The Top Ten TV Sitcoms of All Time - Herbie J Pilato

It39s always a challenge to narrow to ten the entries for any top list of a particular category let alone historic television situation comedies Besides those mentioned below there are countless quality sitcoms that could have easily made this tally but did not for various reasons Namely Curb Your Enthusiasm too mean The Golden Girls went on one season too many The Odd Couple hilarious but uneven due to a switch in formats Sanford ampamp Son leads replaced over time and on and onEither way and again there could only be ten and fortunately all of them listed below are available on DVD Unfortunately those not listed below just didn39t measure up to snuff when it came to particular criteriaA Each show chosen had to be as TBS might say it quotvery funnyquotB The overall series team of players behind and in front of the camera amp8211 from the makeup and wardrobe department of a particular show many of which on this list were headed by Columbia39s iconic Ben Lane to their lead actorsC It39s nice when a show that is billed as a quotcomedyquot deals with quotissuesquot as was the case in the 1970s with CBSTV39s Maude a famous first season episode of which dealt with abortion and MASH which took place in a war setting the Korean War etc But to make this list the quotissuesquot and some of their quotanswersquot along with any meanspiritedness simply disqualified certain quotsituationsquot would could simply not be classified as quotcomedyquotD The likeability factor had to come into play TV characters may be unlikable as was the case with Carroll O39Connor39s Archie Bunker on CBSTV39s 1970s smash All in the Family But as long as the performances of the actor portraying the character was likeable as was indeed the case with O39Connor the series would receive a pass Unfortunately however All in the Family didn39t make this list because it was too issuesoriented Seinfeld NBC39s megahit of the 1990s is another alleged sitcom that did not make this list due to the lack of likeability For the first few seasons of this groundbreaking sitcom it played like genius little Woody Allen halfhour films The characters of Jerry Elaine George and Kramer were pretty much unlikable but the performances of Jerry Seinfeld the actor Julia Louis Dreyfus Jason Alexander and Michael Richards were likable That is until the last few years when both the characters AND the performances of the actors became unlikable In short Seinfeld lost its charm and its ultimate place on this listIn all the sitcoms listed below were consistently funny likable and glittered with quality for their entire original run from their pilot episode to their series finale Seinfeld39s of which was a disaster In certain instances however a particular show39s overall consistent quality outweighed what may have been snippets of meanspiritedness or issueoriented scripts But even when a sitcom was not meanspirited or issueoriented as is the case with ABC39s 1960s hit That Girl it does not mean it would make this list The energy and talent that oozes out of Girl star Marlo Thomas in every scene of this appealing sitcom is undeniable and her chemistry with costar Ted Bessel as boyfriend Don Hollinger is astounding and enjoyable And even though Thomas39 Ann Marie was the first female single independent character in the medium39s history some five years before Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show the show was not consistently funny through its entire run That last season when Ann went braless parted her hair down the middle and became engaged to Don just didn39t cut itThat said here now are the Top Ten TV Sitcoms Of All Timeamp8230or at least one edition of the Top Ten TV Sitcoms Of All Time As Jackie Gleason39s Ralph Kramden would say on CBS39s classic 1950s hit The Honeymooners which did not make the list quotAnd away we goamp8230quot1 The Dick Van Dyke Show CBS 19611966 Can39t be beat Astounding talent behind and in front of the scenes Magic happens each time Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore sing dance perform and act together here and actually anywhere Once intended as a starring vehicle for creator Carl Reiner father to actorcumdirector Rob Meathead Reiner who starred in a failed pilot with a similar premise and titled Head of the Family the former Show of Shows performer wisely opted instead to take a back seat and cast Dick Van Dyke in the lead The result the best malelead sitcom in TV history that makes all the I Love Lucy fans happy right2 The Mary Tyler Moore Show CBS 19701977 Changed the face of television forever turned the world on with her smile indeed One of the first weekly sitcoms to showcase the quotstoryquot scene in which one particular character delivers quotconveying dialoguequot to another or group of characters to assist with the setup of a joke which ultimately becomes sophisticated humor beyond mention But fortunately they do mention it amp8211 to the delight of anyone who watches3 Bewitched ABC 19641972 Not really a sitcom but something beyond a sitcom this supernaturalbased comedy deserves to be on this list Totally underrated as a sophisticated television show the adventures of Samantha amp8211 the house witchwithatwitch Stephens played to perfection by Elizabeth Montgomery was too many times labeled as quotsillyquot So far from silly this elegant series is more a love story about a mortal man who marries a woman who happens to be a witch than it is a fantasy series The real magic is the solid and sincere characterizations and stories within the consistent quotlogic within the illogicquot of the premise4 Father Knows Best CBS NBC ABC 19551963 Like Bewitched and for many watchers this wonderful series may not necessarily be categorized as a sitcom Though extremely funny at times when this family show is viewed by anyone who screens the episodes faithfully it also becomes apparent just how real and dramatic this series was for its time It may even be classified as TV39s first halfhour quotdramedyquot long before that phrase was coined in the 1980s with shows like Buffalo Bill and The Wonder Years In either case there was a consistent quality that ran through every single episode of this longrunning show5 I Love Lucy CBS 19511957 No one no where no way was or is funnier or more talented than Lucille Ball the grand dame of television comedy Like Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore Ball combined comedy chops voice and dance skills with performance art and brought it all to new heights with everyday regular situations captured so endearingly well by brilliant writing partners Bob Carroll Jr and Madelyn Pugh Davis both of whom have now passed away Davis just recently Suffice it to say if Mary Richards turned us all on with her smile Lucy pretty much saved the world by making us all smile again and again and continues to do so amp8211 with her quotbroadquot sense of humor6 The Andy Griffith Show CBS 19601968 Who wouldn39t want to live in Mayberry USA which is where this monumental sitcom was set Sprinkled with the likes of enormously likable characters and the extremely talented actors who brought them to life the adventures of Sheriff Taylor Griffith his deputy Barney Fife the irreplaceable Don Knotts who Jack Burns as Deputy Warren Ferguson tried to replace after Knotts left to do feature films the everaffable Aunt Bee Frances Bavier Opie Ron Happy Days Howard and all the rest Downhome family small town fun with yesamp8230heart7 GidgetABC 196566The Flying Nun ABC 196771 You don39t get much more TV cozy than Gidget gets as this show is superior in many ways to even the Gidget feature films that arrived before it Star Sally Field who granted exclusive interviews for the DVD release of this show has so much charismatic verve she makes Marlo Thomas on That Girl look like Jed Clampett from The Beverly Hillbillies The show lasted only one season due to low ratings but when rerun in the summer of 1966 the ratings went through the roof Consequently ABC rescinded its decision and sought to bring the show back for a second year But it was too late The cast and production team had moved on However the futureOscar winning Sally Field a mere 15yearsold when she filmed the pilot was still available and under contract to Screen Gems the show39s proprietor As a result she took the lead one year later in The Flying Nun which could easily have been titled Gidget Joins The Convent which is why TFN shares the Number 7 spot on this list with Field39s first series That said not only was The Flying Nun consistently funny throughout its three year run it became the first general series and sitcom in the history of television that introduced spiritual studies to the mainstream American viewing audience some ten years before Kung Fu debuted on ABC in 1972 It may have even converted a few viewers to Catholicism who knows One thing is for sure esteemed representatives of the Roman Catholic Church served as consultants and that meant a great deal to the authenticity of the series which ironically enough like the supernaturallybased Bewitched was given a bad rap in some quotcriticalquot sectors because of its fantastical elements In either case this series should not be missed and potential buyers should pray that DVD copies are still available8 The Bob Newhart ShowCBS 197278 Coupled with The Mary Tyler Moore Show on CBS Saturday nights for years this show was the first to display a sophisticated childless couple It was adult fare without being too adult at all The comedy was simultaneously zany and thoughtful as Bob Newhart39s deadpan deliveries to his beautiful witty and gutsy TV wife Emily portrayed by Suzanne Pleshette gone too soon in 2007 is the stuff of legends Unfortunately Bob39s later CBS series Newhart simply could not compare except of course in the last moment of the final episode Here Pleshette surprises everyone even actress Mary Frann Newhart39s new onscreen wife Joanna who was nontoo happy about the way the series ended by poppingout her lovely head from beneath the sheets in what has now become the most legendary bedroom scene in TV history Bob then proceeds to tell her and the rest of us that that this second series was all a dream Classic indeed9 Car 54 Where Are You NBC 19611963 Genius Hilarious Realistic Groundbreaking Had it not been for the series and the brilliance of its creator writerdirector Nat Hiken who had created The Phil Silvers Show there would have been no future Barney Miller or subsequent Night Court for that matter On many levels Car 54 was eons ahead of its time and yet for its time very contemporary A conundrum if there ever was one10 Frasier NBC 19932004 The writing was crisp Each episode is a weekly edition of a Neil Simon play Throw in some of the most beautiful sets in the history of TV and you have yourself one of the best TV sitcoms of all timeHerbie J Pilato is a producerdirectorwriter and author of a number of media tiein books including Bewitched Forever and The Kung Fu Book Of Caine Life Story amp8211 The Book of Life Goes On TV39s First And best Family Show of Challenge The Bionic Book and NBC ampamp ME My Life As A Page In A Book He39s worked for AampampE TLC Syfy and Bravo39s hit fivepart TV series The 100 Greatest TV Characters Herbie J is also the Founder and Executive Director of The Classic TV Preservation Society a nonprofit organization that helps to close the gap between popular culture and education For more information please see wwwClassicTVPSblogspotcom To contact Herbie J or to order any of his books email ClassicTVPSgmailcomRead all Herbie J39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Herbie J39s Classic TV CornerCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerMediaBizBloggers is an openthought leadership blog platform for media marketing and advertising professionals companies and organizations To contribute contact Jackmediadvisorygroupcom The opinions expressed in MediaBizBloggerscom are not those of Media Advisory Group its employees or other MediaBizBloggerscom contributors Media Advisory Group accepts no responsibility for the views of MediaBizBloggers authors

Click to Make Your 2025 Contribution to Support the MediaVillage Education Foundation

The Top Ten TV Sitcoms of All Time - Herbie J Pilato

Author

Publish date

Channel

Archived in

Herbie J Pilato

Empowering Women in Media: Insights from Industry Leaders (Video) - By E.B. Moss

More Videos:

Click to Make Your 2025 Contribution to Support the MediaVillage Education Foundation

The Top Ten TV Sitcoms of All Time - Herbie J Pilato

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Herbie J Pilato

Empowering Women in Media: Insights from Industry Leaders (Video) - By E.B. Moss

The payment was successful

Cookies