Sitcoms

Ted Mosby: When 2 broke girls said it was hot in Cleveland, the big bang theory was invented and that’s how I met your mother! 

The sitcom fever is really catching up in India thanks to Zee Cafe, Comedy Central and Star World. Gone are the days when everyone was hooked on to (and eventually bored with) thesaas bahu dramas. This is the era of laughing with sitcoms (or stand-up comedy for that matter, but we will talk about it later) instead of plotting and mind-poisoning dramas that do us no good.

Life obviously is becoming hectic by the day. And who has the time to check if Mihir Virani would get another boon of life or if some saas would poison her son against the bechaari bahu! There is enough stress in a common man's life given the super long working hours and ever-increasing prices of almost every single thing. One now needs an escape from the world of stress. And what could be better then the medicine of laughter!

So when you return home fighting the Monday blues, it's nice to hear Sheldon (Jim Parsons) knocking on the door, "Penny, Penny, Penny!" The nerd from The Big Bang Theory has something special about him. It's like that song I hate you like I love you. Oh how we love to hate Sheldon yet are excited to see him winning Outstanding Lead Actor Awards in Comedy Series! And apna Indian, alright British Indian, Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) makes us feel proud as if we know him personally!

Coming back to inflation, there are 2 girls that really inspire us to enjoy the smallest moments in life. Let's hear for Max Black (Kat Dennings) and Caroline Channing (Beth Behrs) of the 2 Broke Girls fame. Caroline, who went to being penniless from being super rich, never loses her determination to make it big some day. Max belongs to a working class family and is great with her baking skills. Together, they work towards their goal of opening a cupcake shop. Every episode makes you laugh endlessly with their cute and funny acts. No wonder, the sitcom has won both the Emmy and People's Choice Awards in 2012.

Now that I am nearing that age, Hot in Cleveland is the kind of girly... okay womanly show that makes perfect sense. Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli), Joy (Jane Leeves) and Victoria (Wendie Malick) end up landing in Cleveland and decide to stay in the city to find love and a relaxed life. They are joined by the elderly caretaker Elka Ostrovsky (Betty White). Every episode makes you laugh as they come across some hot guy but then goof up and mostly do something embarrassing. Did you know that Betty White won the Gracie Allen Awards - Best Actress in a Comedy Series?

And what can I say about How I Met Your Mother that has won 7 Emmy Awards! I guess it is the best kept secret in the world. Episode after episode, season after season, Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) continues to make us wonder who did he eventually get married to. And yet, we love every part of the sitcom. It perhaps is closest to Friends, the most legen.... wait for it.... dary show ever. Ah Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), Robin (Cobie Smulders), Lily (Alyson Hannigan), Marshall (Jayson Segel)... how we wish to see them everyday! And if you know who the mother really is... please keep your mouth shut ;)

Hats off to the sitcoms that we can watch again and again. We would love to know which sitcoms tickles your funny bone the most?

Anuradha Khanna