Best Comedy Series of All Time

Best Comedy Series
200-151 | 150-101 | 100-51 | 50-1

The Big Bang Theory (2007)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#50
Synopsis: Mensa-fied best friends and roommates Leonard and Sheldon, physicists who work at the California Institute of Technology, may be able... [More]
Starring: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg
Directed By: Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, David Goetsch, Steven Molaro

That '70s Show (1998)
Tomatometer icon - -

#49
Synopsis: Set in the mood ring and polyester era of the 1970s, the series is a retro-hip situation comedy about an... [More]
Starring: Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson
Directed By:

Sanford and Son (1972)
Tomatometer icon - -

#48
Synopsis: Junk dealer Fred Sanford runs roughshod over his son and partner, Lamont, in a groundbreaking sitcom. Fred's moneymaking schemes routinely... [More]
Starring: Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, Whitman Mayo, LaWanda Page
Directed By:

Newhart (1982)
Tomatometer icon - -

#47
Synopsis: Dick Loudon and wife Joanna relocate from New York City to a small town in Vermont, where they run the... [More]
Starring: Bob Newhart, Mary Frann, Tom Poston, Julia Duffy
Directed By:

The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961)
Tomatometer icon - -

#46
Synopsis: Considered to be one of television's classics, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" centers on the personal and professional lives Rob... [More]
Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam
Directed By:

Peep Show (2003)
Tomatometer icon 96%

#45
Synopsis: Two dysfunctional friends who met in college share their lives together trying to adjust to the professional world.... [More]
Starring: David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman, Matt King
Directed By: Becky Martin, Andrew O'Connor, Sam Bain, Jesse Armstrong

The Bob Newhart Show (1972)
Tomatometer icon - -

#44
Synopsis: Not to be confused with Newhart's eponymous 1961 variety show, "The Bob Newhart Show" finds the comic playing Bob Hartley,... [More]
Starring: Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, Bill Daily, Peter Bonerz
Directed By:

Coupling (2000)
Tomatometer icon - -

#43
Synopsis: This long-running Britcom views contemporary relationships from the perspectives of several 20-something characters. Steve and Susan first meet in a... [More]
Starring: Jack Davenport, Gina Bellman, Sarah Alexander, Kate Isitt
Directed By: Beryl Vertue, Martin Dennis

Are You Being Served? (1972)
Tomatometer icon - -

#42
Synopsis: This comedy series, which follows the exploits of employees at London's Grace Brothers department store, is full of sexual innuendo,... [More]
Starring: Trevor Bannister, John Inman, Wendy Richard, Mollie Sugden
Directed By: David Croft

Louie (2010)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#41
Synopsis: Life can be hectic for a newly single father and successful stand-up comedian -- just ask Louie, a fictionalized version... [More]
Starring: Louis C.K., Ursula Parker, Hadley Delany
Directed By: Louis C.K.

All in the Family (1971)
Tomatometer icon - -

#40
Synopsis: "All in the Family" is touted as the series that brought reality to prime-time TV entertainment. The lead character, Archie... [More]
Starring: Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers
Directed By: Norman Lear

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#39

The Cosby Show (1984)
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#38
Synopsis: "The Cosby Show" centers on the lives of the Huxtables: obstetrician Cliff and his lawyer wife Claire, their daughters Sondra,... [More]
Starring: Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe
Directed By:

The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
Tomatometer icon - -

#37
Synopsis: Andy Taylor is the widower sheriff of the small, sleepy North Carolina town of Mayberry. Andy and son Opie live... [More]
Starring: Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts, Frances Bavier
Directed By:

The Honeymooners: Lost Episodes (1955)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#36
Synopsis: Ralph Kramden is a perpetually flustered but eternally optimistic New York City bus driver living with his wife, Alice, in... [More]
Starring: Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows, Art Carney, Joyce Randolph
Directed By:

How I Met Your Mother (2005)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#35
Synopsis: Ted has fallen in love. It all started when his best friend, Marshall, drops the bombshell that he plans to... [More]
Starring: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris
Directed By: Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, Pamela Fryman, Stephen Lloyd

Modern Family (2009)
Tomatometer icon 85%

#34
Synopsis: Told from the perspective of an unseen documentary filmmaker, the series offers an honest, often-hilarious perspective of family life. Parents... [More]
Starring: Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Sofía Vergara
Directed By: Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Danny Zuker, Paul Corrigan

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005)
Tomatometer icon 94%

#33
Synopsis: Depraved underachieving might look easy, but for the egocentric Mac, Charlie, Dennis, Frank and Dee, it's an art form. "It's... [More]
Starring: Danny DeVito, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Rob McElhenney
Directed By: David Hornsby, Tom Lofaro, Michael Rotenberg, Megan Ganz

Absolutely Fabulous (1994)
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#32
Synopsis: A show brilliant in its uncensored bad behavior and satirical humor, this series features Edina and Patsy, two hard-drinking, drug-taking,... [More]
Starring: Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha
Directed By: Jon Plowman

The Mighty Boosh (2004)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#31
Synopsis: Surreal comedy set in a zoo.... [More]
Starring: Noel Fielding, Julian Barratt, Michael Fielding, Rich Fulcher
Directed By: Paul King, Henry Normal, Steve Coogan

Scrubs (2001)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#30
Synopsis: A new group of medical students arrives to learn the ropes at Sacred Heart Hospital, where J.D., Turk, Kelso, and... [More]
Starring: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, John C. McGinley, Ken Jenkins
Directed By: Bill Lawrence

It's Garry Shandling's Show (1986)
Tomatometer icon - -

#29
Synopsis: A comic makes direct comments to the camera as he deals with the outside world.... [More]
Starring: Garry Shandling, Molly Cheek, Michael Tucci, Scott Nemes
Directed By:

Community (2009)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#28
Synopsis: When fast-talking lawyer Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) finds his degree has been revoked, he is forced to go back to... [More]
Starring: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie
Directed By: Russ Krasnoff, Dan Harmon, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo

Yes, Minister (1980)
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#27
Synopsis: Comedy series about an apparently clueless British government minister and advisers surrounding him.... [More]
Starring: Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds
Directed By: Stuart Allen

The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)
Tomatometer icon - -

#26
Synopsis: Mary Richards is a thirty-something single woman who settles in Minneapolis after breaking up with a boyfriend. She lands a... [More]
Starring: Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight
Directed By: James L. Brooks, Allan Burns

Roseanne (1988)
Tomatometer icon 76%

#25
Synopsis: Explore life, death and everything in between through the relatable, hilarious and brutally honest lens of the working-class Conner household,... [More]
Starring: Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Alicia Goranson
Directed By: Roseanne Barr, Sara Gilbert, Tom Werner, Bruce Helford

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#24
Synopsis: It's the late 1950s and Miriam "Midge" Maisel has everything she has ever wanted -- the perfect husband, two kids... [More]
Starring: Rachel Brosnahan, Michael Zegen, Alex Borstein, Tony Shalhoub
Directed By: Daniel Palladino, Amy Sherman-Palladino

Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#23
Synopsis: "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David plays a version of himself on the improvised series. He faces a constant barrage of life's... [More]
Starring: Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman
Directed By: Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Jeff Schaffer

The Good Place (2016)
Tomatometer icon 97%

#22
Synopsis: When Eleanor Shellstrop finds herself in the afterlife, she's both relieved and surprised that she's made it into the Good... [More]
Starring: Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil
Directed By: David Miner

The Larry Sanders Show (1992)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#21
Synopsis: Hey now! This series offers a behind-the-scenes look at late-night talk show host Larry Sanders (Garry Shandling) and the production... [More]
Starring: Garry Shandling, Jeffrey Tambor, Rip Torn, Janeane Garofalo
Directed By: Ken Kwapis, Garry Shandling, Brad Grey

Silicon Valley (2014)
Tomatometer icon 94%

#20
Synopsis: Partially inspired by co-creator Mike Judge's experiences as a Silicon Valley engineer in the 1980s, this comedy series follows the... [More]
Starring: Thomas Middleditch, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr
Directed By: Mike Judge, John Altschuler, Alec Berg, Dave Krinsky

Arrested Development (2003)
Tomatometer icon 75%

#19
Synopsis: Michael Bluth finds himself forced to stay in Orange County and run the family real estate business after his father,... [More]
Starring: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera
Directed By: Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, David Nevins, Mitchell Hurwitz

Atlanta (2016)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#18
Synopsis: Two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene to better their lives and the lives of their families. Earn Marks... [More]
Starring: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz
Directed By: Dianne McGunigle, Donald Glover, Paul Simms, Hiro Murai

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015)
Tomatometer icon 96%

#17
Synopsis: Rescued after 15 years in a cult, Kimmy Schmidt decides to reclaim her life by venturing to New York, where... [More]
Starring: Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski, Carol Kane
Directed By: Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Jeff Richmond, David Miner

Fawlty Towers (1975)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#16
Synopsis: Basil Fawlty is an inept and slightly out-of-his-head English hotel manager, who is tortured by "that annoying section of the... [More]
Starring: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Connie Booth, Andrew Sachs
Directed By: John Davies, Bob Spiers

Frasier (1993)
Tomatometer icon 95%

#15
Synopsis: Dr. Frasier Crane, a successful Boston therapist, moves to Seattle to get a new start on life; he has a... [More]
Starring: Kelsey Grammer, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves, David Hyde Pierce
Directed By: David Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee, Mark Reisman

South Park (1997)
Tomatometer icon 80%

#14
Synopsis: The animated series is not for children. In fact, its goal seems to be to offend as many as possible... [More]
Starring: Trey Parker, Matt Stone
Directed By: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Anne Garefino, Trey Parker

'Allo 'Allo! (1982)
Tomatometer icon - -

#13
Synopsis: A French cafe owner tries to ride out World War II. Caught between the Gestapo and the Resistance and forced... [More]
Starring: Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Rose Hill, Vicki Michelle
Directed By: David Croft, Martin Dennis, John B. Hobbs, Richard Boden

Parks and Recreation (2009)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#12
Synopsis: Leslie Knope, a midlevel bureaucrat in an Indiana Parks and Recreation Department, hopes to beautify her town (and boost her... [More]
Starring: Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza
Directed By: Greg Daniels, Mike Schur, Howard Klein, David Miner

30 Rock (2006)
Tomatometer icon 78%

#11
Synopsis: Based more-than-loosely on backstage shenanigans at "Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock" centers on young Liz Lemon, currently head writer for... [More]
Starring: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski
Directed By: Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels, Jo Ann Alfano, David Miner

Veep (2012)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#10
Synopsis: "Politics is about people," former Sen. Selina Meyer is fond of saying. Unfortunately, the people Meyer, a charismatic leader and... [More]
Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott
Directed By: Armando Iannucci, Christopher Godsick, Frank Rich

The Office (2002)
Tomatometer icon 97%

#9
Synopsis: Insufferable middle-management type David Brent is the center of this mockumentary-style comedy set at a nondescript paper company in a... [More]
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis, Martin Freeman
Directed By: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Anil Gupta, Jon Plowman

Friends (1994)
Tomatometer icon 78%

#8
Synopsis: Three young men and three young women -- of the BFF kind -- live in the same apartment complex and... [More]
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc
Directed By: Kevin Bright, David Crane, Greg Malins, Wil Calhoun

Taxi (1978)
Tomatometer icon - -

#7
Synopsis: This Emmy-winning sitcom follows the lives of a group of cabbies in New York. The employees of the Sunshine Cab... [More]
Starring: Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner
Directed By: James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, Ed. Weinberger

The Office (2005)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#6
Synopsis: This U.S. adaptation -- set at a paper company based in Scranton, Pa. -- has a similar documentary style to... [More]
Starring: Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer
Directed By: Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant

M*A*S*H (1972)
Tomatometer icon - -

#5
Synopsis: Members of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital care for the injured during the Korean War and use humor to... [More]
Starring: Alan Alda, McLean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers, Mike Farrell
Directed By: Larry Gelbart, Charles S. Dubin

Cheers (1982)
Tomatometer icon 87%

#4
Synopsis: Laid-back Sam Malone, a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, owns and runs Cheers, a cozy bar in... [More]
Starring: Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, Shelley Long
Directed By: James Burrows, Glen Charles, Les Charles

The Simpsons (1989)
Tomatometer icon 85%

#3
Synopsis: This long-running animated comedy focuses on the eponymous family in the town of Springfield in an unnamed U.S. state. The... [More]
Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Directed By: James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman

I Love Lucy (1951)
Tomatometer icon - -

#2
Synopsis: Lucy Ricardo is the wacky wife of Cuban bandleader Ricky Ricardo. Living in New York, Ricky tries to succeed in... [More]
Starring: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley
Directed By:

Seinfeld (1989)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#1
Synopsis: Four single friends -- comic Jerry Seinfeld, bungling George Costanza, frustrated working gal Elaine Benes and eccentric neighbor Cosmo Kramer... [More]
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards
Directed By: Larry David, George Shapiro, Howard West, Andy Ackerman

Best Comedy Series
200-151 | 150-101 | 100-51 | 50-1

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