1) The show must have been created during my lifetime -- so All in the Family, I Love Lucy, and the Andy Griffith Show are out.
2) No animated shows.
3) 30 Rock is not funny.
4) Entourage is not funny unless Ari Gold is speaking.
5) Despite my proclaimed love for Saved By the Bell, Full House, Boy Meets World, and Family Matters, I have used objective criteria to determine that those shows are not that funny.
6) I have not yet seen the new Netflix series Orange is the New Black, but I have heard nothing but good things.
20 Best Sitcoms
20. Weeds: Weeds started out strong and things slowly got weirder and weirder. It still makes the list based on the high (no pun intended) comedy of Uncle Andy and Kevin Nealon. (Video below is potentially NSFW).
19. Eastbound and Down: Kenny F'in' Powers. Enough said.
18. New Girl: I went into this show with low expectations because I thought Zooey Deschanel would be annoying, but New Girl has had two solid seasons. Schmidt and Nick usually steal the show.
17. Golden Girls: Classic and still funny. I love that Betty White is still on TV today.
16. Cheers: Started the Thursday night must-see TV on NBC. Doesn't quite hold up as well as some other sitcoms from the 80s and 90s. Outstanding theme song.
15. Happy Endings: ABC really shit the bed in canceling its 2nd funniest sitcom. At its best, Happy Endings could hold its own with just about any show on the list, but I guess the ratings didn't reflect that.
14. Friends: A little too dramatic at times for me, but it had its moments. Bonus points for Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox in their pre-cougar prime.
13. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Back when Will Smith was funny. The Carlton dance and the theme song will never get old.
12. Flight of the Conchords: Very little plot, but hilarious original songs. Would have loved to see a third season on HBO.
11. Parks and Rec: In my opinion, Amy Poehler is the funniest woman on TV.
10. Freaks and Geeks: Only had one season before being inexplicably canceled, but it was a great season.
9. How I Met Your Mother: Bob Saget is a horrible storyteller and a worse parent. This series should have ended after 4 or 5 seasons, but it is still entertaining and, at its best, it was really funny. We should finally and mercifully meet the mother in the upcoming final season.
8. Modern Family: Great ensemble cast. Even the kids (except Lily) are hilarious.
7. The Office: Went way down hill after Steve Carell's departure, but the series finale was a good way to go out.
6. The Cosby Show: There's nothing funnier than Bill Cosby talking to kids.
5. The League: This show is a little bit under the radar, but you should be watching it. The first season was a little bit too much about the fantasy football league, but now the show has a good balance between the premise of the fantasy league and the everyday antics of the main characters.
4. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Always Sunny as been described as Seinfeld on crack, and I think that's a good description. It has been a little watered down the past few seasons, but it's still one of the best comedies of the last decade.
3. Curb Your Enthusiasm: No one gets himself in more awkward situations than Larry David, and hilarity almost always ensues.
2. Arrested Development: I would put the first two seasons of Arrested Development up against any sitcom, including my #1 on this list. Season 3 was still funny, but not quite on the same level. Season 4 on Netflix came about 6 years too late.
1. Seinfeld: The show about nothing is in a league of its own. I relate things in my life to Seinfeld on almost a daily basis. The acting, writing, pop culture references, and comedic timing are second to none. Thank you TBS for four reruns a day.
Which shows did I miss?
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