TV sitcoms have been at the forefront of American television for over seven decades. During that time, the shows have run the gamut of the trials and tribulations of modern life, including shows about families, friends, co-workers, classmates, and even strangers. With an original plot, strong character development, a conventional story structure, and a long-term plan of where the storylines lead, many shows have succeeded. Some might have struck a chord with audiences by having a strong lead-in from other popular shows on the same network, while some may have been a grassroots movement via word of mouth or through the Internet. No matter why these shows ultimately caught on, each one has stood the test of time, crossed over generations in many cases, and made people want to come back over and over again to see what hijinx their favorite characters got up to next. Some of these shows make you feel like youâre part of them, whether itâs as a member of the cast or as a fly on the wall during their best scenes. Others became embedded in pop culture, having the showâs catchphrases repeated by die-hard fans or other media. The connection between the actors who make up the casts of these shows is sometimes just as important as the fans themselves, as the authenticity of their performances often shine through.
Any greatest television show sitcom list will always be incomplete without naming potentially hundreds of influential and groundbreaking shows over the course of television history. One must not look further than the classic exploits of TV series such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, Cheers, Barney Miller, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, and decades of others just to scratch the surface. Later, modern TV comedies like 30 Rock, The Larry Sanders Show, Arrested Development, That 70s Show, Schittâs Creek, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Itâs Always Sunny in Philadelphia are a few of the beloved new class of comedic TV shows for younger generations….