Except for a few titles, most recent sitcoms are really not that funny. In fact, that’s probably an unfair assessment. Let’s try this again. Compared to the shows of the Nineties, the sitcoms of today are not that funny.
If you closed your eyes and thought of any show that was on in the Nineties, from Family Matters to Martin, you’d realise that they could be shown today and would still make us laugh. This is pre the smartphone or Twitter era and some of the references are dated, but the material is still funny.
In fact, Comedy Central has been running an old series which was a hit in the late Nineties called That ’70s Show and it features Ashton Kutcher. It may be more than a decade since it first aired, but compared to some of the newer shows we have today, Kutcher and the gang are still kicking butt.
The same can be expected from Two Guys and a Girl which was a hit from the late Nineties through to the Naughties. It featured a young Ryan Reynolds and jump-started his acting career.
In the show we meet three young students who work in a pizza parlour to subsidise their varsity studies. Think of Two Broke Girls, but with a bit of testosterone, and dated clothing. For the ladies who think Reynolds is a hunk today, let’s hear what you have to say about what he looked like when checked shirts and stonewashed jeans were the in things.
As a principal character, Reynolds stars as Michael Bergen, a popular pretty boy who finds a way to create chaos for all those around him. Think Neil Patrick Harris’ role in How I Met Your Mother and you’ll have a clear picture of who the Berg character is.
Berg is brainy, but at first not too sure what he wants to do with his life – until he settles on becoming a doctor. He is good at what he does and hopes to make a difference in other people’s lives through his practice.
Looking back and seeing Reynolds do skits is almost surreal considering where he is now. The man is the poster boy for superhero movies like X-Men and Green Lantern. He has used his physique and looks to get these parts, but has also used his talent to earn roles in more serious offerings like Fireflies in the Garden and Safe House.
Like Kutcher, the comedy gig worked to keep Reynolds visible in the industry while he sought bigger roles.
He has even made use of his voice in animated movies like Turbo and The Croods which were both box office successes this year.
It would be interesting to see what would happen to his career if he were to return to the sitcom environment like Kutcher did for Two and a Half Men.
It might be a dead end move, though, as his Hollywood persona has done wonders for him, so much so he has seemingly outgrown comedy.
- Two Guys and a Girl airs next Monday on Comedy Central (DStv channel 122) at 6.25pm.