I have been trying really hard to put comedy back in my life. I now listen to stand up in the car. I am watching last comic standing on NBC. I am trying to find half hour comedies that do it right. My only problem is every time I find that does it right it gets cancelled, I am looking at you FOX with Dads how dare you. So here are some of my favorite comedy bits from primetime television over my lifetime.

5. Hash, Barney Miller season 3 episode 11. Wojo inadvertently brings in a tray of hash brownies and comedy ensues. I always love the pot episodes of shows. Sometimes they are serious like Cosby or even Rosanne; sometimes they are just goofy and misunderstood. Sometimes they are just funny. Watching a group of people not sure what is happening to them as they try to go about the normal day affairs. As a whole the episode is just funny.

4. Turkeys Away, WKRP season 1 episode 7. My father was in radio as I was growing up so this show has a special place in my heart to start with. The characters are spot on in all regards. I have met every one of these characters. This episode focusses on an ill-conceived promotional idea, not like that has ever happened in small town radio anywhere. The WKRP news chopper flies over the shopping center to release, in honor of thanksgiving, turkeys. The mayhem is priceless. It is horrific and yet you cannot stop laughing.

3. Chuckles Bites the Dust, Mary Tyler Moore season 6 episode 7. Noting is funnier than being in a situation where you are not allowed to laugh. This is where the class clown lives and breathes. This is a “very special episode”. There is the death of a beloved local children’s icon, chuckles the clown. His horrific death is comedic fodder for the entire news room, which is appalling to Mary. Once she gets to the funeral she can’t stop laughing. You the viewer laugh as an almost uncomfortable reaction to the fact that someone is laughing uncontrollably at a funeral. Something you would never really want to see, I have seen it and the problem is it’s contagious but that’s another story all together. I saw this when I was very young and I am surprised that I got it. The social conformity, the celebration of life that every funeral should be.

2. Rev. Jim: A Space Odyssey, taxi season 2 episode 3. This is classic. I love language based humor. Been a fan of George Carlin for this very reason. This is the misunderstood statement to the nth degree. Jims is ready to take is driving test and the gang helps him achieve this goal. A brilliant show well written and well-acted. One of my all-time favorite episodes, one of my all-time favorite shows.

1. Optimal tip-to-tip efficiency Silicon Valley season 1 episode 8. HBO does not do comedy very often I can count on one hand the number of comedy shows they have done that I have liked and still have room left. However this quirky comedy cracked me up. The show focusses on a group of twenty-somethings in a tech start up. Most of the tech babble runs past me but the characters are brilliant and the writing is excellent and the actors are great. You should note this is the only show I have included from this decade/ century so that should tell you something. This joke is about the best written bit I have ever seen. It is played to perfection it takes low brow humor and elevates it to high tech proportions. This clip is on the raunchy side. As it is NSFM, not safe for mom. With that being said if you are mature enough to handle one of the best ever dick jokes please feel free to view this.

Those are just five of my favorite TV comedy moments, did I miss yours? Let me know in the comment section. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite.