Sitcoms Tier List: Every Great (and Not So Great) Show
We put 37 sitcoms through the wringer, from the single-camera golden age to the multi-cam classics your parents quote at dinner. This isn't just vibes: it's built on what fans and critics tend to agree on across forums, reviews and years of "which sitcom is actually the best" arguments.
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SS Tier
Seinfeld
The show about nothing is still the template everyone copies and nobody beats. The Soup Nazi, the Bubble Boy, Festivus, it's a greatest hits album disguised as a sitcom. No hugging, no learning, and nine seasons later it still doesn't need to.
About Seinfeld
The self-described show about nothing, following Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer through New York minutiae. Famous for Festivus, the Soup Nazi, and ending its run on its own terms.
- Seasons
- 9
- Creators
- Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld
The Office
Michael Scott's cringe comedy somehow built one of the most quotable, most rewatched shows of all time. People argue about when it got worse (post-Michael, obviously) but even the weaker seasons have Dwight running a beet farm or Jim's pranks to fall back on.
About The Office
A mockumentary about the employees of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch, adapted from the British series of the same name. Steve Carell's Michael Scott anchored the show for its first several seasons.
- Seasons
- 9
- Format
- Mockumentary
Arrested Development
Dense, fast, and rewards rewatching more than almost any comedy ever made. The Bluth family's schemes stack jokes on jokes, and the show got cancelled too early for mainstream taste but adored forever by everyone who actually watched it. There's always money in the banana stand.
About Arrested Development
A single-camera comedy following the wealthy, dysfunctional Bluth family after their patriarch is arrested for fraud. Cancelled after three seasons on Fox, later revived by Netflix.
- Original seasons
- 3 (Fox)
- Revival
- Netflix
Cheers
The bar where everybody knows your name invented the modern hangout sitcom. Sam and Diane's will-they-won't-they set the standard for a decade of sitcom couples, and the ensemble (Cliff, Norm, Coach, later Woody) never had a weak link.
About Cheers
Set in a Boston bar where the regulars all know each other's business. Launched the spinoff Frasier and helped define the hangout sitcom format.
- Setting
- Boston
- Spinoff
- Frasier
Friends
Friends is a cultural juggernaut that defined a generation of sitcom watching and still pulls in new fans decades later. The chemistry of the six leads and the sheer density of quotable moments earns it a permanent spot at the top, even if a few seasons sag. It belongs right alongside Seinfeld and Cheers as proof the hangout sitcom format can be close to perfect.
About Friends
A six-friends-in-Manhattan sitcom that ran for ten seasons and became one of the most-watched shows in US TV history. Known for Central Perk, the Ross and Rachel will-they-won't-they, and a theme song everyone can still sing.
- Seasons
- 10
- Setting
- New York City
AA Tier
Parks and Recreation
Started shaky in season one, then found Leslie Knope's relentless optimism and became one of the warmest shows on this list. Ron Swanson alone is worth the price of admission, but Pawnee's whole weird ecosystem of waffles and raccoons makes it special.
About Parks and Recreation
Follows Leslie Knope, a relentlessly optimistic local government employee in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Built around a strong ensemble including Ron Swanson and Tom Haverford.
- Seasons
- 7
- Setting
- Pawnee, Indiana (fictional)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Proof you can make a cop comedy that's genuinely kind without losing its edge. Captain Holt's deadpan and the Halloween heist episodes are the stuff fans build whole rewatches around.
About Brooklyn Nine-Nine
A workplace comedy set in a Brooklyn police precinct, centered on detective Jake Peralta and his deadpan captain, Raymond Holt. Known for its annual Halloween heist episodes.
- Seasons
- 8
- Setting
- Brooklyn, NYC
Frasier
A Cheers spinoff that somehow matched its parent show's quality, which almost never happens. Niles and Frasier's one-upmanship, the opera disasters, the physical comedy buried under all that highbrow dialogue, it's farce in a smoking jacket.
About Frasier
A Cheers spinoff following psychiatrist Frasier Crane as he moves back to Seattle to host a radio call-in show. Known for its sharp farce and the rivalry between Frasier and his brother Niles.
- Setting
- Seattle
- Spinoff of
- Cheers
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David turning real-life social anxiety into escalating disaster after disaster. The improvised dialogue means some episodes wander, but when the plot threads collide at the end it's as satisfying as any sitcom finale on this list.
About Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David plays a semi-fictionalized version of himself navigating self-inflicted social disasters. Largely improvised from outlines rather than full scripts.
- Creator
- Larry David
- Network
- HBO
Community
A show that did a paintball episode, a stop-motion Christmas episode, and a Dungeons and Dragons episode, all while running an actual emotional throughline for its study group. Six seasons and a movie remains the dream.
About Community
Follows a study group at the fictional Greendale Community College, known for genre-parody episodes and meta humor. Developed a devoted fanbase during and after its run.
- Setting
- Greendale Community College (fictional)
- Creator
- Dan Harmon
30 Rock
Joke density that rivals Arrested Development, just aimed at network TV absurdity instead of family dysfunction. Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin's Liz-Jack dynamic carries a show that throws away better jokes in the background than most sitcoms build an episode around.
About 30 Rock
A satire of behind-the-scenes network television, following Liz Lemon and the staff of a sketch show modeled loosely on Saturday Night Live. Created by and starring Tina Fey.
- Creator
- Tina Fey
- Network
- NBC
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The Gang are reprehensible and that's the whole joke, for what's now one of the longest-running live-action sitcoms in US TV history. It stayed mean and stayed funny long after it should have run out of ideas.
About It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Follows the morally bankrupt owners of Paddy's Pub, a dive bar in Philadelphia. One of the longest-running live-action sitcoms on US television.
- Network
- FX / FXX
- Setting
- Philadelphia
Schitt's Creek
Started as a fish-out-of-water joke about rich people losing their money, ended as one of the sweetest character redevelopments on this list. David and Patrick's wedding became the finale people actually wanted to rewatch.
About Schitt's Creek
Follows the once-wealthy Rose family after they lose their fortune and move to a small town they once bought as a joke. Swept the comedy categories at its final Emmy Awards run.
- Setting
- Schitt's Creek (fictional town)
- Co-creators
- Eugene and Dan Levy
What We Do in the Shadows
A mockumentary about vampire roommates that somehow never runs out of ways to make Guillermo's thankless servitude or Nandor's ego funny. Colin Robinson, the energy vampire, is one of the best comedic creations of the last decade.
About What We Do in the Shadows
A mockumentary about a group of vampire roommates living on Staten Island, based on the film of the same name. Known for the character Colin Robinson, an energy vampire.
- Format
- Mockumentary
- Based on
- 2014 film of the same name
BB Tier
Modern Family
Sharp and genuinely funny for a long stretch, especially the Pritchett-Dunphy chaos, before it noticeably coasted in its later seasons. Phil Dunphy's earnestness carried a lot of weaker episodes near the end.
About Modern Family
A mockumentary following three related families: the Pritchetts, Dunphys and Pritchett-Tuckers.
- Seasons
- 11
- Format
- Mockumentary
How I Met Your Mother
Legen, wait for it, this one's divisive. Years of great Barney one-liners and clever structural tricks (the slap bet, the yellow umbrella) got undercut for a lot of fans by a finale that spent nine seasons building toward an ending people still argue about.
About How I Met Your Mother
Narrated from the future, Ted Mosby tells his kids the long story of how he met their mother. Known for its structural gimmicks and its ensemble cast including Barney Stinson.
- Seasons
- 9
- Setting
- New York City
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Will Smith's star-making vehicle and still a blast thanks to the fish-out-of-water setup, but it's the Carlton dance and a couple of genuinely heavy episodes, not the plotting, that people actually remember.
About The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Will Smith stars as a fictionalized version of himself sent from West Philadelphia to live with wealthy relatives in Bel-Air. Known for its theme song and the Carlton dance.
- Lead
- Will Smith
- Setting
- Bel-Air, Los Angeles
Scrubs
J.D.'s daydream cutaways and the hospital's found-family vibe made this one of the more emotionally honest sitcoms of its era.
About Scrubs
A medical sitcom following J.D. and his colleagues at Sacred Heart Hospital, mixing comedy with surprisingly earnest emotional moments. Known for J.D.'s frequent daydream sequences.
- Setting
- Sacred Heart Hospital (fictional)
- Creator
- Bill Lawrence
New Girl
Zooey Deschanel's quirkiness opens the door, but it's the loft's ensemble, especially Schmidt and Winston's increasingly unhinged bits, that keeps people watching past the pilot's twee reputation.
About New Girl
Follows Jess Day, a quirky teacher who moves into a loft with three single men. Built its later seasons around the ensemble as much as its original lead.
- Lead
- Zooey Deschanel
- Network
- Fox
Malcolm in the Middle
Chaotic, fast, and willing to break the fourth wall before that was a sitcom standard move. Hal and Lois running a house of feral kids on a shoestring budget still feels more real than most family sitcoms attempt.
About Malcolm in the Middle
A single-camera sitcom following Malcolm, a gifted kid, and his chaotic working-class family. Known for its fourth-wall breaks and frenetic pacing.
- Format
- Single-camera, no laugh track
- Network
- Fox
The Good Place
A sitcom that's secretly a philosophy seminar, pulling off twist after twist without losing the jokes. Fans are split on whether it stuck the landing in its final season, but the Jeremy Bearimy timeline alone earns it a spot here.
About The Good Place
Follows Eleanor Shellstrop, who wakes up in the afterlife and has to hide the fact she doesn't belong there. Known for twist endings and surprisingly deep ethical philosophy discussions.
- Creator
- Michael Schur
- Network
- NBC
Veep
Some of the filthiest, most quotable insult comedy ever written for television, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Selina Meyer as pure weaponized ambition. It's a little inside-baseball for casual viewers, which is the only thing keeping it out of the tier above.
About Veep
A political satire following Selina Meyer, first as Vice President and later in other roles, surrounded by a foul-mouthed, incompetent staff. Known for its improvised insult comedy.
- Lead
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Network
- HBO
Abbott Elementary
A mockumentary that earns the comparisons to The Office by actually having something to say about underfunded public schools. Janine's relentless optimism against Ava's chaos is a newer dynamic but it already feels fully formed.
About Abbott Elementary
A mockumentary following teachers at an underfunded Philadelphia public elementary school. Created by and starring Quinta Brunson.
- Creator
- Quinta Brunson
- Setting
- Philadelphia
Ted Lasso
Started as a feel-good underdog story about an American coaching English football and became a surprisingly sturdy ensemble piece. The biscuit box and the darts speech are the moments people hold onto even as opinions cooled on later seasons.
About Ted Lasso
Built around themes of kindness and mental health.
- Lead
- Jason Sudeikis
- Platform
- Apple TV+
I Love Lucy
The grandmother of the modern sitcom, and the chocolate factory and grape-stomping bits still land decades later. Judged against shows made seventy years later it's simpler, sure, but that simplicity is the whole foundation everyone else built on.
About I Love Lucy
One of the earliest and most influential American sitcoms, following Lucy Ricardo's schemes to break into show business. Pioneered the multi-camera format filmed before a live audience.
- Era
- 1950s
- Lead
- Lucille Ball
Everybody Loves Raymond
Marie and Frank's constant interference in Ray and Debra's marriage is a well that the show drew from for nine seasons without the format feeling too stretched. Not flashy, just consistently solid family sitcom writing.
About Everybody Loves Raymond
A family sitcom about sportswriter Ray Barone, his wife Debra, and his overbearing parents who live across the street. Ran for nine seasons on CBS.
- Seasons
- 9
- Network
- CBS
That '70s Show
The basement circle scenes and Red Forman's threats to put a foot in someone's ass carried this one through some uneven seasons. It's a hangout show more than a plot show, and that's fine.
About That '70s Show
A period sitcom following a group of teenage friends in fictional Point Place, Wisconsin, during the late 1970s. Known for its basement circle scenes.
- Setting
- Point Place, Wisconsin (fictional)
- Era depicted
- Late 1970s
CC Tier
The Big Bang Theory
Hugely popular and hugely divisive among critics, who felt the nerd-stereotype jokes stayed static while the show kept running. Sheldon Cooper became a cultural phenomenon even for people who never watched a full episode.
About The Big Bang Theory
A multi-camera sitcom about a group of socially awkward scientists and their neighbor Penny. One of the most-watched sitcoms of the 2010s.
- Seasons
- 12
- Spinoff
- Young Sheldon
Superstore
A workplace sitcom with real things to say about retail labor, which is more ambition than most sitcoms bother with. It never quite broke out the way its premise deserved, but Amy and Jonah's slow-burn romance kept the regulars coming back.
About Superstore
A workplace sitcom set in a big-box retail store, following employees navigating management, unionizing efforts and customers. Known for tackling real labor issues within a comedy format.
- Setting
- Fictional big-box store
- Network
- NBC
Silicon Valley
Sharp satire of startup culture with Richard Hendricks as the perpetually out-of-his-depth founder. It's funny and specific, but the tech jargon and the show's insularity cap how wide its appeal ever got.
About Silicon Valley
A satire of startup culture following Richard Hendricks and his small team trying to build a company around a compression algorithm. Known for its specific, insider tech industry jokes.
- Network
- HBO
- Setting
- Silicon Valley, California
The King of Queens
Solidly built around Kevin James and Leah Remini's chemistry, comfortable sitcom television that never aimed much higher than comfortable. Doug and Carrie's marriage squabbles are reliable, not revelatory.
About The King of Queens
A multi-camera sitcom following a delivery driver and his wife living with her father in Queens, New York. Known for its grounded, blue-collar take on married life.
- Setting
- Queens, New York
- Network
- CBS
Married... with Children
The anti-Cosby-Show, gleefully mean and proud of it, with Al Bundy's shoe-salesman misery as the engine. It aged rough in places, but the sheer commitment to being unpleasant on purpose still has fans.
About Married... with Children
A multi-camera sitcom about the Bundy family, built as a deliberate rejection of wholesome family sitcom norms. Al Bundy's miserable shoe-salesman life is the running joke.
- Network
- Fox
- Lead
- Ed O'Neill
DD Tier
Full House
Wholesome to the point of saccharine, with every episode ending in a hug and a lesson you saw coming at the cold open. Nostalgia carries this one more than the actual jokes do.
About Full House
A family sitcom about a widowed father raising three daughters with the help of his brother-in-law and best friend. Known for its wholesome tone and catchphrases like 'Have mercy'.
- Setting
- San Francisco
- Network
- ABC
Two and a Half Men
A ratings juggernaut for years that critics mostly rolled their eyes at, leaning hard on Charlie Sheen's bad-boy persona and increasingly repetitive innuendo. The Ashton Kutcher years didn't help its reputation.
About Two and a Half Men
A multi-camera sitcom about a bachelor, his uptight brother, and his nephew sharing a Malibu house. One of the most-watched sitcoms during its run.
- Network
- CBS
- Setting
- Malibu, California
Family Matters
Started as a Winslow family sitcom and then Steve Urkel took over completely, for better and worse. Fun in small doses, but the Urkel-centric later seasons stretched a one-note character past its limit.
About Family Matters
A family sitcom that became best known for the breakout character Steve Urkel, originally meant as a minor recurring role. Ran through most of the 1990s.
- Era
- 1990s
- Breakout character
- Steve Urkel
Young Sheldon
A prequel that trades The Big Bang Theory's laugh track jokes for sentimental single-camera family drama, which is a tonal whiplash from what made Sheldon funny in the first place. Competently made, rarely essential.
About Young Sheldon
A prequel to The Big Bang Theory following a young Sheldon Cooper growing up in Texas. Shot single-camera without a laugh track, unlike its parent show.
- Format
- Single-camera
- Related to
- The Big Bang Theory
How we ranked them
We weighed writing quality, how well the show aged, consistency across its run (a lot of sitcoms crater after season 4), cultural footprint and sheer rewatchability. Shows that peaked early and limped to syndication got dinged. Shows that stayed sharp or reinvented themselves got credit. Where fandoms are genuinely split, like Season 9 Office or the How I Met Your Mother finale, we picked a side and said so.
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Rank these yourselfFAQ
What's the best sitcom of all time?
By broad fan and critic consensus, it's Seinfeld or The Office, with Cheers and Arrested Development right behind. We've got all four in our S tier.
What's the most underrated sitcom on this list?
What We Do in the Shadows and Superstore both get less attention than they deserve given how sharp and specific their comedy is.
Is The Big Bang Theory actually good?
It was massively popular and is genuinely funny to a lot of people, but critics and sitcom purists often knock it for repetitive jokes and flat character growth, which is why it lands in our C tier.
Did How I Met Your Mother's ending ruin the show?
Opinions are genuinely split. Some fans feel the finale betrayed years of build-up, others think it's a bold, honest choice. We landed it in B tier because the first seven seasons are strong enough to carry it.
Why isn't Friends in S tier?
It's not on our list again by accident, it's just that this particular ranking is close: Friends sits very near the top for most fans, but shows like Seinfeld and The Office edge it out for writing density and rewatch value in critical consensus.
More rankings
Image credits
- SeinfeldLogo: Trademark owned by Castle Rock Entertainment and Sony Pictures., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- The OfficeLogo: Jo9100, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Arrested DevelopmentPhoto: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- CheersPhoto: Cheers - Paramount Picturesa, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Parks and RecreationPhoto: Universal Television, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Brooklyn Nine-NineLogo: Fox, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- FrasierLogo: FOX 52 (derivative) / Paramount Television and Grub Street Productions, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Curb Your EnthusiasmPhoto: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- CommunityLogo: Uploaded to Commons by Xeworlebi, self created, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- 30 RockPhoto: NBC Universal, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- It's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaPhoto: The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek from Los Angeles, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Schitt's CreekLogo: Not A Real Company Productions, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- What We Do in the ShadowsCover: Wikipedia · Source
- Modern FamilyPhoto: Modern Family, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- How I Met Your MotherPhoto: Jonathan Haas, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- ScrubsPhoto: Fantrigun321,, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- New GirlPhoto: New Girl, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Malcolm in the MiddleLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- The Good PlacePhoto: Universal Television/NBC, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- VeepLogo: HBO, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Abbott ElementaryLogo: Abbott Elementary, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Ted LassoCover: Wikipedia · Source
- I Love LucyPhoto: Desilu Productions SVG conversion by JBarta, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Everybody Loves RaymondLogo: CBS Television Distribution, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- That '70s ShowLogo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- The Big Bang TheoryLogo: DjayK, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- SuperstorePhoto: Universal Television, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Silicon ValleyCover: Wikipedia · Source
- The King of QueensLogo: Sony Pictures, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Married... with ChildrenLogo: Sony Pictures Digital Productions Inc., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Full HouseLogo: American Broadcasting Company, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Two and a Half MenLogo: Warner Bros. Television Studios, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Family MattersLogo: Miller-Boyett Productions, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Young SheldonLogo: File:Young Sheldon logo.png: Warner Bros. Television / * derivative work Pbrks, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- FriendsLogo: National Broadcasting Company (NBC), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source