Makes you Laugh & Cry... Is Buffy the Best?

[Buffyverse Fan]

Buffy & Angel are regarded as two of the most significant Comedic-Dramas, but are they the best contemporary shows at making you laugh & cry?

For me, I'd say no. "Scrubs" & "HIMYM" are the best at melding humor with drama for me. I happen to like "Buffy" & "Angel" more, but they're tied for 2nd due to their long binges without humor.

Yours?

 

[TheVoid68]

I think that the later seasons of Scrubs hang far too much on the humour side of things, and when drama is brought in it's not as well integrated with the humour as before. And I think that the later seasons of Buffy hang far too much on the drama side of things, and when humour is brought in it's not as well integrated with the drama as before.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I didn't like how Scrubs mixed the two, I always found the episodes to funny and then the ending had to much of a point, it always felt disconnected!

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Buffy & Angel are regarded as two of the most significant Comedic-Dramas, but are they the best contemporary shows at making you laugh & cry?

For me, I'd say no. "Scrubs" & "HIMYM" are the best at melding humor with drama for me. I happen to like "Buffy" & "Angel" more, but they're tied for 2nd due to their long binges without humor.

Yours?

Well, I have not seen Scrubs or HIMYM, so I can't comment on those.

But Buffy is so great for laughs and crying. It's just a show that has everything for everyone. That can't be said, imo, for any other of Whedon's shows.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Oh forgot to say what one I think does it best, and I'd go with House. So very very funny and then at times awesome dram, but mixed perfectly together!

 

[Big Damn Hero]

Angel > Buffy.

I love scrubs, but the earlier seasons 🙂

 

[dan k]

Buffy loses a lot of its humour in the later seasons. That's not to say there aren't any funny parts but they are few and far between. In the early seasons its a clear strength of the show and i think it makes you warm too the characters.

In regard to Angel i'am doing a rewatch and am currently on season 3. Angel predominantly isn't that funny in the first season. The introduction of Lorne and Angel coming out of his brooding stage in season 2 is when things start to change. Season 2 and season 3 are very funny and in my mind provide more laughts then what Buffy does in seasons 6 and 7.

I tried to get into HIMYM but i haven't found it that funny if i'am honest. I haven't watched enough of Scrubs to make a valid opinion.

 

[Buffyverse Fan]

Buffy loses a lot of its humour in the later seasons. That's not to say there aren't any funny parts but they are few and far between. In the early seasons its a clear strength of the show and i think it makes you warm too the characters.

"Band Candy" 🙂

In regard to Angel i'am doing a rewatch and am currently on season 3. Angel predominantly isn't that funny in the first season. The introduction of Lorne and Angel coming out of his brooding stage in season 2 is when things start to change. Season 2 and season 3 are very funny and in my mind provide more laughts then what Buffy does in seasons 6 and 7.

Well "Tabula Rasa" is funny until the very sad ending, it's actually a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

I tried to get into HIMYM but i haven't found it that funny if i'am honest. I haven't watched enough of Scrubs to make a valid opinion.

Well to each their own, if you don't mind me asking, what episodes of HIMYM did you watch?

Personally, I think "Drumroll, Please" is one of the best episodes produced of any sitcom, ever.

As for Scrubs, I think "My Lunch" is also one of the greatest sitcom episodes ever produced.

 

[dan k]

"Band Candy" is a great episode. Tabula Rasa was very funny but i think its an exception in a season which genuirely isn't meant to be funny what with everything going wrong, such as Buffy's depression, Dawn failing at school and feeling lonely, Xander and Anya splitting up and Willow losing control.

In terms of HIMYM i've watched some episodes from the new series and for whatever reason i don't really feel for the characters and it just doesn't make me laugh.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Buffyverse Fan agrees: That is a good choice. Probably takes the next place on my list. I'm surprised you didn't say "Glee," don't watch it myself, but I hear Dramedy is its thing 🙂
Wesley agrees: the drama in Glee is faux-drama. The acting also isn't as good as things like House and things. (I am still a GleeK but I recognize my babys faults and love it anyway)

I love my Glee, but like Wesley said it's kind faux-drama, it's like drama hyped up on 15 cans of Red Bull, so you can't take it seriously.

The reason I like House as a choice for this is, it mixes the two together whereas other shows do the funny episode then save all the drama for just before a commercial break or the very end to show how a character has learned something new.

 

[Buffyverse Fan]

I love my Glee, but like Wesley said it's kind faux-drama, it's like drama hyped up on 15 cans of Red Bull, so you can't take it seriously.

The reason I like House as a choice for this is, it mixes the two together whereas other shows do the funny episode then save all the drama for just before a commercial break or the very end to show how a character has learned something new.

As much as I love House, I'd say it's arguably more formulaic than the other two. If you're an avid fan, based on how many minutes into the episode you are, you can probably guess what will happen next.

One of the reasons I'd rank HIMYM over House is that all five characters are useful and are more complex than they seem. On House, he's one of the best TV characters of all time, but I prefer ensembles.

 

[Taake]

for comedy+drama I really prefer "Buffy" and "Angel" and maybe "Gilmore Girls" (although I have mixed feelings about the show.)
I do like Scrubs but I also think it's more comedy than drama and that the endings a lot of the time got a bit preachy which felt disconnected to the tone of the episode.

I love HIMYM but I think it's kind of frat-boy comedy most of the time which hits home 50% of the time and just falls flat on the floor the rest so I don't rank it very high, it's like a lazy-fun watch for me.

Beyond those I can't really think of any contemporary shows that I watch. (and if I do then clearly they're not very memorable :S)

 

[ApesFindShapes]

I've never gotten into a show as much until I began watching Buffy. I do know that no matter what is going on in life, I can always count on the series for a laugh or cry.

I watched Degrassi and other shows on that network (which seems to have trouble identifying itself because the name is always changing) or The O.C. when I was younger. They didn't invoke as much emotion for me as Buffy does though. I just couldn't get into the drama as much and comedy aspects were often too subtle. It all felt sort of far away, whereas the Buffy characters are human enough you'd think you were watching people you knew in real life.

 

[Buffyverse Fan]

for comedy+drama I really prefer "Buffy" and "Angel" and maybe "Gilmore Girls" (although I have mixed feelings about the show.)
I do like Scrubs but I also think it's more comedy than drama and that the endings a lot of the time got a bit preachy which felt disconnected to the tone of the episode.

True, but S6 of Buffy was absurdly preachy. I'm as anti-"junkie" as the next guy, but Willow's thing crossed the line into unintentionally campy, imo.

I love HIMYM but I think it's kind of frat-boy comedy most of the time which hits home 50% of the time and just falls flat on the floor the rest so I don't rank it very high, it's like a lazy-fun watch for me.

I agree with you if we count all five seasons, but the first two I'd rank much higher. The pacing really died when Alyson & Colbie were cut down to recurring roles during their pregnancies.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Buffy? The best? Are you kidding? Always have been, always will be! It's the show I grew up with, that thought me about life and love and showed me how cruel can world truly be, but how you can make it better if you try. That we all have ups and downs in our life, but with little help of friends and family, we'll survive. All the other shows come in second place.

 

[Nix]

Both Buffy and Angel make me cry and laugh more than other shows so far🙂