Sitcoms have traditionally had a reputation as one of the lower art forms: canned laughter and stock scenarios full of goofy characters who have only a modest resemblance to real people. While there’s some truth there, the best shows in the genre have always bent the rules in interesting ways. Netflix doesn’t have the biggest library of classic sitcoms, focusing instead on a curated (and expensive, in the case of a show like Seinfeld) selection of sitcoms of yore, a few more modern pick-ups, and some truly beloved (not to mention critically acclaimed) shows that it’s commissioned and produced for itself.
Arrested Development (2003—2019)
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Granted, the show’s Netflix-era revival seasons don’t connect in nearly the same way as those from the show’s early run—but the early aughts’ run is top-tier comedy, full of brilliant running gags, awkward characters, and endlessly meme-able moments. Whether it’s Tobias with his Blue Man Group obsession or never-nude inclinations; the banana stand in which there’s always money; or the brilliantly horrible Lucille Bluth (“It’s one banana, Michael. What could it cost? 10 dollars?”), the endlessly inventive show was ahead of its time and has influenced every cringe comedy since. Plus: It features Jessica Walter, who elevated everything she ever touched.
Seinfeld (1989—1998)
Seinfeld’s arrival on Netflix a couple of years ago generated a lot more pop culture buzz than you’d expect for a 30-year-old network sitcom about nothing (the streamer paid around half a billion dollars for the streaming rights). It’s nothing new now, but the innovation here was in having a core quartet of uniformly terrible people—and making us love them. If other sitcoms are often about the friends you wanted to have and the people you wanted to be, Seinfeld has always felt like a show about the much funnier people who we’re afraid we might be. Here are 10 episodes to get you started.
The Parkers (1999—2004)
Spinning off from the more teen-centered Moesha, The Parkers brings the ditzy Kim (Countess Vaughn) over from that series and drops her into college—where she’s joined by her mom (future Oscar-winner Mo’Nique). Nikki Parker had dropped out of college two decades earlier when she became pregnant with Kim, and figures that now is as good a time as any to go back. The show is deliberately goofy (just another way of saying “fun”), full of over-the-top characters and wild situations, but the strong and believable mother-daughter relationship at the show’s core grounds it throughout its five seasons.
Kath & Kim (2002—2007)
This Australian import might not be as familiar to American audiences as some others on this list, but the show was not only an all-time top hit down under, it’s a global sensation that’s spawned a couple of spin-off movies, a short-lived American version, and, just recently, a 20th anniversary reunion special (all of that, minus the U.S. run, are streaming on Netflix). Starring creators Jane Turner and Gina Riley, the show follows the day-to-day lives of the title mother and adult daughter, whose affection for each other doesn’t preclude frequent screaming matches. The style is a bit Absolutely Fabulous, but in a working-class setting. So think of it as AbFab meets classic Roseanne: loud, funny, and occasionally heartwarming.
Kenan & Kel (1996—2000)
One of the classic teen sitcoms from Nickelodeon’s 90s golden age, Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell play Kenan and Kel, a pair of high school-aged best friends whose lives are constantly complicated by Kenan’s wild schemes (climbing to the top of the Sears Tower; prolonging a bank robbery in order to avoid getting caught ditching school; finding a double for a dead parrot). It’s silly, all-ages fun that buoyed by the talented cast ported over from Nick’s sketch comedy show, All That.
Community (2009—2015)
Dan Harmon’s influential series didn’t do huge numbers during its initial run on NBC, but has had an impressive afterlife. Led by Joel McHale, with the noteworthy presence of Chevy Chase in the earlier seasons, pretty much everyone in the show’s cast (including Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Alison Brie, and Ken Jeong) has become a star. Canceled after six seasons, the show’s getting a movie wrap-up—though that will air on Peacock when it finally comes out.
Girlfriends (2000—2008)
Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish) leads the comedy about the lives of four women from different backgrounds living in Los Angeles, blending slice-of-single-life comedy with some cutting social satire. It’s funny and smart, and deserves a lot more recognition given its impressive eight seasons. The show ended on a bit of a cliffhanger—but it’s done well for Netflix, and now there’s talk of a revival. Start watching now, and there might be a new season by the time you’re done with the eight that are already out there. Long-running spin-off The Game is also on Netflix, kinda, but only the first three seasons (it changed networks partway through its run).
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015—2019)
Inexplicably underrated, the sitcom Crazy Ex-Girlfriend staged wildly ambitious, and consistently hilarious, musical numbers throughout its four season run. The show stars Rachel Bloom as Rebecca Bunch, a a Yale- and Harvard-educated lawyer who works for a major NYC firm, and who throws it all away to chase a crush from her teenage years to a small town in California. Most impressively, the show dives into real-life issues around mental illness and treatment with humor, but also genuine compassion and frankness, doing a way better job than most other shows.
The Good Place (2016—2020)
Another show with big ambitions, this high-concept fantasy comedy finds Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) sent to the heaven-like “Good Place” following her death—a paradise run by Ted Danson’s Michael. The twist? There’s been a mistake: Eleanor was a pretty awful person. I say “the twist,” but the show’s full of them, with reveals that frequently upend the core premise. It’s one of the best sitcoms of recent years, with colorful and clever production design, an exceptionally game cast, and a genuine interest in examining what it actually means to be a good person in an increasingly complicated world.
Ugly Betty (2006—2010)
Columbian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea was so popular during and after its initial run that it spawned not only translated versions, but remakes in India, the Philippines, Brazil, and Greece (among others: I watched the Mexican version, mostly, and mi español no es bueno). In the American take, America Ferrera stars as the demonstrably un-stylish (and slightly naive) Betty Suarez, who takes a job at a top fashion magazine and finds herself in the middle of four seasons’ worth of romantic and career complications. Like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, episodes of Ugly Betty run beyond the typical 22-25 minutes that used to be an unofficial cut-off for something being considered a “sitcom.” But who really cares?
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015—2019)
One of Netflix’s earliest originals (it was originally conceived for NBC), Unbreakable Jimmy Schmidt made clear that streamers were going to be more than capable of putting out shows at least as good as anything on network. Created by the 30 Rock team of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, this one follows Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) as she moves to New York City to restart her life following her rescue from a doomsday cult. She’s joined by a stellar supporting cast that includes Carol Kane, Tituss Burgess, and Jane Krakowski. The show racked up 20 Emmy nominations, and spawned a fun, choose-your-own-adventure style follow-up film, Kimmy vs the Reverend, also on Netflix.
One Day at a Time (2017—2020)
This comedy, inspired by Norman Lear’s beloved 1975 sitcom of the same name, quickly became one of the streamer’s most critically acclaimed shows, telling the story of a Latinx family lead by Justina Machado as Lupe Alvarez, an Army Nurse Corps veteran struggling with her return to civilian life and single motherhood (she’s joined by Rita Moreno as her delightfully plainspoken mother). Aside from that solid Latinx representation, the funny and big-hearted show spotlighted Justina’s lesbian daughter, Elena, and her non-binary love interest, Syd. Because the show changed networks, Netflix only has the show’s first three seasons, but it’s still worth a watch.
Kim’s Convenience (2016—2021)
Another foreign import, this time from Canada. The Kims are a Korean Canadian family running the title convenience store in Toronto. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Jean Yoon lead the cast as the traditionally minded parents, with a pre-Marvel Simu Liu as son Jung. The show walks a deft line, bitingly dealing with issues facing immigrant families, but rarely or never at the expense of the laughs.
Derry Girls (2018—2022)
A legitimate, and charming, sitcom that just happens to be set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles of the 1990s, when clashes between nationalists and unionists frequently resulted in violence. It’s a fascinating contrast, brought to life by a writer and creator (Lisa McGee) who lived it. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny—though doesn’t make any allowances for audiences unaccustomed to Irish accents, so don’t feel bad if you need subtitles until you get the hang of it. The show ended after three seasons, but comes to a satisfying conclusion.
Alexa & Katie (2018—2020)
The ‘90s/’00s heyday of Nickelodeon and Disney teen-driven sitcoms is mostly behind us, though there are some notable exceptions. Alexa & Katie stars Paris Berelc and Isabel May as the title’s best friends and, while there’s some drama in the background given the ongoing cancer treatments that complicate Alexa’s athletic ambitions, the show is otherwise a refreshingly old-fashioned multi-camera sitcom about a couple of mutually supportive friends going through high school. The show serves as a great reminder that shows pitched at teens can be smart and funny.
Gentefied (2020—2021)
Gentefied follows three Mexican-American cousins who have built lives in Los Angeles, only to be faced with a new challenge: the looming gentrification of the neighborhood they helped to build. This bilingual series has a lot of heart, and, though cut short after two seasons, it gets better as it goes.
Fuller House (2016—2020)
Fuller House didn’t win many (or any, really) of the major awards during its five-season run‚but it did pick up Teen Choice, People’s Choice, and Kids’ Choice Awards for favorite comedy show so, ultimately, who cares what the critics think? This revival series is comfort food par excellence, with no bigger ambition than to satisfy nostalgic fans of the original and earn some smiles from their kids. Whatever happened to predictability?
Grace and Frankie (2015—022)
The names “Jane Fonda” and “Lily Tomlin” are probably going to be sufficient when selling anyone on Grace and Frankie, and those names also clearly have something to do with its success and longevity (seven seasons is a good run for any show, but is almost unheard of in the streaming world). The title characters, one a retired cosmetic executive and the other a hippie artist, begin the series as anything other than friends—a relationship status that they have to overcome when their husbands run off together. After a slightly rocky first season, the show quickly evolved into something special.