The history of television is essentially the history of the sitcom. Ever since the dawn of TV, situational comedies have dominated the landscape. That means that there are A LOT of great sitcoms to watch and the bar is exceptionally high in choosing a favorite sitcom, let alone a sitcom that can be deemed perfect. That is precisely what the aim is here: to list the sitcoms that are pretty much perfect.
The metrics for this list need to be laid out since comedy is so subjective and the topic can be hilariously divisive.The criteria for this list is not popularity, although long-term impact has been taken into account as a modern lens can skew the idea of perfection when applied to some shows. The main standards for this list are critical acclaim and consistency.To judge a show, the series has to have also been completed (apologies toThe Simpsons, andIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia). As a result, these are the top ten TV sitcoms that are almost perfect.
10’The Office' (2005-2013)
Created by Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, adapted by Greg Daniels
While the UK’s originalThe Officeseries deserves enormous praise for bringing the mockumentary to TV (although it is worth noting thatTrailer Park Boysdebuted that same year in another country, so 2001 was a good year for the TV mockumentary), the American version of The Officetook the formula of the original and made it arguably better.Ricky Gervaishimself isn’t arguing that point - he has joked that the American version is the better TV show. The main reason for that is heart.
The characters inThe Officehave a lot of heart. Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is an ignorant dufus, but he cares a lot. Jim and Pam’s love story became an aspirational goal for viewers across the globe who harbored an office crush. The cast was rounded out with peculiar characters played by some of the best comedic actors in the business to ground their goofiness in a mundane workplace reality that felt incredibly relatable from start to finish. There’s a reason it remains one of the most-watched shows on Netflix a decade after it ended!
The Office
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9’MAS*H' (1972-1983)
Created by Larry Gelbart
War is hell, butMAS*Hhad a great time subverting the war genre into a comedy.It wasn’t the first show to do that and the series itself was based on Robert Altman’s film of the same title (based on a 1968 novel), but the series took gallows humor to living rooms week after week for eleven seasons. The critically acclaimed series balanced the seriousness of war with a goofy cast that includedAlan Alda,Mike Farrell,Loretta Swit,Jamie Farr, andGary Burghoffas the US Army’s medical staff during the Korean War.
The series was one of the highest-rated shows in TV history. While its tone fluctuated slightly,MASHgot away with daring storylines that expertly mixed drama and comedy. The finale was the most-watched TV broadcast in US TV history until 2010 when that year’s Superbowl ratings beat it. It’s still the TV finale with the highest ratings, which is a perfect end for Hawkeye and the gang.
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8’All in the Family' (1971-1979)
Created by Norman Lear
Norman Learwas the king of sitcoms. He created so many famous television shows, butAll in the Familywas the one that broke the mold. This is the series that ripped the domestic bliss of previous sitcoms apart to put a loudmouthed bigot in the center of the sitcom.Carroll O’Connordefied the “father knows best” trope when he played Archie Bunker, an old-fashioned patriarch struggling to keep his grip on the modern world. He lives with his daughter Gloria and her hippie husband Mike, an unemployed student whom he clashes with a lot. He also clashes with his Black neighbors, The Jeffersons, his feminist sister-in-law Maude (Bea Arthur), and many more.The JeffersonsandMaudegot their own fantastic spinoffs!
While it is tempting to say “All in the Familycouldn’t be made today”, that doesn’t mean All in the Family can’t be enjoyed today.Thegroundbreaking seriesfeels as relevant as ever.All in the Familyis still funny, and it’s still shocking, but what makes it nearly perfect is the way that it breaks boundaries while showing that the bigot is indeed in the wrong. He’s the butt of the joke while he makes jokes about other people. The other characters all have their flaws and biases, too, which serves to show the greater purpose that everyone is susceptible to misguided beliefs.
All In The Family
Set in Queens, New York, All in the Family is a sitcom that portrays the life of Archie Bunker, a stubborn, somewhat bigoted blue-collar worker who struggles to cope with the rapid social changes of the 1970s. Between is liberal son-in-law and progressive daughter, Archie will have to learn what it means to change with the times.
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7'30 Rock' (2006-2013)
Created by Tina Fey
Tina Feytook “write what you know” extremely literally when she wrote a sitcom based on the behind-the-scenes world of an NBC sketch comedy show. She plays head writer Liz Lemon, who has to manage slacker writers, stars with diva complexes, and an overly capitalistic boss played tremendously byAlec Baldwin.30 Rockis a fast-paced comedy layered with jokes, making it a very rewarding series to rewatch over and over again. There is hardly a wasted line of dialogue in the entire series.
Even its few lesser episodes have laugh-out-loud jokes.The show has gifted pop culture with several quotes, GIFs, memes, and jokes that have made their way into everyday life. FromSteve Buscemiin disguise as a high school student (“howdy doo, fellow kids”) to Werewolf Bar Mitzvah to Leap Day Williams, it is nearly impossible to live in the modern era without a great joke from30 Rock.
Liz Lemon, head writer of the sketch-comedy show “TGS with Tracy Jordan”, must deal with an arrogant new boss and a crazy new star while trying to run a successful television show without losing her mind.
6’The Golden Girls' (1985-1992)
Created by Susan Harris
BeforeSex and the CityorGirlfriendsorGirls,there wereThe Golden Girls. Four single women in their golden years live together in Miami, where they navigate dating and living day-to-day as older women. They have distinct personalities, interests, and comic voices, which essentially began the trope of having a series featuring four very different female friends. With an all-star cast of actresses (Bea Arthur,Betty White,Rue McClanahan, andEstelle Getty),The Golden Girlshas some of the funniest female performances in multi-cam sitcom history.
The series ended when actress Bea Arthur decided to leave the show. There was a short-lived spinoff, but the original series continues to be a favorite for new generations, which can be surprising considering it is a show about old women. Part ofThe Golden Girls' longevity can be attributed to that special premise!It remains one of the few TV comedies focusing on older women, giving it zero competition for decades after it initially aired.
The Golden Girls
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5’Veep' (2012-2019)
Created by Armando Ianucci
The respect forVeephas grown over the years, which bodes well for its lasting legacy. The series starsJulia Louis-Dreyfusas an extremely selfish and often ill-advised vice president and her inner circle of ambitious advisors. While its popularity rises during election seasons and anypolitical newsthat sounds straight out of an episode ofVeep, that is far from the only reason that it keeps surfacing long after its finale. Veep is funny - like really, really funny. The show was incredibly critically acclaimed, won several Emmys, and has fantastic character arcs that manage to make every character funnier as the show progresses.
Veepis an incredibly smart show. It’s shockingly vulgar, with a lot of that shock coming from the fact that so much creative profanity is flying through the halls of The White House, but its characters have real heart beneath their crude exteriors.Julia Louis-Dreyfus deservedly won six Emmys in a row.A comedic TV performance doesn’t get more perfect than that!
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4’Frasier' (1993-2004)
Created by David Angell, Peter Casey, Glen Charles, David Lee
Frasierwas a spinoff of another beloved and nearly-perfect sitcom,Cheers. Spinoffs are risky, butFrasierwas such a fantastic sitcom that it was recently rebooted.Frasierdoes not have any of the original feel ofCheers, which is precisely because Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) was already a character who stood out like a fish out of water inCheers. The intellectual radio host from Seattle takes in his father, who isn’t anything like him or his brother Niles. This creates the show’s central conflict - and well of comedy - as the men try to find common ground despite having very different personalities and interests.
Frasieris one of the wittiest sitcoms of all time, with dialogue that volleys and bounces between characters.Not only that, butFrasierhas a lot of heart. The characters are thoughtful despite their differences and the series does an excellent job at poking fun at pseudo-intellectual ideas and class differences in a completely unique way.Its protagonists, Frasier and Niles, were the ones being punched at rather than their middle-class dad, who didn’t fit into their elitist world. As a result, the two of them were the butts of the joke for all eleven seasons.WATCH ON HULU
3’Seinfeld' (1989-1998)
Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld
One of the most defining sitcoms of the 90s wasSeinfeld. The series loosely followed standup comedianJerry Seinfeld,who played himself as he worked as a successful comedian in New York City. In classic comedian sitcom style, the series blended his work with his wacky personal life, which was filled out with his neurotic friends, family, andmemorable neighbors. There are valid criticisms that can be launched atSeinfeld,but its critical acclaim and impact on pop culture are undeniable.
Seinfeldwas a master of bottle episodes in which the entire episode takes place in a single setting. The parking garage and the Chinese restaurant held two of the best episodes in TV sitcom history.The show “about nothing” has something for everyone, with an episode available for nearly every minor gripe.The finale was contentious, but the case could be made that it is the perfect way to end the show where the rule in the writers' room was famously “no hugging, no learning”.
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2’The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1970-1977)
Created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns
The Dick Van Dyke Showis one of the best and most influential sitcoms of all time with young starletMary Tyler Mooreshining as a standout on the well-cast series. Burns and Brooks wanted to create a series for Mary that had nothing to do with her prior role. This time she wasn’t a 1960s housewife - she was Mary Richards, a single woman in her 30s trying to make it in the news business in Minneapolis. The result was a nearly perfect sitcom from pilot to finale that was a critical sensation. With the charming Mary Tyler Moore at the center of a hilarious and heartwarming ensemble,The Mary Tyler Moore Showis comfort food for the funny bone.
Interestingly, much like the lauded sitcoms that came after it, likeArrested Development,the series never hit #1 in the ratings, but it was a critical and awards hit. It broke records with Emmy wins and was responsible for multiple spinoffs.She turned the world on with a smile from the perfect pilot to thetearful finale. That’s the Mary Richards charm!
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
1’I Love Lucy' (1951-1957)
Created by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
It’s hard to talk aboutI Love Lucywithout addressing its influence on comedy and television.Desi Arnazessentially invented the multi-cam sitcom setup because he was trying to find a way to makeLucille Balllook her best on camera. Lucille Ball paved the way for female comedians and businesswomen in the television industry by having creative control over her work. It was the first sitcom filmed in front of a live studio audience because the pair understood the importance of getting energy from a crowd. But the main reason this show is perfect? It’s still funny.
Desi Arnaz played a bandleader whose wife Lucy tries to make it in show business on her own.Lucy’s antics are timeless because Lucille Ball was a brilliantphysical comedianwith innate comic timing.Coupled with the fact that she had creative control over her show, Lucy stayed on top of ensuring the quality of every single episode. From Vitameatavegamin to the chocolate factory, Lucille Ball’s gags are making people laugh more than 70 years later.
I Love Lucy
The wife of a band leader constantly tries to become a star - in spite of her having no talent, and gets herself (along with her best friend) into the funniest predicaments.
