# Best sitcom of the decade **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881 "2005-08-20T15:43:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/21 "2005-08-21T11:52:10Z")
My unconventional list: 1960s: 1st: The Andy Griffith Show 2nd: Green Acres 3rd: Gomer Pyle, USMC 1970s: 1st: All in the Family 2nd: M_A_S\*H 3rd: Eight is Enough (though not a pure sitcom) 1980s: 1st: Bosom Buddies 2nd: Mama’s Family 3rd: Too Close For Comfort 1990s: 1st: Wings 2nd: 3rd Rock From the Sun 3rd: Suddenly Susan 2000s: 1st: Friends 2nd: Just Shoot Me 3rd: Everybody Loves Raymond ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/22 "2005-08-21T11:55:47Z")
Two shows that I watched as a kid and can still picture whole segments: Sergeant Bilko F-Troop Classics or not I will never forget them. “Who says I’m dumb?” ---
**Author:** ![Juggernawt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@Juggernawt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juggernawt)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/23 "2005-08-21T20:09:34Z")
70’s 1.M.A.S.H. 2.Fawlty Towers 80’s 1. Blackadder 2. The New Statesman 3. The Young Ones 90’s 1. Bottom 2. Red Dwarf 3. The Brittas Empire 00’s 1. Black Books 2. Coupling BBC - NOT the garbage US-re-write/re-make 3. Believe Nothing ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/24 "2005-08-21T21:44:55Z")
> [@MilTan](#): > > I don’t think I’d count _Scrubs_ as a sitcom, myself. Nor _Arrested Development_. What would you count them as, then? I consider them the two funniest sitcoms of our time, and perhaps ever. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/25 "2005-08-21T21:47:14Z")
I kinda despise the “Best of All Time” kind of polls. There is no “best” anything–we all like different things in a TV show. These are my personal favorites; that’s all. 70s -All in the Family -The Jeffersons (First angry black man on TV was George Jefferson) 80s -The Cosby Show (It was funny but not sappy, and the cast was excellent). -Mama’s Family (a straight-up trip!) -Golden Girls (I’ve seen all the episodes and yet I still tune into Lifetime) (The 80s had a ton of good sitcoms, it seems. Maybe it was because I was child during that time, and all I did was watch TV.) 90s - **A Different World** (as far as I know, the only TV show that focused on college life. It became more political and afrocentric as time went on, in a way mirroring what was happening in real life for a lot of black people. There were no caricatures in the show; all the characters were fleshed out by the final season. Lots of actors got their start on the show, from Marissa Torme to Eric LaSalle. Also featured the late Rosalind Cash, who starred in _Omega Man_. Excellent overall.) - **The Simpsons** (one of those few shows that every demographic watches) - **Frasier** (I wasn’t a loyal watcher, but when I did pick up an episode I was never disappointed) Honorable mention: **Living Single**. Drew Carey once remarked that _Friends_ was a carbon-copy of this show (which came out first) but for some reason only one of them went on to have eleventy-billion seasons. I think _LS_ was superior, however, if only because it was more realistic and the characters more likeable. **Roseanne** was also quite good. 00s - **Girlfriends** (picks up where _Living Single_ left off. Funnier and more substantive than UPN’s usual offerings) - **Scrubs** (it’s funny but I forget that it comes on sometimes) - **The Family Guy** (sick but good) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/26 "2005-08-21T22:07:42Z")
> [@uglybeech](#): > > 90s Seinfeld and The Games ANother fan of _The Games_ here? I thought I was the only one here who thought that show was brilliant. Nothing listed for your location, but extra points if you’re not in Australia. But I don’t know if this really counts as a sitcom. It’s shot in handheld, documentary format. I think we need a ruling on this from the judges. ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/27 "2005-08-22T00:00:16Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > ANother fan of _The Games_ here? I thought I was the only one here who thought that show was brilliant. Nothing listed for your location, but extra points if you’re not in Australia. > > But I don’t know if this really counts as a sitcom. It’s shot in handheld, documentary format. I think we need a ruling on this from the judges. I think mockumentary counts. It’s still basically in sitcom format. Blackadder was the one I wasn’t sure of. BTW I live about 10 minutes from you lol. We were both probably watching WGBH at 3:00 a.m. on Saturdays. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/28 "2005-08-22T00:07:32Z")
Did WGBH show _The Games_ again recently? I haven’t seen it there since they did a New Year’s Day marathon a few years ago. I have the first series on a DVD I ordered from the Australian Broadcasting Company website. It took 7 weeks to get here. The second series wasn’t available the last time I checked, and who knows if it ever will be. Bryan is a dog. Gina is an iguana. John is an aphid. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/29 "2005-08-22T01:51:56Z")
I found a site listing all the [Sitcoms](http://sitcomsonline.com/g.html) ever. My list is long for each decade, I guess it shows my lack of discernment 😃 1950s George Burns and Gracie Allen 1950-1958 The Great Gildersleeve 1955 Mr Peepers 1952-1955 Topper 1953-1956 1960s My Favorite Martin 1963-1966 Get Smart! 1965-1970 The Monkees 1966-1968 The Munsters 1964-1966 F-Troop 1965-1967 The Addams Family 1964-1966 Hogan’s Heros 1965-1970 70s Taxi 1978-1983 Welcome Back, Kotter 1975-1979 WKRP in Cincinnati 1978-1982 Doctor in the House 1970-1973 Fernwood 2-night 1977-1978 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman 1976-1978 Mork and Mindy 1978-1982 House Calls 1979-1982 80s Police Squad! 1982 E/R 1984-1985 Cheers 1982-1993 Night Court 1984-1992 The Wonder Years 1988-1992 Murphy Brown 1988-1998 Doctor, Doctor 1989-1991 90s Grand 1990 Dave’s World 1993-1997 The John Larroquette Show 1993-1996 Grace Under Fire 1993-1998 Cybill 1995-1998 2000s Frasier 1993-2004 Third Rock from the Sun 1996-2001 Will and Grace 19980 present ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/30 "2005-08-22T02:05:31Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > Did WGBH show _The Games_ again recently? I haven’t seen it there since they did a New Year’s Day marathon a few years ago. > > I have the first series on a DVD I ordered from the Australian Broadcasting Company website. It took 7 weeks to get here. The second series wasn’t available the last time I checked, and who knows if it ever will be. > > Bryan is a dog. > Gina is an iguana. > John is an aphid. No sadly I haven’t seen it for a long long time. I actually probably only saw 7 or 8 episodes - but that was some of the best t.v. i ever saw. 😃 I should order the dvds - good idea. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/31 "2005-08-22T03:12:50Z")
**1950’s** I Love Lucy (The Bench Mark we grew up with) George Burns and Gracie Allen (Very ahead of it time or maybe anytime) **1960’s** Dick Van Dyke (2nd most intelligent) Get Smart! (That’s the second best sitcom I ever saw from the sixties) \*\*1970’s (The Golden Age of Sitcoms) \*\* Taxi (Funniest ever but for only about 4 years) Barney Miller (Most intelligent) M_A_S\*H All in the Family (Couldn’t be done today) Mary Tyler Moore (Very Classy) \*\*1980’s \*\* WKRP (Is this 70’s or 80’s. I go with 80’s 2 make it #1) Night Court (Went on too long, but funnier than Cheers) \*\*1990’s \*\* Simpsons \*\*2000’s \*\* Does South Park count? I think sitcoms have died. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/32 "2005-08-22T03:15:40Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > snip > \*\*1980’s \*\* > WKRP (Is this 70’s or 80’s. I go with 80’s 2 make it #1) > Night Court (Went on too long, but funnier than Cheers) Doh. I missed Police Squad and I have all six episodes recorded onto a single precious VHS tape. Funnier than the movies and killed way too soon. All 6 are classics. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/33 "2005-08-22T05:44:32Z")
> [@uglybeech](#): > > No sadly I haven’t seen it for a long long time. I actually probably only saw 7 or 8 episodes - but that was some of the best t.v. i ever saw. 😃 I should order the dvds - good idea. Ah, there is a small snag there, potentially. The DVD’s are region 0, so they’ll play anywhere in the world, but they’re recorded in PAL format. You’ll need a DVD player that can convert PAL to NTSC. Unless you specifically looked for that feature, your current player probably won’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/34 "2005-08-22T14:11:00Z")
I don’t even watch sitcoms anymore but I did enjoy Seinfeld and Simpsons. Now I am tired of the “canned” laughter and cliched plots. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881/35 "2005-08-22T14:55:33Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#): > > I’m going to have to vote for the Simpsons for the 90s. Not because I like it,\* but simply because in Seinfeld vs. the Simpsons, the Simpsons has more viewers and is more oft-quoted. I do think that the Seinfeld croud is more loyal; but a relatively small percentage compared to how many of everyone likes the Simpsons. Seinfeld did **much** better in the ratings than the Simpsons: in first run and in syndication. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-sitcom-of-the-decade/317881.md?page=1)