7 Best Sitcoms by Decade, According to Reddit

Sitcoms have become an important part of pop culture, shaping the current television landscape and documenting the main trends of the era when they are produced.

While it may be hard to name the best sitcom of one particular decade, fans over on Reddit tried to approach the question objectively and find the best comedy shows from the 1950s through to 2010s. Here are their picks.

7. 1950s — I Love Lucy (1951, 6 seasons)

This series is about a restless housewife who, along with her landlords and best friends, constantly makes plans to perform at her husband's nightclub. I Love Lucy was the first show to feature an ensemble cast and one of the earliest sitcoms, so it had a great influence on the genre and television as a whole.

6. 1960s — The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961, 5 seasons)

The classic sitcom follows a fictional sketch show writer as he navigates his career and daily life with his wife, a former dancer pursuing a bohemian lifestyle, and their young son. It's still considered one of the best sitcoms ever made.

5. 1970s — Good Times (1974, 6 seasons)

Although less well known than its predecessors, All in the Family and Maude, this spin-off has become incredibly important in the history of PoC representation. The show focuses on the everyday life of a poor black family living in Chicago. It is one of the first shows to feature an all-black cast.

4. 1980s — Roseanne (1988, 10 seasons)

The show follows the lives of the working-class Conner family, Roseanne and Dan, as well as their children, relatives, and friends. The sitcom caused quite a stir when it aired, raising acute social issues about abusive relationships and domestic violence.

3. 1990s — Seinfeld (1989, 9 seasons)

We could put Friends in this spot, but neither Friends nor any other sitcom of the late 1990s and early 2000s would have existed without Seinfeld. It was this series about a neurotic stand-up comic and his equally neurotic friends that influenced classic ensemble sitcoms.

2. 2000s — The Office (2005, 9 seasons)

The Office has become a major pop culture phenomenon, both for its depiction of typical middle-class working life and for its play on classic film and TV tropes. And, of course, the employees of Dunder Mifflin are just plain hilarious!

1. 2010s — Community (2009, 6 seasons and a movie)

Dan Harmon's comedy about the hapless students of Greendale Community College is remembered for its meta-humor and constant references to pop culture, and many fans agree that this show truly defined its era.

Source: Reddit.