Top 10 Funniest Sitcoms of All Time

To follow this meta-minded sitcom was to live in a constant state of dread. Ratings weren’t great, and several times, it seemed like it was on the chopping block. But this is a show that was always reinventing itself. It went from being about a study group full of misfits at a community college to a surreal pop culture pastiche filled with quirky non sequiturs. Unafraid to be completely nonsensical and blisteringly self-aware, “Community” more than earned its cult status. With its mix of showbiz veterans, seasoned pros, and a few new faces, the talent on display is something truly special.

Even forgetting its groundbreaking premise about a single career woman whose primary goal wasn’t to get married, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” is still must-see TV. Part workplace sitcom, part buddy comedy, it followed Mary Richards, an associate producer on the country’s zaniest evening newscast. The cast turned out to be so likable that three of them went on to star in their own successful spin-offs. For seven seasons, the flagship show was one of the funniest ever. Pushing past boundaries of feminism that previous shows merely tapped at, Mary and company showed that being an absolute goofball could be revolutionary.

The Bluths are a family who lost everything, and watching them flail while their previously cushy life is systematically stripped away from them is comedy gold. What “Arrested Development” did so well was create these climactic set pieces, where all of its impossibly convoluted and unhinged subplots would suddenly connect. Coincidences, callbacks, and unexpected references to previous jokes and events were this show’s bread and butter. Watching it was almost like a game of “I Spy,” as visual gags could be happening in the background at any moment, and any single frame had more meme potential than any other show.

Norman Lear developed this “All in the Family” spinoff after members of the Black Panthers expressed their displeasure at the way Black families were depicted on TV. “The Jeffersons” followed the recurring characters from Queens to a luxurious highrise in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Much of the show’s humor is based on the unique class situation its main characters find themselves in. George Jefferson’s judgmental posturing and strutting was perfectly counterbalanced by his sensible and grounding wife, Louise, affectionately known as “Weezy.” Many episodes find George contending with his own self-importance, which his wife, son, in-laws, and housekeeper, Florence, are constantly keeping in check.

Talk to a lot of fans, and they might tell you this satirical mockumentary needed some time to find its footing. After a lackluster first season, the artists behind “Parks and Recreation” took some feedback and retooled the tone. It became warmer, and far more funny, as a result. By the end of its run, it was rare if you could get through an episode without crying with laughter. Characters like Ron Swanson had entered the public lexicon and Leslie Knope’s irrepressible optimism was almost aspirational. As far as its popularity, even if you’ve never seen it, you’ve seen memes from it.

Before there was Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte, there was Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia. It’s hard to overstate just how out-of-place a show about four women over the age of fifty was in the mid-1980s. What was truly remarkable about “The Golden Girls,” though, was just how reliably and gut-bustingly funny it was. Its four characters shot off one-liners at a bracing pace, and its writers consistently found new and surprising ways of playing off the ladies’ established traits. You always knew what flavor of joke was coming, and sometimes it was the anticipation of the joke about Rose’s stupidity or Blanche’s popularity with men that made it even funnier.

Told in mockumentary style, “The Office” revolves around a particularly insane group of coworkers at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc. Through office pranks, ridiculous meetings, and heart attack-inducing fire drills, we get to know the dysfunctional staff and their somewhat incompetent supervisor, Michael Scott. Even the characters who act like they’re above the antics are often revealed to be just as down to clown. It’s so funny that even common sitcom subplots, like will-they-or-won’t-they romances and disastrous dinner parties, seem like they’ve never been done before. Although never quite as dark as the British show it was based on, it has plenty of offensive moments to go around.

When we think of shows that wouldn’t be made today, this Norman Lear classic usually tops the list. Despite its leading character’s apparent bigotry, the show was written with a left wing bent that always managed to make him look like a fool. Adapted from a British sitcom, “All in the Family” is a distinctly American show, facing off against the most pressing issues of 1970s America. Viewers might be shocked at just how prescient and relevant it still is. What made it work was that the makers’ desire to educate us never overpowered their duty to entertain us. Watching the working class Bunker family stumble their way through sticky ideological territory made it seem possible to confront the same issues in our own homes.

Rather than concentrating on social issues or even the relationships of its characters, “Seinfeld” was like a standup comedy bit taken to its extreme. Bookended by Seinfeld’s in-universe standup routines, the episodes focused on the quirks of everyday social interactions and conventions. Its cast of hilarious yet morally bankrupt characters were like the original poster children of letting the intrusive thoughts win. They acted out our worst impulses, and made us laugh precisely because they would do and say the things we feel guilty for even thinking. The creation of star Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, the show’s ethos and aesthetic still live on in memes and many of the shows that came after.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Friends” (1994-2004)
They Made Being in Your Twenties Look So Fun

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (2005-)
This Long-Running Sitcom Seems to Set a New Bar for Unhinged Comedy with Every Season

“30 Rock” (2006-13)
A Weekly Celebration of Eccentric Characters & Bad TV from the Mind of Tina Fey

“Abbott Elementary” (2021-)
Impeccable Casting & Chemistry Make This Workplace Comedy a New Classic

“Schitt’s Creek” (2015-20)
You’ll Remember the Experience & You’ll Remember the Name

It’s not just that it literally was the blueprint for half-hour television comedy. It’s that even after all these years, Lucy Ricardo is still one of the funniest characters ever created. From her increasingly desperate attempts to get into her husband Ricky’s nightclub act to her attempts to strike out on her own, Lucy lived more fully than most people could in a lifetime. Even the things Lucille Ball couldn’t do well herself became great comedy. She was always helped along by a group of stunning and game co-stars who could level up the chaos, madness, and confusion at the drop of a hat.

What sitcom made you laugh the hardest? Let us know in the comments.