America's Funniest Home Videos

America's Funniest Home Videos has a perfectly ironic title. See, you tune in expecting comedy, and walk away gagging yourself with a pointy stick. It's patently ridiculous how unfunny the original series was, and yet it drew millions of viewers each week. And I ask every single one of those people, "WHY?" Bob Saget has to be the dorkiest man on the face of this planet, and yet people would laugh hysterically at all of his inane, obvious jokes. South Park definitely pinned him and this show down in one of their best episodes, bashing every element from Bob's cornball one-liners to the audience's rib busting reactions. I just don't know how people could watch footage of a man getting gruesomely injured by a household appliance/hyperactive child with a plastic bat/wooden plank and be amused to the point of joyful tears. And don't even mention the new incarnations of AFHV. The guy who hosts this version (who I'm pretty sure hosts the God-awful Hollywood Squares at the same time), is even more comedically challenged then Bob. Who writes his jokes, anyway, deranged orangutangs with a grudge against the sane portion of humanity??? And I'm sorry, but it's obvious that some of these videos, if not all of them, are staged. That leads me to this query: "How desperate for money do you have to be to set-up an insanely painful 'accident' for yourself or your family members and then videotape it for millions to see?" NO ONE should be rewarded for catching their idiot husband/wife/crazy drunk uncle getting their groins whacked or hit by a car. It's not funny. Period! These people should just be smacked, in my opinion. Cancel this show immediately, please, because it's definitely worn out it's welcome. .5/4 stars

It has definitely declined from host to host. I believe Tom Bergeron and Bob Saget were iconic compared to having Carlton host.

The humor just seems more forced from the host and it's always the same acts that win.

America conflates cute with funny. Submit a cute baby video and you could win big.

The most funny acts hardly ever win or make it to the finals.

Eventually, I lost interest in viewing regularly for this reason....

It's a classic for it's earlier years, but I'd only recommend viewing if you have absolutely nothing else to watch

6/10- Michael I.

If you're wondering which show started off the video clip format, it's definitely this show!

It first started off as a one-off special in 1989 on ABC, with the late Bob Saget, who was already known for playing clean freak Danny Tanner on Full House. The special was highly rated that it became a weekly series a few months later in January 1990. Saget hosted the show until he left in 1997, 2 years after Full House was cancelled by ABC.

The show did return in a slightly new format with dual hosts: John Fugelsang & Daisy Fuentes. They hosted from 1998 until 1999, when left after 2 seasons.

AFV would be reduced to occasional specials until 2001, when it returned to a weekly series with a new permanent host. Tom Bergeron (the first era of AFV I was exposed to), known for hosting Hollywood Squares in syndication at the time before hosting Dancing with the Stars from its inaugural season 'til Season 29, is currently the longest-tenured host of AFV, hosting for 14 years until he left at the end of the show's 25th season.

Currently, as of Season 26, Alfonso Ribeiro is the host.

Your milage may vary on your favorite era of the show, but one thing remained the same, and that's the home videos (for the most part). So, congratulations AFV, and keep on laughing!

I registered just so I could reply with "mmm pointy" in regards to "See, you tune in expecting comedy, and walk away gagging yourself with a pointy stick." and furthermore I agree wholeheartedly. The only other thing I can think of regarding home videos and pictures is the infamous slide shows I remember people having in the 70's. The commentary is horrible, the Hollywood Squares yosh was bad, but nothing like Bob Saget! That dude sucked on, what was it, full house! Will people just laugh at anything or do they need some help with THC? It's also amazing at the good things they kill off and the crap they leave on the air for years on end. At least the Simpson's are still on...

I was amazed of how many unsatisfied comments there were for AFHV. This is one of the few shows that ever got me and my family together. This is one of those special shows that bring the family together and spend some quality time. There are some very funny things that happen. I have to agree that some of the videos aren't funny. But there were plenty to make up for it. I don't like seeing things get hurt when they could be severely hurt. But what was sent in never bothered me. I still enjoy this show even though I'm grown up. And I am more mature than most other people my age. As for Bob Sagat. I don't think he's a bad host. He isn't the best, but he has a few that are funny. This is a high quality family get together show. It's better than some of the shows of today.