Essential Comedy TV Shows

starring Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston

The series featured six main cast members throughout its run, with numerous characters recurring throughout the ten seasons. The main cast members were familiar to television viewers before their roles on Friends, but were not considered to be stars. During the series' tenth season run, the actors...

starring Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco

University physicists Leonard and Sheldon know whether to use an integral or a differential to solve the area under a curve. But they don't have a clue about girls. Or dating. Or clothes. Or parties. Or having fun. Or, basically, life. So when a pretty blonde named Penny moves in the apartment...

starring Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards

See how NBC's famous show "about nothing" -- one of the most popular sitcoms of all time -- first became "must-see TV." Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) leads the Manhattan foursome that also includes frustrated George (Jason Alexander), sometimes-shrill Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and, of course, Kramer...

starring Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett

Arrested Development follows the adventures of the dysfunctional Bluth family after patriarch George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor, in an Emmy-nominated performance) is hauled off to jail. Responsible son Michael (Jason Bateman) takes over, but even he's no match for his crazy siblings and sharp-tongued mom...

starring Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten

Will (Will Smith) is a fish out of water in fancy Beverly Hills after his mother, keen to save him from the drugs and violence of their Philadelphia neighborhood, sends him to live with his wealthy Uncle Philip (James Avery), his wife, Vivian (Janet Hubert-Whitten), their kids, Carlton (Alfonso...

starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones

The show is about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's young son, Jake. Charlie's free-wheeling life is complicated and altered when his brother gets divorced and moves, along with his son, into Charlie's beach-front house.

starring Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Reid Ewing

Who better to document the 21st-century American family than a Dutch film crew capturing the clan's antics for a reality show in the Netherlands? That's the conceit of this "mockumentary" comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen, Sofia Vergara and Ty...

starring Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon

The series was created by Doug Ellin and chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list film star, and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City, as they navigate the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood, California. The Emmy-winning show stars Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly...

starring Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston

His older brother's been shipped to a military academy; his younger brother is a wound-up oddball; and his parents are constantly bickering. Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) is starting to think he may be the only normal one in his family! Using direct camera address, wide-angle distortion and a machine-gun...

starring Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes

This Emmy-winning sitcom is full of laughs with its quirky characters and rapid-fire dialog. Join gay lawyer Will (Eric McCormack), his straight roommate and friend Grace (Debra Messing), her rich and useless assistant Karen (Megan Mullally) and Jack (Sean Hayes), a flamboyantly gay, unemployed...

starring Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney

This eponymous series begins with neurotic "Cheers" shrink Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) leaving Boston and surfacing in Seattle as a radio host, with his retired dad (John Mahoney) as his roommate and his uptight brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), living nearby.

starring Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman

Your favorite Boston neighborhood bar -- the one where everybody knows your name -- lives on in this complete collection of episodes from the first season. Bartender Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and the object of his unrequited love, Diane (Shelley Long), cross swords in uproarious episodes from the...

starring John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart

Sent to Earth to investigate civilization, an alien high commander (John Lithgow) and his quirky crew -- military officer Sally (Kristen Johnston), information expert Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and transmitter Harry (French Stewart) -- assume human identities to blend in.

starring Tony Shalhoub, Bitty Schram, Ted Levine

This hilarious detective series stars Tony Shalhoub (in an Emmy-winning role) as Adrian Monk, a brilliant cop who's deemed unfit for duty when he develops OCD and a variety of phobias following his wife's murder. Now working as a police consultant, Monk still tries to convince his boss (Ted Levin)...

starring Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Bonet

Meet the Brooklyn-based Huxtables, an African-American family led by lovable doctor Cliff (Bill Cosby) and his attorney wife, Claire (Phylicia Rashad). This groundbreaking first season introduces the couple and their kids -- Sondra (Sabrina Le Bea), Denise (Lisa Bonet), Theo (Malcolm Jamal Warner)...

starring Fred Savage, Daniel Stern, Jason Hervey

Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) takes the leap into adolescence as he begins junior high with his two best friends -- the brainy Paul Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano) and the rapidly maturing Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar) -- in this Emmy-winning comedy-drama set in 1968.

starring Dave Chappelle

Renowned stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle stars in his own show, taking his repertoire of jokes and bringing them to life on television. From comedy sketches, man-on-the-street pieces and pop culture parodies, Chappelle is at home in front of a studio audience.

starring Kevin James, Leah Remini, Jerry Stiller

Three's definitely a crowd for parcel post deliveryman Doug Heffernan (Kevin James), whose newly widowed father-in-law, Arthur (Jerry Stiller), has moved in with him and his wife, Carrie (Leah Remini). Doug's no longer the king of his domain -- the renovated basement that houses his beloved...

starring Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Arj Barker

Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie return for the sophomore season of HBO's acclaimed folk musical, which continues to follow the fictional travails of the Kiwi duo as they struggle to navigate the music industry and the singles scene in Manhattan. Captured with a handheld lens, the pair's musical...

starring Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, James Franco

Set in a suburban Detroit high school in the early 1980s, this Emmy-nominated drama focuses on the lives of two groups of teens who don't live in the fabricated, glossy world that most TV shows depict as "normal." No, Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) and her brother Sam (John Francis Daly) live in...

starring John Cleese, Connie Booth, Prunella Scales

Haughty, misadventure-prone Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) and his bossy wife, Sybil (Prunella Scales), try to raise the profile of their "English Riviera" operation -- The Fawlty Towers Hotel -- but never-ending misunderstandings arise, leading to constant farcical lunacy.

starring Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Tom Bosley

Few television series capture Americana more succinctly than the beloved classic series "Happy Days." Meet Milwaukee's Howard and Marion Cunningham (Tom Bosley and Marion Ross), their children, Richie (Ron Howard) and Joanie (Erin Moran), and their cooler-than-cool friend, The Fonz (Henry Winkler)...

starring Beatrice Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan

This Emmy Award-winning sitcom for Outstanding Comedy Series quickly became a fan favorite. Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White and Estelle Getty star as a quartet of disparate Florida seniors who share a house, their dreams, more than a few boyfriends and … a boatload of cheesecake.

starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance

This classic television comedy -- starring Lucille Ball as a daffy housewife - set the bar for sitcoms and kept the world glued to their televisions during its lengthy run. Lucy's real-life husband Desi Arnaz co-stars as Ricky Ricardo, Lucy's Cuban bandleader husband, with neighbors Fred (William...

starring Roseanne, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf

Domestic goddess Roseanne Barr, who gained notoriety as a stand-up comedian, stars in this eponymous sitcom centering on the blue-collar Conner family. Bossy, big-mouthed mom Roseanne, virile dad Dan (John Goodman), their three kids and Roseanne's vacillating sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf)...

starring Dave Foley, Scott Thompson, Kevin McDonald

In their weekly show, Canadian sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall -- Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson -- turned the mundane into the surreal with their edgy, zany characters and stories. The series, produced by Saturday Night Live's Lorne...

starring Michael J. Fox, Justine Bateman, Meredith Baxter

Steven and Elyse Keaton (Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter), 1960s-era flower children turned Reagan-era suburbanites, struggle to raise their three distinctly different kids: Alex the Republican, ultraconsumer Mallory and Jennifer the tomboy. One of the most popular sitcoms of the '80s, the show...

starring Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, Franklin Cover

"We're movin' on up!" Every week, from 1975 to 1985, George, Louise, Helen, Tom, Lionel, Jenny and the rest of the gang entertained us with sarcasm, one-liners and hilarious social commentary from their Manhattan apartment. Perhaps the most successful spin-off from "All in the Family," "The...

starring Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers

Those were the days. Norman Lear's landmark comedy featured one of the most beloved families in television history, the Bunkers. Starring Carroll O'Connor as Archie, Jean Stapleton as Edith, Rob Reiner as Mike "Meathead" Stivic and Sally Struthers as Gloria, "All in the Family" remains an...

starring Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, Don Bexley

Redd Foxx and Desmond Wilson star as Fred Sanford, a cantankerous 65-year-old widower, and Lamont, his 34-year-old son. A junk dealer who lives in Los Angeles's Watts neighborhood, Fred continually (and hilariously) frustrates Lamont, and vice versa. The series -- one of television's all-time...

starring Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts

A bona fide television classic, "The Andy Griffith Show" had an auspicious first season in 1960. Follow the gentle give and take of small-town sheriff Andy (Andy Griffith), his boy Opie (Ron Howard) and the other colorful denizens of Mayberry, North Carolina.

starring Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, Bill Daily

Psychologist Dr. Robert Hartley (Bob Newhart) tries to stay sane despite the best efforts of his unstable patients and quirky friends in this classic 1970s comedy. The show's recipe for success was in place from the get-go as Bob and no-nonsense wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) parent ditzy neighbor...

starring Katherine Helmond, Cathryn Damon, Robert Mandan

For four years in the late 1970s, ABC aired a unique television show that delighted viewers with its wit and satire by parodying the traditional soap opera through its story of the Tate and Campbell families. All aspects of their discordant lives were spoofed, with no story line seen as too unusual...

starring Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows

The Honeymooners is a situation comedy television show, based on a 1951-'55 sketch of the same name, which originally aired on CBS that was created by Jackie Gleason, and shot before a live audience, which debuted as a half-hour series on October 1, 1955. Although initially a ratings success — it...

starring Peter Krause, Josh Charles, Felicity Huffman

Aaron Sorkin's critically acclaimed sitcom ran on ABC for two seasons, offering a witty behind-the-scenes look at the production of a TV show. Starring Peter Krause and Josh Charles as the show's anchors, the Emmy award-winning "Sports Night" is not at all about sports, but about the show's...

starring Garry Shandling, Janeane Garofalo, Jeffrey Tambor

This award-winning comedy show ran from 1992 to 1998 and relentlessly skewers the talk show industry with wit, ingenuity and biting humor. Featuring Garry Shandling as the sheltered host, Jeffrey Tambor as his insecure sidekick, Rip Torn as Larry's gruff producer, and a slew of celebrity guests...