Back in the day, sitcom fans could only watch their favorite shows at the scheduled time they were on each week, and they might be able to catch some episodes in reruns a few years down the line. But media consumption has changed a lot since then, and streaming has allowed audiences to watch their most beloved TV comedies over and over again whenever they want.
The shows with the best rewatch value are the ones packed with little details, callbacks, and Easter eggs that can’t be caught on a single viewing.
Modern Family (2009 - 2020)
Ratings giant Modern Family is an ensemble show in the truest sense. The writers managed to come up with storylines for 11 main characters in every episode (mostly) and gave each one a real arc and a handful of strong jokes.
The immensely talented cast always knocked it out of the park, but they often had to race through their lines to keep the ensemble rotating. Modern Family benefits from rewatches to catch all the gags that fans might have missed the first time.
BoJack Horseman (2014 - 2020)
BoJack Horseman is a Netflix original, so it was tailormade for the streaming age. And despite being billed as a comedy, BoJack addresses many real-life issues and goes to some very dark places in its exploration of the title character’s depression and issues around addiction.
But it is a comedy, above all, and one that takes place in a cartoon world where talking animals co-exist with humans. The animation is jam-packed with worldbuilding details, like one animal looking scornfully at another animal eating one of their species in the background of a restaurant scene. It's these kinds of details that never get told and many fans of the series can rewatch the episodes again and again.
The Office (2005 - 2013)
In addition to having a lovable cast of characters and a perfect balance of heart and hilarity, NBC’s remake of The Office also has subtle serialization. For example, Michael tries to invite Jim and Pam over for dinner several times throughout season 4 to plant the seeds for the infamous “Dinner Party” episode.
This subtle connective tissue baked into the series by the writers went over a lot of contemporary viewers’ heads but sticks out more when watching the weekly released episodes back-to-back in the streaming age.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005 - )
For the most part, the episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are disconnected standalone storylines following The Gang on their latest zany adventure. But, over the course of the series’ record-breaking 14-season run, the writers have included plenty of subtle foreshadowing and deep-seated running gags that are only obvious upon rewatching.
For example, in one episode, Dennis says, “I could have a trunk full of duct tape and zip ties, this guy doesn’t know me.” A few episodes later, it’s revealed that the trunk of Dennis’ car is actually filled with duct tape and zip ties.
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000 - )
Larry David followed up one of the most acclaimed TV comedies of all time in Seinfeld with another one of the most acclaimed TV comedies of all time. David stars in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm as a fictionalized version of himself stumbling through all kinds of social faux pas and awkward encounters.
The spontaneity of the show’s improvised dialogue means it never feels stale. Fans never get tired of the punchlines, because they all grow organically out of the cast’s ad-libbed performance of each scene.
South Park (1997 - )
While its most famous attribute is its crude humor, the writing of South Park is airtight. By following one simple rule, which they outlined in this YouTube video, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have given their adult-oriented animated satire sharper story structure than most other TV comedies on the air.
In its examination of current events, South Park rarely takes sides and has many storylines no other show could have done. Instead, it points out the absurdity and hypocrisy of both sides of a given debate, so its satire ages like a fine wine.
Peep Show (2003 - 2015)
Since the audience can hear the lead characters’ thoughts, the writers of Peep Show were able to pack every single second of each episode with jokes. Even something as simple as putting on socks or making toast is punctuated with some hilarious existential musing in the voiceover narration.
Viewers often miss a huge chunk of the show’s gags on the first go-around because the POV style is initially a little overwhelming (one of the reasons the show struggled in the ratings), so it stands up to many repeat viewings.
Arrested Development (2003 - 2019)
The meticulously crafted scripts of Arrested Development’s early seasons were way ahead of their time. Viewers who had to tune in at a specific time on a specific day and could only watch each episode once ended up missing 99 percent of the jokes. The show is riddled with callbacks to earlier episodes and subtle nods to recurring gags.
It’s no wonder that Netflix revived the show in the streaming age, although most fans feel that the new seasons – which ended up being choppy and disjointed due to various behind-the-scenes problems – don’t hold a candle to the first three.
Seinfeld (1989 - 1998)
Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David’s ‘90s hit Seinfeld is one of the few sitcoms of its era that still holds up today. Thanks to the series’ complex plotting and revolutionary use of dovetailing storylines, it also stands up to countless viewings.
Episodes of Seinfeld had far more scenes than the average multi-camera sitcom, racing through plot points at a breakneck pace, so audiences miss a lot of the show’s humor on their first go.
The Simpsons (1989 - )
One of the most iconic and acclaimed TV shows ever made, The Simpsons is fully deserving of all the praise that gets heaped on it. The early “Golden Age” episodes are densely packed with jokes, Easter eggs, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-‘em background gags.
Even in a one-second establishing shot, the writers and animators usually include a handful of visual gags to spot on the 100th viewing. It’s a good thing the whole series is available to stream on Disney+ because early classic episodes, like “Homer Goes to College” and “You Only Move Twice,” never get old.