For a long time, being the streaming home of The Office and several other prestigious sitcoms was enough to secure Netflix the top spot for comedy series. In the last few years, though, other streaming services, including Amazon Prime Video, have been able to catch up a lot.
With series such as How I Met Your Mother, Community, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Fleabag, Amazon Prime Video is home to some of the most popular TV sitcoms. As for which are the most worth watching now, fans on Ranker have crowd-sourced a ranking of the shows available on the streaming service to make the choice easier.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Roseanne (1988)
A spinoff in the form of The Conners continues the legacy of the show even today, but Roseanne is still a legendary sitcom in its own right. Tremendously popular as well as well-received by critics, the show about an ordinary working-class family and their dominating mom grew into a cultural phenomenon.
Even though there have been plenty of shows in a similar style in recent years, not least Roseanne's ill-fated 2018 revival, it's still one of the most hilarious and heartwarming takes on an intimate and realistic family setting. Though the circumstances surrounding the show's failed revival left a sour taste in some fans' mouths, it isn't enough to overwhelm the show's still-strong fan base.
Mr. Bean (1990)
Without a doubt comedy legend Rowan Atkinson's most iconic role, Mr. Bean is one of the most recognizable sitcom characters despite being essentially a silent one. With physical comedy and completely farcical situations at the heart of the show, dialogue isn't at all necessary for Mr. Bean to produce some of the best laughs to be found on Amazon Prime Video.
Its almost completely nonverbal nature makes it uniquely accessible to viewers around the world, contributing to its immense success. In recent years, the popular Mr. Bean Youtube channel and the recent announcement of Netflix's Man Vs. Bee with a very familiar-seeming main character has helped remind fans why the character is hilarious and completely timeless.
The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
Dominating the 60s and even spanning the transition from black and white to color TV, The Andy Griffith Show is a legend even by classic sitcom standards. Centered on the titular character, an unerringly sensible sheriff in an idyllic cozy community, the show has a strong nostalgic feel, helped by an iconic whistled theme song.
Though naturally, not every part of the show has aged well, there are plenty of hilarious episodes of The Andy Griffith Show that still stand out to this day. Any show that manages to maintain a loyal fanbase over 60 years after its initial run has evidently done something very right, and there are still plenty on Ranker who rate this classic well now it's on Amazon Prime Video.
Community (2009)
The award-winning cult sitcom set in a community college full of bizarre characters and tongue-in-cheek pop culture references, Community is loved by critics and fans alike though it struggled with ratings in its initial run. A charming cast that includes Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, and plenty more is also a part of the charm of an eminently quotable show.
Though the final season on Yahoo! Screen failed to reignite the magic, the addition of the show to Netflix in 2020 gave it a massive new audience who appreciated the show's meta sense of humor. Since the show has thrived in the world of streaming, it's also become a top Amazon Prime Video recommendation for many fans.
Chuck (2007)
For those who enjoy their comedy served with a good helping of drama and action, Chuck is one of the best examples from the 2000s. In the show, Zachary Levi, also known for playing the title character in Shazam!, plays Chuck Bartowski, an ordinary man whose brain happens to contain some of the U.S. government's greatest secrets.
Naturally, this transforms his life, and seeing an ordinary character at the center of top-secret spy missions is the perfect set-up for plenty of laughs as well as thrills. The show is also known for the fan effort that saved it from cancelation after its second season. The loyal fanbase of the show has never gone away, especially with Zachary Levi hungry for more, and it continues to keep Chuck highly rated among sitcoms.
Fleabag (2016)
In classic concise British style, Fleabag arrived in 2016, swept up awards and acclaim, and then ended a few years later with only 12 episodes ever made. The advantage of this is that every single episode is perfectly crafted. The show is centered on the title character, an angry, insecure woman in her 20s played by series creator and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Full of personality and intelligent humor, including exposition and monologues that leave the fourth wall in tatters, Fleabag is a truly unique show. Even from Fleabag's gripping pilot, the show is uniquely compelling to watch and it's not hard to see why it left an impact on so many sitcom fans.
How I Met Your Mother (2005)
It's no surprise that one of the best sitcoms of the 2000s is amongst the highest-rated comedies on amazon by fans on Ranker. How I Met Your Mother has always been popular, taking what made Friends such a beloved sitcom and adding in an intriguing central premise that frames the entire story around Ted Mosby telling a story to his future children.
With a great cast, hilarious running jokes, and memorable characters that ensure their meetings are always entertaining, How I Met Your Mother has come to be even more respected after the spinoff, How I Met Your Father failed to fully recapture the magic for many fans.
30 Rock (2006)
The brainchild of Tina Fey, 30 Rock is a hilarious show about the making of a fictional television sketch show that bears a close resemblance to Saturday Night Live where Fey was once head writer. Fey also stars among an incredible supporting cast that includes Alec Baldwin and Tracey Morgan who shine in the surreal world of the show.
Although its frantic pacing and satire of the inner workings of television production and the corporate structure at networks resonated with critics, the show didn't excel in ratings. Despite that, a loyal fanbase continues to boost the show on streaming services where its unique style is more at home.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
The best sitcom to premiere on Amazon Prime Video, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is perhaps the best advertisement for the streaming service. A comedy-drama set in the 50s/60s, the show is centered on the title character who finds out she has a talent for stand-up comedy after getting drunk and venting her anger on stage at The Gaslight Café.
With plenty of hilarious moments as well as some genuinely shocking twists, the show is one of the most compelling comedies of recent years. With a fifth and final season on the way, anticipation for the show has never been higher so it's no surprise to see the show's fans voting in favor of the Amazon Prime Video exclusive.
The Office (2002)
Not to be confused with its American counterpart, The Office is the original British workplace-based mockumentary-style sitcom and it has a very different tone. Created by and starring Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the show portrays an extremely dysfunctional office environment which the conceited manager David Brent manages to always make worse through his efforts to improve it.
Whilst its comedic style that usually revolves around Brent's constant failed attempts to win favor with his employees can be a bit too cringe-inducing for some, those who revel in it will struggle to find a more perfect show for it than The Office. Though its American counterpart usually wins more praise, the British version is still incredibly highly rated by fans with whom its style resonated.