'Sorry, Friends fans.' The 10 best TV sitcoms of all time, ranked.

There's something special about TV sitcoms.

Putting on an episode of your favourite sitcom is like a warm hug, or a catch-up with old friends. Even when those friends are actually... really terrible human beings (looking at you, Michael Scott).

They're short, sweet and funny; the perfect comfort watch even if you've seen them a million times.

So yes. Long story short, ya gal loves a sitcom. And I have opinions about them.

See, when the Friends reunion aired, I expressed online that I thought Friends was a bit... overrated. And the people came for me. Friends (as in, my actual friends, not Chandler Bing) were reconsidering our relationships. My own brother asked if I was okay. Someone else asked if I was a psychopath. Jury is out on that one, but I'd clearly hit a nerve.

Image: Giphy. 

I'm sorry, Friends fans, but it's just fine to me. Definitely not bad, but not the show I'll reach for in times of need and/or something to mindlessly half-watch while scrolling my phone.

Which brings me here. To my very controversial top 10 sitcoms, ever.

I also promise there will be no mention of The Big Bang Theory. This is a Big Bang safe space.

So go on, scroll, get mad at me, etc. etc. 

I can take it.

10. Friends.

Like I said, Friends is fine to me. I'll watch it if it happens to be on, but I won't actively seek it out. Also, is Ross the most annoying sitcom character ever? Discuss.

Image: Giphy. 

But hey, I can't deny the cultural impact the show has had and the joy it brings to millions of people. That's nice.

It's still one of the biggest watches on streaming, and it ended before we even knew what that meant.

So consider this a win, Friends fans. It's on my list. How I Met Your Mother and Scrubs fans don't even have that.

You definitely already know this, but Friends is streaming on Netflix and Binge.

9. Schitt's Creek.

Schitt's Creek at #9 is probably going to get you mad too, isn't it? I'm sorry. I truly do love it, and it has rightly earned its spot as one of the best loved sitcoms of all time. It just... ended not that long ago, you know? It hasn't been long enough to warrant a complete re-watch yet.

Following the formally wealthy Rose family, Schitt's Creek is about all the trials and tribulations as they try to find their feet while... poor. 

Image: Giphy. 

You will have heard the ranting and raving of dedicated fans and seen the amount of awards it took home at 2020's Emmys. It's worthy of all that, and more.

Catch it on Netflix.

8. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

A cultural phenomenon, and for good reason. 

I grew up watching reruns of the Fresh Prince on TV, and I'll still happily sit down and hang out with Will Smith and the Banks family whenever I can.

I'm sure you already know, because the opening sequence explains it all damn well perfectly, but it follows Will Smith as a fictionalised version of himself who is sent to move in with his wealthy uncle and aunt in their Bel-Air mansion after getting into a fight in his West Philadelphia neighbourhood.

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It's sincere and heartfelt, but also silly and over-the-top. Oh, and the dancing. The dancing is everything.

All six seasons are streaming on Stan.

7. Kath & Kim.

Do international audiences understand the cultural impact of Kath & Kim? Probably not. 

Watch: Obviously Kath makes our list of our fave TV parents. Post continues below video.

Image: Giphy. 

We all know a Kath. Or a Kim. Or a Sharon. And we definitely all know a Trude or Prue.

(Does the fact that I'm a New Zealander who chose to list this over the pride of my nation, Flight of the Conchords, give Kath & Kim double points?)

Run don't walk, because all four seasons are on Netflix.

6. Parks and Recreation.

Parks and Recreation stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks Department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana, on a quest to make her town a better place.

Image: Giphy. 

It's wild that the first season of Parks and Rec was pretty universally panned, with many saying it was too similar to The Office. Was Leslie Knope basically a female Michael Scott? I mean, yes, but still.

Then the second season came out, and it was considered one of the greatest TV comebacks of all time. And it only got better from there.

It's actually streamable almost everywhere: Stan, Netflix, Binge and Prime Video.

5. Veep.

By now, I hope it's clear that Julia Louis-Dreyfus is one of my favourite humans.

Veep is a political comedy following former senator turned vice president turned - spoiler alert - President of the United States, Selina Meyer. Meyer is a terrible person - made even worse by the fact that her terribleness happens behind closed doors, while projecting a caring, righteous person to the public. Classic politician.

Image: Giphy. 

Veep traversed American politics during the Obama years, and into the transition into Trump. It was a time when real life seemed like satire, and the show adapted. It got darker. And meaner. And borrowed an election collusion storyline so ridiculous it could only come from... real life. Oh.

Veep is nasty and sweary and inappropriate, and that's why I love it.

It's available on Binge.

4. The Good Place.

The Good Place is a modern entry, but we consumed it as we did older sitcoms: weekly, over the course of years. And I loved that. 

Set in the afterlife, it follows Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman welcomed after her death to "the Good Place", run by afterlife "architect" Michael as a reward for her righteous life. However, Eleanor was... not a great person. And she's there by mistake. What follows is a journey to becoming a better person, with the help of pals Chidi, Tahani and Jason.

Image: Giphy. 

The end of the first season brings about one of the best twists ever and D'Arcy Carden as artificial being Janet in all her forms is one of TV's great performances. 

If you haven't already jumped on the train to The Good Place, hoy boy, you're in for a treat. It is available to watch on Netflix.

3. Modern Family.

I don't think any show brings me complete, unbridled joy like Modern Family. 

Following the ridiculous, intertwined lives of three families in suburban Los Angeles, who all happen to be related, Modern Family is presented in a mockumentary style, with all the characters speaking to camera in confessionals.

And Manny is a treasure. Image: Giphy. 

It's pure wholesome goodness. And sh*t, it's funny. I've cry-laughed so many times.

The first 10 of 11 seasons are now streaming on Binge.

2. Seinfeld.

Seinfeld is perhaps the most influential sitcom ever. It's a show about nothing, but also... everything.

The show follows the lives of Jerry, based on a fictionalised version of Jerry Seinfeld, and his mates George Costanza, Elaine Benes and Kramer (plus occasionally his nemesis Newman).

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I find myself thinking of it almost daily, because Jerry and pals have somehow made absolutely everything that happens in day-to-day life funny. 

Forgotten where you parked your car? Same. Double-dipped a chip? Hope no one saw that. Made a bet with your mates that sees you fantasising over a member of the Kennedy family? Okay, well, not quite, but... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

I also once wrote an ode to Elaine, who is a goddamn icon.

Seinfeld streams on Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Binge.

1. The Office (US).

The Office is sitcom perfection.

Mundane situation turned hilarious? Check. Over the top, unbelievable characters? Yes. A love story for the ages? Jim and Pam forever.

Image: Giphy. 

So many parts of it are excruciating viewing, because it's cringe and too real. But The Office is one of the most popular shows on any streaming service, with its enduring popularity down to how relatable it is. And because Michael Scott is the best worst character we know. 

Also, sorry to Ricky Gervais. The UK version is also great, but The Office is one of the only examples I can think of where America took a British show and made it... better.

The Office streams on Stan and Binge.

I would like to offer honourable mentions to Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, the sitcom of my childhood, New Girl, 30 Rock, Malcolm in the Middle and 3rd Rock From The Sun. One of you would've made the list if it wasn't for those meddling Friends fans.

Image: Giphy. 

Aaaand I'm done.

*ducks and covers*

Read more: 'Sorry Grey's Anatomy fans': The 7 best medical TV dramas of all time, ranked.

Feature image: NBC/HBO.

This article was originally published in June 2021 and has since been updated.