The best sitcoms of all time: Is your favorite on the list?
- Updated
Great shows come in many forms, but there really is nothing like a truly phenomenal sitcom. Is your favorite on this list?
- Nick Selbe, PrettyFamous.com
- Updated
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
We all have our favorite TV shows — be they critics' darlings or cult classics — that we'll defend to the death. Great shows come in many forms, but there really is nothing like a truly phenomenal sitcom. Like dramas, sitcoms depict serious issues like family or relationship drama, but do so with an influx of humor that, when done well, can make viewers fall in love with characters and storylines in an indelible way.
For decades, sitcoms have ingrained themselves into the fabric of popular culture. Classics like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "All in the Family" and "M*A*S*H" were groundbreaking for their time, and contemporary greats like "Seinfeld" and "30 Rock" eventually followed in their path. Whichever era you prefer, all of these shows succeeded in making us laugh time and time again.
PrettyFamous, an entertainment data site by Graphiq, set out to rank the greatest sitcoms of all time. To do this, they calculated each sitcom's Smart Rating — a weighted score out of 100 that takes into account a show's IMDb votes, IMDb rating and the number of Emmy Award wins. They then took all shows with a Smart Rating above 84 and ordered them from worst to best.
Though our formula is meant to be as objective as possible, we're sure to upset fans of sitcoms that didn't quite make the cut. Did your favorite get snubbed? If so, (kindly) let us know where we missed the most, and be sure to check out any of these shows that you might have missed the boat on.
Note: In the event of ties, the show with the most IMDb votes is ranked higher on the list.
Compiled by Nick Selbe, PrettyFamous.com, nselbe@graphiq.com
- Updated
Paramount Television / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 84.12
Series Span: 9/22/82 - 5/14/89
Original Network: NBC
Description: The ideals of parents and teens clash due to their generation gap. Michael J. Fox won three consecutive Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his role as Alex P. Keaton.
Note: Series descriptions come from Gracenote.
- Updated
Warner Bros. / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 84.36
Series Span: 11/14/88 - 5/18/98
Original Network: CBS
Description: A high-profile reporter provides laughs in the newsroom. During the show's run, Candice Bergen won five Emmys for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.
- Updated
Screen Gems Television
Smart Rating: 84.44
Series Span: 9/17/64 - 3/25/72
Original Network: ABC
Description: A witch marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife.
- Updated
MTM Enterprises / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 84.50
Series Span: 9/16/72 - 4/1/78
Original Network: CBS
Description: Psychologist Bob Hartley counsels patients in Chicago.
- Updated
Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 84.57
Series Span: 6/7/98 - 2/22/04
Original Network: HBO
Description: Four single women search for romance in New York. The series was based on Candace Bushnell's 1997 book of the same name and spawned two feature films.
- Updated
Casey-Werner Company / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 84.59
Series Span: 9/20/84 - 4/30/92
Original Network: NBC
Description: An obstetrician and a lawyer raise a family in Brooklyn.
- Updated
Amazon Studios / Amazon Instant Video
Smart Rating: 84.63
Series Span: 9/26/14 - present
Original Network: Amazon Original
Description: The past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes a family's secrets to spill out. Jeffrey Tambor has won two Emmys for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series.
- Updated
Warner Bros. Television / National Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 84.70
Series Span: 1/4/84 - 5/31/92
Original Network: NBC
Description: Judge Harry Stone presides over the night shift of a Manhattan courtroom.
- Updated
Twentieth Century Fox Television / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 84.82
Series Span: 8/5/11 - 9/16/11
Original Network: NBC
Description: A group of 20-something singles navigates the confusing world of dating.
- Updated
Imagine Television / American Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 84.84
Series Span: 9/22/98 - 5/16/00
Original Network: ABC
Description: Casey McCall and Dan Rydell are two sports anchors and best friends both on and off the screen. At "Sports Night," their nightly cable program, the two display their unique talent and skills in reporting up-to-the-minute sports news. Producer Dana Whitaker is an on-again, off-again love interest of Casey's.
- Updated
NBC Productions / Warner Bros. Television
Smart Rating: 84.84
Series Span: 9/10/90 - 5/20/96
Original Network: NBC
Description: An urban youth moves in with rich relatives. Will Smith stars as a fictionalized version of himself in one of the most popular series of the '90s.
- Updated
Sony Pictures Television / Cartoon Network
Smart Rating: 84.86
Series Span: 11/6/05 - 6/23/14
Original Network: Cartoon Network
Description: Grandad Freeman and his two grandsons adjust to life in the suburbs. The show is based on the comic book strip of the same name.
- Updated
FX Network
Smart Rating: 84.87
Series Span: 10/29/09 - 12/9/15
Original Network: FX
Description: A group of avid fantasy football players balance their game time with work and relationships; well, they try to, at the very least.
- Updated
Paramount Television / American Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 84.89
Series Span: 3/4/82 - 7/8/82
Original Network: ABC
Description: Bumbling detectives solve puzzling cases filled with sight gags.
- Updated
20th Century Fox Television / Fox Network
Smart Rating: 84.90
Series Span: 1/9/11 - present
Original Network: Fox
Description: A third-generation restaurateur runs a burger joint with his wife and their three kids.
- Updated
ShadowMachine / Netflix
Smart Rating: 84.91
Series Span: 8/22/14 - present
Original Network: Netflix
Description: A whiskey-drinking, humanlike horse -- a popular '90s sitcom star -- tries to make a comeback. The show features voice work by Will Arnett, Aaron Paul and Alison Brie.
- Updated
Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 84.92
Series Span: 2/14/09 - 11/17/13
Original Network: HBO
Description: A baseball player reluctantly becomes a high-school physical education teacher. The show was produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, with Danny McBride playing the lead role of Kenny Powers.
- Updated
CBS Television Network
Smart Rating: 84.94
Series Span: 9/20/55 - 6/17/59
Original Network: CBS
Description: Ernie Bilko directs extracurricular activities at an army camp.
- Updated
Paper Kite Productions / Comedy Central
Smart Rating: 84.97
Series Span: 1/22/14 - present
Original Network: Comedy Central
Description: Two best friends try to navigate their 20s in New York City where things never go as planned. Show creators Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson star in the lead roles, and Amy Poehler serves as an executive producer.
- Updated
Channel X / British Broadcasting Corporation
Smart Rating: 84.97
Series Span: 10/2/14 - present
Original Network: BBC Four
Description: Two friends go searching for their hearts' desire with a couple of metal detectors.
- Updated
Paramount Television / American Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 84.97
Series Span: 9/24/70 - 3/7/75
Original Network: ABC
Description: Sloppy Oscar Madison and neat Felix Unger share a Manhattan apartment. The show is based on the 1965 Neil Simon play of the same name, which also inspired a 1968 film adaptation.
- Updated
Columbia Pictures Television / Fox Network
Smart Rating: 85.02
Series Span: 4/5/87 - 5/14/98
Original Network: Fox
Description: Al and Peg Bundy tolerate each other while raising children Bud and Kelly. At 262 episodes, the show is the longest-lasting live-action sitcom in Fox history.
- Updated
British Broadcasting Corporation
Smart Rating: 85.03
Series Span: 2/15/88 - 4/5/99
Original Network: BBC Two
Description: A mining ship, three million years from Earth, tries to return home.
- Updated
National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 85.03
Series Span: 9/21/98 - 5/18/06
Original Network: NBC
Description: A gay Manhattan lawyer lives with his gal pal, an interior designer. Megan Mullally won two Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role as Karen Walker.
- Updated
Lionsgate Television / Spike TV
Smart Rating: 85.05
Series Span: 1/11/10 - 11/30/11
Original Network: Spike TV
Description: The exploits of a big-time, Midwestern collegiate football program.
- Updated
Four D Productions / American Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 85.13
Series Span: 1/23/75 - 5/20/82
Original Network: ABC
Description: Cops and criminals cross paths in a New York police precinct.
- Updated
Paramount Television / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 85.13
Series Span: 10/1/55 - 2/28/70
Original Network: CBS
Description: Bus driver Ralph Kramden schemes to improve his lot in life.
- Updated
Cartoon Network
Smart Rating: 85.14
Series Span: 2/16/03 - present
Original Network: Cartoon Network
Description: A scientist, his dim-witted children and their security guard battle enemies.
- Updated
British Broadcasting Corporation
Smart Rating: 85.17
Series Span: 2/25/80 - 12/23/82
Original Network: BBC Two
Description: Comedy series about an apparently clueless British government minister and advisers surrounding him.
- Updated
Universal Television / Fox Television
Smart Rating: 85.22
Series Span: 9/17/13 - present
Original Network: Fox
Description: A hotshot cop must learn to follow the rules when his precinct gets a new captain.
- Updated
Channel 4 Television Corportation
Smart Rating: 85.23
Series Span: 4/21/95 - 5/1/98
Original Network: Channel 4
Description: A trio of exiled priests live and serve together in a parish on Craggy Island.
- Updated
20th Century Fox Television
Smart Rating: 85.24
Series Span: 9/20/11 - present
Original Network: Fox
Description: After going through a bad breakup, a woman in her late 20s moves in with three single guys.
- Updated
Objective Productions / Channel 4 Television Corporation
Smart Rating: 85.32
Series Span: 9/19/03 - 12/16/15
Original Network: Channel 4
Description: Two dysfunctional friends who met in college share their lives together trying to adjust to the professional world.
- Updated
Hartswood Films / British Broadcasting Corporation
Smart Rating: 85.32
Series Span: 5/12/00 - 7/11/04
Original Network: BBC Two
Description: The tangled love lives of close-knit friends.
- Updated
Casey-Werner Company / Fox Network
Smart Rating: 85.35
Series Span: 8/23/98 - 5/18/06
Original Network: Fox
Description: A close-knit group of young, eclectic friends approaches adulthood in Wisconsin during the '70s.
- Updated
British Broadcasting Corporation
Smart Rating: 85.38
Series Span: 5/19/05 - 10/27/12
Original Network: BBC Four
Description: This series takes a look behind the closed doors of government as a satire of British parliament.
- Updated
Warner Bros. Television / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 85.42
Series Span: 9/22/03 - 2/19/15
Original Network: CBS
Description: The social interactions of a group of misfits, including a divorcee and an internet billionaire.
- Updated
Tiger Aspect Productions / Fox Family Channel
Smart Rating: 85.48
Series Span: 1/1/90 - 11/15/95
Original Network: ITV
Description: The misadventures of a bumbling loner.
- Updated
3 Arts Entertainment / Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 85.48
Series Span: 4/6/14 - present
Original Network: HBO
Description: "Silicon Valley" depicts the lives of a programmer and his roommates.
- Updated
Paramount Comedy Channel / BBC Warner
Smart Rating: 85.53
Series Span: 9/24/99 - 4/13/01
Original Network: Channel 4
Description: Outsiders Tim and Daisy meet by chance and pose as a professional couple to obtain an apartment.
- Updated
20th Century Fox Television / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 85.54
Series Span: 9/20/05 - 5/14/09
Original Network: NBC
Description: A petty con artist wins the lottery and decides to make amends for the past.
- Updated
Dakota Pictures / Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 85.56
Series Span: 6/17/07 - 3/22/09
Original Network: HBO
Description: The adventures of a music-comedy duo from New Zealand. The real-life music duo of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie play fictionalized versions of themselves in the series, which ran for two seasons and earned 10 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
- Updated
Tri Films / Independent Television
Smart Rating: 85.60
Series Span: 12/30/77 - 4/12/86
Original Network: ITV1
Description: A language teacher tries to make a living by teaching immigrants English.
- Updated
Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions / American Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 85.60
Series Span: 9/13/77 - 4/20/81
Original Network: ABC
Description: Issues of sexuality and crime arise in the Tate and Campbell families.
- Updated
Casey-Werner Company / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 85.67
Series Span: 1/9/96 - 5/22/01
Original Network: NBC
Description: Members of an alien expedition assume human shapes to study Earth. John Lithgow won three Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his role as Dick Solomon.
- Updated
Disney Television Animation / Disney XD
Smart Rating: 85.68
Series Span: 6/15/12 - present
Original Network: Disney Channel
Description: The adventures of 12-year old twin brother and sister Dipper and Mabel Pines.
- Updated
Comedy Unit / British Broadcasting Corporation
Smart Rating: 85.74
Series Span: 9/6/02 - present
Original Network: BBC One
Description: Sitcom featuring characters from the comedy series "Chewin' the Fat."
- Updated
British Broadcasting Corporation
Smart Rating: 85.75
Series Span: 9/8/81 - 2/3/91
Original Network: BBC One
Description: Two streetwise London brothers earn a living as black-market traders.
- Updated
Televisa S.A. de C.V.
Smart Rating: 85.76
Series Span: 6/1/72 - 2/5/79
Original Network: Univision Network
Description: This series tells the misadventures of Chavo, an eight year old orphan living alone in a Mexican "vecindad."
- Updated
British Broadcasting Corporation
Smart Rating: 85.90
Series Span: 9/19/75 - 10/25/79
Original Network: BBC Two
Description: Basil Fawlty handles the trials and tribulations of running a hotel.
- Updated
Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 85.92
Series Span: 6/12/92 - 5/31/98
Original Network: HBO
Description: Garry Shandling portrays a late-night talk-show host in this satire of show business. Rip Torn won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as Artie.
- Updated
CBS Television Studios / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 85.94
Series Span: 10/3/13 - 11/17/14
Original Network: CBS
Description: A recently divorced news reporter must put his plans on hold when his mom moves in with him.
- Updated
Channel 4 Television Corportation
Smart Rating: 85.96
Series Span: 2/3/06 - 9/27/13
Original Network: Channel 4
Description: A three-person IT group keeps its company running with minimal effort or social contact.
- Updated
Desilu Productions / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 86.05
Series Span: 10/15/51 - 5/6/57
Original Network: CBS
Description: Lucy Ricardo makes life difficult for her Cuban bandleader husband. The show starred real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and is regarded as one of the most influential sitcoms in history.
- Updated
Production Partners / Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 86.12
Series Span: 10/15/00 - present
Original Network: HBO
Description: Larry David gets into predicaments at home, work and around town. David plays a fictionalized version of himself, and the show's dialogue is largely improvised by the cast.
- Updated
FX Productions / FX Network
Smart Rating: 86.21
Series Span: 6/29/10 - present
Original Network: FX
Description: Life can be hectic for single father and successful stand-up comedian Louie. The show's episodes feature largely unconnected storylines and typically focus on Louie's life.
- Updated
20th Century Fox Television / Fox Network
Smart Rating: 86.31
Series Span: 1/9/00 - 5/14/06
Original Network: Fox
Description: A child genius deals with his siblings and eccentric parents. The show's pilot won Primetime Emmy Awards for directing and writing in 2000.
- Updated
Universal Media Studios / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 86.31
Series Span: 4/9/09 - 2/24/15
Original Network: NBC
Description: A midlevel bureaucrat works tirelessly toward improving her hometown. The show was twice nominated at the Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding comedy series (2011 and 2015).
- Updated
Hats Off Productions
Smart Rating: 86.39
Series Span: 11/2/04 - 3/10/06
Original Network: Star One
Description: The show revolves around the lives of the members of an ΓΌber-wealthy, high-society Gujarati family of Cuffe Parade, South Bombay, whose daughter-in-law is from a middle class Delhi background.
- Updated
Sony Pictures Television / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 86.40
Series Span: 9/17/09 - 6/2/15
Original Network: NBC
Description: Students form a study group at a local community college.
- Updated
Touchstone Television / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 86.42
Series Span: 9/14/85 - 5/9/92
Original Network: NBC
Description: Four older women share a house in Miami Beach.
- Updated
FX Productions / FX Network
Smart Rating: 86.57
Series Span: 1/14/10 - present
Original Network: FX
Description: "Archer" is an animated series set in the world of international espionage following the activities of a super-spy.
- Updated
FX Productions / FX Network
Smart Rating: 86.73
Series Span: 8/4/05 - present
Original Network: FX
Description: Several depraved friends run a bar in Philadelphia.
- Updated
Talent Associates / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 86.74
Series Span: 9/18/65 - 5/15/70
Original Network: NBC
Description: An inept secret agent tries to save the world from KAOS.
- Updated
American Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 86.77
Series Span: 10/2/01 - 3/17/10
Original Network: NBC
Description: A doctor works at a hospital with unpredictable staffers and patients.
- Updated
Dundee Productions / Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 86.93
Series Span: 4/22/12 - present
Original Network: HBO
Description: A former senator tries to make her mark as vice president of the United States. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won five Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role as Selina Meyer.
- Updated
20th Century Fox Television
Smart Rating: 87.11
Series Span: 3/28/99 - 9/4/13
Original Network: Fox
Description: Accidentally frozen, a pizza delivery boy wakes up 1000 years later.
- Updated
Fox Television Animation / Fox Network
Smart Rating: 87.12
Series Span: 1/31/99 - present
Original Network: Fox
Description: The adventures of an eccentric family living in New England.
- Updated
Worldwide Pants / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 87.21
Series Span: 9/13/96 - 5/16/05
Original Network: CBS
Description: Sports writer Ray Barone tries to be a good husband, father and son.
- Updated
National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 87.83
Series Span: 10/11/06 - 1/31/13
Original Network: NBC
Description: The life of the head writer at a late-night TV variety show. "30 Rock" won three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding comedy series from 2007 to 2009.
- Updated
Paramount Television / American Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 88.14
Series Span: 9/12/78 - 6/15/83
Original Network: ABC
Description: Cab company employees share in each other's lives.
- Updated
MTM Enterprises / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 88.42
Series Span: 9/19/70 - 3/19/77
Original Network: CBS
Description: Producer Mary Richards works at WJM-TV in Minneapolis. Cast members Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner and Valerie Harper each received Primetime Emmy Award nominations every year they were on the show.
- Updated
NBC Universal Television / National Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 88.44
Series Span: 3/24/05 - 5/16/13
Original Network: NBC
Description: Workers plod along at Dunder Mifflin's paper supply company. Adapted from the BBC series of the same name, "The Office" won the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding comedy series in 2006.
- Updated
Comedy Central
Smart Rating: 88.55
Series Span: 8/13/97 - present
Original Network: Comedy Central
Description: The adventures of four boys who live in South Park, Colorado. Renowned for its dark humor and satire, the show was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and has aired 20 seasons to date.
- Updated
West-Shapiro / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 88.86
Series Span: 7/5/89 - 5/14/98
Original Network: NBC
Description: Friends living in Manhattan obsess over little things. Known as a "show about nothing," the series regularly used observational humor to comment on trivial, day-to-day encounters.
- Updated
Calvada Productions / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 89.05
Series Span: 10/3/61 - 6/1/66
Original Network: CBS
Description: Comedy writer Rob Petrie juggles family and a career.
- Updated
Imagine Entertainment / Fox Network
Smart Rating: 89.15
Series Span: 11/2/03 - present
Original Network: Fox
Description: An eccentric family suffers a reversal of fortune. The show was cancelled after three seasons on Fox but was subsequently revived and picked up by Netflix for a fourth season, which ran in 2013.
- Updated
CBS Paramount Television / NBC
Smart Rating: 89.37
Series Span: 9/30/82 - 5/20/93
Original Network: NBC
Description: Sam Malone, former reliever for the Red Sox, runs a Boston bar where "everybody knows your name."
- Updated
20th Century Fox Television / CBS
Smart Rating: 89.39
Series Span: 9/17/72 - 2/28/83
Original Network: CBS
Description: Army surgeons blow off steam between hours of combat surgery. The show's finale is the most-watched, non-sports broadcast in television history.
- Updated
Paramount Television / NBC / Getty Images
Smart Rating: 89.61
Series Span: 9/16/93 - 5/13/04
Original Network: NBC
Description: A psychiatrist helms a radio call-in show in Seattle. "Frasier" is a spin-off of "Cheers," as Frasier Crane appeared in both shows.
- Updated
20th Century Fox Television / CBS
Smart Rating: 89.65
Series Span: 9/19/05 - 3/31/14
Original Network: CBS
Description: Through a series of flashbacks, Ted tells his kids how he met their mother.
- Updated
20th Century Fox Television / Fox
Smart Rating: 91.01
Series Span: 12/17/89 - present
Original Network: Fox
Description: Homer and Marge Simpson raise Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie. Currently in its 28th season, "The Simpsons" is among the longest-running shows in television history.
- Updated
Viacom Enterprises / CBS
Smart Rating: 91.60
Series Span: 1/12/71 - 4/8/79
Original Network: CBS
Description: Archie Bunker's bigoted ideas conflict with those of everyone around him. The show is considered ground-breaking for its depiction of issues previously considered too serious for American network television and is renowned as one of the greatest shows of all time.
- Updated
Warner Bros. Television / CBS
Smart Rating: 91.79
Series Span: 9/24/07 - present
Original Network: CBS
Description: A free-spirited beauty moves in next door to two physicists. Jim Parsons has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his role as Sheldon Cooper.
- Updated
Warner Bros. Television / NBC
Smart Rating: 92.14
Series Span: 9/22/94 - 5/6/04
Original Network: NBC
Description: Six friends living in New York hang out at a coffee bar. "Friends" became one of the most popular shows of all time and made stars out of a mostly unknown cast.
- Updated
20th Century Fox Television / ABC
Smart Rating: 92.83
Series Span: 9/23/09 - present
Original Network: ABC
Description: A diverse clan bridges cultural and generational gaps. "Modern Family" uses a mockumentary format and features a large ensemble cast. The series has been heralded since its premiere and has won five Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding comedy series.
- Nick Selbe, PrettyFamous.com
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
We all have our favorite TV shows — be they critics' darlings or cult classics — that we'll defend to the death. Great shows come in many forms, but there really is nothing like a truly phenomenal sitcom. Like dramas, sitcoms depict serious issues like family or relationship drama, but do so with an influx of humor that, when done well, can make viewers fall in love with characters and storylines in an indelible way.
For decades, sitcoms have ingrained themselves into the fabric of popular culture. Classics like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "All in the Family" and "M*A*S*H" were groundbreaking for their time, and contemporary greats like "Seinfeld" and "30 Rock" eventually followed in their path. Whichever era you prefer, all of these shows succeeded in making us laugh time and time again.
PrettyFamous, an entertainment data site by Graphiq, set out to rank the greatest sitcoms of all time. To do this, they calculated each sitcom's Smart Rating — a weighted score out of 100 that takes into account a show's IMDb votes, IMDb rating and the number of Emmy Award wins. They then took all shows with a Smart Rating above 84 and ordered them from worst to best.
Though our formula is meant to be as objective as possible, we're sure to upset fans of sitcoms that didn't quite make the cut. Did your favorite get snubbed? If so, (kindly) let us know where we missed the most, and be sure to check out any of these shows that you might have missed the boat on.
Note: In the event of ties, the show with the most IMDb votes is ranked higher on the list.
Compiled by Nick Selbe, PrettyFamous.com, nselbe@graphiq.com
Paramount Television / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 84.12
Series Span: 9/22/82 - 5/14/89
Original Network: NBC
Description: The ideals of parents and teens clash due to their generation gap. Michael J. Fox won three consecutive Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his role as Alex P. Keaton.
Note: Series descriptions come from Gracenote.
Warner Bros. / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 84.36
Series Span: 11/14/88 - 5/18/98
Original Network: CBS
Description: A high-profile reporter provides laughs in the newsroom. During the show's run, Candice Bergen won five Emmys for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.
Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 84.57
Series Span: 6/7/98 - 2/22/04
Original Network: HBO
Description: Four single women search for romance in New York. The series was based on Candace Bushnell's 1997 book of the same name and spawned two feature films.
Amazon Studios / Amazon Instant Video
Smart Rating: 84.63
Series Span: 9/26/14 - present
Original Network: Amazon Original
Description: The past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes a family's secrets to spill out. Jeffrey Tambor has won two Emmys for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series.
Imagine Television / American Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 84.84
Series Span: 9/22/98 - 5/16/00
Original Network: ABC
Description: Casey McCall and Dan Rydell are two sports anchors and best friends both on and off the screen. At "Sports Night," their nightly cable program, the two display their unique talent and skills in reporting up-to-the-minute sports news. Producer Dana Whitaker is an on-again, off-again love interest of Casey's.
NBC Productions / Warner Bros. Television
Smart Rating: 84.84
Series Span: 9/10/90 - 5/20/96
Original Network: NBC
Description: An urban youth moves in with rich relatives. Will Smith stars as a fictionalized version of himself in one of the most popular series of the '90s.
Sony Pictures Television / Cartoon Network
Smart Rating: 84.86
Series Span: 11/6/05 - 6/23/14
Original Network: Cartoon Network
Description: Grandad Freeman and his two grandsons adjust to life in the suburbs. The show is based on the comic book strip of the same name.
ShadowMachine / Netflix
Smart Rating: 84.91
Series Span: 8/22/14 - present
Original Network: Netflix
Description: A whiskey-drinking, humanlike horse -- a popular '90s sitcom star -- tries to make a comeback. The show features voice work by Will Arnett, Aaron Paul and Alison Brie.
Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 84.92
Series Span: 2/14/09 - 11/17/13
Original Network: HBO
Description: A baseball player reluctantly becomes a high-school physical education teacher. The show was produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, with Danny McBride playing the lead role of Kenny Powers.
Paper Kite Productions / Comedy Central
Smart Rating: 84.97
Series Span: 1/22/14 - present
Original Network: Comedy Central
Description: Two best friends try to navigate their 20s in New York City where things never go as planned. Show creators Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson star in the lead roles, and Amy Poehler serves as an executive producer.
Paramount Television / American Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 84.97
Series Span: 9/24/70 - 3/7/75
Original Network: ABC
Description: Sloppy Oscar Madison and neat Felix Unger share a Manhattan apartment. The show is based on the 1965 Neil Simon play of the same name, which also inspired a 1968 film adaptation.
Columbia Pictures Television / Fox Network
Smart Rating: 85.02
Series Span: 4/5/87 - 5/14/98
Original Network: Fox
Description: Al and Peg Bundy tolerate each other while raising children Bud and Kelly. At 262 episodes, the show is the longest-lasting live-action sitcom in Fox history.
National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 85.03
Series Span: 9/21/98 - 5/18/06
Original Network: NBC
Description: A gay Manhattan lawyer lives with his gal pal, an interior designer. Megan Mullally won two Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role as Karen Walker.
Objective Productions / Channel 4 Television Corporation
Smart Rating: 85.32
Series Span: 9/19/03 - 12/16/15
Original Network: Channel 4
Description: Two dysfunctional friends who met in college share their lives together trying to adjust to the professional world.
Warner Bros. Television / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 85.42
Series Span: 9/22/03 - 2/19/15
Original Network: CBS
Description: The social interactions of a group of misfits, including a divorcee and an internet billionaire.
Dakota Pictures / Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 85.56
Series Span: 6/17/07 - 3/22/09
Original Network: HBO
Description: The adventures of a music-comedy duo from New Zealand. The real-life music duo of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie play fictionalized versions of themselves in the series, which ran for two seasons and earned 10 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Casey-Werner Company / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 85.67
Series Span: 1/9/96 - 5/22/01
Original Network: NBC
Description: Members of an alien expedition assume human shapes to study Earth. John Lithgow won three Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his role as Dick Solomon.
Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 85.92
Series Span: 6/12/92 - 5/31/98
Original Network: HBO
Description: Garry Shandling portrays a late-night talk-show host in this satire of show business. Rip Torn won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as Artie.
Desilu Productions / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 86.05
Series Span: 10/15/51 - 5/6/57
Original Network: CBS
Description: Lucy Ricardo makes life difficult for her Cuban bandleader husband. The show starred real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and is regarded as one of the most influential sitcoms in history.
Production Partners / Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 86.12
Series Span: 10/15/00 - present
Original Network: HBO
Description: Larry David gets into predicaments at home, work and around town. David plays a fictionalized version of himself, and the show's dialogue is largely improvised by the cast.
FX Productions / FX Network
Smart Rating: 86.21
Series Span: 6/29/10 - present
Original Network: FX
Description: Life can be hectic for single father and successful stand-up comedian Louie. The show's episodes feature largely unconnected storylines and typically focus on Louie's life.
20th Century Fox Television / Fox Network
Smart Rating: 86.31
Series Span: 1/9/00 - 5/14/06
Original Network: Fox
Description: A child genius deals with his siblings and eccentric parents. The show's pilot won Primetime Emmy Awards for directing and writing in 2000.
Universal Media Studios / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 86.31
Series Span: 4/9/09 - 2/24/15
Original Network: NBC
Description: A midlevel bureaucrat works tirelessly toward improving her hometown. The show was twice nominated at the Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding comedy series (2011 and 2015).
Hats Off Productions
Smart Rating: 86.39
Series Span: 11/2/04 - 3/10/06
Original Network: Star One
Description: The show revolves around the lives of the members of an ΓΌber-wealthy, high-society Gujarati family of Cuffe Parade, South Bombay, whose daughter-in-law is from a middle class Delhi background.
Dundee Productions / Home Box Office
Smart Rating: 86.93
Series Span: 4/22/12 - present
Original Network: HBO
Description: A former senator tries to make her mark as vice president of the United States. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won five Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role as Selina Meyer.
National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 87.83
Series Span: 10/11/06 - 1/31/13
Original Network: NBC
Description: The life of the head writer at a late-night TV variety show. "30 Rock" won three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding comedy series from 2007 to 2009.
MTM Enterprises / Columbia Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 88.42
Series Span: 9/19/70 - 3/19/77
Original Network: CBS
Description: Producer Mary Richards works at WJM-TV in Minneapolis. Cast members Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner and Valerie Harper each received Primetime Emmy Award nominations every year they were on the show.
NBC Universal Television / National Broadcasting System
Smart Rating: 88.44
Series Span: 3/24/05 - 5/16/13
Original Network: NBC
Description: Workers plod along at Dunder Mifflin's paper supply company. Adapted from the BBC series of the same name, "The Office" won the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding comedy series in 2006.
Comedy Central
Smart Rating: 88.55
Series Span: 8/13/97 - present
Original Network: Comedy Central
Description: The adventures of four boys who live in South Park, Colorado. Renowned for its dark humor and satire, the show was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and has aired 20 seasons to date.
West-Shapiro / National Broadcasting Company
Smart Rating: 88.86
Series Span: 7/5/89 - 5/14/98
Original Network: NBC
Description: Friends living in Manhattan obsess over little things. Known as a "show about nothing," the series regularly used observational humor to comment on trivial, day-to-day encounters.
Imagine Entertainment / Fox Network
Smart Rating: 89.15
Series Span: 11/2/03 - present
Original Network: Fox
Description: An eccentric family suffers a reversal of fortune. The show was cancelled after three seasons on Fox but was subsequently revived and picked up by Netflix for a fourth season, which ran in 2013.
20th Century Fox Television / CBS
Smart Rating: 89.39
Series Span: 9/17/72 - 2/28/83
Original Network: CBS
Description: Army surgeons blow off steam between hours of combat surgery. The show's finale is the most-watched, non-sports broadcast in television history.
Paramount Television / NBC / Getty Images
Smart Rating: 89.61
Series Span: 9/16/93 - 5/13/04
Original Network: NBC
Description: A psychiatrist helms a radio call-in show in Seattle. "Frasier" is a spin-off of "Cheers," as Frasier Crane appeared in both shows.
20th Century Fox Television / Fox
Smart Rating: 91.01
Series Span: 12/17/89 - present
Original Network: Fox
Description: Homer and Marge Simpson raise Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie. Currently in its 28th season, "The Simpsons" is among the longest-running shows in television history.
Viacom Enterprises / CBS
Smart Rating: 91.60
Series Span: 1/12/71 - 4/8/79
Original Network: CBS
Description: Archie Bunker's bigoted ideas conflict with those of everyone around him. The show is considered ground-breaking for its depiction of issues previously considered too serious for American network television and is renowned as one of the greatest shows of all time.
Warner Bros. Television / CBS
Smart Rating: 91.79
Series Span: 9/24/07 - present
Original Network: CBS
Description: A free-spirited beauty moves in next door to two physicists. Jim Parsons has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his role as Sheldon Cooper.
Warner Bros. Television / NBC
Smart Rating: 92.14
Series Span: 9/22/94 - 5/6/04
Original Network: NBC
Description: Six friends living in New York hang out at a coffee bar. "Friends" became one of the most popular shows of all time and made stars out of a mostly unknown cast.
20th Century Fox Television / ABC
Smart Rating: 92.83
Series Span: 9/23/09 - present
Original Network: ABC
Description: A diverse clan bridges cultural and generational gaps. "Modern Family" uses a mockumentary format and features a large ensemble cast. The series has been heralded since its premiere and has won five Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding comedy series.
More information
View this profile on Instagram#ThisIsTucson π΅ (@this_is_tucson) β’ Instagram photos and videos
Most viewed stories
-
Over 40 free events happening in Tucson this December! β
-
More than 40 fun events in Tucson, December 12-14! βοΈβ¨
-
A list of places that will be open on Christmas Day 2025
-
A local gift guide for the foodie in your life π½οΈ
-
17 festive holiday markets that support Tucson artisans
-
Save the date! Here's the ultimate list of Tucson holiday events π
-
3 teaspoons of anise, 6 cups of flour and lots of love: My grandma's biscochitos recipe is more than a delicious cookie
-
40 exciting things to do in Tucson December 19-21! β
-
βLess screen time, more hobbies:β Tucson journaling group helps young adults connect
-
20 gifts under $20 from Tucson shops! ππ