They’re the friends we have when we come home after a long day’s work, the little brothers and sisters of Hollywood cinema. Sitcoms are designed to be fun and here is a handful the best.
Arrested Development 2005-2014
Focusing on the lives of the dysfunctional Bluth family, at first glance it might appear textbook with its strong family setting. Once you’ve seen the first five minutes of the pilot episode you’ll find this show to be anything but typical. From Gob failing career as a magician to George-Michaels struggle to ignore the crush he has on his cousin, there’s a good reason why fans clamoured to have this series revived in 2014.
Seinfeld 1989-1998
It’s a show about nothing almost literally. There’s no grand plot, the characters seem to rarely have few long term goals to work toward. It’s all about following the day to day lives of a group of uniquely different New Yorkers. The premise might turn off some at first glance but the ‘show about nothing’ concept is why Seinfeld is still rerun even today.
Frasier 1993-2004
We all know about sitcom spin-offs, like Joey was to Friends or the Cleveland Show to Family Guy. They have a reputation for never being quite as good as their parent program, a last ditch effort to keeping a franchise alive. I believe Frasier; a spin-off for the acclaimed Cheers deserves special mention as an exception to this rule. With the sharp and clever comedic wit employed into the writing, Frasier sets itself as a good comedy for adults.
Modern Family 2012-present
Here it is another family sitcom, nothing new here. No wait there is a twist (The clue is in the title). Instead of the typical nuclear family setup of a husband, wife and children Modern Family brings us a new type of family. This sitcom highlights the changes of today’s world; the concept of family is being redefined. It no longer only encapsulates married couples.
Cheers 1982-1993
If you’re young, you probably won’t have heard of Cheers. But it was immensely popular in its time and is still well regarded even today, reruns can still be found on TV from time to time. Its music and style of comedy might not endear younger audiences but like Frasier this is a sitcom targeted for adults.
Friends 1994-2004
Friends finished over a decade ago, but it still has its fans and their fires of fandom burn strong. It was not just the premise of six young New York friends navigating the trials of life together that resonated with audiences. The chemistry with the cast, the writing, the originality and the comedy were but some of the ingredients that kept the audiences captivated. With Ross’s habit of getting married, Monica’s quirks on cleanliness or Joey’s lovable womanizing there is much fun to be had here for almost any audience.
Curb Your Enthusiasm 2000-???
You know Seinfeld, it’s like that except if George Costantza was the main character. In Curb Your Enthusiasm Seinfeld creator Larry David plays himself so be prepared for a few Seinfeld similarities. An excellent comedy that at times is difficult to watch for the strange and sometimes downright stupid things Larry David says and does. Be prepared to cringe a lot.
The Office 2001 -2003 and the Office US 2005-2013
Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais brought us gems with the aptly named, The Office in 2001. In terms of comedy you could do better but it is the characters themselves that keep you engaged. Gervais portrays David Brent, a delusional boss of Wernam Hogg who mistakenly believes all his underlings are his friends.
The series was so well received that it was adapted by the US, for the aptly named, The Office. Initially I was sceptical of the US edition, particularly after watching the first episode. I expected to simply see American versions of the same characters played in an American environment. I am glad to see I was wrong. Though the series starts on shaky feet, Steve Carell, John Krasinski and all the other actors come into their own portraying uniquely different characters that will have you coming back for more.
Scrubs 2001-2010
A different take to House and Grey’s Anatomy, a sitcom set in a hospital that follows the lives of the staff who work there. A hospital environment might not appear like a setting many would consider a platform for comedy, yet that would be a wrong assumption. The appeal of scrubs like most sitcoms comes from the dynamic relationships between characters. Admittedly the series did suffer a common ratings decline as it passed on into the later seasons but the performances and contributions of the main cast remain humorous and largely consistent throughout.
Peep Show 2003-present
Peep show is a British comedy about two very different roommates who have their seemingly ordinary lives stirred by circumstances anything but normal. Due to its British roots, this show is easy to overlook in favor of American sitcom equivalents but Peep show is a show that should not be passed over. With the frequent use of point of view camera and narration employed by the two protagonists, a new level of comedy is generated making the characters less predictable and more entertaining than they might otherwise appear.