While other networks might have a few classics to their names, Cheers, Seinfeld, and Friends alone prove that NBC rules the world of sitcoms. NBC’s current sitcom lineup is solid. The network’s two 2024 debuts, St. Denis Medical and Happy’s Place, both boast plenty of sitcom pedigree and fared well in the ratings as a result.
St. Denis Medical stars the breakout star of The Goldbergs, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and was created by one of the executive producers of Superstore. Happy’s Place brings Reba’s Reba McEntire back to the world of network sitcoms after far too long an absence, but plants her sardonic heroine in a workplace comedy setting instead of the overly familiar family sitcom format.
However, it is fair to say that NBC’s current sitcoms can’t compare to the network’s history in the genre. This isn’t meant as a slight to their contemporary shows, but rather as an acknowledgment of just how historically strong the network has been when it comes to sitcoms, some of which are among NBC’s best shows ever.
10
Sanford and Son
Based on the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, Sanford and Son saw sitcom icon Norman Lear pen an iconic two-hander about Redd Foxx’s Fred Sanford and his long-suffering son Lamont. A junk dealer, Fred was always trying to get rich quickly while also never sparing his son from a sharp comment or killer put-down.
Lamont, meanwhile, was a born peacekeeper who did all he could to curtail his father’s cantankerousness, but also fell victim to plenty of get-rich-quick schemes himself. Arch, cynical, and edgy for its day, Sanford and Son was also warm and hilarious, and proved a massive influence on Black sitcoms in the decades that followed.
9
The Office
While The Office’s US adaptation took a while to find its feet, the show’s slow start was worth the investment. After emerging from the shadow of its darker, more cynical UK counterpart, The Office became the strongest workplace sitcom since Cheers thanks to the Dunder-Miflin paper company’s Scranton branch. The gang remains among TV’s most lovable casts of characters.
Although Steve Carrel’s Michael Scott is the glue that holds the show together, the series wouldn’t work without its entire quirky lineup. For every time that Angela and Dwight’s affair slips from funny to sad, there is a hilarious subplot involving Oscar to keep viewers amused. Whenever Jim and Pam’s story is lagging, viewers can be sure Kelly and Ryan will keep things entertaining.
8
Parks and Recreation
Michael Schur is among the most influential sitcom writers of all time, and any of his shows for NBC could have made this list. The Good Place is an ambitious, existential modern classic, while Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s eventual arrival at NBC after its season 5 cancellation by Fox means it also technically earned a place here.
However, no show captured Schur’s mix of anarchic chaos and warm-hearted character comedy quite like Parks and Recreation. A star vehicle for Amy Poehler, this classic sitcom also made A-list stars of supporting stars Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, and Adam Scott. The antics of Pawnee’s public servants might have been small-scale, but they remain unforgettable.
7
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
One of the quintessential ‘90s sitcoms, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air launched its title character to global movie superstardom. Will Smith owes his A-list status to his campy, goofy starring role in this story of a fish-out-of-water Philadelphia transplant struggling to get acclimated to the privileged environs of the titular LA suburb.
While Smith’s star power is evident from the jump, the entire ensemble cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air deserves credit for the show’s enduring appeal. The Banks family is what made this series a classic that holds up on repeated re-watches, ensuring the dramatic moments worked just as well as their goofier comedic counterparts.
6
30 Rock
While 30 Rock’s ending is one of the best TV show finales of all time, viewers don’t need to wait that long to enjoy the genius of this innovative meta-comedy. Tina Fey’s masterpiece might have started life as a satirical take on her time at Saturday Night Live, but 30 Rock became something much more cartoony, surreal, and unpredictable after its shaky first season.
A genuinely bizarre and inventive sitcom, 30 Rock pushed the boundaries of what TV comedy could do further than any show other than The Simpsons. Without its zany sense of humor and razor-sharp satire of the entertainment world, it is tough to imagine how BoJack Horseman or Community would have gotten the green light years without 30 Rock.
5
The Golden Girls
While 30 Rock was famed for its inventive meta-comedy, The Golden Girls thrived on exactly the opposite approach. Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia’s shared life in Miami seems simple enough, and most of the show’s 180 episodes followed a fairly conventional sitcom setup. There were disastrous dates, questionable investments, and typical roommate disagreements.
However, the star power of Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty ensured that the show was not only consistently lively but one of the funniest sitcoms in TV history. The quartet’s chemistry remains unmatched and, with its equally cutting and sympathetic depiction of older female characters, The Golden Girls still stands out among a crowded field of sitcom competitors.
While Community’s movie still lingers in Development Hell, fans of the cult hit can at least console themselves with the six seasons viewers did receive. The first four of these came from NBC, a network that was constantly at war with the show’s divisive showrunner, Dan Harmon, during its original run.
Harmon’s big personality aside, Community remains one of the best network sitcoms of all time. The show’s self-aware approach allowed Community to deconstruct the sitcom genre while also functioning as a fun sitcom itself, and its incredible cast of future stars elevated the already-strong material even further to create a modern classic.
3
Cheers
It is tough to see how the proposed British spinoff of Cheers could hope to recapture the success of the original series. For one thing, it is hard to imagine a cast that could top a career-best Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, and Shelley Long. For another, it is difficult to see how any show could follow Cheers.
The series set the benchmark for the modern workplace sitcom, and shows as diverse as The Office, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn 99, Superstore, Abbott Elementary, and DMV would almost certainly not exist without the show’s blueprint. More than merely the story of one bar and its patrons, Cheers was proof that work could be hilarious in the right hands.
2
Friends
While Cheers is arguably the best sitcom of the ‘80s, it still isn’t the best sitcom that NBC ever produced. As evidenced by the show’s blockbuster success while it was on the air and the huge careers of its cast since it ended, Friends was one of the biggest comedies in TV history.
Admittedly, not every episode of Friends works. However, even on the latest of many re-watches, there is no denying the cast’s once-in-a-lifetime chemistry, as well as the killer writing of the quintessential hangout sitcom.
1
Seinfeld
It is always tempting to dub Friends the most influential sitcom of all time. After all, the hangout show’s fingerprints can be seen on everything from The Big Bang Theory to New Girl, to How I Met Your Mother, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. However, there’s another NBC sitcom that managed to shape everything from the MCU to modern children’s shows.
One TVTropes user once noted that “Seinfeld is unfunny” because of just how much the show’s unique style reshaped the language of pop culture, making its once-original writing ubiquitous. Thanks to this overarching cultural influence, Seinfeld beats even Cheers and Friends to the title of NBC’s best sitcom ever.
- Release Date
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1982 – 1993-00-00
- Showrunner
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James Burrows, Glen Charles, Les Charles, Ken Estin, Sam Simon, David Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee, Bill Steinkellner, Cheri Steinkellner, Phoef Sutton, Tom Anderson, Dan O’Shannon
- Directors
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James Burrows, Andy Ackerman
- Writers
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James Burrows, Glen Charles, Les Charles
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