On April 30th, 2022, Grace and Frankie premiered its final season on Netflix. The show broke barriers on Netflix and will leave a lasting impact for decades. Like Grace and Frankie, all great sitcoms pull the viewer into their world and make them laugh, cry, and grow with the characters.
Everyone has their favorite show that they return to time and time again. Whether it be a quirky workplace comedy or a show following an eclectic group of friends, there is something for everybody in these shows. Over at Ranker, thousands of TV fans have taken the time to look back and vote on what they believe to be the best sitcoms of all time.
I Love Lucy (1951 - 1957)
The oldest entry on the list, following the life of Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) and her antics as she navigates her life with her husband Ricky Ricardo and best friend Ethel, I Love Lucy serves as the framework for what makes an entertaining and memorable sitcom.
I Love Lucy might be the most influential sitcom to ever air. Being released during a time when it was expected of women to be nothing else but wives and mothers, this show subverted audience's expectations and offered an image of empowerment for women of the time. I Love Lucy broke tradition and also became one of the first sitcoms to feature a married couple sleeping in the same bed. Lucille Ball's had the best TV moments, with her unique sense of slapstick comedy and forward-thinking approach creating a timeless classic that still entertains audiences today.
Cheers (1982 - 1993)
As the sitcom that not only brought viewers the legendary Ted Danson but also spawned the sitcom Frasier, Cheers gave audiences a bit of everything. In the series, the characters shared their lives and stories with each other while spending time and working at the bar "where everybody knows your name."
Cheers was an instant classic. It appealed to just about everyone who watched it because it centered around characters that everyone was able to resonate with. The show allowed viewers to feel like regulars of the bar themselves and as one of the very first workplace comedies, it paved the way for many of the other shows that followed.
That '70s Show (1998 - 2006)
With the much-anticipated spinoff That '90s Show nearing its debut, it only makes sense That '70s Show would be lauded by Ranker voters. The show follows the lives of Eric Forman and his group of friends as they navigate high school life in the '70s.
From the start, the show was a hit. It made everyone watching nostalgic for that time in history, regardless if they actually experienced it or not. This show perfectly captured what it is like to be a teenager growing up in a small town and didn't matter what decade the show took place in because the jokes and stories resonated with everyone.
The Simpsons (1989 - )
As the longest-running sitcom in television history, The Simpsons continues to leave a lasting impact on everyone who watches it. This animated comedy focuses on the Simpsons family and how their varying personalities tend to get them in trouble.
The Simpsons stands apart from the other top-ranking series because its over-the-top nature allows the audience to pull themselves out of their world and into the world of the show where just about anything can happen. Its success has led to the creation of many other adult-oriented animated series. Despite its long run, it has managed to avoid becoming stale and has sustained its place in relevance by constantly evolving and innovating the animated family sitcom format.
Frasier (1993 - 2004)
A spinoff of Cheers, centering on Dr. Frasier Crane, Frasier follows the titular character as he moves to Seattle to begin a new life as a therapist on a radio show. What gave the show its charm was the choice to focus on the "upper-crust," setting it apart from fellow sitcoms Friends and Seinfeld, which focused on regular people in everyday settings.
This show was unusual for its time being that it followed characters that were seemingly unrelatable to the common viewer. However, it managed to show viewers that even those who seem to be successful and have it all together still struggle with the same day-to-day obstacles the common everyone deals with. Frasier has left an incredible impact on American television and touts an impressive 37 Emmy wins, showing that it is indeed deserving to be ranked as a fan-favorite series.
How I Met Your Mother (2005 - 2014)
How I Met Your Mother has become a television classic. The series revolves around Ted Mosby in the year 2030 telling a story to his son and daughter about how he met their mother. The characters, while not always completely likable, pull the viewer into the story.
Everyone watching could draw parallels to their own lives and friend groups. While not an immediate hit, the series quickly gained a cult following and popularized the word "awesome" in everyday conversation again. The way in which it showed much of the series as flashbacks was quite innovative and showed a unique take on storytelling that was refreshing to many viewers.
The Big Bang Theory (2007 - 2019)
A show that should have never worked as well as it did, The Big Bang Theory quickly captured the hearts and minds of many, giving a voice to the often ignored. The series allowed nerd culture to become more mainstream and even inspired many young viewers to pursue science. The Big Bang Theory also featured many famous guest stars, including Stephen Hawking, Stan Lee, Carrie Fischer, and many others, which brought it to never-before-seen levels of popularity.
The Big Bang Theory existed in a time when "nerds" were often used as the butt of the joke in sitcoms. However, the show flipped the script and used Penny, the more conventional character, as the butt of many of the gags. Dealing with everything from awkward dates and social anxiety to mental health, the series showed the audience that even the smartest people in the room have the same problems and conversations as everyone else.
The Office (2005 - 2013)
Based on the popular British sitcom of the same name, The Office is one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. The series covered many classic tropes of what it is like to work in an office, all while introducing some absurd personalities.
The writing allowed audiences to laugh at the absurdity and truly question how any work actually gets done at that office. Combined with the touching "will they won't they" story of Jim and Pam, the series has it all. It revolutionized the mockumentary style and led the way for what a modern sitcom should look like. Characters who broke the fourth wall made the audience feel as if they were in on the joke and it also gave the characters an opportunity to all shine in their own way.
Seinfeld (1989 - 1998)
The show about nothing - who would've guessed a show about an oddball group of friends living their mundane lives would become such a hit? Seinfeld is full of the best jokes and features some of the most hilarious characters ever crafted.
Seinfeld was never afraid to innovate and take the show to new levels. The series covered a wide array of topics never before seen on TV and the format blazed a trail for similar sitcoms like Arrested Development and 30 Rock in terms of storytelling and the types of characters. Jerry Seinfeld's distinct voice and comedy style, combined with a talented cast, puts this show near the top of nearly everyone's list.
Friends (1994 - 2004)
The highest-rated American sitcom on many lists, Friends is, by far, deserving of its accolades. The show allows the audience to bond with the characters and makes them feel as if they are a part of the friend group.
Friends broke many barriers with its depictions of the LGBTQ+ community as they were never represented on TV before. The show has arguably become even more popular decades after its finale, garnering a whole new generation of fans. With the help of streaming services, Friends has managed to continue to entertain its viewers and cement itself as one of the greatest and most influential sitcoms of all time.