When it comes to sitcoms, TV hasn’t been the same since the ’80s and ’90s. The format has evolved, adapted, and kept shaping humor for decades in bold and creative ways. Overall, the genre works as both a snapshot of pop culture and a reflection of how people behave at different times – picking up on habits, dilemmas, and quirks from different generations and turning them into stories. It’s always been a kind of social barometer. Still, even with major shifts in audience taste, some sitcoms remain irreplaceable. Some broke new ground, others became global hits, but all of them, in some way, changed how people watch and understand comedy on TV.
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With that in mind, here are the 10 best sitcoms of all time. And yes, while you can’t please everyone with a list like this, these are the shows that helped define what it really means to be a sitcom.
10) M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H was one of the first shows to prove that a sitcom could be both genuinely funny and deeply serious at the same time. Its quite different plot followed doctors in a mobile unit during the Korean War, balancing clever humor with real-life moments and emotional depth – Hawkeye (Alan Alda), for example, became the face of that blend of sarcasm and empathy. Back then, it was a show that tackled political issues head-on and still managed to be wildly popular (a combo that’s almost impossible to pull off nowadays).
Even though it’s a show from the ’70s, M*A*S*H remains surprisingly relevant if you stop and think about it. Its finale broke every American TV ratings record at the time, pulling in over 100 million viewers, and over the years it collected Emmys and praise. In sitcom and cultural history, it’s a landmark – not just one of the best in its genre, but one of the most important shows before streaming became popular. Achieving that level of success without today’s global reach is truly impressive.
9) Arrested Development
A very rare case here. Arrested Development didn’t have a big audience – actually, it had a pretty small one live. But it earned nearly unanimous critical praise. The show follows the Bluth family, a totally dysfunctional group trying to keep up appearances after their dad gets arrested for fraud. It’s got a dense narrative, tons of inside jokes, and super self-referential humor, which made it tough for casual viewers – that’s why it lost most of the general audience. But for those who got it, it created a fiercely loyal fanbase.
For its time, when sitcoms tended to be safer and more conventional, Arrested Development was bold, meta, and technically sharp. It influenced a lot of comedies that came after it like 30 Rock and Community, and its Netflix revival gave it more exposure (even if it didn’t hit the same creative highs). It’s definitely a show for those who pay close attention, which is probably why it became a cult classic. In terms of narrative ambition, very few sitcoms have come close.
8) Cheers
Few people remember Cheers today, but those who do know it’s the blueprint for the classic, well-done American sitcom. The premise followed the daily lives of employees and regulars at a Boston bar, and even though it was as simple as many others, the thing is that the execution was spot on. The cast had real chemistry, the dialogue was sharp, and even if some jokes feel a bit dated, they still land. The show also handled cast changes like a pro (something rare for sitcoms), and paved the way for Frasier, which became another huge hit.
If it feels old-school now, that’s because pretty much every sitcom that came after built on what Cheers established – no surprise there. It set standards that lasted for decades, and that wasn’t by chance. It had one of the biggest series finales ever and scooped up awards almost every season. This is basically a masterclass in how to make quality network TV.
7) Modern Family
Modern Family was the big answer of the 2010s to traditional sitcoms. The show follows three very different but connected families – a gay couple with an adopted daughter, a dad married to a Colombian immigrant, and a “typical” family with teens – using a mockumentary style that adds rhythm and irony to every situation. It can feel a bit forced at times, but from the start, the show proved it could balance diversity, emotion, and humor in a way that’s easy to connect with.
The cast always clicked, and the writing was super sharp, so it’s no surprise Modern Family won 5 Emmys in a row for Best Comedy. It’s one of those sitcoms that delivers exactly what it promises: heartfelt family comedy without getting cheesy. Like any long-running series, it had a creative drop-off in later seasons, but the impact of those first few years still carries a lot of weight. Within its scope, it was definitely one of the decade’s biggest hits.
6) The Big Bang Theory
You’re unlikely to hear critics praising The Big Bang Theory, but when it comes to the audience, the show is totally embraced. The plot centers on four nerdy scientists and their social lives, especially with and aspiring actress next door. It’s not for everyone since the humor is straightforward, full of geeky references, and leans on stereotypes, but it found a good balance between situational comedy and character growth. Sheldon (Jim Parsons), with his obsessive quirks and catchphrases, became a true nerd icon.
Even with a pretty standard setup, The Big Bang Theory kept growing season after season, hitting audience numbers that matched some of the biggest pre-streaming hits (no surprise it spun off a few spinoffs). The writing wasn’t always top-notch, but it knew how to keep viewers hooked. Over time, the characters got deeper, which helped the series stay relevant. It’s a comfy, predictable sitcom, but it does exactly what it sets out to do – and it does it well.
5) The Office
When The Office premiered, a lot of people doubted the American remake of the British version would work. But the sitcom exceeded all expectations and became one of the most-watched comedies of the streaming era. The story follows employees at Dunder Mifflin, a paper company in Pennsylvania, and uses the mockumentary format to dig into the awkwardness and absurdity of everyday office life. And it’s worth noting that Michael Scott (Steve Carell) remains one of the most memorable characters on TV – embarrassing, clueless, but oddly human. To this day, he’s a character who crosses generational lines.
Still, the real strength of the series lies just as much in the supporting cast. Jim (John Krasinski), Pam (Jenna Fischer), Dwight (Rainn Wilson), and the rest of the ensemble created a chemistry that balanced smart humor with genuinely heartfelt moments. And even though the show dipped in quality after Carell’s exit, it continued to grow into a pop culture juggernaut. What Seinfeld did for ’90s comedy, The Office managed to pull off in the 2000s.
4) How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother was the first post-Friends sitcom to really try capturing the same generation – and it pulled it off, but with a much more ambitious narrative structure. The story follows Ted (Josh Radnor) telling his kids how he met their mother, while we follow his journey alongside his group of friends. What made it stand out was how it pushed a bit further by blending romantic comedy with emotional depth, and relying on cliffhangers, flashbacks, and even time jumps to keep things moving and fresh.
Despite a highly controversial ending, the truth is How I Met Your Mother delivered years of consistently strong comedy and gave us characters as charismatic as Friends. The structure was more inventive than usual for a sitcom, which means not every risk paid off, but overall, the payoff was worth it. Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), for example, became a full-on pop culture icon, and the show wasn’t afraid to mess with the genre’s limits. It wasn’t perfect, but when it hit its stride, it delivered some of the most creative moments in modern sitcoms.
3) The Simpsons
For those who don’t think so, yes, animation can absolutely be a sitcom, and The Simpsons proved that a long time ago. Sure, it’s tough to define it as just that, but within the genre, its spot on this list is non-negotiable. The show follows the lives of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie in Springfield, but it’s always leaned more into satire than family dynamics. From the start, it’s been a sharp lens on American culture, constantly poking fun at politics, the media, society, and even TV itself (it’s still referenced today when it comes to these topics). And it’s nearly impossible to count how many shows were influenced by it, but pretty much every adult animated comedy owes something to The Simpsons.
The main criticism here is that the show has long passed its prime, and that’s fair – the golden era was definitely in the first 10 seasons. However, even with that drop in quality, the impact it had (and still has) is massive. No other production had that kind of longevity with that level of relevance at its peak. They nailed the mix of social criticism and over-the-top humor in a way that was basically untouchable for years.
2) Friends
Friends is considered the most popular sitcom of all time, even if it’s not the most innovative or clever. But what it lacks in boldness, it more than makes up for in sheer charisma. The premise is simple: six friends dealing with work, relationships, and adult life in New York. But what really makes it work is the chemistry between the cast, the comic timing, and the show’s ability to create moments that became iconic: from running jokes to an aesthetic copied by an entire generation.
Across 10 seasons, Friends evolved, with characters who, while sticking to their core traits, actually grew over time. Sure, there are some forced bits and a few jokes that didn’t age well, but the truth is that very few sitcoms have stayed this popular for this long. In that sense, it’s kind of timeless. Its legacy lives on in the collective imagination – in memes, playlists, and even haircuts. You simply can’t talk about pop culture without bringing it up.
1) Seinfeld
You can’t talk about sitcoms without mentioning Seinfeld, because it didn’t just reinvent comedy – it redefined what audiences expected from a sitcom. The premise was risky: follow four New Yorkers dealing with minor everyday frustrations, without any major story arcs or moral lessons. However, it worked really well. The series built its own brand of humor, where the absurd came from the ordinary, and the timing of each joke was nailed down to the second. Its characters became icons of self-centered behavior, but in a way that made them oddly watchable – and that tone ended up shaping almost all comedy that came after it.
With sharp and subversive writing, the truth is that it’s a show that hasn’t aged perfectly in every way, but it’s still relevant for everything it brought to the table. It left a legacy, after all, Seinfeld had the guts to end at its peak (even though its finale wasn’t universally loved), turning down million-dollar deals just to avoid dragging things out. Even the episodes that seem simple on the surface still hold up as some of the clearest examples of what pure TV comedy can look like.
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