Characters come and characters go, at least that’s the case for these beloved shows. Whether it’s on one of the best sitcoms of all time, an exhilarating epic fantasy series, or crime dramas holding down a spot on the primetime lineup for decades, these programs all have one thing in common: they lost a fan-favorite before the final episode (or even final season).

Here are 32 TV shows that lost their lead character during their run…

The Office (2005 - 2013)

After being the best character on The Office for the show’s first seven seasons, Steve Carell’s Michael Scott left Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office back in 2011. Though he would return in a guest capacity in the final season, the absence of the awkward, excitable, yet hilarious regional manager could be felt in the series’ final days.

That ‘70s Show (1998 - 2006)

That ‘70s Show had one of the best runs of any sitcom introduced in the final years of the 20th century, one that would carry on until May 2006. However, the sitcom’s main character, Topher Grace’s Eric Forman, wouldn’t be there for all of it. The actor, whose popularity was rising at the time, left the show after its seventh season. He would return in the series finale one year later.

Two And A Half Men (2003 - 2015)

Amid contract negotiations and a string of controversial incidents, Charlie Sheen left Two and a Half Men and stopped playing fan-favorite Charlie Harper, following the hit sitcom’s eighth season in 2011. One of the most popular shows on TV at the time, the CBS comedy would continue for four more seasons, with Ashton Kutcher coming on to play Walden Schmidt

Cheers (1982 - 1993)

A mainstay of Cheers for the show’s first five seasons, Shelley Long’s Diane Chambers left the friendly Boston bar for good when she was given the opportunity to become a professional writer. However, Diane would later return near the end of the show’s final season in 1993.

ER (1994 - 2009)

Whether it was Anthony Edwards’ Mark Greene being killed off in a spectacular way or George Clooney’s Doug Ross departing following a major scandal, ER lost several of its main characters throughout its 15-season (and 331-episode) run on NBC. However, the show always seemed to rebound from even the biggest losses.

Law & Order (1990 - Present)

Countless beloved characters have come and gone from Law & Order over the years, including NYPD detective Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), who was a mainstay of the legal drama for 12 years. The series is still on today (after being revived in 2022), but few of the detectives on the show have come close to touching the greatness of the wisecracking cop.

Three’s Company (1977 - 1984)

The late Suzanne Somers became a household name for her portrayal of Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company back in 1977. One of the three leads through much of the show’s run, Somers departed the series after its fifth season. The sitcom would run for three additional seasons after Somers left.

Scrubs (2001 - 2009)

Though Zach Braff’s Dr. John Michael “J.D.” Dorian was technically part of the Scrubs cast until the very last episode of Season 9 (he’s also returning for the upcoming reboot series), he only showed up in less than half of the final run. Maybe it was for the best, because those episodes were of a far lower quality than the previous eight seasons.

Bewitched (1964 - 1972)

This is an odd one simply because the Darrin Stephens character on Bewitched was written off, but instead recast near the end of the show’s run. Played by Dick York for the first few seasons, Elizabeth Montgomery’s on-screen husband was later played by Dick Sargent in the final years of the landmark sitcom about a witch trying to hide her true nature from the world around her.

Mom (2003 - 2021)

When the main star of a show leaves partway through the series run, it can be a nightmare for their co-stars and crew members, and that was the case when Anna Faris departed the hit CBS comedy Mom in 2020. Though the show continued for one more season after Christy Plunkett was written off, the absence of the former lead could be felt.

One Tree Hill (2003 - 2012)

One of the biggest shows of the 2000s, One Tree Hill was a perennial favorite of The WB (and later The CW) through much of its nine-season run. However, the good times didn’t last the whole time, as Chad Michael Murray, who played lead Lucas Scott, departed after season 6 alongside Hilarie Burton’s Peyton Sawyer.

Grey’s Anatomy (2005 - Present)

One of the longest-running shows in TV history, Grey’s Anatomy has always been known for its tremendous cast of characters. And while there are some, like Ellen Pompeo’s Meredith Grey, who have been there all along, others have come and gone. One of the biggest is Patrick Dempsey’s Derek Shepherd, aka "Dr. McDreamy," who was killed off in the show’s 11th season.

Glee (2009 - 2015)

In the middle of Glee’s successful run on Fox, the popular musical series lost one of its main characters when the actor who played him tragically died. In July 2013, Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, died at the age of 31.

The Walking Dead (2010 - 2022)

So many characters came and went on The Walking Dead, which is to be expected considering it was a show set in the zombie apocalypse. However, one of the biggest departures came in the show’s ninth season when Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes was written off the massively successful show.

House Of Cards (2013 - 2018)

House of Cards was a show with one shocking moment after another, including the time the Netflix series had to find a way to get rid of its main character before the sixth and final season. After Kevin Spacey found himself in legal trouble, the show’s producers decided to kill him off and carry on.

Blue’s Clues (1996 - 2006)

Steve Burns’ Steve was primarily the only human character on the hit Nick Jr. series, Blue’s Clues, for the show’s first four seasons. However, the actor left the animated show and was replaced by his character’s younger brother, Joe (Donovan Patton). Burns would later go on to appear in the Flaming Lips’ wild 2008 sci-fi film, Christmas on Mars.

The O.C. (2003 - 2007)

One of the main characters through the show’s first few seasons, Mischa Barton’s Marissa Cooper was killed off in heartbreaking fashion in The O.C.’s Season 3 finale. Following the departure of the tortured teenager, the show lasted one more season before coming to an end.

Charmed (1998 - 2006)

Prue Halliwell, played by the late Shannen Doherty, was one of the main characters in the first three seasons of Charmed. Though her fate was initially left up in the air following a Season 3 cliffhanger, it was later revealed that Prue died after her run-in with a powerful demonic assassin.

Laverne & Shirley (1976 - 1983)

One of the most popular spinoffs of all time (the characters originated on Happy Days), Laverne & Shirley ran for eight seasons on ABC between 1976 and 1983. However, while Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio stayed around for the whole run, it was a different story for Cindy Williams’s Shirley Feeney. Williams, who was pregnant at the time, departed partway through what would ultimately be the final season.

Game Of Thrones (2011 - 2019)

Though Game of Thrones had numerous “main” characters over the course of its eight-year run, Sean Bean’s Ned Stark was one of the biggest in the first season. Creating one of the most shocking moments in TV history, Ned lost his head before the end of the first year, which set the tone for the unpredictable nature of the series moving forward.

The Vampire Diaries (2009 - 2017)

The Vampire Diaries was on the air for eight seasons between 2009 and 2017, but The CW’s popular book-to-screen adaptation lost its main character, Nina Dobrev’s Elena Gilbert, two-thirds of the way through. Though her character didn’t die, Debrov left for other opportunities.

Spin City (1996 - 2002)

The popular satirical comedy series, Spin City, ran on ABC for six seasons between 1996 and 2002, with most of those being led by Michael J. Fox as New York City deputy mayor Mike Flaherty. However, a couple of years after Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the actor left the series after its fourth season, with his character being written off by moving to Washington, D.C.

The Wire (2002 - 2008)

The Wire’s cast was full of incredible actors playing some of the best characters to ever grace the small screen. One of the major players in the landmark HBO series’ first three seasons was Idris Elba’s Stringer Bell, a ruthless and ambitious drug lord who aspired for more than running the corners in Baltimore. However, he made far too many enemies and he was brutally killed in the show’s Season 3 finale.

Oz (1997 - 2003)

Though Oz had a killer ensemble cast throughout the HBO series’ run between 1997 and 2003, it lost one of its lead players when Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Simon Adebisi was killed off in the show’s fourth season. Imagine fans’ reactions the following year when he showed up in 2001’s The Mummy Returns.

Roseanne/The Conners (1988 - 2025)

Not long after Roseanne was brought back to TV in 2018, its star, Roseanne Barr, was fired in the fallout of a controversial tweet. The show was quickly cancelled and morphed into The Conners, which ran for seven seasons before coming to an end in 2025.

NCIS (2003 - Present)

A lot of people have left NCIS over the years, but the CBS crime drama continues to be one of the most popular shows on network TV. Perhaps the biggest character to come and go since the show’s 2003 debut is NCIS Supervisory Special Agent and Special Agent in Charge Leroy Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, who stayed on through the 19th season. Talk about longevity.

8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter (2002 - 2005)

8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, later shortened to 8 Simple Rules, had a nice little run on ABC back in the early 2000s, and even helped launch the career of Kaley Cuoco. The series was originally led by John Ritter, but his character, Paul Hennessy, was written off after the Three’s Company and Problem Child star suddenly died at the age of 54 while shooting the second season.

Lost (2004 - 2010)

Much like the show’s story, talking about main characters dying on Lost is a bit confusing, considering the non-linear structure of the long-running ABC drama series. Numerous characters like Shannon Rutherford (Maggie Grace), Michael Dawson (Harold Perrineau), and Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) were written off and brought back later on in the series.

Homeland (2011 - 2020)

A once-great show that went on way too long, Homeland had its fair share of shocking moments and final episodes for major characters. At the top of that list is Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a former prisoner of war whose true alliances are ambiguous through much of the show’s first three seasons. However, his time would come to an end a few years into the run when Brody was hanged in a public execution in Iran.

Boardwalk Empire (2010 - 2014)

Michael Pitt’s Jimmy Darmody was pretty much the 1B lead to Steve Buscemi’s Nucky Thompson in the first two seasons of Boardwalk Empire, but the up-and-coming gangster wouldn’t survive the 2011 season finale. The series would run for another three seasons before coming to an end in 2014.

Downton Abbey (2010 - 2015)

Dan Stevens’ Matthew Crawley was just one of multiple fan-favorite characters to be killed off during Downton Abbey during the show’s original run. The third-cousin, once removed of the Earl of Grantham, the character didn’t make it all that long in the grand scheme of things before dying in a car accident during the show’s third season.

Sons Of Anarchy (2008 - 2014)

Sons of Anarchy had an epic run on FX in the latter part of the 2000s through the early 2010s, and in that time, so many fan-favorites got killed off. The most horrifying came in the show’s fifth season when the beloved Opie (Ryan Hurst) was brutally murdered in prison. Some never came back after that.

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.

The notion of a TV show going through cast changes for one reason or another isn’t all that unusual. In some cases, an actor might choose to leave a show in order to pursue other opportunities. And, at other times, a character naturally runs their course and is written out, leading to a star being ushered out of a production gracefully. However, there have been a number of instances in which an actor has dramatically exited a popular show for more salacious reasons. And we’re going to talk about a number of those situations.

Mackenzie Phillips (One Day At A Time)

Mackenzie Phillips dealt with substance and alcohol abuse during her tenure on One Day at a Time. As her problems increased and she allegedly became erratic on set, the actress was fired after the fifth season of the Norman Lear-produced sitcom. After voluntarily receiving treatment, Philips was invited back to the series at the start of Season 7. But, as mentioned in her Biography special she was fired one more time early in Season 9.

Delta Burke (Designing Women)

Designing Women cast member Delta Burke, who played breakout character Suzanne Sugarbaker, left the beloved CBS comedy after its fifth season. At the time, Burke was having issues with series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. While appearing on the Glamorous Trash podcast years later, Burke said she and the EP “tried to kill each other” but “survived.” They eventually patched things up and teamed up again for a short-lived spinoff series, Women of the House.

John Amos (Good Times) 

Fans, like myself, would probably argue that Good Times – one of the greatest sitcoms of all time – changed tremendously after John Amos’ James Evans Sr. was written out following Season 3. That creative decision was the result of Amos being incredibly vocal about his frustrations with the direction of the show and even threatening the writers. As the actor explained during an interview, series EP Norman Lear called him up personally to tell him he’d been fired. 

Rob Lowe (The West Wing)

Before he dazzled on Parks and Recreation and after rising to prominence as a “Brat Pack” member, Rob Lowe starred on The West Wing. The show was originally set to center around his character, Sam Seaborn, though the focus shifted early on. Feeling underutilized as time went on, Lowe left the show after four seasons.

Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)

Roseanne Barr’s eponymous ABC sitcom was revived for a tenth season that aired in 2018, and it saw considerable success. Following its renewal, Barr was fired after posting a tweet about former government official Valerie Janet that was condemned as being racist. Her dismissal led to the cancellation of Roseanne and the conception of a spinoff sequel series The Conners.

Janet Hubert (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

Two actresses portrayed Vivian “Aunt Viv” Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the first being Janet Hubert. By the NBC sitcom’s third season, she and lead actor Will Smith began to butt heads. Both were also dealing with situations in their personal lives. Ultimately, Hubert left Fresh Prince due to getting an unsatisfactory new contract offer and, years later, she and Smith made amends during the show’s 2020 reunion.

Kevin Spacey (House Of Cards)

House of Cards experienced a significant shake-up after Kevin Spacey was accused of being inappropriate towards actor Anthony Rapp while he was still a minor. Netflix eventually cut ties with Spacey and, as a result, he was replaced as the lead of the show by co-star Robin Wright.

Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

When it comes to an exit from a TV series, few get more dramatic than Charlie Sheen’s departure from Two and a Half Men. During the eighth season of the hit CBS show, he made headlines for partaking in wild parties and even entered rehab. Sheen’s fate was sealed, however, when he made disparaging remarks about series co-creator Chuck Lorre. Men would continue for four more seasons, with Ashton Kutcher taking over as co-lead.

Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) 

There are a lot of moving parts to Katherine Heigl’s Grey’s Anatomy exit, but it was truly set in motion after the actress kept her name from Emmy consideration in 2008. Heigl did that because she didn’t think the work she’d done for that particular season was Emmy-worthy. In 2009, the Izzie Stevens actress accused series creator Shonda Rhimes and the producers of initiating long work hours for the cast and crew. And, in 2010, amid Season 6 of the drama series, Rhimes released Heigl from her contract early.

Valerie Harper (Valerie/Valerie’s Family/The Hogan Family)

Amid the second season of Valerie, lead actress Valerie Harper became engaged in a salary dispute with both NBC and production company Lorimar. It was after that season that the Emmy winner was fired, and she ultimately sued both of the aforementioned companies for breach of contract. The series aired for four more seasons – and had two more names. But, ultimately, Harper won her case and was awarded $1.4 million and future show profits.

Robert Downey Jr. (Ally McBeal)

Robert Downey Jr. had experienced a number of personal issues by the time he was cast for Season 4 of Ally McBeal, and they continued throughout his tenure. During that season, he was arrested in November 2000 for drug possession and was taken into custody again under suspicion of being under the influence in Culver City in 2001. With that, Downey was fired from McBeal.

Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

In 2017, amid the MeToo Movement, Jeffrey Tambor was accused of inappropriate behavior by his former assistant. Shortly after, one of Tambor’s Transparent co-stars accused him of misconduct as well. Amazon, which had renewed the Emmy-winning dramedy for a fifth and final season, officially fired Tambor in early 2018. His character, who was the lead, was ultimately killed off in the musical series finale special.

Esther Rolle (Good Times)

Esther Rolle took issue with some of the creative decisions made on Good Times, not unlike her co-star, John Amos – who was fired after Season 3 even though Rolle was more publicly vocal about her disdain. Given her discomfort, Rolle left after the fourth season when her contract expired. She did, however, return as a main cast member for the sixth and final season. 

Suzanne Somers (Three’s Company)

Some TV devotees may not be aware that Suzanne Somers exited Three’s Company after five seasons due to a salary dispute with ABC’s execs. Her attempts to renegotiate a new deal proved to be unsuccessful, and her contract was not renewed. Throughout the remainder of the show's run, Somers' Chrissy Snow would be succeeded by two other characters.

Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill)

Many were likely surprised when Chad Michael Murray was one of two major stars to exit One Tree Hill ahead of its seventh season. At this point, there’s been no clear reason as to why Murray, who played Lucas Scott parted ways with the show. Some contend that he was ready to leave, but Murray was even recorded saying that the network wanted to drop him to save money.

Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)

Veteran actress Lori Loughlin was starring on Netflix’s Fuller House when she was indicted as part of the 2019 college admissions scandal. In 2020, Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to two months in prison. Given her legal woes, Loughlin’s Aunt Becky was excluded from the sitcom’s final season.

Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy)

It was in October 2006 that Isaiah Washington made headlines after it was reported that during an on-set conflict with Patrick Dempsey, he insulted their fellow Grey’s Anatomy co-star, T.R. Knight, with a homophobic slur. Washington reportedly issued an apology though, by the summer of 2007, his contract with ABC was eliminated after Season 3. Washington did, however, reprise the role for a Season 10 episode.

Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds)

Criminal Minds fired Thomas Gibson amid production on Season 12. As has been reported, Gibson, who was directing an episode at the time, had a disagreement with the episode’s writer. The scribe was on set at the time and, during an encounter with Gibson, the actor apparently kicked him. Gibson subsequently expressed regret over his actions.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed)

Few TV deaths were more tragic than that of Shannen Doherty’s Prue Halliwell during Charmed’s third season finale. In the years since she departed the show, Doherty has claimed that her on-set tension with co-star Alyssa Milano caused her to be let go. For her part, Milano said she was “sad” that Doherty blamed her for how everything panned out.

Danny Masterson (The Ranch)

While starring on Netflix’s The Ranch, Danny Masterson was investigated by police due to allegations of assault by multiple women. Masterson was soon fired from the series amid production on Season 3 and, in 2023, he was sentenced to prison.

Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

After leading Batwoman for just one season, Ruby Rose exited the Arrowverse show in 2020. The actress initially attributed her decision to the “taxing” nature of heading up a TV show as well as an allergic reaction to the latex in her costume. However, Rose later made claims of an abusive workplace against her ex-co-stars, The CW and more. Warner Bros. TV denied the allegations as did Rose’s former scene partners.

Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley)

Laverne & Shirley lost co-lead Cindy Williams early into the show’s eighth and final season. Williams became pregnant early into production and, as she explained to Today, she wouldn’t sign a new contract due to the producers having her work on her due date. So Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio finished out those last episodes without Williams’ Shirley Feeney.

Chevy Chase (Community)

It’s been well documented that Community’s Chevy Chase had creative differences with series creator Dan Harmon over his character, Pierce Hawthorne. While working on Season 4, the veteran funnyman reportedly had an on-set tirade during which he dropped the N-word. Chase departed the show shortly after that.

Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-0)

Daniel Dae Kim’s exit from CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot after seven seasons came down to a salary dispute with the network. After the news of his departure was reported, Kim himself (who was one of the procedural’s most recognizable stars) addressed the situation, confirming that he and the network couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal.

Lisa Bonet (A Different World)

Cosby Show spinoff A Different World finished its first season on NBC in early 1988 and, afterward, lead actress Lisa Bonet announced her pregnancy with then-husband Lenny Kravitz. The sitcom’s incoming showrunner, Debbie Allen, wanted to keep Bonet on the show and depict her character, Denise Huxtable, as a single mom. But, as Allen explained years later, series creator Bill Cosby preferred that Bonet be dropped from the show.

Columbus Short (Scandal)

After three seasons on ABC’s Scandal, Columbus Short was removed from the cast of the hit drama series. It was during that time that the actor was dealing with personal issues and was even arrested on a domestic violence charge. Short later explained that he was cut due to his struggles with drugs and alcohol.

Gina Carano (The Mandalorian)

MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano established a polarizing social media presence during her two-season stint on The Mandalorian. Among the controversial posts she shared was a message that seemingly compared being a modern-day conservative to being a Jewish person during the Holocaust. Disney and Lucasfilm fired Carano in 2021 ahead of the highly popular Star Wars show’s third season.

Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives)

Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan was written out of the show after the show’s fifth season, with her character, Edie Britt, being killed off. Several years later, the actress filed suit against Marc Cherry, the show’s creator and ABC. Sheridan alleged that Cherry assaulted her on the set and that she was fired for reporting it. Cherry provided an account of events and, in time, the harassment claims were thrown and Sheridan was unsuccessful in getting a retrial.

T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy)

In 2009, T.R. Knight – who played Dr. George O’Malley on Grey’s Anatomy – left the show after the fifth season. Knight said his reason for leaving was due to a “breakdown of communication” with series EP Shonda Rhimes, his own decision to come out as gay and more. This also all came a few years after Knight was allegedly insulted with a homophobic slur by ex-co-star Isaiah Washington. 

Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill)

Much has been said about Hilarie Burton’s exit from One Tree Hill after the sixth season. The most common assertion has been that the Peyton Sawyer actress couldn’t agree with the network on a new deal. Interestingly, while Burton recalled filming her final scene for the show, she noted that while shooting another sequence, a producer announced on set that the show was renewed for Season 7. However, both Burton and co-star Chad Michael Muray were surprised as they apparently hadn’t been offered new deals.

Justin Roiland (Rick And Morty)

Rick and Morty actor and co-creator Justin Roiland was fired from the Adult Swim show in 2023 after it was revealed that he was facing a domestic violence charge and other offenses in court. Roiland’s case was eventually thrown out later that year. However, the animator and voice actor was later accused of assault and messaging underage girls.

John Rhys-Davies (Sliders)

The sci-fi cult classic Sliders lost cast member John Rhys-Davies when the actor opted to depart after three seasons amid other cast changes. Sometime later, Rhys-Davies explained that he left due to conflicts with the writers. The veteran actor later explained that by the time he left the show, the scripts had become “incomprehensible gibberish.”

Not a TV season goes by where the average television lover can’t name at least one series that was their favorite. Whether it’s brand new or has been on the air for a while, sometimes we adore shows that everyone else seems to be high on as well, because the numbers tell us just how popular they are. With that, each season has a winner when it comes to viewership, so here are 32 TV shows that topped the ratings for a year.

Texaco Star Theater (1950-1951)

The main ratings system for television programs didn’t start until 1950, and the show that took the top spot for that first major season was a comedy/variety series that crossed over from radio: Texaco Star Theater. The show had actually moved to television two years prior and eventually became known for giving the career of comedian Milton Berle a giant boost, as the host was called “Mr. Television” because of his work here.

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (1951-1952)

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was hosted by personality Arthur Godfrey, who employed several “talent scouts” to bring in new singers, comedians and musicians that they thought had the goods to make it in the entertainment business, with an audience applause meter deciding the winner. The show led the ratings for just one season but ran for 10 seasons and helped to launch the careers of contestants like Patsy Cline and Don Knotts.

I Love Lucy (1951-1955, 1956-1957)

Here’s a comedy that everyone who knows their TV history will be aware of and (probably) love: I Love Lucy. The legendary series, which starred Lucille Ball (who also helped create the sitcom) as the well-meaning but trouble-making wife of band leader Ricky Ricardo (played by Ball’s real husband, Desi Arnaz) is still well-known to this day for good reason, as it was also incredibly popular while it was on the air. It was the #1 scripted show from 1951-1955, then returned as the top show overall for the 1956-1957 TV season.

The $64,000 Question (1955-1956)

If you’re guessing that this is a game show, feel free to pat yourself on the back, give yourself a gold star or both, because you nailed it! The $64,000 Question saw competitors attempt to answer questions, with the potential prize money doubling as those queries got harder and the last question having a top value of…you guessed it again, $64,000. Despite its popularity, the show only lasted from 1955-1958, due to it becoming a part of the ‘50s quiz show scandals that surprised the nation and inspired the 1994 Robert Redford-directed movie, Quiz Show.

Gunsmoke (1957-1961)

Westerns used to be all the rage on the big and small screen, and Gunsmoke (a drama focused on U.S. Marshal Matt Dillion and other denizens of Dodge City, Kansas in the 1870s) has a very good reason to be counted among some of the most famous TV westerns. Not only did the show top the ratings from 1957-1961, but it ran for 20 seasons, which made it the longest-running live-action scripted series (a record that Law & Order tied in 2010) in US history until September 2019 (when Law & Order: SVU began its 21st season).

Wagon Train (1961-1962)

Again with a Western, and it won’t be the last one you’ll see here. Wagon Train, which followed the lives of wagon train conductors and their passengers on a trip from Missouri to California, offered numerous opportunities for big names like Bette Davis and Lee Marvin to show up in guest roles, and it helped this drama to the top of the ratings for the ‘61-’62 television season.

The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1964)

And we’re back with another comedy! Even if you weren’t around for the original run of The Beverly Hillbillies, you’ve likely come across the popular fish-out-of-water sitcom in syndicated repeats while flipping channels at some point. Following the Clampetts, a poor family from the mountains of Missouri, viewers watched as they adjusted to life in Beverly Hills after finding oil on their land and moving west. The comedy was a hit with audiences, and landed at the top of the ratings for the first two of its nine seasons.

Bonanza (1964-1967)

This 1860s-set drama might have given pop culture the most famous fictional family ever to populate a Western: the Cartwrights. Viewers watched the weekly adventures of dad Ben and his three adult sons on Bonanza, as they ran their ranch in Nevada during and after the Civil War. The series ran for 14 seasons, becoming the second-longest-running Western on U.S. TV, and topped the charts for three seasons, from 1964 to 1967.

The Andy Griffith Show (1967-1968)

The last of its eight seasons saw The Andy Griffith Show as the top series in the land. Each entry followed the comedic life of widowed small-town sheriff Andy Taylor and his friends and family, which included future Happy Days star and Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard as his son, Opie, and Don Knotts as his best friend/blundering deputy, Barney Fife.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968-1970)

Hosted by comedians Dick Martin and Dan Rowan, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In was already rare for being a sketch comedy show, but its first season on the air also saw it become the only such show to lead in the ratings, which it then did for two seasons straight. Aside from featuring guest appearances from popular entertainers of the day, the series is also notable for introducing a wide audience to talents like Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin.

Marcus Welby, M.D. (1970-1971)

Unlike Westerns, medical shows have never really gone out of style, and one of the most popular of its time was Marcus Welby, M.D. an immediate hit when it debuted in 1969, the second season saw it top all others in the ratings as it followed its kind, but rule-breaking titular character as his methods clashed with his much younger medial partner, who was far more straight-laced.

All In The Family (1971-1976)

Chances are you’ve heard of All In the Family, even if you’ve never seen it, and there’s a good reason for that. The hit sitcom about working class bigot Archie Bunker and his family broke new ground for television comedies by featuring more realistic issues and discussion about controversial, of-the-moment topics. It worked, too, because the show led the pack for five of its nine seasons.

Happy Days (1976-1977)

As one of the biggest (and long-running) hits of the ‘70s and ‘80s, Happy Days quickly became a pop culture touchstone, even with the fact that it chronicled the family and friends of teenaged Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard, in his second hit show) in 1950s Milwaukee. Of course, not only did the comedy, which held the #1 position for the ‘76-’77 season, last for 11 seasons, but it also introduced us to Henry Winkler’s uber-cool Fonzie and led to the idea of something “jumping the shark” because of one of its infamous episodes.

Laverne & Shirley (1977-1979)

It seems only fair that another comedy set in the 1950s would take the top spot from Happy Days, especially since Laverne & Shirley was actually a spinoff of the aforementioned sitcom. Following the wholesome shenanigans of friends, roommates, and co-workers Shirley Feeney and Laverne DeFazio, it proved almost as long-lasting and beloved as its parent series, topping the charts for two seasons in a row.

60 Minutes (1979-1980, 1982-1983, 1991-1994)

We’ve already seen some unscripted series lead the way in the ratings in the form of variety shows, but there is one news magazine that’s reliably had a grip on primetime TV over the years, as well: 60 Minutes. After coming out on top for a total of five seasons so far, it’s worth noting that the show is still going strong and doesn't show any sign of slowing down. 

Three's Company (1979-1980)

While 60 Minutes was ruling the roost during the ‘79-’80 television season, the show that first among scripted series was yet another massive hit that would become legendary. Three’s Company was farce at its best, as the friends and roommates played by John Ritter, Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt got involved in a number of ridiculous scrapes that had people howling with laughter for a total of eight seasons. 

Dallas (1980-1982, 1983-1984)

We’re about to enter some very soapy territory, as the early to mid-’80s were home to two of the biggest nighttime soap opera juggernauts in history. One of them, Dallas. The show focused on the Ewings, a feuding family of incredibly rich oil tycoons/ranchers who were memorably led into many schemes and/or crossed and double-crossed by Larry Hagman’s infamous J.R. Ewing. 

Dynasty (1984-1985)

What was the other mega-hit primetime soap, you ask? Well, it was none other than Dynasty. Chronicling the lives, loves and scandals of the Carringtons and their extended family, friends and business associates, the drama employed a number of salacious storylines and many on-screen brawls between leading ladies Joan Collins and Linda Evans (among others).

The Cosby Show (1985-1990)

For many years the gold standard in family comedies was The Cosby Show, and its cultural impact can’t be denied. Not only was it the first successful sitcom to focus on an affluent Black family, but it was #1 for five seasons in a row.

Cheers (1990-1991)

While not an immediate hit, the comedy set in the titular bar “where everybody knows your name” was eventually one of the biggest sitcoms of the ‘80s and ‘90s, so much so that the series finale in 1993 became the most watched single episode of television for the whole decade.

Seinfeld (1994-1995, 1997-1998)

If you were thinking that the only show to be proudly billed as being about “nothing” must land on this list somewhere, you were correct! Nearly 30 years after its polarizing finale the sitcom is still adored for everything from the Seinfeld cast to all of the ridiculous side characters that fans still love today. 

E.R. (1995-1997, 1998-1999, 2000-2001)

With a total of 15 seasons, no one who lived through the ‘90s or ‘00s can deny the power and popularity of ER. Making stars out of cast members like George Clooney, Julianna Margulies, Eriq LaSalle, Gloria Reuben and (a lot) more across its many drama-filled episodes about the staff at a fictional Chicago hospital, the show managed to capture the eyes of an adoring public and cement its place in TV history with several seasons in the top spot, though it was simply the #1 scripted show in 2000-2001, with it being bested by a series that’s still making news after its 46th season.

Survivor (2000-2001)

Congrats if you guessed that the only show bigger than ER for the '00-’01 season was the very first outing of the reality competition, Survivor. Following (usually) a new cast of hopeful winners each season and in a different tropical locale as they all try to “outwit, outlast, and outplay” their fellow competitors in a number of challenges, viewers just can’t seem to get enough, and many think it couldn’t exist without the one constant: host Jeff Probst.

Friends (2001-2002)

What is there to even say about the famed NBC sitcom about six friends living, loving, working (or not), and getting into hilarious scrapes that you don’t already know? How about the fact that despite its 10-season run and it being so comforting for millions to watch that even Selena Gomez binges Friends on her day off, that this pop culture phenomenon was only on top of the ratings for ONE SEASON?

CSI (2002-2005)

If you can count on a crime procedural to top the ratings for at least one season, it would certainly be one like CSI, which not only changed the police drama game by showing intense close-ups of bodily harm but doing it in an incredibly stylish way. It also ran for 15 seasons and launched a franchise with multiple spinoffs.

NCIS (2012-2013, 2015-2016)

Another long-time mega-hit that led to a number of also long-running spinoffs is NCIS, which is itself a spinoff of JAG. Surprisingly, this Naval crime procedural will soon be in its 22nd season and has never failed to bring in massive amounts of eyeballs, but has only stood atop the TV viewership mountain for two seasons.

Sunday Night Football (2011-2012, 2013-2015, 2018-2024)

Talk about a ratings winner! Several of the shows above came in for many seasons in second place, simply because America loves football, especially on Sunday nights. After starting on NBC in 2006, these weekend-ending NFL games have come out as the ultimate champion for a whopping nine seasons.

The Big Bang Theory (2016-2018)

The Big Bang Theory set the sitcom world on fire, leading to 12 seasons, two spinoffs and star-making turns for the cast, who played a group of nerdy young scientists looking for love and success in California while navigating their complex friendships.

American Idol (2005-2011)

Sometimes a reality competition can really grip the nation, and American Idol has done that during its 22 seasons (so far). Launching the careers of singers like talk show phenom Kelly Clarkson, EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, and country music superstar Carrie Underwood, the show was so popular that it only took two years after being canceled by Fox to begin another successful run on ABC.

Desperate Housewives (2007-2008)

The ‘07-’08 television season was a tough one for scripted shows. With multiple nights of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars ruling the airwaves, only one non-reality-competition show in primetime was mighty enough to capture enough viewers to be the top scripted series in all the land, and that was the super soapy Desperate Housewives, which helped to revitalize Teri Hatcher’s career while making actors like Eva Longoria a household name.

Yellowstone (2021-2022)

You’ll remember what a big deal football has been over the years, and only one scripted series was able to break through in the '21-’22 season to lead the season when it came to shows that need actors and dramatic plots filled with machinations, twists, wrongdoings and one attention-grabbing love story: Yellowstone, which made TV Westerns important again.

Tracker (2023-2024)

Even after all this time, we can still get some major surprises, and sometimes a show becomes a breakout hit right out of the gate. For the ‘23-’24 season, the three primetime NFL offerings took up the main top spots, but Tracker, starring This Is Us alum Justin Hartley as a loner with a troubled family who finds missing people for a living, came out on top when it comes to scripted series.

Now that you know exactly what won the ratings game and for which full seasons, maybe you’ll dedicate some time to binging some of these shows to see why people loved them so much.

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?

93. black-ish

Watching Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross’ Andre and Rainbow Johnson raise their family amidst navigating various challenges in and around their largely white-populated neighborhood, all while still hanging onto their Black identities, makes for eight seasons of exceptional sitcom storytelling. While black-ish went on to launch two spinoffs, the original still stands as the cream of the crop, expertly balancing pointed social commentary and humor regarding a variety of topics, racial and otherwise. Plus, TV grandfather-dom looks great on Laurence Fishburne.

92. The Munsters

What happens when a family largely modeled after Universal’s Classic Monsters takes up residence in the middle of suburban America’s Mockingbird Heights? You get The Munsters, which slotted in nicely among other comedic offerings in the ‘60s while also satirizing sitcom tropes of the era. Although Fred Gwynne’s bumbling patriarch Herman was often the driving force behind the weekly shenanigans, Lily, Grandpa, Eddie and Marilyn (the only “normal” looking one) were all far more endearing than their monstrous counterparts, making The Munsters a great platform for chaotic, yet heartfelt entertainment.

91. Happy Endings

Best friends are always good sitcom fodder, as David Caspe’s Happy Endings proved for three seasons on ABC ahead of its fan-angering cancellation. Damon Wayans Jr.’s cucumber-cool Brad and Eliza Coupe’s A-type Jane are the group’s PDA-friendly couple, while her sister, Elisha Cuthbert’s confusion-prone Alex, is exes-ish with Zachary Knighton’s dorky-smooth Dave. The group is rounded out by Adam Pally’s schlubbo-sexual Max and Casey Wilson’s serial dater Penny. Perhaps the only sitcom whose leads share a fictional history as Real World vets, Happy Endings is as fun and fancy-free as romance-fueled sitcoms get.

90. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Less than two years after Ellie Kemper played Erin Hannon for the last time on The Office, she sunshine-smiled her way through a bonkers show of her own with Netflix’s original Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The series, which centered on former cult member Kimmy’s surreal and gung-ho acclimation to life in a “real” world she hadn’t lived in for years. One of the more unique shows from creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, Kimmy could have made this list just for turning the multi-talent Tituss Burgess into a small-screen regular. Extra kudos for the follow-up movie Kimmy vs the Reverend.

89. That '70s Show

Starring Topher Grace and running for eight seasons from 1998-2006, That ‘70s Show transports any generational audience who watches back to the late 1970s for the horned-up (and oh-so-slightly drugged-up) exploits of high school besties and their respective parents. The teens were played by actors who would go on to become bona fide stars, including Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Wilmer Valderrama, and Laura Prepon. The Circle in Eric’s basement was always reliable for big laughs, and though its final season suffered from cast exits, Netflix’s That ‘90s Show kept the good times going far more successfully than That ‘80s Show.

88. Extras

Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant followed up on the smash success of The Office by crossing the ocean to HBO for the Hollywood-skewing riot Extras, which hinged on the fraught character trifecta of Gervais’ dispirited actor Andy, his god-awful agent Darren (Merchant) and his kind-hearted and oblivious actress BFF Maggie (Ashley Jensen). While only two seasons and a Christmas special, it’s a modern classic not only for its gloriously cornball faux sitcom When the Whistle Blows, but for bonkers celebrity cameos from Kate Winslet, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan and more. Gervais also delivers an all-time Top 5 spit-take in one episode.

87. The Bernie Mac Show

The late Bernie Mac is still widely viewed as a comedy giant, and his eponymous family sitcom is a major reason for that. The Bernie Mac Show definitely isn’t the first comedy to be headlined by a stand-up, but it’s one of the few that so perfectly utilized the talents of its lead. Mac’s signature brand of no-nonsense humor is especially hilarious when he bounces off his A+ co-stars. But, overall, what makes this series one of the great modern Black sitcoms is its funny, warm and nuanced depiction of familial dynamics amongst African Americans.

86. Gilligan's Island

Before The Brady Bunch (but after The Red Skelton Show), screenwriter and producer Sherwood Schwartz launched 1964's smash-hit Gilligan's Island, and the fictional voyage was far more doomed than the show's. Starring Bob Denver and Alan Hale, the sitcom won over viewers with plots hinged on island inventions, unexpected visitors, dream sequences, and random items washing up ashore. While the show famously never hit one hundred episodes, its premise was beloved enough to spark several TV movies and the truly baffling Saturday morning cartoon spinoff Gilligan's Planet.

85. Mad About You

Chemistry is usually all it takes to keep a sitcom afloat, whether its shared by an ensemble (see: Friends) or tethered to a winning duo like Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt in Mad About You. It helps that both actors lent their movie-level wattage to the sitcom for eight seasons, exploring marriage and eventually parenthood in New York City. (Reiser previously co-starred in My Two Dads, to be sure.) But despite the parade of stellar comedic co-stars — Hank Azaria, Lisa Kudrow, Carol Burnett, and Mel Brooks? Come on! — it was Paul and Jamie keeping us invested. We were mad about them, and maybe a different kind of mad about Mabel.

84. Three's Company

Three’s Company is an interesting case-study in dated sitcom writing, as 90% of the jokes that prop up the show wouldn’t fly today. Almost every single line can be construed as sexual innuendo, and the plot twists of a given Three’s Company episode are so driven by silly miscommunications, the formula is basically cliche. However, John Ritter’s deep reservoir of charm, when combined with his incredible chemistry with the female roommates that came in and out of his orbit, made it an overall win, and one of the most memorable and breezy sitcoms of the 1970s and ‘80s.

83. Family Guy

What can be said about Family Guy that hasn’t already been said? While Seth MacFarlane’s first mega-hit doesn’t feel quite as crude as other late night animated fare these days, it quickly cemented itself as an envelope-pushing primetime entry thanks to its murderous baby, they hyper-perverse Quagmire, and the less said about Herbert, the better. The series made a meme-worthy artform out of cutaway gags, man vs. chicken fights and lowbrow pop culture spoofs. At this point, the Griffins are basically as widespread as the Simpsons, and Brian would certainly drink to that.

82. Malcolm In The Middle

Malcolm in the Middle was a key part of Fox’s Sunday comedy lineup for six of its seven seasons from 2000-2006. At the time, the Frankie Muniz-starring comedy was a rare example of a single-camera sitcom that eschewed a laugh track and had its lead regularly breaking the fourth wall. The family was known to deal with serious issues in the background of the shenanigans of the sibling trio, which helped the sitcom win seven Emmys. It was also Bryan Cranston’s breakout primetime TV role, proving he was a comedy legend years before dipping into drama for Breaking Bad.

81. The Facts Of Life

A spinoff of Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life is one of the most successful TV offshoots that shares little with its predecessor, and for good reason. The coming-of-age sitcom explores adolescence in a way that neither its predecessor nor follow-up projects ever could, with a perfectly cast ensemble of young actresses led by the incomparable Charlotte Rae. This sitcom exists because of Rae’s previously stellar work, and her warmth and charm in the role of Mrs. Garrett helped make a family out of her girls, from Natalie to Tootie to Jo to Blair and the rest.

80. The Addams Family

Although The Addams Family started off as a single-panel New Yorker comic strip published from 1938 to 1964, it was the TV series premiering that same latter year which made the family a pop culture favorite. Watching Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester, Wednesday, Pugsley, Grandmama, Lurch and Thing freak people out with their macabre tastes and supernatural antics never got old, and without the popularity of this show, it’s doubtful these ghoulish characters would have returned in a variety of live-action and animated projects in later years.

79. My Name Is Earl

My Name Is Earl earned its way to sitcom greatness thanks to star Jason Lee’s all-in performance as Earl Hickey, as well as the great premise that sees Earl attempting to right the litany of past wrongs committed against seemingly everyone he’d ever met. (The concept also helps make it easy to drop in on any random episode without really needing to see what happened beforehand.) Ethan Suplee, Eddie Steeples and Jaime Pressley are equally brilliant in their respective roles, and we can still relate to Earl to this day anytime we struggle to keep our eyes open while taking a picture.

78. The Middle

Every once in awhile, a show sneaks it way into the zeitgeist and in our memories. The Middle, a show about a quirky middle-class family from the Midwest ran for nine years and hit home for a wide and nostalgic audience. It was a breath of fresh air and an honest take on class and what it was really like to grow up in, well, “the middle” of everything. Ironically, it was the ending of the show that stuck with most, but all good things must come to an end. 

77. Dave

This whole entry could be spent talking about how Dave is driven by the exceptional talent of David “Lil Dicky” Burd, who has a truly offbeat world perspective to go along with his legitimate gifts as a rapper. But that would be a disservice to Davionte "GaTa" Ganter, who proves over the course of the three seasons to be the NSFW series’ true heart. It gets funny and ridiculous, but it can also deliver a nice, solid gut punch courtesy of your investment in the characters’ plights for recognition.

76. Spin City

Arguably TV's least polarizing political sitcom, Spin City was a winning candidate for its six-season term in part due to co-creators Bill Lawrence and Gary David Goldberg. The latter also created Family Ties, and brought Michael J. Fox into the lead role here as well, with Charlie Sheen successfully taking over in Season 5 after Fox's medical-related exit Spin City is also a melting pot of TV excellence, boasting Connie Britton, Carla Gugino, Richard Kind, Alan Ruck and more greats filling out the NYC mayor’s office.

75. The Andy Griffith Show

One of the most iconic and wholesome sitcoms of the 20th century, The Andy Griffith Show gave audiences nearly 250 episodes with the residents of the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, centering on local sheriff Andy Taylor, played with aw-shucks charm by Griffith. Characters like Barney Fife (Don Knotts), Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), and Opie (a young Ron Howard) made for plenty of the early highlights in sitcom history, both in black-and-white and color.

74. Family Matters

Airing for nine seasons from 1989-1997, Family Matters became a beloved sitcom for multiple generations regularly tuning into ABC’s TGIF lineup. The spinoff of Perfect Strangers followed the highs and lows of the Winslow family, with Die Hard vet Reginald VelJohnson becoming an iconic sitcom dad as Carl Winslow. Of course, Jaleel White’s Steve Urkel famously stole the spotlight as the nerd-tastic breakout star, sporting the signature “Did I do that?” catchphrase. Yes, he certainly did, if by “that” he meant annoying his unrequited love Laura or creating alternate versions of himself via sitcom science.

73. The Wonder Years

The Wonder Years aired from 1988-1993, but very fathfully recreated the late ‘60s and early ‘70s to invite audiences into the lives of the Arnold family. Starring Fred Savage in his breakout role (alongside fellow greats Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, and Danica McKellar), the coming-of-age comedy touched on Vietnam War politics, high school romance, deaths of loved ones, sibling rivalries and more, with Daniel Stern's narration a key source of its charm and emotional heft. From using Joe Cocker’s unforgettable “With a Little Help from My Friends” to its powerful-yet-unplanned finale, it’s no wonder that this classic eventually inspired a reboot.

72. The Flintstones

The Flintstones is arguably the first animated project to prove itself as much of a classic sitcom as anything in live-action. Premiering back in 1960 and running for six wildly successful seasons, the sitcom follows the titular family within a fictional and idealized version of the Stone Age. Its popularity kept it airing in syndication for decades,later inspiring spinoffs, live-action movies, TV specials, ice cream pops, and (of course) the most memorable vitamins down the medicine aisle.

71. The Proud Family

The Proud Family was one of the standout shows of ABC’s One Saturday Morning programming block, walking the line between cartoony kids show and legitimate family drama quite well. Disney+’s more recent Louder And Prouder revival is evidence of that popularity and storytelling skills. Kyla Pratt’s Penny Proud is as relatable a TV teen as can be, and Sugar Mama (voiced by Family Matters’ Jo Marie Payton) is the kind of grandmother anyone would appreciate, sans bodyslams.

70. The Drew Carey Show

Long before he became host of The Price is Right, Drew Carey jumped from standup comedy to sitcom stardom with The Drew Carey Show, which ran for nine increasingly zany seasons from 1995-2004. The comedian starred as a fictionalized version of himself living in Ohio, working at a mundane job surrounded by a core group of friends with hijinks to spare. (Particularly during the A+ April Fool’s Day episodes.) This was the first big scripted TV role for cast members like Christa Miller, Diedrich Baker, Ryan Stiles, Craig Ferguson, and John Carroll Lynch. Hopefully fans can agree with the show on one thing: Cleveland Rocks!

69. Designing Women

If watching four sassy, professional ladies flourish, flounder, and tell it like it is sounds like something you can get behind, then look no further than Designing Women. The comedy starred the all-time great cast of Dixie Carter, Young Sheldon’s Annie Potts, Delta Burke and Hacks star Jean Smart as co-workers sharing their personal and professional trials and triumphs to side-splitting effect over several seasons. Even better, the show managed to work in a lot of social commentary that’s still relevant today, and no one has ever taken down bullies and bigots like Carter’s Julia Sugarbaker.

68. Night Court

Many sitcoms can be vehicles for a single great comedian to shine, but the strength of the original Night Court was its ensemble. (And that sax-y theme.) Harry Anderson played de facto leader Judge Harry Stone alongside John Laroquette, Markie Post, Richard Moll and more, and the jury of TV audiences gave the verdict of Night Court being guilty of hilarity. Despite the fact that the show’s format could seem as formulaic as real-life courtroom dockets, silliness often ensued, and fans were happy to watch these talents play off each other for an enviable nine-season run. Its popularity endures with Melissa Rauch’s 2023 revival.

67. The Honeymooners

TV shows have a way of changing the pop culture landscape by being quotable, and The Honeymooners is one of the earliest sitcoms whose influence is definitely still felt in that category, with “One of these days Alice…” and “To the moon!” persisting so many decades later. The all-time classic follows two New York City couples and the various shenanigans they get into, with Ralph and Alice famously played by Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows, respectively. And while the empty threats of domestic violence might be jarring for newcomers, The Honeymooners significantly set the stage for so many sitcoms to follow.

66. Raising Hope

Wacky isn’t always a word that comes up when discussing family sitcoms, but Raising Hope fits that description to a T. The Chance family is filled with more lovable and well-meaning weirdos than you’d think could possibly fit into half-hour eps, but they all have their odd (and potentially relatable) quirks. From dad Burt (who picks his nose by using all 10 fingers), to matriarch Maw Maw (who can frequently be found shirtless and/or braless and giving off old people smells), you’d be hard-pressed to land on an episode that doesn’t make you choke on your big dill pickle.

65. Fresh Off The Boat

Everyone loves a good family sitcom, and while Fresh Off the Boat is technically about the young, hip-hop-obsessed son within a Taiwanese-American family in Orlando, the real comedic meat of the show is his mom, Jessica (Constance Wu). We’ve never seen a mom like Jessica Huang before. Yes, she’s loving, but it’s an absurdly tough, uncompromising love that pushes her nice, America-loving husband and three sons to excel. She’s also fiercely competitive and not someone to mess with, which diners-and-dashers can attest to, and is a big reason why Fresh Off the Boat will always be watchable.

64. Everybody Hates Chris

Abbott Elementary fans can attest to Tyler James Williams’ comedic chops, but he first honed them from his younger Hollywood days as the star of Everybody Hates Chris. Created by Chris Rock (who narrates) and Ali LeRoi, the show is based on the stand-up legend’s teenage years, and finds ways of making everyday occurrences the most hilarious things in the world, often landing a wide-eyed Chris in trouble. From James’ impressive performance as a teenager to the rest of the cast (including a stellar Terry Crews’ dad mode), Everybody Hates Chris is a must-watch for comedy lovers of all ages.

63. Get Smart

Secret agent movies were big in the 1960s, so how could one go wrong with a spoof comedy series created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry? Get Smart stars Don Adams’ Maxwell Smart (aka the bumbling CONTROL Agent 86) often teaming up with Barbara Feldon’s more-than-capable sidekick, Agent 99, to thwart the evil, if not entirely professional, efforts of the cabal KAOS. From the series’ iconic opening credits to Max’s shoe phone, Get Smart stands the test of time, with some great catchphrases to boot, including “MIssed it by that much,” and, “Would you believe…?”

62. Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

We sometimes wonder how well creator Nahnatchka Khan’s Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 would have fared if it lasted beyond its celebrated two-season run. And we wish we were given the chance to actually see that hypothetical third season for ourselves, as the 26 episodes we did get were spot on. Pairing Dreama Walker’s naive June with Krysten Ritter’s scheming Chloe made for an odd couple who knew how to have exciting adventures. Frequent appearances by an early-career Eric André and an always charming James Van Der Beek only made this ABC series all the sweeter.

61. Good Times

A quality sitcom spinoff can be a challenge. Repeat what worked on the original, or try to do something totally different? Good Times spun off from Maude (which itself was an All In The Family offshoot), and succeeded through carving out its own authentic niche centering around the hard-working and cash-strapped characters of Florida (Esther Rolle) and James Evans (John Amos). The two leads were excellent throughout, though Good Times eventually shifted its primary focus to Jimmie Walker, the sitcom’s breakout star who coined the phrase “Dynomite!” and rode that marketing freight train to global superstardom. A series that lives up to its name, and then some.

60. The Nanny

The Nanny has long been synonymous with its star Fran Drescher, who played the titular Nanny Fine throughout the show’s six-season run on CBS. Despite being a quintessential ‘90s sitcom, the show’s comedy still feels super fresh and contemporary, even if the pop culture references are dated. Descher is truly unbelievable as Fran, and The Nanny has one of the best TV theme songs of all time. And it’s a show that younger generations absolutely NEED to binge-watch, amidst the ongoing hope for fans to see more.

59. Archer

If Archer were merely an expertly crafted James Bond parody, we’d still love it. However, this long-running FX staple’s greatness comes from the lore-heavy, spy-fi universe that creator Adam Reed’s built atop the back of loving send-ups to the espionage subgenre. H. Jon Benjamin anchored an all-timer voice cast that delivered dialogue and performances as sharp as Lana’s switchblade. The show veered from staleness by aping different genres for Danger Island and other “Coma Seasons,” further widening the comedic field of play, and I can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t finger Archer as the wildest workplace sitcom to date. Phrasing, BOOM!

58. Happy Days

When one thinks of Happy Days, the first image that likely comes to mind is Henry Winkler’s Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli giving a cool-as-hell thumb’s up. Though he was initially just a minor player, the leather-donning jukebox-smacking ladie’s man quickly became the show’s most popular character. But its picturesque version of the 1950s and 1960s is just as iconic, as is the entire Cunnhingham family (except maybe for the disappearing brother Chuck) and further ensemble, which spawned a whopping seven spinoffs. And if you don’t agree with all that, well, sit on it!

57. Martin

A couple of years before he became an action movie king in Bad Boys, Martin Lawrence created and starred in his own sitcom, which gave fans five seasons of over-the-top episodes. Lawrence’s Martin Payne is a loud, rambunctious, and highly opinionated Detroit disc jockey who constantly finds himself in all kinds of trouble both at work and at home with Tisha Campbell’s Gina. (A dynamic that shifted in the final season for BTS reasons.) Martin himself was fun, but his various other personas —Sheneneh Jenkins, Rosco, and Dragonfly Jones — gave the sitcom a fun and unique spin, foreshadowing Lawrence’s later career.

56. Living Single

Living Single is one of those sitcoms that thankfully managed to age well , premiering back in 1993 and following a group of friends residing together in a Brooklyn brownstone. With a killer cast including Queen Latifah (who also performed the outstanding theme song), Kim Coles, Kim Fields and Erika Alexander, Living Single’s formula succeeded ahead of Friends reaching more sensational heights, and the topic of influences there has made for many discussions. Regardless, the sitcom is a Black TV treasure, and boasts a trove of terrific musicians, athletes and comedians as guest stars, from Flip Wilson to Chaka Khan.

55. Will and Grace

Will & Grace might as well have also had Jack and Karen in the title as well, such was the strength of this foursome as they unsuccessfully dated and schmoozed their way to making LGBTQ+ history. The NBC Must See TV classic was an Emmy darling during its initial eight-season run, and its ongoing popularity beyond the “final” season inspired NBC to revive it for another two seasons. Which thankfully meant more from the bevy of guests and recurring stars that popped up over the years, from Matt Damon to Matt Bomer to Madonna.

54. Murphy Brown

Sure, Murphy Brown fulfilled the sitcom basics of starring a single, middle-aged working woman (whose eventual single-mom status shook up the status quo), being funny, and serving up great characters — Jim Dial, slugger — to support the Aretha Franklin-loving titular lead. Arguably most important, though, its its rare delivery of a flawed female main character (recovering alcoholic) who’s frequently irascible, dedicated to her job as a journalist, and unafraid to speak up in a male-heavy industry, giving audiences every reason to root for through every uproarious rant and unnecessary assistant change. There’s a reason Candice Bergen earned five Emmys from seven nominations for her work across ten seasons.

53. The Bob Newhart Show

Nobody can do deadpan humor quite like the eponymous star of The Bob Newhart Show. The beauty of this 1970s sitcom was that it allowed Bob Newhart to play off of those stand-up comedy strengths, acting as the straight man to his psychologist Bob Hartley’s many unique patients. Co-starring Suzanne Pleshette as Bob’s beloved wife Emily — the two made sitcom history together on his next sitcom as well — and Peter Bonerz and Bill Daily as his pals, The Bob Newhart Show remains exemplary for its character-driven laughs.

52. Sanford And Son

The laughs that Sanford and Son delivers from episode to episode are fairly unique compared to other sitcoms. Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson are perfectly cast as Fred and Lamont Sanford, respectively, playing off of each other in ways reminiscent of comedy duos in vaudeville and radio shows. The writers also deserve a lot of credit for effectively employing racial humor, considered edgy at that time, as well as for bringing in hilarious characters like “Aunt” Esther Anderson and Grady Wilson. But Foxx – who just oozes superior comedic timing – steals so many scenes with his energetic performances. “This is the big one!”

51. Superstore

All things consumerism considered, it’s almost surprising so few workplace comedies are anything like Superstore. For six seasons, viewers watched Amy (Oscar nominee America Ferrera), Jonah (Ben Feldman) and their wacky big box store co-workers readily getting into myriad insane scrapes and intriguingly complicated relationships, while trying to maintain order (or causing disorder) within the retail sphere. Superstore gives fans peak workplace sitcom, with innumerable sight gags for those watching closely, as well as a low-key, slow-burn mystery involving feet showing up all over the store. It’s a hilarious win-win that theoretically helps everyone see their jobs aren’t as bad as they could be.

50. The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Before the Men in Black and Bad Boys franchises and that Academy Award-winning role in King Richard, Will Smith veered away from his successful rap career to introduce viewers to…Will Smith…for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Just saying its name instantly brings its classic theme song to mind.

Following a kid from West Philly sent off to live with his affluent uncle’s family in Bel-Air, this sitcom oozed ‘90s sitcom charm and hilarity, helping Will Smith expand his comedic talents opposite the great James Avery, Janet Hubert (for a spell) and more. From the Carlton dance to that classic “very special episode” where Will gets shot, Fresh Prince features plenty of justification for its continued success in syndication and streaming.

49. Family Ties

Eventually, Family Ties became known as “The Michael J. Fox Show,” and it was hard to avoid. Fox was a charismatic ball of energy who became a bona fide superstar during the run of the show, and even eclipsed famous guest stars such as Tom Hanks when they appeared.

But before Fox reached all-star status, Family Ties won over audiences as a warm, endearing, and relatable sitcom about liberal parents trying their best to raise their three kids – one of whom happened to be a briefcase-toting, card-carrying Republican. We all saw ourselves in at least one member of the Keaton family, and tuned in weekly to appreciate the ties that bound them all together.

48. Mr. Bean

Rowan Atkinson would have been amazing during the silent film era, but is thankfully a more modern talent, since we otherwise might never have known the childlike, frustration-spiked foibles of Mr. Bean. Co-created by the comedian’s Black Adder partners in hilarity, Ben Elton and Richard Curtis, Mr. Bean is an idiosyncratic sitcom in that its five-year stretch comprised 15 sporadically aired one-off episodes, as opposed to seasons, which inspired a pair of feature films, an animated series, and more pop culture greatness.

Atkinson brings his physical comedy mastery to a plethora of disaster-laden circumstances, from nonchalantly changing into a swimsuit to getting ready for the dentist while driving to being locked out of a hotel room and dozens of other awkward moments.

47. The Mick

Only two seasons of The Mick aired between January 2017 and April 2018, telling the story of a foul-mouthed dirtbag forced to be the guardian of her affluent niece and nephews, and all 37 episodes are send-you-doubled-over-off-your-couch hilarious. Which means a lot of people were sleeping on this brilliance when it aired, and we’re still sore about it.

Led by Kaitlin Olsen, the entire cast is spectacular (with a special hat tip to the brilliant Scott MacArthur as the oft-injured ne'er-do-well Jimmy), but what truly makes this show exceptional is its beyond-dark sensibilities and unwillingness to accept the idea of a “line” that can’t be crossed. The final scene of the series finale is actually a perfect ending in that sense, and we’re sure that more seasons would have pushed it higher up the rankings.

46. The Jeffersons

Norman Lear & Co.nailed it when they moved George, Louise and Lionel Jefferson from All in the Family to their own show. The Jeffersons is 30-minute comedy at its finest, offering an excellent premise, and an array of interesting stories built on it. Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford are electric as George and Lousie, effortlessly conveying their on-screen marriage with warmth, humor and occasional contention, all while surrounded by a strong supporting cast.

There’s also the series’ impact on Black culture and the TV landscape as a whole. It’s one of the earliest shows to have depicted an upper class African American family – and the complexities of such a dynamic. We should all be grateful that these characters moved on up.

45. 30 Rock

If there were any doubts that Tina Fey could transport her magic touch from SNL to a scripted sitcom, 30 Rock proved them pointless. The show-within-a-show’s very first season won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and scored nominations for Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. (Both went on to win elsewhere in the NBC comedy’s seven-season run.)

The show is infinitely quotable, thanks in large part to Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski, and recruited standout part-time stars ranging from Matt Damon to David Schwrimmer to – of course – Steve “How do you do, fellow kids?” Buscemi. Plus, it imparted the following important lesson from Tracy Jordan: “Live every week like it’s Shark Week.” No SNL knowledge is needed to appreciate the sketch-skewing humor, but it’ll help.

44. Scrubs

Hospital dramas have become as commonplace as any TV offering, so having Scrubs around to follow its doctors, nurses and Sacred Heart staff through a comedic lens continues to be a welcome respite. Not to say Scrubs wasn’t without its emotional and poignant moments, since one could argue it functions nearly as well as a dramatic series when in that mode.

But the humor is where Scrubs’ gets surgical with it. Whether we were joining J.D. in his wild daydreams, or the crazy events unfolding between characters while treating patients, this show excelled at delivering the laughs. If only we could witness John C. McGinley’s Dr. Cox ranting at residents while a nameless Janitor pranks people within a real-life hospital. Additionally, J.D. and Turk are one of TV’s all-time best-buddy pairings.

43. Bob's Burgers

In all of sitcom family-dom, few clans are as relatable in their middle-class weirdness as the Belcher family that serves up the titular meals and good-time goofiness on Bob’s Burgers. The beloved series from creator Loren Bouchard has followed sitcom standards to a T while building up its hilarity-filled universe of Italian restaurateur rivals, handyman besties, and plenty of schoolchildren I’d much rather watch on TV than deal with at home. But it’s the Belchers that keep us coming back.

From H. Jon Benjamin’s expertly exasperated attempts to get by to Louise’s rebellious sadism to Tina’s butt fascination, Bob’s Burgers is as timeless as the hamburger itself, and isn’t afraid to mix sweetness into the juvenile hijinks. A must-watch for pun enthusiasts.

42. The Cosby Show

Decades after its debut on NBC, The Cosby Show remains a seminal piece of TV work. This sharp family comedy offers a warm look at a family (who just happened to be Black) and, while the Huxtables are quite pristine, they never feel unrelatable, except perhaps where sweaters are concerned. The impeccable ensemble boasts the likes of Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Keshia Knight Pulliam masterfully playing off the series’ titular star. Give the writing staff credit, too, for formulating some eternally classic episodes, like “Goodbye Mr. Fish” and “Happy Anniversary.”

Of course, the show’s legacy has been further evaluated due to Bill Cosby’s legal entanglements, and understandably so. That debate will surely continue, though what’s hard to deny is the sitcom’s game-changing position in the cultural lexicon.

41. Party Down

“Are we having fun yet?” The oft-used sarcastic throwback to Henry’s (Adam Scott) singular professional achievement is actually a pretty fitting way to sum up the careers of the motley crew of caterers on Party Down. The aspiring actors and writers who comprise the eponymous catering company would certainly rather be pursuing their passions than serving drinks and apps to their rich customers, but with each episode plunking them into a different bougie event, it was delightful to see the ridiculous and usually cringey situations they would get themselves into.

On top of a fabulous ensemble cast featuring the likes of Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Lizzy Caplan and Martin Starr, Party Down featured A+ cameos at each catering function. That Steve Guttenberg episode? Chef’s kiss, or at least a caterer’s kiss.

40. The Boondocks

We may never get another animated series about American society as unabashedly insightful as The Boondocks, which was created by Aaron McGruder and based on his comic strip of the same name. Each episode provides a thoughtful examination of the Black experience, principally seen through the eyes of young intellectual Huey Freeman and his gangster-wannabe brother Riley (both voiced by Oscar/Emmy Award-winner Regina King), under the spotty guidance of their John Witherspoon-voiced Granddad.

Not only does McGruder's bold writing provide clever observations about everything from rap music to movie theater decorum, but the anime style continues to remain eye-popping and brilliantly utilized. Especially with the killer kung-fu sequences, which demonstrate a deep love for both the animation medium and the martial arts action genre.

39. Abbott Elementary

Arguably one of the best sitcoms currently airing, Abbott Elementary took the world by storm when it premiered in 2021, introducing the world to Quinta Brunson’s brilliance as Janine Teagues. The Black Lady Sketch Show vet created, writes, produces and stars in the show centering on a Philadelphia school’s staff, and her care and love for it is infectious.

Between Gregory and Janine’s will-they-won’t-they relationship, hilarious talking heads and well-established characters with silly interests (like Ava being a doomsday prepper), this show has all the hallmarks of classic mockumentaries. However, its setting at an elementary school and the unique chemistry the incredible cast has developed make this ABC comedy one that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. (And it won’t need a stool like Janine, amirite, Ava?)

38. The IT Crowd

As if Graham Linehan’s entertainment legacy wasn’t already assured by Father Ted, the man went and crafted another all-time Britcom with The IT Crowd. (Okay, Black Books, too.) The basic premise follows the lives of corporate climber Jen (Katherine Parkinson) and IT department slackers Roy (Chris O’Dowd) and Moss (Richard Ayoade). A classic workplace sitcom trio if there ever was one.

In execution, the 25-episode run was far more fun and unpredictable than the set-up. Skewering corporate culture and malfeasance, as well as all things personal and pop, The IT Crowd feels like a cheeky mix between Seinfeld and Spaced. Not to mention this being a great place to get a Matt Berry fix.

37. Community

It’s difficult to summarize what makes Community such an exceptional sitcom. Its meta awareness and deep love of pop culture is a key ingredient, executed principally through the genius character that is Danny Pudi’s Abed Nadir. But that’s an example of the phenomenal way the show balances the unique voices of its seven main characters – be it the confident idiocy of Donald Glover’s Troy Barnes, the extreme selfishness of Joel McHale’s Jeff Winger, or ridiculous uptightness of Alison Brie’s Annie Edison.

These characters planted in an environment of ever-growing weirdness that is Greendale Community College permits wild, creative, and clever single episode stories… but also not to be slept on are its effective emotional swings (Like I said, it’s really Dean-ficult to sum up!)

36. Modern Family

Modern Family was one of the first family sitcoms to eschew studio audience laughter for the single-camera format, and its massive success and influence was undeniable. Running for eleven seasons, the star-studded sitcom gave viewers a front seat to watching the blended Pritchett and Dunphy families grow up together.

But what makes Modern Family one of the best sitcoms ever is its relatability and ability to tap into all the emotions. There’s plenty to laugh at, thanks to hilarious deliveries from Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and others, and more episodes than can be poignant, whether it’s about love, sexuality, growing up, or plenty of other feelings to connect to.

35. Arrested Development

At the far end of the “wholesome sitcom family” spectrum is the Bluth clan responsible for the majority of the conning and downward spiraling on Arrested Development. (Ron Howard’s Narrator: “They really were.”) With too many A+ cast members to namecheck in one breath, the fourth wall-breaking comedy is technically about the legal troubles surrounding the family company following a major scandal, but it’s really about the family’s myriad other problems.

Let’s see, we have twin-fidelity, oedipal complexes galore, PTSD from both Army (Mother!) and loss of limb, rampant alcoholism, potentially incestuous foreplay, hair metal magic, and never-nudism, though that’s a corner of a snowflake atop the tallest mountain of comedic quirks. Come for the brilliant performances, stay for the smartest callback jokes on TV.

34. WKRP In Cincinnati

WKRP in Cincinnati is one of those shows that never seems to receive its flowers quite enough alongside others from the era. Airing for four seasons between 1978 and 1982, the comedy takes place at a struggling AM radio station in the heart of the Midwest, and boasts everything one would want in a sitcom: great jokes, iconic characters, and unforgettable TV moments.

Despite early schedule struggles, WKRP eventually found its footing on CBS, thanks to audiences loving the comedic stylings of Howard Hesseman’s Dr. Johnny Fever, Tim Reid’s Venus Flytrap, and Richard Sanders’ Les Nessman. It’s always been a hit with radio DJs, for good reason, and produced quite possibly the greatest Thanksgiving TV treat (that doesn’t have Charlie Brown in it) with “Turkeys Away.”

33. The Critic

In the wake of The Simpsons’ success, creators Al Jean and Mike Reiss shaped a cult classic with The Critic, focused on bitter film critic Jay Sherman, voiced with gusto by Jon Lovitz. The animated sitcom took after its spiritual cousin, offering up both heartfelt and cuttingly satirical gags, and bouncing from ABC to Fox only sharpened the show’s edge.

Keenly lampooning the world of show business, The Critic’s writers crafted A+ parodies of classic films, fake cinematic atrocities so bad they’re funny, and welcomed cameos from actual critics. Anyone wanting to see Siskel & Ebert in a fist fight need look no further. Two words aptly sum up how we feel about this series not lasting nearly as long as The Simpsons: “It stinks.”

32. Married...with Children

With Frank Sinatra’s “Love and Marriage” performance as its subversively optimistic theme song, Married with Children is the gleefully bawdy archetype for sitcoms about miserable people. Ed O’Neill’s misogyny-encrusted slopfest Al Bundy stiff-arms his way through life with affection-seeking wife Peg, blonde joke incarnate daughter Kelly, and lazy hornball son Bud. And Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate and David Faustino are the epitome of “the family you love to watch, but would hate to live with.”

As the live-action series that put Fox on the map, Married with Children has long been celebrated for its politically incorrect humor and cartoonishly offensive storylines, and it remains among the most offensive TV shows of all time. But it worked because the Bundy’s always came out worse than anyone else.

31. Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls’ offbeat sitcom greatness truly deserves recognition for a show that may be written off for being a Disney Channel original. Creator and cast member Alex Hirsch crafted a well-animated, off-kilter show that wins over younger viewers with its thrills, humor and heart, while also capturing older viewers with overarching mysteries, surprisingly deep lore, and barrages of callbacks, clues and pause-required animation details. (Long live Bill Cypher!)

At the center of all the madness is the perfectly realized Pines family — Grunkle Stan, Dipper and Mabel — and their friends and co-workers like Wendy, Soos and others. With two seasons and 40 episodes under its belt, Gravity Falls is a tight show that builds to a very satisfying conclusion, even if fans railed against its cancellation at the time.

30. Parks And Recreation

When Parks and Recreation premiered, SNL and UCB vet Amy Poehler was its biggest name, but the careers of co-stars such as Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Retta and Aubrey Plaza exploded in the years after. And it’s no surprise, since the NBC sitcom is where they were able to hone their characters distinct personalities for seven seasons.

Parks and Rec follows the misfit-lite group running Pawnee, Indiana’s parks department Indiana, and had little trouble getting into the wildest hijinks in each 30-minute runtime. The episode “Flu Season” delivers the goods in a nutshell, between Amy Poehler pretending she’s not sick, Chris Pratt’s physical comedy, and Nick Offerman perfectly portraying Ron Swanson’s disdain for government work. Parks and Rec is a quirky and lively show that deserves a spot in everyone’s lives.

29. Letterkenny

It's not often that a show can lean heavily on both the importance of morals and the notion of violence, but Letterkenny managed to strike an amazing balance between the two for twelve seasons. The Canadian sitcom is known for its amazingly paced banter and extensive wordplay and unique phrasings. As if the amazing comedic timing wasn't enough, one of the main themes continues to acknowledge the importance of standing up for what you believe in and striving to do good in the world. "If a friend asks for help, you help them."

Creator and star of the show, Jared Keeso, has also recently hit another comedic home run in the Letterkenny extended universe with the spinoff Shoresy.

28. The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Four years after winning TV audiences’ hearts for the last time on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Tyler Moore struck further gold with her own titular sitcom, earning a spot high on the pyramid of inspirational female pop culture icons. For seven seasons, Moore’s Mary Richards worked diligently amidst other colorful characters in the MJM newsroom, such as Gavin McCleod’s snarky Murray, Ted Knight’s dimwitted Ted, and Ed Anser’s ever-stoic (and spinoff-bound) Lou Grant. Not to mention Betty White’s ego-puff Sue Ann.

Outside the office, some of the Emmy-amassing show’s best scenes featured Mary mixing it up with her neighbor buddies Rhoda and Phyllis, portrayed with respective pizazz by Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman. “Chuckles Bites the Dust” and “The Last Show” are as good as sitcom TV gets.

27. Friends

“Best sitcom” conversations can’t happen without mentioning Friends once or a dozen times. As the epitome of Must-See TV in the 1990s and early aughts, the sitcom skyrocketed its six stars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox. Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer — to fame. Decades later, the reruns are ever-present on TV and streaming, and the gang’s catchphrases continue to resonate as new generations make their way through Central Perk’s doors..

You don’t even have to have been a regular viewer to have heard Ross’ infamous “Pivot!” shout, to have a favorite Chandler quote, or to take a side on the Ross and Rachel “we were on a break” debate. Such universal recognition is relatively rare for a show that’s been off the air for 20 years.

26. The Office (UK)

We never would’ve met Steve Carell’s Michael Scott if there hadn’t been David Brent. Ricky Gerais and Stephen Merchant brought The Office to UK small screens in 2001 and, through two brief seasons and a Christmas special, introduced audiences everywhere to a new level of cringe in the form of this hilarious mockumentary series (one which kept its documentation scenarios realistic).

This dry and occasionally super-awkward comedy follows one branch of a paper company and its workers — played by Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis and several other talented actors — as they attempt to get through each and every workday, dignity optional. It’s the simplicity of the show and the way the characters played off one another that made The Office a true gem.

25. Roseanne

Whether viewers are from the working class midwest or other parts of the country, Roseanne found a way to be relatable to so many. Through the sea of picture-perfect television families came the tidal wave that is the Conner family, who bickered, joked and suffered through enduring hard times. At the core of it all was a family raised by two parents, portrayed by Roseanne Barr and John Goodman, whose love remained strong throughout.

The Conners were never the idealized family everyone strives to be, but still feels like a mirror of what blue class households are really like. And despite the baffling retconned lottery season, and Barr’s off-screen controversy, Roseanne’s comfort-TV legacy remains as timeless as the family’s living room furniture.

24. The Dick Van Dyke Show

There are great workplace comedies and there are great domestic family comedies, but The Dick Van Dyke Show somehow stands out among the best ever in both capacities. From the moment Van Dyke goes barreling over that ottoman, you know you’re in for something special, as the star’s gifts for physical and verbal comedy are nearly unparalleled. He’s often not even the one delivering the best jokes, because his reaction to his legendary co-stars is the true punchline.

Speaking of, the show was very much a group effort, despite its single-star title. Conceived and written by co-star Carl Reiner, and co-starring the incomparable Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, and Maury Amsterdam, all the pieces come together perfectly to make one of the most consistently high-quality sitcoms of all time.

23. What We Do In The Shadows

What We Do in the Shadows is a bonkers TV show that shouldn’t work, just like the vampires yelling “Bat!” shouldn’t work as a catchphrase, but it all absolutely does. The mockumentary, spunoff from the co-creators’ film of the same name, follows a group of ridiculous, socially out-of-touch bloodsuckers — save for energy vamp Colin Robinson and human familiar Guillermo — trying to prove their worth in Staten Island.

Despite how silly and NSFW the show is, movie-level prosthetics and visual effects help to elevate and add shocks to the narrative. The cast is truly outstanding, as it goes for any Matt Berry-infused cast, and WWDITS has earned as much awards recognition as any TV horror comedy. With murder and duplicitousness afoot, the series still hits all the sitcom benchmarks, including a fun neighbor (the mind-sapped Sean), a great theme song, and a bunch of A+ celebrity cameos.

22. The Office (U.S.)

Following the success of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s brilliant U.K. series of the same name, Greg Daniels’ adaptation of The Office took the mockumentary style of its predecessor – along with some of the more amusing traits and dynamics of its characters – and set out to tell new stories with office workers in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Whether it’s the hilarious standout ensemble of characters (led for most seasons by Steve Carell’s cringe-perfecting boss Michael Scott), the way it embraces the mundanity of office life, or how it follows years of these workers’ lives over years while squeezing every drop of humor along the way, The Office continues to be funny, relatable and — for many of us — a comfortable place to return to in the years since its fantastic 9-season run ended. Not to mention the timeless romances of Pam and Jim, Dwight and Angela, Phyllis and Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration.

21. South Park

With more than 25 seasons and a growing number of one-off specials, South Park reigns supreme as a long-running pillar of TV satire. A look at the 20 best episodes from the series is an easy way to effectively understand just how relevant this series has been on so many levels, evolving from a Kenny-killing, catchphrase machine to a show with a lot more to say than T-shirt fodder.

What other TV series, much less animated comedy, has taken on major religious institutions, accused killers, wild dieting trends, controversial music superstars and world politics throughout its run? If others exist, they probably didn’t do it as well as South Park does, and there’s still no end in sight to the Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s pop culture phenomenon, even if the duo have understandably been less prolific animators in later years.

20. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

From some of the best TV cold opens – “I Want It That Way” sung by suspects, I mean, come on, it’s genius – to ongoing gags ike the annual heist, and “title of your sex tape” that make you laugh so hard your side hurts, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a wild sitcom that is surprising in the best ways and absolutely irresistible as comfort comedy.

Led by Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews and Joe Lo Truglio, this team of detectives quite literally never gets old, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine only got better in time as everyone grew comfortable in their roles and leaned into the silliness of their surroundings. Especially the all-time terrible cop duo of Hitchcock and Scully.

All around, what Dan Goor and Michael Schur created was so special, and as Jake Peralta would say “cool, cool, cool.”

19. Newhart

Bob Newhart struck TV gold a second time (not counting his stand-up appearances) with the endlessly cozy treasure Newhart, which centered on the comings and goings within the Stratford Inn in small-town Vermont. You know, the kind of small town where a man named Larry can have one brother named Darryl, and then also another brother named Darryl. It’s there where the star comedian and Mary Frann’s Dick and Joanna Loudon take over after a move from New York City, but their big-city know-how can’t quite compete with the quirkiness of their fellow residents.

Nothing ever gets old when it comes to watching the core cast — including Tom Poston, Julia Duffy and Peter Scolar — and the revolving door of recurring actors and guest stars bounce their energies off of Bob Newhart’s. And we’d be remiss not to give Newhart its flowers for shattering TV reality with its truly iconic finale twist.

18. All in the Family

All in the Family is arguably one of the most important TV series ever made, sitcom or otherwise, and shows don’t get the chance to change television if you’re not also good enough to stay on it in the first place. Not only was All in the Family successful enough to span eight seasons, but it also spawned five spinoffs. Despite the fact that the show’s primary character Archie Bunker was specifically designed to be the most bigoted person you know, it somehow all works so incredibly well. You love him even while you hate him, which is a testament to the abilities of creator Norman Lear and star Carroll O’Connor.

Dealing with, and poking fun at, topics that had been seen as taboo to even address previously, All in the Family courted its share of controversy and certainly ruffled some feathers. But that’s just further proof that it left an indelible and influential mark upon audiences everywhere.

17. Frasier

For a TV spinoff to be anywhere near as popular as its parent show is a huge accomplishment, and NBC’s Frasier pulled off just such a transition following Cheers’ conclusion. To be sure, it was plainly great to see Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane taking center stage after all those stool-sat years as an ensemble character. However, it’s unlikely the sitcom would have been nearly as successful without the supporting cast of David Hyde Pierce’s Niles, Jane Leeves’ Daphne, Peri Gilpin’s Roz and John Mahoney’s Martin.

These five characters’ unique personalities and the dynamics they share with one another make them one of the best sitcom casts of all time, and we’ll throw Eddie a bone there as well. Let’s not gloss over the intelligent writing Frasier consistently delivered, which was part of the show’s 37 Emmy wins over its eleven years on the air. Its continued popularity even sparked the Parmaount+ revival of the same name.

16. Taxi

Speaking to Taxi’s greatness takes little beyond listing the murderer’s row of talent yukking it up for five seasons at the Sunshine Cab Company: Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, Andy Kaufman, Tony Danza, Jeff Conaway, Christopher Lloyd, and Carol Kane. Theoretically, these actors could have struck gold with any TV narrative, but the New York setting provided the comedically ideal edge and neuroses that earned the show 18 Emmys and millions of fans. (Not that Kaufman’s Latka Gravas was a local.) Not to mention the quartet of sitcom royalty in creators James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, and Ed Weinberger.

Despite such over-the-top personalities, Taxi excels at grounded and heartfelt storytelling as much as broader humor, never shying away from the characters’ relatable struggles or the hot-button issues of the time. Extra points for its appearances from future Cheers stars Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman and George Wendt.

15. The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls is excellent enough to convince audiences that spending your twilight years in a shared living space with your mother and two roommates is a blueprint for endless laughs, when that might not match up with reality. It’s a credit to the stellar cast comprising Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. Queens, one and all. Amidst all the drama, the endless insults thrown around, and the cheesecake, the foursome’s friendship really shines through in this show.

It’s indeed that friendship that causes the gals to get into some absolutely wild adventures. Who can forget the time Rose nearly ended the Cold War with the Soviets with a letter? Not every narrative goes quite so big as that, even if Blanche plays up her romances as such, but it’s always a helluva fun ride.

14. Curb Your Enthusiasm

After Seinfeld concluded its historic run in the late ‘90s, series co-creator Larry David could have ridden off into the sunset atop a horse made from residual checks. Instead, the stickler for human behavior not only created true sitcom brilliance, but also broke new ground for HBO and self-deprecating celeb cameos.

Curb Your Enthusiasm — far more than a pretty, pretty, pretty good show — never failed to inspire laughs and shocks in equal order, following David’s over-the-top fictionalized version of himself (think George Costanza on shame-eliminating steroids), facing so many provocatively awkward situations with a vast array of friends, colleagues, contemporaries, and eventual enemies. (R.I.P. Richard Lewis and Bob Einstein.) The largely improvised show found new ways to be both relevant and funny across 24 years and 12 seasons, a task that’s easier said (and avoided) than done. And it also delivered an all-timer of a finale, poking fun at Seinfeld’s polarizing conclusion.

13. The Larry Sanders Show

As host of the fictional late night talk show The Larry Sanders Show, Garry Shandling implores his audience to stay tuned, ordering them, “No flipping!” It was an easy command to obey when it came to HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show, still one of the bravest, funniest, and most insightful programs that happily sinks its teeth into the Hollywood hand that feeds.

Larry is just an exaggerated caricature of Garry Shandling, who let all of his own neurosis and anxieties fly out of the mouth of his insecure comedic television personality who desperately wanted to be liked by his chosen industry. And the show got a lot of mileage out of real-life celebrities appearing and poking fun at their public personas. (David Duchovny for the win.) But it’s the supporting cast – led by the late Rip Torn and the wonderful Jeffrey Tambor – that elevates Larry Sanders to legendary status. There’ll never be another as biting and satirical as this.

12. Spaced

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s long history with director Edgar Wright includes the so-called Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End). Before that, though, they rocked the sitcom landscape with the UK gem Spaced. A relatable premise is vital to a good sitcom, and it was so easy to fall in love with pro slacker Tim (Pegg) and the uber-dramatic Daisy (Jessica Stevenson) while shrewdly securing their affordable apartment under the watchful eye of Julia Deaken’s landlady Marsha.

In addition to watching Tim and Daisy maintain their ruse of being a “professional couple” while figuring out the whole adulting thing, Spaced — one of Simon Pegg’s best projects — packed in endless horror movie references, video game easter eggs, and more pop culture love. (The pantomime gun fight is everything.) It also featured a supporting cast of hilariously exaggerated characters that will NOT have you wanting to “skip to the end.”

11. The Good Place

Sitcoms are, by design, often stagnant, with the same characters facing similar situations week after week. If the jokes land, everything works, but if not, well… Then along came The Good Place to throw those preconceptions out the window. If creator Michael Schur had just repeated Season 1’s twisty premise for five seasons, it would have still been good, but The Good Place achieved true greatness with its storytelling.

Fronted by Kristen Bell and Ted Danson in top-tier fashion, The Good Place takes massive risks with its afterlife-set narrative, changing elements from one season to the next. The house of (God) cards would have tumbled down had it not all worked as infallibly as the big man himself, but it never even wavered. Indeed, The Good Place is simply forking unbelievable from beginning to end, buttressed by fully realized characters portrayed by co-leads William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto, and D’Arcy Carden. Stream the show for everyone now, Janet. Janet..?

10. Fawlty Towers

As part of Monty Python’s sextet of comedy masterminds, John Cleese had already conquered the world of sketch comedy and film, so the next obvious move was to craft a largely perfect sitcom with then-wife Connie Booth, and Fawlty Towers was just such perfection across twelve increasingly fraught.

Set within the non-existing titular hotel in Torquay, Cleese’s Basil Fawlty suffers the existence of everyone around him, especially Prunella Scales’ Sybil, his oft-demanding wife, and the language issues of Andrew Sachs’ Manuel, the establishment’s Spanish waiter. Booth’s chambermaid Polly gets slightly less irritation for being regularly competent. A hotel owner who hates his clientele is in the high-concept echelon, and the series offered up an eternally memorable selection of frequent and one-time guests, as well as builders, inspectors and others whose actions bring Basil’s blood pressure to a proper boil.

Similar to other classic ‘70s and ‘80s sitcoms, Fawlty Towers has been both celebrated and derided for its politically incorrect humor. It's perhaps exemplified best by the series’ marquee episode “The Germans,” and is something Cleese intends to replicate with the revival series he’s creating with daughter Camilla.

9. Cheers

Locations can mean everything to a sitcom. Memorable shows are set in places to which we want to return, from Mel’s Diner to the Dunder Mifflin offices to, of course, the bar from Cheers – where everybody knows your name. Audiences became such regulars to the comfortable sitcom, we practically expected to hear our own names shouted out, a la Norm, when we turned the program on.

The familiarity and welcomeness of Cheers kept us tuning in, even as some of the cast rotated. We all invested heavily in the “will they or won’t they” relationship of barkeep Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and waitress Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), but stuck around when Diane was replaced by Rebecca (Kirstie Alley); and Southern simpleton Woody (Woody Harrelson) was embraced after first filling in for the departed Coach (Nicholas Colasanto). Not that anyone could ever replace Cliff Clavin.

Television hasn’t been the same since Cheers closed its doors, with Frasier going a completely different spinoff route, and I’m not sure another show can be set in a bar, and reach the high bar set by this program.

8. The Simpsons

I think there’s an argument to be made that The Simpsons should have a place on any top 100 list when it comes to describing the best television, regardless of what additional parameters there may be. Part of the allure of this series, as it heads toward 800 episodes, is that there’s not really anything it hasn’t done at this point. There’s a Simpsons episode for whatever mood readers are feeling that day, though it may take a bit of research to figure out which one that is. 

What I love most about The Simpsons is how the series has evolved with time and how the show has modernized the characters with the times while still retaining the core elements that audiences loved about them. Sure, seeing Homer Simpson send memes to Lisa on a smartphone can feel a bit jarring sometimes, but it’s also 100% on-brand for the patriarch and definitely less weird in the modern day to younger audiences compared to if he was still using a rotary phone. Plus, if you prefer the old stuff, it’s all available to stream on Disney+

7. I Love Lucy

For the majority of TV’s existence as an entertainment platform, sitcoms have been synonymous with Lucille Ball, who achieved icon status several times over during her run as Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy (and other incarnations and later series). The series remains a blueprint reference for sitcom-crafting, and was revolutionary at the time for not only its star, but for her real-life husband Desi Arnaz portraying her faux hubby Ricky, and more.

While I Love Lucy could occasionally pull an emotional heartstring or two, its strength was comedy, and Ball maximized that concept throughout its run. Lucy and Ricky are as loud and wild a TV couple as can be, especially opposite their slightly more subdued neighbors Fred and Ethel Mertz. From Lucy’s efforts to get into Ricky’s shows to her attempts to hock Vitameatavegamin to her and Ethel’s conveyor belt struggles, the show regularly produced unforgettable sequences.

I Love Lucy is also revolutionary for women in television, with Ball helping pave the way for so many other amazing female actresses to lead their own successful shows, even if struggles are still real on that front. No need for further ‘splanation: I Love Lucy is TV gold.

6. Schitt's Creek

Schitt’s Creek didn’t truly hit the mainstream until its final season, but when people found it, its popularity exploded and its legacy was cemented. Created by father-son duo Dan and Eugene Levy, the comedy centers on a rich family who loses all their money, with the titular town as their silver lining. Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara co-star alongside the Levys in this most hilarious fish out of water story.

Seeing these four totally out of their element within the less-than-chic town is an easy way in for viewers. But the hooks that keep people watching are Catherine O’Hara’s ridiculous fake accent, Dan Levy’s sassy one-liners, Annie Murphy’s over-the-top everything as Alexis, Eugene Levy’s brilliant straight-man reactions, and the heartfelt growth this family goes through as they learn to love each other and the town they now call home.

Since the show became a sensation, lines like “Ew David!” have entered the everyday lexicon, and impersonations of Moira and Alexis can be seen frequently on social media. Schitt’s Creek shined bright when it was on — remember the network Pop? — and since then it’s cemented itself as a permanent part of the zeitgeist.

5. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Rarely does a piece of pop culture offer up a character who constantly proves themself to be unendingly vile, self-consumed, aloof, destructive and terrible for society. But a combination of those words describes literally every single character who speaks in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Of course, the biggest and most hilarious offenders are the central Paddy’s Pub gang made up of possible serial killer Dennis (Glenn Howerton), his slightly less evil Bird…e… sister Dee, the sexually fluid approval-seeking Mac (Rob McElhenny), glue-eating connoisseur and janitor Charlie (Charlie Day) and the shockingly demented and depraved Frank (Danny DeVito).

No stone goes unturned when it comes to shocking viewers with how low these characters will go to achieve even the most meaningless iota of recognition or selfish pleasure. There’s racially charged (and socially questionable) takes on Lethal Weapon and The Wiz, exploiting all manner of substance and behavior addictions, satirical jabs at gun control, welfare, sexual assault, and much more. Its unsanitary hilarity is cherished among fans who have watched it live on longer than any other TV comedy in history, with no end in sight. (Except for Danny DeVito’s bare one, that is.)

4. King Of The Hill

Animation isn’t often a medium for classic sitcoms, but Mike Judge’s King of the Hill delivered on all fronts by settling audiences into the everyday life of the Hill family. Hank, Peggy, Bobby, and an assortment of other Arlen standouts kept viewers rolling and clamoring for more Southern-fried hilarity during its 13-season stretch. (And more is on the way thanks to Hulu’s revival.)

King of the Hill tackles issues while poking fun at them in ways that most viewers can probably relate to — from the stresses of the workplace to the terror of puberty to the awkwardness of family — adding a layer of realism to the two-dimensional characters’ world. To that end, Judge’s series is also atypical for adhering to realism throughout, as opposed to going off the cartoonish deep end for laughs (outside of dream sequences, that is).

Judge’s Hank and Kathy Najimy’s Peggy, along with Brittany Murphy’s Luanne and Pamela Adlon’s Bobby, provide a lot of the show’s heart and soul with their struggles and not-always-brilliant reactions to those struggles. But it always helps to have friends around like the hapless good’n Bill, the conspiracy-obsessed Dale and the mush-mouthed Boomhauer.

3. Seinfeld

It’s joked that Seinfeld is “a show about nothing,” and that’s a fair surface-only assessment. The NBC hit provides no lasting messages or morals, and it focuses the majority of its creative energy on eccentric minutiae of everyday life – be it waiting forever for a table at a restaurant or getting in disputes with cashiers over proper change. Characters don’t grow or change — save for temporary shrinkage and mustache-growing — and there’s no reach for deep themes. They’re not even nice people.

And yet, it’s utterly brilliant, timeless, and endlessly rewatchable.

Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine each have their own unique and hilarious personalities strengthened by the actors’ performances, which in turn drives hilarious stories that unlock the real magic of the show: the way everything intertwines. Kramer golfing on the beach is its own weird gag, but also perfectly sets up George being called into action to rescue a beached whale after previously lying about being a marine biologist. Just about every sitcom since the early 1990s has tried to capture some of the magic of the nine-season series, but there is only one Seinfeld. (A notion that Newman would applaud.)

2. Veep

Veep was the [censored] creation of Armando Iannucci, the mastermind known for The Thick of It and Alan Partridge’s various incarnations, and HBO’s political workplace comedy is dripping with just as much satire and [censored] as anything graced by his Midas touch before or after. It’s one of the fastest and foulest sitcoms to date, with a jokes-per-minute rate that rivals other rapid-paced greats like The Simpsons and Arrested Development, and a [censored]-per-minute rate that is second to none.

As it goes with the best of the best, Veep boasts and expansive ensemble of uppermost geniuses, as led by Emmy magnet Julie Louis-Dreyfus’ Vice President (and then some) Selina Meyer, whose struggles to remain a boss in Washington D.C. means absolute hell for the masses of aides, pundits, strategists, etc. in her orbit. That applies most to her body man and extra appendage Gary, played with aplomb by Tony Hale.

Every Veep co-star brings something perfect to the table, from Anna Chlumsky’s rage suppression as Amy to Matt Walsh’s common sense suppression as Mike; from Reid Scott’s smarm-oozing Dan to Timothy Simons’ arbitrary naysayer Jonah. And we’d just as easily watch spinoffs centered on Kevin Dunn’s Ben and Gary Cole’s Kent, as well as Sam Richardson’s go-getter Richard Splett.

1. BoJack Horseman

One of the best animated TV shows of all time, Netflix’s BoJack Horseman took the adult-toon formula and evolved it into six seasons of one of TV history’s most unique offerings that — at least in CinemaBlend’s perspective — is the sitcom GOAT. Will Arnett is perfect voicing the tragic title character, a past-his-prime ‘90s sitcom star and substance abuser, and he’s bolstered by a who’s who of talented actors portrayed well-written characters, including fan-favorites Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie) and Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins).

After establishing its sitcom formula in its earliest wordplay-embracing seasons, Bojack Horseman begins getting experimental with its format in phenomenal ways, such as with Season 3’s “Fish Out of Water,” a thought-provoking underwater story with no dialogue, or Season 5’s “Big Churro,” a full-length Bojack eulogy following a big character death.

There are certainly laughs to be had, for sure — big, hearty, consistent, gut-shredding, animalistic laughs throughout all six seasons — but don’t be surprised if you end up shedding a tear or suffering an existential crisis or two along the way as well. The show-within-a-show Horsin’ Around probably wouldn’t have made it onto this list, but BoJack Horseman itself is a Triple Crown winner of the highest order.

These are the characters you love to hate. To be clear, none of the characters on this list are bad characters. Many are some of the best characters on their shows, but they aren't the kind of people anyone would want to be friends with. Our list of some of the most annoying characters in sitcom history. 

Ross Geller (Friends)

When you really think about it, none of the friends in Friends were really people you'd like to call a friend. Each of them had their own annoying quirks, but by far, Ross was the most annoying. Whiny and obnoxious, it's still unclear to many what Rachel really saw in him. David Schwimmer played the role brilliantly. 

Steve Urkel (Family Matters)

Everyone had an annoying neighbor growing up, but few can say their neighbor was as obnoxious as Steve Urkel in Family Matters. It's more than just being "nerdy," the character, played by Jaleel White, was as obnoxious as he was popular with fans. White's performance is one of the best in TV history, and the character was one of the least likable too. 

Dwight Schrute (The Office)

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) is a brilliant character because everyone can relate to working with a guy like this in some way. Sure, he has an extreme personality, but there is a piece of that personality in someone that everyone has worked with, whether it's in an office or not. Imagine sitting next to this guy for years. 

Bill McNeal (NewsRadio)

The late Phil Hartman played some amazing characters and had some amazing quotes in his career, but perhaps his best was in the vastly underrated sitcom NewsRadio. Bill McNeal is brash, obnoxious, toxic, and, frankly, hilarious. The diva news reader is the star of his own life at all times, much to the chagrin of his co-workers, who seemingly universally despise him, and with good reason. 

Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (Parks And Recreation)

Jean-Ralphio Saperstein, played brilliantly by Ben Schwartz, makes this list for being just slightly more annoying than his twin sister, Mona-Lisa (Jenny Slate). He's one of the funniest, and obnoxious, supporting characters in Parks and Recreation. Despite loving a good party and always looking for a fun time, he's the last guy you'd ever want to hang out with.  

Rerun (What's Happening!!)

Freddy "Rerun" Stubbs, played by Fred Berry, is the kind of friend whose schemes are always messing things up. Sure, he means well, and he's likable, so you keep him around, but inevitably, he'll screw things up. We've all had good friends like Rerun, and they've all driven us nuts. 

Kimmy Gibbler (Full House)

Have you ever had a friend that drives you so nuts you have to break up with them? Despite that, you always end up friends again? Sure, we all have. That friend is Kimmy Gibbler on Full House (and Fuller House). Andrea Barber is perfect as the obnoxious neighbor to the Tanners and on-again-off-again BFF to D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure). 

Screech (Saved By The Bell)

The late Dustin Diamond played one of the most annoying "nerds" in TV history as Samuel "Screech" Powers in Saved By The Bell. He always meant well, and at times he was an endearing character, but his purpose as a character was to drive everyone nuts. While Diamond had a really rough life after the show, including a short jail stint in 2016 before passing away from lung cancer in 2021, he'll forever be remembered as Screech. 

Cliff Clavin (Cheers)

Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) always meant well on Cheers, but he's exactly the kind of guy that is impossible to deal with when you're trying to enjoy a drink. He loves to hear himself talk and fancies himself an expert on everything. He's not, which makes it even worse. 

Newman (Seinfeld)

There's nothing worse than having a scheming, obnoxious neighbor who hates your guts, but that's what Jerry had to deal with on Seinfeld with Newman. Wayne Knight's brilliant portrayal of the unsavory postal employee is truly one of the best characters we all love to be annoyed by in TV history. Sure there were other annoying characters on the show, like Kenny Bania (Steve Hytner), but Newman was always lurking around, making him the worst. 

Nathan Shelley (Ted Lasso)

Nathan Shelley (Nick Mohammed), the equipment man-turned-coach in Ted Lasso starts of as just an annoying, frustrating employee of AFC Richmond. Then, later in the show, his ego explodes when he becomes the "Wonder Kid" manager of a rival team. At all times, he's annoying, though he is still lovable at times, and is eventually redeemed by the end. 

Dwayne Wayne (A Different World)

There is a lot to admire about Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) on A Different World. He's a good student and by the end of the show, he turned into a great guy. But for the first few seasons, he was a borderline stalker in the way he pursued the women of Hillman College.

Sheldon (The Big Bang Theory)

I'll never understand how the other people on The Big Bang Theory lived with Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). Not only is he an obnoxious no-it-all, but he's also pretty much a jerk all the time. There may be no character I love to hate more than Sheldon, and I'm not alone as not only was he wildly popular, but the character even got his own spinoff with Young Sheldon. 

Pierce Hawthorne (Community)

The on-set difficulties the rest of the cast had with Chevy Chase on Community are legendary at this point. On the show, Chase's character, Pierce Hawthorne, was just as obnoxious as Chase supposedly was behind the scenes. No one really liked the oldest member of the community college friends, and with good reason, he was generally awful. 

Tobias Fünke (Arrested Development)

Dr. Tobias Fünke on Arrested Development was possibly the most obnoxious character in the extended Bluthe family, and that's really saying something. Every single member of the cast had their own annoying tendencies, but somehow Tobias, played by David Cross, was the most grating. Of course, we love them all and it's one of the best shows of all time, but wow were they obnoxious. 

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

There is no way to make this list without including Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm. There were times that watching the show was like a stress test in keeping your composure while watching Larry do some of the most insane, mind-boggling annoying things. How many times did you find yourself yelling at the TV while watching Larry just be a jerk? Yeah, it probably happened a lot. 

Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)

I just want to preface this by saying Lisa (voiced by Yeardley Smith) is maybe my favorite character on The Simpsons. She is the heart and soul of the family, and the constant voice of morality on the show. She's still super infuriating sometimes and if I were Bart or Homer, I'd be annoyed with her pretty much all the time. 

David Brent (The Office UK)

While Steve Carell's Michael Scott on the American version of The Office is kind of a lovable loser boss, Ricky Gervais' David Brent in the original UK version is just an insufferable jerk. There is almost nothing redeeming about the hilarious character, and he's so easy to hate. It's hard to imagine a boss that awful, yet there he is, on screen. 

Dan Fielding (Night Court)

John Larroquette won four Emmys for his portrayal of the skeezy defense attorney in Night Court. He was rude, mean, and chauvinistic. There were very few times he wasn't completely exasperating. Larroquette deserved all those awards for the character, he's just perfect in the role. 

Frank Burns (MASH)

Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) is one of two annoying "roommates" in MASH. When Linville left the show after Season 3, he was replaced by Charles Winchester (David Ogden Stiers), who was every bit as annoying. So this show was the rare example of one of the best (and obnoxious) characters getting replaced with another successfully insufferable one. 

Ari Gold (Entourage)

Jeremy Piven deserves a lot of praise for his role as the obnoxious Hollywood agent Ari Gold in Entourage. He's completely maddening and as insufferable as any character in TV history. Someone you often find yourself rooting for him, despite how awful he truly is most of the time. 

Marcy D'Arcy (Married... With Children)

Her name says it all, Marcy D’Arcy. The character, played wonderfully by Amanda Bearse is the annoying next-door neighbor to the Bundys on Married... With Children and spends her time basically being a busybody. She's up in everyone's business, especially Al's, who couldn't hate her more. 

Gina Linetti (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) is truly a character fans loved to hate on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She was mean and nasty to almost everyone, nearly all the time. There are few characters in TV history as despised as Gina. Not that she ever cared, she wasn't really paying attention to anyone but herself. 

Hazel Wassername (30 Rock)

The character of Hazel Wassername, played by Kristen Schaal, in 30 Rock appears only in a handful of episodes towards the end of the show's run, but she quickly established herself as completely obnoxious. Fans hated her, but that should be a credit to Schaal, who plays the role perfectly. She's supposed to be awful, and she is. 

Trudy Wiegel (Reno 911!)

Let's be clear here: none of the characters in Reno 911! are redeemable. They all have reasons to hate them. Deputy Trudy Wiegel (Kerri Kenney-Silver) is, in a way, the most innocently annoying, but that doesn't redeem her, either. She's a hilarious character who gets herself in the most ridiculous situations, but it's impossible to ever root for her. 

Karen Walker (Will And Grace)

Megan Mullally is a national treasure. She is one of the funniest comedic actors in Hollywood, and she proved it with her breakout role, Karen Walker, on Will And Grace. Karen is, simply awful, as the bored wife of a millionaire who "works" for Grace on the show. Though "work" is a strong word for what she does, because she doesn't actually do much of it. 

Hilary Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air)

Karyn Parsons' character Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air might be the most narcissistic character on this list, and that is really saying something. Sure, she has her moments, as all the members of the Banks family do on the show, but generally she is vapid and self-centered and no one you'd ever want to hang out with. 

Ted Mosby (How I Met Your Mother)

It's rare that the lead character of a show can also be it's most annoying, but while every character on How I Met Your Mother can be loathsome at times, Ted (Josh Radnor) is just really annoying. A little self-awareness would go a long way, right?

Jan Brady (The Brady Bunch)

In the underrated Brady Bunch movies in the '90s, one of the best examples of turning a '60s show into a movie, Jan Brady is shown in her true colors. Yeah, she's the hapless middle child of the blended family, but she's also really annoying. She's whiny and obnoxious most of the time, with none of the charm of the other kids. Eve Plumb is great in the role.  

Robert Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)

Brad Garrett's character, Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond was a fan-favorite and a character people loved to hate. The dim-witted brother of Raymond (Ray Romano) with a striking number of annoying personality traits, he's great...and terrible. 

Ralph Furley (Three's Company)

The great Don Knotts and his character Ralph Furley proved you can replace one annoying character (Mr. Roper) with another, even worse character. He was so over the top in his obnoxiousness that you can't help but kind of root for him, no matter how awful he was. It's a true credit to Knotts' comedic talents. 

Sue Sylvester (Glee)

Jane Lynch is so good as Sue Sylvester, it's hard to see in her other roles (and she's great in everything). The character is one of TV's greatest villains, and easily one of the worst bullies ever, as well. She's mean, nasty, and hilarious. Sue is a character that fans watch the show to see, and one they just can't hate anymore than they do. 

When you think of the main ensemble of your favorite TV series, how closely does the picture in your mind resemble what the cast looked like when it debuted? It is certainly not unusual for a hit TV show to say goodbye to one of its biggest stars or bring in someone new who makes a huge impact. The following are some of the most famous — or even infamous — examples of casting changes that shook things up.

The Brady Bunch

The term “Cousin Oliver Syndrome” references when a sitcom’s youngest and cutest cast member grows up, prompting the writers to invent a new young, cute character to take their place. Its coinage comes from Robbie Rist’s clumsy character from The Brady Bunch, who was added late into Season 5 in 1974, only to last six episodes.

Roseanne

Alicia Goransan starred in Roseanne as Becky Conner for the first five seasons before leaving and later came back for the eighth season and the revival series. In the sixth, seventh, and ninth seasons, the role was given to future Scrubs and Rick and Morty star Sarah Chalke, who also appeared on The Conners in a separate recurring role. This back-and-forth dual casting was humorously addressed on a clip show episode.

Diff'rent Strokes

In Season 6 of Diff’rent Strokes, Arnold (Gary Coleman) and Willis Jackson (Todd Bridges) gained a new younger brother named Sam McKinney, played by Danny Cooksey. Originally brought on as a recurring character, Cooksey joined the main cast and, until the series’ end, his role grew larger as Willis’ appearances became more scarce.

Parks And Recreation

Near the end of the series’ second season, NBC’s Parks and Recreation cast grew with the addition of Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger and Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt. The mockumentary style political satire also experienced a major growth in popularity following their entrance and we find it hard to believe that is a mere coincidence.

Family Matters

An urban legend once suggested that the youngest Winslow child, Judy, walked upstairs one moment in the fourth season of Family Matters, never to come back down again. While that is not actually true (she last appeared in Season 4’s 19th episode, “Mama’s Wedding”), Jaimee Foxworth was written off the sitcom, due to increased attention on Jaleel White’s Steve Urkel and decreased budgeting, never to return to mainstream acting again.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

It’s hard to believe that Frank Reynolds was not a part of “the Gang” since It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia debuted on FX in 2005. In truth, Academy Award nominee Danny DeVito was brought in during the second season, propelling the long-running dark comedy to greater heights of popularity

The Office

NBC’s The Office cast saw many changes throughout its nine-season run, such as bringing in Ed Helms as Andy Bernard and Ellie Kemper as Erin Hannon. The most significant shake-up was when Steve Carell left his star-making role as Michael Scott in Season 7 and was briefly replaced by Emmy winner James Spader as Robert California.

The Sopranos

One of the best character actors of all time, Joe Pantoliano, joined HBO’s The Sopranos cast for two seasons as Ralph Cifaretto. His performance as the capo for the Soprano crime family resulted in one of his most acclaimed roles, earning him a Best Supporting Actor Emmy Award.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

In Daphne Maxwell Reid’s first episode on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (the Season 4 premiere), it is cheekily acknowledged that she had replaced Janet Hubert as Vivienne Banks — following on-set tension with star Will Smith — when Jazz (DJ Jazzy Jeff) says there is “something different about” her. Both actors — who each had different takes on the role — were brought together for the sitcom’s reunion special on Max. 

Family Guy

If not for the publicity surrounding it, Family Guy fans might not have been able to notice that Mike Henry stepped down as the voice of Cleveland Brown in 2020 because of how perfectly Arif Zahir matches the character’s distinct voice. It is much more noticeable, however, to watch the adult animated series’ first two seasons and hear Lacey Chabert voicing Meg instead of Mila Kunis, who has played the Griffin’s oldest child ever since.

Batman

Adam West’s Batman faced off against two iconic iterations of Catwoman on his 1960s-era TV show, played by Julie Newmar for the first two seasons and Earth Kitt in the third and final run. That’s not even counting Lee Meriwether’s portrayal in the feature-length spin-off.

House

The medical diagnostics team led by Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) originally consisted of Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps), Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer), and Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison). By the medical drama’s fourth season, he needed a whole new crew, recruiting Dr. Chris Taub (Peter Jacobson), Dr. Lawrence Kutner (Kal Penn), and Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley (Olivia Wilde). The House cast would only continue to change from there — most notably with Penn leaving by the end of Season 5 and stars Amber Tamblyn, Charlene Yi, and Odette Annable coming in near the end.

Melrose Place

Heather Locklear is famous for shaking things up on a few different series by joining the main ensemble and one of the most notable examples is Melrose Place. She was cast on the Beverly Hills 90210 spin-off late into its first season in a recurring role as Amanda Woodward, who would become one the primetime soap’s most iconic characters when she was made a series regular the following year.

Valerie

Following her success on Rhoda, Valerie Harper starred on a family sitcom from the 1980s in the title role of Valerie, until she was fired after two seasons. Her character was killed off and replaced with Sandy Duncan as a stepmother, leading to the show’s retitling as Valerie’s Family: The Hogans and, later, The Hogan Family.

Cheers

Every single one of the main Cheers characters is memorable, even those who joined the ensemble later. Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane started off as a recurring character in Season 3, Woody Harrelson’s Woody Boyd was hired in Coach’s place after he and the actor who played him (Nicholas Colasanto) passed away, and, following Shelley Long’s exit, Kirstie Alley was cast as Rebecca Howe.

Grey's Anatomy

When a series lasts as long as Grey’s Anatomy, cast changes are to be expected. Some of the most notable include the exits of Isaiah Washington (following an alleged on-set controversy involving co-star T.R. Knight), Emmy winner Katherine Heigl after six seasons, and Patrick Dempsey, by way of killing off Derek Shepherd.

That '70s Show

Following a special appearance in That ‘70s Show Season 5, Lisa Robin Kelly was officially replaced by Christina Moore as Laurie Forman for the first half of the following season. Season 7 would be the last for Topher Grace as central character Eric Forman and the series’ biggest breakthrough star, Ashton Kutcher, officially left early in Season 8.

Law & Order

Only a handful of the original Law & Order cast — which included Chris Noth and Michael Moriarity— lasted more than four or five seasons before mainstays like S. Epatha Merkerson and Sam Waterston entered the mix. Fun fact: one of the crime procedural’s most beloved stars, Jerry Orbach, first appeared in a Season 2 guest spot in an entirely different role before he joined the main cast as Lennie Brisco the following year.

The Big Bang Theory

For years, Kaley Cuoco was the only female main actor in CBS’ The Big Bang Theory cast. That was until 2009 when Melissa Rauch joined the cast as Bernadette Rostenkowski, who went on to marry Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), and Mayim Bialik joined the following year as Amy Farrah Fowler, who became Sheldon Cooper’s (Jim Parsons) wife.

Night Court

With the notable exceptions of Harry Anderson, John Larroquette, and Richard Moll, the original Night Court cast in its later years bore little resemblance to the Season One ensemble, which also included Karen Austin and Paula Kelly. The late Selma Diamond was the first of three actors to play the second bailiff (including Florence Halop and Marsha Warfield) and Charles Robinson and Markie Post were cast in Season 2 and stayed to the end.

Three's Company

John Ritter’s Jack and Joyce DeWitt’s Janet famously had a rotation of three blonde roommates on Three’s Company — starting with Suzanne Somers as Chrissy before Jenilee Harrison stepped in temporarily as Chrissy’s cousin Cindy and, lastly, Priscilla Barnes was brought in as Terri Alden. Additionally, Norman Fell and Audra Lindley left in Season 3 to star in a spin-off called The Ropers and were replaced with Don Knotts as the trio’s landlord, Mr. Furley.

Charlie's Angels

The only original Charlie’s Angels cast members to last all five seasons were Jaclyn Smith as Kelly Garrett, David Doyle as John Bosley, and John Forsyth as the voice of Charlie. Farrah Fawcett was only a series regular for the premiere season (replaced by Cheryl Ladd) and, following Kate Jackson’s exit after Season 3, Shelley Hack and, later, Tanya Roberts filled in for the remaining seasons.

Game Of Thrones

The Game of Thrones cast would lose main characters regularly but also featured a few well-known actor replacements. Most notably, Michiel Huisman succeeded Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis. Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane was played by three different actors: Conan Stevens in Season 1, Ian Whyte the following season, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson for the remaining seasons.

ER

Like any other long-running medical drama, creator Michael Crichton’s ER saw cast members coming and going regularly throughout its 15 seasons. For instance, George Clooney was a regular for the first five years, Ming-Na Wen was on from Season 6 to Season 11, and the final year featured two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett in the main cast.

Bewitched

The first of the two Darrins on Bewitched was Dick York, who was replaced after five seasons when a back injury had long-term, debilitating effects on the Emmy nominee. Filling in as the husband of the witchy Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery) for the final three seasons was Dick Sargent, who was actually the original choice for the role, but was committed to another series at the time. 

Two And A Half Men

Following a public meltdown, Charlie Sheen was let go from Two and a Half Men, in which his character, Charlie Harper, was killed off and replaced with Ashton Kutcher in a new role. Furthermore, Angus T. Jones’ disparaging comments about the CBS sitcom’s racy subject matter led to his exit after Season 10, which resulted in multiple attempts to fill the “Half Man” role with the likes of Amber Tamblyn and Edan Alexander.

Monk

Tony Shalhoub’s eponymous, OCD-ridden police consultant from the USA dramedy Monk had three assistants working for him — the first being Bitty Schram as Sharona Fleming. After Niecy Nash came on as temporary fill-in, Varla Davis, Traylor Howard was cast as Natalie Teeger, who was employed by Adrian Monk for the remainder of the series.

The West Wing

There were several notable changes to the West Wing cast throughout its run, such as Moira Kelly’s Mandy Hampton departing after the first year without explanation and Rob Lowe being replaced with Joshua Malina after four seasons. Creator Aaron Sorkin’s Emmy-winning political drama also largely shifted its focus in the final two seasons toward Jimmy Smits and Alan Alan as candidates to succeed Josiah Bartlett (Martin Sheen) as the United States President. 

The Cosby Show

From her marriage to Martin (Joseph C. Phillips), Lisa Bonet’s Denise Kendall (née Huxtable) gains a stepdaughter named Olivia, who essentially serves as The Cosby Show’s resident “Cousin Oliver” following the growth of Rudy actor Keshia Knight Pulliam. However, Raven-Symoné makes her debut role something truly special with her performance as the adorably precocious girl.

Married... With Children

Following his guest appearance on Married… with Children as Peg’s alternate reality husband, Ted McGinley replaced David Garrison’s Steve Rhoades as Jefferson D’Arcy — the second husband of the Bundy’s next-door neighbor, Marcy. This is just one of many times the actor was cast on a series late into its run, such as when he joined Happy Days — leading radio personality Jon Hein to dub him the “patron saint of shark-jumping.”

The Waltons

The oldest child of the Waltons (and the central focus of the Depression-era drama), John-Boy, was originally played by Richard Thomas. When the Emmy winner left the show after seven years, he was replaced by Robert Wightman for the final two seasons.

House Of Cards 

Assault allegations against led Netflix to remove Kevin Spacey from his role in the House of Cards cast as ruthless politician Frank Underwood. Robin Wright, who starred as Frank’s wife, Claire, was then promoted to the series lead for the sixth and final season.

Some casting changes ultimately kill a TV show, while others manage to endure through it swimmingly and some even get better as a result.

Today, TV theme songs just don't have the same pop that they used to have. Back in the day, they had real style, and they almost told a whole story in the little time they had before the show started. You could make an entire mix tape of nothing but great themes and play it at a party and it would get the place jumping. Here are some of those great songs that still slap, all these years later. 

Magnum, PI

One of the best shows of the '80s deserved one of the best theme songs and Magnum, PI has one. Did you know the one we all love, written by theme song master Mike Post and jazz musician Pete Carpenter wasn't the original? The classic didn't actually become the theme until mid-way through the first season. The original one, written by Ian Freebairn-Smith wasn't bad, but the producers made a good call in changing it up. 

Barney Miller

A lot of classic themes start with a great bass line, but few have the style and pizazz of the line that starts the Barney Miller theme. Played by bassist Chuck Berghofer, for a theme written by Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson, it immediately immerses the viewer into the vibe of the show. A true classic. 

Welcome Back, Kotter

The theme to Welcome Back, Kotter, written by the lead singer of The Lovin' Spoonful, John B. Sebastian, was a huge hit in the summer of 1976. The song went all the way to #1 on the charts and remains a favorite to many. The show is mostly remembered for two things, helping launch the career of John Travolta, and the theme song. 

Sanford And Son

Leave it to a genius like Quincy Jones to compose one of the all-time great themes that is certainly to get you on your feet and dancing. The theme to Sanford and Son is a stone classic that has endured far longer than the show ever did. The show was great, but the theme is an all-timer. 

Dallas

Every Friday night when I was a kid, I was allowed to stay up to watch the intro to Dallas before bedtime. I loved the song so much that while I had no idea what the show was about, I still needed to hear the theme every weekend. Written by composer Jerrold Immel, the song is a perfect blend of late '70s disco and '80s synth. 

Good Times

The late, great Norman Lear produced a slew of classic TV shows in the '70s and '80s, and most of them had great theme songs. Take, for example, the theme to Good Times. Written by Dave Grusin and the team of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and performed by the duo of Jim Gilstrap and Blinky Williams, the song sets the perfect tone for the show. 

CHiPs

For a kid in the 1980s, there was nothing cooler than CHiPs. The intro, with the California highway patrolmen on their bikes and the big brass sound and funky bass line of the theme, written by John Parker, signaled the upcoming hour of police excitement perfectly. 

Knight Rider

Composer Stu Phillips did a ton of TV score work, but by far his most remembered piece is that futuristic, funky theme to Knight Rider, which he co-wrote with series creator Glen A. Larson. Decades later, the tune continues to live on in songs like "Turn It Up (Remix) / Fire It Up" by Busta Rhymes and "I-E-A-I-A-I-O" by System of a Down. 

Starsky & Hutch

The theme to Starsky & Hutch changed over the years. The original, in the first seasons, isn't remembered at all, but the theme from the rest of the seasons, though altered a bit over the years, is still beloved. Written by saxophonist (and former member of The Blues Brothers) Tom Scott, it is as '70s as a song can get and matches the show's aesthetic brilliantly. 

Charlie's Angels

No TV show has ever been cooler than Charlie's Angels. Its legacy is so great that a small franchise of Charlie's Angels movies emerged decades after it went off the air. The theme, composed by theme music legend Jack Elliott, oozes the same cool that the show did with its smooth jazz sound. 

Hill Street Blues

Nobody has a resume for writing TV hit songs like Mike Post. The composer scored multiple Top 40 hits in the '70s and '80s and even a couple that landed in the top 10. The Hill Street Blues theme was one, reaching #10 on the Billboard charts in 1981.  

Miami Vice

Musician and composer Jan Hammer is a legend in the jazz world. In the broader world, he's known mostly for his brilliant theme song to Miami Vice. The song hit #1 on the charts in 1985 and scored Hammer two Grammys for "Best Instrumental Composition" and "Best Pop Instrumental Performance." Truly one of the all-time greats. 

What's Happening!!

Henry Mancini wrote more than 20 TV theme songs and contributed to dozens of movie soundtracks. One of his best is also one of his most underappreciated, the theme to What's Happening!!. It couldn't be more different than his most well-known songs, like the theme to The Pink Panther, but the whimsical number fits the vibe of the show perfectly. 

L.A. Law

Mike Post wrote a banger when he composed the stylish theme song to the ultra-stylish L.A. Law in the 1980s. It's based around a steady beat and a sax intro that is guaranteed to get stuck in your head after just one listen. It's a show you should check out if you love Suits and has great theme music. 

227

One of the more underrated shows of the '80s was 227. Because it flies so far under the radar in modern times, so does its excellent theme song, called "No Place Like Home." Written by Ray Colcord and performed by the star of the show, the great Marla Gibbs, it deserves to be better remembered. 

Cheers

No list like this would be complete without the theme to Cheers. Truly an old-time banger, and a song that is a sure-fire way to get a great sing-a-long going. Co-written by Gary Portnoy and Lucy Hart-Angelo, "Everybody Knows Your Name" (which Portnoy also performed) had a longer version of the theme that was a minor hit on the charts and won an Emmy. 

The Rockford Files

Mike Post is the unofficial champion of TV theme song composers and one of his best is the super-'70s sounding theme to the James Garner show The Rockford Files. It defines the way theme songs sounded in that era and it's just perfect for the show. 

The Muppet Show

There isn't a more perfect theme song to match a show's vibe than the theme to The Muppet Show. It's bold and bombastic, smart and funny... it's everything you expect from a theme co-written by the legendary Jim Henson (along with composer Sam Pottle). It's time to raise the curtain. 

One Day At A Time

Songwriter Jeff Barry has written or co-written dozens of hit songs, working out of the famous Brill Building in New York. He also co-wrote the theme to One Day At A Time alongside his wife and writing partner Nancy. It's no surprise the song is so great and matches the hit show so well. The tune, called "This Is It" is so good, it was used again (sung by Gloria Estefan) for the rebooted version of One Day At A Time.

The Dukes Of Hazzard

There is plenty of controversy surrounding The Dukes Of Hazzard, like the Confederate flag on the roof of a car named after a Confederate general, but there should be no controversy surrounding its theme song. Written and performed by country legend Waylon Jennings, "The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)," was a #1 hit on the country charts, and now, all these years later, a true classic. 

Three's Company

The theme to Three's Company asks us to "come and knock on (their) door," and that's exactly what everyone did during the show's run. It's that iconic guitar lick that leads into the verse that really slaps, though. Composer Joe Raposo nailed that. 

The Jeffersons

Admit it, as soon as you saw this you immediately started singing "Well, we're moving on up!" Everyone loves the theme to The Jeffersons. Everyone. While the comedy in and of itself is one of the best sitcoms in television history (even if the show never even hit 100 episodes), the theme song has taken on a life of its own. 

WKRP In Cincinnati

A TV show about a fictional rock radio station better have a great theme song, and WKRP In Cincinnati definitely does. Evoking what it's like to "live on the air in Cincinnati," the song, written by Tom Wells and show creator Hugh Wilson, features one of the best bass lines in TV history. 

Diff'rent Strokes

For many in Gen X, there is no bigger show in their collective memories than Diff'rent Strokes and the theme song is a major reason why. Not only was the show on weekly on NBC, it was in syndication for years. The theme, written by Alan Thicke (yes, that Alan Thicke), Al Burton, and Gloria Loring, told the whole backstory of the show perfectly each time it was on. 

Full House

Composer Jesse Frederick was the go-to guy for theme songs for the series that were part of ABC's TGIF lineup, including Family Matters and Step by Step, but his masterpiece is the theme to Full House. Frederick performed the original version, and Carly Rae Jepson was brought in to record the version used in the Netflix reboot Fuller House, which wrapped up after five seasons in 2020. 

Airwolf

Airwolf is pure 1980s and that extends to the theme song, which is a synth-driven banger by composer Sylvester Levay. Levay was also quintessential '80s, scoring or co-scoring soundtracks for movies like Cobra, Scarface, Flashdance, and many more. 

Night Court

Bass lines play an important role in TV theme songs, especially the ones that slap hard. Nothing slaps harder, literally, than the theme to Night Court. It's no surprise it was composed by Jack Elliott, who is also responsible for the funky themes to Barney Miller and Charlie's Angels.

Hawaii Five-O

One can't hear the Hawaii Five-O theme song and not immediately think of surf and sand. The song evokes the spirit of the show (both the original and the reboot) like few others do. Written by Morton Stevens, it's been reworked and recorded by different artists over the years, but its core is the same. Those drums! 

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was all about female empowerment and that goes double for the theme song, written by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Sonny Curtis. The chorus is an anthem; "You're gonna make it after all!" says everything a viewer needs to know about the show. Add in Mary Tyler Moore's hat toss at the end and you've got a pure classic. 

Mission: Impossible

Composer Lalo Schifrin won a Grammy for his original version of the Mission: Impossible theme song in 1967, and the song has lived on and on for decades since. It's been re-recorded, remixed, sampled, and covered countless times over the years, including for the movie franchise starring Tom Cruise, of course. 

Speed Racer

The theme to the original 1960s version of Speed Racer has all the drama and excitement that the anime show brought into homes every day for decades in American syndication. The melody was written by Nobuyoshi Koshibe for the Japanese version, with the American lyrics written by producer Peter Fernandez, who was responsible for bringing the show to the U.S. 

Fish

Jack Elliott has written some of the best TV themes of all time, so it makes sense that while the Barney Miller spinoff Fish, starring Abe Vigoda, only lasted 35 episodes, the theme still lives on in the minds of fans. It is even referenced (appropriately) by the band Phish in their song "Wombat."

For some shows, it's hard to imagine a different theme, like how The Office almost had a completely different one. It just wouldn't be the same.  The '90s and beyond have had some great ones, but there is nothing like those retro themes that really slap like those from the '70s and '80s. 

The world lost a beloved member of sitcom royalty when Suzanne Somers passed away at the age of 76 on October 15, 2023, following a long battle with breast cancer. Among the actor’s various achievements, the most iconic is easily her breakthrough role as Christmas "Chrissy" Snow as a member of the Three’s Company cast. Though she was popular while playing the part, her tenure on the hit series also involved some behind-the-scenes controversy.

As fans will recall, the actress did not stay through the entirety of the ABC sitcom’s run from 1977 to 1984. She ultimately exited in Season 5 due to a contract dispute. However, the reason for this disagreement has been subject to a debate that we'll explore now.

The Reason For Suzanne Somers' Three's Company Exit

The simple, relatively well-known answer to the question of why Suzanne Somers left Three’s Company is that she had a falling-out with network executives over her salary. Yet, there are actually two sides to this story, it seems. In a 2020 interview with People, Somers — a single mother at the time she was cast — recalled how she was fired for requesting a pay raise on par with her co-star, John Ritter, who passed away decades ago. The actress claimed he was making $150,000 per episode.

Producer Tom Bergman discussed the matter with the Television Academy Foundation and corroborated the $150,000 request — even adding that it would have required an increase of Ritter's pay to $200,000. However, he also claims that, after the starlet's request was denied, she did not show up to set for multiple shooting days. Contractually unable to fire her, the producers wrote in that Chrissy had to leave to care for her ill mother and, as a result, the crew taped end-of-episode segments for the character in which she spoke to the cast over the phone for the remainder of the season.

Who Replaced Suzanne Somers On Three's Company?

Jack Tripper (Ritter) and Janet Wood (Joyce DeWitt) were out a third roommate so, to keep the title of the show true, Jenilee Harrison was brought into the Three’s Company cast as Chrissy’s cousin, Cindy Snow. Harrison remained on the show for the remainder of Season 5 until Priscilla Barnes — who revealed to Antenna TV that she had never seen an episode prior — was cast as Terri. The character, identified as a nurse, moved into the apartment and remained the permanent third roommate until the series finale.

What Was Suzanne Somers' Career Like After Three's Company?

Three’s Company — which actually inspired two spin-offs you may have forgotten about — marked the beginning of Suzanne Somers’ career, and it certainly didn't end after that dispute. In the 1990s, as Today recalls, she became a fitness icon as the spokesperson for the ThighMaster and, in the same decade, she was cast on the classic TGIF comedy Step by Step — available with a Max subscription — which ran for seven seasons. 

In more recent years, she hosted a few talk shows — namely Lifetime’s The Suzanne Show and a web series called Breaking Through. She even had the chance to join The View but turned down the opportunity. It was also on Breaking Through when she reunited with DeWitt after more than 30 years and recalled how she, thankfully, was able to reconcile with Ritter before his death in 2003. 

There were heartfelt tributes to Suzanne Somers following her passing, with celebrities like Fran Drescher and Khloé Kardashian honoring her memory. Regardless of what exactly led to the end of her Three’s Company tenure, she was certainly a bright spot on the show and, because of that and more, Somers is an esteemed icon who will be greatly missed.

This weekend, Hollywood is sadly mourning one of the most memorable talents to ever grace a TV screen. Suzanne Somers, the veteran actress known for her roles in massively popular sitcoms like Three’s Company and Step by Step, has sadly died. The beloved actress had long battled breast cancer, which she'd spoken about in the past. Unfortunately, she succumbed to the disease shortly before her birthday. Somers was 76 at the time of her passing. 

The star’s publicist, R. Couri Hay, was the person to confirm her death and release a formal statement. Hay shared with People that her longtime client passed away on Sunday morning following her battle with cancer. The rep also confirmed that the 8-Track Flashback alum was also in the presence of her loved ones when she died: 

R. Couri Hay further confirmed that a private burial, specifically for the actress’ family, will be held in the coming week. In addition, a memorial is being planned for sometime in November. 

A native of San Bruno, California, Suzanne Somers’ acting career started around the late 1960s, during which she began taking on smaller roles on TV shows and movies. She landed appearances in the teen dramedy American Graffiti and hit series like The Rockford Files and One Day at a Time. However, her big break arrived in 1977, when she was cast as the ditzy, but kind, Chrissy Snow on the acclaimed ABC sitcom Three’s Company. The show paired her with the talented Joyce DeWitt and John Ritter (who passed away 20 years ago). Somers arguably became the show’s breakout star but ultimately exited after the fifth season due to a contract dispute with the network.

In the years following her highly publicized exit, the star landed other roles, even becoming the lead of a short-lived comedy called She's the Sheriff. After working in Las Vegas during the ‘80s, she became famous for her promotion of the Thighmaster throughout the ‘90s. Even in more recent years, she was still synonymous with the workout tool. That same decade would see her return to prominence as a TV actress, when she was cast as family matriarch Carol Foster-Lambert on Step by Step, which premiered in 1991. One of the greatest TGIF shows, it proved to be a massive success, running for seven seasons (six on ABC and one on CBS) before it ended in 1998. The show remains a fan-favorite today, as it’s still streamed by Max subscribers. Some have also believed it's one of TGIF offerings that deserve a follow-up of sorts.

Suzzane Somers tried other endeavors during the latter part of her life, from hosting a talk show to appearing as a contestant on DWTS. (Though she turned down an opportunity to co-host The View.) She was also very candid about her bout with breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2000 and had to have breast reconstruction surgery because of. Somers had been in remission for decades before revealing this past summer that it had returned.

Few people are able to make an impact on pop culture the way the Candid Camera co-host was. She leaves behind a body of work that’s truly impressive and will hopefully be enjoyed by generations to come.

We here at CinemaBlend extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Suzanne Somers at this time.

For about as long as there has been television, there have been spin-offs — TV shows that exist in the same continuity as one popular series, typically focusing on a side character made into the central protagonist. Some have proven to be very successful (such as when Kelsey Grammer’s Cheers character became the title role of the Frasier cast) while others are remembered today as a notorious failure (such as when Friends cast member Matt LeBlanc led Joey for two seasons — a season too long for some).

Then, there are some series spun-off from hits that exist in-between, neither achieving success, nor going on to be remembered for their short-lived run. We thought it would be fun to jog your memory (or inform you for the first time) about those shows by looking back at some our favorite TV shows and their forgotten spin-offs.

21 Jump Street (Booker)

While the breakout star of 21 Jump Street was obviously Johnny Depp — who would cameo in the 2012 movie adaptation as Tom Hanson — it was Richard Grieco — who appeared in the 2014 sequel, 22 Jump Street — who got to lead his own show as recurring character, Dennis Booker. However, Booker, which followed the rebellious, youthful-looking cop as an insurance investigator, only lasted one season from 1989 to 1990.

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (Planet Sheen)

Most fans might consider The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius to be one of the rare TV shows that surpassed the movies they were based on, but would not say the same about Planet Sheen. In fact, the series — which follows the adventures of Jimmy’s hyperactive best friend (Jeffrey Garcia) while stuck on an alien planet — managed to last three seasons, but has an IMDb rating of 2.9.

All In The Family (Archie Bunker's Place)

Creator Norman Lear’s groundbreaking comedy, All in the Family, was the parent series of several other successful sitcoms, including Maude and The Jeffersons, with one of its lesser-known spin-offs being Archie Bunker’s Place. Starring Carroll O’Connor reprising his Emmy-winning role as the owner of his own bar and restaurant, the series actually had a good four-year-run, but now lives in obscurity.

Alice (Flo)

The series adaptation of Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore promptly steered clear of becoming a forgotten TV show based on a movie, but its sole attempt at a spin-off was not as successful as its parent series. Her scene-stealing, Emmy-nominated performance on Alice as outspoken server Flo earned Polly Holliday her own eponymous series set at her own diner in her Texan hometown, but after one season, viewers told the show it could kiss their grits.

American Idol (American Juniors)

There have actually been multiple times when popular reality TV shows attempted a version that featured underage participants, including American Idol. Airing on Fox in 2003 (just a year after its predecessor’s debut), American Juniors featured host Ryan Seacrest, according to EW, and Season 1 runner-up Justin Guarini as a judge, but did not generate quite the same buzz — despite launching Lucy Hale’s career, which Jimmy Kimmel Live! unearthed.

Barney Miller (Fish)

One of the reasons why Barney Miller is remembered as one of the funniest and best mystery TV shows of its time is its hilarious supporting cast, which included the late Abe Vigoda in the Emmy-nominated role, Phil Fish. ABC greenlit a sitcom that would follow the New York detective outside of the precinct, but — as USA Today recalls — it was cancelled after one-and-one-half seasons in mid-1978, less than a year after Fish’s retirement episode of Barney Miller aired.

Battlestar Galactica (Galactica 1980)

Years before the 2000s-era reboot of Battlestar Galactica became one of the most beloved sci-fi TV shows of its time, the first reboot of Glen A. Larson’s cult favorite series was greenlit pretty quickly after it ended. However, Galactica 1980, which brought the action to modern day Earth, would also end very quickly after 10 episodes, due to poor reviews and was later edited into the TV movie, Conquest of the Earth. 

Baywatch (Baywatch Nights)

In 1995, while Baywatch was still in its prime, David Hasselhoff reprised his Baywatch cast role of Mitch Buchannon on a series that saw the lifeguard moonlighting as a private investigator. As ratings declined, the writers opted to turn Baywatch Nights into an X-Files-style paranormal investigation drama for its second season, which would also be its last.

Bewitched (Tabitha)

In 1977, just five years after the end of Bewitched, an attempt to continue its magical legacy was made in the form of Tabitha. Following Samantha and Darrin’s eponymous daughter (Lisa Hartman) as an adult, the show failed to cast a spell on viewers and was cancelled after 11 episodes.

Bones (The Finder)

A Season 6 episode of Bones called “The Finder” — in which Brennan and Booth call upon the help of eccentric, but inquisitive, Army veteran Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults) — served as a backdoor pilot for a spin-off of the same name. Also starring the late Michael Clarke Duncan, The Finder, unfortunately, could not find an audience and did not make it past its 13-episode run in 2012. 

Cheers (The Tortellis)

While Frasier would find great success in its 11 seasons, it is not the only spin-off from Cheers, let alone the first, which would be The Tortellis. This sitcom put Dan Hedaya’s recurring role as Carla’s ex-husband, Nick, and his own family at the forefront, but was met with criticism for its stereotypical depiction of Italian-Americans (according to ScreenRant) and low ratings, sealing its early downfall.

Columbo (Mrs. Columbo)

If you want to see a good whodunit TV show in the style of Columbo but with a female lead, I would recommend checking out Peacock’s Poker Face with Natasha Lyonne, instead of Mrs. Columbo. This mystery series starring fellow Orange is the New Black cast veteran Kate Mulgrew as the never-before-seen wife of Peter Falk’s iconic lieutenant was not so well-liked by audiences, or the producers of the parent series, and was taken off the air after 13 episodes, as Slash Film recalled.

Dawson's Creek (Young Americans)

In the same year he was introduced on Dawson’s Creek for a three-episode stint, Rodney Scott’s Will Krudski went on to be the lead character of Young Americans, which aired on The CW when it was still called the The WB. Despite being ahead of its time for its commentary on themes like gender roles and starring Kate Bosworth and Ian Somerhalder, the absence of anyone from the Dawson’s Creek cast may have deterred viewers from tuning into its summer 2000 run.

Doctor Who (K-9 And Company)

In its 60 years of existence, the British sci-fi staple, Doctor Who, has inspired multiple spin-offs, with Torchwood being a successful example, but we cannot quite say the same about K-9 and Company. The series never continued past its 1981 pilot, but a more successful team-up of Elisabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith with the robotic dog called K9 would happen years later in the form of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The Dukes Of Hazzard (Enos)

Bumbling Hazzard County cop Enos Strate (Sonny Shroyer) had the honor of leading his own self-titled series that followed his adventures fighting crime in L.A. with his partner, Turk Adams (the late Samuel Wright). However, he would return to his original role on The Dukes of Hazzard after Enos faced cancellation after a single, 18-episode season in 1981.

Dynasty (The Colbys)

The primetime soap opera Dynasty — the most popular show of the 1984-1985 season — focused on the personal struggles of the wealthy Carrington family. In 1985, ABC debuted a spin-off centered on the rival family, the Colbys, which would earn an Emmy nomination for its cinematography, but was cut short after just two seasons.

Fame (Fame L.A.)

More than a decade after the end of Fame — which was loosely based on 1980 movie of the same name — a new series emerged that was set on the other side of the country. Yet, despite earning Emmy Awards wins for its opening title music and choreography, Fame L.A. did not live forever, and was cancelled after one season in 1998.

Family Ties (Day By Day)

There are some spin-offs that really try to stretch the connective tissue between to their parent series, such as Day by Day, which starred Douglas Sheehan as Brian Harper, who was written as an old college roommate of Steven Keaton (Michael Gross) from Family Ties. That tie was, apparently, not strong enough for this NBC family sitcom to last longer than two seasons, but  — on the bright side — it would allow series regulars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Courtney Thorne-Smith to go on to star on Seinfeld and Melrose Place, respectively.

The Golden Girls (The Golden Palace)

After The Golden Girls ended with Dorothy (Bea Arthur) moving away with her new husband (Leslie Nielsen), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Sophia (Estelle Getty) would invest in a very understaffed Miami hotel. Also starring Don Cheadle in one of his earliest roles and Cheech Marin, The Golden Palace was actually the third spin-off of The Golden Girls (after Empty Nest and Nurses) but the first to last only one season.

Growing Pains (Just The Ten Of Us)

Even if you have never seen Just the Ten of Us — for which Bill Kirchenbauer reprised his recurring Growing Pains character, Coach Graham T. Lubbock, from 1988-1990 — you might recognize a few of its key actors. Namely, A Nightmare on Elm Street cast lead Heather Lengegnkamp and Matt Shakman (director of WandaVision and the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot) played two of Graham’s eight children and Dennis Haysbert played his assistant coach, Duane Johnson.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.)

Most modern day audiences had never even heard of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. before Guy Ritchie’s movie adaptation of the 1960s spy series came out in 2015. Therefore, we would certainly forgive anyone for forgetting (or never knowing about) The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., which followed the assignments of another agent from the titular organization, played by Stefanie Powers, for 29 episodes from 1966 to 1967.

Once Upon A Time (Once Upon A Time In Wonderland) 

Just a couple years after the debut of Once Upon a Time, ABC introduced another story of fairytale characters struggling to find an escape from the real world which looked directly toward the seminal work of Lewis Carroll for inspiration. Yet, critics and audiences were more impressed with the visual aesthetic than anything else about Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, which went off with its head after one 13-episode season.

Party Of Five (Time Of Your Life)

Acclaimed family drama Party of Five was a breakout hit for rising stars Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert, and Jennifer Love Hewitt — the latter of whom would reprise her role as Sarah Reeves Merrin as the lead of Time of Your Life. Also starring Jennifer Garner, the series — in which Sarah moves to New York to learn more about her biological parents — suffered from low ratings during its sole season, which was split in half by a five-month hiatus before Fox’s failed attempt to bring it back for Summer 2000.

Pretty Little Liars (Ravenswood)

It is funny to think of how many somewhat ordinary dramas take place in the same universe as another series that is complete fantasy, such as Ravenswood. In 2013, Pretty Little Liars cast member Ashley Benson appeared as Hanna Marin to establish her hit series’ connection to this show — about five strangers embroiled in a curse plaguing the titular town — which lasted one season on Freeform when it was still called ABC Family.

Rugrats (Rugrats Pre-School Daze)

A special episode of Rugrats — which Paramount+ recently rebooted — that imagined the babies as preteens would inspire a successful series called All Grown Up!, which was the first spin-off to the long-running Nicktoon, but that was not always the case. According to Variety, Nickelodeon had originally been developing a series focused on Angelica Pickles and Susie Carmichael that would be shelved for years and eventually be released in 2005 as Rugrats Pre-School Daze, which only had a total of four episodes.

Sanford And Son (Sanford Arms)

Despite a few exceptions on this list alone, spin-offs tend to be most successful when a popular and recognizable character is given the lead role and not an entirely new character, like what they did with Sanford Arms. This continuation of Sanford & Son saw widowed father Phil Wheeler (Teddy Wilson) take over Fred (Redd Foxx) and Lamont’s (Demond Wilson) rooming house — a change of pace that did not seem to resonate with viewers and resulted in a very quick cancellation in 1977.

That's So Raven (Cory In The House)

Raven-Symoné would reprise her role as a psychic of the same name as an adult on Raven’s Home, which was not the first time Disney Channel debuted a That’s So Raven spin-off. In 2007, Kyle Massey came back to play Cory Baxter on Cory in the House, in which he moves into the White House after his father (Rondell Sheridan) becomes the President’s personal chef. Also starring Madison Pettis, you could say the sitcom lasted a fitting two terms (seasons) after 34 episodes. 

Three's Company (The Ropers, Three's A Crowd)

The original Three’s Company landlords were Stanley (Norman Fell) and Helen Roper (Audra Lindley), until they left in 1979 to lead their own self-titled sitcom that was cancelled after two seasons in 1980. In 1984, the parent series’ finale served as a sort of backdoor pilot to a new show called Three’s a Crowd — centered on Emmy winner John Ritter’s character, Jack Tripper, his new girlfriend, Vicky (Mary Cadorette), and her father, James (Robert Mandan), who becomes their landlord — which only lasted one season.

Walker, Texas Ranger (Sons Of Thunder)

Years before The CW rebooted Walker, Texas Ranger with Jared Padalecki in the title role (and also greenlit a short-lived prequel set in the old West called Walker: Independence), Chuck Norris and his younger brother, Aaron, had their own idea for a spin-off. After introducing Dallas detective Carlos Sandoval (James Wlcek) in Season 4, he was given his own series in 1999 called Sons of Thunder — in which he becomes a private investigator — that ran for six episodes on CBS.

The X-Files (The Lone Gunmen)

There are three TV shows that exist in Chris Carter’s X-Files universe: the iconic original (which was brought back for two more seasons in 2016), the marginally successful Millennium (which was retroactively confirmed as a spin-off), and The Lone Gunmen, which some say Fox should be embarrassed about cancelling after one 13-episode season. 

Focusing on the titular trio of eccentric conspiracy theorists (Bruce Harwood, Tom Braidwood, and Dean Haglund) who previously aided Mulder and Scully, the pilot episode of the spin-off, which aired in March 2001, is eerily similar to the tragic events of September 11th that year — as Journal News Online recalls — which is not why it was cancelled, but why it is somewhat infamous to fans who may remember it.

How many of these spin-off series do you actually remember? How many would you like to see brought back? And how many of these do you think never should have seen the light of day?

For some reason the idea of remaking classic movies bothers the shit out of me, but when it comes to adaptations of beloved television programs, none of the same sentiments apply. I paid to see both Charlie’s Angels films in theaters, I own and will bitterly defend the first Brady Bunch movie, and had I seen The Dukes Of Hazzard I fully suspect I would have thought it sucked less than everyone else. Hell, I can even get down with that horrible Dan Aykroyd/Tom Hanks Dragnet debacle now and again. I suspect it’s because of the format. When you redo a movie that was already done well once, it strikes me as bizarre since anyone could simply pop in the DVD. But with a television show, you’re transferring the thing to an entirely new medium, therefore making it fresh. In truth, most of these are a C- at best, but I’ll keep showing up. You hear that, James Franco?

According to TV Guide, James Franco is seriously considering a film and off-Broadway play based on the legendary sitcom Three’s Company. Earlier this year, he did a bit of a dramatic recreation at Sundance with his assistant and another dude, but after seeing the finished product, the people who own the rights are interested in seeing more.

If this ever moves forward, the final product will likely have a much more serious tone than the original sitcom that was mostly innuendos and cleavage.

I have CB Head Honcho Josh Tyler to thank for inspiring me to spend the last hour scouring Youtube for some of my favorite TV theme songs. Remember back in the day when shows opened with a theme song that you knew by heart? A memorable theme song (complete with lyrics) seems like something of a rarity for TV shows these days. Sure, some shows still have some kind of music playing during the opening credits, while others run the credits right through the beginning of the episode and skip the song altogether.

Once upon a time, the theme song was an integral part of the show, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite theme songs from back in the day. All of the videos featured below are for songs that had words (many of which I doubt I’m alone in still knowing by heart). Further down I’ve given a nod to some theme songs that were memorable even though there were no words to sing along to. Are these the best and greatest of all TV theme songs in the world? Probably not and since the list was long enough, I decided not to go back to shows that were a bit before my time (The Brady Bunch, Happy Days, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laverne and Shirley) despite them being memorable enough that I’m familiar with them.

The Golden Girls - And the card attached would say, thank you for being a friend…

Diff’rent Strokes - They’ll have theirs, you’ll have yours and I’ll have mine…

The Facts of Life - Because there really is a time you’ve gotta go and show you’re growin’ now you know about the facts of life. The facts of life. I went with one of the earlier seasons, before the girl’s hair started to get really big.

Three’s Company - I used to love this series as a kid even though I didn’t get most of the jokes.

Perfect Strangers - Now we are so happy, we do the dance of joy!

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - He’d like to take a minute, just sit right there. He’ll tell you how he became the prince of a town called Bel-Air. If you were a kid in the 90’s, you may have attempted to rap this song with your friends on the school bus. Here’s the full version of the song, which I only ever remember airing once or twice:

Charles In Charge - Of our days and our nights… I went with one of the later seasons for this video since that’s the one I remember most. It’s a little bit peppier than the original version of the song.

Full House - This old familiar theme song is … waiting just around the bend!!

Growing Pains - “Sharing the laughter and love….” Gotta love it.

Cheers - I wasn’t even that big of a fan of this series (I know, it’s kind of a crime but I was a little too young to appreciate it at the time) and yet I still know the words to this one:

Married With Children - Something about watching Al hand over all of his money to his family that always cracked me up.

Blossom - Ok, a little light on the “classic” side but in my opinionation, it was a great theme song.

Salute Your Shorts - It’s I hope we never part, now get it right or pay the price! CB writer Mack Rawden reminded me of this one. For those of us who watched Nickelodeon back in the early 90’s, this one is a classic. If now, you’ve probably never even heard of the show.

Friends - Probably one of the last great sitcom theme songs, this one actually made it onto the radio.

I need to add that I wanted to include The Jeffersons and Fraggle Rock on this list but I couldn’t find embeddable videos for them.

The Cosby Show

Head of the Class

Mr. Belvedere

X Files

Beverly Hills, 90210

My So Called Life

The Simpsons

Buffy the Vampire Slayer