Comedy has been a fixture of television since the medium was in its infancy. Making truly great TV comedy is no simple thing, though, and it’s even harder to make a great TV comedy that endures. Comedy is always changing, and what is funny to one generation isn’t always funny to the next.
In spite of that, these are the best comedy shows that have endured and gotten me through some of the hardest moments of my life. When you’re looking for shows that will make you laugh and some that might make you cry just a little bit, we’ve got the perfect list for you. While I have a stronger attachment to some of these shows than others, the list as a whole is pretty undeniable. These are the best comedy shows ever made.
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30 Rock (2006)
7 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan
Created by
Tina Fey
Watch on Peacock
This showbiz satire might be, pound for pound, the funniest show ever made. Starring Tina Fey, it follows the head writer of a sketch comedy show as she navigates the day-to-day running of the show and deals with the show’s stars and her corporate bosses. Fey co-created the series, which seems to be based in large part on her days at Saturday Night Live, and it features all-time great performances not just from her but also from Alec Baldwin, Jenna Krakowski, and Tracey Morgan.
The Office (2005)
9 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer
Created by
Greg Daniels
Watch on Peacock
The British Office was beloved long before its American counterpart came about, but the American show was ultimately the one that left a more lasting impression. Following a group of regular office employees working in Scranton, Pennsylvania, at a dying paper company, the series was equal parts a satire of modern office culture and a reminder that we spend a third of our lives with our co-workers. Steve Carrell’s Michael Scott is maybe the show’s most indelible character, but by the end of its run, you’ll love every character more than you ever thought you would.
Friends (1994)
10 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow
Created by
Marta Kauffman, David Crane
Watch on max
Friends has remained one of the most popular shows in the world in the two decades since it went off the air for a reason. The show follows six friends living in New York City as they navigate the struggles of early adulthood and fall in and out of love with one another. In addition to launching a generation of young stars, the show’s comedy still mostly works. Across its 10 seasons, you’ll be amazed at how consistent the show manages to be, even as its cast ages and becomes the full adults they were aspiring toward in the earliest part of the series.
Seinfeld (1989)
9 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards
Created by
Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David
Watch on Netflix
A show that was, quite proudly, about nothing, Seinfeld follows four friends living in New York City who simply find themselves dealing with a variety of situations that one might come across in real life. Combining the comedic talents of Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, the show is deeply observational and feels at times like it’s actually just an extended standup riff. While that can feel odd in an era filled with character development, Seinfeld has endured because few shows better understand the best ways to extract jokes from the real world.
Cheers (1982)
11 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, Rhea Perlman
Created by
Glen Charles, Les Charles, James Burrows
Watch on Hulu
Perhaps the definitive sitcom of the 1980s, the brilliance of Cheers stems from its unconditional love of its central characters. Set almost entirely inside a Boston bar, the show follows its regular patrons as well as the staff as they navigate their lives and their relationships with one another. The will-they-won’t-they relationship between Sam and Diane was one of the first of its kind, but what makes Cheers really special is the way it seems to understand the fundamental sadness of many of its central characters, especially the patrons who find themselves at a bar instead of with their families.
The Simpsons (1989)
36 Seasons
Genre
Family, Animation, Comedy
Stars
Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright
Created by
Matt Groening
Watch on Disney+
One of the longest-running television comedies of all time, The Simpsons has evolved over the decades of its existence, and it has also been better and worse at various points in its history. At its best, though, there was no show funnier. Telling the story of its titular family as they live in the town of Springfield, the show often lovingly parodied other elements of pop culture. Crucially, though, the show never uses these parodies as a crutch, and it doesn’t rely too much on its catchphrases, either. Instead, The Simpsons will just leave you laughing.
Veep (2012)
7 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale
Created by
Armando Iannucci
Watch on HBO Max
A joke among political observers is that the politics of the real world is not like The West Wing or House of Cards, and instead most closely resembles Veep. Following a female vice president as she navigates her role, her relationship with her staff and the president, and the chaos of Washington, D.C., the show is a brilliant satire of the state of modern politics anchored by one of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s very best performances. Veep features incredible writing, but Dreyfus and the rest of its ensemble cast elevate that material into what feels like high art.
Atlanta (2016)
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield
Created by
Donald Glover
Watch on Hulu
Atlanta is, at least ostensibly, a comedy series, but one of the most magical things about it is the way that star and creator Donald Glover allowed it to shapeshift alongside his interests. The show tells the story of a Black father living in Atlanta who decides to start managing his cousin after it looks like his hip-hop career might take off. As they navigate his increasing fame, the show deals with questions of race, class, and gender, but never in ways that feel didactic or overly general. Atlanta is a show about one man’s observations, and it creates a distinct, surreal universe around them.
