The 50 Greatest Sitcoms of All Time

Originally native to radio, the situation comedy has been a staple of television programming since the 1940s. Thousands of sitcoms have come and go since then, but which ones stood above them all?

Based on the reaction to our 100 Sexiest Women on Television and The 50 Funniest Women of All Time lists, we have expanded the panel of voters in the interest of broadening the knowledge base of the decision makers. Here now, according to a roundtable of 8 panelists, are the 50 Greatest American Sitcoms of All Time.

50. Reno 911!

Although unintentionally funny, COPS was not a comedy- so when some of the creators of the underrated MTV show The State decided to do a send up of that show, Reno 911! was born.

Reno 911’s unbelievable cast propelled a dangerously tired mockumentary concept and made it one-of-a-kind. Often forgotten as one of the greatest situation comedies of the last 30 years, our panel voted it the 50th best sitcom of all time.

49. The Larry Sanders Show

This HBO sitcom was a satirical behind-the-scenes look at the late night talk show world, with Gary Shandling playing the Johnny Carson-inspired lead character.

The show took subtle swipes at how Hollywood and network television functioned and was carried by hilarious writing and a great supporting cast, including Rip Torn, Jeffrey Tambor (“Hey now!”), Jeremy Piven and Janeane Garofalo.

48. Police Squad!

Police Squad! only aired for one season, but that season is one of the most hilarious television seasons of all time. The show featured Leslie Nielsen in his prime as they skewered the police procedural show format. Highly quotable and still funny to this day.

Police Squad! went off the rails with certain trope-busting features as the end credits (manual) freeze frame and its featured guest stars dying in the opening scene. If you’re a fan of the Naked Gun films, Police Squad! is must-see.

47. Wings

This show about competing Nantucket Airlines ran eight seasons on NBC (from 90-97) and made Tim Daly, Steven Weber and Tony Shaloub bonafide television stars. Created by the same team that brought us Cheers; Wings lived in the same “universe” as Cheers and Frasier, with characters like Norm, Cliff, Frasier, Lilith and Rebecca visiting Tom Nevers Field via Sand Piper Air.

A strong supporting cast that included Thomas Hayden Church as Lowell the dimwitted mechanic and David Shramm as Roy Biggins, the cantankerous owner of the rival airline helped keep the show highly rated for the majority of its run.

46. How I Met Your Mother

Throughout the history of television there have been a number of sitcoms centered around a group of 20 or 30-something friends. Behind Friends, How I Met Your Mother is one of the best sitcoms based on that format.

What separates How I Met Your Mother from the others is the high concept the show was built on, and its ability to navigate 9 mostly-triumphant seasons while maintaining focus on the end game.

45. NewsRadio

With a cast that included Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall) Stephen Root (Office Space) and Phil Hartman (SNL) you know you’re getting something funny. The ridiculous exploits of a struggling NPR-type radio station, the cast also featured Joe Rogen, Andy Dick, and Maura Tierney.

44. That ’70s Show

That ’70s Show addressed issues that America faced in the 1970s from a 21^st century perspective and did so using a number of methods such as dream sequences and split screens. It introduced us to the Stupid Helmet, which I’m sure is something that countless other groups of friends duplicated soon after.

43. Laverne & Shirley

Laverne & Shirley were introduced on Happy Days, and popular response led to them scoring their own spin off sitcom. The Cunningham’s fellow Wisconsinites were Milwaukee roommates and coworkers at Shotz Brewery.

The show was set in 1959-1967, but ran from 1976 to 1983, so for many children of the 80s, it was a bit before their time or on its last legs as we matured into seasoned sitcom consumers. Nevertheless, even as a youngster I recognized a great show what little of it I saw. One of the best opening sequences in television history.

42. Everybody Loves Raymond

What can you say about a show that won 13 Emmys? It must be good. The best part of the show had to be Ray’s dad Frank (played by Peter Boyle). He stole every scene he was in. While most shows fade toward the end of their runs, Raymond remained a top 10 show.

41. WKRP in Cincinnati

WKRP told the adventures of a bumbling staff of a Rock and Roll radio station in Cincinnati.

Straightman Andy Travis tried to keep his sanity around Dr Johnny Fever, Venus Flytrap, Herb Tarlek, Les Nessman, and the “big guy” Mr. Carlson each week. And who can forget the babes? Bailey vs Jennifer is a debate worthy of Ginger vs Mary-Anne stature!

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