Despite its controversial ending, How I Met Your Mother is one of the best sitcoms of all time. And that's definitely partially because of the cast. It’s hard to imagine the characters being played by anyone else, as the chemistry and comedic timing really tie it all together, as well as the emotions when needed. Surprisingly, though, there was apparently some tension on set, according to Neil Patrick Harris and Josh Radnor.

With an ensemble cast like the one for HIMYM, where everyone works so closely together, and these friendships are forming on-screen, friendships are bound to form off-screen as well. While it seems like they are all close to this day, things might have been a bit different back then. While appearing on Radnor and co-creator Craig Thomas’ podcast How We Made Your Mother, Harris revealed to his former co-star that he thought he wasn’t too well-liked:

• Neil Patrick Harris: I always kind of felt that my performance annoyed you, Josh.
• Josh Radnor: What? Tell me more. Tell me more.

Radnor seemed shocked by the admission, which Harris said came to him as they were having that conversation. It’s a bit hard to believe, since Ted and Barney had a pretty entertaining friendship throughout HIMYM’s run.

Harris went on to explain why he thought Radnor was annoyed by his performance, and it was really because Barney was written differently from everyone else:

Barney did have a different way of looking at things and doing things on HIMYM, and it’s not just with the suits he would always wear. Of course, Barney is legen – wait for it – dary, but at the time, it sounds like Harris was worried that his character’s personality would drive a wedge between him and his castmates. He said it was like they were on different sitcoms, but that's also why it was so great. While now he can look back and really see that, back then it wasn’t easy:

It’s unfortunate that Harris felt that way, but it’s also understandable why he would think all this. Barney wasn’t the best character at times and didn’t always say the right thing at the right time, but it’s what made him lovable. And not surprisingly, Radnor understands where the confusion comes from.

Luckily, there are no hard feelings, and Radnor even looks back at that time with happiness, especially since Ted was annoying at times, too. To that point, the Ted actor said:

Radnor went on to explain that there was something in the tension that Harris described that would come out sideways, which was the “secret sauce.”

Overall, there’s a reason How I Met Your Mother went on for so long, and fans are still streaming with a Hulu subscription. Had there been just straight tension between Harris and Radnor, it’s likely things would have gone differently. But the fact that they both felt the way they felt just means that they were doing their jobs right. And it makes me so happy that they’re still friends today.

How I Met Your Mother may be one of the best sitcoms of all time, but it is one of many shows with a wildly disappointing finale. It’s been nearly 12 years since HIMYM's conclusion, but fans are still not quite over how it ended. The series is notorious for killing off the titular Mother not long after finally introducing her, with Ted running back to Robin. While it’s not unusual for those invovled to defend the episode, I still gotta give star Neil Patrick Harris credit sticking to his Barney-defending guns.

The CBS sitcom has one of the most disliked endings ever, and still to this day, the Internet is reminded of how terrible it is. I can’t say I blame them, because I, too, am not a fan of that finale, and wish so much it had ended with Ted and Tracy getting married, having their kids, and having that be that. Harris, however, does not feel that way.

While speaking with co-star Josh Radnor on the How We Made Your Mother podcast, Harris revealed why he likes the ending of the show so much, and it was in response to what Radnor was saying. Radnor recalled what an editor who had edited both of his movies told him when it comes to the difference between a show and movie. You have to transform a movie in two hours, and with a TV show, you have to “maintain stasis so people watch over and over,” so the characters have to transform “way slower.” And that’s exactly why Harris is defending the ending:

I get where Harris is coming from. A lot had changed throughout HIMYM’s nine-season run, but some things stayed the same by the end. Whether that includes Ted and Robin’s relationship, after she divorced Barney, who eventually changes his lifestyle after having a daughter. It was definitely an unexpected ending, but it’s definitely true to how life is sometimes:

No matter how much time fans complain, it won’t change the ending of How I Met Your Mother. Not everything is wrapped up in a nice bow, and Harris definitely knows that. Hence why he defends it so strongly. Then again, HIMYM is supposed to be a sitcom, and killing off the love of Ted’s wife, who is the focus of the entire series, after fans just meet her, is pretty harsh, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this discourse continues until the end of time. No matter how much Harris and others like it.

As a HIMYM ending hater, I will continue to hate the ending for as long as I live, but I certainly give Neil Patrick Harris props for what he’s doing. Fans can see for themselves how they feel about the ending with all nine seasons streaming with a Hulu subscription.

If you want to talk about inspired casting, look no further than Shrinking bringing on Cobie Smulders to play Jason Segel’s love interest. The two have a long and rich history together, seeing as they played friends on How I Met Your Mother for nine seasons. Now, they’re exploring their chemistry in a totally new way in Season 3 of Shrinking as Jimmy and Sofi, and Smulders told me why the “magic” between them worked again.

In the past, Jason Segel has said that his chemistry with Smulders is impacted greatly by their history on How I Met Your Mother. He explained that the “magic trick” of Jimmy and Sofi’s relationship is that it feels like they’re “meant for each other” even though they “just met” because the actors playing them have known each other for 20 years. When I interviewed Smulders, I brought up these comments and asked what it was like for her to play Segel’s love interest after they played Robin and Marshall for so long. In response, she said:

You can tell these two have a lot of fun together, too. I mean, if you watched this week’s episode, “I Will Be Grape,” with an Apple TV+ subscription, you got to see that. At this point in Season 3 of Shrinking, Jimmy and Sofi’s relationship is starting to flourish as she met his family and friends on Tia’s birthday. So, it’s been lovely to see Smulders and Segel really capitalize on their history and chemistry.

Speaking about their genuine admiration for each other and what it’s like to see that captured on camera, the How I Met Your Mother actress told me:

Ultimately, Smulders was simply thrilled to be asked to do Shrinking. It was for two great reasons, too. Obviously, she was excited to work with her long-time co-star again. However, she also noted how much she loves the writing of this comedy, explaining:

You can feel that positive energy on screen, too. As Jimmy and Sofi’s relationship has grown, it really has felt like a genuine and deep love was forming. That magic is thanks, in part, to the two actors’ history together.

Now, to see how Jimmy and Sofi’s story continues, and to keep watching these two How I Met Your Mother actors having fun on a new show together, Shrinking will continue to drop new episodes on the 2026 TV schedule every Wednesday on Apple TV.

It's no secret that sticking the landing for long-running TV shows can be a difficult task. While some shows have good endings, there have been a ton of bad finales, especially in recent years. Game of Thrones' controversial finale is still a sore point years later, and most recently, those with a Netflix subscription were treated to the Stranger Things series finale. And I've got to address the hate that's been coming at The Duffer Brothers since its release.

There was a ton of expectations ahead of Stranger Things' final episode, which included a long epilogue that provided closure for its beloved cast of characters. But some fans still had problems, leading to a fan theory about a bonus episode. I was personally very satisfied with how the show ended, and think that we need to remember some of the actual bad finales we've gotten in recent years.

Stranger Things's Series Finale Is Getting Too Much Hate

Since Stranger Things is one of the best Netflix shows to binge-watch and has been the streamer's flagship series for years, it was going to be impossible to please everyone. Some folks complained that the final battle against Vecna went too quickly, with others wanting to see Demogorgons involved. And others were bummed about Eleven's fate, particularly those who didn't believe Mike's story and think she actually perished when The Upside Down was destroyed.

But despite how you might feel about Eleven's apparent sacrifice, I think that Stranger Things' epilogue offered a ton of closure. Joyce and Hopper got engaged, The Party graduated from high school and moved on from Hawkins, and the older teen characters were shown coming into their adulthood. And seeing the full cast unite in order to kill Vecna once and for all was thrilling.

Personally, I think that folks out there who are hating on Stranger Things' finale online need to be reminded of some of the terrible TV endings we've gotten. Game of Thrones is a big example of this, particularly Bran becoming King and Dany and Jon's fates. But that's far from the only example.

Dexter's finale was similarly disappointing when it aired in 2013, especially since it was airing at the same time as Breaking Bad's triumphant final season. I also recently watched True Blood, and was reminded how bad the entire seventh season was, including its last episode. Fans hated the How I Met Your Mother finale, and it hasn't gotten better with time. With all that history, I think it's safe to say that Stranger Things' finale doesn't belong on a list with those disappointing entries.

While you can't please everyone, Stranger Things offered a finale that I think will get more love as time goes on. The entire series is streaming now on Netflix, and a BTS documentary about its final season is set to debut January 12th as part of the 2026 TV schedule.

Josh Radnor is best known for his role as Ted Mosby on the hit CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother, and fans are still streaming the heck out of it with a Hulu subscription. However, in an alternate timeline, Radnor could have landed the role of Jim Halpert on The Office, as he actually auditioned for the role in the NBC sitcom that ultimately went to John Krasinski. So what went wrong?

Both The Office and How I Met Your Mother premiered in 2005 and went on to become huge successes. Even years later, the two remain favorites among fans, and it’s hard to imagine the characters being played by anyone else. However, obviously, other actors auditioned, and when it came to Jim, Josh Radnor tried out before HIMYM came along. The Ted actor told the story behind it, too, on the podcast How We Made Your Mother, when The Office's Jenna Fisher asked about it. Recalling how it went and why it didn't go the best, he said:

He went on to explain that while casting director Alison Jones brought him on and he met with The Office's creator Greg Daniels, Radnor ultimately didn’t get a testing deal and did not move forward with the second round of auditions. He also made sure to note that it wasn’t a terrible audition; he just couldn’t land the right tone for Jim, as he said:

It’s interesting to imagine how different things would have been on both The Office and How I Met Your Mother had things played out differently for Josh Radnor. Overall, it also proves that John Krasinski was the perfect person to play Jim. Plus, Radnor’s portrayal of good guy Ted on How I Met Your Mother was pretty perfect, even if his actions in the series finale are still questionable after all these years.

It is always entertaining finding out what roles actors tried out for, especially since some things could have gone very differently had they gotten the role. The How I Met Your Mother cast was pretty fitting, as was The Office cast, and, as the actor said, everything worked out, and they all landed in the right places. It’s also hard to imagine him as Jim Halpert. Frankly, I don’t think anyone other than John Krasinski would be able to nail that role, just like I think Radnor is the only guy who could have played Ted.

As crazy as it sounds, it's actually been over 11 years since How I Met Your Mother wrapped up its nine-season run on CBS. While the show ended over a decade ago, remains a beloved part of pop culture. Many became invested in the exploits of Ted Mosby, played by Josh Radnor, who's older self recounted the events leading up to meeting the mother of his kids. Wildly enough, we've now reached the point at which Radnor nearing Future Ted’s age and, as shocked as I am, I love the actor's take on that.

Radnor turned 51 this year (and was about 31 when HIMYM premiered). That means the actor is one year younger than Future Ted, who was 52. That closeness in age was brought up when Radnor appeared on Dinner’s On Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson. As the two actors discussed Mother (which is one of the all-time great sitcoms, Radnor talked about how surreal it is not only to be close to older Ted's age but to also recounting past exploits (via his rewatch podcast) similar to how the character shared his own experiences:

At present, Radnor co-hosts his How I Met Your Mother rewatch podcast with series EP Craig Thomas, during which the two break down episodes. It's hard to disagree with the irony of Radnor serving as a "narrator" of sorts now when it comes to this franchise. It's a full-circle moment if there ever was one, and I love that Radnor appreciates the position he's in.

HIMYM's flashback and flash-forward framing is one of the reasons why the show is so famous. Of course, many viewers had feelings about the show's still-controversial finale, especially with the reveal that the eponymous mother died by the events of the future timeline. (​​ln the real world, 2024 marked Tracy McConnell’s tragic milestone.)

The debate over the final episode shouldn't take away from the show's excellent legacy, though. How I Met Your Mother generates plenty of laughs and offers bits that still hold up. However, there's also a considerable amount of heart present within it as well. It's that sentimentality that helps make it such a charming and endearing show.

Considering the enduring popularity of the show, Josh Radnor and his co-stars have a lot to be thankful for. All the while, it still may take me a bit to truly process the fact that Radnor is reaching Future Ted's age. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm glad Radnor is still around and is able to articulate his feelings about his performance as Ted, as it continues to bring viewers joy.

On that note, anyone who'd like to revisit How I Met Your Mother or check it out for the first time, can grab a Hulu subscription and stream it alongside the sister series, How I Met Your Father. And, of course, newer shows are still hitting the small screen as the 2025 TV schedule winds down.

As a student of journalism, a lifelong avid TV watcher, and a fan of late-night TV hosts, I have always been fascinated by the way television personalities are depicted in fiction. Sometimes these characters represent the best that the media can offer, while others serve as a mockery of the profession. Either way, I can’t get enough of them, and these are some of my favorites.

Ron Burgundy (Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy)

Most would agree that the best Will Ferrell character has to be the title role of his 2004 favorite, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. The former SNL star actually gave the world a taste of what it would be like if the charismatic, scotch-loving teleprompter loyalist were a real person when he hosted The Ron Burgundy Podcast.

Deborah Vance (Hacks)

Jean Smart has won multiple Emmys for her role in the HBO Max original comedy series, Hacks, as Deborah Vance, the host of Late Night and a hilarious, pitch-perfect representation of the business' intense, cutthroat nature.

Alan Partridge (Various)

Steve Coogan has portrayed Alan Partridge, the uproariously inept British TV personality he created with Armando Iannucci, in various projects. He debuted on the BBC radio program On the Hour, received his own mockumentary-style chat show Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge, led a sitcom called I'm Alan Partridge, and was the focus of a 2013 feature film called Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, in which he is forced to be a hostage negotiator.

Murphy Brown (Murphy Brown)

The eponymous lead character from the long-running, beloved sitcom, Murphy Brown, is not only one of multi-Emmy-winning Candice Bergen's most iconic characters, but one of the most influential fictional female figures in news media, depicted as a trailblazer in her profession.

Howard Beale (Network)

Originally released in 1976, Network remains a disturbingly relevant commentary on news media and society in general, with much credit due to Peter Finch's bold, Oscar-winning performance as Howard Beale. That being said, you rarely hear of a broadcast journalist being as boldly direct and brutally honest about their feelings as he is these days.

Gale Weathers (Scream)

In 1996's slasher movie favorite, Scream, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) was your typical sleazy, self-serving gossip reporter, but would slowly evolve into a professional with some tact in the sequels. Not to mention, few people in her field can claim to have the kind of first-hand experience with the deadly topics she discusses, having survived several Ghostface killers over the years.

Wayne Campbell And Garth Algar (Wayne's World)

Local cable access television had never been as cool (or cool at all, really) before Mike Myers and Dana Carvey debuted as Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar, who later became the stars of two beloved movies based on the Saturday Night Live sketch from which they originated.

Sue Ann Nivens (The Mary Tyler Moore Show)

Betty White was brilliant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Sue Ann Nivens, balancing her perky, kindly on-camera persona as host of The Happy Homemaker with her vindictive and highly competitive off-screen personality with incredible ease.

Robin Scherbatsky (How I Met Your Mother)

Robin Scherbatsky, How I Met Your Mother cast member Cobie Smulders' role on the hit sitcom, is a real go-getter in the world of broadcast journalism. She always opted to put her career before everything else, even if it cost her a few chances in the department of romance. At least, that was the case in earlier seasons.

Larry Sanders (The Larry Sanders Show)

During its run from 1992 to 1998 on HBO, few comedy series had a sharper satirical outlook on show business than the Emmy-winning The Larry Sanders Show. Co-creator Garry Shandling starred as the titular late-night talk show host, who is constantly at odds with behind-the-scenes shenanigans courtesy of staff members and celebrities playing wild versions of themselves.

Murray Franklin (Joker)

It is fitting that Robert De Niro stars in a DC Comics adaptation that heavily borrows from some of his grittiest roles, especially Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle. The acting legend appears in 2019's Joker opposite Joaquin Phoenix's Academy Award-winning role of Arthur Fleck as Murray Franklin, the host of the Gotham-based late-night program, Live!, who might not have survived the airwaves today with his meanspiritedness. Yet, I can't help but respect his bold approach to humor and showcasing risque topics.

Kent Brockman (The Simpsons)

One of Harry Shearer's funniest characters on The Simpsons is Kent Brockman, a Springfield-based TV editorialist who has no filter when it comes to sounding off his typically judgmental opinions.

Veronica Corningstone (Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy)

If Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy actually was inspired by a true story, as it (sort of) claims at the very beginning, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) would have undoubtedly gone down in history as one of the most important figures of women's progress in the world of broadcast news.

Jack Delroy (Late Night With The Devil)

David Dastmalchian gives one of his career-best performances as infamous TV legend Jack Delroy, who has a life-changing brush with the supernatural in Late Night with the Devil. I imagine I would have been a fan of the Nite Owls host, at least right up until the night he brings his program to a screeching halt by conjuring a demonic spirit during a live broadcast on Halloween 1977.

Damon Killian (The Running Man)

I believe the eponymous, deadly reality competition show from the 1987 adaptation of Stephen King's dystopian novel, The Running Man, is abhorrent, and I pray it never becomes a reality. However, one thing I can commend it for is hiring a host as charismatic and enthusiastic as Damon Killian, played by former Family Feud emcee Richard Dawson.

Will McAvoy (The Newsroom)

Jeff Daniels' Emmy-winning role as Will McAvoy on creator Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom had the courage to call out dishonesty and corruption when few others would dare, which is a quality more TV journalists in the real world could certainly benefit from.

Enid "The Church Lady" Strict (Saturday Night Live)

Dana Carvey is the actor behind a few of the funniest recurring Saturday Night Live characters, including, arguably, his signature role as Enid "The Church Lady" Strict. No matter how many times she uttered her signature catchphrases, the host of a faith-based talk show called Church Chat, which was mainly devoted to accusing her guests of worshipping Satan, was always a joy to laugh at, which certainly makes her "special."

Space Ghost (Space Ghost Coast To Coast)

Making a relatively obscure Hanna-Barbera cartoon character the host of his own talk show, featuring real-life celebrity guests, is a pretty random idea, I will admit. That being said, how cool would it be if a superhero actually did broadcast a talk show from outer space, like on Space Ghost Coast to Coast?

Katherine Newbury (Late Night)

The 2019 comedy film Late Night takes audiences behind the scenes of the world of late-night TV, focusing on the unlikely bond between the eponymous host of Tonight with Katherine Newbury, played by Emma Thompson, and one of her writers, Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling).

Perd Hapley (Parks And Recreation)

A Parks and Recreation side character whom I cannot get enough of is Perd Hapley (Jay Jackson), the host of the brilliantly titled program, Ya Heard? with Perd. I would watch the Pawnee, Indiana-based, hilariously matter-of-fact broadcaster religiously if his show were real.

Gordon Deitrich (V For Vendetta)

The 2005 adaptation of legendary comic book writer Alan Moore's dystopian graphic novel, V for Vendetta, is a deeply bleak story, but it does manage to maintain a few glimmers of hope in the form of characters like Gordon Deitrich. The comedian, played by Stephen Fry, is literally murdered for his willingness to mock the United Kingdom's fascist leader, Adam Sutler (John Hurt), on his satirical program.

Alex Levy (The Morning Show)

Jennifer Aniston would not be who she is if not for her role in the Friends cast as Rachel Green, but the actor has never quite given a performance as powerful as that of Alex Levy on the acclaimed Apple TV+ original TV show, The Morning Show. The consummate professional makes it a personal goal of hers to maintain control of the eponymous news program she has anchored for years when her share of the power over it begins to fall through the cracks.

Pat Dubek (The Other Two)

Molly Shannon's character on the Emmy-nominated Comedy Central series, The Other Two, makes her show, Pat! The Pat Dubek Show, a memorable experience with her endlessly upbeat demeanor and willingness to take phone calls from her children, including her world-famous pop star son, while on the air.

Tom Jumbo-Grumbo (Bojack Horseman)

One of the key elements that makes Netflix's show business satire Bojack Horseman one of the best animated TV shows of all time is the incredible line-up of surprising talents in the voice cast. For instance, former MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann lends his voice to several episodes as a talking, anthropomorphic whale named Tom Jumbo-Grumbo, who is a host for the network MSNBSea.

Diondre Cole (Saturday Night Live)

There are many celebrities who have a good reason to be annoyed by Diondre Cole, the host of a unique BET discussion program called What Up With That?, especially former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham (portrayed by Bill Hader). However, I personally cannot get enough of Kenan Thompson's hilarious recurring Saturday Night Live character and his unparalleled energy, no matter how terribly he struggles to conduct an interview without rudely interrupting his guests with another banging jam session.

Danny Tanner And Rebecca Donaldson (Full House)

At the beginning of the long-running family sitcom Full House, Bob Saget's character, widowed single father Danny Tanner, was introduced as a TV news reporter. In later seasons, he becomes the co-host of a local morning talk show called Wake Up, San Francisco, alongside Rebecca Donaldson (Lori Loughlin), who would eventually become his housemate when she marries his brother-in-law, Jesse (John Stamos).

George Papadopolis (Webster)

Alex Karras' character from the hit sitcom, Webster, in which he and his wife, Katherine (Susan Clark), become the guardians to their young godson (played by Emmanuel Lewis), must not have been much of a challenge for him to portray. Much like Karras himself, George Papadopolis was a former professional football player who went on to have a career in broadcasting.

Andy "Johnny Karate" Dwyer (Parks And Recreation)

In later seasons of NBC's beloved mockumentary sitcom, Parks and Recreation, Chris Pratt's character, Andy, becomes the host of his own children's program. His alter ego, Johnny Karate, is someone I think I would have loved to grow up with, and I probably would have shown him to my children as well.

Franklin Montague (Atlanta)

One of the best episodes of Atlanta, the clever, experimental, Emmy-winning "B.A.N.," is structured to appear as a snippet of programming from the eponymous network with a focus on Black audiences. Alano Miller guest stars as Franklin Montague, the host of his own self-titled talk show on B.A.N., who is clearly guilty of baiting his guests with combative rhetoric, but at least he manages to keep his show interesting.

Wally Sparks (Meet Wally Sparks)

While 1997's Meet Wally Sparks is widely considered to be one of the weaker of comedian Rodney Dangerfield's films, it is still a Rodney Dangerfield movie, after all. If the title character, a veteran tabloid television reporter, were real, I have no doubt that I would tune into his program on a regular basis just to hear him tell one of his priceless one-liners.

Betty Caruso And Jodi Deltz (Saturday Night Live)

One of the funniest catchphrases from Saturday Night Live comes from Maya Rudolph as Jodi Deitz, who often complains about her husband's frequent tendencies for moronic behavior, only to tearfully proclaim, "But I love him!" In fact, Jodi's husband is one of various recurring topics that she and fellow New York housewife Betty Caruso (Amy Poehler) like to boisterously sound off on as the co-hosts of a local talk show called Bronx Beat.

Dave Skylark (The Interview)

James Franco gives one of the funniest performances of his career in directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's 2014 comedy, The Interview, as Dave Skylark, who discovers that he is the favorite TV personality of none other than Kim Jong-Un (Randall Park). Little does the leader of North Korea know, however, that, after he invites the talk show host and his producer (played by Rogen) to visit his home, the CIA has recruited them to help carry out his assassination.

Many of the best sitcoms of all time take place in New York City, and the neighborhoods they're set in often give them their unique personalities, just like the people who live in those neighborhoods. All over the city, across all five boroughs (though Staten Island is underrepresented, as always), sitcoms draw from their neighborhoods' character as much as the characters in the shows themselves. This list celebrates those shows and their 'hoods.

Seinfeld - Upper West Side, Manhattan

There is no show in TV history that quite represents the Upper West Side like Seinfeld does. The show just oozes UWS vibes in every way. Jerry's apartment, which, if we're honest, is one of the more realistic-looking NYC apartments (ahem, Friends), and everything from the restaurants to the shops and the street scenes is just pure Upper West Side.

I Love Lucy - Upper East Side, Manhattan

One of TV's earliest and most successful sitcoms is, of course, I Love Lucy. Lucille Ball and her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz, star in this show about a bandleader (Arnaz) and his wife living on the Upper East Side. Most of the show takes place in the couple's apartment building, and it was all shot on a soundstage in LA, but it's still a very New York Show.

Welcome Back, Kotter - Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

John Travolta is famously the biggest breakout star of Welcome Back, Kotter, and even though Travolta is originally from New Jersey, he perfectly embodies a good Italian kid from Brooklyn. The show's high school, James Buchanan High School, is set in the quintessentially (and appropriately diverse) Brooklyn neighborhood of Bensonhurst.

Everybody Hates Chris - Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

Bedford–Stuyvesant is one of the most famous neighborhoods in Brooklyn, and one that has an amazing history, both good and bad. It has produced a ton of famous actors and musicians, not the least of which is Chris Rock, who grew up in Bed-Stuy. When the comedian co-developed a show based loosely on his life growing up, they just had to set it here.

Ugly Betty - Jackson Heights, Queens

Jackson Heights is one of the most underrated neighborhoods in all of New York. It's incredible diversity, and its central location in Queens makes it pretty great all around. Setting Ugly Betty is a perfect choice for a show.

Diff'rent Strokes - Upper East Side, Manhattan

On Diff'rent Strokes, Arnold (Gary Coleman) and Willis (Todd Bridges) are two orphans from Harlem who are taken in by their late mother's employer, Mr. Drummond (Conrad Bain), in his swanky apartment that is very much the epitome of what people expect from a really rich family on the Upper East Side. Even though much of the UES is just like many other parts of Manhattan with tiny studios and one-bedrooms, it also definitely has huge two-story units like the one here.

The Nanny - Upper East Side, Manhattan

It's hardly surprising that The Nanny was set in a townhouse in the tony Upper East Side of Manhattan. Of course, the show is about a nanny to a very rich family, played by Fran Drescher, and most of the show's shenanigans take place in the Sheffield's very nice house, the exterior of which is on East 75th St., near Central Park.

The King Of Queens - Rego Park, Queens

Would it shock you to learn that The King Of Queens, starring Kevin James and Leah Remini, is set in... Queens? Rego Park, to be exact. I've always thought of Queens as the most "New York" of the five boroughs, so setting any show here really brings out a true New York City vibe.

Mad About You - Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Mad About You was one of the most popular sitcoms of the '90s and helped propel Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser to huge fame. Like a lot of shows on this list, the couple lived in Greenwich Village.

All In The Family - Glendale, Queens

Glendale, Queens, is right smack in the middle of Queens and Brooklyn, making it the perfect location for one of the most "New York" shows of all time, the beloved All in the Family. Archie Bunker is one of the best (and worst) characters of all time, and there is no more appropriate place for the blue-collar Bunkers to live than in Queens with neighbors like the Jeffersons (who would eventually move on up).

2 Broke Girls - Williamsburg, Brooklyn

In the early '00s, Williamsburg got so famous as the home of hipsters that it became the butt of a lot of jokes about those new residents. The quirky neighborhood is a great setting for a show like 2 Broke Girls, following the lives of a couple of 20-something women making their way in the big city.

Friends - Greenwich Village, Manhattan

It seems like volumes have been written about the apartments where the friends in Friends live and how unrealistic they were on the show. When you consider that they were supposedly living in the Village, it makes it even harder to believe because even in the '90s, rents in that part of town were astronomical.

The Cosby Show - Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn

Brooklyn Heights is one of my favorite neighborhoods in New York. It's also never been a cheap place to live, especially in one of the beautiful townhouses near the Promenade, as the Huxtables did in The Cosby Show. It's a good thing Dr. and Mrs. Huxtable, a doctor and a lawyer, made a lot of money! Raising five kids (or more) in that part of town isn't cheap!

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - - Upper West Side, Manhattan

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel takes place, mostly, in a neighborhood you would expect, the Upper West Side of Manhattan, though Maisel's adventures tend to take her all over Manhattan.

Girls - Greenpoint, Queens

Even with how "hipster" Girls is, it doesn't actually take place in Williamsburg. No, in fact, by the time Girls was created, Williamsburg was already played out, and its neighbor to the north, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, had firmly become the center of hipster NYC. Hence, that is where Girls is set.

How I Met Your Mother - "Dowisetrepla"

Occasionally, a TV show has just invented a neighborhood for the show to take place in. "Dowisetrepia" in How I Met Your Mother is one of the more famous examples of a fake neighborhood. Marshall and Lilly live in Dowisetrepla, which is a play on NYC neighborhood names like Tribeca and Dumbo, though most of the show doesn't really highlight any particular neighborhood by name. Dowisetrepla, by the way, is short for "Downwind of the Sewage Treatment Plant." That's not the best to live...

Barney Miller - Greenwich Village, Manhattan

One of the best cop comedies of all time, Barney Miller, was set in its own time, when New York City was still pretty grimy, especially downtown, where the show's precinct was located. Greenwich Village is one of the most storied neighborhoods in Manhattan, and at the time, it wasn't the Village we all know today, for better and for worse.

Broad City - Astoria, Queens And Gowanus, Brooklyn

There is a proud history of sitcoms about people trying to make it in New York City, shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and even The Jeffersons. One of the more offbeat and quirky versions of the story is Broad City. In the show, the two "broads," Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson) and Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer), live in Astoria, Queens, and Gowanus, Brooklyn, respectively.

The Jeffersons - Upper East Side, Manhattan

They might have started in Queens as neighbors to the Bunkers in All in the Family, but once George and Weezy Jefferson got their own show, we all know what happened. They "moved on up to the East Side, in a deluxe apartment in the sky." The Upper East Side is still where many strive to move on up, so that's the perfect setting for this legendary show.

Grounded For Life - Staten Island

One of the few shows to actually take place on the oft-ignored borough of Staten Island was Grounded for Life. The show had a checkered ratings history, but it did manage to last five seasons on two networks.

The Honeymooners - Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

It's hard to imagine what sitcoms would be like today if it weren't for The Honeymooners. The classic show set the template for TV comedies in so many ways, it's impossible to overstate its importance. That includes setting the show in working-class Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

Taxi - Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Only in the Village in the 1970s would you ever find a collection of weirdos and heroes like the cast of Taxi. Like Barney Miller, Greenwich Village is the perfect place to set the legendary sitcom. It wasn't the Village we know today. In the seventies, it was the exact kind of business you might find down there.

High Fidelity - Crown Heights, Brooklyn

The book High Fidelity by Nick Hornby was set in London. The movie, based on the book starring John Cusack, was set in Cusack's hometown of Chicago. The Hulu show, starring Zoe Kravitz as the owner of a record store, is set in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. In each, the setting is actually perfect for the way the story is told.

Living Single - Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Prospect Heights has been one of the most popular neighborhoods in Brooklyn for decades, and in the '90s, that popularity was just starting to take off when the Queen Latifah-led sitcom Living Single.

Gimme A Break! - Greenwich Village, Manhattan

This is a bit of a weird one, and if you're a fan of the '80s classic Gimme A Break!, you might have already noticed what it is. "Wasn't Gimme A Break! set in California?" is what you might be thinking. You'd be correct, but in the show's final season, Nell (Nell Carter) moves to New York, following Sam (Lara Jill Miller) to college.

And Just Like That... - Gramercy Park, Manhattan

In Carrie Bradshaw's original show, the character, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, lived on the Upper East Side. In the reboot, And Just Like That..., Carrie has moved to a much cooler neighborhood further downtown, Gramercy Park. Good choice, Carrie. Now you need to figure out what to do with Aiden.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - "East Dogmouth"

In Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) has an apartment in a real building that is located in Greenpoint, but the show is set in the fictional neighborhood of "East Dogmouth." There is no solid info given on where the fictional neighborhood is, so your guess is as good as ours.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Park Slope Or Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn

The cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is the best part of the show, but its location is a little confusing. For starters, there is no 99th precinct in New York, Brooklyn, or otherwise, so while that would be one way to figure the neighborhood, it doesn't help us here. The police station used for the exterior shots in the show is the 78th precinct in Brooklyn Heights. Other fans of the show claim the station on the show is actually in Park Slope or Prospect Heights. So do with that info what you will.

Nurse Jackie - Manhattan

Edie Falco's brilliant follow-up to The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie, is a very different show from the one that made her a huge star. It's also questionable if it's really a sitcom, but it's pretty darn funny, if dark. In the show, her character, Jackie, works at a fictional hospital called All Saints Hospital, and while the show was filmed mostly in Astoria, the exteriors were various hospitals around Manhattan.

Wizards Of Waverly Place - Greenwich Village, Manhattan

Yet another classic sitcom set in Greenwich Village, Wizards of Waverly Place, starring Selena Gomez in her breakout role on the Disney Channel. It's worth noting that the spinoff, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, was a rare example of a show set on Staten Island.

What We Do in the Shadows

While the curtains were always drawn tight to keep the sun out in the horror comedy What We Do in the Shadows, based on the movie of the same name, took place in that mysterious borough of Staten Island.

Car 54, Where Are You? - The Bronx

Without a doubt, The Bronx has been way under-represented in the history of TV. The most notable sitcom set in the northern-most borough has to be Car 54, Where Are You? Even then, the specific neighborhood for the fictional precinct in the show is never identified, so like shows set on Staten Island, we stuck with "The Bronx."

There is something so infectious about a dance sequence that, even in movies and TV shows in which they occur pretty much out of nowhere and, in theory, should not work, they still do in most cases. In fact, some of the most iconic and beloved numbers in pop culture history do not even come from titles categorized as musicals. Step back in time and review the following most cherished examples of the like.

Napoleon Has "Canned Heat" (Napoleon Dynamite)

While most of the dialogue is extremely quotable and Jon Heder's title character is a one-of-a-kind instant comedy icon, if you ask me, the moment that 2004's Napoleon Dynamite won audiences over is its centerpiece dance sequence. In a last-ditch effort to help his best friend, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), win class president, the nerd busts out some absolutely ridiculous, yet passionate, dance moves in an impromptu routine set to Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat," which earns a roaring round of applause from his classmates.

Nothing Suits Barney Like A Suit (How I Met Your Mother)

In the 100th episode of the beloved TV sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) contemplates whether or not he should give up his suits forever in order to score with an attractive bartender who hates men in business attire. He then imagines an elaborate song and dance number professing his love for his wardrobe called "Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit," featuring the rest of the snappily dressed cast.

Tom's Dreams Are Coming True ((500) Days Of Summer)

It is moments like this that make 2009's (500) Days of Summer one of the best romantic-comedy movies of its time. Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is so high on cloud nine after starting up a romance with Zooey Deschanel's title role that he imagines the local townspeople are joining him for a brief dance set to Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams Come True" during his morning commute.

"The Name Game" (American Horror Story)

Some of the most unsettling moments from American Horror Story masterfully utilize the power of juxtaposition, like in one of the most dazzling moments from Season 2, subtitled Asylum. After receiving shock therapy, Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) hallucinates that she is performing a rendition of Shirley Ellis' 1964 pop hit, "The Name Game," with her fellow patients at Briarcliff Manor.

Gutterballs (The Big Lebowski)

Joel and Ethan Coen's 1998 cult favorite comedy The Big Lebowski is home to two of the most iconic movie dream sequences, with the second one easily taking the cake as the most wonderfully uproarious. Knocked out by Jackie Treehorn, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) imagines he and Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore) are the stars of an adult film shot in the style of a Busby Berkeley dance number.

Joel Likes That "Old Time Rock And Roll" (Risky Business)

What is the exact moment that Tom Cruise became a movie star? I like to think that occurred in 1983's Risky Business when the future Oscar nominee, as Chicago teen Joel, with the house to himself, celebrates his independence by dancing and lip-synching to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" in his underwear.

Tina Opens The Movie (Do The Right Thing)

Writer and director Spike Lee prepares you for an unforgettable and subversive cinematic experience with an unforgettable and subversive opening to 1989's Do the Right Thing. The opening credits play over Rosie Perez's character, Tina, dancing solo to Public Enemy's "Fight the Power," making for a certainly unexpected and moving way to start a film with a lot to say about society.

Jim And Pam's Wedding Party Dances Down The Aisle (The Office)

In the episode of the U.S. version of The Office when Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer), the wedding party, instead of the traditional walk down the aisle, dance to Chris Brown's "Forever," which was originally written as a Doublemint Gum commercial. While this act goes against the couple's wishes, it goes down in history as a memorably unique way to start the ceremony.

Nathan And Kyoko Tear Up The Dance Floor (Ex Machina)

Alex Garland is a writer and director who never fails to dazzle his audience, either with thought-provoking sci-fi concepts, brutally honest societal commentary, or epic dance sequences. All three of which are used to perfection in his 2015 technophobic classic, Ex Machina, when Oscar Isaac's shady, eccentric tech billionaire, Nathan, and his companion, Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno), shift the tone in a rousing way by interrupting Caleb's (Domhnall Gleeson) interrogation by getting busy to “Get Down Saturday Night” by Oliver Cheatham.

"I'm Just Ken" (Barbie)

There had been a dance sequence earlier in 2023's Barbie when Margot Robbie's title hero hosts a party, but that was nothing out of the ordinary, even for a movie taking place in an alternate dimension where dolls are sentient. The film suddenly incorporates an elaborate, traditional Hollywood dance sequence when Ryan Gosling's Ken expresses his frustration with feeling undervalued by Barbie in the Academy Award-nominated track, "I'm Just Ken."

Jenna Thrills Her Colleagues (13 Going On 30)

One of the most iconic scenes from the hit fantasy rom-com, 13 Going On 30, sees Jennifer Garner's Jenna (an '80s teen trapped in the body of her future, adult self) try to liven things up at her company party by getting everyone to recreate the dance from Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Rue's Relapse (Euphoria)

After giving in to her addictive urges, Zendaya's Rue imagines that she is in a music video for the actor's haunting single, "All For Us," which illustrates the complicated relationship she has with her family as a result of her habits. The sequence culminates in her being carried outside of her house by a sea of dancers in matching outfits, who also serve as her choir, at night, before a marching band joins in. It marks an invigorating, but also tragic, end to the first season of the provocative coming-of-age drama, Euphoria.

The Deetzes Do The Calypso (Beetlejuice)

One of the all-time greatest and funniest musical moments from a horror movie comes from 1988's Beetlejuice. Hoping to scare the Deetzes (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara) and their dinner party guests out of the house, the lingering spirits of Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) use bodily possession to manipulate them into dancing and singing to Harry Belafonte's "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)." Much to their surprise, they enjoy the experience.

Wally, Charley, And Rhonda Channel Bowie (School Spirits)

School Spirits is a TV show told from the perspective of ghosts who have passed away on a midwestern high school campus, where they struggle to cope with the parameters of their afterlife. Wally (Milo Manheim), who was a star athlete in the 1980s, lets off steam by putting on a vinyl copy of David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and leading his fellow ghostly friends in a wonderfully choreographed groove through almost the entire school.

Jamal And Latika Are Victorious (Slumdog Millionaire)

Director Danny Boyle's Best Picture Oscar winner, 2008's Slumdog Millionaire, ends with an upbeat dance number set to the Academy Award-winning original song, "Jai Ho" and led by Dev Patel and Freida Pinto as Jamal and Latika. It might have been surprising to some audiences to see this production suddenly include such a sequence, but it honors a longstanding tradition in Indian cinema.

The Kids Rock The Library (The Breakfast Club)

Many have argued that 1985's The Breakfast Club is the greatest high school movie ever made, despite never taking place during school, but a Saturday detention shared by five teens who each represent a different rung of the teen social hierarchy. The unlikely friends attempt to break up the monotony with an impromptu dance to "We Are Not Alone" by Karla Devito.

"Tequila!" (Pee-wee's Big Adventure)

One reason 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure remains a cherished classic is how Paul Reubens' eponymous man-child wins over the hearts of nearly everyone he meets. For instance, he earns the respect of a bar full of bikers with his signature dance to The Champs' rendition of the saxy tune, "Tequila."

Don Dreams Of Bert Cooper Dancing (Mad Men)

AMC's Mad Men had its fair share of off-kilter moments, none more perplexing than when Don Draper (Jon Hamm) suddenly has a vision of the recently passed advertising veteran Bertram "Bert" Cooper (Robert Morse) singing and dancing a performance of "The Best Things in Life Are Free."

Andy Lets The Sunshine In (The 40-Year-Old Virgin)

Judd Apatow's heartfelt, raunchy comedy, 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, ends with Steve Carell's Andy finally losing his "innocence" and expressing his relief through song. The song in particular is The 5th Dimension's "Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In," which transitions into a dance in a wide-open field that the rest of the cast joins him for.

"Come On, Little Sister, Let’s Dance” (The Life Of Chuck)

There are not many Stephen King movies with scenes that leave you feeling invigorated and hopeful, but that is the general response to the centerpiece dance sequence in 2025's The Life of Chuck, from writer and director Mike Flanagan. Tom Hiddleston's title character crosses paths with drumming street performer, Taylor (Taylor Gordon), and spontaneously lets the music drive him, even inviting a random young woman named Janice (played by Annalise Basso) to join him, giving a crowd of bystanders the show of their lives.

Will Shows How They Dance In Gelderland (A Knight's Tale)

A Knight's Tale may take place in 14th-century Europe, but it boasts many modern sensibilities in everything from its dialogue to its soundtrack. For instance, in a scene when William Thatcher (Heath Ledger) is forced to come up with a dance to impress the royalty, he receives some help from his "foxy lady," Jocelyn (Shannon Sossamon), and soon the entire dance floor is rocking out to what we hear as David Bowie's "Golden Years."

Raj's Romantic Fantasy (The Big Bang Theory)

In one episode of The Big Bang Theory, Raj (Kunal Nayyar) finds himself attracted to Bernadette (Melissa Rauch), leading him to have multiple daydreams about her, including one reminiscent of an Indian Cinema dance sequence.

Donkey's Swamp Dance Party (Shrek)

At the end of the Oscar-winning, acclaimed kids movie, Shrek, Smash Mouth's cover of The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" plays during Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona's (Cameron Diaz) nuptials before Eddie Murphy's Donkey takes over the vocals, leading the wedding guests in a breathless celebration of the event.

Terry And Holt "Push It" (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

In one of the best episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) goes into labor in the police station during a city-wide blackout. In a hilarious effort to keep her calm and distracted, Lieutenant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) and Captain Holt (Andre Braugher) try dancing to Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It."

Dance Of The Dead (The X-Files)

In a Season 7 episode of The X-Files called "Hollywood A.D.," Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate a murder on a movie set, where, at the end of the episode, corpses resting underneath are reanimated and indulge in a passionate ballroom dance with one another.

Harry's Dream (3rd Rock From The Sun)

In an essential and bewilderingly surreal episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun, the Solomons experience their first-ever dreams. This proves to be a startling experience for the extra-terrestrial visitors, except for Harry (French Stewart), who imagines he is in an upbeat, urban Broadway production.

Ed Livens Things Up At The Mental Hospital (Good Burger)

In Good Burger, Ed (Kel Mitchell), Dexter (Kenan Thompson), and Otis (Abe Vigoda) are wrongfully committed to a mental hospital, where Ed responds to the request of a patient played by George Clinton himself to change to the music to something funkier, and tunes it to Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep." He then leads most of the other patients in an impressively choreographed dance routine, which Dexter uses as an opportunity to knock out the guards and escape.

The Siblings Are Alone Now (The Umbrella Academy)

Netflix's series adaptation of the hit comic book The Umbrella Academy has a clever way of introducing its superpowered main characters early on in the premiere episode. The adoptive siblings are seen grooving to Tiffany's cover of "I Think We're Alone Now," each in a different location and boasting a different style of dance.

Backstreet's Back In Heaven (This Is The End)

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's 2014 apocalyptic meta comedy This is the End ends with most of the main characters (actors portraying uproarious versions of themselves) meeting up in the afterlife, where they celebrate their ascent into Heaven with the Backstreet Boys, who also appear as themselves to perform “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

The Study Group Is Gonna Finally Be Fine (Community)

Community Season 3 begins with Jeff (Joel McHale) daydreaming about a dance number, featuring the entire cast of characters, with a hopeful outlook on the next year at Greendale.

David's Three-Way Dance Battle (Legion)

In the Season 2 opener of FX's unconventional Marvel Comics adaptation, Legion, one of David's (Dan Stevens) memories of the past year shows him at a club where the mutant engages in an intense dance battle with Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) and Oliver (Jemaine Clement).

Lucifer Is Alright (Lucifer)

The series finale of Lucifer opens with the Devil Incarnate (played by Tom Ellis) leading an upbeat ensemble dance sequence set to Kenny Loggins' "I'm Alright," which starts at a bar before transitioning to the police station, where Lucifer and Detective Dan (Kevin Alejandro) reenact an iconic moment from Dirty Dancing.

While How I Met Your Mother was, in essence, the story of Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and his search for love, no character on the beloved TV sitcom had a more engaging and transformative arc than Barney Stinson. In fact, Neil Patrick Harris’ now iconic character underwent a huge personality change even before the show’s main timeline begins.

For one of the best HIMYM episodes, Season 1’s “Game Night,” co-creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, with writer Chris Harris, envisioned a shocking origin story for Barney, and looked to none other than the Star Wars movies for inspiration. If this seems like an unlikely choice of a film to model a sitcom episode after, I find your lack of faith disturbing. Allow me to explain…

Barney's Backstory Was Modeled After Darth Vader

On an episode of their How I Met Your Mother rewatch podcast, How We Made Your Mother, about the making of “Game Night,” Thomas and Radnor, with guest Chris Harris, explain that the idea behind the episode was to reveal that Barney Stinson was an entirely different person – a sensitive hippie barista, in particular – before becoming the arrogant, suit-wearing, and highly quotable serial womanizer he is in the early seasons. The catalyst for the idea was to trace his evolution as a sort of villain origin story similar to how the Star Wars prequels follow Anakin Skywalker's transition into the Dark Side as Darth Vader.

Thomas elaborates in the following:

The parallel between the Sith Lord and Stinson is even overtly spelled out in a scene that shows Barney shedding his long hair, goatee, and hemp hoodie in favor of a clean-shaven look and business attire. The transformation is shot in the same style as when Hayden Christensen's Anakin (who shares his Star Wars role with several actors) is placed in the Vader armor for the first time in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, which had been released mere months before the episode aired.

Star Wars Would Be A More Overt Focal Point Of Several More Episodes

Barney’s Darth Vader-inspired origin story in “Game Night” was not even the first time How I Met Your Mother referenced Star Wars, and it certainly would not be the last. In fact, there were several episodes heavily dedicated to creator George Lucas’ series of beloved sci-fi movies.

For instance, in Season 4’s “Do I Know You?,” Ted puts his engagement to Stella (Sarah Chalke) to the test by showing her the 1977 original for the first time. In “Field Trip” from Season 7, Barney becomes convinced his current girlfriend, Nora (Nazanin Boniadi), is lying about her age because she hates Ewoks, based on a theory of his called “The Ewok Line.” A later episode from that same season traces the history of Ted, Marshall, and Barney's tradition of watching the original trilogy every three years, which is also used as a framing device to illustrate how the characters have compared their future aspirations to reality over time.

Being one of the most cherished cinematic franchises ever, it is not uncommon for a comedy show to pay homage to the Star Wars movies (i.e., Family Guy and Robot Chicken, to name just a couple). However, with its clever ways of relating stories of a galaxy far, far away to real life, How I Met Your Mother has the Star Wars parodies I am looking for.

You know how there are just those friendships on television that you watch, and you sit there like, “Dang, I need to have friends like that!” Here are some of the best that I’m sure you’ve loved time and again.

Troy And Abed (Community)

When I was thinking of names for this list, Troy and Abed were the first two that came to mind. When it comes to the Community cast, the chemistry among them is utterly perfect; however, the best is undoubtedly Donald Glover and Danny Pudi as Troy and Abed, respectively. I could think of no better friendship duo than these two and their weirdness – I even have a mug of them saying, “Troy and Abed in the mooorning!”

Steve And Dustin (Stranger Things)

While they are indeed the among the friendships with the most significant age gaps on this list, I can’t leave out Steve and Dustin. I feel like we were all introduced to what these two could be in Season 2 when Steve started to enter his whole “mom” era (as the memes online would say) with the kids. But throughout the four seasons, we’ve seen their friendship grow in specific ways that make it a million times better. I love this duo so much.

Chandler And Joey (Friends)

Yes, really, the entire Friends cast is something I genuinely love, but speaking specifically, Joey and Chandler are the epitome of “best friends forever.” These two have been through it all, and I swear, the episode where Chandler moves out is one that always hits me hard in the feels. They are goofy in every way.

Eleven And Max (Stranger Things)

When we watched Eleven and Max together on Stranger Things in Season 3, something was healed in our souls. There’s just something so sweet about watching two teenagers go out and live their lives and become close friends without any boys to bother them. I love these two so much.

Ekko And Powder (Arcane)

While Arcane is one of the best shows to binge on Netflix, it wouldn’t be on that list without its impressive character connections, and one of those is Ekko and Powder. That’s right, not Jinx, of course, but Powder before she went through all the trauma – and especially in that different reality in Season 2. These two had a special connection unlike any other, and my only wish was that we got more.

Cristina And Meredith (Grey’s Anatomy)

Duh. I think when anyone thinks of TV best friends, they think of Cristina and Meredith from Grey’s Anatomy. These two stuck together through thick and thin and went through some of the most dramatic instances that characters in a medical TV show could experience. You can’t get better than them.

Jackie And Donna (That ‘70s Show)

I love these two because the best thing about Jackie and Donna is that they weren’t friends at first. They did not like each other. But throughout the show, they ended up getting really close. And really, I think that’s an excellent way for a friendship to start in a show – where they see the worst versions of each other but choose to become friends anyway when they realize how much they have in common.

Ted And Coach Beard (Ted Lasso)

The Ted Lasso cast has plenty of great friendships, but one that I have to give special praise to is the one between Ted and Beard. At first, it feels like they wouldn’t get along because Beard is just so…weird in so many ways. But they vibe on a different level, and it’s a friendship that truly stands the test of time.

Jack And Liz (30 Rock)

The 30 Rock cast is so talented, but the main friendship that I’m sure we all love is Liz and Jack. Why? Because these two are brutally honest with each other. They always show up for each other in times of need, and they’re not afraid to tell each other how it is. That’s a true friend.

Jess And Cece (New Girl)

God, the list of times that these two have gone through ridiculous drama because of the boys that Jess lives with is endless. But you want to know the best part? Jess and Cece were always there for each other. Whether it was Cece dealing with Schmidt, Jess with Nick, or whatever other crazy shenanigans they went through, it was always these two.

Veronica And Fiona (Shameless)

I will literally always love Veronica and Fiona. The entire Shameless cast essentially defined my college years, as I loved the show. But these two? They were great friends. Fiona was hyped about V just as much as Veronica was about her. They were not afraid to get dirty in order to protect one another. I love ‘em.

Leslie And Ron (Parks And Recreation)

The best thing about Leslie and Ron in the Parks and Recreation cast is that they are always there for each other. Often, with many of these office shows, friendships can turn romantic in the blink of an eye, but they were always just hilarious together in so many ways. I can’t help but love them.

Bellamy And Clarke (The 100)

While a part of me will never forgive this CW show for not putting these two together because the chemistry was amazing, there’s a lot to love about Bellamy and Clarke from The 100. They went through some of the worst things together, but no matter what, they always stood by each other and let them live their lives, even if they didn’t necessarily agree with their choices. It’s perfect.

Sam And Dean (Supernatural)

Is it cheating because they’re brothers? I don’t know. To me, I think Sam and Dean’s friendship is one of the highlights of the Supernatural cast. It wouldn’t be a great show if it weren’t for Sam’s quips, Dean’s sarcastic comments, or how they work so incredibly well together. I mean, it had fifteen seasons. Of course, their friendship was amazing.

Jake And Finn (Adventure Time)

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Jake and Finn have a friendship that’s special in so many ways. They are friends forever, and you can’t take that from me.

Aang And Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

When it comes to rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender, one friendship I particularly love is that of Aang and Sokka. You’d think it'd be because they are always there for each other. Sokka will support Aang no matter what, and Aang will protect his friends as if they were his family. But the real reason is that they are just idiots together – and I mean that in the best way possible. They come up with the silliest plans. And it’s something that makes me laugh every time.

Will And Carlton (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

While they were cousins, they did not have to be friends. However, watching the evolution of Will and Carlton’s friendship throughout The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is something that I will always love. A begrudging respect began to form, and by the end, the two of them had become truly close friends, having been through a lot together.

Lily And Robin (How I Met Your Mother)

I think a reason why a lot of people like Lily and Robin from How I Met Your Mother is that, in reality, they feel like a lot of real-life friendships – especially with me. Whether it’s cracking jokes, drinking wine, or needing someone to rant to, these two were each other’s person, and that’s something we can always be grateful for.

Ted And Rebecca (Ted Lasso)

Were Ted and Rebecca close from the start? Not at all. But I love it when the grumpy x sunshine dynamic finally comes around, and these two are the epitome of that, where even Rebecca starts to see how great Ted is. By the end of the series, she was crying as she watched him leave to return to America. Now that’s a friendship.

Jimmy And Gaby (Shrinking)

The Shrinking cast has some memorable friendships, but I have to point out Jimmy and Gaby. Sure, they did have their moments of possibly having a fling, but in reality, these two are just funny together. They have some hysterical moments that make me snicker. And it’s something I rewatch when I need a laugh.

Rachel, Phoebe And Monica (Friends)

I couldn’t just pick a duo for these three because, in reality, they’re all great friends. I feel like each of them has stuck their neck out for the other on any occasion because they care so deeply. There’s something so special about having three friends who would do anything for the other, and these three take the cake.

Jimmy And Paul (Shrinking)

Does Paul continuously say they aren’t friends? Of course. Does that stop Jimmy? Nope! Watching these two interact is the highlight of my week whenever new Shrinking episodes come around, and I would fully watch an entire series dedicated to just them, with Paul turning grumpy as Jimmy’s pestering continues.

Grace And Will (Will And Grace)

Of course, I had to put these two on this list. The titular characters of Will & Grace are so iconic that they came back around in a revival back in 2017. Their friendship is hysterical, and they are always there for each other, no matter what.

SpongeBob And Patrick (SpongeBob SquarePants)

SpongeBob and Patrick are the epitome of how two characters can be as dumb as rocks, but they vibe so well. I love ‘em to death, no matter how stupid these two are together and the trouble they get into. Some of the best SpongeBob memes revolve around their friendship.

Scott And Stiles (Teen Wolf)

As someone who lived during the Teen Wolf era, Scott and Stiles were EVERYWHERE. And I mean everywhere. I looked on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr (that’s right, you remember her), and I couldn't escape their friendship – or the people shipping them.

Turk And J.D. (Scrubs)

If the term ‘bromance’ had a picture in the dictionary, it would be Turk and J.D.. They were hilarious in every way and perfectly captured what it was like to be just two guys who vibed well and absolutely loved each other. They are what made Scrubs so good.

Charles And Jake (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

There are plenty of friendships I could point to in the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast, but one that always stands out to me is Charles and Jake. I really don’t think they were the brightest bulbs when they were together, but somehow, they always managed to get the job done hilariously.

John And Sherlock (Sherlock)

Because, of course, I have to put these two together. Did Sherlock drive John out of his mind? Of course, he did. But Sherlock would also do anything to protect John and his family, and we see that even if Sherlock himself was practically unable to show emotions. That’s the kind of true friendship we all need.

Steve And Robin (Stranger Things)

Yes, because we love Steve and Robin. The hilarious part about these two is that everyone thought Robin and Steve were going to become the next big romantic thing when Season 3 came around. Still, nope, it turns out Robin was actually a lesbian, and these two ended up becoming besties – and are always there for each other.

Lorelai And Rory (Gilmore Girls)

Okay, so while they are mother and daughter, I’m pretty sure we can all collectively agree that Lorelai and Rory are best friends as well. That’s kind of the whole premise of the show. Mothers and daughters would dream of the close relationship that these two had.

Eddie And Dustin (Stranger Things)

Eddie was a true all-star of Stranger Things Season 4, but one of the biggest reasons for that is because of his friendship with Dustin. Eddie got to him on a personal level (one different from Steve's), and that friendship will always be remembered.

Toph And Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Toph and Katara have a powerful friendship. Not only do they bring out the best in each other with their powers, but they constantly challenge each other, especially in the beginning when they don’t get along. But it would be a friendship that would last a lifetime.

Ugh, now I feel like I have to rewatch all of these shows to see these guys again. I think it’s time for a marathon.

Great sitcom families come in all shapes and sizes when it comes to the expansive landscape. From animated favs to semi-autobiographical cranktakorous comedians, and even classic Hollywood iconic fams, all show up, good, bad or ugly. Regardless of their grade or feelings for one another, each brood left an indelible mark on the television genre. Wherever you stand within your family tree, this list is for the fathers, mothers, step-parents, kids, siblings, cousins and much more.

The Addams - The Addams Family 5/5

Though they can be considered creepy and kooky, the Addams remain as relevant as ever in pop culture. Starting as a single-panel New Yorker comic strip, the blended oddballs continue to showcase true love through dark and dismal ways. The success of these longstanding family unit vibes is due to one of the best couples (outside of rom-coms), Gomez and Morticia, and their unwavering love and pride.

The Simpsons - The Simpsons 4/5

The long-running cartoon has become a recognizable pop culture staple worldwide. Even if Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie aren’t the Cleavers of the past thirty years, they still show up for one another however they can. Realistically, though, Marge has and continues to be the anchor of the Simpson family dynamics.

The Taylors - The Andy Griffith Show 5/5

Mayberry, North Carolina, wouldn’t be the same without the Taylors, in my opinion. Andy, Aunt Bee and Opie paved the way wholesomely for many other families, of any shape or size, in the sitcom landscape. Now and again, though, small conflicts would arise between the trio (I still can’t get over the Opie, slingshot and bird episode) that would get addressed head-on and with care.

The Bunkers - All In The Family 3/5

The Bunkers live in a working-class Queens home fueled by loud opinions, generational clashes, and sharp-tongued debates. Archie’s old-school views and Edith’s unwavering sweetness lend to the frequently boisterous home. Though daughter Gloria and husband, Mike, are no strangers to stirring the pot, either. Underneath it all lies a stubborn but constant love for each other amid all the high-strung dynamics.

The Jeffersons - The Jeffersons 4/5

The titular unit first starred on All in the Family as the Bunkers' neighbors. Not long after did George, Louise and their family moved on up. The Jeffersons showcased a pretty average but caring reflection of familial dynamics–dad’s arrogance clashed with mom’s calm, while their son, Lionel, tried to be a voice of reason. Along with the trio’s inner workings, extended relatives were added into the mix in a humorous but heartfelt way.

The Stephens - Bewitched 3/5

Though Bewitched was presented as generally lighthearted with a focus on comedic situations, the storylines made the Stephens’ experience some turbulence. Between Samantha’s relatives interfering in her everyday dealings, to Darrin initially doubting her abilities, and even her kiddos stirring the pot, the familial layers ran through a whole gamut.

The Sanfords - Sanford And Son 3/5

Fred and Lamont make up this parent-kid relationship, and while it’s relatively stable, the less-than-stellar communication skills hinder these two from leveling up. Notably, it’s a love-hate vibe between the two, with Fred’s habits and personal beliefs that cause the most trouble in their day-to-day lives.

The Munsters - The Munsters 5/5

Presented as a satirical counterpoint to the other familial shows during the 60s, the spooky eponymous unit was quite loving. Herman and Lily, Frankenstein’s monster and a vampire, respectively, were good-natured parental role models who welcomed open conversations, even when things went haywire.

The Petries - The Dick Van Dyke Show 4/5

The veteran black and white trio balances everyday life with Hollywood dealings. Filled with quick wit, heartfelt moments, and the occasional misstep (often turned laugh), they face the ups and downs of everyday personal and professional issues as a unit. The Petries are a great example of running a home with grace, humor, and even a little song and dance when needed.

The Gellars - Friends 2/5

Monica and Ross are typical sister-brother fodder. They both hang with all of their pals in a home I've wanted to explore forever, and from time to time, break out an iconic childhood dance number. When their parents come into play, that rating dives off a cliff. While Ross is viewed as a golden child, Monica continuously gets scrutinized or patronized for every element of her life, and her bro is MIA to defend her.

The Costanzas, The Seinfelds - Seinfeld 3/5

While Seinfeld isn’t centered on regular relative relations, the Seinfelds and Costanzas got featured somewhat consistently. Jerry and his parents' (and occasionally, Uncle Leo's) dynamics are pretty run-of-the-mill, but can be somewhat quirky. Meanwhile, George’s mom and dad illustrate the louder side of caring, but also outspoken heads of the family. Together, they’re a hilarious blended group poking and prodding at their kids.

The Banks - Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air 4/5

Like many of the other blended broods, the Banks show up at the end of the day for one another. Will coming to stay with the Bel-Air residents showcased from the jump what type of good-willed, community-driven people they are. Their actual reactions in their relationships on the surface may look quite different, though.

The Bundys - Married… With Children 1/5

The Married… with Children family is built differently. The Bundys are filled with insults, bad luck, and relentless sarcasm, paired with Al’s bitterness, Peg’s laziness, and the kids’ scheming--making it one unpredictable place. As miserable as they claim to be in regards to money, love and success, they’re stuck together—and wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Tucker-Pritchetts, Pritchett-Delgados and Dunphys - Modern Family 5/5

Ed O’Neill’s second run with a family sitcom was as notable as Married… With Children, but related much better to his loved ones, playing Jay Pritchett, the staunch but understanding patriarch. Between him and his OG kids, Claire and Mitchell, their respective families, his new wife and kids, and everyone interacting regularly, it’s more often than not a fun-loving and humanistic give and take of blended familial relationships.

The Flinstones - The Flintstones 3/5

The titular family of the first notable animated sitcom premiered back in the 1960s. And while it was widely successful and has multiple iterations a la The Addams Family, Fred is far from Gomez. But the fictionalized caveman continued to show up for his family even when the going got tough, or got him flustered.

The Belchers - Bob’s Burgers 4/5

As one of the most rewatchable shows ever, The Belchers' family dynamic is the stuff of magic. While they may be far from perfect, overly successful, or even popular (to some), the five humorously and oddly show up for one another every week. Now and again, Bob or one of the other four shows some defiance with the goings on, but it never lasts for long.

The Tanners (and co.) - Full House 4/5

The blended household has a lot going on within all of its floors, including regularly showing up for each other. Danny, Joey, Becky and Jesse do their best for the collective kiddos but can also lead them into trouble from time to time. All in all, though, the collective fam has nothing but the best intentions, except maybe when DJ’s neighbor's best friend, Kimmy Gibbler, comes around.

The McCulloughs - The Bernie Mac Show 4/5

The Bernie Mac Show is another classic, somewhat reflective look into the late comedian Bernie Mac’s real life. As the McCulloughs take in their two nieces and nephew after their mom has issues, lots of boundaries are explored for the new fivesome. With his bold humor but well-intended grace, they all learn to bond.

The Wilkersons - Malcolm In The Middle 3/5

Malcolm and the rest of his family live in middle-class chaos, outside of careers, much of which is due to the close-knit but quarrelsome four brothers. Regardless of how messy, wild, or outlandish it gets, Lois, with the help of Hal, is there to rein it all back in time and again. Through thick and thin, and a bonkers way of getting their feelings across, they continue to stick together.

The Barones - Everybody Loves Raymond 4/5

Ray and his family live in a whirlwind of sarcasm, guilt trips, and unsolicited visits, mostly stirred up by their impossibly close but constantly bickering dynamic. With Marie’s meddling, Frank’s gruff indifference, and Robert’s simmering resentment, Ray and Debra are rarely left in peace. Still, no matter how overbearing or absurd it gets, they always find a way to resolve any quip.

The Rocks - Everybody Hates Chris 4/5

The Chris Rock reflective sitcom is the perfect blend of comedy and heart between the core five. Even though the noted balance hangs true in most episodes, the reactions and happenings that fill out the original UPN show highlight the realities of their normalcy. All of them are trying their best in their personal and collective lives, and it’s an excellent showcase.

The Mitchells - Moesha 3/5

The Mitchells on Moesha broke barriers and still remains a part of pop culture due to breaking untrue industry perceptions. Though Frank ran his household in a tight manner, alongside his second wife, Dee (remarried after his first wife, Marguerite, passed), they faced issues head-on and together. (Including Frank’s past infidelities.)

The Lopezes - George Lopez 4/5

Another outstanding example of parents and their kids comes from the early ‘00s George Lopez series. Not that it didn’t have its issues, including Lopez’s spotty communication skills, the fivesome navigated their best through an array of ups and downs using humor and diverse perspectives.

The Davids - Curb Your Enthusiasm 1/5

In the off chance you’re not familiar with this somewhat factual Larry David sitcom, Larry has and always will be the problem. It’s exactly why Cheryl Hines divorced him during the long-running 12-season show. The writer and comedian loosely based this on his own marriage, but with a larger-than-life comedic spin to it.

The Mosbys - How I Met Your Mother 3/5

It may be a forgotten fact that the Mosby kids are sprinkled throughout the series, but their presence is the hinge of the show. From the small sampling we have of Ted with his son and daughter, it all seems pretty average (depending on who you ask). During the 9 seasons, Mosby ignores direct questions from his children, albeit comedically, and focuses on recounting the whole thing in order.

The Bluths - Arrested Development 2/5

The Bluth family and their fictional company were a comedic trainwreck from start to finish. Even though they all had shining moments of showing up for each other, their rich, out-of-touch ways, personally and professionally, wreaked some major havoc. With the corrupt and scheming patriarch George Bluth at the helm, sooner or later, all the issues were bound to hit a boiling point.

The Griffins - Family Guy 2/5

As one of the more outlandish cartoon families, the Griffiths don’t hold down the homestead title as well as others. From Peter to Stewie, each of them has some highlights, but their flaws and how they relate to each other through those traits are the glue that somehow holds them together. Overall, they have fine moments of true connectedness, but it's not commonplace.

The Landrys, Campbells - Sister Sister 5/5

The still lovable Sister Sister shows just how to work through a wildly unexpected happening together. Starring Tia and Tamera Mowry as long-lost twins of the same name to reunite and live with their respective parents under one roof takes a lot of gumption. By no means did the new era between the four run smoothly, but all were onboard to give it their best shot to let the sisters get to know each other.

Schitt’s Creek 5/5

Co-creators and real-life father-son duo, Eugene and Dan Levy, nailed this fictional riches-to-rags story’s foursome. The Canadian sitcom took over the world because of the Schitt’s humor, ridiculous banter, but a pure heart of gold for one another. From start to finish, we watched them grow as a family and as individuals who truly realized that our relationships are the most important thing any of us has.

The Hills - King Of The Hill 4/5

You’d never expect a place like small-town Texas to house one of the best animated shows and families of all time, but it does. The Hills reflect a completely average American family in suburbia, with, generally, semi-realistic issues they work through together. Hank may be a little rough around the edges when something goes wrong, but he usually works through it and celebrates by cracking open a cold one with his pals, uh-huh.

The Reynolds - It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 2/5

The Philadelphia area-based family isn’t for the faint of heart. They are a ragtag bunch that dysfunctionally can be supportive, but often through very muddied lenses of narcissism, manipulative behavior or shallowness. Somehow, through all of the dynamics, they continue to co-own and successfully tend a bar together.

The Solomons - 3rd Rock From The Sun 3/5

This case stands a little differently from the rest, in terms of human family dynamics vs. alien ones. As the Solomons, the quartet of ETs are wacky and get into a lot of antics Earthside that get them into trouble. But how they act toward one another as who they really are helps bump their score up.

You know when some good relationships on television make you want to squeal the moment you see them? Yeah, these are the relationships down below. Sure, we can spend some time watching the best rom-com movies, but what about several seasons of build-up to a relationship that makes it all worthwhile? Here are some couples that define “goals.”

Chandler And Monica (Friends)

Chandler and Monica are the couple from the Friends cast, and I will not be asking any other questions about it at this time. Ross and Rachel were what people talked about, but these two? I love them. They are defined as “goals” based on how much they love each other, even if they didn’t have the typical start. Friends-to-lovers is one of the best.

Ian And Mickey (Shameless)

There was a time when Ian and Mickey were literally all I saw on my Tumblr feed back in the early 2010s. The Shameless cast featured plenty of great relationships, some healthy and others…not so healthy, but Ian and Mickey were a relationship that made it until the end. There’s nothing quite like them.

Rebecca And Jack (This Is Us)

The This Is Us cast defined my time in college when the show was airing, and Jack and Rebecca were the blueprint for how I wanted my future marriage to go. I have never seen two people just so in love with each other on TV, but also portray such a realistic marriage.

Corey And Topanga (Boy Meets World)

I think Corey and Topanga were the couple for the '90s kids. I didn’t grow up watching Boy Meets World, but I know from many that watching these two grow into teenagers and then young adults was one of the best aspects of this series. And honestly, I love that for you.

Jim And Pam (The Office)

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Sure, there were moments between Jim and Pam in later seasons that felt a little out of character, but these two were the defining relationship from The Office cast. We were all on the edge of our seats at the beginning of the series when these two were just friends, and we wanted them all to get together.

Leslie And Ben (Parks And Recreation)

Leslie and Ben from the Parks and Recreation cast are the perfect example of a relationship that took its time but blossomed beautifully. Ben was the type of person who always let Leslie shine and never tried to dim her light, which is something that I love about them. They always supported each other no matter what.

Marshall And Lily (How I Met Your Mother)

There have been so many relationships that have come and gone in How I Met Your Mother, but you want to know what one of the best was? Obviously, Marshall and Lily. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as many warm fuzzies as I did watching these two.

Stefan And Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)

Team Stefan and Team Damon? Nah, Elena was always going to pick Damon and me, but Stefan and Caroline? Perfect, excellent. There are absolutely no notes on that couple because, honestly, they were better suited for each other. Sorry.

David And Patrick (Schitt’s Creek)

I’m pretty sure watching David and Patrick in Schitt’s Creek altered my brain chemistry because I don’t think another TV couple has stood out the same as them. The Schitt’s Creek cast is filled with memorable characters, but watching the progression of their relationship throughout its five seasons was something that I will always adore. These two loved each other so much.

Luke And Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)

Look, I know that we’re all here for Team Jess or Team Dean or whoever we’re rooting for with Rory, but to me, as an adult woman now, I like Luke and Lorelai’s relationship a heck of a lot more. It feels more mature, more natural, and less dramatic. Please, give me this rather than the craziness of teenage romance.

Nathan And Haley (One Tree Hill)

The definition of high school sweethearts that somehow worked out. They definitely had their moments of doubt throughout the nine seasons of the show, but these two loved each other so much and ended with a happily married life with two children, which is all you can really ask for in most teen drama romances out there.

Phil And Vivian (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

I’m sure you weren’t expecting to see Phil and Vivian on this list because The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air isn’t really known for its romances. But honestly, Phil and Vivian are the perfect couple. They complement each other perfectly, know when to be each other’s rock or to stop the other from making a poor decision, and took care of Will as well as their biological family in the perfect way. I have no complaints.

Santana And Brittany (Glee)

The Glee cast is filled to the brim with couples, so much so that it’s hard to keep up with them. But my personal favorite was always Santana and Brittany. Not only was their relationship a great stepping stone for many lesbian/bisexual relationships on TV back in 2010, but it’s really one of the few that made it to the very end of the series. They were best friends turned lovers turned to something really real, and it ended with them getting married!

Randall And Beth (This Is Us)

“Perfectly imperfect” is a phrase that I still use to this day, ever since Randall uttered it to Beth in This Is Us. These two exemplify what it means to not only marry your best friend, but also marry a partner. They will stand by each other, support each other, and when someone is messing up, they will make them own up to it. There’s no sliding, and that’s what a genuine relationship should be like.

Jess And Nick (New Girl)

New Girl is one of those shows where relationships come and go, but there are always a few that stick the landing for the long haul. Jess and Nick were one of those, and we rooted for them, watching them fall in love, fall apart, and then fall back in love all over again.

Uncle Jesse And Aunt Becky (Full House)

I mean, of course, I have to put Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky. I feel like Full House literally never would have been the same without them. Their relationship started very early on, and it’s always fun to rewatch episodes of the show and watch them fall in love with each other time and time again.

Anthony And Kate (Bridgerton)

While I do love the specialness of Penelope and Colin and the steaminess of Daphne and Simon, there’s just something about Anthony and Kate that gets me going every time. These two, a classic enemies-to-lovers romance, clearly love each other so much by the time the season ends and Season 3 rolls around.

Claire And Jamie (Outlander)

Outlander, in general, is one of the best Starz shows, but a big reason is Claire and Jamie. Their love has transcended literal timelines. I don’t know how you can get more perfect than that.

Mitch And Cam (Modern Family)

I think when it comes to couples in Modern Family, Mitch and Cam are the perfect example of how two people work so well together, and to the outside, people wonder how the heck they function with how crazy they are. But throughout the several seasons of the show, there’s no denying that these two love each other dearly.

Lucy And Ricky (I Love Lucy)

I can’t have a relationships list without putting the OG’s here. Lucy and Ricky are the definition of “goals.” They were the first people on television to show you how in love with each other they are, no matter the amount of shenanigans that they may put the other through. You can’t get better than these two.

Phil And Claire (Modern Family)

I always see Phil and Claire as the much calmer couple of Modern Family, which is saying something because they still have their fair share of hilarious moments in their household of three kids. But what I love about Phil and Claire is that there is evident respect there, and Phil will support Claire no matter what and stand up for her, while Claire will do the same, regardless of what others think. They’re a team, through and through.

Killian And Emma (Once Upon A Time)

God, there are so many couples in Once Upon a Time, but I think the one we always return to is Killian and Emma. Whether it’s their steamy chemistry or their genuinely emotional story, they are an amazing romance with plenty of fantasy aspects that I just love.

Willow And Tara (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

As someone who loves looking back on legendary relationships that paved the way for others, I know there’s no one better to bring up than Willow and Tara. The couple was a significant landmark for LGBTQ+ representation in television and showed two people who clearly loved each other.

Kev And Veronica (Shameless)

These two were freaky, don’t get me wrong – but they were also freakishly in love with each other. Kev and Veronica stood by each other, and when someone dared to threaten the other, it was on sight. They would fight anyone to protect their love and their relationship, and no matter what, always strived to make time for the other.

Fran And Mr. Sheffield (The Nanny)

I’m pretty sure that if you’ve ever read any rom-com novel, then these two are who you picture when you think of the nanny and the billionaire falling in love. But what I love about Fran and Mr. Sheffield is that it’s not an instant lust between them. It’s more of a relationship built on respect and friendship before love was even considered.

Jake And Amy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast features some hilarious characters, but personally, I always came back for Jake and Amy. I always saw them as rivals-to-lovers, but it feels so real watching them turn from competing with each other to becoming friends to going on dates and so much more.

Jane And Rafael (Jane The Virgin)

These two are in a strange situation, considering they didn’t even know each other when Jane fell pregnant accidentally. But watching their relationship grow organically throughout the show’s seasons is always something that I love to view.

Rick And Michonne (The Walking Dead)

When you think of couples who would literally kill for each other, I can think of no better than Rick and Michonne. Not only are they one of the best Walking Dead relationships, but there was a whole spinoff series dedicated to them finding their way back to each other after years apart. Now that is true love right there.

Poussey And Soso (Orange Is the New Black)

It hurts to even write about Poussey and Soso because it feels like they weren’t given enough time together in Orange is the New Black, but from what we were able to see, they really did work well together. Poussey was the kind of friend that Soso needed, and that blossomed into something brighter between the two of them before it was snuffed out. I needed so much more.

Morticia And Gomez (The Addams Family)

I mean, talk about a man who is obsessed with his woman. In any iteration of The Addams Family, Gomez always loves Morticia, but of course, we have to put the OG here from the 1960s TV series because these two were so in love that they ruined our expectations for all real-life romances.

Glenn And Maggie (The Walking Dead)

Yeah, I’m sad even writing about these two because the way it ends is something I don’t like to think about. But for the five seasons that we got with these two together, they were a light in the darkness that was the world of The Walking Dead. They loved each other, protected each other, and stood by the other until the very end.

Hopper And Joyce (Stranger Things)

God, I visibly remember screaming when these two finally got together in Stranger Things because it was just so apparent that they were into each other. Hopper literally risked his life for Joyce, and she risked hers to save him, and I love them together.

This just makes me want to revisit all of these television shows and watch these couples all over again. I’m in need of some cute TV romances. It's time for a binge-watch.

How I Met Your Mother is still one of the funniest shows on Hulu, even over 10 years after the hit CBS sitcom's conclusion. And, despite the very controversial series finale, it’s still a favorite among many fans. Between the jokes, characters, storylines, and more, there are many reasons why HIMYM is perfect for a long binge. Plenty of intriguing BTS details have been revealed in recent years as well and, now, Cobie Smulders is explaining why she used to whisper inappropriate things to Josh Radnor before shooting scenes that were more risqué.

Smulders appeared on the rewatch podcast How We Made Your Mother, which is hosted by Radnor and HIMYM co-creator Craig Thomas. Longtime fans of the show surely know that Ted and Robin had a very special relationship and that they even revealed to be endgame during the closing moments of the series finale. Amid the discussion, Smulders dished on the funny, private moments she would share with Radnor from time to time while filming intimate scenes. These may sound wild, but they were apparently helpful:

Not only could whispering inappropriate things set the mood, but it could also help ease the tension. I'd imagine that it helps to have a great scene partner. Good guy Ted and Robin share a lot of scenes together, so it would make sense that Radnor and Smulders would want to find a way to be comfortable with each other. During the podcast interview, Smulders elaborated more on what it’s like preparing to film an intimate scene, and she couldn’t help but give Radnor credit as well:

Based on accounts shared by actors, intimate scenes can be tricky to perform, hence the presence of intimacy coordinators on sets to ensure that scenes are performed accurately and comfortably. When it comes to Cobie Smulders, she simply wants to make sure that everyone she acts with is comfortable. When it came to Smulders' on-screen relationship with Radnor, their connection was evident from the beginning, which is why it was easy to get comfortable with him. Smulders continued:

Craig Thomas eventually asked for an example of what the two actors would talk about before executing an intimate scene amid all the laughter. However, Josh Radnor refused, and Cobie Smulders said to think about the “worst possible thing,” and that’s what it was like. Radnor ultimately gave in and actually told a story about Neil Patrick Harris whispering something disgusting to him but admitted that he is “nothing compared to the depravity” that Smulders laid out:

Unfortunately, fans will just have to imagine the kind of tidbits Smulders would tell Radnor prior to filming their intimate scenes. I get the feeling it was all relatively NSFW, though, which honestly makes all of this even funnier. As wild as the scenarios may have been back then, Radnor now praises his co-star for her way with words:

Whether or not Smulders eventually confesses what she would say to Radnor is unknown, but I love that it’s basically just an inside joke between the two of them now. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall to hear those humorously dirty comments.

How I Met Your Mother, which is one of the best sitcoms of all time, is available to stream in its entirety with a Netflix subscription.

On the last season of Shrinking, we got a lovely How I Met Your Mother reunion as Cobie Smulders joined the cast to play Sofi, a woman selling her car to Jason Segel’s Jimmy. Immediately, they had a fun a flirty vibe that I loved (even though I had a hard time forgetting the played platonic friends on the CBS sitcom), and I’d love to see more. Now, it’s been confirmed that will happen, and the actor sweetly explained why HIMYM helped create magic between them on this marvelous Apple TV+ show.

After Liz actress Christa Miller said she got to work with Smulders on Season 3 of Shrinking, which does confirm her return, Jason Segel explained why Jimmy with Sofi work so well. Starting with a brief history lesson about How I Met Your Mother (via a TikTok posted by hopesloopentertainment), he said:

Well, work with her, he did! In Season 2, Episode 10 of Shrinking (which you can watch with an Apple TV+ subscription), Smulders was introduced as Sofi. Like Jimmy, Sofi had lost her partner. However, Jimmy is a widower while Sofi is divorced. They joked about these losses, and they very clearly had remarkable chemistry.

Segel explained that chemistry is there because the characters feel like they’ve known each other for years, when in reality, they just met. I totally agree with that; it felt like Jimmy and Sofi had already known each other, and they immediately clicked. And we can thank How I Met Your Mother for that, as the Marshall actor explained:

While Robin and Marshall were never romantically involved, they were friends, and Smulders and Segel worked together on How I Met Your Mother for nine seasons during formative years of their lives.

Now, they’re taking that real-life and on-screen friendship and turning it into something more on Shrinking, as Jason Segel explained:

Now, we know Smulders will be back for the upcoming season of the Apple TV+ show, and I can’t wait to see how this relationship develops. They really seemed to have a good thing going, and Segel said Season 3’s theme is “moving forward” while talking about Sofi’s potential return. Plus, with their How I Met Your Mother history, we know the chemistry is there in dividends.

So, let’s explore all this further! I need to see more!

When people bring up Jason Segel projects today, many are likely talking about his current Apple TV+ hit Shrinking (which is about to head into Season 3). However, the A-lister had already fallen under the category of successful actors who are also hit screenwriters in the late 2000s and early 2010s thanks to hits like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Muppets. On top of those successes, he, of course, starred in How I Met Your Mother (streaming with a Netflix subscription) as well. Now, the actor is opening up about that specific chapter of his career and how hard it was to juggle so many projects at once.

The actor and writer joined THR’s Awards Chatter podcast to discuss Shrinking (which you can stream with an Apple TV+ subscription) and the many highlights of his career. This included a conversation about working on one of the best sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother, and other film projects simultaneously. When asked about why he committed to continuing the heavy-duty schedule, he had a positive and realistic perspective, explaining:

The Freaks and Geeks alum was working on so much throughout HIMYM's run. Knowing now, with a fully formed brain, how much time he clocked throughout those years is bonkers. Though it’s some of the period’s best offerings, so I do get why he went all in.

Even with the success he found from writing and starring in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the 45-year-old shared the realizations that came with it. The public approval was a green light to explore writing more, which he and his friends valued highly. However, it also meant he had to balance work on many projects at the same time. Segel shared:

His first entry as a writer turned out to be one of the 2000s’ best movies, and after that, he was off to the races. Which, again, brought on many intricacies he maneuvered throughout HIMYM and future flicks.

Segel explained the typical schedule he kept for just under a decade, and as busy as he was, he loved the ride. Eventually, around the back half, he found himself slowing down and losing interest in the 365-grind. In his words:

Woof. What a whirlwind! Although the rollercoaster period does sound enthralling, especially since he did make Marshall, The Muppets and 5 Year Engagement during it, I’m just glad he realized when it was time for him to hop off the track before it became too much.

These days, Segel is still working hard, but he's just not working as much. At the moment, he's currently in production on Shrinking Season 3, which will hopefully premiere on the 2025 TV schedule. He's also part of the film The Trip, which is a remake of a 2021 Norwegian thriller. So, he's still on the TV and film grind. However, hopefully, his current workload is not as tiring as the How I Met Your Mother days.

"We're all going to be cool like Fonzie" are the words that Jules Winfield (Samuel L. Jackson) says in Pulp Fiction. It's not random, of course, that he chose Henry Winkler's character from Happy Days to define cool. The Fonz remains one of, if not the coolest characters in television history, but he's hardly alone on the small screen for his coolness. This list includes many of those cool characters you could always see yourself being friends with.

Rico Tubbs - Miami Vice

Often on cop shows, you'll get one buttoned-up straight cop and one "cool" cop. On Miami Vice, that wasn't the case. Both detectives oozed '80s cool, but in very different ways. James "Sonny" Crockett (Don Johnson) was aloof most of the time, but cared when it mattered. Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs cared all the time, but played it off as pure cool.

Charlie Harper - Two And A Half Men

Charlie Sheen has been some wild ups and downs in his personal and professional life, but his character on Two and a Half Men has always been the definition of laid-back cool. Maybe too much, compared to the other characters around him. He does bring a great balance, though.

Bunk Moreland - The Wire

The Bunk, Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce), on The Wire, is well-dressed and as smooth as his silk ties. He's one of the best "murder police" in the Baltimore PD, and he never misses a trick. It's easy to understand why he's on this list.

Thomas Magnum - Magnum P.I.

There are a lot of cool TV detectives, but the top of the list has to be Thomas Magnum from Magnum P.I. He drives a Ferarri, he wears short shorts, and he's got some of the best facial hair in the game. The ladies want him, and the gentlemen want to be him. He's got all the game, and he gets to live on a giant estate in Hawaii. That's winning.

Carol Peletier - The Walking Dead

In the beginning of The Walking Dead, Carol Peletier didn't seem like much of a survivor. She suffered at the hands of an abusive husband and seemed well out of her depth when the zombie apocalypse started. She used everything she learned, though, and by the end, she wasn't just one of the baddest survivors on the show; she was also one of the coolest.

Barney Stinson - How I Met Your Mother

This one might be a little controversial because despite having a ton of amazing quotes and having a classic aloof nature, Barney Stintson is pretty swarmy. Of course, everyone has a friend like that, and almost everyone lets those friends get away with their bad behavior because they are so cool.

Sydney Bristow - Alias

Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) on Alias is the epitome of cool under pressure. She always knew what to do and was as capable as any spy in Hollywood history. She deserves a spot high on any list about cool characters.

Mrs. Maisel - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Any woman in the 1950s who chooses to strike out on her own and take a chance like Midge Maisel should be cool in anyone's book. When she's as funny as Mrs. Maisel, it's an open-and-shut case. She's the coolest.

Chandler Bing - Friends

Chandler on Friends, played by the late Matthew Perry, isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's hard to deny his coolness. Of all the friends, he's easily the coolest. There is an aloofness to him that lends itself to cool, and compared to Joey and Ross? It's not even a race, really, Chandler wins every time.

Michael Knight - Knight Rider

Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) had a great perm, he wore an awesome Members-Only-looking leather coat, and he drove a Trans Am that talked to him. By any standard, that is cool. By the standards of the '80s? It was the top of the mountain. Everyone loves David Hasselhoff.

Fonzie - Happy Days

Here we are, at the coolest of the cool. Arthur Fonzarelli, or "The Fonz" or "Fonzie," if you like. He could do things like fix jukeboxes just by hitting them. He rode a motorcycle and wore a leather jacket. And he had that great hair! Plus, he's everyone's favorite person, including all the parents and authority figures. It just doesn't get cooler.

Al Swearengen - Deadwood

He's mean, he's nasty, and he makes an enemy out of everyone. Yet, for some undefinable reason, Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) is definitely cool. Maybe its his verboseness, or maybe it's his confidence, it's hard to pinpoint exactly. Even though he's a violent criminal, he's still really cool.

Daria - Daria

For an entire generation of disaffected teenagers in the 1990s, Daria on Daria summed up everything they were feeling. Unimpressed with the world, beaten down by modern life, and more interested in being sullen than anything else, Daria was everything a cool kid was in the '90s.

Daryl Dixon - The Walking Dead

Of all the characters on The Walking Dead, none were cooler than the cross-bow-wielding, motorcycle-riding, complete stud, Daryl Dixon. He was soft-spoken, but when he did speak, everyone listened. He didn't have to say much to be cool, he just had to be himself. He was always ready for a fight and always backed his friends. He's just the best.

Don Draper - Mad Men

The mid-20th Century produced a lot of "cool." Don Draper, who led the charge in culture, defines that cool. There are a million moments in Mad Men where Draper (Jon Hamm) proves just how cool he is. He may have been living a lie, but man it was a cool life!

Cosmo Kramer - Seinfeld

To paraphrase Jerry on Seinfeld, Kramer does nothing, falls backward into money, mooches food off your neighbors, and hooks up without dating. While actor Michael Richards has had a checkered career since starring on one of the best sitcoms of all time, his character on the show was always cool. He was the one we all wanted to be.

Fleabag - Fleabag

Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) is so cool, she doesn't even need a name. That's really saying something. She's smart, funny, cynical, and yeah, sometimes angry or mean, but most of the time, it's her biting wit that puts her on this list. There are a lot of people who strive to have that kind of wit, but very few ever do. Cool.

Sam Malone - Cheers

Anyone who owns a bar like Cheers is going to have to be on this list. He's loyal to his friends and regulars, he's an ex-pro athlete, and he never has problems dating beautiful women. He's also one of the funniest characters from one of the funniest sitcoms ever. We all want to be Sam, in some ways.

Face - The A-Team

Templeton "Face" Peck is the coolest character on The A-Team and usually the coolest under pressure, too. He's most likely to be the one that to go undercover because of it. He's also got some of the best lines on the show. Everyone on the team is cool in their own way, but Face takes the cake when it comes to real "coolness."

Mary Richards - The Mary Tyler Moore Show

She's gonna make it after all! Mary Richards oozes everything cool in all seven seasons of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She showed girls and women everywhere that they, too, could make it in the corporate world and in the news business, all while looking sheik and being insanely cool.

Spock - Star Trek

Of all the characters in the original Star Trek, Spock has to be the coolest, right? Bones seems like the most fun, and Kirk would be hilarious to hang out with, but Spock has them all beat. He's cool, calm, and collected at all times, and he has just even of a human side to make him real. He has all the facts, too, which is good for all those arguments in a bar, right?

Tyrion Lannister - Game Of Thrones

The list of "cool" Lannisters on Game of Thrones is a short list. It's a list of one, really, and that one is, of course, Tyrion. From the way he dances to his trial, or the way he stays as loyal as he can to people until the end, he's the one family member you can trust. Obviously he's also a lot of fun.

Columbo - Columbo

What can we say about Peter Falk's amazing character, Columbo, in the show of the same name? He plays the bumbling detective who actually knows exactly what is going on at all times. He doesn't put on airs, and he doesn't care what people think of him at first blush. In fact, his nonchalant nature is exactly what makes him so effective - and cool.

Sonny Crockett - Miami Vice

One half of the coolest '80s TV detectives, Sonny Crockett oozes cool. He drives exotic cars, looks great in a white suit and pastel shirts, and he is, in the end, Don Johnson. Don Johnson is as cool as his character, and it all comes across on the screen. With all the wild guest stars in Miami Vice history, he had to hold his own, and he more than did.

Lucy Ricardo - I Love Lucy

Lucy Ricardo was a television pioneer in every way. She not only had one of the first legitimately huge hits on the medium, she did it as a women. That only is enough to make her cool enough for this list. The fact that her character on I Love Lucy was a little goofy and a little batty only adds to the cool factor.

Buffy Summers - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Talk about a character who became a role model for teenagers everywhere! The way Buffy Summers from Buffy The Vampire Slayer always handled herself made her formidable, but cool as heck while she was.

Lester Freamon - The Wire

"Cool Lester Smooth" is just one of Lester Freamon's nicknames on The Wire. He does have a certain tweed impertinence, but he's got all the answers. The show is too realistic to have a real Holmsian character, but Lester, played brilliantly by Clarke Peters, is as close as the show comes, and everyone knows that's cool. Plus, he looks out for his friends and has endless patience. Oodles of coolness.

Silvio Dante - The Sopranos

Every kingpin needs a trustworthy #2, and for Tony Soprano, that's his consiglieri, Silvio Dante. He is as loyal as it comes, and he does a mean Al Pacino impression. It helps that the character is played by a bona fide rock star, "Little" Steven Van Zandt from the E Street Band. Silvio was "peak cool" from the peak era of prestige TV.

Arya Stark - Game Of Thrones

Unlike the Lannisters in Game of Thrones, there are a lot of cool Starks. How can you pick just one among Ned, Robb, and all the rest? Well, really, it's easy. Arya is the coolest. In fact, she's pretty much the coolest character in the whole series, both on screen and in the books.

Sawyer - Lost

Okay we'll admit, Sawyer on Lost is often a jerk. But man, he's so cool sometimes. If you like bad boys, he's the ultimate bad boy and as we all know, bad boys are cool. It's just the way it goes. It's a fact. Plus, that hair... that hair is awesome.

Lisa Simpson - The Simpsons

This is a hill not a lot of Simpsons fans will die on, but those of us who will, will go down fighting. Lisa Simpson is the best. She's the best family member and the heart of the show's morality. If Lisa disapproves, you should do that thing. She's also really fun when she wants to be, even if some people disagree. Nerds are cool!

Wednesday Addams - Wednesday

Just like bad boys are always cool, bad girls are too. Wednesday Addams is as bad a girl can get, in the very best way. That means she's the coolest. The level of aloofness is frankly incredible and means she has to be on this list.

I still believe How I Met Your Mother is one of the best sitcoms of all time. While I certainly empathize with people who were disappointed by the tragic series finale in 2014, you cannot deny that its pilot episode, originally airing on CBS in 2005, was something special. The first chapter of Ted Mosby’s (Josh Radnor) search for love not only did a wonderful job establishing the awesome characters in the HIMYM cast, the show’s unique narrative structure, and its irreverent tone, but it also introduced one of the series' most iconic recurring elements: the Blue French Horn.

The unusually colored brass instrument is first spotted at the restaurant where Ted and Robin (Cobie Smulders) have their first date and would go on to appear in more of the best How I Met Your Mother episodes. It has since become recognized by fans of the show as a symbol of Ted’s almost heroic approach to romance, but how did such a unique object like this come to be such an important part of the show? Kids, allow me to tell you that story.

The Blue French Horn Was Invented To Be Ted's Right Of Passage

In my opinion, one of the top How I Met Your Mother moments that prove Ted is a good guy is in the pilot (which was a maddening experience for Radnor to revisit, apparently) when he steals the Blue French Horn and presents it to Robin as a token of his affection. On a rewatch podcast he hosts with Radnor called How We Made Your Mother, co-creator Craig Thomas explains what led him and Carter Bays to incorporate the instrument into the story. As you can see from the following quote, the duo looked to the unlikely area of Greek mythology for inspiration:

Radnor then mentions how Ted probably never committed an act of thievery before this occasion, before Thomas admits seeing him and the gang discussing the first time they stole anything might have made for a great episode. I will admit that I realize it sounds odd for me to praise a crime like this, but Robin was clearly moved by the gesture and was brought to tears in the Season 2 ender when the couple was forced to return it. No matter how one may feel about the series finale (which also had a more favored alternate ending), I hope they were at least excited to see Ted present the Blue French Horn to her once more in its final scene.

Josh Radnor Is The Current Owner Of The Blue French Horn

If you have ever wondered where the Blue French Horn is today in real life, that question is also answered in the same episode of How We Made Your Mother. As it turns out, the owner is Ted Mosby himself.

Radnor recalls, after How I Met Your Mother had wrapped, being asked by the props department if he and the fellow cast members would like to keep anything from the show. He chose to take the Blue French Horn, which now hangs in his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as he acknowledges on the podcast.

It kind of makes me wonder what happened to any of the other iconic props from How I Met Your Mother? Does Neil Patrick Harris have Barney Stinson’s ducky tie? Did Cristin Milioti keep the yellow umbrella used by Tracy “The Mother” McConnell? Maybe those questions will be answered in a future episode of How We Made Your Mother.

In the years since How I Met Your Mother aired its polarizing finale in 2014, I have heard people argue that the central protagonist, Ted Mosby (played by HIMYM cast member Josh Radnor), is the worst character on the show. Speaking as a longtime fan of the beloved TV sitcom, I am not going to lie and say that these arguments are totally invalid.

However, I also believe that the hopeless romantic is still a decent human, a great friend, and is absolutely worthy of the love he eventually finds. In case you still don’t agree, I reviewed the best HIMYM episodes and compiled more than enough evidence to prove that Ted’s strengths outweigh his weaknesses.

Ted Steals The Blue French Horn For Robin

In the very first episode of How I Met Your Mother, Ted Mosby proves his chivalrous romantic side by stealing a uniquely colored brass instrument from the restaurant where he and Robin (Cobie Smulders) had their first date. This sort of thing is, of course, frowned upon and not something I would recommend, but Robin does admire the trouble he goes through to acquire such a meaningful gift.

Ted Tries To Help Barney Become A Better Boyfriend

In "Robin 101," Robin begins to have second thoughts about her new relationship with the formerly commitment-phobic Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris). Robin's ex, Ted, instead of using this as an opportunity to break them up, tries to help the relationship by offering Barney dating tips based on her personality, known habits, etc.

Ted Convinces The Gang To Do The Right Thing

"False Positive" sees the gang meet for a screening of It’s a Wonderful Life, but Ted ends up going alone after giving the others a much-needed talk about their priorities. He encourages Robin to chase after her dream job instead of taking a job flipping a coin for a game show, Barney to use a surplus of money for charity instead of a diamond-encrusted suit, and Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan) to continue trying to conceive, which they began to grow hesitant of.

Ted Invites Lily To Be In His And Marshall’s First Roommate Photo

Much of Season 5's "Say Cheese" sees Lily criticizing Ted for "ruining" group photos by inviting his then-girlfriends to pose in them, until they remember when Ted asked Lily to join him and Marshall for their first photo as roommates. Marshall and Lily had only been dating for a short while, but a refreshingly optimistic Ted encouraged his friend not to fear a potential breakup that could have made the picture an awkward memory.

Ted Spends Thanksgiving Volunteering At A Homeless Shelter

How I Met Your Mother's first Thanksgiving episode, "Belly Full of Turkey," sees Ted and Robin showing up at a kitchen feeding homeless people, where they are very surprised to see Barney (who turns out to be completing court-ordered community service). Ted even steps in to do right thing when he discovers that some of the volunteers have been stealing some of the food for themselves.

Ted Helps Robin Find Her Locket

In Season 8's "Something Old," Robin comes close to finding a locket she once buried in Central Park with Ted's help – an otherwise kind gesture that Barney was later angry at Ted for doing behind his back. Ted later jumps through several hoops to retrieve the lost heirloom but does not end up giving it to her, based on the advice of others who believe it could potentially ruin her engagement with Barney. Regardless, his commitment to relocating something so personal to her was heartwarming.

Ted Sells His Car To Help With Marshall's Financial Woes

Season 3's "The Chain of Screaming" sees Marshall reach a breaking point over his insurmountable debt, crooked apartment, and demanding boss, leading him to quit his job when he needed it the most. To help keep his best friend afloat for a little bit in his time of financial need, Ted decides to sell the blue Toyota Camry Hybrid he had recently purchased (but never had a chance to drive) and hand Marshall the profit.

Ted Puts On An Astonishing Holiday Light Display To Cheer Robin Up

Season 7's "Symphony of Illumination" is a How I Met Your Mother episode that puts Robin in the spotlight, focusing on her emotional reaction to learning she cannot have children. Ted, without even knowing this secret, makes it his solemn duty to cheer his roommate up by decorating their apartment with a beautiful holiday light display set to an AC/DC song.

Ted Covertly Prevents Barney From Manipulating A Woman

In a flashback to the night they first meet each other from Season 3’s “How I Met Everyone Else,” Barney coerces Ted into helping him pick up a woman named Audrey by posing as his non-hearing friend, Edward, but is shocked to learn he actually speaks American Sign Language, as does Audrey. Barney believes Ted put out a good word for him in ASL, only for Audrey to give him a fake number. As it turns out, Ted, who was still far from calling this womanizer a friend at that point, revealed Barney’s dishonesty to Audrey and convinced her to give him the fake number.

Ted Takes Stella On A Two-Minute Date

In Season 3's "Ten Sessions," Dr. Stella Zinman (former Scrubs cast member Sarah Chalke) admits she likes Ted but tells him that, by juggling work with being a single mom, she would only have time for a "two-minute date." Instead of giving up on them, he sets up an elaborate date involving dinner, a movie, dessert, and a stroll down the street all within that tight timeframe, marking the start of their relationship.

Ted Stays By Tracy’s Side Through Her Illness

At the end of How I Met Your Mother's series finale, "Last Forever," we discover that, during the entire time Future Ted (voiced by Bob Saget) has been telling his children this story, his wife, Tracy McConnell (Cristin Milioti), has been dead from an unnamed disease. During her illness, he has the strength to commit to caring for her at every step and to raising their children on his own after she passes.

Ted Chooses His Friends Over Karen

After Ted reunites with his pretentious, manipulative college girlfriend, Karen (Laura Prepon), in "The Front Porch," she dumps him when she finds another woman’s earring in his bed, which Ted later learns was planted by Lily to break them up. Lily comes clean about it to Karen, who tells Ted they can never hang out with her or Marshall again, which ends up being the long-awaited final nail in the coffin for their toxic relationship.

Ted Helps Marshall Get Over Lily

How I Met Your Mother's first season had a bittersweet ending, with Ted and Robin finally getting together and Marshall and Lily suddenly splitting up after a decade together. The Season 2 premiere sees Ted doing whatever he can to help make his buddy feel better... with his new girlfriend around for much of it. Then again, Robin was very supportive, too.

Ted Aspires To Make Up For Hurting Victoria

In Season 1's "Nothing Happens After 2 AM," Ted commits his all-time stupidest mistake by making out with Robin when he is still in a long-distance relationship with Victoria (Ashley Williams), who is at a culinary institute in Germany. After running into her years later at the Architect's Ball in Season 7's "Ducky Tie," he immediately strives to earn the now-engaged baker's forgiveness by offering to do her dishes, which does, admittedly, almost lead to Victoria making the same mistake Ted made that ended their relationship. Still, Ted's initial effort to atone for his sin in this episode is aspirational.

Ted Gives Marshall The Perfect Christmas Gift Idea For Lily

In Season 2's "How Lily Stole Christmas," Lily gets angry at Ted when she hears an answering machine message he left when she and Marshall were broken up in which he calls her an insult we only hear as "grinch." However, they are able to patch things up after Lily learns that Marshall's idea to give her the same Easy-Bake Oven she wanted as a child came from Ted.

Ted Invites Robin To Stay In His Guest Room

At the beginning of Season 4's "Not a Father's Day," the unemployed and homeless Robin is staying with Lily and Marshall, which cuts significantly into their plans to start a family. By the end, Ted comes up with the idea to let Robin stay in his spare bedroom until she finds another place to live, but, as Future Ted points out, this would mark the beginning of the exes' new, years-long relationship as roommates.

Ted Pays Milt To Get Marshall’s Charts Back

In Season 4's "Right Place, Right Time," Ted unwittingly throws out the important charts that Marshall made for work, along with his unnecessary ones. He finds them with a homeless man named Milt (Dan Castellaneta), who demands $1 million in exchange for them. Ted agrees to pay him $1 per day for the next one million days and is able to get Marshall his charts back so he can continue on with his work presentation.

Ted Chooses To Spend Thanksgiving With The Lonely Zoey

"Blitzgiving" marks the end of Ted's rivalry with Zoey Pierson (Jennifer Morrison), but only after it comes to a searing peak when the gang attempts to spend Thanksgiving with her, during which he compares her to Cinderella's wicked stepmother. Ted comes to realize that her step-daughter actually hates Zoey, which explains why she was spending the holiday alone, and decides to share the meal with her after all and become her friend.

Ted Encourages Robin To Admit Her Feelings To Barney

In Season 8's "The Final Page," Ted (whose feelings for Robin had recently resurfaced) learns that Barney plans to propose to Patrice and promises to keep it secret, but instead tells Robin, knowing she still has feelings for Barney. He takes her to the World Wide News building so she can have a chance to do something about it. While we later discover that he was being manipulated by Barney as part of an elaborate plan to propose to Robin, Ted's willingness to put her interests before his own was one in a million.

Ted Moves Out Of The Apartment For Marshall And Lily To Keep

Many changes to the gang have come to pass at the beginning of Season 7's "Karma," including Robin moving out of Ted's apartment, leading to a search for a new purpose for the now-empty guest room. Ted eventually decides to make it a bedroom for Marshall and Lily's unborn child after he realizes his time at the apartment has ended and leaves it to them.

Ted Urges Victoria To Leave Her Groom A Note

In the Season 7 finale, “​​The Magician's Code: Part 2,” Victoria chooses to leave her fiancé, Klaus (Thomas Lennon), at the altar for Ted, who learns in the Season 8 premiere, “Farhampton,” that she has not left him a note explaining her absence. Having been on the other side of this situation when Stella left him, he convinces her to go back to the venue to at least make sure she gives him a proper goodbye. As it turns out, though, Klaus was too nervous to go through with the marriage anyway.

Ted Chooses Acceptance Over Revenge On Stella

At the end of "Happily Ever After," the Season 4 episode that follows when Stella leaves Ted at the altar, Ted is ready to tell her off about picking her ex, Tony (Jason Jones), over him and moving with him to New York. However, after seeing how happy they look together with their daughter, Lucy, he realizes that he and Stella were never right for each other in the first place and chooses to leave them be and move on.

Ted Gives Up His Best Man Position

In Season 2's "Bachelor Party," Marshall discovers that Barney was partially responsible for helping get him and Lily back together. After hearing that story, Ted tells his longtime best friend that Barney deserves to be the Best Man at his wedding. Of course, Marshall ends up choosing to make both of them his co-Best Men.

Ted Tries To Avoid Hurting Naomi’s Feelings

How I Met Your Mother's first Halloween episode follows Ted's longtime search for a woman in a suggestive pumpkin costume, whom he finally meets again in Season 7. Unfortunately, he soon realizes that Naomi (Katie Holmes) is not the one for him, but takes his time working up to the break-up so he can let her down easily. However, it turns out she felt exactly the same way, and it took a drink of her specialty cocktail, The Tootsie Roll, to find the courage to be honest with him.

Ted Honors The Robots Versus Wrestlers Tradition

The gang’s history of attending Robots Versus Wrestlers has a rocky beginning in the Season 5 episode of the same name, in which Ted initially chooses a high society party over the sporting event. He later realizes that, although they sometimes give him a hard time, he should put his friends first. Future Ted later explains that, no matter what, the gang would reunite for the event every year, as seen in a moment from the series finale.

Ted Buys A House

After attending his mother's wedding to her new husband in Season 5's "Home Wreckers," Ted begins to feel a bit stuck and decides, hoping to speed things up in his life a bit, to put a down payment on a house. Some fans may call this an impulsive and desperate move, but I believe it is a beautiful way of holding on to his dream of one day having a family and making sure he has a home to give them when that happens.

Ted Invites Tony To His And Stella’s Wedding

Few people would have the backbone to invite their fiancée's ex to their wedding, but that is just what Ted does in Season 4's "Shelter Island." He could not help but feel sympathy for Stella's former boyfriend, Tony, who felt shunned from seeing the mother of his child get married. I still recognize this as a perfectly mature and quite bold gesture, even if it did lead to Stella's decision to leave Ted at the altar.

Ted Tries To Suppress His Crush On The Married Zoey

Ted's rivalry with Zoey Pierson eventually turned into a friendship that slowly evolved into something more, but he initially tried to prevent it from moving in that direction to avoid wrecking her marriage to George "The Captain" Van Smoot (Kyle MacLachlan). It turns out Ted had nothing to worry about as Zoey was going through a divorce at this time, but choosing to keep things platonic and not act on his feelings toward a woman he believed was still married is the mark of a stand-up guy.

Ted Replaces Robin’s Door Mat

In Season 1's "Game Night," Ted is forced to reveal that he, while heavily inebriated, broke his “vomit-free since ‘93” streak onto Robin’s welcome mat. The episode ends with Robin opening her apartment door to find a new, personalized mat on the floor, which we are led to believe came courtesy of Mosby.

Ted Rents A Limo For New Year’s Eve

Future Ted opens How I Met Your Mother's first New Year's Eve episode reflecting on how rare it can be to have a good time ringing in the New Year, which Present Day Ted is out to change. He goes out of his way to make sure his friends enjoy the transition from 2005 to 2006 by renting a limousine (driven by their cabbie friend, Ranjit, played by Marshall Manesh) and mapping out a guide to all the best parties in New York.

Ted Chooses His Friendship With Robin Over Marrying Victoria

In a Season 8 storyline that feels borrowed from a Friends episode (and not the only time the show was accused of that, as pointed out by ScreenRant), Victoria accepts Ted's marriage proposal, but on the condition that he stops being friends with Robin, whom she believes has kept him from maintaining a relationship. No person should force their romantic partner to cut ties with someone they consider family, even if Victoria may have been right that Ted still had some lingering feelings for Robin. Regardless, it was clearly a difficult decision, and Ted made the right call.

Ted Decides To Move To New Jersey For Stella

Despite his fervent disdain for New Jersey, Ted decides he is willing to leave New York and move in with his fiancée, Stella, instead of the opposite like he previously assumed the arrangement would be. He ended up staying in New York after all, due to the ill-fated wedding, but it was still a selfless gesture.

As the 2025 TV schedule continues to pick up speed, I'm thinking about that fact that it's been over a decade since fans said goodbye to Ted Mosby and co. (Not to mention it's been a year since the fictional tragic milestone of Tracy Mosby/McConnell’s [Cristin Miloti] passing.) The actor who played How I Met Your Mother’s biggest hopeless romantic, Josh Radnor, just jumped back to watch the beginning. During this endeavor, he found himself shouting at a pivotal moment, and I'm right there with him.

Josh Radnor and show co-creator Craig Thomas discussed the aforementioned sitcom's pilot during the How We Made Your Mother podcast (which is on YouTube). While chatting, Radnor revealed he was unsure where his fictional counterpart towed the line between hero and hopeless romantic goofball. He also noted that he loved the initial deep spark between him and Robin but realized exactly where Mosby stood after his preemptive confession, saying:

That moment after Robin and Ted’s date in the pilot really sets off the entire show, as the Liberal Arts alum states. It was such a stark response (and something of a novelty for TV at the time) compared to the rest of their evening. I can still picture it clearly. But the exchange did illicit a lot of discourse among viewers when it premiered, and all the goofs that Mosby made following it. Still, that sentiment sparked a true butterfly effect and cemented this series as one of the best bingeable sitcoms (and it can be streamed with a Netflix subscription).

Still, even though the moment was heartbreaking for everyone involved, I somehow do think Josh Radnor's response was particularly visceral. As he relived the 2005 episode, apparently he outwardly berated Ted during his viewing. And Thomas chimed in to confirm:

The error of Ted Mosby's sentiments still sting for me, as a fan. However, anyone who’s watched the entirety of the show knows that the two eventually end up together after Tracy’s sad passing. Although, that’s a whole other hotly debated storyline that still has fans divided. Needless to say, Mosby is a character that will continue to find a balance between hero and lovable goof.

Josh Radnor’s rewatch might motivate me to dive back in myself. But I do know that I’d probably be yelling myself over some of Ted’s antics and possibly quoting Barney when reacting as well.

In any television show out there, some episodes genuinely take the cake for their dark themes – or rather, just being dark overall. Some shows are darker than others, but there's always an episode that genuinely makes people sit there for a moment and contemplate what they just watched – those are the kinds of dark episodes we are going to get into today.

Oh, and also, spoiler alert!

'The Rains Of Castamere' (Game of Thrones)

I mean, of course, I have to put "The Rains of Castamere" here. It's one of the most shocking Game of Thrones moments ever, when we watch basically a third of the Stark family get taken out by traitors. And yes, I will still never forgive the Boltons or the Lannisters for what they did.

'The Day Will Come When You Won't Be' (The Walking Dead)

It would be a sin for me not to put "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" here. It features Glenn's demise, one of the most heartbreaking The Walking Dead deaths, and really shows the entire group that we have come to love for six seasons straight get absolutely blasted with the arrival of Negan and his Saviors. It's still a dark episode, one I skip on any The Walking Dead rewatch.

'Ozymandias' (Breaking Bad)

There are some fantastic Breaking Bad episodes, but oftentimes, most of them are pretty dark, and "Ozymandias" is one of those. Considered one of the best television episodes ever by many critics, this episode really capped off the damage that Walt had done to his life when he watched Hank, his brother-in-law and DEA agent, get shot dead.

'To You, In 2000 Years - The Fall Of Shiganshina: Part 1' (Attack On Titan)

There are plenty of great dark anime out there that I could steal episodes from to put on this list, but I have to say the winner must be "To You, in 2000 Years—The Fall of Shiganshina: Part 1." I mean, you really can't get darker than having your mom get eaten in the first episode of your series—right in front of you as you're being dragged away. No wonder Eren was so messed up.

'Pretty Much Dead Already' (The Walking Dead)

For a time, The Walking Dead was the show out there that everyone talked about each week, and one of the darkest episodes of that time was "Pretty Much Dead Already." It was the first midseason finale for the show and featured a stumbling Sophie coming out of the Greene farm when everyone had been looking for her for several episodes already. Breaks your heart every time.

'The Hellfire Club' (Stranger Things)

I don't really consider a lot of Stranger Things dark, but I will say that as the series has progressed, these episodes have gotten a lot scarier, and the first that comes to mind is "The Hellfire Club." The episode starts off well enough—including the introduction of Stranger Things Season 4 All-Star Eddie. But then Vecna makes his first appearance at the end of the episode, and it is a horrorfest that instantly turns the entire thing darker than ever.

'Phoenix' (Breaking Bad)

Walter White has done some pretty horrible things as a human being, and one of his darkest moments, for sure, in Breaking Bad, was in "Phoenix." We already knew that Walter didn't like Jane, but standing there, watching her overdose right next to Jesse, was another level of darkness that I didn't think he was capable of.

'Heaven's Half Hour' (Daredevil: Born Again)

There are many moments in the original Daredevil series that I could point to, but I have to give it to a recent entry, Daredevil: Born Again, and the premiere episode. We literally open up with Matt and his friends just getting a drink, and BOOM, Foggy is shot, and Matt literally hears him die by the sound of his heartbeat. Darkness to the brim.

'The Dance Of Dragons' (Game Of Thrones)

While "The Dance of Dragons" isn't a super dark episode in itself, it's a moment in it that makes it super dark. One of the most heartbreaking Game of Thrones deaths happens here when Stannis burns his daughter alive because of Melisandre's ridiculous nonsense about a king's blood sacrifice. And then we watch her die. It's messed up in the worst ways.

'Living Doll' (The Twilight Zone)

I think The Twilight Zone is one of those shows where the episodes might not seem so dark now in comparison to what we have experienced on TV, but there are still some good ones there, and one is "Living Doll." The episode is all about a husband who is annoyed by a talking doll his stepdaughter has, but the doll begins to talk back to him, saying how much she hates him and how she wants to hurt him—it gets really dark, real quick.

'The Bent-Neck Lady' (The Haunting Of Hill House)

Honestly, every Mike Flanagan TV show has some incredibly dark episodes, but "The Bent-Neck Lady" is by far the darkest. It shows Nell finally realizes that the visions and ghosts that have been haunting her all her life are actually her. The reveal is incredibly sad and dark and one I often think about.

'72 Hours' (The Golden Girls)

I'm sure that at first glance, you would never expect me to put something like The Golden Girls on this list, but "72 Hours" is a very dark episode. Rose's doctor reaches out to her and says that her blood transfusion may have included HIV-positive blood, and now she has to wait for three days for results. It's a very harrowing episode for a show that is, at its core, a sitcom.

'Honor' (The Walking Dead)

There are plenty of moments in The Walking Dead that I could put on here, but one of the darkest episodes was "Honor." I'm sure most don't even know it because it happened in Season 8, but it was the episode where Carl, Rick's son, ended up getting bitten while trying to save a doctor for their community. It's literally one of the darkest episodes of the entire series, especially watching Rick and Michonne wait for the gunshot that signals Carl's death.

'Bullets Over Bel-Air' (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was an iconic sitcom for many reasons, but it also wasn't afraid to go dark in some of its episodes. One of which was "Bullets Over Bel-Air," in which Will is shot by a robber and then Carlton goes out and buys a gun to try and be safe. It's an entire episode focused on gun violence.

'ABQ' (Breaking Bad)

There are plenty of Breaking Bad episodes out there that are genuinely dark, but one I always think of is ABQ, which is the finale of season 2 of the show. While most of the episode isn't necessarily super dark, the ending moment is where Walt watches as two planes crash above his home, sending debris to the ground, because the air trafficker's daughter just died – you know, the daughter that Walt watched overdose and didn't do anything about it.

'Bad News' (How I Met Your Mother)

At first, we all think that the "Bad News" in this episode is going to involve a fertility test with Lily, but the bad news is suddenly broken to Marshall that his father has suddenly passed from a heart attack. It's so out there that it creates a devastating episode in this sitcom.

'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken' (Game Of Thrones)

The episode 'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken' isn't necessarily dark itself, but rather the ending scene. After Sansa is forced to marry Ramsay Bolton, he forcefully assaults her on their wedding night. Meanwhile, Theon (Reek at this point) is just standing over there forced to watch. My god.

'To The Lost' (Boardwalk Empire)

Boardwalk Empire wasn't afraid to venture into dark territory, and one of its darkest episodes was "To The Lost," mainly because of the death that happens when Nucky shoots Jimmy, a protege of his, because he failed to start a feud. The moment is shocking, considering that throughout the series, these two have basically been side by side, and now, all of a sudden, it was over.

'Coda' (The Walking Dead)

I will never forgive The Walking Dead for what they did to Beth in "Coda." One of the darkest episodes of the series, it shows the group reuniting with Beth only for her to get shot in the head when she stands up for herself. She didn't even get to reunite with her sister again. Talk about awful.

'Long Term Parking' (The Sopranos)

The Sopranos cast is filled to the brim with epic talent, which only means there will be epic episodes that tend to lean a little darker. When Silvio finds out that Adriana's slipping info to the FBI, she's taken out. It was dark and scary and showed just what happened when you crossed the Soprano family.

'Connor's Wedding' (Succession)

With how talented the Succession cast is, I wouldn't be surprised if they made half of their episodes darker, but the darkest I could point to was "Connor's Wedding." At first, it feels like just a normal episode, but all of a sudden, Logan Roy drops dead, and we, as well as the kids, are left to deal with the fallout of what occurred as the episode progresses.

'Two Storms' (The Haunting Of Hill House)

First of all, this episode is an absolute unit of cinematography. It's shot beautifully. But aside from me geeking out about how amazing it looks, "Two Storms" is dark because it's so creepy, and we keep seeing Nell's casket repeatedly getting moved or messed around with.

'Hardhome' (Game Of Thrones)

The first half of "Hardhome" is pretty tame, honestly. It's all about watching Jon and the Wildlings try to come to a compromise to, you know, survive. But then the White Walkers come and literally destroy it all, and the number of deaths that occur makes it one of the most brutal episodes for me to watch ever.

'Please Remain Calm' (Chernobyl)

I. Can't. Stand. This. Episode.

At all.

As someone who recently rewatched Chernobyl, I find this to be the darkest episode of the miniseries. Watching those three brave souls go into the factory to drain the radioactive water and try and stop this madness was terrifying, but seeing their lights go out at the end? Good god. The entire episode is shot beautifully, but man, is it dark in many instances.

'Endure And Survive' (The Last Of Us)

As someone who is one of the biggest fans of The Last of Us franchise, this episode took it out of me, both mentally and physically. I already knew that Henry and Sam (from The Last of Us cast) would die from playing the game but man, they made this episode twenty times darker with the ending and it still makes me jump and look away each time I've watched it.

'Papa's Got A Brand New Excuse' (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has some serious moments that often lead to darker episodes, and one of those was definitely "Papa's Got A Brand-New Excuse." Will's father shows up out of nowhere, but, of course, by the end, he gives an excuse not to spend actual time with Will. We get an entire monologue from Will about how he doesn't need his father before he breaks down. It's so sad.

'Alone Again, Natura-Diddly' (The Simpsons)

There are some side characters on The Simpsons that you might have forgotten about, but one was taken out in the darkest possible way. In "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly," Ned Flander's wife, Maude, is struck in the head by a t-shirt and then knocked to her death. Yes, this happens in real-time on The Simpsons. This is an actual episode from Season 11.

'Too Far Gone' (The Walking Dead)

You want to talk about dark episodes of The Walking Dead? "Too Far Gone" is up there. The episode is the midseason finale for Season 4 and shows the all-out war that happens at the prison. But before then, we also watch The Governor completely snap and kill Hershel, who was hands down the group's moral compass for a long time.

'Teddy Perkins' (Atlanta)

This episode is just creepy, man. It's creepy in all the right ways. Aside from the social commentary that every episode of Atlanta seems to have, seeing Donald Glover dressed up in full prosthetics and makeup and creeping out Lakeith Stanfield is an episode I will never quite get over.

'Playtest' (Black Mirror)

There are plenty of dark episodes on Black Mirror, but one that I always think of is "Playtest," specifically for its ending. There are so many twists and turns that it's hard to keep up with it, and then the main subject, Cooper, is just killed because everything was all in his head and nothing was real—it's just too much and too dark so quickly.

'Chikhai Bardo' (Severance)

Severance is an excellent Apple TV+ show, and usually, I don't think I'd put an episode here, but "Chikhai Bardo" is a dark episode because we find out what really happened to Gemma and how she's essentially a slave for Lumon, forced to carry out multiple Severance scenarios for whatever grand design they are planning. It's messed up in so many ways.

'The Female Of The Species' (The Boys)

As someone who loves Kimiko in The Boys, the first episode, where we really see her and get to know her, is one of the darkest of the series. We see just how violent and terrifying she really is. She is not for those who have a weak stomach, but man, I love it.

What are some dark episodes that you would think of? I need to go watch some of the best rom-coms as a palette cleanser now. Goodness gracious.

Since screen media was invented, music has had a symbiotic relationship with both movies and television, from musical scores that enhance their films, memorable pop songs making up some awesome movie soundtracks, and, of course, classic TV theme songs that could have been radio hits. There are also many famous songs written by artists who are clearly pop culture fans, based on the obvious or cryptic references to cinematic or small screen favorites in the lyrics. These are some of the most iconic and even most surprising examples of songs that took inspiration from a movie or TV show.

“Walk This Way” Aerosmith (Young Frankenstein)

Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein is the source of many iconic spoof movie moments, including when Igor (Marty Feldman) tells Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) to "walk this way," referring not to their direction but to his odd limp. Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry told The Wall Street Journal in 2014 that the band saw the 1974 horror-comedy movie classic while on break from recording Toys in the Attic and were especially amused by the "walk this way" bit, which gave producer Jack Douglas a great title for a song.

“Married With Children” - Oasis (Married… With Children)

In addition to plenty of controversy during its 10-year run, Married... with Children also inspired none other than Noel Gallagher of Oasis to write a song of the same name (sans the ellipsis) that appeared on 1994's Definitely Maybe. Gallagher told Melody Maker (via Brit Pop Reunion) that he saw a lot of himself and his then-girlfriend, Louise Jones, in the classic TV sitcom's dysfunctional central couple, Al (Ed O'Neill) and Peg Bundy (Katey Segal), and channeled that into the song.

“Total of the Eclipse of the Heart” - Bonnie Tyler (Nosferatu)

The video for Bonnie Tyler's heart-aching ballad, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" – the lead single from her 1983 album, Faster Than the Speed of Night – boasts a gothic vibe that calls to mind a great horror movie like Nosferatu, which is actually no coincidence. The Welsch singer told The Guardian that writer Jim Steinman first started writing the song when he was working on an unfinished musical adaptation of the original silent-era vampire movie from 1922.

“Laura Palmer” - Bastille (Twin Peaks)

Bastille frontman Dan Smith is a huge fan of David Lynch's movies (which he discussed in an interview with Audacy), as well as the late filmmaker's most successful small-screen venture, Twin Peaks. As he revealed to 3voor12, he named the eerie fifth single from the band's 2011 debut album, Bad Blood, after Sheryl Lee's character, Laura Palmer, whose murder sets the plot of the subversive crime thriller in motion.

“Heartlight” - Neil Diamond (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)

Neil Diamond was faced with a lawsuit for lyrics to "Heartlight" that MCA felt was too close to the narrative of the beloved sci-fi movie that inspired it, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The clues to the 1982 ballad's influences are not very subtle, with references to a young boy who makes a friend with a glowing chest, taking a “ride across the moon" with him, and becoming sad when that friend is forced to go away.

“Floyd The Barber” - Nirvana (The Andy Griffith Show)

A show as lighthearted and funny as The Andy Griffith Show seems like an unlikely choice as the inspiration for a Nirvana song. However, it makes a little more sense when you pay close attention to the lyrics of "Floyd the Barber," from 1989's Bleach, and realize Kurt Cobain has reimagined Howard McNear's eponymous role and other central characters from the 1960s sitcom as sadistic murderers.

"Me And Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin (La Strada)

The most famous rendition of "Me and Bobby McGee" comes from Janis Joplin's posthumously released 1971 album, Pearl, but the song was originally written by Kris Kristofferson. His inspiration, as he told Wide Open Country in 2022, came from Federico Fellini’s Oscar-winning 1954 drama, La Strada – particularly a moment when Zampanò (Anthony Quinn) rides around on his motorcycle while Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) plays the trombone.

“Any Friend Of Diane’s” - Weezer (Cheers)

"Any Friend of Diane's" is the name of an episode from the first season of the long-running NBC sitcom, Cheers, named after Shelley Long's character. According to an interview with The Independent, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo took the episode's title and based a song that pays tribute to the many women who have supported the band over the years around it.

“Space Oddity” - David Bowie (2001: A Space Odyssey)

The similarity between the title of the opening track from David Bowie's self-titled second album and 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey is certainly no coincidence as Stanley Kubrick’s iconic space movie was the inspiration, which he revealed to Performing Songwriter. Fun fact: the release of the song, which is the tragic tale of an astronautical mission gone wrong, was actually rushed out to coincide with the Apollo 11 landing in 1969, which is a very questionable publicity method, if you ask us.

“Dragula” - Rob Zombie (The Munsters)

An essential track for every Halloween playlist is Rob Zombie's 1998 single, "Dragula," which any fan of The Munsters knows is named after a car belonging to Al Lewis' Grandpa, who is really Count Dracula. The rock star-turned-filmmaker is a lifelong fan of the early 1960s sitcom about a creepy, creature-some family and even wrote and directed a feature adaptation of the series that was released in 2022.

“Yoda” - “Weird Al” Yankovic (The Empire Strikes Back)

"Weird Al" Yankovic has released many songs that are directly inspired by pop culture, including more than one based on the Star Wars movies. For instance, "Yoda," which appears on 1985's Dare to be Stupid, is a retelling of the events of 1980's The Empire Strikes Back – particularly Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) training under the eponymous, green "little runt" (played by Frank Oz) – set to the melody of The Kinks' "Lola."

“The Actor” - Jason Kimmel (How I Met Your Mother)

“The Actor” is the first single by musician Jason Kimmel and tells the story of a young man who goes to a bar and meets a woman named Sara, who admits the narrator reminds her of Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother, but not in a good way. Still, he is flattered by the comparison as he is a fan of “the actor,” How I Met Your Mother cast member Josh Radnor, whom Sara does not know by name, although she is a fan of Barney actor Neil Patrick Harris.

“Bad Moon Rising” - Creedence Clearwater Revival (The Devil And Daniel Webster)

Just like many other songs with "moon" in the title, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" contributed to a memorable musical moment in the horror movie An American Werewolf in London but was actually inspired by the 1941 adaptation of another dark fantasy story, The Devil and Daniel Webster. John Fogerty explained to Rolling Stone in 1993 how the film’s depictions of “nasty weather” as a result of a deal with Satan gave him the idea for the lead single from 1969’s Green River.

“Bloom” - Radiohead (The Blue Planet)

Thom Yorke was watching BBC's 2001 nature docuseries, The Blue Planet, narrated by David Attenborough, when he got the idea for "Bloom," which is the opening track from Radiohead's 2011 album, The King of Limbs. The English rock band would later collaborate with Hans Zimmer to record an orchestral version of the song for the docuseries' follow-up, Blue Planet II, bringing this story full circle.

“Wind It Up” - Gwen Stefani (The Sound Of Music)

As she revealed to MTV in 2006, "Wind it Up" fulfilled Gwen Stefani's dream to incorporate her favorite movie, The Sound of Music, into a song. While the lead single from the No Doubt frontwoman's second solo album, The Sweet Escape, does not have much to do with the story of the 1965 music movie classic, it does sample "The Lonely Goatherd" to impressive effect and pays tribute to it in the video.

“Mach 5” - The Presidents Of The United States of America (Speed Racer)

There may not be a pop culture car more deserving of a musical tribute than the Mach 5 from the classic animated TV show, Speed Racer, yet it would not become a reality until 1996 when The Presidents of the United States of America put it on their second album, II. However, while the song's title may reference Speed's prized vehicle, frontman Chris Ballew revealed to Songfacts that the lyrics reflect the maniacal ways he would destroy his toy cars as a child.

“Night Moves” - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (American Graffiti)

In 1973, Bob Seger saw a film now considered one of the best movies of the 1970s called American Graffiti – writer and director George Lucas' coming-of-age dramedy following a group of teens cruising the streets of L.A. after hours in the early 1960s. The Silver Bullet Band leader told Mix that the film inspired him to tell stories from his own youth, which led to the creation of the title track from his ninth studio album, 1976's Night Moves.

“Fingers Crossed” - Billie Eilish (The Walking Dead)

In 2017, when she was still an up-and-comer, Billie Eilish told Junkee that the first song she ever recorded was called "Fingers Crossed," which was the product of a songwriting class assignment that required her to watch a movie or TV show and write lyrics related to it. The then-12-year-old chose The Walking Dead and came up with a song that, as she describes, "sounds more like a longing heartbreak song" but is really about the zombie apocalypse.

“Godzilla” - Blue Öyster Cult (Godzilla)

While Blue Öyster Cult was best known for earnest rock 'n roll hits about love and death like "Don't Fear the Reaper," they proved they had a sense of humor with their tribute to the King of the Monsters. The opening track from their 1977 album, Spectres, alludes to the plot of the original Japanese horror movie classic, Godzilla, quite accurately but also with a few tongue-in-cheek references to the eponymous creature's destructive tendencies at Tokyo's expense.

“Bedrock Anthem” - “Weird Al” Yankovic (The Flintstones)

Only a comedic musical genius like "Weird Al" Yankovic could make a medley of Red Hot Chili Peppers song parodies with lyrics based on Hanna-Barbera's prehistoric animated classic, The Flintstones, work so seamlessly.

“Chain Saw” - Ramones (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

In 1989, the Ramones released a song called "Pet Sematary," which was written specifically for Mary Lambert's adaptation of the Stephen King novel. Years earlier, another classic horror movie, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, inspired the punk giants' 1976 song, "Chain Saw," which calls out Tobe Hooper's nightmarish 1974 hit by name.

"The Twilight Zone” - Rush (The Twilight Zone)

Legendary drummer Neil Peart was a huge fan of Rod Serling’s seminal horror anthology TV show, The Twilight Zone, and actually wrote several Rush tracks inspired by various episodes. One song named directly after the show, which appears on Side B of 1976's 2112, references two classic episodes, “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" and "Stopover In a Quiet Town."

“The Union Forever” - The White Stripes (Citizen Kane)

Jack White was trying to learn a song that appears in 1941’s Citizen Kane called “It Can't Be Love.” Instead, he wound up writing an entirely original song for him and Meg White of The White Stripes about co-writer and director Orson Welles’ masterful debut feature called "The Union Forever." Included in the lyrics are references to the movie,

“Continental Farewell” - Hal Ketchum (Saturday Night Live)

Christopher Walken is one of those stars who has hosted SNL so many times that he has his own recurring characters, most notably "The Continental." The bumbling bachelor was popular enough to inspire a song by Hal Ketchum called "Continental Farewell," as the late singer-songwriter revealed to Songfacts.

“The Prisoner” - Iron Maiden (The Prisoner)

Much of Iron Maiden's music is known for its compelling narratives, such as in "The Prisoner." The third track off the metal band's hit 1982 album, The Number of the Beast, was inspired by an influential 1960s British sci-fi miniseries of the same name and even opens with audio clips from it.

"Motorpsycho Nitemare" - Bob Dylan (Psycho)

While largely better known for ballads sung in protest of sociopolitical oppression, it turns out Bob Dylan is a cinephile, too. His song "Motorpsycho Nitemare" from 1964's Another Side of Bob Dylan was inspired by the terrifying 1960 Alfred Hitchcock movie, Psycho, as evidenced by lyrics like, “She said, ‘Would you like to take a shower? / I’ll show you up to the door’ / I said, ‘Oh, no! no! / I've been through this before.’”

“House Of Glass” - Cage the Elephant (I Am A Killer)

The fifth studio album by Cage the Elephant, 2019's Social Cues, features an ominously titled track called "House of Glass," which is sung from the point of view of a soft-spoken murderer. According to Consequence of Sound, the song was envisioned while guitarist Brad Shultz and his brother, Matt, were watching the Netflix true crime docuseries, I Am a Killer, which interviews people on death row for homicide.

“Eyes Without A Face” - Billy Idol (Eyes Without A Face)

The 1983 Billy Idol song, "Eyes Without a Face" was inspired by the 1960 horror film of the same name about a surgeon obsessively trying to give his daughter a new face after she suffers a terrible accident. He even namedrops the original French title, Les yeux sans visage, in the lyrics

“Missing You” - Ingrid Michaelson (Stranger Things)

In 2019, Ingrid Michaelson released her eighth studio album, Stranger Songs, which consists entirely of tracks inspired by the hit Netflix original sci-fi TV show, Stranger Things. The lead single, "Missing You," specifically references the love triangle between Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), and Steve Harrington (Joe Keery).

“Why Didn't Rosemary?” - Deep Purple (Rosemary’s Baby)

According to Derek Lawrence, who produced Deep Purple's self-titled third album from 1969, the band went to see Rosemary's Baby and, soon after, wrote a song about it. "Why Didn't Rosemary?" asks questions about the Oscar-winning 1968 horror classic about a woman unwittingly carrying the spawn of Satan, such as, “Why didn’t Rosemary ever take the pill?”

“Man on the Edge” - Iron Maiden (Falling Down)

In an interview with Songfacts, Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley revealed that "Man on the Edge" from the band's 1995 album, The X Factor, is largely influenced by director Joel Schumacher's 1993 thriller, Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas as... well, a man on the edge.

“Gumby” - Aimee Mann (Hoarders)

"Gumby," from Aimee Mann's 2012 album, Charmer, actually has nothing to do with the eponymous claymation character. According to Joco Cruise, the singer-songwriter just thought it sounded like a great name for someone who would be profiled on the reality show Hoarders, which was the true inspiration for the song about a person refusing help that they clearly need.

There are a lot of great bartenders in film and TV history. Guys like Same Malone in Cheers and Moe in The Simpsons. The kind of guys that quick with a joke and ready to hear you lament about your job. Pouring stiff drinks and beers while their patrons celebrate and mourn, congratulate and commiserate, and everything else that happens at your local water hole. This list celebrates all those great bartenders in movies and TV shows.

Sam Malone - Cheers

Of course Sam Malone has to be on this list. The owner (at least some of the time) and operator of Cheers bar in Boston's Back Bay. Played by Ted Danson for all eleven seasons of the smash hit Cheers, Sam is always ready to poor Norm, Cliff, and the rest of the gang great drinks and cold beers.

Isaac Washington - The Love Boat

For many people, the most important person on a cruise ship is the bartender. These days modern cruise ships have dozens of bartenders, but back in the day, the Pacific Princess, better known and The Love Boat only needed one, Isaac Washington (Ted Lange). At least, Isaac we pretty much the only bartender anyone ever ordered a drink from, and he always served it with a smile.

Marion Ravenwood - Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) tried to run away from her problems (and her former lover) by heading to Nepal and opening a rundown shack of a bar that at least had a warm fire and some stiff drinks to help her customers get through the long, cold nights - at least until that ex-boyfriend showed up looking for her father in Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

Lloyd - The Shining

There aren't a lot of people for Jack (Jack Nicholson) to talk to at the Overlook Hotel in The Shining. Unfortunately, Jack either invents Lloyd or supernatural forces create him, but either way, audiences quickly learn he's not the friendly bartender we've all come to expect in hotel bars. He does know how to mix up a whole bunch of martinis in a hurry though.

Guinan - Star Trek: The Next Generation

Even the crew of the USS Enterprise need a place to unwind and have a few drinks after a long day below decks. On Star Trek: The Next Generation, that means heading to the Ten-Forward lounge and sipping on the concoctions created by Guinan, played by the legendary Whoopi Goldberg.

Al Swearengen - Deadwood

Al Swearengen is the foul-mouthed, mean, criminally-minded propriator of the Gem Saloon on Deadwood. Played brilliantly by the great Ian McShane, Swearengen is so much more than a drink-slinger, as he is the most powerful person in town and the most likely to get violent, or have his crew get violent, in a town full of mayhem.

Horace - The Family Guy

For 11 seasons (and decades in show-time), Horace was the owner and bartender at The Drunken Clam, Peter and company's preferred watering hole in The Family Guy. It's hard to say how long Horace was serving up drinks, as he's there in almost every flashback to the bar going back...well... again, who knows. Sadly we lost Horace in Season 11 when he died and the guys have to go all out to save "The Clam."

Razor Charlie - From Dusk Till Dawn

Audiences don't get a ton of Razor Charlie in From Dusk Till Dawn, played by the menacing (and awesome) Danny Trejo. While he tries to run the bar with iron fist at the beginning of the movie, it comes up against a crew that he shouldn't have messed with.

Brian Flanagan - Cocktail

Brian Flanagan (Tom Cruise) is a terrible bartender at the beginning of Cocktail, one of those '80s movies that just has not stood the test of time. He soon meets Doug (Bryan Brown), a veteran bartender who literally knows every trick in the book and soon Brian and Doug are a superstar team of bottle-flipping bartenders who are much performers as they are servers. At least the movie has a great soundtrack.

Coach - Cheers

One of the bartenders we miss the most is "Coach" Ernie Pantusso. he was Sam's original partner behind the bar on Cheers, who was, let's just say, a few bottles short of a case. Sadly, when actor Nicholas Colasanto died after Season 3, Coach followed him to that great bar in the sky and we've been mourning the loss ever since.

Butchie - The Wire

If we're honest, as awesome as Butchie in The Wire is, we're not sure it's the kind of bar we'd want to hang out. Butchie, played by S. Robert Morgan, is more of a banker to the criminals of Baltimore than he is strictly a bartender and while he's always loyal, he keeps some awfully shady company.

Moe Szyslak - The Simpsons

What would Homer Simpson do with his free time if it wasn't for Moe's Tavern? That goes for Lenny, Carl, and especially Barney too. Moe is the surliest bartender on TV, but that's part of his charm. He's gruff, ugly, and quick to lose his temper, especially to those annoying kids who keep prank-calling him, but he's also always sincere and genuine.

Rick Blaine - Casablanca

While not strictly a bartender, more of an owner and keeper of secrets, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) surely knows how to mix a mean martini after all those years running Rick's in Casablanca. He's probably served drinks all over the world and for that, he deserves to be on this list.

Spider - GoodFellas

Spider in GoodFellas, bless his heart, is clearly trying his best. The hapless drink server, played by future Sopranos star Michael Imperioli, just can't keep Tommy (Joe Pesci) happy. At first, his punishment is getting shot in the foot by the psychopath, but it gets worse from there. You're not alright, Spider.

Wuher - Star Wars

Every small town in the world - nay, the universe -has a gruff, somewhat racist bartender like Wuher in the first Star Wars movie. Sure, it probably takes an iron fist to run a bar in wretched hive of scum and villainy like Mos Eisley, but he's not the friendliest bartender on this list, for sure.

Woody Boyd - Cheers

After Cheers lost Coach, it wasn't long before they hired Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) to replace him. Sure Woody was a lot younger than Coach, but he was just as... innocent and, well, dumb, as Coach. Luckily he was just as charming and the bar (and the show) didn't miss a beat with the new addition.

Doug Coughlin - Cocktail

Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown) from Cocktail is easily the flashiest bartender on this list. He can flip a bottle and charm a customer like nobody's business. He's also good for business as the show he puts on draws people from all over the Tri-State area.

All Of The Bartenders In Coyote Ugly

Lil (Maria Bello) may own the bar in Coyote Ugly, but she's just one of the amazing bartenders who serves up drinks, and takes no guff, to the wild, drunken patrons every night of the week. It's impossible to have a favorite so it's only fair to include all of them on this list of great movie bartenders.

Gary - The Big Lebowski

Audiences never actually see Gary in The Big Lebowski, but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be on this list. You can just tell by the way he interacts with The Dude (Jeff Bridges) and the rest of the guys at the bowling alley that he's a good guy and mixes a great White Russian.

Short Bartender - Desperado

Listed in the credits as "Short Bartender) and played by Cheech Marin, the barkeep in Desperado is clearly unimpressed by Buscemi (Steve Buscemi) from the moments he walks in the door. He even gives off as many hints as he can to warn Buscemi about acting correct in the tough saloon. That isn't enough, but you can't blame him for what happens next.

Georgie - The Sopranos

Georgie Santorelli on The Sopranos, played by Frank Santorelli, is pretty much a total idiot. While he seems to be decent at his job, serving up drinks to Tony and crew at the Bada Bing, he's pretty much a moron in every other way, but he's great comic relief on the show.

The Gang In Always Sunny In Philadelphia

This list is called "great bartenders" but let's be honest, the gang on Always Sunny In Philadelphia are all pretty terrible at everything, including bartending most of the time. There isn't much to say nice here, so let's move on.

Carl - How I Met Your Mother

Carl on How I Met Your Mother is hard to read. At times, the bartender at the show's popular pub MacLaren's, played by Joe Nieves, is sometimes the nicest guy in the room, but other times he's brutal and unforgiving. When you think about it, that's probably how all great bartenders need to be.

Mark Donnelly - Paradise

Mark Donnelly (Michael Hogan) on Paradise isn't a main character, like most of the bartenders on this list, but it doesn't take much to understand that he's an empathetic guy who not only serves a stiff drink, but he's ready and willing to let you talk about your problems. He's also pretty helpful in a pinch, as he proves when he tries to help Xavier (Sterling K. Brown) keep his children safe.

iZac - Futurama

One of the signature things about Futurama is putting a futuristic spin on cultural references and it doesn't get any better than a robot bartender with a sweet mustache name "iZac" as a callback to Isaac on The Love Boat. He's not always the most empathetic bartender, but he gets the job done.

The Octopus - Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

The only thing better than a two-armed bartender is an eight-armed one like the Octopus in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Anyone who has ever bartended knows that there would be nothing better than having a few extra appendages when the crowd fills up and the bar gets crazy at peak hours. This guy will make any server jealous with his skills.

Jim - Three's Company

Jim the bartender at the Regal Beagle on Three's Company, played by Paul Ainsley, is the most notable of all the bartenders and servers at the legendary TV watering hole. He doesn't have much to do as a character, but serving up drinks quickly and efficiently is enough for us.

Nick Miller - New Girl

Nick Miller in New Girl, played by Jake Johnson, is one of just a few bartenders on this list who also happens to be one of the main characters on a show. Nick is perfectly suited to be a bartender too, as his quick wit and empathetic nature make him a natural.

Margo - Gone Girl

Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) in Gone Girl is, if we're honest, a pretty terrible person. He may not be as psycho as his wife, but he's not a good guy. His sister, on the other hand, Margo (Carrie Coon) is actually a pretty good person who is loyal - maybe too loyal - to her brother and helps out however she can at his bar.

Arthur - Passengers

Arthur in the sci-fi romance Passengers is a character clearly inspired by Lloyd in The Shining, with the twist that instead of a figment of a character's imagination or worse, he's an android. He is the only person on the ship Jim (Chris Pratt) can call on to talk about his depression, but he can't keep a secret, which is something all bartenders should be able to do.

Frankie - Road House

Frankie (Jessica Williams) in Road House, the bonkers 2024 remake of the 1980s classic, really wants to save her bar in any way she can. She's a good owner, loyal to her staff, and fearless. She isn't just a bartender, of course, but she certainly knows how to pour a whiskey and open a cold beer, right?

Nick - It's A Wonderful Life

Nick the bartender in It's A Wonderful Life, played by Sheldon Leonard isn't the kind of guy who suffers fools and he's really got little time for dealing with any of his patrons' nonsense. That's exactly what some people need in a great bartender. Just keep 'em coming.

For its ability to bring both football obsessives and non-sports fans together, the Super Bowl is regarded as a national holiday. Thus, just like with any other major day of celebration, there are plenty of movies and special TV show episodes that make “The Big Game” a focal point of the plot. These are some of the best examples of small and big screen favorites that were clearly ready for some football!

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Heaven Can Wait is actually a remake of the 1941 drama Here Comes Mr. Jordan, in which a boxer is sent back to Earth in another body after he is taken before his time. Co-writer, co-director, and star Warren Beatty's version makes Joe Pendleton a football player who aspires to bring the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl when he is sent back to Earth in a new body and ultimately succeeds.

"Monday Night Football" - How I Met Your Mother (2007)

In Season 2 of How I Met Your Mother, the gang misses the Super Bowl to attend a MacLaren's employee's funeral but still decides to honor their annual tradition of watching it together by recording the Big Game for the following night. The catch is that they want to keep the outcome of the game a surprise and jump through hoops to prevent spoilers, from Ted (Josh Radnor) wearing the "Sensory Deprivator 5000" while picking up wings from a sports bar and Robin (Cobie Smulders) bribing her producer to avoid any mentions of the winning team in her news broadcast.

American Underdog (2021)

In 2000, Kurt Warner achieved his lifelong dream of playing in the Super Bowl at 29 years old and became the third oldest quarterback at the time to do so for the first time, with the St. Louis Rams. The inspiring moment was dramatized in the sports biopic, American Underdog, starring Zachary Levi as the two-time Most Valuable Player winner.

"Death Has A Shadow" - Family Guy (1999)

The very first episode of Family Guy, called "Death Has a Shadow," features a pivotal scene taking place at the Super Bowl. It is where Peter Griffin (creator Seth MacFarlane), with Brian's help, attempts to get rid of the excess money he has received from his welfare fund by dumping it from the sky in a blimp.

Black Sunday (1977)

Not to be confused with a horror movie from 17 years earlier, Black Sunday is an espionage thriller based on the novel by Thomas Harris. It follows an Israeli commando who works with the FBI to prevent a terrorist plot involving an explosive device mounted to a Goodyear blimp that is scheduled to fly above a packed stadium during the Super Bowl.

"The Label Maker" - Seinfeld (1995)

"Re-gifting" is a phrase introduced in Seinfeld in Season 6's "The Label Maker," in which Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), after he is invited to a wedding, gives up his Super Bowl tickets to his dentist, Tim Whatley (Bryan Cranston), who thanks him by giving him a "Label Baby Jr." However, when the wedding is called off, he tries to get the tickets back to no avail, which makes him especially mad after learning Whatley regifted the label maker, which he originally received from Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). After Whatley and Elaine make up, Jerry ends up going to the Big Game but has to sit next to Newman (Wayne Knight).

The Replacements (2000)

Director Howard Deutch's The Replacements stars Keanu Reeves as one of several football players hired to fill in when a team's regular members go on strike. The sports dramedy, also starring Gene Hackman as the Sentinels' reinstated head coach, is loosely based on the true story of how the Washington Redskins managed to win Super Bowl XXII in a season with replacement players during an NFL strike.

"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" - The Simpsons (1999)

Fox aired a special Season 10 episode of The Simpsons that involved the Big Game right after the network broadcasted Super Bowl XXXIII. "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" sees Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta) traveling to see the event until they discover their tickets are counterfeit, forcing them to sneak into the stadium.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

One of the best Jim Carrey movies (or, at least, the one featuring his definitive, star-making performance) is director Tom Shadyac's Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In the uproarious comedy, the goofy eponymous sleuth is given the assignment of his life when he is tasked with finding the Miami Dolphins' beloved mascot, Snowflake, before the team plays on Super Bowl Sunday.

"Band Geeks" - SpongeBob Squarepants

To be fair, "Band Geeks" – a classic episode of the beloved animated series, SpongeBob Squarepants – does not actually revolve around the Super Bowl, but the undersea equivalent, the Bubble Bowl. Squidward attempts to upstage longtime rival Squilliam Fancyson by putting together a marching band to play at the game which he assumes will be a trainwreck until he sees their truly victorious performance of "Sweet Victory."

"Super Bowl Fever" - Home Improvement (1995)

Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) and his nigh-obsessive love of football has been known to get him in trouble on a few occasions on Home Improvement. However, the trouble in "Super Bowl Fever" stems from his wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson), coming down with the flu on the day he invites his friends over for a Super Bowl party at the house.

80 For Brady (2023)

In the tradition of comedy films that include a famous athlete's name in the title – such as Like Mike and Bend It Like Beckham – we have 80 for Brady, which is inspired by a true story and features a cameo by the real Tom Brady as himself. The film takes place in 2017 during Super Bowl LI, in which a quartet of older women (played by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field) travel to see and root for their beloved New England Patriots quarterback.

"Super Bowl Sunday" - All In The Family (1978)

The Season 8 All in the Family episode "Super Bowl Sunday" fittingly followed CBS's broadcast of Super Bowl XII and told a story related to the big event. Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) anticipates that the game will bring great business to his bar, only for it to become the site of a robbery.

Kelce (2023)

Director Don Argott's Kelce follows Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce as he wrestles with the decision to retire after 13 seasons. The climax of the Amazon Prime original documentary sees him compete against his own brother, Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce, at Super Bowl LVII, which came to be known as the "Kelce Bowl."

"Our Parents, Ourselves" - Frasier (1999)

A Season 6 episode of Frasier – a series equally as good as the show it spun off from, Cheers – called "Our Parents, Ourselves" sees the titular psychiatrist (played by Kelsey Grammer) attempting to play matchmaker for his father (John Mahoney) and Roz's (Peri Gilpin) mother. So, he invites the woman to his Super Bowl party at his apartment to surprise Martin, only to discover that he cannot stand her.

"Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial" - Bob's Burgers

For some people, the best thing about the Super Bowl is the commercials, especially if you are one of the businesses advertising during what is, typically, the most-watched television event of the year. The Season 4 Bob's Burgers episode, "Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial," reflects on that with a story that sees the Belchers attempting to film an ad for their restaurant with the hope that it will air during the Big Game.

"My Name is Bev" - Roseanne (1995)

Roseanne's Super Bowl-themed episode touches on the serious topic of drunk driving, which Roseanne's (Roseanne Barr) mother, Beverly (Estelle Parsons), is caught doing and is forced to attend an AA meeting. Later on in the show, she appears at Dan's (John Goodman) Super Bowl XXIX party, which prompts Roseanne to tell the guests to hide their keg.

A Saintly Switch (1999)

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, A Saintly Switch is a family film made for ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney series in which two children cast a spell that causes their bickering mother (Vivica A. Fox) and father (David Alan Grier), who recently started playing for the New Orleans Saints, to switch bodies. The story concludes with the father, having returned to his own body, playing in the Super Bowl just as his pregnant wife has gone into labor.

"Super Bowl" - Everybody Loves Raymond (2001)

Of course, there would be an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond in which the titular character (Ray Romano), who makes a living as a sports columnist, goes to the Big Game. In the aptly titled, "Super Bowl," Ray acquires a pair of tickets to the event and opts to take his friend, Gianni (Jon Manfrellotti), much to his family's chagrin.

The Great Brady Heist (2020)

There are quite a few movies where some interesting criminal activity takes place during the Big Game, but it is all just make-believe, right? Well, there was one amusing instance in which New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's game jersey was stolen from his locker during Super Bowl LI, as covered in the Fox Sports original documentary, The Great Brady Heist.

"Super Bowl" - Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2003)

Even in the bizarre world of Adult Swim's hit series, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, such a thing as the Super Bowl exists. In a Season 2 episode of the popular animated TV show, Master Shake (Dana Snyder) and Carl (Dave Willis) bow to Meatwad's (also Willis) every will in hopes that he will pick one of them to accompany him to the Super Bowl after he wins two tickets.

"The Eskimo" - Boy Meets World

In a classic episode of Boy Meets World, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) assigns Shawn (Rider Strong) the challenge of getting Super Bowl tickets, Cory (Ben Savage) the challenge of helping him succeed, and Topanga (Daniell Fishel) to avoid helping either of them in any way. Shawn does find a way to score the tickets, which requires him to sit at the top of a billboard in freezing temperatures for as long as possible.

“Super Bowl” - George Lopez (2003)

To some people, the Super Bowl is more important than even family, as expressed in a Season 2 episode of George Lopez. It follows George (Geoge Lopez) and his wife, Angie (Constance Marie), attempting to convince his mother, Benny (Belita Moreno), to reconcile with the dying Uncle Joe (Ismael 'East' Carlo). She agrees, but only because she really just wants to get her hands on his tickets to the Big Game.

"Rooferman, Take One" - Smart Guy

In the underrated WB sitcom, Smart Guy, a commercial for Floyd's (John Marshall Jones) roofing business airs in the wee hours of the morning, prompting T.J. (Tahj Mowry) to sneak into the network's studio and try to get the ad a better time slot. Much to his surprise, he accidentally schedules it during the Super Bowl, helping his father's business immensely but also getting himself into trouble.

"Lisa The Greek" - The Simpsons

In "Lisa the Greek," Homer enlists his bright daughter, Lisa, to help him predict the outcome of football games. The episode marks one of several mysterious instances in which The Simpsons correctly predicted future events, having aired just days before Super Bowl XXVI and foretold that the Washington Redskins would win.

Natural Born Killers (1994)

Director Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers is a disturbing crime thriller that has nothing to do with sports, save one small connection. Robert Downey Jr's overzealous journalist Wayne Gale convinces notorious murderer Mickey (Woody Harrelson) to participate in a live interview that would air after the Super Bowl.

"Super Sunday" - The Middle (2011)

One of the multiple storylines in this episode of ABC's hit sitcom, The Middle, involves Mike (Neil Flynn) encouraging Brick (Atticus Shaffer) to take an interest in football right as the Super Bowl is impending.

Maybe This Year (2019)

It was not until Super Bowl LII that the Philadelphia Eagles finally became season champions. Kyle Thrash and Jenifer Westphal's documentary, Maybe This Year, chronicles that journey from the perspective of the team's famously passionate fans.

You're In The Super Bowl, Charlie Brown! (1994)

Originally airing on NBC and later distributed on VHS through Shell Gasoline, You're In The Super Bowl, Charlie Brown! is a fun, 25-minute special in which Charlie Brown and the other kids from Peanuts try to win tickets to the Super Bowl by participating in a football punt pass kick contest.

Superdome (1978)

Superdome follows various dramatic storylines occurring around the Super Bowl, including a killer running amuck during the game. The star-studded cast of this ABC movie of the week includes David Janssen, Edie Adams, Tom Selleck, and more.

"Rabbit Or Duck" - How I Met Your Mother (2010)

This Season 5 episode of How I Met Your Mother was cleverly promoted during the Super Bowl as faux footage of the real game which was also featured in the cold open. The B-plot sees Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) struggling to balance the excess of female attention he receives after attending the Super Bowl and holding up a sign displaying his phone number.

The Sum Of All Fears (2002)

To be fair, the nuclear attack on U.S. soil from director Phil Alden Robinson's The Sum of All Fears, starring Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan, merely takes place at a typical pro football game in Baltimore. However, in Tom Clancy's 1991 novel that inspired it, the tragedy takes place at the Super Bowl, so it technically counts.

With all due respect to some classic central TV show protagonists, there are times when it is a good idea to shift gears a bit and show things from another character’s perspective. This has actually become a relatively common practice as many modern small-screen favorites have given a scene-stealing supporting character (or even a never-before-seen character) the chance to almost completely steal the show for an episode. The following are some of the most revered examples.

“Lower Decks” - Star Trek: The Next Generation

According to TV Tropes, episodes that put supporting characters in the spotlight are referred to as “lower decks episodes.” The term is borrowed from the title of a classic episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation from Season 7 which focuses on a group of younger characters who are working their way up in the ranks at Starfleet.

“Five-O” - Better Call Saul

Sometimes a character becomes such a memorable scene-stealer that they earn their own equally great spin-off series, such as when Breaking Bad's Jimmy "Saul Goodman" McGill (Bob Odenkirk) became the star of the prequel, Better Call Saul. In just its first season, the AMC hit proved that Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) could have led his own series, too, in "Five-O," which peers into his origins as a former Philadelphia police officer.

“Dear Sigmund” - M.A.S.H.

One character from M.A.S.H. whom you could always rely on to give sage advice is Maj. Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus), who got to the be star in a Season 5 episode called "Dear Sigmund." The Alan Alda-directed episode sees the recurring character penning a letter to legendary psychiatrist Sigmund Freud while visiting the 4077.

“Life Of Brian” - My So-Called Life

A great '90s show that ended far too soon was My So-Called Life, which starred Claire Danes in the Golden Globe-winning main role of struggling teen Angela Chase. One of the few episodes not narrated by Angela is the revered "Life of Brian," which primarily focuses on the personal struggles of her friend, Brian Krakow (Devon Gummersall).

“Musings Of A Cigarette Smoking Man” - The X Files

The first episode of The X Files in which David Duchovny's Fox Mulder does not appear at all and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) is only seen briefly in archival footage from the pilot episode is "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man." The Season 4 episode sheds light on the past of the mysterious recurring role (William B. Davis), portraying him almost as a Forrest Gump-like figure for historical assassinations, such as JFK.

“The Zeppo” - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

In the Season 3 Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, "The Zeppo," the titular teen warrior (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is faced with a problem that is merely the B-plot. The main storyline focuses on Xander (Nicholas Brendon), who likens himself to Zeppo Marx, feeling like the gang's most expendable member, until he must singlehandedly take on a group of reanimated corpses conspiring to blow up his high school.

“His Story” - Scrubs

There are several episodes of Scrubs that pass narrative duties from J.D. (Zach Braff) onto another character. The first of the bunch was Season 2's "His Story," which follows Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) as he speaks with his therapist about issues he is experiencing in his personal life.

"How Your Mother Met Me" - How I Met Your Mother

After finally meeting Tracy "The Mother" McConnell (Cristin Milioti) in the Season 8 finale, watching her mingle with the rest of the gang, and catching glimpses of her relationship with Ted (Josh Radnor) throughout Season 9, we finally got to know her personally in How I Met Your Mother's 200th episode. Chronicling the series' entire timeline up to that point all from her perspective (during which she experiences heartbreaking tragedy, tough life decisions, and The Naked Man), "How Your Mother Met Me" is easily considered one of the best HIMYM episodes.

"Chapter 5: Return Of The Mandalorian" - The Book Of Boba Fett

After Tamuera Morrison took on the iconic role of Boba Fett on The Mandalorian Season 2, he became the star of his own seven-part spin-off, The Book of Boba Fett. However, the fifth chapter sees the limited series essentially become The Mandalorian Season 2.5 as it focuses entirely on Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin, who ends up becoming the star of the show from that point on.

"Long, Long Time" - The Last Of Us

The most widely celebrated episode of HBO's series adaptation of the popular video game series, The Last of Us, spends the least amount of time with our central protagonists, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). The Emmy-winning "Long, Long Time" is also the first and last episode to feature the characters of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), tracing their loving relationship over several years after the cordyceps outbreak.

"Teddy Perkins" - Atlanta

Arguably, the best episode of Atlanta has very little to do with creator Donald Glover's Earn or Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry) but does heavily feature Glover in a whole different kind of role. The main focus of Season 2's "Teddy Perkins" is Lakeith Stanfield's Darius, who is seeking to buy a piano from the episode's reclusive, eccentric title character (played by a nearly unrecognizable Glover under heavy makeup, who is discovered to be hiding a disturbing secret.

"Almost Got 'Im" - Batman: The Animated Series

Many DC fans agree that the best episode of Batman: The Animated Series is one that shifts the perspective from Kevin Conroy's Dark Knight to the five most notorious members of his rogues gallery. In "Almost Got 'Im," Poison Ivy, The Penguin, The Joker, Two-Face, and Killer Croc gather for a Poker game, during which they trade stories about the times they came closest to defeating the Caped Crusader.

"Wilson" - House

Considering how the titular diagnostician from House (played by Hugh Laurie) is inspired by Sherlock Holmes (whose stories are narrated by John Watson), it is funny that the medical drama is not told from the perspective of the "Watson" in his life. That would change in Season 6 with the airing of "Wilson," which follows Robert Sean Leonard's Dr. James Wilson racing to save the life of his friend, Tucker (Joshua Malina).

"The Ricklantis Mixup" - Rick And Morty

Technically, this classic Rick and Morty episode shows more of the titular duo than any other but because it is really told from the point of view of their many alternate selves, it deserves a spot. The misleadingly titled "The Ricklantis Mixup" is essentially a mini-anthology movie that takes place during a day at the Citadel of Ricks from various perspectives.

"Exposé" - Lost

Out of the many survivors of the plane crash, only a chosen few were recognized as main members of the Lost cast but one episode revealed the backstories of two lesser-seen survivors. "Exposé" begins with Nikki (Kiele Sanchez) and Paulo (Rodrigo Santoro) found dead before flashing back to the couple's lives before the island and their experiences on it.

"A Jury In Jail" - American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson

The eighth episode of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson still depicts a great deal of the legendary trial from the perspective of the accused former athlete (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) and the opposing legal teams. However, the focus does shift more heavily to the jury and their alternates as sequestration begins to have a challenging effect on them.

"Beard After Hours" - Ted Lasso

In Season 2 of one of the best Apple TV+ original TV shows, Ted Lasso, "Man City" sees Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) go off on his own after AFC Richmond suffers a tough loss. The following episode, "Beard After Hours," sees what the character went through after he walked away, which involves an epic, night-long journey of debauchery, self-discovery, and near-death experiences.

"Pine Barrens" - The Sopranos

Tony (James Gandolfini) and his souring affair with Gloria is the B-plot of the Season 3 Sopranos episode, "Pine Barrens." The central focus is Christopher (Michael Imperioli) and Paulie (Tony Sirico), who come close to freezing to death after getting lost in the woods after being tasked with running collections for the flu-ridden Silvio.

"Blink" - Doctor Who

One of the most acclaimed (and frightening) modern episodes of Doctor Who, "Blink," barely features David Tennant's eponymous time lord or his companion, Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), due to them becoming stuck in the year 1969. Thus, it is up to a woman from the present day named Sally Sparrow (Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan) to prevent statue-esque creatures called Weeping Angels from taking control of the TARDIS.

"What Wood You Wear?" - Dave

While FX's Dave is a fictionalized look at the rise of Dave "'Lil Dicky" Burd (who also co-creates and stars as himself), the humorous hip-hop artist was sure not to hog the spotlight for the first season's entirety. In the seventh episode, "What Wood You Wear?," Dave's buddy Elz (Travis "Taco" Bennett) takes center stage as it follows him DJing at a silent disco and sparking a romantic connection with Emma (Christine Ko).

"Live Bait" - The Walking Dead

Season 3 of The Walking Dead ended with The Governor (David Morrissey) wiping out most of his crew and taking off with the last of his loyal henchpeople. The sixth episode of the fourth season, "Live Bait," fills us in on what he had been up to since then, showing evidence of redemption since Woodbury's destruction as he bonds with a small family but also evidence of a further descent into madness, which leads to his attack on the prison.

"A Quick One, While He's Away" - BoJack Horseman

In addition to any of the main characters from Netflix's animated acclaimed TV sitcom, BoJack Horseman, Will Arnett's eponymous washed-up celebrity does not show up, nor is he mentioned by name in Season 6's "A Quick One, While He's Away." However, the episode does focus on characters who have been heavily, and mostly negatively, affected by his actions, based on their implied references to him.

"Teacup" - Man Seeking Woman

Creator Simon Rich's absurd romantic fantasy satire, Man Seeking Woman, is told largely from a male perspective (specifically that of Jay Baruchel's Josh Greenberg) but flips the script with Season 1's "Teacup," which makes Josh's sister, Liz (future Severance cast member, Britt Lower), the star. Liz experiences common pains of modern dating in a ridiculously exaggerated manner, from becoming jealous of a group of married girls who are much younger (elementary school age, to be exact) to literally Frankensteining the perfect man for her, only to learn he is gay.

"Zuko Alone" - Avatar: The Last Airbender

One of the most interesting ways that a TV show can shake things up is by making its main antagonist the star of an episode, such as "Zuko Alone" from Nickelodeon's original Avatar: The Last Airbender series. The seventh chapter of "Book Two: Earth" sees the Firebender (voiced by Dante Basco) reminiscing about his childhood after he is exiled from his village.

"New York, I Love You" - Master Of None

In a Season 2 episode of Netflix's Master of None called "New York, I Love You," Dev (co-creator Aziz Ansari) and his friends only appear in the bookend scenes. Instead, the focus shifts primarily toward the intersecting lives of a group of never-before-seen working-class New Yorkers, including a doorman, a deaf cashier, and a taxi driver.

“Ballad Of The Lonesome Loser" - High Fidelity

Much like the classic music movie Nick Hornby's novel inspired in 2000, Hulu's series adaptation of High Fidelity follows the romantic challenges of record store owner Rob Gordon (Zoë Kravitz)... except for Episode 8. In "Ballad of the Lonesome Loser," Rob's gay friend and coworker Simon (David H. Holmes) gets the chance to break the fourth wall and discuss his romantic struggles.

“The Algae's Always Greener" - SpongeBob Squarepants

Plankton (voiced by Mr. Lawrence) has been the primary focus in a few episodes of SpongeBob Squarepants, the funniest and most amusing of which would have to be "The Algae's Always Greener." Fed up with always failing in his attempts to steal the Krabby Patty Secret Formula, the pint-sized Chum Bucket owner uses a special device that allows him to experience life from the perspective of his longtime rival, Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown).

"A View From The Gallery" - Babylon 5

Years after Star Trek: The Next Generation helped coin the "lower decks episode" term, Babylon 5 – a sci-fi series that earns many comparisons to the Star Trek franchise – released its own. "A View from the Gallery" is told largely from the perspective of the eponymous space station's custodial crew.

"Tarrare" - Atlanta

The Season 3 finale of Atlanta, "Tarrare," provided an eye-opening explanation for Vanessa's (Zazie Beetz) unusual behavior, showing that she has adopted a bizarre alternate personality, and a French accent while living in Paris. Donald Glover's Earn is the only other main character to appear in the episode but does not show up until the even weirder post-credit sequence.

"5 To 9" - House

After dedicating an entire episode to Robert Sean Leonard's Wilson, House gave Lisa Edelstein's Dr. Lisa Cuddy the same treatment. Season 6's "5 to 9" follows a day in the life of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's Dean of Medicine and Chief Hospital Administrator.

"Symphony Of Illumination" - How I Met Your Mother

In the Season 7 episode, "Symphony of Illumination," How I Met Your Mother cast member Cobie Smulders' Robin Scherbatsky takes over as the narrator to tell her future son and daughter about her and Barney's (Neil Patrick Harris) pregnancy scare. However, she later discovers that she is actually unable to have children and the kids she was talking to only existed in her imagination.

“Relevance” - Person Of Interest

Season 2 of CBS' Person of Interest introduced a new character named Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi) in an episode that made her the star of most of the action.

It’s not too much of a stretch to say that we’ve all been in a position where we put off folding laundry for so long we’re left with a giant mound of clothes, sheets, towels, and orphaned socks. What do you do in that situation? Put on a show that is perfect for background noise, of course!

With some of the best cartoons of all time, one or two of the greatest sitcoms ever made, or random docuseries and educational programs, here’s a list of 32 shows that are perfect for background noise while folding laundry.

Law & Order (1990 - 2010; 2022 - Present)

Law & Order, with its 500-plus episodes, has made the laundry-folding process a little better for decades now thanks to its grisly murders, captivating courtroom sequences, and too many “Jack McCoy” moments to count. This isn’t a knock on the show, but you don’t even really have to pay attention all that much to know what’s going on.

How It's Made (2001 - 2019)

Okay, you might get distracted by the manufacturing processes for things like Crayons, crackers, pillows, bowling balls, and thousands of other items featured on this long-running educational program, but How It’s Made makes for some great background noise. The soothing narration, that catchy music, and endless shots of everyday items being made make this a perfect option.

Home Improvement (1991 - 1999)

Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor (Tim Allen) probably never folded a shirt in his life (at least not properly), but that doesn’t mean Home Improvement is a great option for the laundry-folding machine in all of us. If you’re folding one basket, or two baskets, or trying to save your room from the pile that never goes away, this beloved ‘90s TV show will help you pass the time.

The Simpsons (1989 - Present)

With countless characters we love to hate, all kinds of zany situations, and more than 700 episodes to choose from, The Simpsons is one of those shows you can have on in the background in any situation. So, it’s not all surprising that this is a great option for laundry day.

The West Wing (1999 - 2006)

Considered one of the “peak TV era” shows, The West Wing was a staple of network television in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. That said, it’s not hard to imagine that at least a few people have gone through much of the Bartlet Administration while folding and pressing their laundry.

Friends (1994 - 2004)

When you have an episode with a title like“ The One with the East German Laundry Detergent,” you know Friends is going to be a great show to have on while folding your clothes. The landmark sitcom is pretty much the TV equivalent of a warm blanket, so it makes total sense.

Unsolved Mysteries (1987 - Present)

One of the greatest true crime shows to ever hit the small screen, Unsolved Mysteries has been there for many of us for years. First, the classic episodes hosted by Robert Stack helped us pass the time and eat snacks after school. Now, those very same episodes (as well as the Netflix revival) are there for… laundry. Where all these clothes come from is the real unsolved mystery in households around the country.

Scrubs (2001 - 2010)

Bill Lawrence’s Scrubs is one of the best comedies set in a hospital and one of the best medical shows of all time. That said, it’s also a perfect show to watch while folding laundry. Well, unless you experience one of J.D.’s elaborate daydreams while sorting socks. Maybe that explains where those missing socks have gone.

Cheers (1982 - 1993)

No judging here, but some of us have a certain stack of clothes that are pretty much like Norm from Cheers at this point. You know that the laundry will be there tomorrow like it was there today and yesterday (and the day before that).

Planet Earth (2006)

Planet Earth is one of those shows that’s perfect for just about any task around the house, especially with David Attenborough’s comforting narration perfectly explaining everything on the screen. And who knows, maybe you’ll go through the entire docuseries and its various sequels and spinoffs by the time you finish.

Burn Notice (2007 - 2013)

Aziz Ansari’s cousin Harris loves Burn Notice, but does he love watching the USA Network original show while folding his clothes? We’re kind of afraid to ask. Regardless, this spy series starring Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, and Bruce Campbell is one of those shows that feels tailor-made for the mindless task of laundry sorting.

Trailer Park Boys (2001 - 2007; 2014 - 2018)

Trailer Park Boys probably isn’t the first show that comes to mind when you’re trying to be productive, but this Canadian comedy series about the residents of Sunnyvale Trailer Park is the very definition of mindless, crude entertainment. Sure, you won’t want the kids around with the show’s profanity, but this would be great for a late-night laundry session.

30 Rock (2006 - 2013)

With seven seasons and nearly 140 episodes to watch, 30 Rock has more than enough laughs and crazy moments to get you through even the biggest of laundry piles. With its cast of characters working on the fictional TGS sketch comedy series, this beloved NBC comedy will do the trick.

Full House (1987 - 1995)

What would Danny Tanner do? Well, he probably wouldn’t let his laundry situation get out of hand, despite having an ever-growing group of roommates. All jokes aside about the Full House patriarch’s obsession with cleanliness and order, this long-running sitcom has gotten millions of people through laundry baskets over the years. Join in on the fun.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005 - Present)

Now, there’s a chance you get distracted by all those absurd It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia side characters (or even the main cast), but this FX comedy series is peak-laundry folding material. Just make sure you don’t come up with some ridiculous scheme to hide the clothes or pass the task on to someone else.

The Office (2005 - 2013)

Though the series did “jump the shark” near the end, The Office is still one of the best American sitcoms ever made. With a total of 201 episodes and thousands of hilarious and iconic jokes, there’s more than enough to keep you entertained while you work your way through that basket of socks that’s been taunting you for years.

Pawn Stars (2009 - Present)

With more than 650 episodes, all kinds of remarkable and odd pieces of memorabilia and historical artifacts, Pawn Stars has been one of the most popular shows on the History Channel for years now. And while we would love to be able to say “I know a guy” who can handle all these clothes, Rick Harrison and company at Gold & Silver Pawn Shop will help make the folding process a little more entertaining.

American Pickers (2010 - Present)

Like a lot of other great History Channel shows, American Pickers is one of those series perfect for background noise. You don’t really have to follow along to the finer points of the reality program, which is perfect when you’re about halfway through a load of clothes that you really need to finish.

Seinfeld (1989 - 1998)

Who would have thought that a show about nothing would be perfect for laundry? Well, that’s the case for Seinfeld. Sure, you’re probably going to get distracted, put mismatched socks together, or accidentally merge the “keep” and “give away” stacks on the foot of the bed, but it’s worth it.

Parks And Recreation (2009 - 2015)

Though it’s unlikely that Ron Swanson would be too fond of spending hours folding clothes, Parks and Recreation is a show that is perfect for the task. Sure, you may be stuck in a pit of clothes that were washed weeks ago before you finally pull yourself out, but it’s all about the journey.

Family Guy (1999 - Present)

Family Guy, one of the best-animated series of the 21st century, is also a great show to have on in the background while doing just about anything. This includes doing laundry. Sure, there are things we’d rather be doing than folding clothes, but this long-running Fox show certainly makes the task less mind-numbing.

Gilmore Girls (2000 - 2007)

Lorelai and Rory Gilmore guiding us through the ups and downs of small-town life is a great way to make doing laundry a lot more fun, or at least more melodramatic. With seven seasons, 153 episodes, and so many romances to explore, this is definitely a great option for folks who’ve put on laundry for like two months.

The UnXplained (2019 - Present)

How did this stack of clothes get so big? Is this clean, cleanish, or dirty? Does William Shatner fold his own clothes? These are questions with no answers, but The UnXplained will distract you from those mysteries while you search for that missing sock or No Country for Old Man bootleg t-shirt that disappeared in the wash.

Suits (2011 - 2019)

From 2011 to 2019, few shows reached the heights experienced by Suits. This USA Network drama about the high-stakes world of corporate law introduced viewers to all kinds of characters and intense situations along the way. And while few, if any, of those managing partners and ladder-climbing associates did their own laundry, they can help you do yours.

The X Files (1993 - 2002; 2016 - 2018)

A show that made it more than 10 seasons, The X Files was one of the most well-known and watched series of the ‘90s. If you want to mix things up with the laundry and imagine a world in which aliens and other paranormal creatures appear (and possibly help fold those fitted sheets), this landmark sci-fi show will do the trick.

The Great British Baking Show (2014 - Present)

The Great British Baking Show, or The Great British Bake Off as it’s known in its native United Kingdom, is one of the most delicious, hilarious, and watchable cooking shows to ever grace the small screen. While we typically prefer seeing these delectable creations (or disasters) in all their glory, maybe folding clothes will distract and prevent you from mindlessly eating as you watch.

Modern Family (2009 - 2020)

There’s nothing dysfunctional about the Dunphy and Pritchett families from Modern Family, right? Well, maybe a little. This long-running sitcom is one the best options when you’re trying to fold clothes, or really do anything around the house. You’ll be so fixated by Phil coming up with some scheme, Cameron and Mitchell having a meltdown, or Jay being over it all that you’ll forget you’re doing laundry.

Somebody Feed Phil (2018 - Present)

Somebody Feed Phil, a show that follows Everybody Loves Raymond co-creator Phil Rosenthal as he travels the globe to eat anything and everything in his field of view. With so many seasons, so many culinary explorations, and some hilarious moments involving a man loving food way too much, there’s a lot to enjoy.

House (2004 - 2012)

House is one of those shows you can start watching halfway through an episode and still get a lot of enjoyment out of it. One of the best medical dramas of the 21st century, this show starring Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House will allow you to solve all sorts of medical problems and mysteries as you fold your kids' clothes that never really seem to get clean.

Grey's Anatomy (2005 - Present)

Since its debut in 2005, Grey’s Anatomy has combined elements of the medical drama genre with romance and sometimes action to create an experience like no other. If you’re looking for hundreds of hours of TV to help make the laundry go from a mound of madness to a stack of clothes you’ll soon forget to put away, this is the stuff.

MTV True Life (1998 - 2017)

MTV True Life was a long-running documentary series that chronicled pretty much every aspect of life for teenagers, adults, and everyone else. With dozens of episodes about everything from wrestling to odd obsessions, you’ll have a lot of variety when you’re folding the sheets.

How I Met Your Mother (2005 - 2014)

How I Met Your Mother has nine seasons of romance, bromance, chaos, and more twists and turns than anyone can count. That’s why it’s such a darn good show for the weekly (or monthly) laundry experience. Watch Ted Mosby fall in and out of love and back in it again as you contemplate your own life, or at least laundry decisions.

There is nothing that makes one’s heart melt quite like a person declaring their desire to spend the rest of their lives with another. This does not just go for real life but also for fictional marriage proposal on both the big and screen alike. The following are some of the most unique and romantic examples we have ever seen.

Maggie Proposes To Ike (Runaway Bride)

In one of Julia Roberts’ best romantic comedy movies, 1999’s Runaway Bride, her character, Maggie Carpenter, spends the entirety of the movie struggling with her ability to commit and her tendency to leave her grooms at the altar. That is until she meets columnist Ike Graham (Richard Gere) and shows how far she has come from the moment she fell for him by popping the question herself.

Patrick Proposes To David (Schitt's Creek)

Schitt's Creek is one of the most heartwarming and simply best sitcoms of all time and a key reason is the romance between David Rose (co-creator Dan Levy) and Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid). Their relationship hits its adorable peak when Patrick takes David to his favorite spot to make the "easiest decision" of his life and presents him with a set of four engagement rings to match the four rings he usually wears on his right hand.

Jamie Proposes To Aurelia (Love Actually)

Easily one of the more uplifting storylines from 2003's Love Actually is that of cuckolded writer Jamie (Colin Firth), who falls for Portuguese housekeeper Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz) while spending the holiday at his French cottage. After they part ways, he learns her language (and almost gets all the words right) to ask her to marry him in front of a full crowd at the restaurant where she works.

Dexter Proposes To Rita (Dexter)

After his girlfriend, Rita Bennett (Julie Benz) becomes unexpectedly pregnant with their son, Dexter Morgan (Michael. C Hall) finds the courage (and the right words, which he borrows from another murderer) to make the ultimate commitment to her despite his commitment to slaughtering Miami's worst. Unfortunately, their marriage came to a tragic end in the fourth and, arguably, the best season of Dexter when, in one of TV's most shocking cliffhangers, he discovers his wife has been killed by The Trinity Killer.

Robbie Proposes To Julia (The Wedding Singer)

In just about Adam Sandler's best romantic-comedy movie, 1998's The Wedding Singer, Robbie (Sandler) ultimately stops Julia's (Drew Barrymore) impending nuptials to the wrong guy with an impromptu serenade on a plane with help from first-class passengers, including Billy Idol as himself, and the airline staff. He never says "Will you marry me?" but the next scene is their wedding so we can assume they were essentially engaged at this moment.

Schmidt Proposes To Cece (New Girl)

In the pilot episode of New Girl, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) was forced to donate a $5 bill to the Douchebag Jar after proclaiming he would marry Cece (Hannah Simone) the day he met her. He would then present that exact bill to her when he finally popped the question after several frustrating seasons of back-and-forth dating and flirting.

Ian Proposes To Toula (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

The big question that leads to the eponymous main event from My Big Fat Greek Wedding is, actually, one of cinema's more simple marriage proposals, occurring spontaneously while Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) and Ian Miller (John Corbett) are lying together in bed. Still, it is a memorable scene from the 2002 hit and a memorable moment for the romantic-comedy movie genre in general for how well it depicts the couple's mutual passion.

Jim Proposes To Pam (The Office)

The two-part Season 5 premiere of The Office marks a pivotal moment in Jim and Pam's relationship timeline, as Pam (Jenna Fischer) has been taking art classes in New York. When Jim (John Krasinski) requests to meet her halfway (but actually "not halfway," based on Pam's math) at a gas station in the pouring rain, he surprises her with the question she (and viewers) have been waiting for.

Andrew Proposes To Margaret (The Proposal)

In 2009's The Proposal, Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) initially blackmails her assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), into marrying her so the Canadian-born editor can avoid deportation. However, after she catches genuine feelings and cancels their fake wedding, he realizes his true feelings and makes a genuine proposal to her.

Chandler Proposes To Monica (Friends)

One of the most famous tearjerker moments from Chandler and Monica's relationship timeline on Friends almost begins in disaster after a surprise run-in with Monica's (Courtney Cox) ex, Richard (Tom Selleck), on the night Chandler (Matthew Perry) planned to propose. This convinces him to feign disinterest in marriage to savor the surprise, but that only seems to make things worse until he turns out to be the surprised one, showing up at their apartment to find Monica surrounded by candles. When she tearfully can not finish her own attempt to pop the question, Chandler finishes the act.

Harry Proposes To Sally (When Harry Met Sally)

Harry's (Billy Crystal) climactic confession to Sally (Meg Ryan) at the end of 1989's When Harry Met Sally during a New Year's Eve party is not exactly a marriage proposal per se. However, it is an admission that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her (and wants the rest of his life to start "as soon as possible") and in one of the most beautifully constructed speeches in cinematic history.

Jake Proposes To Amy (Brooklyn Nine-NIne)

Arguably the best episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine sees the precinct participating in their fifth annual Halloween heist, which Det. Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) believes she has won when she finds the championship belt in the evidence locker. However, her boyfriend, Det. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), advises her to take a better look at the inscription on the belt, which reads, "Amy Santiago, will you marry me?"

Landon Proposes To Jamie (A Walk to Remember)

A memorable Nicolas Sparks adaptation that predates The Notebook is 2002's A Walk to Remember, in which troubled teen Landon Carter (Shane West) unexpectedly falls for shy Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore). After discovering that she has leukemia, he decides to propose to her under the night sky as a comet passes by so that he can marry her before she succumbs to her illness.

Niles Proposes To Daphne (Frasier)

On Frasier, Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) attempts to plan the perfect marriage proposal to Daphne (Jane Leeves), complete with a string quartet, kid actors dressed as angels, and a dinner prepared by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. However, when Daphne arrives at the apartment with the flu, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) must help his brother covertly escort the performers out. It is then that Niles decides it is still the perfect time to pop the question.

Johnny Proposes To June (Walk The Line)

Director James Mangold's 2005 music biopic, Walk the Line, sees Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) make two attempts to propose to June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). After his first go at it on a tour bus has unfavorable results, The Man in Black tries again by interrupting a public musical duet and tells her that he cannot finish the song until he gets an answer. She tells him, yes.

Ben Proposes To Leslie (Parks And Recreation)

In the fifth season of Parks and Recreation, the future seems uncertain for Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) because the latter might be forced to move to Florida for work. Instead, at the end of the episode, "Halloween Surprise," he unexpectedly shows up to propose to the politician, who interrupts him a couple of times to better remember how perfect everything in her life is at that moment.

Wade Proposes To Vanessa (Deadpool)

The way Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) pops the question to Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) is perfectly on brand for 2016's hilarious superhero movie, Deadpool. The future Merc with a Mouth's engagement ring of choice (which is revealed to have been hidden between his butt cheeks) is a Ring Pop.

Blaine Proposes To Kurt (Glee)

For the moment when Blaine (Darren Criss) popped the question to Kurt (Chris Colfer) on Glee, the show depicted the moment the only way it could have. Kurt's friends from McKinley help perfect the proposal by participating in a rendition of The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love."

Nick Proposes To Rachel (Crazy Rich Asians)

Admittedly, the scene from Crazy Rich Asians in which Nick Young (Henry Golding) asks Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) to marry him is a bit cliché-ridden, especially since it takes on an airplane. However, considering the ups and downs the couple had faced in director Jon M. Chu's hit 2018 adaptation of Kevin Kwan's novel, they deserved an old-fashioned storybook climax.

Mike Proposes To Rachel (Suits)

Before her marriage to Prince Harry captured the world's hearts, Meghan Markle, as Rachel Zane, shared a captivating onscreen romance with fellow Suits cast member Patrick J. Adams as Michael Ross. The lawyer first lists off all the reasons why he loves the paralegal-turned-attorney before presenting her with his grandmother's ring at the moment he asks for her hand in marriage.

Jim Proposes To Katherine (Hidden Figures)

The astonishing true story depicted in 2016's Hidden Figures is complemented by an astonishing marriage proposal by military officer Jim Johnson (Mahershala Ali) to mathematician Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson). He begins by cooking her and her family a special dinner before surprising her with a ring and an admission that he called his mother the day after he met Katherine to tell her that she was the one he would marry.

Barney Proposes To Robin (How I Met Your Mother)

The two-part Season 8 mid-season finale of How I Met Your Mother reveals that nearly everything we have seen Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) do that season has been part of an elaborate ruse from his famed Playbook. However, the ultimate goal of the play is not to get his off-and-on lover Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) into bed but to finally reignite their relationship and get her to make the ultimate commitment with him, which she tearfully accepts on the rooftop of the World Wide News building.

Edward Proposes To Sandra (Big Fish)

In director Tim Burton's 2003 fantasy Big Fish, Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor) experiences love at first sight with Sandra Templeton (Alison Lohman) and, despite her having a fiancée, proceeds to ask this woman he barely knows to marry him multiple times. She finally breaks off her current engagement after Edward picks thousands of daffodils, her favorite flowers, and gathers them in an unbelievable assortment outside her house.

Brian Proposes To Charlie (Shrinking)

In the acclaimed Apple TV+ series, Shrinking, Brian (Michael Urie) creates an elaborate plan to ask his longtime boyfriend, Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), to marry him, which includes singing a song with help on piano from Jimmy (Jason Segel), who ruins it by drunkenly regurgitating. A frustrated Brian then admits his intentions to Charlie, who, before Brian can even compose himself to officially ask the question, readily accepts.

Mr. Darcy Proposes To Elizabeth (Pride And Prejudice)

Director Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice features one of the most romantic movie quotes of all time. Despite his once rivalrous relationship with Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley), Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfayden) tells her, "You have bewitched me body and soul," during one of the multiple times he asks for her hand in marriage.

Ben Proposes To Miranda (Grey's Anatomy)

One of the most romantic moments from Grey's Anatomy begins in the middle of an operation when Ben Warren (Jason Winston George) expresses his disappointment that he and Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) were unable to work on the daily crossword. In the OR, Miranda pettily begins completing the puzzle herself and comes to discover that the answer to the clue, “My question to you,” is, "Will you marry me?" and that the entire crossword was crafted by Ben.

Ronny Proposes To Loretta (Moonstruck)

In 1987's Moonstruck, Loretta Castorini (Cher) becomes engaged to Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) but unexpectedly falls into an affair with his brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage). Everything works out, however, when Johnny calls off the engagement for his mother's sake and, seconds later, Ronny borrows the ring to ask for Loretta's hand in marriage.

Glenn Proposes To Maggie (The Walking Dead)

Taking place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland overrun with reanimated corpses, The Walking Dead is not quite what one would call a romantic show but does give audiences a romance to root for between Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun) and Maggie Green (Lauren Cohan). The former pizza deliverer would make his relationship with her official by presenting her with a ring he pulled off a walker's finger.

Andrew Proposes To Melanie (Sweet Home Alabama)

Andrew Hennings (Patrick Dempsey) is, ultimately, not the man we are supposed to root for Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) to end up with in 2002's Sweet Home Alabama. However, the way he pops the question by walking her into a room full of various engagement rings for her to choose from is a dream scenario.

Toby Proposes To Kate (This Is Us)

Toby Damon (Chris Sullivan) pays a good amount of money to make his unique way of proposing to Kate Pearson (Chrissy Metz) a reality on This is Us. He unzips multiple hoodies that each read a different section of the phrase, "Will you marry me?"

Jeremy Proposes to Kristen (Think Like A Man)

In Think Like a Man, commitmentphobe Jeremy Kern (Jerry Ferrara) is so overwhelmed with emotion when popping the question to Kristen (Gabrielle Union) that he accidentally says, "I want to be your wife, and I want to be your husband," before quickly correcting himself. It is easily one of the sweetest moments from the 2012 adaptation of Steve Harvey's self-help book.

Ross Proposes To Emily (Friends)

While Ross Gellar's (David Schwimmer) marriage to Emily (Helen Baxendale) proved to be ill-fated, his spur-of-the-moment decision to ask her to marry him right before she is supposed to leave for London is still one of the sweetest moments from Friends.

For decades, countless TV shows have relied on a trope that has come to be known as the "will they, won't they?" phenomenon, in which the story teases the romantic potential of two central characters with great chemistry. The gimmick has worked on many audiences who love tuning in to see if the couple is one step closer to breaking from their platonic dynamic, however, when that moment finally comes, it does not always lead to a happily ever after, especially for the show they were on. We looked at several classic TV sitcoms and hits of other genres, too, and found some prime examples of couples who perhaps should have stayed friends for series' sake.

Rachel And Joey On Friends

The first couple of seasons of Friends largely focused on the potential romance between Ross Gellar (David Schwimmer) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), which ultimately proved to be one worth rooting for even during their rough patches. However, Rachel and Joey's (Matt LeBlanc) brief attempt to date after developing feelings for one another was so awkward that it was even acknowledged by the characters before they decided to go back to being platonic.

J.D. And Elliot On Scrubs

When J.D. (Zach Braff) and Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke) first come together on Scrubs, it is one of the most fun and fulfilling plot developments from the medical comedy's early days. However, their rekindling in Season 8 does not have quite the same magic, which might also be a symptom of its less-beloved final years.

Troy And Britta On Community

Following hints that Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) and Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs) had developed feelings for each other, the study group members' romance was made official in Season 4. Of course, that season, considered the worst season of the show, is also referred to as "The Gas Leak Year" to explain why everyone at Greendale was acting a little off during that time and we consider this awkward and unfunny coupling an essential example of that.

Mulder And Scully On The X-Files

Creator Chris Carter's The X-Files, which follows the unusual investigations of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), is considered to be one of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time but another genre you could lump it in with is romance. However, the series was at its best when it only went as far as implying a spark between the FBI agents but was at its weakest any time it went in more explicit directions.

Barney And Robin On How I Met Your Mother

The first season of How I Met Your Mother saw Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) going back and forth on his feelings for Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) before they finally took the leap in a satisfying way or, at least, far more satisfying than Robin's relationship with Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris). The coupling never quite felt right and the fact that most of Season 9 is set at the weekend, which leads to divorce in the finale, makes it feel even more wasted.

Dawson And Joey On Dawson's Creek

The concept of James Van Der Beek's title character from Dawson's Creek having romantic potential with his childhood friend, Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) was already a little too on-the-nose at the time. Their tumultuous "will they, won't they" arc was so irritatingly drawn out and their inevitable coupling proved to lack some significant chemistry, ultimately making it clear that they were not right for each other.

Steve And Laura On Family Matters

You could argue that making Steve Urkel actor Jaleel White the star of the Family Matters cast was the true beginning of the end for the sitcom in terms of overall quality, considering it was originally supposed to be about his neighbors, the Winslows. However, seeing the stereotypical nerd's one-sided crush on Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) turn into an actual relationship might be the series' furthest leap over the shark.

Sam And Rebecca On Cheers

Perhaps the quintessential example of an ideal "will they, won't they" relationship is that of Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) from the Cheers cast, whose relationship may have ended by bittersweet means but was fun and satisfying while it lasted. As a result, the bartender's similar "will they, won't they" dynamic and eventual romance with his manager Rebecca Howe (Long's replacement, Kirstie Alley) was not necessarily a detriment to the long-running series but deeply pales in comparison.

Luke And Lorelai On Gilmore Girls

An essential example of a "will they, won't they?" dynamic being far more entertaining than the inevitable romance is Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and Luke Danes (Scott Patterson) from the Gilmore Girls cast. Everything about the single mother's relationship with the diner owner, especially their witty banter, was at its peak when they were still strictly friends who occasionally flirted.

Maddie And David On Moonlighting

One of the first couples that comes to mind when the topic of "will they, won't they" arcs with disappointing turnouts is brought up is David Addison (Bruce Willis) and Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) on the Emmy-winning comedy, Moonlighting. The pair – a sarcastic detective and a former model managing a private investigation firm – drove each other nuts and teased a potential romance for several seasons until they finally gave it a shot but with an underwhelming reception from critics and audiences alike.

Erin And Andy On The Office

If there is one undeniably positive thing we can say about Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) and his relationship with Erin Haynes (Ellie Kemper), it is that the hapless Dunder Mifflin salesperson and flighty receptionist make a much better couple than he and Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey). However, Andy and Angela's tragically one-sided dynamic (particularly due to her secret affection for Dwight) led to jokes and storylines that were far more interesting by comparison.

Damon And Elena On The Vampire Diaries

The CW's hit vampire TV show, The Vampire Diaries, boasted the distinction of having a "will they, won't they" arc that branched off from a different trope: the love triangle between Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) and undead brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). While "Delena" ended up becoming the winning couple, the challenges they faced – from memory-erasing storylines to Dobrev's exit from the cast – made for an exhausting watch until their happy ending in the series finale.

Daenerys And Jon On Game Of Thrones

Most fans of Games of Thrones would agree that the HBO original series started to go downhill once the writers began deviating from the original source material, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels. One such disappointing element of the epic fantasy show was the romance between Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) – a relationship that saw the fan-favorite characters veering into directions that seemed unnatural for how they were developed.

Nick And Jess On New Girl

Even though they retained a pleasantly platonic relationship early on, anyone who has ever seen a sitcom likely was able to predict that Jessica "Jess" Day (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) from the New Girl cast were destined for romance from the beginning. For how much it was a delight watching the roommates become a couple, most would agree that the show was always at its best when they were still friends.

Booth And Brennan On Bones

Fans of Bones would argue that seeing forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) officially becoming a couple after years of teasing did not ruin the crime procedural by any stretch. However, many viewers were disappointed to see the series immediately jump ahead and show them settled down and with a baby on the way instead of taking the time to show the natural evolution of their relationship.

House And Cuddy On House

Admittedly, it was fun to watch Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) flirt with Dean of Medicine Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) but no one could have imagined that such as selfish, manipulative, and emotionally unavailable jerk like him could be in a loving relationship with her. Of course, it was these very behaviors that doomed their romance, which ended permanently when Edelstein left the hit medical drama.

Rory And Jess On Gilmore Girls

The romance between Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki) was a sweet tale of first love that made Gilmore Girls' inaugural run a winning first season. Unfortunately, after Luke's troubled nephew, Jess Mariano (Milo Ventimiglia), moved to Stars Hollow and piqued Rory's interest, it ruined the relationship and, after she and Jess became official, her likability began to wane.

Buffy and Spike On Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Angel (David Boreanaz) briefly shared a romance that Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans would agree was fun and exciting. In fact, we can think of several reasons why Buffy should have picked Angel over Spike (James Marsters), who was never intended to be a regular character in the first place anyway.

Josh And Donna On The West Wing

There is no denying that among the West Wing cast members, Bradley Whitford's Josh Lyman and his assistant Donna Moss (Janel Moloney) had one of the most irresistible dynamics. However, when their relationship became more than strictly professional, the coupling was largely deemed as coming too late into the political drama to make for a satisfying outcome.

Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin was an otherwise sweet and inspiring dramedy who did not know how to handle the blossoming romance at the center of it all. Because of various contrived developments and signs of incompatibility, the title character (played by Gina Rodriguez) and Rafael (Justin Baldoni) are considered one of the weakest TV couples in recent memory.

Max And Helen On New Amsterdam

One of the biggest mistakes that a TV show can make when pairing up a "will they, won't they?" couple is changing the fundamental makeup of each character. That is how many fans felt when Dr. Max Goodwin (former The Blacklist cast member Ryan Eggold) and Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman) struck up a relationship on the NBC medical drama, New Amsterdam.

Clark And Lana On Smallville

Smallville established at the very beginning that Clark Kent (Tom Welling) had a crush on classmate Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) and eventually formed a relationship with her that was riddled by an unstable foundation before they split in Season 8. Luckily, soon after, Clark would begin dating his true soulmate, Lois Lane (Erica Durance).

Jackie And Fez On That '70s Show

To be fair, fans and critics would agree that That '70s Show had already been experiencing a steep decline in quality by the time Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis) developed a crush on Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) out of the blue in the seventh and final season. However, seeing them finally come together in the finale following years of Jackie rejecting him just felt weird and the creators seemed to agree, based on how they split them up and got Jackie and Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) back together for That '90s Show.

Zack And Kelly On Saved By The Bell

Watching Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) pursue Kelly Kapowki (Tiffani Thiessen) to no avail was always one of the most fun things about Saved by the Bell. Watching the often horribly behaved sitcom kid become a true romantic and win Kelly's heart just felt off-brand and things only became more ridiculous when they got engaged during Saved By the Bell: The College Years.

Coulson And May On Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have enjoyed shipping characters, but few "will they, won't they?" couples in the franchise were more popular than Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his colleague, Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen). It is just a shame that it took Coulson's imminent death, and with only days left to spare, to inspire them to finally give a relationship a try.

Shawn And Juliet On Psych

Fans of Psych would likely agree that the best relationship on Psych is Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) and Burton "Gus" Guster (Dulé Hill). Yet, it might be a hot take to say that Shawn's slowly built-up coupling with Det. Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) was added to show for a needless element of romance but without taking the time to build the relationship into something genuinely worth rooting for.

Lane And Zack On Gilmore Girls

There are many polarizing romantic storylines on Gilmore Girls but most fans have come to agree that Lane Kim (Keiko Agena) and Zack Van Gerbig (Todd Lowe) have the worst. To be frank, they just feel Lane's former bandmate is a bad influence on her.

Oliver And Felicity On Arrow

While audiences are willing to suspend disbelief for all kinds of reasons when watching a comic book TV show, fans and critics had a hard time believing the relationship between Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) and Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards). The wealthy vigilante and his employee-turned-lover were incompatible for an irritating number of reasons.

Pete And Myka On Warehouse 13

What made the coupling of Secret Service agents Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) and Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) a low point for SyFy's Warehouse 13 was that there was no actual "will they, won't they" buildup. They were clearly and perfectly platonic duo until Pete realizes he is in love with Myka completely out of the blue.

Michael And Holly On The Office

Let's make something clear: seeing Michael Scott (Steve Carell) find a happy relationship with Holly Flax (Amy Ryan) was a grandly heartwarming sight. We're only counting their relationship because it led to Carell's exit from NBC's The Office cast and, with it, the series' creative downfall.

Maeve And Otis On Sex Education

Over the course of four seasons, it seemed like Netflix's Sex Education was building toward a long-awaited happily ever after for Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey). Unfortunately, the series betrayed its centerpiece couple by introducing a long-distance relationship plot, ultimately ruining them for good.

Lucifer And Chloe On Lucifer

Despite having the actual Devil as its main "hero," Lucifer is a fun, bizarre take on the crime thriller genre. Yet, many fans felt that the show went in an overly dramatic direction when the title character Tom Ellis and Det. Chloe Decker (Lauren German) became a romantic couple.

Is there a single TV show that, for the entirety of its run, managed to keep its story going without any retcons? For one reason or another, it is common to see a popular series amend or completely disregard a pre-established story or character detail, often leading fans to wonder if they are losing their minds. Don't worry: you're not crazy but merely a victim of some confusing or even just annoying TV retcons like the following.

Cory And Topanga's Origins (Boy Meets World)

The romance between Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) could have been the perfect sitcom love story if the classic TGIF comedy could keep the details of their relationship straight. When Fishel first joined the Boy Meets World cast, she was initially introduced as the weird student in Cory's elementary school class but, when she is later reinvented as his love interest, the show tries to play them off as sweethearts since childhood.

Dan Is Alive (Roseanne)

Not only is Season 9 of Roseanne, in which the Conners' lives change when they win the lottery, revealed to be a fantasy in the series finale but we also learn that Dan (John Goodman) was dead the entire time, having suffered a heart attack. This controversial plot twist was ignored in 2018 when the sitcom was revived for a tenth season before it was rebranded as The Conners.

The Fate Of Frasier's Father (Cheers/Frasier)

On one episode of Cheers, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) tells his friends at the bar that his late father was a research scientist. However, in Frasier's self-titled and equally beloved TV show spin-off, we see Martin Crane (John Mahoney) is alive and well and a retired cop. In an episode where Ted Danson appears as Sam Malone, the show tries to explain that Frasier's dad was "dead to him" at the time after a bitter argument.

Sara Was Not Dead After All (Prison Break)

In the third season of Prison Break, Michael (Wentworth Miller) learns that Sara (Sarah Wayne Callies) was kidnapped and beheaded, only to see her come back in Season 4, which reveals it was never actually her head. In reality, the reason for the character's demise was due to a dispute involving Callies' contract but, when she was able to work out a deal to return to the series, her earlier death was rewritten as a head fake.

Jimmy Olsen Was Not Who We Thought He Was (Smallville)

In its sixth season, the acclaimed DC TV show Smallville introduced the iconic character of photographer Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore), only to kill him off three years later. It is at his funeral that we learn that his real name is Henry James Olsen and that the real Jimmy Olsen was his never-before-seen little brother the whole time.

Kramer Was Originally Named Kessler (Seinfeld)

In the pilot episode of Seinfeld, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) calls his next-door neighbor by the name Kessler but, from the next episode on, Michael Richards' character is referred to as Kramer, after Larry David's real-life friend on whom the role is based. The series tries to explain this in Season 9's "The Betrayal" with a flashback to the characters' first meeting when Kramer tells Jerry that the name on his buzzer is incorrect.

Bobby's Death Was All A Dream (Dallas)

When Patrick Duffy decided to quit the CBS primetime soap opera, Dallas, his character, Bobby Ewing, was written off the show in Season 8 when he was run over by his sister-in-law, Katherine Wentworth (Morgan Brittany), and was buried after succumbing to his injuries in the Season 9 premiere. However, after the writers urged the actor to come back to the cast, the Season 10 opener revealed everything that happened in the previous season was imagined by his wife, Pamela Barnes Ewing (Victoria Principal), in her sleep.

Gossip Girl's True Identity Does Not Make Sense (Gossip Girl)

As revealed in the series finale of Gossip Girl, Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) was the mysterious blogger the entire time but, if that's true, why does he act surprised by several posts about him, his friends, and his relatives in earlier episodes? Furthermore, Gossip Girl publicizes the fact that Dan and his girlfriend, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), share a half-sibling, which he adamantly wants kept secret. So, why on Earth would he make that public, even anonymously?

What Ever Happened To Judy Winslow (Family Matters)

YouTuber Vee Infuso debunked an urban legend believing that the youngest Winslow child, Judy, once walked up the stairs in a Season 4 episode never to be seen again. While Jaimee Foxworth's actual final appearance in the Family Matter cast came later that season in "Mama's Wedding," her subsequent absence (due to the writers having nothing interesting to come up with for her) was never explained nor acknowledged for the remainder of the series.

The First Time Chandler Said "I Love You" To Monica (Friends)

In one of the most ridiculous Friends episodes, "The One Where Everyone Finds Out," Chandler (Matthew Perry) is coerced by Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) feigned seduction into admitting that he is in love with Monica (Courteney Cox) to everyone's surprise, including her own. However, the otherwise touching moment seems to forget about an earlier Friends Thanksgiving episode, "The One With All The Thanksgivings," in which Chandler lets his feelings for Monica slip when she surprises him with a turkey on her head.

A Time Lord's Maximum Number Of Regenerations Changes (Doctor Who)

Early on in the long-running, classic sci-fi TV show's history, it is established that the title character of Doctor Who, like all Time Lords, can only regenerate a total of 13 times. However, that rule has since been negated as the 13th Doctor actor, Jodie Whitaker, was later replaced by Ncuti Gatwa.

The History Of Superheroes Dates Back Longer Than We Thought (Arrowverse)

After adopting his vigilante alter ego at the beginning of the hit series, Arrow, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) is said to have become the first superhero. Yet, later down the road as the Arrowverse franchise would continue to evolve with its multiple spin-offs, it was discovered that superhero teams have existed as early as World War II.

Kimmy Gibbler's Sibling Count (Full House/Fuller House)

When Kimmy Gibbler is first mentioned in the 1987 pilot for Full House, D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure) says she has three sisters but the character (played by Andrea Barber) says in Season 3 that her parents stopped having kids after her. This could imply she is merely the youngest in her family but she was also known to mention having an unseen older brother named Garth. Furthermore, in Netflix's revival, Fuller House, we are introduced to her younger brother, Jimmy (Adam Hagenbuch).

Dean Loses His Urban Philosophy (Gilmore Girls)

When Jared Padalecki first joined the Gilmore Girls cast as Dean, the character was introduced as a Chicago native who had moved to Stars Hollow fairly recently and loves obscure books and movies. However, when New York transplant and obscure book and movie lover Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) is brought into the mix, Dean is suddenly reinvented as a more rural individual who has lost his cultural interests and thinks of Stars Hollow as his true home after living "most of his life" there.

The Disappearance Of Donna's Sister (That '70s Show)

We are willing to bet that, even if you considered yourself a huge That '70s Show fan, you had absolutely no recollection that Donna (Laura Prepon) had a sister. Tina Pinciotti (Amanda Fuller) makes one appearance in Season 1 and is subsequently mentioned only once more in a throwaway joke from Season 2's "Vanstock" but, from that point on, Donna is referred to as an only child.

Daenerys Goes Bad (Game Of Thrones)

Here is an example of something that is not so much a retcon but a deeply confusing and quite maddening TV character evolution that suddenly comes out of nowhere. One of the most heavily criticized aspects of the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones sees the normally level-headed and fair Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) become a coldhearted tyrant who commits unimaginably brutal crimes without a second's hesitation.

Are Jason And Cheryl Really Twins? (Riverdale)

There are a number of notable inconsistencies regarding the characters in the Riverdale cast, but one of the more glaring involves Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) and her brother, Jason (Trevor Stines). While initially established as fraternal twins, later episodes of the Archie Comics-inspired dramedy imply that they are in two different grade levels at school.

Who Made Spike A Vampire? (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

A lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans like to count the sudden appearance of Buffy's never-before-seen younger sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) as a retcon. However, the sentient form of power's inclusion is explained by fake memories implanted into the characters' minds after she is sent to Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to protect, so we are not counting that. Instead, we will mention how Spike (James Marsters) refers to Angel (David Boreanaz) as the vampire who turned him until it is later revealed that Drusilla is his true sire.

Why Sheldon Knocks Multiple Times (The Big Bang Theory)

One of the most iconic running gags on The Big Bang Theory is Sheldon Cooper's (Jim Parsons) compulsion to knock on people's doors three times, which was only first introduced in Season 2. However, in Season 10, he explains that he formed the habit after accidentally walking in on his father having an affair and wants to give people enough time to "get their pants on" with his courteous and incessant signal.

When Claire Gets Her Powers (Heroes)

In the first season of Heroes, it is established that Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) developed her rapid healing ability later in life when she hit puberty. However, in a later episode when she meets her birth mother, it is revealed that she was indestructible even when she was an infant.

The Rules Of Being A Vessel Are Inconsistent (Supernatural)

At one point in the 15-season run of Supernatural, it is established that being a vessel for a spiritual entity will result in the host's death once the entity no longer requires their physical form. However, Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles), and even the Lucifer-possessed President Jefferson Rooney (David Chisum) end up just fine after their time as a vessel ends.

Tina Admits She Was Faking Her Stutter (Glee)

When Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) is first introduced in the first season of Glee, she speaks with a stutter that suddenly disappears after she joins the glee club. She eventually reveals she faked it hoping that it would make Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale) like her more.

Randy Suddenly Gains An Uncle (Monk)

Even a detective show as clever as Monk has been known to make a few logical errors from time to time. For instance, Lt. Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) says at one point that he has two aunts but no uncles but, in the Season 5 episode "Mr. Monk Visits a Farm," he inherits land from a recently deceased family member... his uncle, Harvey (Jack Kehler).

President Barlett's Death Tax Repeal Veto Is A Surprise (The West Wing)

In Season 2 of creator Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, it is mentioned by political commentator Mark Gottfried (Ted McGinley) that President Josiah Bartlett (Martin Sheen) vetoed a Republican-backed education package. However, in the following season when he vetoes a repeal of the "death tax," it causes an uproar as people claim he had never used the veto before.

Barney Suddenly Knows How To Drive (How I Met Your Mother)

In Season 2 of How I Met Your Mother, we discover that Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) not only does not know how to drive a car but is absolutely terrified to get behind the wheel. Yet, two seasons later, in one of the best HIMYM episodes, "As Fast as She Can," he makes multiple attempts to get a speeding ticket to prove he can talk his way out of one and is also seen driving plenty of times afterward. Perhaps he could have worked up the courage to finally learn how to drive by then but there is absolutely no mention of it, making his sudden acquirement of this skill a bit sudden.

Fans Still Missed Moriarty (Sherlock)

At the end of Sherlock's third season, a message from the detective's archnemesis, Moriarty (Andrew Scott) suggested the criminal mastermind would play a pivotal role in the following season. Unfortunately, fans would discover that he had no involvement in Season 4, which is less of a retcon and more of an infuriating cop-out.

Walker Blood Is Not A Source Of Infection (The Walking Dead)

Early seasons of The Walking Dead established that getting blood from one of the undead in your eyes or mouth or in a wound would prove fatal, yet later seasons ignore this rule almost completely. This retcon goes further than just the TV series as it is an acknowledged and important detail in the Robert Kirkman-penned comic book series that inspired the AMC hit.

Al Dreamt Peg's Pregnancy (Married…. With Children)

By the end of Married… with Children's first season, half of which saw Peg (Katey Sagal) pregnant, it is revealed to have been all Al's (Ed O'Neill) dream but there is actually a dark truth to this retcon. As the actor explains in her memoir, Grace Notes, Sagal's real-life pregnancy at this time was written into the show but when she suffered a miscarriage, it was decided that the show would not bring another child into the cast.

SpongeBob Knew Sandy As A Child (SpongeBob SquarePants/Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years)

In the second-ever episode of SpongeBob Squarepants, "Tea at the Treedome," we see the title character (voiced by Tom Kenny) meet Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence) for the very first time. However, the prequel spin-off, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, suggests that the sea sponge and the squirrel knew each other when they stayed at the eponymous camp as children.

Peggy's Mom Keeps Changing (King Of The Hill)

The first time King of the Hill introduces Peggy's mother, she is depicted as a suburban homemaker but is later reinvented almost completely as the wife of a bitter old rancher. That is not even counting the fact that, in an episode when Bobby's secret admirer turns out to be his grandmother playing a trick, the elderly woman in question is neither Hank's nor Peggy's mother.

Andy's Father's Name Changes (The Office)

In NBC's The Office, after proposing to Angela (Angela Kinsey), Andy (Ed Helms) refers to his mother and father as Andrew and Ellen Bernard, implying that he is Andy Bernard Jr. However, when we meet his parents in "The Garden Party," the father is identified as Walter Bernard Sr. (Stephen Collins) and Andy explains that he used to be named Walter Jr. before his younger brother (played by Josh Groban) was deemed more worthy of the moniker.

The Rules For Transferring Powers (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)

In Season 2 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, when Jason (Austin St. John), Trini (Thuy Trang), and Zack (Walter Emanuel Jones) are forced to leave, the team needs to acquire a special sword to transfer their powers to Rocky (Steve Cardenas), Aisha (Karan Ashley), and Adam (Johnny Yong Bosch). However, in the following season, when Kimberly (Amy Jo Johnson) needed to give her powers to Kat (Catherine Sutherland), she just handed over her power coin.

A "bottle episode" is a term used when a TV show, usually in an attempt to save money on sets, keeps the action all in one place. Some of these episodes justify their singular setting by trapping the characters inside against their will while others incorporate more clever storytelling devices. Let's cover some of the most interesting and entertaining examples of a bottle episode in TV history with the following.

Mad About You - "The Conversation"

Sometimes, raising an infant might have parents feeling trapped in their own home (or even a singular location in their home) which is a topic explored in an episode from the sixth episode of the hit Paul Reiser TV show, Mad About You. Filmed in one single-shot take, "The Conversation" depicts Paul (Reiser) and Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt) talking while they wait for their infant daughter to cry herself to sleep.

Breaking Bad - "Fly"

Considered by some to be one of the best Breaking Bad episodes and by others to be the worst, "Fly" earns its title from an insect that Walter White (Bryan Cranston) discovers making itself at home in the lab owned by Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). Directed by Rian Johnson, the episode sees him and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), determined to save their jobs (and lives), spending an entire night struggling to rid the lab of the "contamination," while having heartfelt and complex discussions regarding the current state of their lives.

Seinfeld - "The Chinese Restaurant"

In an episode of one of the all-time best sitcoms that left some network executives confused from behind the scenes, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) spend 20 minutes waiting to be seated for dinner before heading to the movies. Despite not featuring Michael Richards' Kramer, Season 2's subdued yet witty "The Chinese Restaurant" is one of the best Seinfeld episodes and one that most strongly defines the NBC comedy's schtick as a "show about nothing."

The West Wing - "Isaac And Ishmael"

One of the most powerful bottle episodes in TV history was a standalone from Aaron Sorkin's Emmy-winning political drama called "Isaac and Ishmael," which was broadcast before the official Season 3 premiere as a tribute to the victims of the tragedy on September 11, 2001. Described as a non-canonical play by the West Wing cast in a cold open where the actors directly address the audience, the episode is primarily set in the mess hall of the White House, which has been put on lockdown amid a terrorist attack, forcing some of those inside to investigate the matter and others to discuss it from a philosophical perspective with some visiting students.

Friends - "The One Where No One's Ready"

In Season 3's "The One Where No One's Ready," the Friends cast is hanging out when Ross shows up urging them to prepare to leave for an event. Depicted in real time and taking place almost entirely in Monica's living room, the episode proved popular enough to convince the producers to do at least one bottle episode per season for the remainder of the hit series' run.

The Twilight Zone - "Five Characters In Search Of An Exit"

Some of the most interesting stories told on horror anthology TV shows are bottle episodes but that is not the only reason why "Five Characters in Search of An Exit" is a shoo-in for one of the best Twilight Zone episodes. As the apt title suggests, the Rod Serling-penned Season 3 story, following a group of strangers trapped in a room with no windows or doors and no memory of how they got there, is a wickedly surreal mystery with a killer twist ending.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "The Box"

One of the best episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, "The Box," sees Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and Captain Holt (Andre Braugher teaming up to see if they can get a dentist suspected of murder to give a confession before they are legally forced to release him from the interrogation room. Sterling K. Brown gives an Emmy-nominated performance in the Season 5 favorite as the stone-cold potential perp who forces Peralta to pull out every trick in the book to break.

Frasier - "My Coffee With Niles"

The Season 1 finale of Frasier (a spin-off show as good as its predecessor, Cheers) served as an homage to the 1981 dramedy, My Dinner with Andre. "My Coffee with Niles" takes place entirely during a cafe conversation between the title character (Kelsey Grammer) and his brother (David Hyde Pierce), during which they discuss happiness and Niles, for the first time, admits his feelings for Daphne (Jane Leeves).

Family Guy - "Brian & Stewie"

For its 150th show, Family Guy aired a bottle episode that stripped away its opening credits, musical score, the typical cutaway gags, and most of the characters. The entire plot of "Brian & Stewie" takes place inside a bank vault where the eponymous dog and baby (both voiced by creator Seth MacFarlane) find themselves accidentally locked inside for more than 24 hours.

Community - "Cooperative Calligraphy"

Likely responsible for teaching a generation of viewers about the concept of a bottle episode, one of the best episodes of Community, "Cooperative Calligraphy," is identified as such by Abed (Danny Pudi) in one of his signature meta moments. The Season 2 favorite sees the study group lock themselves in the study room for an entire night at the request of Annie (Alison Brie) to figure out who among them took her pen.

Parks And Recreation - "Leslie And Ron"

The seventh season of Parks and Recreation saw Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) on non-speaking terms for mysterious reasons until it was addressed and resolved in the season's fourth episode, aptly titled "Leslie and Ron." Locked in a room at the office by Ben (Adam Scott), the former coworkers are forced to talk through their feud, which we learn was caused by a sidelined Ron asking Leslie for a job to be closer to his old friends, only to be stood up.

Archer - "Vision Quest"

One of many examples of a bottle episode in which multiple characters find themselves trapped in an elevator comes from the sixth season of Archer. In "Vision Quest" much of the main cast of the animated spy comedy series get at each other's throats more than usual when they share a lift at ISIS that suddenly breaks down.

Kenan & Kel - "Freezer Burned"

Nickelodeon's Kenan & Kel aired a few episodes that saw the eponymous duo (played by All That cast members Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell) stuck in one place. One instance is Season 3's "Freezer Burned" in which Kel accidentally points a restaurant's restroom sign in the wrong direction, causing himself, Kenan, Kenan's family, and many others to become trapped in the freezer.

Grey's Anatomy - "The Room Where It Happens"

While all bottle episodes take place in one setting, not all are necessarily set during just one period of time. For instance, "The Room Where It Happens" from Season 13 of Grey's Anatomy takes place in a single operating room in which multiple characters recall their own memories of the most significant moments they have experienced there.

How I Met Your Mother - "The Limo"

Some TV shows get away with covering more ground than the typical bottle episode allows by keeping most of the action inside a mode of transportation. For instance, "The Limo" follows the How I Met Your Mother cast hopping between multiple New Year's Eve parties in a limousine driven by the recurring character Ranjit (Marshall Manesh), marking the beginning of his transition from taxi driving.

Hey Arnold! - "Das Subway"

Sometimes even a bottle episode set in a mode of transportation still sees the characters stuck in one place, like in the Season 1 Hey Arnold! episode, "Das Subway." Arnold and his friends decide to get home from the movie theater by taking the subway but end up sharing it with a bunch of stir-crazy passengers when it breaks down mid-trip.

Castle - "Cuffed"

Some bottle episodes manage to show scenes from outside the main setting by the use of flashbacks. That is how the Season 4 Castle episode, "Cuffed," explains how Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) ended up handcuffed together and trapped in a small room where they struggle to retrace their steps.

Supernatural - "Baby"

Rarely do bottle episodes and road trip episodes crossover but Supernatural achieved it in its eleventh season with "Baby," which is named after Dean Winchester's (Jensen Ackles) beloved Impala. The entire story – following him and Sam (Jared Padalecki) on a demon-hunting journey – is entirely told from inside the car.

Drake & Josh - "Tree House"

In the fourth season of Drake & Josh, the titular pair of stepbrothers (played by Drake Bell and Josh Peck) must reconstruct a neighbor's tree house that they accidentally destroyed. Upon finishing it, they find themselves trapped inside, having forgotten to cut out an exit before putting up the final wall. Their sister, Megan (Miranda Cosgrove), refuses to help them find a way out, and, to make matters worse, two twin sisters are waiting to meet them at the movie theater.

The X-FIles - "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas"

"How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" is a fun holiday episode from the sixth season of one of the all-time best sci-fi TV shows, The X-Files. It sees FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) becoming trapped in a house haunted by the spirits of a dead couple (played by TV icons Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin) who want to prove to them how lonely the season can be.

Chicago Fire - "My Lucky Day"

The rescuers fall desperate for a rescue in a Season 9 episode of NBC's Chicago Fire ironically called "My Lucky Day." Firefighters Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) and Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) become cut off from outside communication when they and two others board a freight elevator that breaks down in the middle of a building fire.

Eureka - "H.O.U.S.E. Rules"

In the first season of the hit SyFy series Eureka, newly appointed sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) considers leaving the small town of brilliant people after being blocked from investigating a crime. However, his A.I.-equipped smart house tries to convince him to stay by luring other locals into the home and locking them inside.

Leverage - "The Bottle Job"

The title of the Season 2 episode of Leverage, "The Bottle Job," has a triple meaning – one being that it is a bottle episode. The other meanings refer to Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton's character, Nate, taking up his drinking habit again, as well as the team's task to commit an elaborate con that would take weeks in only 90 minutes.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - "Did The Earth Move For You?"

While there are many examples of bottle episodes used to help two characters mend their issues with one another by trapping them together, the Season 2 premiere of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air sees two characters grow apart as a result. In "Did the Earth Move for You?" the victims are Will Smith (Will Smith) and his new girlfriend, Kathleen (Tisha Campbell), who learn too much about each other after an earthquake leaves them trapped in the Banks' basement.

This Is Us - "The Waiting Room"

Most episodes of This Is Us jump back and forth between different time periods but Season 3's "The Waiting Room" takes place entirely in the modern day without any flashbacks. However, for what it lacks in appearances by Milo Ventimiglia as Jack, it makes up for it by keeping the Pearsons (and the audience) on their toes as they stay in a hospital waiting for the birth of Kate's baby.

MacGyver - "Phoenix Under Siege"

Before Die Hard, there was the Season 2 MacGyver episode, "Phoenix Under Siege," which boasts a few plot similarities. Mac (Richard Dean Anderson) and his grandfather, Harry Jackson (John Anderson), stop by the Phoenix Foundation to look for some tickets to a hockey game only to become trapped inside the building when it is invaded by terrorists.

Scrubs - "My Full Moon"

The Season 8 Scrubs episode, "My Full Moon," is a notable bottle episode as being one of the few times we see Turk (Donald Faison) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) teaming up. They are left in charge of four interns at Sacred Heart on the night of a full moon, hence the title.

Teen Titans Go! - "Bottle Episode"

Never has a series taken the concept of a bottle episode as literally as the 29th show from the third season of Teen Titans Go! Aptly called "Bottle Episode," it sees the team of young superheroes struggling to figure out an escape when they become trapped in a large glass bottle.

Moonlighting - "Between A Yuk And A Hard Place"

Taking place months after the previous episode when Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) suffers a miscarriage, "Between A Yuk and a Hard Place" sees her and David (Bruce Willis) reunited when they become trapped in an elevator. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that Agnes (Allyce Beasley) and MacGillicudy (Jack Blessing) intentionally caused the elevator to break down, giving the couple a chance to work out their issues.

The Dead Zone - "Cabin Pressure"

In the second season of USA Network's series adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone, Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall) has a psychic vision that the plane he is currently traveling on is bound to crash. The episode is set entirely on a jet and is even depicted in real-time.

Black-ish - "Hope"

Creator Kenya Barris' ABC dramedy Black-ish was never afraid to address tough real-life topics and one of the most powerful examples is Season 2's "Hope." It takes place entirely in the Johnsons' living room as they watch a news report of a police brutality case, which prompts a difficult discussion regarding racial injustice.

That's My Bush! - "Trapped In A Small Environment"

From South Park creator Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Comedy Central's short-lived series That's My Bush poked fun at common sitcom cliches while also offering a humorous inside look at the then-current George W. Bush administration. It once took aim at the "trapped in a small environment" trope in an episode called "Trapped in a Small Environment," in which the president and his neighbor, Larry (John D'Aquino) get stuck in an elevator, giving them an opportunity to work through a feud.

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 2, Episode 10 – “Changing Patterns” – are in play. If you haven’t watched it yet, you can stream it with an Apple TV+ subscription.

I’m not above a reunion via a cute cameo, in fact, I love it! So, when it was revealed that Cobie Smulders would reunite with Jason Segel in one of Shrinking’s episodes on the 2024 TV schedule, I was thrilled, because I’m a How I Met Your Mother fan. However, this fandom proved to be a problem I couldn’t quite get over, as I watched the Robin and Marshall actors flirt with each other in this Apple TV+ comedy.

Allow me to set the scene for this reunion on Shrinking, Jimmy (Segel) is trying to buy a car for his daughter Alice. He finds a used one, and when he goes to pick it up he meets Sofi (Smulders), the divorcee who is selling the vehicle.

The two immediately hit it off, and they share a sense of humor -- as they both made slightly morbid but admittedly funny jokes about how they lost their partners. For the first time maybe ever, Jimmy is able to talk to someone candidly about how his life changed after his wife died without receiving an over-sympathic reaction in return. I mean, Sofi literally jokingly asks him if it is better to lose your partner to death or divorce.

It’s clearly a nice change of pace for Jimmy, and the two have a nice vibe. Honestly, I hope this relationship goes further than just a car sale, and it seems like it might. And I want this for both of them, I really do. They have great chemistry, and they are so funny together.

However, for me to fully enjoy this new relationship, I have to jump over a How I Met Your Mother-related hurdle that I haven’t been able to overcome yet.

Let’s not forget that while Smulders’ character Robin had long relationships with two of the three men in the How I Met Your Mother cast, and Marshall was not one of them. She famously dated Josh Radnor’s Ted Mosby (and ended up with him in the controversial HIMYMI finale) and she was with Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney Stinson for several seasons. She and Segel never ever in a million years would ever have shared a romantic scene as Robin and Marshall because he was always with Alyson Hannigan’s Lily.

I’ve built up this big wall in my head because of all that, and when I see Smulders and Segel together I think of them as platonic friends first. Therefore, seeing them flirting on Shrinking made me feel weird.

However, that’s not their issue. That’s on me, and I’m going to work really hard to overcome my own preconceived notions. Ultimately, once I kind of forgot that these two members of the Shrinking cast played friends and only friends on How I Met Your Mother for nine seasons, I was charmed by the potential for them to have a romantic relationship on another show. It’s hard to deprogram my brain to think of them as people other than Marshall and Robin when they’re sharing a scene though, so this will take time.

But, I’m willing to put in the work, because Shrinking is one of the best shows on Apple TV+ and I like where things are going with Jimmy and Sofi. You can feel the chemistry Segel and Smulders share from years of work together bursting off the screen, and it’s hilarious and lovely. So, even though it will take me a hot minute to do it, I’m determined to jump over this How I Met Your Mother hurdle!

Well, I would say it is about time that an actor as talented as Cristin Milioti finally gets the attention she deserves. All it took was a role on one of the best 2024 TV shows, The Penguin, as Sofia Falcone. Let’s start there as I highlight my picks for the best Cristin Milioti movies and TV shows so far.

The Penguin (2024)

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

What it’s about: Oswald “Oz” Cobb plays opposite ends of the criminal underworld against each other, hoping to become the top gangster in Gotham City.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti TV shows: Set after the events of the 2022 live-action Batman movie, The Batman, The Penguin is an addictive crime drama that sees Cristin Milioti giving a chilling performance in the show-stealing role of the ruthless Sofia Falcone.

How to watch The Penguin

• Stream The Penguin on Max
• Buy The Penguin on Amazon

The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill

What it’s about: Manhattan stockbroker Jordan Belfort works his way up the corporate ladder by unethical means.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti movies: For one of her first major movie roles, Milioti scored big with a small but memorable part in one of the best Martin Scorsese movies, The Wolf of Wall Street, as Jordan Belfort’s first wife, Teresa Petrillo.

How to watch The Wolf of Wall Street

• Stream The Wolf of Wall Street on Paramount+ with Showtime add-on
• Rent or buy The Wolf of Wall Street on Amazon
• Buy The Wolf of Wall Street on Blu-ray on Amazon

How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)

Starring: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, Cristin Milioti

What it’s about: In the future, Ted Mosby tells his children the story of how he became acquainted with the love of his life, which is supplemented with stories of his wild adventures in New York with his friends.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti TV shows: The identity of “The Mother” was finally revealed after Milioti joined the How I Met Your Mother cast for the ninth and final season of the clever and often insightful hit sitcom.

How to watch How I Met Your Mother

• Stream How I Met Your Mother on Netflix
• Stream How I Met Your Mother on Hulu
• Buy How I Met Your Mother on Amazon
• Buy How I Met Your Mother on DVD on Amazon

It Had To Be You (2015)

Director: Sasha Gordon

Starring: Cristin Milioti, Dan Soder

What it’s about: The sudden marriage proposal of her longtime boyfriend forces a young woman to consider what she truly wants from he future.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti movies: Following the end of How I Met Your Mother, Cristin Milioti got to lead her own funny love story as the star of the charming and smart romantic comedy movie, It Had to Be You.

How to watch It Had to Be You

• Stream It Had to Be You on Starz
• Rent or buy It Had to Be You on Amazon
• Buy It Had to Be You on DVD on Amazon

Fargo: Season 2 (2015)

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Patrick Wilson

What it’s about: A shooting in a Midwestern diner has life-changing effects on a cop, a young married couple, and a local crime organization.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti TV shows: The second season of Noah Hawley’s astonishing anthology TV show Fargo, loosely inspired by Joel and Ethan Coen’s Oscar-winning crime drama, features Cristin Milioti in the recurring role of Officer Lou Solverson’s ailing wife, Betsy.

How to watch Fargo: Season 2

• Stream Fargo: Season 2 on Hulu
• Buy Fargo: Season 2 on Amazon
• Buy Fargo: Season 2 on Blu-ray on Amazon

Black Mirror: U.S.S. Callister (2017)

Starring: Jesse Plemons, Cristin Milioti

What it’s about: A lonely computer programmer escapes into his own virtual world inspired by a classic sci-fi TV show where things are not quite what they seem.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti movies: Cristin Milioti would reunite with her Fargo Season 2 co-star Jesse Plemons in one of the best episodes of Black Mirror, “U.S.S. Callister,” in which she brings some irreverent and charming humor to the typically bleak horror anthology TV show from creator Charlie Brooker.

How to watch Black Mirror: U.S.S. Callister

• Stream Black Mirror: U.S.S. Callister on Netflix

Palm Springs (2020)

Director: Max Barbakow

Starring: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons

What it’s about: A disillusioned man and woman meet at a wedding and soon form an unlikely bond over a bizarre situation.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti movies: The less you know about Palm Springs the better, but I would say it is one of the best movies on Hulu for its refreshing take on a familiar concept, stellar wit, and a wonderful performance by Milioti.

How to watch Palm Springs

• Stream Palm Springs on Hulu

Death To 2020 (2020)

Director: Al Campbell, Alice Mathias

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant, Cristin Milioti

What it’s about: A look back on some of the uproarious and disastrous moments that befell the United States and the United Kingdom in the year 2020.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti movies: The actor appears as “self-described regular soccer mom” Kathy Flowers in Death to 2020 – a mockumentary-style satire reflecting on one of the most chaotic years in recent memory.

How to watch Death to 2020

• Stream Death to 2020 on Netflix

Death To 2021 (2021)

Director: Jack Clough, Josh Ruben

Starring: Hugh Grant, Lucy Liu, Cristin Milioti

What it’s about: A look back on some of the uproarious and disastrous moments that befell the United States and the United Kingdom in the year 2021.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti movies: Things do not appear to get much better for the world, as evident by the moments captured in the mockumentary sequel, Death to 2021, in which Milioti reprises her role as Kathy Flowers, who comments on her participation in the January 6th Insurrection.

How to watch Death to 2021

• Stream Death to 2021 on Netflix

The Resort (2022)

Starring: Cristin Milioti, William Jackson Harper

What it’s about: A couple stumbles upon a 15-year-old case of a mysterious disappearance while celebrating their wedding anniversary at a seemingly idyllic vacation spot.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti TV shows: Created by Andy Siara, one of the best TV shows on Peacock, The Resort, is an engaging mystery with a wild finale that will keep you in suspense and in awe of Milioti’s eclectic performance.

How to watch The Resort

• Stream The Resort on Peacock

Hit-Monkey (2021-2024)

Starring: Fred Tatasciore, Jason Sudeikis, Cristin Milioti

What it’s about: The ghost of an American assassin acts as a mentor to a Japanese snow monkey seeking revenge on Tokyo’s criminal underworld.

Why it is one of the best Cristin Milioti TV shows: Based on the Marvel comic, Hit-Monkey is a wild animated crime thriller series that sees the star join as Bryce McHenry’s estranged daughter, Iris, in Season 2.

How to watch Hit-Monkey

• Stream Hit-Monkey on Hulu

If we never see a Season 2 of The Penguin, at least we know we will see more of Cristin Milioti in the animated upcoming 2025 movie, In Your Dreams, and in Black Mirror Season 7, which will include a follow-up to “U.S.S. Callister.”

There are so many shows out there that are perfect for your next binge. They could be one of the best shows to watch on Netflix or even be an original series for a streaming service – either way, they are full of life and hilarity. And if you're looking for a new show to watch, you might want to consider any of the following options for your next best sitcom.

Friends

I can't have a sitcom list and not write about Friends. The series was a huge hit for several years, running for ten seasons and making the Friends cast the vast stars they are today. The series follows a group of friends who live in New York City and follow their personal and professional lives.

How I Met Your Mother

For nine seasons, How I Met Your Mother dominated the world. The How I Met Your Mother cast was exceptionally popular, with skyrocketing careers, and featured some of the funniest jokes ever. If you ignore the finale (which most tend to do), it's honestly one of the best shows out there. The series follows the main character as he tells his children about how he met their mother.

30 Rock

Created by Tina Fey, 30 Rock ran for seven seasons and was a hilarious addition to the sitcom's run. The series follows the lives of workers at a fictional sketch show in New York City, based on Fey's time working on Saturday Night Live. The 30 Rock cast is hilarious in so many ways.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Okay, so this series is the definition of a long binge. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has run forever, it seems. It follows the story of a group of friends (and one annoying father) who live in Philadelphia and get up to the craziest things (usually illegal). I mean, this series is iconic—it can't really get better than this one.

Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary is on the fast track to becoming an all-time great show. The series follows the lives of teachers who work at a public school in Philadelphia and the struggles they have to go through to make their children happy and give them a good environment, as well as their own personal lives.

Frasier

Running for eleven seasons, Frasier is a spinoff of Cheers and follows the psychiatrist Frasier Crane, who travels back home to Seattle and documents his personal and professional life. Talk about an incredible spinoff – and it earned a reboot several years later on Paramount+.

The Office

I mean, obviously, I have to include The Office. Running for eleven seasons, the series followed the lives of workers in a paper company in Scranton and is considered one of the best mockumentary sitcoms of all time. The Office cast is super iconic, and after one watch, you'll be returning to this show like a security blanket.

Community

With six seasons, Community is a fun one to watch. It follows five misfits who go to a community college and form a study group together – which gets them into hilarious situations. The series is hysterical, and while Season 5 is a little iffy (in my personal opinion and many others), it's still worth a binge – especially since a Community movie is in the works.

Cheers

Running for eleven seasons, Cheers is one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time. The show mainly revolves around patrons and friends who gather at a bar as we follow their lives both in and out of the world. The series is responsible for creating several big stars, such as Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, Kelsey Grammer, and Woody Harrelson.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

While it only ran for four seasons, I personally love Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The series follows a young woman who was locked away in a bunker for several years only to emerge and find herself a stranger in this new modern world. With the help of some unlikely friends, she finds her path.

Two And A Half Men

As someone who watched Two and a Half Men for the first time a few years ago, I find this series hilarious. Running for twelve seasons and originally starring Charlie Sheen (before switching over to Ashton Kutcher years later), the series follows a man who houses his brother and his son during a divorce and the craziness they get into as time goes on. This series is wild, so be prepared for some jokes that most likely did not age well but are still fun.

Parks And Recreation

Parks and Recreation aired a few years after The Office ended, and people loved this show just as much. The series mainly follows Leslie Knope, who works at the Parks Department in a fictional town and cares deeply about her job, causing headaches for others. If you take a look at the Parks and Recreation cast, you'll see a ton of familiar faces.

That '70s Show

Running for eight seasons, That '70s Show was a series that raised me as a kid. The series follows a group of teenagers who are living in the 1970s and their experiences with the culture there. The series was so popular that it spawned a spinoff years later called That '90s Show, although it was short-lived.

Seinfeld

I mean, obviously, I have to put Seinfeld on here. Created by comedy legends Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, Seinfeld is "a show about nothing," following the lives of a fictionalized version of Seinfeld and his friends in New York City during the 1980s and 90s. The series ran for nine seasons and created the famous Seinfeld cast.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Where was he raised? In West Philadelphia, of course. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air starred Will Smith and followed the story of a young man who is sent to his uncle in Bel-Air after getting into trouble back home in Philly. His mother hopes that his uncle can straighten him out, and it just turns into hilarity for this fresh prince. The series ran for six seasons.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast is hilarious in every way possible, and I thoroughly recommend this series with my whole heart. The series follows the lives of workers at a fictional police station in New York City, from their professional lives to their own, and how they all intertwine.

The Golden Girls

I have to recommend The Golden Girls. Running for seven seasons and just as iconic as you would expect, the show starred Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty as four older women who lived together in their later years in Miami and the crazy lives they got into.

Bob's Burgers

Animated shows are probably some of the best series to binge because they often have so many seasons, and Bob's Burgers is an excellent example of that. The series, which has been running for fifteen seasons and counting, follows the lives of a family who own a burger shop and what they get up to when they're not in the kitchen—as well as the drama that unfolds in their restaurant. It's hilarious, and I highly recommend it.

I Love Lucy

Of course, I have to put the original sitcom here. I Love Lucy is a classic sitcom starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky, a couple living in New York City, and the shenanigans that Lucy gets into all the time. I'm often not the best person to recommend older TV shows because most tend to miss the mark, but this is one of the best you can watch. The series ran for six seasons.

Modern Family

Modern Family is an absolute icon, and yes, you need to watch it. Running for eleven seasons, It is exactly what you would expect it to be—it follows the lives of a modern-age family and the craziness they get into. The Modern Family cast is hysterical, and I can assure you that you will laugh several times throughout the show.

The Nanny

"She's the nanny, the nanny named Fran!" I can assure you that the theme song for this show will be stuck in your head by the end of this binge. Running for six seasons, The Nanny, starring Fran Drescher, follows the lives of a fashionista who decides to take on the role of a nanny for three children when she needs the money, only for her life to intertwine with their father, Peter Marc Jacobson.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Created by Larry David and running for twelve seasons (despite that twenty-four-year-long streak), Curb Your Enthusiasm is a hilarious HBO series that stars David as a fictionalized version of himself as he lives in Los Angeles and his days as a retired TV producer and writer, and the stuff he gets into as he deals with all the drama Hollywood can bring.

Full House

The Full House cast is iconic because of how great this series was and how many of us were raised on it, honestly. Full House follows the lives of three men, one a widow, one a brother-in-law, and the other a best friend, who all live in the same house, and work together to raise the children of one after his wife passes away. The series ran for eight seasons.

The Simpsons

Obviously, I have to put The Simpsons on this list. The Simpsons is probably one of the most iconic TV families ever, following the animated tales of Homer and his family as they get into the craziest shenanigans you could ever think of and more.

The Big Bang Theory

Running for twelve seasons, The Big Bang Theory was an extremely successful modern-day sitcom that followed several people living in California. It mainly followed the lives of Leonard and Sheldon, who they ran into as total science nerds, and the friends they surround themselves with.

South Park

South Park has some outrageous episodes, but this is the perfect binge if you want something that's way more adult. The series follows the lives of four fourth-graders in the world of South Park, a fictional town in Colorado, where literally nothing is off the table for the drama they get into. This series is just a lot to handle but so freaking hysterical.

Scrubs

Created by Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Shrinking) and running for nine seasons, Scrubs is the medical sitcom that you're in need of. The series follows the lives of workers at a hospital, following the medical interns as they work their way up in the world and the hilarious things that happen to them.

Schitt's Creek

While Schitt's Creek only ran for four seasons, its impact on pop culture is widely known. The series follows the lives of the Rose family, who suddenly lose everything in their name except for a little town the father bought as a joke years ago – Schitt's Creek, the place where they will begin their return to wealth. The Schitt's Creek cast is absolutely hysterical.

Veep

Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and running for seven seasons, Veep is a hilarious HBO sitcom and political satire show that will make you laugh for hours on end. The series follows the life of political figure Selina Meyer, who is the Vice President of the United States, and how she deals with what is thrown at her, as well as working with the president who drives her nuts.

Rick And Morty

Created by Dan Harmon, Rick and Morty is one of those animated sitcoms where you never know what is going to happen next, but you know it'll be hilarious. Rick and Morty follows the scientific adventures of Grandpa Rick and his grandson, Morty, as he takes him across multiple dimensions and into situations that really no young boy should ever experience.

Arrested Development

Running for five seasons, with two of them happening in the later years of the 2010s, Arrested Development is the type of show that will make you laugh for hours. The series follows a formerly wealthy family as they try to adjust to normal everyday life – and they most certainly have a hard time doing it.

Everybody Hates Chris

Created by Chris Rock, Everybody Hates Chris stars Tyler James Williams and is loosely based on Rock's life when he was a teenager and what it was like living in New York City back in the 1980s as a teenager. It ran for four seasons (but to me, it should have ran for way more).

Any of these shows would be excellent picks for you to watch next. Now, I feel like I need to have a TV marathon. It's time to dim the lights and get the popcorn once again.

We've been experiencing a TV renaissance for years now, to the delight of superfans like myself who love watching my weekly stories. But even before the small screen became a place for A-listers, there were a number of iconic moments that stuck with fans. And this will be all about the single most memorable moment of 32 iconic TV shows.

Obviously not every beloved TV title can be on this list, so apologies in advance if your favorite isn't included. The small screen is simply an embarrassment of riches in this regard, especially once you factor in streaming shows that have arrived in recent years. In no particular order, here are the biggest moments from 32 beloved shows. But be warned: a major SPOILER ALERT is needed, as some of these episodes feature big plot twists and/or character deaths. You've been warned!

The Red Wedding, Game of Thrones

During its run on HBO, Game of Thrones was jam-packed with wild, violent, and truly memorable sequences. And while fans are still debating the final season, perhaps the most iconic scene occurred during the Season 3 episode "The Rains of Castamere". This is the infamous Red Wedding, where Walder Frey betrays the Starks, resulting in the brutal deaths of Robb, Catelyn, and Talisa (as well as her unborn baby).

Nomi's Wedding, Sense8

When Netflix was rolling out expensive and ambitious new content early into its run, The Wachowskis helmed the sci-fi series Sense8. The show followed eight strangers who were connected psychically and was canceled after two seasons, but fan campaigns resulted in a Sense8 finale movie being produced. After beating the bad guys, the show ends with Nomi and Amanita's wedding on the Eiffel Tower, followed by one last, wild, party.

Fonzie Jumps The Shark, Happy Days

The beloved sitcom series Happy Days is known for bringing the phrase "jumping the shark" into the pop culture lexicon. This originates from a Season 5 episode of the classic series, where Henry Winler's Fonzie jumps over a live shark while on waterskis. Say what you want about this plot point, but it's remained the most lasting and iconic plot line from the show's tenure on the air.

"Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me", Grey's Anatomy

During its long tenure on the air, Grey's Anatomy had a number of iconic love stories. But the biggest has always been Meredith and Derek. Fans waited a long time for them to be together, and one of the show's most iconic moments is when she pleads for McDreamy to "pick me" instead of his wife Addison.

Rory's Graduation Speech, Gilmore Girls

When Gilmore Girls began its run on TV, it followed as Alexis Bledel's Rory struggled to adjust to life at her new fancy school, Chilton. Eventually, she becomes a leader in the school and delivers a graduation speech in Season 3. Not only did it make characters like Lorelai and Sookie cry, but it's one of the most iconic scenes of the entire show, where she pays tribute to all that her mother has given her.

Negan Kills Glenn And Abraham, The Walking Dead

For fans who watched The Walking Dead at the height of its popularity, there's life before Negan and after Negan. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's villain made a horrifying splash when he entered the scene, brutally killing fan favorites Abraham and Glenn with his bat Lucille. Some folks thought that killing was too much for the brutal apocalyptic drama.

The Plane Crash, Lost

Lost's pilot episode started a new must-see television show, with the sci-fi series instantly becoming water cooler talk. While some folks stopped watching as it ran, the first (wildly expensive) episode remains the most iconic, thanks to the thrilling plane crash sequences.

Tyra Banks Screams At Tiffany, America's Next Top Model

There are a handful of reality TV show moments on this list because of their impact on pop culture. America's Next Top Model might not be considered one of the best reality shows of all time, but it left its mark. Particularly the episode where host Tyra Banks screamed at one of the contestants after her elimination.

The Gift, Buffy The Vampire Slayer 

The first five seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer aired on the WB, before it eventually changed networks to UPN for the final two entries. Season 5 went out with a serious bang, with Buffy dying after sacrificing herself to save Dawn and the world. After wondering for half the season, we finally understood that death was her gift.

The Movements, The OA

The OA was an ambitious series that ran on Netflix for two seasons and was canceled far too soon. In the Season 1 finale, the group of teenagers (plus Phyllis Smith's BBA) decide to use the reality-traveling movements to distract a school shooter, saving the day in the process. It's a moment we waited all season for, and is an emotional and epic sequence.

The Lake House Fight, Girls

HBO's Award-winning comedy series Girls was a huge hit when it was on the air, and has been getting a lot of positive attention in the years since it wrapped. One of the best episodes of all time is Season 3's "The Lake House", where the four titular girls drink, dance and have an epic argument that shows just how messed up their friendships truly are.

Dexter Finds Rita's Dead Body, Dexter

Dexter was hugely popular during its original run on Showtime, and many consider Season 4 to be its strongest chapter. While Michael C. Hall's character eventually manages to murder the Trinity killer, he doesn't realize that the villain has already murdered his wife Rita. This represented a huge switch for the series and showed the consequences of Dexter's dark passenger.

The Final Scene, The Sopranos

The Sopranos' ending is one that has lived in infamy since it aired back in 2007. With an all-out mob war looming, fans expected Tony and the rest of the crew to go out with a bang. Instead, the finale famously cut to black during the final sequence, with audiences thinking their cable broke when it originally aired.

I Am The One Who Knocks, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad was a delightful slow burn, with audiences following as Bryan Cranston's Walter White goes from chemistry teacher to bonafide drug lord. Things got more and more dangerous for Walt and his family throughout the show's run, to the dismay of his wife Skyler. When she finally confronts him in Season 4, he gives a truly iconic speech where he claims that he isn't waiting for someone dangerous to knock on the door because "I am the one who knocks."

The Final Sequence, Six Feet Under

Six Feet Under goes in the long list of quality shows to come from HBO. But it stands out as having arguably the best series finale of all time, where the audience is shown how the characters live and (more importantly) die. Set to the tune of Sia's "Breathe Me", try to get through that final sequence without crying.

The Departure, The Leftovers

The Leftovers was a thrilling drama with a super fascinating concept: on October 14th, 2% of the world's population suddenly vanished. While the show follows the fallout of that event, the pilot episode opened on The Departure, with a mother desperately searching for her baby after he disappeared.

Jessie's Song, Saved By The Bell

During its run in the late '80s and early '90s, Saved By The Bell was a favorite show among young people. While it was largely a comedy, certain episodes got more serious. Case in point: the episode "Jessie's Song", where Elizabeth Berkley's character becomes addicted to caffeine pills.

Fiona confronts Monica, Shameless

The US version of Shameless had a super long run on Showtime, ending after a whopping 11 seasons on the air. But it was best during its early years, and perhaps the most iconic moment came back in Season 1. When Monica returns to the Gallagher family and tries to take Liam away with her, Emmy Rossum's Fiona reaches her breaking point and confronts her over years of neglect.

Ross Says The Wrong Name, Friends

Throughout all of Friends' decade-long run on the air, the biggest question was whether or not Rachel and Ross would end up together. They had plenty of starts and stops (they were on a break!) but perhaps the most dramatic part of this saga came during Ross' wedding to Emily. In the middle of his vows, he accidentally refers to Emily as Rachel, ending his marriage before it even began.

The Hallway Fight, Daredevil 

While Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock is taking center stage in the MCU with Daredevil: Born Again, his tenure as the hero began with the Netflix Daredevil show. The series was gritty and featured dizzying fight choreography, with the most iconic being the long hallway fight, which was a thrilling one.

The Family Portrait, Modern Family

The Emmy-winning comedy Modern Family had a long life on the air, with the audience watching as the child actors grew up before their eyes. Season 1 was especially great, and the first finale "Family Portrait" is the show at its best. After stressing to try and pose for the perfect picture, the mixed family ends up throwing mud on each other and letting it all go in a heartwarming story.

Don Draper's Happy Ending, Mad Men

While it had a wildly successful run on AMC, arguably the most iconic moment from Mad Men came from its series finale. Fans have long debated the meaning behind the final shot, where Don Draper is seen happy and meditating, seemingly leaving the advertising world behind him. Although Jon Hamm's interpretation of the ending offers another, less hopeful perspective.

Pam And Jim's First Kiss, The Office

The Office had plenty of long love stories, with fans rooting for the staff of Dunder Mifflin. Jim and Pam's is the biggest example of this, and fans had to wait years for them to finally get together. In Season 2 the pair finally share their first kiss, although they didn't end up together just yet.

Teresa's Table Flip, The Real Housewives of New Jersey

The Real Housewives franchise is a huge behemoth at this point, but in the beginning, there were just a handful of cities. Chief among them was The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which entered the pop culture zeitgeist forever when OG Teresa Giudice flipped a table during a heated argument with Danielle Staub in the Season 1 finale.

Sue Hawk's Speech, Survivor

The first season of Survivor changed the TV world forever, and the show is still running to this day. Perhaps the most memorable moment from that prolific first chapter was Sue Hawk's scathing speech about snakes and rats, where he let out her rage about runner-up Kelly Wiglesworth.

Poussey's Death, Orange Is The New Black

Orange is the New Black was one of the first original Netflix shows, and it remained wildly popular until it ended. Fans know that the show was forever changed when Poussey was tragically killed in Season 4, inspiring a prison-wide riot that would take up all of Season 5.

Nina Kills Teri, 24

24 became a wild sensation when it started airing on Fox, with an entire season of action taking place in just one day. The Season 1 finale offered one more gut punch for audiences, when Jack finds the body of his wife Teri, realizing that she was killed by his former friend and colleague Nina.

Diane And Sam Breakup For Good, Cheers

Diane and Sam were the will they/won't they couple in the comedy Cheers, and fans all had their own opinions about them. In the series finale, we finally get some closure, and the pair realizes they shouldn't be together after all.

Nancy Burn Her House Down, Weeds

When Weeds started airing on Showtime, it was about a single mother who resorts to selling drugs to her suburban neighborhood. In Season 3 she burns down her house to avoid being caught, and the show was never the same after.

Kurt Dances To 'Single Ladies', Glee

Season 1 of Glee hit the world by storm, thanks to its colorful cast of characters and non-stop stream of hit songs. The first season was a huge deal, and there are perhaps no more iconic episodes when Kurt dances to Beyonce's "Single Ladies", and has to try and keep his identity from his father.

'Let's Go To The Mall', How I Met Your Mother

During the How I Met Your Mother episode "Slap Bet" the group of friends (and the audience) are introduced to Robin's teen pop culture persona Robin Sparkles. The song "Let's Go To The Mall" is a hilarious spoof on '80s stars like Tiffany, and is arguably the most iconic moment of the comedy series' run on TV.

Eleanor Realizes The Truth, The Good Place

The Good Place ran for four seasons on NBC, offering a hilarious and complex story. Season 1 was arguably its best, and the most memorable moment came when Kristen Bell's Eleanor realizes that they've been in the Bad Place all along.

There are those shows that ended long before we wanted them to, from '90s one-season wonders like Freaks & Geeks and My So-Called Life to perfectly timed dramas like Succession and Breaking Bad. These are not those shows. Instead, these television titles overstayed their welcome, long after their biggest stars departed, or the critical acclaim and awards dried up, or the storylines made any sense. Here are 32 TV shows that simply went on way too long. 

Californication

At the beginning of Showtime's Californication, which ran on the network from 2007 to 2014, the story of troubled novelist Hank Moody (David Duchovny) and his hedonistic ways felt fresh and edgy. But seven seasons of incessant drinking and womanizing majorly dulled any of that edge. 

The Walking Dead

How long can people survive a zombie apocalypse? Apparently, for a while—the AMC flagship series The Walking Dead went on for an unfathomable eleven seasons and the survival story of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) still isn't over, having been picked up in the spin-off miniseries The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. 

Dexter

One word: lumberjack. For eight seasons, the Showtime series followed Miami man Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) as he worked as a forensic pathologist by day and a vigilante serial killer by night. Spending nearly a decade watching Dexter get away with murder after murder felt both implausible and repetitive. And don't even get us started on that disappointing, woodsy series finale. 

Grey's Anatomy

It's felt like Grey's Anatomy has been resuscitated more times than any of the patients at Seattle Grace. It's been the longest-running medical drama on primetime, but it became barely the Grey's that O.G. fans remember. In later seasons, lead actress Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey, scaled back to a recurring role, and beloved original characters like Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl), and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) were all long gone. 

The Handmaid's Tale

There's plenty of argument to be made that Hulu's dragged-out dystopian drama The Handmaid's Tale—which sees fertile American women (played by the likes of Elisabeth Moss, Alexis Bledel and Samira Wiley) being forced into child-bearing slavery by a totalitarian government—should have been a one-and-done miniseries. After all, the 1985 Margaret Atwood novel on which it is based concluded after the events of the first season. 

Sons of Anarchy

Too-long episodes (many of which pushed way past the traditional hour-long mark) and irredeemable characters made it hard to continue to care about Jax (Charlie Hunnam), Gemma (Katey Sagal) and the rest of the outlaw bikers in the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club after seven seasons of the FX crime drama.

Shameless

Sure, Shameless had a jam-packed ensemble throughout its entire eleven season run, including Jeremy Allen White, William H. Macy, Cameron Monaghan and Shanola Hampton. But the grungy Showtime family drama lost its heart when lead actress Emmy Rossum—who played the older sister-turned-matriarch Fiona Gallagher—departed the series in season nine. 

White Collar

Many White Collar fans felt that things were getting a little rinse-and-repeat with the USA Network procedural by the end of its six-season run, with case-of-the-week storylines and stagnant character development. Imagine their surprise, then, when it was announced that the show was getting a Netflix revival, with actors Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay and Tiffani Thiessen reprising their roles. 

This Is Us

The earned emotionality of early seasons of This Is Us—an NBC family drama that follows the lives of two parents (played by Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore) and their three children (Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley,) in several different time frames—started to feel manipulative and maudlin after six years. 

Suits

Some television shows suffer from an unsustainable premise. Case in point, Suits, the USA Network legal drama that follows a college dropout with a photographic memory (Patrick J. Adams) who is hired to work as an associate at a prestigious law firm, despite not actually having a license to practice law. Sure, Jan. Despite the dubious concept, Suits aired for a whopping nine seasons. 

Supernatural

Exactly how many demons, ghosts and monsters did brothers Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) have to hunt down to save the world? Fifteen seasons and 327 episodes worth! However, even many Supernatural superfans believe the CW fantasy series lost its way by the end and should have finished after season five when creator Eric Kripke left as showrunner. 

How I Met Your Mother

That is one long story that Ted Mosby (played by Josh Radnor) tells his adolescent children Luke (David Henrie) and Penny (Lyndsy Fonseca) about how their dad first met their mother. In fact, the tale took nine whole years, with many meandering tangents along the way, that we wouldn't blame the kids if they, too, got bored listening to it. 

Glee

Few shows faced quite the critical fall from grace as Glee. Early on, the FOX teen show—which centered on the plucky members of New Directions, the glee club of the fictional William McKinley High School—was an awards show juggernaut, winning several Emmys in its first few seasons, but those high notes were soured when the scripts focused less on the show's original characters and more on ad nauseum celebrity guests. 

Scrubs

Starting with the ninth season, many of the original Scrubs cast—including Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Ken Jenkins and Neil Flynn—stepped back from being main characters on the show, popping up in only a handful or as little as one episode that season. Longtime fans of the NBC medical comedy didn't love that their favorites got replaced with new characters, played by the likes of Kerry Bishé, Michael Mosley and Dave Franco.

The Big Bang Theory

Running for 12 seasons and 279 episodes, this CBS sitcom about Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and their similarly geeky pals got bogged down by too many main characters, recycled old catchphrases and the use of laugh tracks as a crutch. 

The Simpsons

As old as, well, the person writing this very article, the satirical animated sitcom has broken several TV records in its three-decade tenure, including being the longest-running scripted primetime series in American television. And though Homer, Marge, Bar, Lisa, Maggie and the rest of the residents of Springfield are comedy legends, they now feel like relics of a different generation. 

Riverdale

The occurrences within the town of Riverdale were easy enough to keep track of in the early seasons of the CW teen drama, which was populated with the famous characters from Archie Comics (Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the like.) But as the writing got messier and mazelike, and the characters' storylines more and more outlandish, the soapy series became impossible to take seriously by the end of its seven-season run. 

Game of Thrones

The brazenness with which the Game of Thrones creators killed off some of its biggest, most beloved characters — Ned Stark (Sean Bean) in season one, his son Robb (Richard Madden) and wife Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) in season four — majorly lost its umph when the show killed off Jon Snow (Kit Harington) in the season five finale...only to resurrect him two episodes later. 

Homeland

The first two seasons of this Showtime espionage thriller — in which Claire Danes stars as a CIA officer with bipolar disorder, opposite Damian Lewis playing a Marine Corps Scout Sniper who has just returned home following eight years in captivity — received universal acclaim, including the 2012 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. However, though Homeland had eight seasons total, it never recovered in quality following the death of Lewis's character in season 3. 

Two and a Half Men

It's always a gamble when you replace the main character of a TV show, especially such a long-running one as the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. Originally starring Charlie Sheen as a hedonistic jingle writer living with his uptight brother (played by Jon Cryer) and his nephew (Angus T. Jones), the show misguidedly hired Ashton Kutcher to lead the cast in seasons nine through twelve after Sheen left the show to enter drug rehab. 

One Tree Hill

It rarely works when a high school show follows its characters to college and into adulthood. One Tree Hill, the early-aughts teen drama that ran for three seasons on The WB and another six on The CW, stretched the storylines of Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray), Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton), Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) and the rest of the Tree Hill Ravens crew too long past graduation, especially as both Murray and Burton departed the show after season five.  

Lost

Airing 121 episodes over six seasons from 2004 to 2010, Lost packed a lot of supernatural nonsense onto that island, frustratingly devolving over the years from a character drama to a complex mythology swirling with time travel, smoke monsters and electromagnetic phenomena. Even co-creator Damon Lindelof has said that he wanted the show to end after three seasons instead of six. By the time the series aired its final episode, the sci-fi series had offered up far too many questions and far too few answers.

Modern Family

Even Modern Family star Sarah Hyland, who played Haley Dunphy in 11 seasons of the Emmy-winning ABC comedy, was kind of disappointed by the show's later seasons. And she seemingly wasn't the only one: though it had earned both critical acclaim and strong viewership for its earlier installments, season 10 had the worst ratings of the series. 

Once Upon a Time

The thing about fairytales is that soon enough you get to that happily ever after at the end. The ABC fantasy drama Once Upon a Time seemingly didn't get that message because it made fans wait for that storybook ending for seven long seasons — even Robert Carlyle, who portrayed Rumplestiltskin in the series, retrospectively admitted to The A.V. Club that he felt that the series "ran for too long."

Killing Eve

On paper, we should have never wanted Killing Eve to end, with its cast led by a superb Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer — as a British intelligence investigator and the psychopathic assassin she's tasked with capturing, respectively — and scripts from the brilliant mind of Fleabag scribe-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. However, when Waller-Bridge departed as head writer after the first season, the once-great show simply ran out of story. 

Bones

Crime procedurals have a habit of staying on TV long after they should, what with their formulaic case-of-the-week structure that's easy to replicate season after season. And Bones, the long-running Fox crime drama starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, is definitely no exception, overstuffed with soapy gimmicks, themed episodes and a way-too-long will-they-won't-they dynamic between Deschanel's Temperance Brennan and Boreanaz's Seeley Booth.

The Office

Of course, we love the entire Dunder Mifflin crew, but everybody knows that The Office should have naturally called it quits when lead Steve Carell — who played the "World's Best Boss," a.k.a. the delightfully incompetent Michael Scott — departed the show after its seventh season. Not even big-name actors like Will Ferrell and James Spader could fill the hole Michael Scott left. 

Westworld

Westworld's first season is to this day the most-watched first season of any HBO original series. However, that popularity, coupled with early critical acclaim, didn't last long for the dystopian Western — the writing and character work drastically declined by the time the show was canceled in November 2022, and just a month later, the entire series was brutally removed from HBO Max. 

That '70s Show

The Fox teen drama — centered on a groovy group of teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin — worked because of the chemistry created by its young cast, including Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama. So of course the show itself took a creative hit when that chemistry was altered following the departures of Grace and Kutcher after the seventh season. 

Smallville

Initially a show about a teenage Clark Kent dealing with issues both human (bullies, crushes) and superhuman (kryptonite and such) while growing up in fictional Smallville, Kansas, Smallville seemed to care less and less about the human side of the Man of Steel over the course of ten seasons. Many fans suggest that the TV superhero should have hung his cape after season seven, which saw the departure of both the show's main villain Lex Luther (Michael Rosenbaum) and Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. 

13 Reasons Why

Based on the young adult novel by Jay Asher, 13 Reasons Why is one of those cases where a multi-season show was made to be a limited series. Instead of just neatly telling the story of Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) and the tapes she leaves behind after tragically ending her own life, the Netflix teen drama inexplicably changed genres throughout its four-season run, becoming a poor murder mystery in the show's third season. 

Heroes

Though the NBC superhero drama Heroes only went on for four seasons, critics of the show were already pointing out less-than-engaging storylines and lack of cohesion as early as season two. The tales of ordinary people who discover that they have superhuman abilities and have to work together to prevent catastrophic futures should have been adrenaline-pumping stuff, but it simply couldn't sustain that energy after its acclaimed first season. 

How I Met Your Mother wrapped back in 2014, but if you are randomly binge-watching this for the first time with your Hulu subscription, this article gets into a pretty major spoiler. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya. 

How I Met Your Mother is one of the most memorable comedies of the last 20 years. Chalk it up to fun sets and a Friends-adjacent premise. Or to episodes like “Slapsgiving” and memorable characters like Barney. Or maybe chalk it up to the divisive ending of HIMYM, an ending that left some in tears, others annoyed, and more feeling like the show’s setup with Ted and Robin justified what ultimately happened in its final episodes. Whatever you think about the way the show went out, this year is a huge –and tragic – milestone for the series, and the Internet is here to make sure you don’t forget it. 

In fact, 2024 is the year the titular mother on the show dies. There’s no polite way to write that, so I think we just need to rip the Band-aid off. Tracy, who was introduced to HIMYM fans after we followed her yellow umbrella around for a while, was found to be dead when the series finale aired in 2014. In fact, she’d been gone for six years at the time of the show’s final episode. Given the comedy is set up in the future when Tracy and Ted’s kids are much older, her death occurred in 2024. 

This was pointed out on Twitter (X) at the tail end of last year, but it really hit home with fans in 2024 as this is actually the year of The Mother’s passing. 

Another fan (who may or may not be disgruntled regarding the ending), shared some memorable screenshots from the end of the sitcom, also commenting about Tracy's death. This post also hones in on the fact the series finale aired in March of 2014; we don’t know if the six years mentioned is an anniversary or just a general timeline for Tracy’s death, but based on when the events on the show happened, it’s worth pointing out.

Another fan only just now got the memo, writing:

Other fans commented about the tragedy of the death date, commenting that they “definitely care” and that they are “too invested” in this story about a fictional event that happened on our TV screens a decade ago. Another fan posted a meme of Barney looking pained and saying, “I don’t like this,” when reminded of the anniversary. So, plenty of people have feelings about this particular plot, even now.

As it turns out, the entirely long story Ted Mosby was telling his kids over the course of nine seasons was really not about Tracy at all, though the couple was happy together. His kids called him out over this, and told him it was just an excuse to get permission to date Aunt Robin, which they gave. There’s actually an alternate ending that was created later that features a lot of the same footage but changes the outcomes for the characters.

But the saga of fans watching a series for nine seasons only to barely meet The Mother before the show killed her off remains one of the most memorable things to happen on television across the past two decades. Luckily, it all worked out OK for Cristin Milioti, the actress who played The Mother, as she went on to play roles in Fargo Season 2, Palm Springs, and the wild Amazon series Made for Love. Next up, you can catch her as part of The Penguin cast. 

And hey--at least we got some resolution over who The Mother was, unlike How I Met Your Father, which was canceled unceremoniously.

Kids, we know the show may, in essence, be the story of Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and his crusade for true love, but out of the entire How I Met Your Mother cast, few would disagree that the funniest member of the gang is Barney Stinson. Only an actor as charming and versatile as Emmy winner Neil Patrick Harris could make an irritatingly self-righteous and despicably perverse creep such a blast to watch. Thus, we had no issue accepting the challenge of compiling the most hilarious quips and philosophies we heard from the Barnacle on one of the best sitcoms of all time.

“It's Gonna be Legen— Wait For It... Dary! Legendary!”

Probably the best variation of the most famous of Barney’s many signature catchphrases is, “It's gonna be legen— wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!”

“Suit Up!”

The first of Barney’s many signature catchphrases that HIMYM introduced us to was his demand that Ted adopt a more formal wardrobe similar to his. In fact, Barney is never not in a suit — not just because his mysterious occupation requires it, but because he believes it makes him seem cooler.

“Challenge Accepted!”

If there is one thing that Barney loves more than suits — and women, of course — it would have to be a good challenge. He is willing to take on any dare that someone provokes him with, or even one that no one was actually intentionally provoking him with in the first place. It often gets into some really absurd situations, like when he managed to get a girl’s number while speaking only like a dolphin.

“This Is Totally Going In My Blog!”

In the event that something amuses or infuriates him, Barney like to bring up that he chronicles his daily activities online. The one time we actually saw him updating his blog was HIMYM’s fun way of paying homage to Harris’ breakout role on Doogie Howser M.D.

“Think Of Me Like Yoda, But Instead Of Being Little And Green, I Wear Suits And I'm Awesome. I'm Your Bro. I’m Broda!”

One of the most refreshing details about a character like Barney, who is always trying to sell how cool he is, is that he is not shy about his love for the Star Wars movies. In fact, he mentioned one of the most iconic Jedi Masters, Yoda, in comparison to his coolness.

“One Of The 24 Similarities Between Girls And Fish Is That They’re Both Attracted To Shiny Objects”

One of the few times Barney is seen without a suit comes from one of the best How I Met Your Mother episodes, “Okay, Awesome.” On a night he, Ted, and Robin (Cobie Smulders) plan to hit a up a club, he chooses a shirt with a silvery finish, believing it might give him better chances with the ladies.

“When I Get Sad, I Stop Being Sad And Be Awesome Instead. True Story”

What makes Barney’s very shallow solution to Marshall’s (Jason Segel) grief over losing Lily (Alyson Hannigan) in Season 2 a classic line is not just its comedic overtones, but its serious undertones. We come to understand further down the line that much of Barney’s sleazy behavior is in response to a fear of abandonment, which he, admittedly, did a pretty bang-up job repressing at this time in the series. 

“A Lie Is Just A Great Story That Someone Ruined With The Truth”

We are, admittedly, of two minds about this Barney-ism. On the one hand, honesty is always the best policy, but on the other hand, many a great tale has been tainted by fact-checking, indeed.

“The Killer In A Horror Movie Does Not Stand In Front Of The Camp Cabins With A Bullhorn And Shout, ‘Attention, Unguarded Teens! At 3:00, I Will Jump Out Of That Closet And Hack You To Death With A Machete. By The Way, My Only Weakness Is Fire'"

In Season 3’s “Slapsgiving,” Barney attempts to downplay the anticipation for the third slap he is expected to receive from Marshall by claiming his literal countdown “took out all the suspense” of the occasion. He likens it to what a slasher movie might be like if the villain made his presence known.

“Step One, You Start Running. There Is No Step Two”

When Barney agrees to take Marshall’s place in a marathon, they question if he is up to the task, having not undergone the necessary training. Barney believes his two—nay, the one-step process is all he needs, only for the joke to later be on him when his legs stop working during his free subway trip.

“A Bro Never Cries. Exceptions: Watching Field Of Dreams, E.T., Or A Sports Legend Retire”

Barney would actually defy this article of the Bro Code upon the birth of his daughter in the series finale. However, the validity of the rule still stands, because who can resist tearing up at any of these occasions?

“You’re Forcing Me To Be The Voice Of Reason. And That’s Not A Good Look For Me!”

In the Season 1 finale, Ted’s plan to finally win Robin’s heart is to prevent her from going on a work trip by making it rain. Naturally, everyone finds this idea ridiculous, including Barney, who is normally the one who needs to be talked back down to reality. It's a fun role reversal, until Ted's rain dance actually ends up paying off at the end.

“God, It’s Me, Barney. What Up? I Know We Don’t Talk Much, But I Know A Lot Of Girls Call Out Your Name Because Of Me”

One of the few times we see Barney bow down by the grace of the Almighty occurs in Season 4’s “Not a Father’s Day,” when he begs for a desirable outcome after learning the last woman he was with might be with child. This is exactly the way we might expect Barney to pray: treating God like another bro in the way he speaks and still making it all about him.

“You Don’t Bring A Date To A Wedding, That’s Like Bringing A Deer Carcass On A Hunting Trip”

For starters, we cannot avoid pointing out just how rude it is for Barney to compare women to game animals, as he does after Ted grows desperate to find a plus-one for his friends’ nuptials in Season 2’s “The Wedding.” On the other hand, Ted would end up meeting one of his best pre-Tracy significant others, Victoria (Ashley Williams), at the reception, so Barney certainly has a point after all.

“Without ‘Me,’ It’s Just ‘Aweso’”

Here is yet another example Barney’s masterful wordplay… and another self-righteous proclamation of his awesomeness.

“Don’t Say You’re Gonna Kill Someone In Front Of Airport Security. Not Cool!”

In Season 1’s “The Sweet Taste of Liberty,” an attempt to pick up a couple of attractive travelers at an airport leads Ted and Barney to board a plane to Philadelphia, but they are escorted off under suspicion of criminal activity. An understandably irritated Ted tells Barney he is going to kill him, but we agree with Barney that that moment is not a good time to say that, even in jest.

“In My Body, Where The Shame Gland Should Be, There Is A Second Awesome Gland”

There is certainly some truth to Barney’s “true story” from Season 2. He certainly had no shame at that point.

“Oh, Ted, No. Do Not Tell Me You’re Going To Start Searching For ‘The One’ Again. The Only Time I Want To Hear You Saying ‘The One’ Is If It’s Followed By The Word ‘Hundredth’”

Interestingly, at that point in the series, Barney probably really had been with at least 100 women. He would eventually complete a list of 200 in Season 4’s “Right Place, Right Time.”

“There’s Only Three Things You’ll Ever See Me Fight: The Stubborn Clasp Of A Bra, Harassment Charges – Nine For Nine — And The Urge To Vomit When I See Someone Wear Brown Shoes With A Black Suit”

In Season 4’s “The Fight,” when MacLaren’s employee Doug (Will Sasso) enlists the guys’ help to beat up some customers in the back alley, they discuss the moral complications and necessities of resorting to violence. Before eventually agreeing to the idea to impress Robin, Barney claims his only reasons for “fighting” relate to his promiscuity and austere fashion sense.

“A Girl Is Allowed To Be Crazy As Long As She Is Equally Hot”

One of Barney’s funniest — yet, admittedly, most problematic — theories and/or rules is referred to as “The Hot/Crazy Scale,” which he explains in Season 3’s “How I Met Everyone Else” when Ted introduces the gang to a woman he met online. It posits that the more attractive a woman is, the more mentally unstable she may be, which — like most of Barney’s rhetoric — is absolutely absurd, but quite hilarious in the context of the episode.

“Ted, Bubala, If You Have A Crazy Story, I Was There. It’s Just A Law Of The Universe”

In Season 8’s “The Ashtray,” Barney tries to insert himself in Ted’s recollection of the last time he encountered The Captain (Kyle McLachlan), despite Ted’s insistence that Barney was not there. Obviously, Barney’s exaggerating here about it being a universal truth that he would be involved in any amusing tale, but he has been involved in most of the gang’s amusing tales, so we can’t say we disagree.

“There’s Only One Street Where That Is Normal. Here’s A Hint: A Big, Yellow Bird Lives On It”

When discussing how unusually genial Marshall is with fellow New Yorkers, Barney points out that such behavior in the Big Apple is only common in Sesame Street. Coincidentally, Jason Segel would go on to work with similar creatures when he wrote 2011’s The Muppets.

“You Poor Thing. Having To Grow Up In Canada, With America Right There”

The only thing that Barney is more than a pro-American is an anti-Canadian, as evident by his incessant ribbing of Robin’s native country. Despite this, he and the broadcaster shared an on-and-off romance that led to an inevitably doomed marriage, but Barney’s dislike of the Great White North had nothing to do with their split.

“Unfair? I Would Not Let You Take Care Of The Imaginary Kids I Make Up To Score With Single Moms!”

In the Season 3 premiere, “Wait for It,” Ted and Barney meet Amy (Mandy Moore), with whom they unwittingly break into the home of a family she used to nanny for to use their hot tub. She believes the family unfairly fired her, but Barney, to his credit, actually unleashes his parental instincts and points out just how irresponsible she is.

“Anytime A Bachelorette Party Drives Through The City In A Limo, Sticking Their Heads Out The Sunroof Shouting, ‘What’s Up, New York,’ WE Will Be What Is UP New York”

This comes from Barney’s inappropriately jubilant reaction to the news that Marshall and Lily have split, putting him under the impression that he, Ted, and Marshall are all single at the same time and can be wingmen together. Soon after, however, he realizes that Ted and Robin have finally become a couple in the Season 2 premiere.

“Every Halloween, I Bring A Spare Costume, In Case I Strike Out With The Hottest Girl In The Party. That way, I Have A Second Chance To Make A First Impression”

On All Hallow’s Eve, some children like to prepare two costumes in order to have a second round of trick-or-treating. Barney has amended this tradition so it applies to his chances of scoring a different sort of treat.

“I Have One Rule…”

Barney likes to say he has only “one rule” quite often, but tends to follow that with a different philosophy every single time, such as “never date a girl with a hook for a hand.” Of course, the addendum to these instructions is always the same: “Unless she’s hot.”

“You Can’t Ride The Tricycle Before Me. It’s Like Jimmy Olsen Beating Lex Luthor While Superman Watches Impotently In His Bed”

“The Tricycle” refers to a certain experience with two women at once, which Ted becomes close to having before Barney, which makes him quite jealous. Given his history with women, he believes that — between him and Ted — it would make more sense for him to be the first to achieve this feat and hilariously likens it to the Man of Steel’s good buddy defeating his nemesis instead.

“You Can Grab Life By The Crack And Lick The Crap Out Of It”

The crack in this Season 1 quote refers to the crack in the Liberty Bell, which Barney tries to convince Ted to lick after meeting a security guard for the national landmark on an impromptu trip to Philadelphia. Of course, anything sounds inappropriate when coming from Barney Stinson, so this sort of rhetoric is not much of a stretch for him.

“You Wanna Scoop Stuffing On Your First Day? Hello, NFL, Can I Be Quarterback Next Sunday?

Ted and Robin decide to spend Thanksgiving volunteering at a soup kitchen and are surprised to find Barney is its volunteer of the year. When Ted asks if he can take his place scooping stuffing, the veteran likens the job to playing the top position on a football team without prior experience.

“Oh Yeah, You Just Know She Likes It Dirty!”

In the pilot episode, when Ted first lays eyes on Robin, he brings Barney’s attention to her. Immediately, the player’s head goes right to the gutter, imagining how the woman who would one day be his spouse enjoys her nighttime activities.

“Moist…”

To prove a point to Lily (Alyson Hannigan) after she becomes upset with him for his brutally honest review of her experimental play, Barney writes his own intentionally irritating one-person show to prove a point to her. The first segment sees him repeat this word that he knows Lily cannot stand.

Say what you want about Barney Stinson, when it comes to scoring the funny lines on How I Met Your Mother, he won the challenge.

Though television programming existed in various forms for more than a decade before the first situation comedies officially arrived in the late 1940s, the sitcom quickly became one of the most popular and duplicated genres for the next 80+ years. From stand-up comics to Hollywood icons, sitcoms are responsible for some of pop culture’s biggest stars, from Jerry Seinfeld to Jennifer Aniston to Dick Van Dyke to Lucille Ball, as well as some of the most memorable catchphrases.

Despite broadcast networks no longer championing sitcoms as much as in years past, with streaming services picking up the slack — Netflix is now more known for multi-camera sitcoms than any of the Big 4 — TV comedies will likely continue to keep audiences breathless with laughter for many more years to come. As such, CinemaBlend’s staff came together to celebrate and rank the 100 best sitcoms of all time, with the order stemming partially from our writers’ sharing scores for more than 200 different series, along with other contributing factors.

So sit back in your favorite recliner, grab an extra-large Squishee (or an ice-cold Duff, if you’re of age) and settle into the coziness, comfort, and occasional cringeworthiness of the best TV sitcoms of all time, according to CinemaBlend.

100. Bewitched

You know a show is a classic when even Marvel is drawing inspiration from it nearly 50 years after its end. The fantasy sitcom Bewitched worked its magic at CBS for eight seasons, partially due to the phenomenal comedic acting of Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York, who was famously replaced by Dick Sargent due to York's worsening health issues. Add in an equally impressive ensemble cast including Agnes Moorehead, David White, and Paul Lynde (just to name a few), and it's no wonder Bewitched was a nose-twitching delight of a show that doesn't need supernatural abilities to be great.

99. Laverne and Shirley

Arguably the most successful Happy Days spinoff, as well as one of the best TV comedies of all time, Laverne & Shirley followed two best friends and bottle-cappers as they navigated life and everything it threw at them in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (later Burbank, California). Though similar in tone to its predecessor, this long-running sitcom relied more on the physical comedy talents masterfully pulled by stars Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. And when it comes to iconic opening credits sequences, Laverne & Shirley was in a league of its own with all those shots of the fictional Shotz Brewery along with that classic theme.

98. Beavis And Butt-Head

No Beavis And Butt-Head fan will argue that the show isn’t dumb. Because it is. It really, really is, in each of its iterations. The two eponymous characters rank as two of the most unambiguously stupid protagonists to ever grace a TV screen, and every word they say is unadulterated idiocy. Ironically, though, that’s the genius of Mike Judge’s creation. The impossibly dumb leads allow for stories that no other sitcom can reasonably or responsibly touch with any degree of verisimilitude, while also permitting some outrageously weird takes on music videos (and social clips) across various eras.

97. Hogan's Heroes

War stories are often suited for prestige dramas, but Hogan's Heroes proved that a P.O.W. camp comedy could be just as awards-worthy. During its 168-episode run, Bob Crane's titular leader and his squad constantly thwarted Nazi enemies with fast-talking and constant hijinks (many of which were put into play by future game show legend Richard Dawson). Lasting as long as World War II did itself, Hogan's Heroes showcased how reflecting on past tragedies with humor can make for memorable art.

96. How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother may be higher on this list if not for fan opinions of the final season, but I would 100% say that it’s worth watching despite a lackluster ending. This show is about finding out how Josh Radnor’s Ted met his future wife, but it really thrives as a series about best friends. As Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney Stinson would say, this ensemble is legen–wait for it–dary, and those who check it out will definitely be invested in what the cast is doing now that the series is over.

95. Mork & Mindy

Today we all know what an immense talent Robin Williams was, and the absolutely wild places he could take comedy. Imagine not knowing any of that, and then turning on an early episode of Mork & Mindy, where he must have come across quite like somebody from another world, much like the character he played. Mork from Ork gave Williams the freedom to do almost anything on screen opposite Pam Dawber’s Mindy (and later Jonathan Winters), and it’s no surprise he took over Hollywood after four successful seasons.

94. The Adventures of Pete and Pete

Plenty of shows focus on the weirdness of suburbia, but Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete still stands awkwardly as one of the best. As Older Pete (Michael Maronna) and Younger Pete (Danny Tamberelli) navigate the oddities of Wellsville, life lessons and warm memories are gifted to viewers by creators Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. Pete & Pete delivers its homespun tales with a deep-seated love of ‘50s and ‘60s pop culture, and with one of the more impressive celebrity guest star rosters of kid-centric TV. Where else will you find REM’s Michael Stipe as a conspiratorial ice cream man?