From the absurdist laughs of The Simpsons to the heartbreaking tragedy of Succession, there are a ton of iconic family TV shows to enjoy. Focusing on a family is one of the oldest storytelling traditions in television history. Family stories allow for a wide range of colorful characters who all share uniquely deep relationships with one another and all live under the same roof. Early groundbreaking sitcom classics like Leave It to Beaver and The Dick Van Dyke Show paved the way for modern hits like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the One Day at a Time reboot.
Some hit family TV shows have updated the format for a contemporary audience, like Modern Family with its mockumentary style and inclusive ensemble. Additionally, there are classic family TV shows that went off the air decades ago but are still wildly subversive even by today’s standards, like All in the Family. Some TV families have become staples of the zeitgeist, like the riches-to-rags Roses from Schitt’s Creek. From the satirical dysfunction of Arrested Development to the surrealistic drama of The Sopranos, there’s a wide variety of great family TV shows out there.
10 Modern Family (2009-2020)
A unique mockumentary-style take on the typical family sitcom, Modern Family revolves around patriarch Jay Pritchett and his wife and stepson, Jay’s daughter Claire and her husband and three kids, and Jay’s son Mitchell and his husband and daughter. Modern Family uses the mockumentary techniques of talking heads and awkward looks to the camera to bring a new layer of comedy to relatable family situations. Throughout its run, Modern Family accrued a whopping 22 Emmy Awards out of 75 nominations, including consecutive wins for Outstanding Comedy Series in its first five years.
9 One Day At A Time (2017-2020)
One Day at a Time follows three generations of a Cuban-American family as they deal with life’s problems. A reimagining of the ‘70s series of the same name, One Day at a Time was praiseworthy for its writing and the incredible performances of Justina Machado and Rita Moreno. As such, it was nominated for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series three times. Very few modern TV shows are keeping the multi-camera sitcom format alive, but One Day at a Time lovingly embraced it.
8 All In The Family (1971-1979)
Based on the British sitcom Till Death Us Do Part, All in the Family revolves around quotable blue-collar curmudgeon Archie Bunker, his sweet-natured wife Edith, their daughter Gloria, and Gloria’s hippie husband, Mike Stivic — or, as Archie calls him, “Meathead.” From racism to homosexuality to women’s liberation to the Vietnam War, All in the Family tackled every taboo subject that network TV was afraid to address at the time. It’s a groundbreaking, boundary-pushing sitcom whose comical conflicts between liberal and conservative characters — particularly between Mike and Archie — still hold up today.
7 Family Matters (1989-1998)
Spun off from the ABC sitcom Perfect Strangers, Family Matters focuses on Chicago police officer Carl Winslow and his family. At a time when most family TV shows depicted wealthy households, Family Matters offered an authentic look at working-class family life. Family Matters was a ratings giant that ran for a total of nine seasons, encompassing more than 200 episodes. Scene-stealing Steve Urkel, who had essentially taken over as the series’ lead by the time it concluded its run, remains one of the most iconic TV characters of all time.
6 Arrested Development (2003-2019)
The story of a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together. When real estate mogul George Bluth Sr. is arrested and sent to prison for white-collar crimes in the Arrested Development pilot, his son Michael is left to salvage the company and keep the family afloat. Arrested Development is a delightfully absurdist, self-aware series about a dysfunctional family learning to live without obscene wealth. Thanks to its rapid-fire editing, an abundance of obscure jokes, and Ron Howard’s voiceover narration, Arrested Development is one of the most rewatchable sitcoms of all time.
5 Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)
Another riches-to-rags story, Schitt’s Creek sees a wealthy family losing all their money and moving into a motel in a small town that they once bought as a joke. Along with Bob’s Burgers and Ted Lasso, Schitt’s Creek was one of the forerunners of the current era of feel-good TV. Like those other shows, it manages to be laugh-out-loud hilarious without resorting to mean-spirited humor. Schitt’s Creek earned unanimous critical acclaim and a massive cult following. In its final season, it became the first show in Emmy history to sweep all seven major award categories.
4 The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
Will Smith launched his acting career with his own sitcom vehicle, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which a fictionalized version of the rapper-turned-actor gets in one little fight in his hometown of Philadelphia and is sent to move in with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Air. Hailed as one of the greatest sitcoms ever made, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air challenged stereotypes with its portrayal of an affluent Black family. The series is hilarious but also tugs on the audience’s heartstrings. It’s anchored by the beautiful father-son relationship that develops between Will and TV’s greatest dad: Uncle Phil.
3 Succession (2018-2023)
The children of billionaire media magnate Logan Roy battle it out for control of his empire in HBO’s modern-day take on the timeless tale of King Lear. Succession is a brilliantly written, powerfully acted family saga that manages to be sharply satirical and deeply touching at the same time. The Roys are all terrible people in their own ways, but they’re also vulnerable, three-dimensional human beings, and their relationships with each other ring true. Most viewers can’t relate to the wealthy aspect of these characters, but everyone can relate to the family dynamics.
2 The Sopranos (1999-2007)
One of the very first shows that blazed the trail for the era of “Peak TV,” The Sopranos revolves around a New Jersey mob boss, his long-suffering wife, and their two kids, who slowly piece together that their dad isn’t really in the waste management business. With its pitch-black humor, psychiatric introspection, surreal dream sequences, and depiction of a mobster's mundane everyday activities, The Sopranos offers a wholly original take on the gangster genre. Tony Soprano also inspired a wave of TV antiheroes, from Vic Mackey to Don Draper to Walter White.
1 The Simpsons (1989-)
Ever since the characters graduated from The Tracey Ullman Show and earned their own half-hour slot on the Fox schedule, The Simpsons has been a global cultural sensation with a dedicated fan base. The Simpsons led to a whole subgenre of adult-oriented animation — South Park, Family Guy, King of the Hill, and many more shows owe a huge debt to Matt Groening's creation. The writers of The Simpsons have achieved a unique blend of biting satire, cartoon absurdism, and genuinely heartfelt family dynamics. No other family TV show is as iconic as The Simpsons.