Although there are always new Comedy TV shows and series are coming out, some are known to be the most iconic ones in the history of television. A good comedy show can provide a funny escape for the viewers. TechTrends decided to make a list of the best comedy series of all time that are not just funny but also iconic.
When looking for the best comedy series ever made, there are a certain anatomy to break down. Not only does it have to make you laugh, which is the bare minimum, but it should give you an amused chuckle, or a tear-jerking laugh. With the help of the golden age of streaming we are living in, there are many options of stellar choices when it comes to comedy series. But which ones really stand out? From the very beginning of the television entertainment, Sitcoms or comedy series have been one of the most popular shows. Making a short list of the top ones was not an easy task, considering that there are plenty of great sitcoms, from modern hits to classics. Here are the best comedy TV shows of all time.
Best Comedy Series of All Time
The list of series we selected for you to choose from will have you accidentally snort your soda up your nose and fall off your chair laughing as they are quite hilarious. Some of them will even have you laughing at just the memory of the jokes made way after you watched them, even years after. Here are the best comedy series of all time ranked based on their ratings on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. Without further ado, let’s dive into the list.
12. Sex and the City 1998 – 2004
- Genre: Sitcom
- Director: Michael Patrick King
- Stars: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, Willie Garson
- Rating: IMDb 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes 70%
HBO created one of best sitcoms of all time when it made the romantic comedy that followed the story of four women in New York City. This series changed the feminism, sex and womanhood culturally and helped other female-centric sitcoms to be created. It allowed women to talk about their sexuality more honestly on television more than ever. The sitcom revolves around the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and her friends. Among the group, one has dealt with cancer, one is under family pressure and the other is living with her husband.
Read more: Best TV Shows of All Time
11. New Girl 2011 – 2018
- Genre: Sitcom
- Producers: Luvh Rakhe, Peter Chernin, Erin O’Malley,
- Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Hannah Simone, Lamorne Morris, Damon Wayans Jr., Nasim Pedrad
- Rating: IMDb 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes 95%
Another one of the best comedy series ever made is New Girl. Jess, played by Zooey Deschanel, is the main female character of the show. She is an offbeat woman who moves in with a number of single men in an apartment. Despite them finding her characteristics quite unusual, the three men give her their support. Jess is a teacher who finds out that her boyfriend has been cheating on her with another women. The show is comedic as well as dramatic since the characters deal with relationship problems and career choices.
10. The Big Bang Theory 2007 – 2019
- Genre: Sitcom
- Creators: Chuck Lorre; Bill Prady
- Stars: Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Mayim Bialik, Kunal Nayyar, Melissa Rauch, Kevin Sussman
- Rating: IMDb 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes 81%
“Smart is the new sexy” is the motto this show follows and the characters of The Big Bang Theory are brilliant physicists, named Leonard and Sheldon, who know how the universe works with their kind of “beautiful minds”. However, their genius does not help them when they want to interact with people, particularly women. That changes when a beautiful girl named Penny moves in the apartment across theirs. She is a free-spirited beauty who begins to fall for Leonard. Although the characters have their disagreements, clashing personalities as well as diverse backgrounds, this show emphasizes how true friends stay by each other’s sides no matter what. This is one of the best comedy series of all time that you have to watch if you haven’t already.
9. 30 Rocks 2006 – 2013
- Genre: Sitcom
- Writers: Tina Fey, Donald Glover, Tracey Wigfield
- Stars: Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer, Jane Krakowski, Alec Baldwin
- Rating: IMDb 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes 78%
30 Rocks is yet another one of the best comedy TV shows of all time which revolves around the cast and crew of a comedy series. It is films in Studio 6H inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The show has an incredible cast and each character is as important as the other in each episode. The plot follows the notion of a variety show boss who has to manage her relationship with the star and executive producer of the show. Tina Fey, as one of the characters and writers of the show, based this series on her experience when working as a writer on Saturday Night Live.
8. How I Met Your Mother 2005 – 2014
- Genre: Sitcom
- Creators: Carter Bays; Craig Thomas
- Stars: Josh Radnor, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, Jason Segel, Cristin Milioti
- Rating: IMDb 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes 84%
How I Met Your Mother is like the popular series Friends and it revolves around the lives of some friends who go through the ups and downs together. Neil Patrick Harris played the role of Barney Stinson, who had a rather eccentric character. This role has helped the actor launch his career into higher levels as he played the role with such irony. The series has also work as a vehicle for Jason Segel’s career. He played the role of Marshall Eriksen. There were a lot of talents in the show and it follows the story of Ted Mosby, portrayed by Josh Radnor, and how he lives as a single man. Bob Saget narrates his stories 25 years later when he tells them to his kids that are now in their teens.
7. Modern Family 2009 – 2020
- Genre: Sitcom
- Writers: Christopher Lloyd, Steven Levitan, Vali Chandrasekaran
- Stars: Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Sarah Hyland, Eric Stonestreet, Nolan Gould, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O’Neill, Sofía Vergara, Ariel Winter, Rico Rodriguez
- Rating: IMDb 8.5, Rotten Tomatoes 85%
One of the best comedy series of all time, which is also a sitcom, is this absolutely fantastic show called Modern Family. The story revolves around three related families of different types living in suburban Los Angeles. The characters sometimes talk directly into the camera in this mockumentary. This TV show has had a great amount of influence on society as they emphasize the importance of unconditional love for your children, no matter who they are or where they have come from. Moreover, many people find themselves in the same situation as each episode shows, which makes it relatable. In addition, it teaches great values of forgiveness, optimism, acceptance, and honesty. It reminds us that notwithstanding the disappointments we endure in our lives, family is always there for us.
6. Parks and Recreation 2009- 2015
- Genre: Sitcom
- Writers: Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Michael Schur, Greg Daniels
- Stars: Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aubrey Plaza, Nick Offerman, Adam Scott, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari
- Rating: IMDb 8.6, Rotten Tomatoes 93%
Parks and Recreation is another one of the greatest comedy TV shows of all time and when it first launched, many thought that it would be a lesser version of The Office, which is regarded as one of premier workplace comedy. However, following a normal first season, the series become a hit in the second. From there, it attracted the attention of the fans as one of the classics due to its standout ensemble, such as Aziz Ansari, Chris Pratt, and Aubrey Plaza, to name but a few.
Read more: Best Chris Pratt Movies of All Time
5. Arrested Development 2003 – 2019
- Genre: Sitcom
- Writers: Mitchell Hurwitz, Abraham Higginbotham, Brad Copeland
- Stars: Jason Bateman, Alia Shawkat, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Tony Hale
- Rating: IMDb 8.7, Rotten Tomatoes 74%
The fifth one on the list of the best comedy series of all time is Arrested Development, which tells the tale of Michael Bluth, who wants to manage the family business following the imprisonment of his father for embezzlement as well as some light treason. However, it is then revealed that this wealthy family has a lot more to struggle with than the problem in hand. The first few seasons acquired many critical acclaims for the dense humor, amazing cast and outlandish situations. The fourth season came out in 2013 and the fifth season was released between 2018 and 2019.
Read more: Best Christian Bale Movies of All Time
4. Friends 1994 – 2004
- Genre: Sitcom
- Producers: Marta Kauffman, David Crane
- Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc
- Rating: IMDb 8.9, Rotten Tomatoes 79%
It was television magic when Joey, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross, and Monica got together in an unforgettable series called Friends. Those were the names that everybody knew back in the 90s. As one of the most popular and best comedy series of all time, this series changed the lives of all the cast members. Moreover, in 2021, there was a long-anticipated reunion of Friends starring the original cast. As for the story of this series, it revolves around the lives of six unique adults who go through various adventures and experiences that make their lives not only troublesome but also entertaining. Friends influenced people to get haircuts, affected the coffee shop culture, and brought “How you doing?” into the lexicon.
3. Seinfeld 1989 – 1998
- Genre: Sitcom
- Writers: Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Marjorie Gross, Fred Stoller
- Stars: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Larry David, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander, Bob Odenkirk
- Rating: IMDb 8.9, Rotten Tomatoes 89%
Seinfeld revolves around the lives of a group of friends, including Jerry Seinfeld’s functionalized version, and they all live together in New York City. The series become one of the best comedy series of all time and a legend. It is known to have paved the way for all the other series of this genre. It whopped ten Emmys and starred Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, and Jason Alexander. Considering the fact that Jerry Seinfeld was one of the creators of the show, it is not a surprise that it turned out to be hilarious. The things Jerry and his friends go through are relatable, particularly for those who live in NYC and fans easily root for the characters.
2. The Office 2005 – 2013
- Genre: Sitcom
- Writers: Steve Carell, Mindy Kaling, B. J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein
- Stars: Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Ellie Kemper
- Rating: IMDb 9, Rotten Tomatoes 81%
This mockumentary sitcom is one of the best comedy series of all time. Although it initially just copied the British version, it started to be more of its own juggernaut. There are plenty of jokes that makes The Office barely have a dull moment. More importantly, it is The New Sincerity in comedy, which means it doesn’t use cruelty or bitter sarcasm to make people laugh, but rather sweet and kind-hearted characters who are doing their best. This series follows the manager and the employees’ everyday lives, with the employees having humorous and bizarre encounters as they aim to keep the company at its best.
1. Rick and Morty 2013
- Genre: Sitcom
- Creators: Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon
- Stars: Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon, Spencer Grammer, Chris Parnell, Sarah Chalke, Kari Wahlgren, Maurice LaMarche
- Rating: IMDb 9.2, Rotten Tomatoes 95%
The first one on the list of the best comedy series of all time is Rick and Morty, which is an animated adult sci-fi comedy that revolves around the journeys of Rick Sanchez, a genius scientist, and his dim-witted grandson, named Morty. The two travel for adventures in various dimensions and realities. The show combined sci-fi concepts with offbeat humor and became one of the greatest pop culture phenomena, with its 9.2 rank on IMDb and 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. The show was created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon. The former voiced both of the characters and the rest of the family was voiced by Sarah Chalke, Spencer Grammer, and Chris Parnell.