Straight from the vaults of CBS/Paramount comes another edition of their very modestly priced TV Sets collection. Like TV Sets: Action Packed, Forever Funny includes the pilot episodes from several classic TV shows. But, wherein most (or all) of the entries on TV Sets: Action Packed are often referred to as comedy by cynical bastards like me, TV Sets: Forever Funny only offers us intentional 
comedy shows, shown in no specific order whatsoever.
The fun begins with “The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub,” (aired October 15, 1951) the pilot episode of the immortal favorite I Love Lucy starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Things go from normal to very “Lucyd” as Ethel (Vivian Vance) and Fred (William Frawley) argue about what to do for their wedding anniversary: a nightclub or the fights.
Next up is “The Laundry Orgy” from the television adaptation of Neil Simon’s The 
Odd Couple (broadcast September 24, 1970). It’s kind of fun to watch Tony Randall and Jack Klugman still settling into the characters made famous by Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau a few years before. In what I can only guess was a way to assure audiences that these were in fact the same characters, the famous Pigeon Sisters from the film (Monica Evans and Carole Shelley) guest star.
From October 1, 1955 comes another historic event in vintage television comedy: The Honeymooners. In “TV Or 
Not TV,” neighbors Ralph (Jackie Gleason) and Norton (Art Carney) pitch in and buy a television set together. From then on, the two are at each other’s throats (which is typical for an episode of The Honeymooners) over what to watch on their new toy. Personally, I’d put my money on the boys’ wives, Alice (Audrey Meadows) and Trixie (Joyce Randolph) to win the fight.
The multiple award-winning sitcom Taxi episode “Like Father, Like Daughter” is fourth in line here. Debuting on American 
television on September 12, 1978, this first installment of Taxi has all of the guys lining up to call anywhere they can think of when they discover that the station’s payphone allows free calls. Alex (Judd Hirsch) can’t think of anyone to call until his daughter heads off to school abroad.
Sadly, no compilation of classic sitcoms would be deemed complete unless they managed to include an episode of The Brady Bunch. Of all the nauseating sitcoms that television producer Sherwood Schwartz dreamt up, The Brady Bunch is my least favorite, and its phony
wholesome image makes me squirm. This premiere episode, “The Honeymoon” was first aired September 26, 1969 and has the newlywed Mike and Carol (Robert Reed and Florence Henderson, respectively) feeling a bit shameful over yelling at their kids during their wedding. Just send ‘em off to boarding school already!
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