What is the greatest TV Sitcom?

[I Am Legion]

Cheers then Seinfeld.

 

[Mr Mojo Lane]

Best show w/ horrible ratings=Married with Children

 

[minute bull]

Roseanne should be a choice.

This thread is about sitcoms, Roger.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

This thread is about sitcoms, Roger.

Sorry, I meant Hee Haw

 

[rj144]

Love Seinfeld, Simpsons, Office, Sunny, Curb, Veep, Silicon Valley, etc..., but Arrested Development is GOAT for me.

If anyone says Big Bang Theory, they should be banned on the spot.

 

[MikeMcMann]

Forgot about WKRP and Taxi. Great sitcoms that I always looked forward to watching. I suppose All in the Family could be an honorable mention too.

 

[bigkick]

Seinfeld, Simpsons, Friends, Office, and Arrested Development - in no particular order - would be my top picks.

 

[Nimrod]

The USA the office is GOAT .. NOTHING COMES CLOSE ..

maybe Red Dwarf or Black Adder or Faulty Towers

Or Spaced or Peep show or nathan barley or Garth merengeies dark place ..

Or the might Boosch

 

[DaleBoca]

How did you not name All in The Family? Jesus Christ.

Lol

 

[quadrunner]

There is a ton of good choices on that list, I went with the office tho.

It’s the only one that I watch almost daily even tho I’ve seen every episode probably 5 times. It’s one of those shows I’ll put on when I’m on my phone or doing something else and even tho I’m not fully paying attention I still get some good laughs.

Always sunny, Simpsons, family guy, that 70’s show and fresh prince are my honorable mentions ( in no order )

 

[Goon Dog]

My favorite is Seinfeld, but the answer is I Love Lucy and nothing else comes close. Lucy changed television on multiple levels and was THE pioneer of comedic television.

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

How did you not name All in The Family? Jesus Christ.

Lol

I don't know if it would have got many votes on here. But I could be wrong. lol

 

[Merlotte's]

 

[Goon Dog]

I don't know if it would have got many votes on here. But I could be wrong. lol

All in the Family was legendary. It was written to be socially conscience as well as for comedy. No one at that time had the balls to take on racism, prejudice, homophobia, antisemitism etc like Norman Lear and Carroll O'Connor was probably the most culturally significant sitcom actor in the history of television. It's amazing to watch gruff, racist bigot Archie Bunker, while at the same time realizing O'Connor was regarded as one of the gentlest souls in the business and who fought back in the day for equal rights.

It also spun off great shows. The Jeffersons, one of my favorites. Maude, which I hated but was a huge driver for women's rights and spun off Good Times, which was awesome.

All in the Family probably wasn't top 5 or even 10 for humor, but was certainly top 3 for influential significance. Maybe top 1.

 

[Mr Mojo Lane]

Only Seinfeld, I love Lucy , Cosby Show and the Big Bang can come close to the popularity of All in the Family. Those show were middle of the road and not controversial at all compared to All in the Family. Rosanne dealt with some of those controversial subjects but that was the 80-90s not the 70s.

 

[Seano]

Seinfeld by a mile. This poll shouldn't be close.

 

[bufetadanacara]

Seinfeld
Cheers
Married with children
Curb your Enthusiasm
Night Court

 

[jefferz]

I'd have to give it to M*A*S*H, though if I had to pick one to watch it would be Cheers. M*A*S*H captured a moment in history in a way few shows did and delivered both comedy and drama in a way that was very timely. In this area I think it's important to distinguish between "the greatest" and "which one I like best" which is why I pick M*A*S*H even when my personal favourite is Cheers.

Also... The Simpsons? South Park? Family guy? I guess so, but they're only really technically sitcoms and kind of have their own distinct genre from the usual sitcom format.

I'd rather watch Night Court over MASH or Cheers, but MASH is the better show.

 

[MikeMcMann]

All in the Family was legendary. It was written to be socially conscience as well as for comedy. No one at that time had the balls to take on racism, prejudice, homophobia, antisemitism etc like Norman Lear and Carroll O'Connor was probably the most culturally significant sitcom actor in the history of television. It's amazing to watch gruff, racist bigot Archie Bunker, while at the same time realizing O'Connor was regarded as one of the gentlest souls in the business and who fought back in the day for equal rights.

It also spun off great shows. The Jeffersons, one of my favorites. Maude, which I hated but was a huge driver for women's rights and spun off Good Times, which was awesome.

All in the Family probably wasn't top 5 or even 10 for humor, but was certainly top 3 for influential significance. Maybe top 1.

And it highlights how significantly and badly, imo, times and people have changed.


All in the Family dealt with very sensitive racial topics in a day when the racial struggle was far more real and challenging than it is today. And white and black people alike could watch it, and not only comprehend the themes, in a non reactionary way, but mostly agree, through the use of humour at the absurdity of so many racial views. Black people did not get offended and white people did not get defensive because humour was used so well to expose the absurdity of the situations.

Today few comedies or comedians dare tread that path due to political correctness ugly side and this instead constant 'accusing' and 'blaming' and need to dominate culture has replaced it which has only regressed race relations when shows like All in the Family and that approach had actually improved them.

 

[Skarr]

Married with Children...hands down for me...Seinfeld had some epic moments but in the end...Jerry is a fucking unfunny knob that 100% needed his castmates to even have the show mildly interesting ... whereas Al Bundy could silently be the coolest cat of television history...

my honourable mention goes to Three's Company