A situational comedy (SitCom) is a television series revolving around mostly the same characters as they find themselves in humorous and entertaining situations. As an avid SitCom watcher, I have compiled a list of SitComs which I have seen in its entirety at least once. Within this list, I have broken down the SitCom’s into categories to make finding the perfect one for oneself easier.
For an easy watch…
I personally interpret an easy-to-follow show as being able to turn on any episode and being able to follow along with most of the plot without missing too many crucial details. If one is searching for a show that is silly and entertaining and easy to follow the shows I would recommend for this category are “The Office,” “Young Sheldon,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Shmidt,” “Schitts Creek,” “Brooklyn 99” and “Grace and Frankie.”
Being easy to follow does not equate to losing much impact in humor and I would highly recommend watching these shows if one likes to multitask. However, if one needs a show that holds their attention the whole time without another distraction I might recommend a different category.
For a funny watch…
When looking for a show that actually can make one laugh out loud I would recommend the following: “Community,” “Arrested Development,” “Modern Family,” “Derry Girls” and “Ted Lasso.” For a more nuanced show with a lot of details and references to old plot lines and jokes, I would highly recommend “Community” and “Arrested Development.”
These shows are my most re-watched and each time I see them I notice more details and inside jokes than before which makes it my favorite to view. In general, though, all of these shows can make one laugh and should be watched immediately.
I would additionally recommend any show by Tim Robinson especially “I Think You Should Leave” and “Detroiters.” Tim Robinson’s jokes while occasionally immature have made me laugh like no other and my family consistently makes references to this show and its jokes.
For the romantic…
If one ever finds themselves wanting to be frustrated with a TV character’s choices in love I would recommend both “Jane the Virgin” and “Gilmore Girls.” Sometimes one finds themselves needing to be (rightfully) angry at a TV character about their choices in men both to feel better about their choices and for the drama of it all. “Gilmore Girls” and “Jane the Virgin” is not as funny of a SitCom and revolve more around relationships than making the viewer laugh.
If one is looking for a different kind of romance and is interested in watching a quirky and eclectic girl find love in a slow-burn romance while getting themselves in silly predicaments along the way then I would recommend “New Girl” and “The Mindy Project.” I would say that the main character in “New Girl,” Jessica Day, occasionally becomes unbearably quirky where it hits a cringe level. However, it is still a good watch and many have seen it which makes it a good talking point in conversation.
Whereas, fewer have seen “The Mindy Project,” it still has a quirky main character and it does not hit the cringey point as she still is presented as a competent and smart character. Additionally, “The Mindy Project” is my favorite SitCom relationship as it takes a long time for the characters to find the right time to be together and when it finally works it makes the show end perfectly.
For nostalgia seekers…
When on the hunt for an “older show” I would recommend “Reba,” “Seinfeld” and “The Golden Girls.” These shows might not be the funniest anymore as a few of the jokes have lost their relevance but I still enjoy watching them for the “homey” vibes. I also think that these shows give a person a leg up in any trivia competitions one might enter as these shows, especially “Seinfeld,” are often trivia questions and/or answers.
For a life changer…
The show I would recommend the most to anyone who asks is easily “The Good Place.” This show makes one laugh, cry and think which is hard to accomplish all in one show. I very purposefully rarely watch this show because once I start it I cannot stop watching it and it makes me think more about life and philosophy to be watching on a random Tuesday night. I love, love, love this show, and if one wants to think about what kind of person one is and the decisions one makes this is the show for them.
