She was Zoot's squeeze in the first "Muppet Show" season and became Floyd's girlfriend from the second onward (still seems to be the case in the first three movies, though I'll admit it rarely rises to the level of "obvious"). So there's precedent for Janice as Romantic Partner, albeit usually with humanoid Muppets

'Esteem' is a good way to describe my feelings about "My Man Godfrey". It's full of great stuff, but the oft-made observation that the better romantic path is the one not taken (ie. "the wrong sister") always pulls me out of it a bit.

I've got the Criterion DVD of "Paradise" - it's certainly not perfect, but I've always found the transfer eminently watchable. Holding out for a Blu ray edition though. I can't think of a romantic comedy I'd rate more highly.

I see your "The Apartment" and raise you Lubitsch's "Trouble in Paradise". Only rom-com I've ever seen where I felt there were genuine stakes, and real uncertainty over whom the lead would/could/should end up with. Also, from meet-cute to the call-back in the denouement, it's totally delightful.

Great primer, and not just because it made me realise, much to my horror, that I've never seen "The Apartment". (Steps have been taken to rectify this.) I was also about to launch into a spirited defence of "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" and then realised I haven't seen that either.

Once, when the AV Club was Good (capital G good, that is, and it was) shows like this would get a pilot review, maybe a mid-series pan, and then ignored except for a brief reference in brilliant O'Neal newsfeeds about Chuck Lorre's latest Sheen-skirmish. The fact there are now periodic TV Club instalments about this…

I'm only glad that the people most likely to be appalled by this fatuous and humourless analysis of "The Day Today" - ie. those that made it - are unlikely ever to read it. Then again, which is surely the point of the whole show, they weren't paid by the word.

Has anybody noticed that Russell Borchard is an awesome Chris Elliot photo cameo? Presumably to be followed by an awesome Chris Elliot actual cameo next week? If nobody has, I will feel super observant, but you probably have noticed and then I will feel silly. Anyway, Chris Elliot in Community is super.