Top 21 Best Sitcoms of Every Year (2000-2020)

Debuting at the turn of the 21st century, this comedy TV show aired its 10th season in 2020 and was renewed for number 11 during the same year. Coming off the mega-success of “Seinfeld,” creator Larry David wanted people to curb their enthusiasm and lower their expectations for his next project. But, any worries of being stuck in the shadow of the greatest “show about nothing” were premature as “Curb” has created its own shadow and has stood on its own for over 20 years now. Following the small, awkward and/or seemingly mundane moments and situations of everyday life, it’s found success thanks to David, as well as several people in his life, playing fictionalized versions of themselves, all while liberally using improv that’s captured in a style that’s akin to cinéma vérité.

Fast talking, daydreams, a girl named Elliot and a stuffed dog named Rowdy: “Scrubs” was one of the most original and funniest shows of the decade and it also brought us one of the greatest sitcom friendships between JD and his Brown Bear. The medical field had been, and still is, a profession explored constantly in TV dramas, but had never been taken on in comedy form as well as “Scrubs” did since maybe “MASH.” And like “MASH,” “Scrubs” could just as easily make you cry tears of sadness as ones of laughter.

“8 Simple Rules” had two very different lives. The show premiered in 2002 as “8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter” and focused on a dad and - as stated in the title - his strict rules around his daughters and dating. And while the show, led by the great John Ritter, showed promise, Ritter’s sad and sudden death during the production of season 2, changed everything. Along with the name change came the death of Ritter’s character as well as the introduction of new characters. While it was the best sitcom to premiere in 2002, by its third and final season, which aired between 2004-2005, it had become a shell of its original self, having dropped from 42nd to 94th in the ratings.

This might be the first show on our list about a rich family that loses its fortune, but it won’t be the last. Given how smart and funny the sitcom is, and how influential it was on some of the great comedies that came after it, it’s still shocking how poor the ratings were for its entire 3-season run on FOX. The Bluths averaged just 6.2 million viewers in the first season, making it the 120th most popular show that year, and the ratings kept going down for the next two seasons - though critics continued to adore it. Luckily, thanks to a rabid cult following and Netflix, we got two more seasons of this brilliant show half a decade after it originally went off the air.

Nickelodeon doesn’t get enough credit for its strong run of teen centric comedies that began back in the ‘90s. Even with hits like “All That” and “Zoey 101,” “Drake and Josh” stands out as one of the network’s best. Starring in the titular roles were Drake Bell and Josh Peck, already established actors at Nickelodeon after appearing on “The Amanda Show.” Their own series was a classic odd-couple style comedy. As two step brothers learning to live together, their clashing personalities provided endless opportunities for hilarity. Don’t believe us? Just look at the track record. The show ran for four seasons and they also made three TV movies, which set viewership records.

America has a history of taking great British comedies and remaking them into not-so-great American sitcoms. So, when they decided to remake “The Office” on this side of the pond, the odds of success might not have been in their favor. But as Michael Scott once said, But as Michael Scott once said, You miss 100% of the shots you don't take...or was that Wayne Gretzky? They took that shot and they most definitely scored - that’s what she said. “How I Met Your Mother” may’ve also premiered in 2005, but there’s no beating “The Office”’s lasting popularity. Despite its 2013 end, the show is still finding new fans today. In fact, Netflix users spent over 57 billion minutes watching it in 2020, making it the most watched show on the service.

If we were basing our list on ratings, “30 Rock” would definitely not be on here. Despite all the awards and critical praise, the series struggled in the ratings throughout its entire run. But NBC kept renewing it every year for seven seasons. That’s how good it was. The satirical sitcom is like a machine gun of comedy with more jokes-per-minute than any other show out there, except for maybe, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” - another Tina Fey created series. Based on Fey’s real-life time as an SNL head writer, “30 Rock” was nominated for 103 Primetime Emmys, won 16 and the Writers Guild of America West called it the 21st best-written television series of all time.

Our universe might have started with a big bang, but the show named after the scientific theory started in 2007 with the “reneging on a proffer of sperm” - and it ended with a total of 12 seasons and a Nobel prize. In between, it gave us Bazingas, Soft Kitties and made us care, way more than you’d think possible, about fixing an elevator. “Big Bang” wasn’t a big hit right away, but it grew in popularity. Thanks to its on-going geeky, scientific and relationship aspects, the long-running sitcom went from the 68th ranked show on television in its first season to eventually becoming TV’s highest-rated comedy by season four.

When people think about a British show focused on the social and personal lives of teens, it’s usually the racey and controversial “Skins” that comes to mind. But while “The Inbetweeners” is often overlooked, it shouldn’t be. This smart and funny coming-of-age sitcom from the UK is much loved by those who’ve seen it - and those who missed it back when it aired in the late aughts should go give it a shot. And don’t confuse it with the brief American version. Like “Skins,” “The Inbetweeners” was remade by MTV but was canceled after one disappointing season. Just stick to the excellent original. You can trust us on this because, unlike Jay Cartwright, we don’t lie about everything.

In a year when “Parks and Recreation” comes in second, you know it has gotta be a great show that keeps Amy Poehler and the Pawnee crew from taking the spot. And it is. “Modern Family” premiered with a brilliant “The Lion King” reference, and for 11 seasons, it took us on a very funny journey around the circle of this unconventional, varied and loving family’s life. And in so doing, the sitcom introduced us all to the humor of moon landings, baby cheeses and more ways to answer calls than we ever thought possible.

2010 was a good year for sitcoms aimed at the younger demographic as both The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon gave us strong premiers that year. The former’s “Good Luck Charlie” was definitely in the running for our coveted 2010 spot, but in the end we went back to Nickelodeon where “Victorious” emerged as, well, victorious. Following teens with aspirations in the performing arts, the show started off strong with “Outstanding Children's Program” nominations at both the 2011 and 2012 Primetime Emmys and won “Favorite TV Show” at the 2012 and 2013 Kids’ Choice Awards. However, after splitting the third season’s episodes into season three and four, Nickelodeon ended the show's run.

We’ll be seeing writer/producer Elizabeth Meriwether later on our list as well, but in 2011 she brought “New Girl” to our sets in what would be the first of 146 episodes over seven seasons. The show received praise from critics, while the improvisational filming style allowed the actors to create on the spot and develop a style that stood out from the standard sitcom crowd. While the show’s ratings slowly declined over the course of the seven seasons, its core fan base was rabid and passionate. Revolving around the titular 30-something New Girl and her close group of friends, the sitcom has even seen its popularity grow in the late 2010s as it became one of the most popular shows on Netflix. Now, if only someone could explain the rules of “True American” to us!

To some of us, Mindy Kaling will always be Kelly Kapoor. But this smart, funny and talented actress and writer was able to avoid any kind of typecasting by creating and starring in her own show after leaving “The Office” in its ninth season. “The Mindy Project” began its run on FOX, but when FOX killed the show after three seasons, the streaming service HULU brought it back to life. Overall, the sitcom - which saw Kaling playing a doctor living and working in NYC - stayed on the streamer for three more seasons, before ending for good with a 10-episode 6th season run in 2017.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” will be ending after the 10-episode, eighth season airs on NBC starting in August 2021. But what some folks might have forgotten is that the show actually began its life back in 2013 on FOX. The critically acclaimed police sitcom ran for five seasons before FOX cancelled it on May 10th, 2018. But sad and angry fans didn’t even have enough time to play some Jimmy Jabs before the series was brought back. On May 11th - literally the next day, The National Broadcasting Company picked it up and has been the show’s home ever since. Bingpot!

The best sitcom to hit the airwaves in 2014 was “Black-ish.” The show, focused on an upper middle class Black family has received praise, not only for its comedy, but also for its tackling of social and political issues surrounding race. One of its most talked about episodes involved the family watching the results of a court case on police misbehavior play out on television and the questions that it raises. “Black-ish” will be ending its run after eight seasons, but it has already spawned two shows in the “ish”-universe. “Mixed-ish” ran for two seasons on ABC and “Grown-ish”’s 4th season began airing in July of 2021.

Call this the little comedy that could. It’s pretty rare for a show on Canada’s national network, CBC, to gain much popularity outside of the great white north, let alone garner international award nominations and victories. But that’s what our best sitcom of 2015 did! For its first few seasons, the show had more of a cult following than broad appeal. But then came the Netflix bump! Once people could “Netflix and Chill” it, this riches-to-rags tale saw a huge jump in popularity. At the 2020 Primetime Emmy awards, “Schitt's Creek”’s final season made the sitcom the first show (comedy or drama) to sweep all seven major categories. Not bad for a little show from Canada, eh!

While fans of “The Office” know Michael Schur as the guy who played Mose Shrute, what they might not know is that he also co-created “Parks and Recreation” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” - and he created “The Good Place.” That’s a pretty impressive resume. And while “The Good Place” might be the least well-known of his creations, those who’ve watched it know how great the fantasy show is. The fact that this comedy lasted four seasons, with ratings that never saw its viewership rank higher than 77th is a testament to the quality of this show about the afterlife - not to mention the overall 97% on Rotten Tomatoes as well as the Peabody and Hugo awards.

For our older viewers who may be wondering what we’re talking about, this is the new “One Day At A Time” and not the version that premiered back in 1975 featuring a young Valerie Bertinelli. This new version focused on a Cuban-American family in Los Angeles and tackled some serious issues from mental health to gender identity. The show began on Netflix, where it ran for three seasons and was canceled in 2019. But Pop picked it up that same year and set a 2020 release date for its 4th - and what would also be its final - season. This made it the first Netflix original show to be taken back up by a traditional network after being dropped by the streamer.

After “New Girl” ended in May of 2018, series creator Elizabeth Meriwether only had to wait till September of that same year to see her next sitcom creation on the small screen. And while her previous show dealt with a group of single people, her new show, which she co-created with J.J. Philbin was focused on “Single Parents.” Providing the laughs were, among others, former SNL cast member Taran Killam and Brad Garrett, who has experience with great sitcoms, having spent nine seasons on one of the most popular comedies of the late 90s-early 2000s, “Everybody Loves Raymond.” But even with all that talent going for it, the show only managed to survive two seasons before being cancelled by ABC in 2020.

In a world where someone can go from singing on YouTube, to millions of views and fame and fortune, this comedy takes a look at how that sudden fame can affect “The Other Two.” In this case, these two are the older siblings of 13-year-old Chase Dubek/ChaseDreams, whose viral video throws him into the spotlight of stardom. Brooke is an ex-dancer trying to figure her life out and Cary is a struggling gay actor. By taking a look at the new internet celebrity culture from a slightly different perspective, this show stays fresh and funny.

What happens when a college football coach is hired to coach soccer - sorry, we mean football - in the Premier League? Well, when that coach is Jason Sudeikis and the show is co-created by Bill Lawrence, the man who gave us “Scrubs,” what happens is the best sitcom of 2020. The show streams on Apple TV+ and they’ve already shown a strong commitment to the series. The show premiered in August of 2020 and five days later it was announced that there was going to be a season two. Then in October of 2020, 9 months before the second season was even set to premiere, they announced a pick up for a third season.