Top 10 Most Talked About Sitcom Moments
#10: Will’s Dad Returns “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990-96)
Top 10 Times The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Tackled Serious Issues
One of the central themes of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” revolves around the fact that Will hasn’t seen his father, Lou, in quite some time. But that all changed in a later episode of season four when Will unexpectedly encounters Lou while working at a restaurant. At first, it seems like he’s ready to be back in his son’s life, but the rest of the family, especially Uncle Phil, have concerns. Unfortunately, they’re right. Will’s father abandons him once again, but not before Phil has a devastating and riveting conversation with him about what fatherhood means. It’s a terribly sad episode, and one that really showed off the dramatic acting chops of the show’s comedic cast.
#9: Sammy Davis Jr. “All in the Family” (1971-79)
When a literal member of the Rat Pack shows up on your TV show, it’s bound to get people talking. At the beginning of the episode “Sammy’s Visit,” Archie has taken a job driving taxis. To his surprise, one of his first customers is none other than musician and actor Sammy Davis Jr. When Davis forgets his briefcase in the back of Archie’s cab, he has to come to the Bunker household to pick it up. Tensions rise as Archie, who is nervous about the meeting, slips into his bigoted ways. But none of this fazes Davis. The episode’s iconic moment comes when a super chill Davis plants a big kiss on Archie’s face while they’re taking a picture.
#8: “Cheers” Finale “Cheers” (1982-93)
Cheers Television Retrospective
We always knew it was going to be hard to leave the place where everybody knows your name. But it’s still crazy to think that about 42.4 million households tuned in for the “Cheers” finale, just to say goodbye to that little bar in Boston. This number makes “One for the Road” the second-highest rated series finale of all time for any show, sitcom or not. Judging by how many amazing events unfolded during the episode, it’s no surprise it was watched by everyone and their mother. Diane Chambers, the character played by Shelley Long, returned to the show for the first time in years. We bet the reunion between her and Sam definitely got everyone talking the next day.
#7: “The Contest” “Seinfeld” (1989-98)
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For a show about nothing, “Seinfeld” sure gave us a lot to talk about. The entire show ended with the group going to jail for what essentially amounts to harassment. But no episode of the beloved sitcom got people talking more than “The Contest.” In this installment, the central cast of characters compete to see who can go the longest without… pleasuring themselves. NBC executives didn’t exactly love this idea being the main conflict for its beloved show, so the writer had to be creative when choosing what language to use. If you’ve ever heard someone say the phrase “master of my domain,” and weren’t sure what they meant, well, now you know.
#6: Racial Profiling “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (2013-21)
When we think of cop shows, we generally think of something a bit more serious than “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” But the show got most of us talking whenever it took on a more somber subject matter. In the episode “Moo Moo,” Sergeant Terry Jeffords is almost arrested simply for being out at night. It’s only when he also identifies himself as a police officer that the other cop backs down. Terry later sits down with the arresting officer, but he refuses to admit that the reason he almost arrested him was because of his race. The episode stirred up discussions not just because of Terry Crews’ great performance, but also due to the frank way it handled racial profiling.
#5: The Mother Dies “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
Top 10 Most Relatable How I Met Your Mother Moments
We spent the entirety of the show “How I Met Your Mother” waiting to discover who really was the mother of Ted’s children. But even when we found out, we could never have predicted the shocking twist that was to come at the end of the sitcom. In the finale, titled “Last Forever,” the writers take us through the gang’s lives after Ted meets Tracy, the titular mother. Things go on relatively normally, but then a bomb drops. Ted reveals that after he married Tracy, she developed a terminal illness and died. To spend so long wondering who the mother might be and have it end up like this? It definitely had us all up in arms.
#4: Mac’s Dance “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (2005-)
Top 20 Funniest It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Moments
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” isn’t necessarily known for its earnestness or sincerity. When your central characters are this narcissistic and terrible, there’s really not a lot of room for sweetness. However, something unexpected happens in the show’s 13th season. By this point, it’s been a while since the character Mac came out as gay, but he was yet to let his father in on this. For the big revelation, Mac chooses an unconventional approach, performing an interpretive dance for his dad, who is in prison. While it may sound silly, the show handles this moment with incredible grace, and completely sells it with a stellar performance from Rob McElhenney.
#3: Little Ricky “I Love Lucy” (1951-57)
Top 20 Classic I Love Lucy Moments
When it comes to television firsts, this is a big one. “I Love Lucy” was one of the most popular shows of all time. And in 1953, it set an incredible record. In order to utilize the real-life pregnancy of star Lucille Ball, the show wrote one for the character of Lucy. This was possibly the first time that a real-life pregnancy was woven into the fabric of a show, and the entire country was riveted. Almost 75% of Americans with a TV set, or 44 million people, tuned in to watch Lucy give birth. The show held that record until it was broken by none other than Elvis. The only person who could get 1950s America talking more than Lucy.
#2: Maude’s Pregnancy “Maude” (1972-78)
Just one year before Roe v. Wade granted a protected right to abortion in the United States, the television show “Maude” was already making it a talking point in households. In the show’s first season, the show’s protagonist Maude finds out that she is pregnant at the age of 47. The rest of the two-part episode deals with different characters’ reactions to Maude’s pregnancy and her internal struggle over what to do. Despite her personal objections to abortion, Maude ultimately decides to not have a child based on where she is in her life. It was a watershed moment for television, and one that definitely got people talking.
#1: We Were On a Break “Friends” (1994-2004)
Top 20 Friends Moments That Will Always Make Us Cry
Even just reading the words, you can hear Ross Geller’s manic tone of voice as he screams them out. In the third season of “Friends,” Ross and Rachel take a break from their relationship, during which Ross sleeps with another woman. When Rachel eventually finds out about this from Gunther, it results in an explosive fight between the couple. Rachel maintains that taking a break is not the same as breaking up, and the two argue about this idea throughout the rest of the series. Whenever the topic of their split came up on the show, it got America talking. Were they on a break? Does that excuse what Ross did? It seems we may never settle that debate. If we missed any of your favorite sitcom moments, let us know in the comments below.
