and watching a handful to see if it works for you.

Atlanta: Donald Glover's surrealist sitcom about trying to manage his cousin's rap career in Atlanta. That's such a bad explanation of what this show is about i'm sorry but I'm not sure how to do better.

Shows I've watched between 1 episode and 1 season of, thought to myself "wow! this show is amazing!" but can't in good conscience recommend because I never really watched enough of them to qualify as an expert:

The Sopranos: everyone says it's the best tv show of all time and i watched season one, said wow they're right! and still haven't managed to get back to it! The pilot itself is so fucking funny like... mobster goes to therapy for his anxiety had to have been the pitch of all time

Station eleven: LOVED the book, heard really good things about the tv show, thought the pilot was amazing, got busy and couldn't finish it.

Babylon Berlin: this has the darkly romantic, opulent qualities of iwtv so it might be for you! Unfortunately I've seen less than half of it so I can't promise it doesn't go off the rails.

Breaking Bad: people are right! it's good! It's also (at least in season one, the only season I've watched so far) like someone made a slapstick comedy about a man cooking meth. In a good way!

You might want to just watch a couple gothic romances to scratch that iwtv itch! Check out an adaptation of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights!

WOW this is too hard. Just watch supernatural i guess

[neil-neil-orange-peel]

Girls on Top ♀️

I finally watched Girls on Top (starring Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ruby Wax, Tracey Ullman, and featuring Joan Greenwood). My immediate thoughts were: wow, the title graphics and theme tune are extremely '80s. They feel so old! They're kind of almost cute in how old and nostalgic they are. Also, the board saying "COMEDY DEGRADES WOMEN" that appears briefly in the first series' opening credits before Dawn's glaring face is revealed amused me.

I can see why for marketing reasons this was dubbed the female version of The Young Ones. That must have been an almost guaranteed way to attract viewers in 1985. In fairness, Girls on Top is about four young women sharing a flat (well, three once Tracey left after the first series due to pregnancy). As well as this, Dawn's character (Amanda Ripley) and Jen's character (Jennifer Marsh) can definitely be directly compared to Rick and Neil, respectively. The two groups share similar struggles of paying the rent, the four of them are very different and don't get on, and the last episode ends with a bang. The central set in both shows too is, of course, the shared living space.

That said, Girls on Top isn't a cut and paste female Young Ones, for a number of reasons. It isn't as surreal, has a more developed outside world for its characters to exist in, isn't about students, and I believe the fourth wall is only broken occasionally - at the end of episodes, which is arguably just the actors half breaking character to address the audience. Girls on Top was also made for ITV, not the BBC, which I'm sure will have had an impact too. I think the differences to TYO are a good thing, to be honest.

Anyway, though Girls on Top takes a few episodes to warm up, I liked it. The contrast of personalities between the characters works - the way Ruby plays Shelley DuPont compared to the way Jen plays Jennifer feel at opposite ends of the comic spectrum at points, but both work perfectly for the characters. I always appreciate sitcoms where women are allowed to be flawed and awful people, rather than stock types for the funny male characters to play off. Girls on Top is very much about women; if it wasn't obvious through all the regulars being women, you can tell by the jokes and references to periods, feminism, diets, etc. Amanda in particular is a self-righteous, man-hating, second-wave feminist (and a massive middle class hypocrite - you can see the obvious comparison with Rick 😂). I guess you could say, while The Young Ones is about young people, Girls on Top is about women. Obviously, it's not that the characters in Girls on Top aren't young (although, they're not meant to be as young as the lads from TYO... apart from Mike), but the fact that they're women is more integral to the premise.

In the same sense, The Young Ones' characters all being men doesn't seem to be something the show chose hyper specifically. Man was and still is the default over woman, so the specific choice TYO made was to have a sitcom about young people; the fact they all happen to be men is secondary to that, though not at all surprising. Of course they're men. The experiences of young men are the default young person experiences, right? The experiences of young women have to be defined by their Womanness before their Youngness, right? That's a very stripped down way of putting it, not even addressing other important social factors like race and class, but you get what I mean. Interestingly, Lise Mayer has talked recently about how she thinks, retrospectively, they could have had one of the main characters in TYO be a woman but that at the time the characters were all written for the specific comics who played them, who were all men (again, apart from Mike 😂). Obviously, the dynamic between men VS the dynamic between men and women (especially if the split is notably uneven) would make for different comedies, particularly back then, but it's still an interesting thought.

To get back to Girls on Top, I think I'd have to say my favourite character is Jennifer. She is very dim and absolutely the group punching bag, like Neil, but I think the fact she doesn't go out of her way to look for sympathy makes her more sympathetic than Neil (and Neil isn't NOT sympathetic, as much as any of the lads are meant to be sympathetic, it's just he's also a passive aggressive bastard too 😂). In the final episode, when she finally gets the opportunity to get one over on Shelley and Amanda, we're on her side. Her obliviousness in the face of other characters' - particularly Shelley's and Amanda's - overinflated egos and neuroses means she gets a fair few punchlines, as well. I mean, how does one respond to their bossy, melodramatic diva of a housemate threatening to off herself?

SHELLEY: Now, leave! I've decided to commit suicide!

JENNIFER: Alright then, if you're sure you're okay.

Amazing. 😂

I'd say this show is worth watching if you're into the "alternative comedy" cohort. Aside from the main quartet, almost every episode features a familiar face as a guest star. Some of the guest stars even appear in multiple episodes (Helen Lederer, Pauline Melville). Here's a YouTube playlist featuring the first series, from the same account that ended Hardwicke House's 30 years of obscurity:

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

012 of 2025

Does bad grammar bother you?

Sometimes. Not as much as it used to, though.

Do you save your shoe boxes or any other box?

I do, because we send packages sometimes.

What's the craziest rumor you've ever heard about yourself?

That I'm a woman. Lmao.

How many sweatshirts would you guess that you own?

At least 30. No kidding.

Are you a fan of Taylor Swift?

No. Never been.

What's the coolest name you've ever heard someone have?

I think Chayenne, one of my friends.

What's your least favorite genre of music and why?

Country because meh. I also don't like dubstep, it annoys me. And never got into k-pop either.

If you wear make up, what's some good brands you'd recommend someone with very pale skin?

I don't wear make up, but I'm also pale and I like it.

Do you usually complain a lot when you first wake up?

No, I don't.

What did you last complain about?

My back pain.

What's something you're thankful for?

Neurosurgeon saving my life.

What era had the best music/movies?

80s and 90s, for sure.

Did you ever like nursery rhymes as a child? What was your favorite?

No, I didn't.

What do you usually purchase at gas stations? (aside from gas of course)

Nothing in particular.

Do you drink regular or diet soda?

Regular. I can't stand the taste of zero.

What's one of your favorite artists/bands, and least favorite song from them?

Katatonia, and We Must Bury You.

Have you ever seen them live?

No, never had the chance. But I don't like concerts anyway.

Do you go on walks regularly?

I do, whenever I have the chance.

Do very sociable people aggravate you or more shy people?

No one does. But when someone talks a lot, it can be annoying indeed.

Are you registered to vote?

Yeah, voting is mandatory in my country.

Do you consider graffiti to be true art or just messy?

Depends on what it is. Some are true artworks.

Describe something odd that you own.

I can't think of anything particularly odd.

What last overwhelmed you?

Life. As usual.

Do you wear a lot of pink?

No, but today I have a pink hoodie on.

Do you currently have a fan on?

Nope, it's winter.

Do you take a lot of pictures?

Yeah. Like, really a lot. But I'm a hobbyist photographer, so.

Do you like the name Aidan?

Yeah. Reminds me of this actor Aidan Turner.

What is the first thing you said when you woke up this morning?

"What", because my husband asked me this first.

What's your McDonald's order?

Fish burger, double cheeseburger, strawberry milkshake, optionally fries.

When did you last have a donut?

Last year.

What's the longest word you know that you can accurately spell?

Meervoudigepersoonlijkheidsstoornis. Yes, I can't think of any English word because English is not my native language. (The word I spelled means dissociative identity disorder in my native language).

Do you live in a city with more than 100,000 people?

Indeed I do. It's the main city of my province.

Does your name begin with B, L, M, T, or H?

Nope, it begins with J.

What do you do when you can't fall asleep?

Read a book. Or watch TV.

What did you last watch on TV?

Some Polish sitcom again.

Do you know anyone who keeps a Christmas tree up year round?

Yeah, myself. Our tree is 10 cm tall, no kidding.

Who were you last in a vehicle with?

My husband, as usual. We went to send a package.

What's the strangest video you've ever seen?

Probably Lock from Unvavorable Semicircle. No one still knows what the f it was.

What country are you from and which country would you not mind residing in?

I'm from Belgium, I wouldn't mind Finland, but only during summer. Also the Netherlands, to annoy Dutch people with my accent.

What's something you care strongly for?

My cat and my family.

What goes best with dessert, coffee or milk?

Coffee, but I can't drink it anymore.

If Kirby absorbed you, what power would they get?

Oh my, what a question. I have no idea, really.

Who has better coffee, Dunkin or Starbucks or maybe somewhere else?

Starbucks. I tried Dunkin, way too sweet for me.

What's your go-to appetizer?

I don't think I have any.

Have you ever received a present that made you cry?

I don't think so.

Would you rather read a history novel or fiction?

Both, but history novel would go first.

What's something you are addicted to?

Shopping, apparently. That's what my husband says.

Do you know what time you were born?

Around 11am or 12pm, I heard.

Don't you hate when you jerk yourself awake while falling asleep?

Actually not. It's a clear sign to me that I am falling asleep. Besides, hypnic jerks are something completely normal and happen to healthy people as well.

Nobody is perfect. Who do you think is close to perfect though?

Everyone has their own idea of perfection. I can't speak for anyone else.

Do you know of any haunted buildings in your town?

No, I've never heard of any.

Do you think too much about your past or future?

Not anymore, but I used to overthink the past and worry about the future a lot when I was younger.

Is anyone on your bad side lately?

Probably, but I really don't think about them anymore.

What's the most random song on your playlist that people wouldn't expect?

Probably Chacarron by El Chombo. Hilarious song, ahead of its time.

Do you wish Bzoink would let you put music on your profile?

Oh my, I miss Bzoink. Sadly it won't anymore, but hey, at least we can access some surveys via the wayback machine. At least that's what I do.

When did you last receive a business card from somebody?

Long time ago, it's been a few years.

What makes you want to take a survey?

Interesting questions. Or silly questions.

What song did you last hum or sing along to?

In the End by Linkin Park. I love this song.

What TV streaming service do you use the most?

One for Polish TV, one for British TV, and Netflix.

Would you try that flaming hot mountain dew? isn't that so wild?

Oh my, doesn't sound appealing.

What's something strange that you enjoyed when you tried it?

Jumping from heights.

Do you own any adult coloring books?

I think I had a printout from Emilie Autumn.

What did you last draw or write down?

The model of lamp that we needed for the kitchen.

Do you always smile in pictures or what is your go-to pose for pictures?

I don't. I always have a grumpy face on photos. XD

What's a topic you love discussing with others? share something with me about it (:

The meaning of life. Like, seriously.

Would you say that you're an outdoorsy type person?

Yeah. Even when I want to be alone with my thoughts, I'd rather walk on a beach.

In your opinion, appearance aside, what makes someone beautiful and ugly?

Their personality. Someone can be beautiful on the outside, but have a rotten soul.

What's the craziest hairstyle you've ever had or would have?

I tink I've had three colours on my hair at once.

Do you use matches or lighters more?

Lighters. Haven't used matches in years.

Have you ever played pinball on a machine or just online?

Both, but t was so long ago.

Do you have any chores you need to get done?

Yeah, take the laundry to the laundry service.

If you had to get a tattoo, what would it be of and where would you like it?

I'm going to get my 3rd one in 3 weeks, it will be an outline of a cat with a butterfly on their nose, and the name of my beloved late cat written on it. It will be placed on my right forearm.

Have you ever had a bad sunburn?

At least 3 times, so painful.

Have you ever seen a play? What was it about?

I did in school, but I don't remember what it was about because I wasn't paying attention.

Would you enjoy being famous or does it seem too stressful?

Too stressful, hands down. Fame is not for me.

[dreaminpeaches]

Humble Pie Concept: Hereau Timeline

Okay so its 4am when I came up with this concept it was too hot for me to sleep so forgive me, if it's sound too weird.

Okay, so what if Beau never met Beau (walk with me to this pier before you throw me off), but instead Beau met Hera...

Hera is character from my other blog , but she exists in Humble Pie, as a famous all star athlete. She's not only know for being a talented athlete but also a beautiful athlete as well. Beau knows of Hera and is a semi fan of hers, her poster was one of the only ones he didn't take down when he was redoing his room. Anyways, Hera is also known be to a very cool and spicy athlete often called the Mona Lisa of sports because she never smiles in pictures and she has a very cool girl, competitive and cocky persona in public. But in actuality, Hera is a nervous wreck whose real dream is to break from her cool girl persona and become a cutesy idol girl.

Where as Bonnie and Beau are interesting as couple for how different they are, Hera and Beau are interesting for how similar they are, both trying to break from personas, that they made for themselves out of protect and want to be a more honest verison of themselves, and I could see them help each other through it.

Beau and Hera's relationship is more mellow than Beau's and Bonnie's chaotic relationship, like for example, Bonnie won't really have the patience to go fishing with Beau--like just watching him fish, but Hera wouldn't be really mind it, she would actually find it really calming, and would enjoy watching Beau along with playing with the cats near by.

Beau is less snarky with Hera and more gentle because Hera can be really hard on herself when she makes the slightest mistakes, and tends to fall into stress loops.

While in Beau and Bonnie's relationship, Bonnie is the one usually to make Beau laugh and cheer him up, in Hera and Beau's relationship, Beau is the one to make Hera laugh and is more goofy with her. Mostly because Hera doesn't rub it in like Bonnie does, like when Beau acts goofy around Beau too much for too long , Bonnie is basically like "You like Krabby Patties don't you, Squidward?" If you know what mean, but Hera is more is more like "Thanks, I need that" and doesn't mention again in mocking or teasing way.

Beau and Hera also have a few more things in common, they both like sports (duh) and they both grew up with fathers who weren't the best dads outside of sports. Hera's father wasn't nearly as physically abusive as Beau's dad, he was more neglectful and ignored Hera anytime she wasn't talking about or practicing some type of sport, Hera's dad secretly wanted a son and kind of was depressed when he found out Hera was a girl, and ever since she could walk he always pushed her to more masculine interest than feminine, he would completely ignore her if she wanted to show her dad and new song and dance she made up in her favorite Ariel dress but she would have his undivided attention if she finally prefected her volleyball serve. Bonnie never knew her father because everytime she would ask her mom what he was like she would say "He was a useless p@#$ who couldn't handle my energy, so I got rid of him", Bonnie's mom would as end the conversation there never really elaborating any further.

How Beau and Hera meet is basically the same how Bonnie and Beau met, but with Hera the meeting has a more 90/80s sitcom feel like "All Star Athlete, Hera Grace? What are you doing here?" But less sitcom y because Hera as a nervous breakdown at the same time her car broke down. So, not only is Beau trying to help fix her car, but is also trying to comfort Hera, while at the same time trying figure out what is All Star Athlete, Hera Grace doing in his small town driving a beat up car.

At first, Hera tells Beau that's she just in town for vacation...

Beau: "So, out of all the places you could go as All Star Athlete, Hera Grace, you chose a small southern town?"

Hera: "I guess I just like the humble aesthetic... heh heh.."

Beau:" Okay.."

Beau (internally): Grandma was right, famous people are weird..

Beau and Hera continue to meet to work on Hera's car, and people don't recognize Hera because (a. Small town folk wouldn't really believe some one THAT famous would just plop into town (b. Using superman logic, Hera wears sunglasses so nobody can recognize her. So yes, Beau and Hera are sunglasses stunting couple 😎😎

Anyways, Beau and Hera start spending more time together and get closer, there is that scene where Hera walks in on Beau playing and being goofy with his siblings, but since Hera isnt as teasing as Bonnie, Beau doesn't feel as embarrassed about it.

There is a moment where Beau walks in on Hera doing a Disney number in one of her cute idol dress, she has another breakdown when she realizes Beau is watching, Beau comforts her again, and that's when Hera reveals that she actually made a deal with her father that if she can at least start her idol career in a year, then she could quit her athlete career and become an idol full time. The reason why she came to Beau's town because all the big city entertainment and music companies literally shut the door in Hera's face, Hera suspect that her dad was behind it and was purposely making harder for her since he wasn't going to help out at all with her idol career, which is why he gave her the best up car, there's a small but ambitious entertainment company in Beau's town looking to start an idol group and since it's not connected to a big company Hera felt like she actually had a chance. Hera begs Beau to keep this a secret and she isn't ready to go public with it.

Hera: "Please, keep this a secret, if-if anyone finds out, I'll--ill--"

Beau: "Hey! hey! It's okay, I know what it's like to keep a secret, but at least yours is actually really cute.."

Hera:" (Blush) heh...heh.. thank you, that really means alot to me, Beau"

While Bonnie's hyperfixation is mascots, Hera are idols, idol culture, Idol anime shows/games, and Disney. She often info dumps about Idol stuff while helping Beau work on the car.

Hera: "Oh! Oh, there's this another idol group I like called Arashi, they're were the first idol group I ever seen, and they have this one song that oozes sparkle energy, and they're still really cute and fun despite being kind of old for idols, and --oh, I'm sorry, rambling again.."

Beau: "No, no, it's fine, you smile for real when you talk about that stuff, I like it.."

Hera: "(blushes) UMMMM!..okay, so where was I-- oh, yeah.."

For money, Hera works at a cat cafe, she was gonna work at the same maid cafe Bonnie did but Hera was still shy about preforming in front others on the spot like that, so she picked the cat cafe that was two stores down, she also coaches softball at the local rec center.

Hera is no where near as flirtatious as Bonnie, since Hera spent most of her life practicing sports, and trying to literally win her dad's affection, she didn't really think about boys in a romantic sense, although she is comfortable around guys platonically, Beau was the first guy to treat Hera like a normal girl, not one of the guys or a sports goddess, just a normal girl, Hera is used to being call Beautiful or Sexy, but when Beau calls her Cute, she considers that flirting.

Since Hera is so used to holding masculine energy and qualities and being praised and recognized for it, it's nice to allow herself to be more feminine and being recognized and complimented for it.

While Beau is more sparing but loving with his kisses with Bonnie . With, Hera he uses his kisses to comfort her and/or to stop her from falling into stress/aniexty loop, usually holding her or hugging her or at least holding her hand and say "It's Okay", "I'm here", "Don't worry about it"

Okay, that's about all I have to say for this timeline/AU, I still love both Beaunnie and Hereau equally, I like Beaunnie for it's chaotic energy, I like Hereau for it's neutral good energy, I like both Bonnie and Hera, we can stan multiple queens in this household thank you very much...