Setting Sitcoms Straight

Wondering which TV show you should watch next? Sitcoms are the perfect TV show when you want to watch a quick episode to relax after a long day of school, sports, or homework. This list will guide you as to which sitcom is the perfect fit for you.

1. Community: The greatest sitcom of all time. Community is a hilarious, captivating, and overall remarkable story about of college students who meet in a study group, and as the show name suggests, become an accidental “community.” The unlikely group of friends thrive off of one another comedically, providing a copious amount of jokes. The concept is so simple it almost sounds boring, but its vibrant characters and charisma combine to make such an addictive presentation that you won’t be able to stop watching. Community rises above all other shows using a uniquely chaotic, witty style. Keeping the informal and loosely scripted ideals of a sitcom, the show develops its characters while showcasing its creativity in breaking the 4th wall and incorporating themed genre episodes. Whether you’re into Star Wars, Law and Order, or claymation, Community has something for you.

2. Seinfeld: As one of the only sitcoms to remain perpetually entertaining through each of its seasons, Seinfeld ranks second place for its creativity and uniqueness. The show consists of the main character, Jerry Seinfeld, living out his day-to-day life as a stand up comedian with his eccentric group of friends. Using different storylines for each episode prevents repetition that’s often the breaking point of so many other sitcoms. The simplicity of each episode and its relatable humor sparks an engaging relationship between the audience and characters, providing the perfect balance of lightheartedness and flamboyance. Seinfeld only falls short of first place because of the failed first season which, in all honesty, was hard to watch due to its dullness and lack of developed characters. However, the well established, complex characters and development of the later seasons made up for what was previously lacking.

3. New Girl: New Girl is one of the funniest and most lighthearted shows of all time with a combination of drastically different characters who grow to become family. For one seeking a comfort show, the carefree and spontaneous New Girl is definitely the best option. The show plays with the idea of friendship — and the good and bad that comes with it — while including other beloved sitcom tropes like falling in love with your best friend. The undeniable addictiveness and “rewatchability” of this sitcom wins it a third place ranking. However, as some of the episodes can be somewhat repetitive and uninteresting at times when tropes are overdone and jokes are exaggerated, it falls beneath Community and Seinfeld.

4. The Good Place: When a group of strangers are placed into the “good place” (basically heaven) after they die, they have to face the hardships of morality, friendship, and honesty within their constructed afterlife. While these seem like heavy topics, The Good Place does an excellent job at dumbing them down just enough to turn them into an intriguing sitcom. The plot revolves around Eleanor Shellstrop, who was mistakenly placed in the utopia and has to find others who are willing to help her fit in without revealing her secret. The Good Place is the perfect show both for watching a quick episode when you need a laugh or binging a season when you’re intrigued by the plot. The show is comparatively short with four seasons, which many viewers critique for its rushed ending. However, as a whole, the show is an amazing way to relieve stress through a good laugh.

5. The Office: The Office is one of those shows that you would only really watch if it was the only thing on TV, but that doesn’t take away from its brilliance. The sitcom is filmed as a “mockumentary” (a fake documentary), containing mostly dry humor and a one-on-one camera style, which makes it that much more fun to watch. The audience feels as if they work in the “office,” and the casual setting makes the sitcom informal and relaxing. Obvious differences between characters cause hilarious conflicts as they work together as colleagues who create and develop distinct relationships with one another as the show proceeds. This show is low on the list because it completely goes downhill after one of the most interesting characters, Michael Scott, leaves.

Overall, each of these sitcoms are amazingly unique in their own ways to cater to your humor. There are countless other sitcoms in the world, but these are the best ones you will ever watch — so enjoy!