For my money, the greatest comedy of all time is Seinfeld. After all, it’s a show about nothing. In my books and blog posts, I frequently will drop allusions to the show.

In the post-Seinfeld era, several shows stand out. The English version of The Office and the first three seasons of Arrested Development are nothing short of brilliant. Yes, I’m a fan of dry humor and tend to believe that laugh tracks usually don’t work. They make shows feel dated and tend to detract from their overall vibe.

Facebook and their ilk don’t exactly lend themselves to true understanding and communication.

Modern Family is another recent gem, and last night’s show (“Connection Lost”) breaks new ground. Sure, it’s a bit of an Apple commercial. Our constant movement between mediums is disorienting, and that’s precisely the point: the way that we communicate with each other is both more frenetic and variegated than ever—at least at home. At work, though, e-mail still rules the day.

For more on the making of the episode, click here.

Simon Says

I don’t want to give away the ending of “Connection Lost”, but suffice it to say that e-mail, FaceTime, Facebook, and their ilk don’t exactly lend themselves to true understanding and communication. As much as I love technology, it’s critical to keep that in mind.