Laughter — The Best Medicine
by mariojacobs | created - 18 Feb 2021 | updated - 02 Mar 2023 | PublicReader's Digest is an American general-interest family compact magazine. The publication was founded in 1922 (hundred years ago) and, for many years, it was the best-selling consumer magazine in the United States.
Global editions of Reader's Digest reach 40 million people in more than 70 countries in 21 languages. It is the largest paid-circulation magazine in the world. (Wikipedia)
The periodical had a remarkable humorous section featuring a collection of funny, easy to get and clean jokes/stories called:
Laughter, the Best Medicine
Here follows a pot-pourri of funny TV series/movies from America, United Kingdom and Australia regarding the topic comedy, comprising a wide range of decades.
In your opinion, which title is the most hilarious?
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1. All in the Family (1971–1979)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
A working class man constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.
Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers
Votes: 18,681
2. Married... with Children (1987–1997)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
Al is the quintessential working class dad. Peggy, his wife, always wants more from him. With their children, they go through the highs and lows of ordinary life.
Stars: Ed O'Neill, Christina Applegate, Katey Sagal, Amanda Bearse
Votes: 111,179
3. The Nanny (1993–1999)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
After being fired from her job and dumped by her boyfriend, a cosmetics saleswoman becomes the nanny to the three children of a rich English widower. As time passes, the two fall for each other.
Stars: Fran Drescher, Charles Shaughnessy, Daniel Davis, Lauren Lane
Votes: 49,376
4. Roseanne (1988–2018)
TV-PG | 21 min | Comedy, Drama
A revival of the popular 1990s sitcom "Roseanne," which centered on the everyday life of an American working-class family.
Stars: Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fishman
Votes: 46,403
5. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
A streetwise, poor young man from Philadelphia is sent by his mother to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins in their Bel-Air mansion.
Stars: Will Smith, James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali
Votes: 144,779
6. Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998–2007)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Game-Show
Improvisational comedy competition show in which four members of the regular cast as comedians and often with guest appearances with other comedians and celebrities and members of the audience perform various comic games and sketches.
Stars: Drew Carey, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, Laura Hall
Votes: 46,423
7. Father Ted (1995–1998)
TV-14 | 25 min | Comedy
Three misfit priests and their housekeeper live on Craggy Island, not the peaceful and quiet part of Ireland that it seems to be.
Stars: Dermot Morgan, Ardal O'Hanlon, Frank Kelly, Pauline McLynn
Votes: 43,836
8. Blackadder (1982–1983)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
In the Middle Ages, Prince Edmund the Black Adder constantly schemes and endeavors to seize the crown from his father and brother.
Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Brian Blessed, Elspet Gray, Tim McInnerny
Votes: 41,103
9. Mad TV (1995–2016)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy
A sketch comedy show based on the seminal Mad Magazine.
Stars: Michael McDonald, Debra Wilson, Aries Spears, Bobby Lee
Votes: 11,932
10. Saturday Night Live (1975– )
TV-14 | 90 min | Comedy, Music
A famous guest host stars in parodies and sketches created by the cast of this witty show.
Stars: The Saturday Night Live Band, Don Pardo, Darrell Hammond, Kenan Thompson
Votes: 52,775
11. South Park (1997– )
TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes, Mona Marshall
Votes: 406,227
12. The Simpsons (1989– )
TV-14 | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner
Votes: 436,312
13. Hogan's Heroes (1965–1971)
TV-PG | 25 min | Comedy, War
The inmates of a German World War II prisoner of war camp conduct an espionage and sabotage campaign right under the noses of their warders.
Stars: Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, John Banner, Robert Clary
Votes: 12,358
14. Arrested Development (2003–2019)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.
Stars: Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett
Votes: 324,440
15. Just Shoot Me! (1997–2003)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
Hot-tempered journalist Maya got herself fired yet again. Unable to find a job anywhere else and facing eviction, she is forced to go work for Blush, her father's fashion magazine.
Stars: Laura San Giacomo, Enrico Colantoni, George Segal, Wendie Malick
Votes: 21,845
16. Parker Lewis Can't Lose (1990–1993)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Fantasy
For a cool high-school kid and his friends, thwarting authority figures and other enemies is never a problem.
Stars: Corin Nemec, Billy Jayne, Troy W. Slaten, Melanie Chartoff
Votes: 6,235
17. Will & Grace (1998–2020)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
Gay lawyer Will and straight interior designer Grace share a New York City apartment. Their best friends are gleeful and proud gay Jack and charismatic, filthy-rich, amoral socialite Karen.
Stars: Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, Sean Hayes
Votes: 60,353
18. Mr. Pickles (2013–2019)
TV-MA | 15 min | Animation, Comedy, Horror
The Goodman family lives with their lovable pet dog, Mr. Pickles, a deviant border collie with a secret satanic streak.
Stars: Dave Stewart, Kaitlyn Robrock, Will Carsola, Jay Johnston
Votes: 10,005
19. Beavis and Butt-Head (1993–2011)
TV-14 | 15 min | Animation, Comedy, Music
Animated MTV series about two teenage heavy-metal music fans who occasionally do idiotic things because they're bored. For them, everything is "cool" or "sucks."
Stars: Mike Judge, Kristofor Brown, Dale Revo, Tracy Grandstaff
Votes: 34,266
20. Ned and Stacey (1995–2017)
30 min | Comedy
Ned and Stacey marry a week after they meet. He marries her to get a promotion. She marries him because she can't find a place to live and likes his apartment.
Stars: Thomas Haden Church, Debra Messing, Greg Germann, Nadia Dajani
Votes: 1,921
21. Unhappily Ever After (1995–1999)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A not-so-happy family is divided further when the father gets a schizophrenic disorder.
Stars: Geoff Pierson, Kevin Connolly, Nikki Cox, Justin Berfield
Votes: 3,240
22. M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
TV-PG | 25 min | Comedy, Drama, War
The staff of an Army hospital in the Korean War find that laughter is the best way to deal with their situation.
Stars: Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr
Votes: 63,864
23. The Benny Hill Show (1969–1989)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A skit based show with Benny Hill, often containing smutty humour.
Stars: Benny Hill, Henry McGee, Jackie Wright, Bob Todd
Votes: 5,520
24. The Jeffersons (1975–1985)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants.
Stars: Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover
Votes: 10,617
25. Three's Company (1976–1984)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The misadventures of two women and one man living in one apartment and their neighbors.
Stars: John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, Suzanne Somers, Richard Kline
Votes: 17,128
26. The Man Show (1999–2014)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Talk-Show
A comedic talk show geared toward men and their interests.
Stars: Adam Carolla, Jimmy Kimmel, Angelique Gorges, Vanessa Kay
Votes: 3,705
27. Jackass (2000–2007)
TV-14 | 535 min | Action, Comedy, Reality-TV
The cast performs various crazy stunts for our amusement.
Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Dave England
Votes: 27,664
28. The Muppet Show (1976–1981)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Musical
Kermit the Frog and his fellow Muppets put on a vaudeville show at their theatre, bringing in a famous celebrity to help out for each episode.
Stars: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz
Votes: 26,250
29. Get Smart (1965–1970)
TV-G | 25 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Maxwell Smart, a highly intellectual but bumbling spy working for the CONTROL agency, battles the evil forces of rival spy agency KAOS with the help of his competent partner Agent 99.
Stars: Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, Edward Platt, Robert Karvelas
Votes: 13,799
30. Police Squad! (1982)
TV-PG | 24 min | Comedy, Crime
Sight gags, puns and non-sequiturs abound bumbling Sgt. Det. Lt. Frank Drebin and his colleagues at Police Squad solve various puzzling cases.
Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Alan North, Ed Williams, William Duell
Votes: 20,673
31. Way Out West (1937)
Passed | 66 min | Comedy, Family, Western
Stanley and Ollie are enlisted to deliver the deed to a goldmine in a small village, only for it to be stolen.
Director: James W. Horne | Stars: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Sharon Lynn, James Finlayson
Votes: 8,998
Laurel and Hardy
32. Hoi Polloi (1935)
Approved | 19 min | Comedy, Short
A professor plays Pygmalion to three bumbling garbagemen and tries to turn them into gentlemen.
Director: Del Lord | Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Gail Arnold
Votes: 944
Three Stooges
33. Two and a Half Men (2003–2015)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
A hedonistic jingle writer's free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house.
Stars: Jon Cryer, Ashton Kutcher, Angus T. Jones, Conchata Ferrell
Votes: 280,768
34. All Together Now (1991–1993)
25 min | Comedy
One-time Rock'n'Roll star Bobby Rivers discovers he has 15-year-old twins when his former lover dies in a plane crash. They and Tracy, the woman who looked after them when their mother was travelling the world, move in with him.
Stars: Jon English, Steven Jacobs, Jane Hall, Bruno Lucia
Votes: 251
35. Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
The original surreal sketch comedy showcase for the Monty Python troupe.
Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle
Votes: 78,835
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