Sitcomsare some of the most beloved shows for a reason. It is an unbeatable formula, making fans laugh with goofy things happening in each half-hour-long episode. Somehow, all the characters' problems always seem to be resolved by the end of the episode, and then the characters go back to their usual lives. Sitcoms are a comfort and a joy, and they are perfect for both watching and rewatching.
There are many phenomenal sitcoms out there, from traditional hangout comedies to more experimental ones. The best sitcoms honor the typical, traditional structure of the genre, while also doing something a bit new and inventive. They have characters that fans get to see grow and change, and relationships that evolve over time. These are 10 essential sitcoms that everyone should see at least once.
10’The Office' (2005-2013)
Created by Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, and Stephen Merchant
The Officeis a classic and one of the most popular sitcoms of all time for a reason. It is a true workplace comedy, showing a group of people working at a boring day job while dealing with the antics of their unusual boss, Michael Scott (Steve Carell).The Officeshows the employees of Dunder Mifflin trying to do their jobs, and always somehow getting distracted by everything from office rumors to bizarre safety drills.
What makesThe Officesuch an essential sitcomishow well it captures the classic workplace setting. It takes the ordinary aspect of working at a boring job in an office, and it makes it extraordinary through sharp humor, hilarious running jokes, and a surprisingly sweet found family dynamic.The Officehas some of the most iconic sitcom scenes, like Michael’s uncomfortable dinner party, and Dwight’s destruction of the CPR dummy.
The Office
9’Sex and the City' (1998-2004)
Created by Darren Star
One of the most essential personality category questions is this: are you a Carrie, a Charlotte, a Miranda, or a Samantha?Sex and the City’s legacy is powerful and far-reaching, and it has been, even before the show was rebooted. The show follows sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her three best friends as they experience all the nuances of sex and dating in New York City.
Sex and the Cityis a classic sitcom. It expertly balances sharp comedy with touching bits of emotion, exploring the women’s lives through their friendships, their heartbreaks, and each one oftheir continued attempts at finding love.Sex and the Cityis so memorable, because even though a lot of it is exaggerated for comedy, it is also very realistic. At the center of it all is the bond between the four women.
Sex and the City
8’Friends' (1994-2004)
Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman
There are so many iconic aspects ofFriendsthat have since become embedded in pop culture. Some examples include the “Rachel” haircut, the concept of “lobsters” to refer to soulmates, and the phrase, “We were on a break!” The show follows six friends over the course of ten years, focusing on their romantic relationships, their jobs, and every little aspect of each of their lives.
Friendsis a true comfort sitcom.Through all the weird things that happen in the friends' lives, they all have each other at the end of the day, and they prioritize their friendships. They also give each other a lot of grief, and it is always hilarious to watch.Friendsis one of those iconic sitcoms that is still very funny. It also has great romantic arcs and some really emotional and meaningful friendship scenes.
7’Arrested Development' (2003-2019)
Created by Mitchell Hurwitz
Arrested Developmentis genuinely one of the smartest and funniest sitcoms of all time. The show follows the delightfully bizarre Bluth family, after their patriarch is arrested for using the family business to commit crime. It shows the weird and complicated dynamics of the Bluths as they constantly scheme, get at each other’s throats, and cause chaos for everyone in their lives.
What makesArrested Developmentspecial areits self-centered central family, as well as its extremely clever jokes that play with language and words in the way no other sitcom does. For example, Buster (Tony Hale) loses a hand in Season 2 when a seal bites it off. Witnesses try to warn him of a “loose seal,” but Buster stays in the water, thinking that they are referring to his mother, “Lucille.” It is a must-see show for sitcom fanswho appreciate wordplay.
Arrested Development
6’The Good Place' (2016-2020)
Created by Michael Schur
Among the classic sitcoms that everyone should see is an especially unusual one that takes place in the afterlife and tackles moral philosophy.The Good Placeinitially follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), a self-declared “medium person” who ends up in The Good Place by mistake. In an effort to get to stay without destroying the neighborhood, Eleanor gets moral philosophy tutoring from her accidentally-assigned soulmate, Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper).
The Good Placeshould be mandatory viewing for all sitcom fans.It is incredibly inventiveand full of massive plot twists, cliffhangers, and unexpected turns. It never gets too comfortable or repetitive, and instead is always changing things up and moving the plot forward at an incredibly fast pace. It follows the four humans through a variety of settings, as they all slowly become better people.
The Good Place
5’How I Met Your Mother' (2005-2014)
Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas
What makesHow I Met Your Motherstand out from other sitcoms,even after its disappointing ending, is its incredibly inventive and clever format. The show follows Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) as he tells his kids the story of how he met their mother decades earlier. It takes the premise of a hangout comedy, and adds emotional depththrough Ted’s nuanced and thoughtful narrations from the future.
How I Met Your Motheruitilizes this narrative device for incredibly beautiful and smart storytelling, dropping clues and pieces of the story throughout the way as Ted gets closer to meeting Tracy (Cristin Milioti). It reveals massive pieces of the story long before they happen, like Ted being the Best Man at a wedding in Season 7’s flash-forwards. It hangs over the entire season before revealing that it is Barney’s (Neil Patrick Harris) wedding, and eventually that it is his wedding to Robin (Cobie Smulders).
How I Met Your Mother
4'30 Rock' (2006-2013)
Created by Tina Fey
As sitcoms go,30 Rockis easily one of the most essential ones for viewing. The show follows Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), creator and head writer ofTGS with Tracy Jordan. It regularly shows Liz trying to make the show work, while usually getting distracted by whatever is going on in the lives of herself and her boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin).30 Rockis truly one of the greats, and it is the epitome of a witty sitcom.
30 Rockhas sharp and wacky humor that gets even weirder and over-the-top as its seasons go on. In Season 1, Jenna (Jane Krakowski) almost marries a prince, who then dies that very night after drinking champagne. In Season 3, Liz is nervous about going to her high school reunion after having been picked on back then, but it turns out that she was the bully all along. The show has incredible humor both inside and outsideits show-within-a-show, as well as thewonderfully codependent friendship between Liz and Jack.
3’It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (2005-)
Created by Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton
The longest-running live action sitcom of all timeis an essential sitcom by default anyways, but it is also just a phenomenal piece of television.It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiahas the simplest premise: five terrible people own a bar together, but they spend all of their time scheming and ruining other people’s lives. The show has since gone on to showcase some reallyinventive and over-the-top episodes.
There was the time that Mac (Rob McElhenney) and Dennis (Glenn Howerton) moved to the suburbs, which pushed them both over the edge, culminating in Mac feeding their dead dog to Dennis. The gang have also broken into houses, started a cult, burned down an apartment, held a man hostage, and caused more than a few deaths.It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiais not for those looking for a sweet and comforting sitcom, but it has some of the funniest and wildest jokes on television.
Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia
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2’Community' (2009-2015)
Created by Dan Harmon
Communitystarts out as a show about Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), a lawyer with a fake college degree, who gets exposed and is forced to go to community college. It quickly branches outinto a one-of-a-kind sitcom, exploring science fiction elements like multiple timelines and a zombie epidemic.Communityis also a great show for film and television fans, honoring some of the classics with homage episodes and meta humor.
Greendale Community College is the perfect sitcom setting.It takes what should have been ordinary, and turns it into a weird and lovely place where they have school-wide paintball and hot lava competitions. The best sitcoms have a central friendship group that are a little too close, andCommunityunderstands that. The study group’s dynamic is ever-evolving, especially due to its rotating cast of characters in the later seasons. However, they are the core of the show, from the beginning and to the end.
1’New Girl' (2011-2018)
Created by Elizabeth Meriwether
If you may only watch one sitcom, then let it beNew Girl.The show starts with Jess Day (Zooey Deschanel) moving in with three guys she found on Craig’s List after a bad breakup. The dynamic of the loftmates is truly one of the very best in sitcom history. They all have their weird traits that make for really entertaining television, particularly with them all living under the same roof.New Girlnever shies away from the strange, and it is always very funny.
New Girlhas some of the best and more unique sitcom characters, and some really great sitcom romances. The most iconic is the romance between Jess and Nick (Jake Johnson), who have arguably the greatest first kiss in a sitcom, ever.New Girlmakes Loft 4D seem like the perfect place to live. There are always funny antics occurring, and the groupis always up to something.
