Sitcoms are family-friendly shows that make one laugh, cry, and feel warm, with their situational comedy centered around a fixed number of regular characters. Running on TV for years and decades, they have kept generations entertained with their quirky characters and relatable storylines.
Visiting old and new sitcoms, some have only gotten better with time and have left their beautiful messages behind for the new generation to discover. From a TV show about a group of six friends in New York City who are going through problems related to love, work, and relationships to a TV show about a modern family where there is a couple with an age gap and a gay couple, sitcoms often give us a dose of reality with a comic undertone.
So get comfortable on your couch and check out this list of 30 best sitcoms of all time to find your next show to binge-watch.
Friends
Stream on: HBO Max, Netflix
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc
Rachel, a flighty, spoiled woman, runs from her marriage and accidentally meets her high school best friend Monica, who lets her live with her in her apartment. Ross, Monica’s brother, has always had a crush on Rachel and thinks this might be his chance. Chandler, Ross’s best friend, lives opposite Monica’s apartment with his roommate Joey.
The Office
Stream on: Netflix
Starring: Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson
Seinfeld
Stream on: Netflix
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Jerry Seinfeld, a stand-up comedian, topics always revolve around the mundane but irritating problems of life. The show is an amalgamation of his stand-up acts and personal life, where he is accompanied by his conniving best friends, George, his ex-girlfriend and voice of reason, Elaine, and his laid-back neighbor, Kramer.
Schitt’s Creek
Stream on: Netflix
Starring: Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Annie Murphy
The life of the wealthy Rose family turns upside down when their entire wealth is cheated out by their General Manager. Now, the only remaining property to their name is a small town called Schitt’s Creek. Initially, they move to town to sell it for some money and slowly rebuild their business. But their plan is always hindered by the town mayor and its other quirky residents.
The Good Place
Stream on: Apple TV, Netflix
Starring: Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, Manny Jacinto
The Good Place sitcom is about the afterlife and how it’s divided into two realms: the good place and the bad place. The residents of Good Place get to have their every wish granted, while the residents of Bad Place are tortured and punished. Eleanor, a morally corrupt woman, is by mistake sent to the Good Place, and understanding that her presence is a mistake, she pursues desperate measures to hide her real identity.
I Love Lucy
Stream on: Hulu
Starring: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance
One of the most-watched sitcoms with 5 Emmy awards under its belt, I Love Lucy follows an ambitious woman who wants to make it in the glitzy entertainment industry. Often roped in her quirky plans are her husband and their landlords, Fred and Ethel. The show ran for 6 Seasons between 1951 to 1957.
The Simpsons
Stream on: Disney +
Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright
In the city of Springfield, the Simpson family consists of a working father, a housewife mother, and three children who have their own individual quirks. Through The Simpsons, the show caricatures the typical American life culture while also incorporating pop-culture references as satires.
The Honeymooners
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Starring: Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows
The Honeymooners only ran for one season between 1955 to 1956, but the absurd comedy by Jackie Gleason left a mark in time with his personal touch of timing. The show follows a bus driver, Ralph, his wife, Alice, and his best friend, Ed, and his wife, Trixie. The two couples get involved in many absurd plans that don’t come to fruition in their endeavor to become rich and successful.
BoJack Horseman
Stream on: Netflix
Starring: Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris
Although BoJack Horseman imparts deep wisdom on mental health and relationships, it’s not suitable for kids because of its references to alcohol and drugs. A sitcom that is suitable to watch for Young Adults and Adults, BoJack Horseman is about BoJack, an actor who used to be very popular 18 years ago while doing a show, but after its cancellation, he became an alcoholic. After years, he decides to pursue his career of acting again but meets many hindrances.
Black-ish
Stream on: Hulu
Starring: Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi
The sitcom Black-ish follows the Johnson family of five and the people around them. Dre is the dad who is a wealthy advertising executive and has brought up his family in upper-class suburban circles, but he also wants to keep in touch with his Black culture. His wife, Rainbow, doesn’t often approve of his mini plans, while his three children have their own different lives and personalities.
Sex and the City
Stream on: HBO Max
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker
Four best friends, Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte, couldn’t be more different than each other, but their friendship is full of gossip and yearning for a long-term relationship. In the city of New York, the ever-changing fashion and partners with challenging work have tired out a group of girlfriends who find solace by discussing, sharing their problems, and supporting each other through it.
Modern Family
Stream on: Disney +
Starring: Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Ed O’Neil
The sitcom Modern Family follows three families: Jay Pritchett with his much younger and hot wife, Gloria and her precocious son, Manny; Phil and Claire Dunphy, a married couple with three kids; and lastly, Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker, a gay couple who have adopted a Vietnamese child. Claire and Mitchell are Jay’s children from a previous marriage, and together, their families go through hilarious situations that are also heartwarming.
The Odd Couple
Stream on: Hulu
Starring: Matthew Perry, Thomas Lennon, Lindsay Sloane
Created by Matthew Perry, the show follows two best friends who decide to live together after they are ditched by their wives. Felix and Oscar, friends since college, marry women who are very different from them, and after over 20 years of uncomfortable marriage, the couple breaks up. Felix moves in with Oscar, and they decide to move on by finding new relationships to overcome their heartbreak.
The Golden Girls
Stream on: Hulu
Starring: Betty White, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty
With three Golden Globes and four Emmy Awards, one of every actor in the main cast, The Golden Girls is one of the best sitcoms of all time. The show follows four elderly women who are in their golden years and have been previously married. Now, together, they move into a house in Miami to enjoy their last years together. Full of sass, drama, and comedy, The Golden Girls is a hilarious sitcom.
New Girl
Stream on: Netflix
Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield
Jess, a heartbroken girl who has just ended her relationship with her cheating boyfriend, answers an ad for a new roommate and moves in with three boys to live in a loft. Initially, the boys are afraid of the overly emotional Jess, but as they help her get over her heartbreak, they gradually become close friends.
Everybody Loves Raymond
Stream on: Peacock
Starring: Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett
Ray, a man who uses dry wit to handle any situation and hates to become a target for his mother’s disappointment, lives with his wife and two kids. Their family is often disturbed by Ray’s overbearing parents, where his mother is critical of his wife, Debra, and his father lacks little to no sentiment. He also has an older brother who is jealous of his well-to-do career, which has made him their mother’s favorite child.
Big Bang Theory
Stream on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
Starring: Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki
Four friends who work in the field of physics and are nerds obsessed with comic books but are terribly awkward when it comes to dating, and girls find their lives turn for the better when Penny, a beautiful and carefree waitress, moves in next door. Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon, won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Television Series for Big Bang Theory.
Fleabag
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Starring: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Andrew Scott, Sian Clifford
Fleabag follows a woman who is clumsy in her interpersonal relationships but still puts up a face of bravado, often using her dry wit to undermine serious situations to cope with grief and growing confusion inside her. The show won Phoebe Waller-Bridge the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and the show won the Golden Globe award for Best Television Series-Comedy or Musical.
Parks and Recreation
Stream on: Peacock
Starring: Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza
A satirical mockumentary on bureaucracy and red, Parks and Recreation follows Leslie Knope, a bureaucrat who listens to the plea of Ann, a nurse whose boyfriend got hurt after falling into a pit beside their house, asking it to be filled so there is no future injury but meets resistance by uninterested neighbors and her rigid, rule-following director.
All in the Family
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Starring: Jean Stapleton, Carrell O’Connor, Sally Struthers
All in the Family is a British television adaptation of a show called ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ and follows a working-class family of the Bunkers. Through a racist dad who believes every stereotype, the show was a breakthrough for talking about issues relating to racism, women’s rights, and gay relationships. This sitcom has won 3 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Freaks and Geeks
Stream on: PlutoTV
Starring: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco
A pair of siblings enroll in a new High School in the 80s and try to find their place to fit in. Lindsay, the older sibling, finds herself in a group who goes by the name of ‘freaks’ to her parents’ disappointment, while Sam, the younger one, befriends a couple of boys who have gotten the tag of ‘geeks’ because of their awkward and nerdy nature. Although the show was canceled after only one season, it gained a cult classic tag by the later generations.
Community
Stream on: Netflix
Starring: Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover
Jeff Winger is kicked out from his law firm when he’s outed about his lie about having graduated from an esteemed college. He decides to go to a community college and, this time, earn a legitimate degree. There, he is immediately smitten with Britta Perry, a social activist, and a fellow student. He decides to create a study group in order to spend more time with her, but Britta ends up bringing more people. With time, they all become close friends and go through various misadventures.
Cheers
Stream on: Peacock
Starring: Kirstie Alley, Ted Danson, Shelley Long
Cheers is considered to be one of the best sitcoms of all time after winning 28 Primetime Emmy Awards throughout its run. The sitcom follows the owner of Cheers, Sam, who is also a bartender there, and his interactions with his staff and various customers who come to his bar to share their stories about ups and downs.
Arrested Development
Stream on: Netflix
Starring: Jason Bateman, Alia Shawkat, Michael Cera
With one Golden Globe award and six Primetime Emmy awards, Arrested Development is a sitcom that has made its wide audience laugh out loud. The premise follows a wealthy family, the Bluths, and their unchanged ways of living even after losing all their wealth. In between is Michael, the only sane member who tolerates his materialistic and selfish family members while trying to keep them together.
Bob’s Burgers
Stream on: HBO Max
Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal, Dan Mintz
Bob Belcher runs a family restaurant selling burgers with different varieties, but he often finds himself unsuccessful as he is hindered by his pizzeria restaurant rival, Jimmy Pesto, his own three troublesome children, and his nosey in-laws. The series is a two-time Emmy winner for being Outstanding Animated Program.
Malcolm in the Middle
Stream on: Hulu
Starring: Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Erik Per Sullivan
A black comedy, Malcolm in the Middle, follows Malcolm, who is dealing with problems that come with being a middle child in a dysfunctional family. Malcolm is a child prodigy who is troubled to deal with his eccentric family and often expresses his exasperation by breaking the fourth wall and interacting with the audience directly.
South Park
Stream on: HBO Max
Starring: Mary Kay Bergman, Issac Hayes, Eliza Schneider
A tongue-in-cheek comedy sitcom, South Park follows four boys who are best friends and live in South Park, a place near Denver. The town’s daily life is disturbed by some supernatural or extraordinary events that boggle the simplistic and gullible adult populace of the town while the boys become the voice of reason.
Roseanne
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Starring: Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert
Roseanne follows a middle-aged, blue-collar couple and their three children who live in Kane County, Illinois. The show was appreciated for its portrayals of the struggles and living environment of a working-class couple who mainly work outside and how they deal with problems related to work, life, and their children.
Gilmore Girls
Stream on: Netflix
Starring: Alexis Bledel, Lauren Graham, Milo Ventimiglia
Gilmore Girls deserves to be one of the best sitcoms of all time for its heartfelt portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship. The show follows Rory and her mother, Lorelai, who is raising her in a single-parent family. Lorelai is supportive of precocious Rory and lets her make her own decisions with regard to relationships.
Rick and Morty
Stream on: Hulu and HBO Max
Starring: Justin Roiland, Spencer Grammar, Dan Harmon
Morty, a dim-witted teenager, is a reluctant companion of his alcoholic and eccentric grandfather, who takes him on various intergalactic adventures. Summer, Morty’s vain elder sister, often follows them on their misadventures. An adult animated sitcom, Rick and Morty, has themes of black comedy, science fiction, and satire.
