# Best Sit-com **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338 "2010-06-15T19:26:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/21 "2010-06-16T00:37:39Z")
Arrested Development After that, I’d say “Scrubs”, actually. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/22 "2010-06-16T01:42:25Z")
**All in the Family** … at least until Mike and Gloria left, and Archie Bunker’s Place was just awful. But the original **All in the Family** was great TV. It’s especially good to watch the shows now, realizing that a show like that could never be made again in our pathetic, politically correct society. Their spin-off, **The Jeffersons** , was also very good. **Sanford and Son** is often overlooked, but it is still a great show, IMO. **Mary Tyler Moore** **The Odd Couple** \*\*Seinfeld \*\*was awful the first couple of seasons. I’m amazed the show made it to season 3, but it really picked up in quality after that. The first 2 seasons are painful to watch, especially now in reruns. **Curb Your Enthusiasm** Cartoon humor **The Simpsons** **Family Guy** And one I think has started well and has amazing potential **Hung** ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/23 "2010-06-16T01:51:18Z")
If I had to pick four, I would go with Arrested Development Seinfeld NewsRadio Scrubs ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/24 "2010-06-16T03:25:55Z")
My top five M_A_S\*H Simpsons All in the Family Taxi and the Mary Tyler Moore Show. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/25 "2010-06-16T03:50:25Z")
Third Rock From the Sun is probably my all time favorite sitcom, but Cougar Town and Modern Family are fast becoming new faves. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/26 "2010-06-16T04:28:27Z")
Simpsons. Also people in this thread suck at counting. ---
**Author:** ![Flip\_Pancake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f1d935/32.png) [@Flip\_Pancake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flip_Pancake)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/27 "2010-06-16T06:28:48Z")
The original version of _The Office_. Pathos, hilarious non-sequiturs, realistic sets and people, and that excellent finale. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/28 "2010-06-16T06:38:00Z")
Mary Tyler Moore Show, and it’s remake, 30 Rock Arrested Development, but not for the prudish, as it is as prurient as can be. ---
**Author:** ![SevenOfTeemingMillions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@SevenOfTeemingMillions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SevenOfTeemingMillions)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/29 "2010-06-16T06:41:25Z")
Third or fourth vote for Friends. I have DVDs and watch a few episodes every week. Even if I’ve seen the episode several times I still laugh out loud. “We were on a BREAK!!!” ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/30 "2010-06-16T07:39:37Z")
Curb Your Enthusiasm. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/31 "2010-06-16T07:41:31Z")
Sorry, but you are all wrong. It’s **Father Ted** FTW. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/32 "2010-06-16T09:08:39Z")
**Fawlty Towers** is sit-com perfection. Not one bad episode. They stopped before it became stale. John Cleese and Connie Booth were absolute sticklers when it came to having a perfect script. Ten drafts for a sit-com script are just plain nuts, but it worked. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/33 "2010-06-16T14:47:21Z")
I agree, because in all reality, I don’t think I have ever laughed as hard at a show as I did (and still do) at Fawlty Towers. [Basil’s constant mentioning of World War II has reduced a German girl to tears] Basil Fawlty: She’ll like this one! She’s German! [Basil almost holds a finger underneath his nose] Polly Shearman: No, Mr. Fawlty! Do Jimmy Cagney instead! Basil Fawlty: Jimmy Cagney? Polly Shearman: Yeah, you know! “You Dirty rat!” Basil Fawlty: I can’t do Jimmy Cagney! Polly Shearman: Oh, please try! Basil Fawlty: Shut up! [to the Germans] Basil Fawlty: 'Ere watch, who’s this then? [He holds a finger underneath his nose and shouts in mock German] Basil Fawlty: [the German girl cries even more] Basil Fawlty: OK, I’ll do the funny walk! [Basil goose-steps across the room, all the while chanting in mock German] ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/34 "2010-06-16T14:53:40Z")
I’m in a minority but I like Everybody Loves Raymond. I find it soothing after a long hard day, and I ALWAYS laugh. But my all time favorite has to be Married With Children. The first year was horrible, when it tried to be a regular sitcom and the kids were small. About the time Christina Applegate turned beautiful was when MWC got really, really funny. Tim Conway as Peggy’s dad? He was priceless! He should have been a regular. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/35 "2010-06-16T14:57:05Z")
**The Office** (UK) ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/36 "2010-06-16T16:50:47Z")
My criteria for great sitcoms comes down to one thing–does it make me laugh out loud several times per episode? This can be accomplished either verbally or physically; ideally both. **M_A_S\*H** , though one of the best written and acted shows of all time, usually wasn’t bust-a-gut funny, so I can eliminate that one. **All in the Family** was truly groundbreaking but got a bit heavy-handed at times. And, with apologies to fans of these shows, I just don’t get the appeal of **Friends** or **Seinfeld**. And, sorry, but it’s very hard to choose just one, so I too must list more than one: **Third Rock From the Sun** **The Big Bang Theory** **The Bob Newhart Show** (the 70s one with Suzanne Pleshette) **Taxi** **Night Court** But if I’m forced to choose one, it probably would be **The Bob Newhart Show**. Bob’s meeting with the head of the nudist colony is possibly the funniest sitcom moment ever. “Don’t you stick to your chair?” Pure gold. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/37 "2010-06-16T17:02:59Z")
> [@want2know](#): > > But if I’m forced to choose one, it probably would be **The Bob Newhart Show**. Bob’s meeting with the head of the nudist colony is possibly the funniest sitcom moment ever. > > “Don’t you stick to your chair?” > > Pure gold. “How… how wide a microphone?” ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/38 "2010-06-16T17:07:34Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > “How… how wide a microphone?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/39 "2010-06-16T17:15:07Z")
“Married with Children.” Although “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is starting to overtake MwC. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338/40 "2010-06-16T17:54:10Z")
In case you haven’t voted in [Your Top Five Most Preferred TV Shows (Final Poll)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=567279) you might want to go help your favorite(s) move up the rankings from this list of comedies (and maybe some that aren’t due to my ignorance) from the first 88 Voters: ```auto The Simpsons 25 28.41% Arrested Development 17 19.32% Seinfeld 16 18.18% Futurama 14 15.91% M*A*S*H 13 14.77% Doctor Who 9 10.23% Monty Python's Flying Circus 9 10.23% South Park 8 9.09% Big Bang Theory 7 7.95% Mystery Science Theater 3000 7 7.95% Roseanne 7 7.95% Barney Miller 6 6.82% Cheers 6 6.82% Fawlty Towers 6 6.82% Friends 6 6.82% The Office (USA) 6 6.82% WKRP In Cincinnati 6 6.82% All In The Family 5 5.68% Dick Van Dyke Show 5 5.68% Frasier 5 5.68% King of the Hill 4 4.55% 30 Rock 4 4.55% The Bob Newhart Show 3 3.41% Get Smart 3 3.41% The Muppet Show 3 3.41% The Office (Original -- UK) 3 3.41% 3rd Rock from the Sun 3 3.41% Night Court 2 2.27% Taxi 2 2.27% Carol Burnett Show 1 1.14% ``` [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sit-com/543338.md?page=3)