i know i'm one of the only people on ilx who watches *how i met your mother* on a regular basis, but did anyone else see the robin sparkles episode? where robin didn't want people to know that she had

didn't laurie metcalf play leonard's mom before?

she played Sheldon's mom

So every show I see basically cements my feeling that "The Big Bang Theory" = "genuine belly laughs" while "How I Met Your Mother" = "arched eyebrow with internal 'oh how amusing' monologue with one outrageously funny scene" (last night's episode, it was Robin's bike ride back to the station, particularly the flip).

i dunno, i get belly laughs from both shows, although HIMYM generally seems to work harder for them with intricate setups.

i actually lol more at HIMYM than at 30 Rock, i think.

BBT seems pretty lame, but i haven't really given it a chance (i've probably seen 1.75 episodes).

i think the last episode (barney's fake family) was pretty much as good as a 30 rock episode but himym's lows are actually pretty rubbish and mushy, whereas lows in 30 rock are 'i laughed but wasn't distracted enough to hear the next joke'.

we need a separate thread for shitty chuck lorre sitcoms but only if we can embed an audio file of a loud over-the-top fake laugh track that repeats every ten seconds

^ only way to recreate the chuck lorre sitcom-watching experience in thread format

okay massive lolz at complaining about the laugh track in other sitcoms on a "How I Met Your Mother" thread

there's a machine that can do that for you

and chuck lorre owns 400 of them

I wish somebody had a clip available of the bit from this weekend's "Family Guy," with "Two and a Half Men" being filmed in front of a live ostrich.

I keep imagining the ostrich saying a half-hearted "ha" various custos-isms.

"at" various custo-isms, particularly my own, gah.

cartoons and one-camera sitcoms getting snooty about shows that use laugh tracks are the worst.

HIMYM doesn't actually use a fake laugh track - they shoot and edit the episodes, then show them to a live audience and record the laughs.

There was supposed to be a new episode last week, but it got pre-empted for Obama's speech, weird that it didn't get bumped to this week.

So it didn't actually show in America? Bloody hell is your tele scheduling rubbish. It's on torrent sites already, I just assumed that's because it would have been broadcast.

Ugh, stupid CBS. I did some looking and realized the Nielsens moved sweeps to March, that probably explains why they're just running repeats for their whole Monday block, though the other networks haven't done that. Sweeps were moved because the Digital TV required switch was supposed to happen now, but even THAT got pushed to June by Congress recently.

i'm almost done with season 2, and it really bothered me that barney stole ted's moving truck when JUST LAST EPISODE they established that barney cannot drive AT ALL

lol never noticed that.

seriously, i don't understand why people are such massive pussies about laugh tracks...after years of TV watching i honestly am hardly even conscious of it at all...it's like someone who lives by the airport for 20 years, they don't notice all the jets...

i *really* find it hard to believe that people can't just tune it out, unless you know, they've never watched TV before or something, but honestly this seems like some "OH did I mention I don't OWN a TELEVISION" or "OMG BACON CORNDOGS" style frontin' IMO

When it's overdone (too much for the joke, or attached to a line that wasn't really a joke at all) I notice it, and then can't un-notice it.

I've also heard that live shows sweeten the laughter, often because the scene used is the last of multiple takes, so the audience won't be laughing much by then. And to keep it at a consistant level throughout the show.

i honestly don't notice laugh tracks either

I don't, unless it's the one they used on multiple 70s/80s sitcoms with the guy with the honking "A-ooga!" laugh. That one's distracting.

i don't feel like i normally notice it, which is why i remarked on its use on chuck lorre shows like two and a half men and big bang theory - if it stands out to me, they must be doing something extra with it. like they put it on full blast for the lamest jokes and leave it running for longer than other shows. dunno, just seems extra obnoxious on those dealies.

Probably because those shows are plenty extra obnoxious on their own! (and the crapitude effect is magnified) Okay, I hate to add more Lorre talk on this thread, maybe someone should just start another one for all that stuff, people can reminisce about hating Dharma & Greg and how he composed the TMNT theme song.

how come no one told me about the one with a threesome involving winnie cooper & kim kelly O_O

on the season 3 dvds, jason segel gets intentionally wasted before his commentary track and spends it sexually harassing one of the (male) writers (getting naked + putting a box of condoms on the table, etc.)

dopest fukkin show yet imo

The Robin/kid angle was pretty funny this time, way better than the last time they tried this (i think it was early season 3, she was dating some single father or something).

how come no one told me about the one with a threesome involving winnie cooper & kim kelly O_O

best thing about this episode:

What wow, how do I totally not remember that scene at all!

ha, pretty sure that was an outtake

yeah but it's totally the best outtake ever!

It is! I also love how the audience reaction changes as they can't believe that they're actually going with this angle (which sadly they did not).

the barney's family ep was a little bit too much of a wacky sitcom setup for me but still good. i lol'ed @ dramatic ted.

haha ted being into brecht was lol v. much in character but this whole episode was beyond lol for me i thought it was brilliant and im bummed that no one else seems to think so

who didn't think so? was hilarious. the theme music!

i liked it

my so-called friends who were just like "eh s'ok". yah the "too wacky sitcom" shit was next level metajokery with the theme music and the runner about catch phrases and the sundae bar!!!

i mean i have like 1000-word type of posts to say about what a ridic episode this was and like why this show is better than 30 rock but no one even cares enough to repost one-liners

xpost

i liked that the Barney thing with movie villains was almost a throwaway gag that they barely came back to later.

i care :(

i basically agree with jordan; schticky conceit rescued by strong barney and ted moments. karate kid joke was good

Daniel-san is pretty lame.

i love it whenever they have dorky college ted, as in directing the christmas play in this episode

thought this was a fantastic episode

the college flashbacks are hilar--i enjoy that they get around the censors by saying "we were so drunk" and then having them act stoned instead of drunk

ive said this before but college ted = high school hoos

also, i kind of hate her, but at the same time, allison hannigan could get it, in a major way

oh def