(VANITY) The Greatest TV Sitcoms of All Time

My television | November 13, 2005 | Lancey Howard

[Lancey Howard]

In order, I rank the greatest TV sitcoms of all time like this:

1. I Love Lucy (the template for all sitcoms)
2. The Honeymooners
3. Seinfeld
4. Barney Miller
5. M.A.S.H.
6. Cheers
7. Taxi
8. The Andy Griffith Show
9. Hogan's Heroes
10. Gilligan's Island

Honorable mention:

All in the Family
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Cosby
The Odd Couple
McHale's Navy
The Phil Silvers Show
Night Court
Friends
Gomer Pyle, USMC (early years)
Family Matters (early years)
Home Improvement
The Beverly Hillbillies
Three's Company
The Jeffersons
Happy Days
Dick Van Dyke
Coach
Green Acres

(NOTE: Omitted from the above lists were shows that were more "situation" than "comedy", such as 'Leave it to Beaver', 'The Donna Reed Show', 'Father Knows Best', etc. Also omitted were animated shows such as The Flintstones, South Park, The Simpsons, and Family Guy.)

(P.S. I am old enough to have watched all of the above shows during their first run with the exception of Lucy, The Honeymooners, and The Phil Silvers Show, all of which I caught fully in reruns. The above lists are strictly from memory, so I hope I didn't leave out anything obvious. Have fun.)

[Cagey]

Watch that "we're" stuff. I'm on the East coast and it's an hour later here.

Although, that's no excuse. I should have been out watching the sun rise, or something.

[Iscool]

The Partridge Family was up there for many and how could anyone forget Fonzi and Happy Days...

[i_dont_chat]

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman!

[LRS]

But PLEASE! No "And then there's Maude"!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I wrote that, there was another sitcom from that era I hated but couldn't recall the name. Now I (sadly) remember it: "One Day at a Time". That and Maude helped make me hate most sitcoms...

[InvisibleChurch]

The only one that should be No. 1 is the Dick Van Dyke Show. And that's eet!

[rcocean]

1. Simpsons (like of KOTH, a Sitcom in Cartoon Form)
2. King of the Hill
3. Fawlty Towers
4. Seinfeld
5. Frasier
6. Cheers (First 5 Years)
7. Leave it to Beaver
8. Honeymooners
9. Andy Griffith (first 5 years)
10. I love Lucy
11. Odd Couple
12. Dick Van Dyke
13. Green Acres
14. Newhart
15. Absolutely Fabulous

[InvisibleChurch]

...or when Mr Carlson found out he was rubbing cocaine on his feet: "I've got a monkey on my foot!!"

[Jimmy Valentine]

The grandfather of all sit-coms and the template for "The Honeymooners".

Amos 'n Andy

If you ignore all of the self indulgent race baiting B.S. and watch it, you see true comic interplay between the protagonists.

[IamConservative]

Not a classic, but I like King of Queens.

As far as classics, Andy Griffith may never be touched. Andy Griffith was originally cast as the funny guy. Once the Barney character was cast, Andy had to play the serious part. Don Knotts was absolutely genius in the role of Barney. And, who didn't love the Darlings.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Jeeeeze! I really miss that show. Never missed it on a Saturday morning.

[mollynme]

Red Dwarf definitely needs to be on the list!

[InvisibleChurch]

60 Minutes II?

Now, that is topical humor!

[meanie monster]

seinfeld fan here. I know I will get flamed but I like Shep Smith too.

[Gay State Conservative]

Honeymooners

Lucy

Hillbillies (early episodes)

Dick Van Dyke

[Gay State Conservative]

Titus and Married with Children

I forgot Married With Children.The earliest episodes (the one's with Steve) were best,IMO.

"Peg,you know I don't have any insurance,so you must be killing me for the sport."

[tuffydoodle]

WKRP in Cincinnati gets my vote for best sitcom.

I Love Lucy and Andy Griffith are in a class by themselves.

[dsc]

"You're right, but never has the " underlying worldview being immoral" been so damn funny."

Yeah, that's what the Catholic baptismal vows call "the glamor of evil."

[Gay State Conservative]

Jackie Gleason's Ralph--the greatest character (Art Carney's Norton--second greatest) in The Honeymooners

Gleason was good,but Norton and Alice were the real stars of that show.I'm not sure if it's because they had the most talent or because they were given the best lines.

The writers of Gleason were geniuses,IMO.Don't know if Gleason was one of them.

[Gay State Conservative]

The Jack Benny Program was one of the all-time funniest, smartest, warmest, and just plain best comedy series ever televised.

Benny was a genius.And while perhaps,not quite in the same league,Burns & Allen were great too.

[Gay State Conservative]

Red Dwarf definitely needs to be on the list!

I love Red Dwarf,particularly the first five seasons. Still can't decide which Holly I like better,but C.P. Grogan as Kuchanski,alone,was worth the price of admission.