The Ultimate TV Comedies Bracket -- Round Three, Day Four

Your name...is Mr. *Thompson.*

Just as soon as we started the third round of the Ultimate TV Comedies bracket, we’re about to wrap it up! Yes, that’s how things go when we’re moving close to the finish. With just four spaces left in the Sweet Sixteen, I’d say you have some tough decisions today but…honestly, we may just have one fairly tight race among the four matchups.

Let’s find out together!

(2) The Simpsons vs. (15) Police Squad!: I’m so glad that Police Squad! made it this far into the bracket, and I say that because we all know it’s about to lose. And it couldn’t lose to a better show. I maintain that at some late point in this bracket, I may push back against The Simpsons because the brilliance of its first 8 seasons has not been matched by the succeeding…good God, it’s been on the air for over 30 years.

Anyway. A conversation for another day. Today, I think we know that Mr. Simpson—er, Mr. Thompson is going to win.

The Simpsons

Police Squad!

(7) Parks and Recreation vs. (10) The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson feel like a natural successor to Mary Richards and Lou Grant (I would imagine the writing staff for Parks and Rec aimed that high, even if they didn’t always succeed). I know that influence and importance should matter here, and some of the political idealism of Parks has aged…uh…not well. But I do love Leslie Knope.

What do you think?

Parks and Recreation

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

(3) Seinfeld vs. (14) Black Adder: Black Adder was a brilliant show, and in no small part because when I first watched it in college, it blew my mind that Mr. Bean could be so much bleaker and darker than you would expect. (The novelty of that surprise has worn off, but if you only know Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean, or from cameos in films like Love Actually or even as the original Zazu…well, this show is not like those roles.) I say this, knowing full well that Seinfeld is going to win this vote, and it clearly should.

But, hey, maybe you’ll surprise me. Vote!

Seinfeld

Black Adder

(6) Veep vs. (11) Taxi: Taxi had a good run in this bracket, but I have a feeling that Veep is going to win in a rout here (and I kind of get it, too). It’s almost certainly going to be Julia Louis-Dreyfus vs. Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the next round.

…right?

Veep

Taxi