The classic television sitcom is, sadly, a relic of a different time. Today’s sitcoms forgo many of the old school tropes from television’s past, such as live studio audiences and special episodes.
That doesn’t mean that classic sitcoms can’t exist today. In fact, if anything, it makes the good ones stand out. Like many children of the 1990s, I grew up on Nick at Nite, experiencing the best classic sitcoms from the past.
So with that in mind, let’s see how many still hold up today.
As a disclaimer, we’re only including sitcoms that began airing before 2000.
Seinfeld
The show about nothing is one of the most innovative and influential sitcoms of all time.
Yes, we know about every rule the show broke, but what makes Seinfeld hold up so well today is how relatable the show remains.
It’s incredible cast certainly helps, too.
Frasier
Regarded as one of the smartest shows on television, the clever writing is perfectly balanced by the characters.
Yes, these are all intelligent characters, but the show never flaunts this. Instead, it focused on developing personable, human, and relatable characters that we fall in love with.
Cheers
Before Frasier Crane went to Seattle, he was a regular at Cheers.
It feels cliche to say that Cheers’ strength was its comforting nature, but that’s the truth. You weren’t just watching people act on television; you were welcomed at the local bar as a regular.
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MASH
I feel like a broken record, but one of MASH‘s strengths is its characters. They’re relatable and the reason viewers keep coming back.
One key difference here, though, is the setting. This isn’t a local bar or rainy Seattle. It’s the Korean War, and that backdrop works as an excellent juxtaposition with the show’s writing.
All in the Family
If you want to be a successful sitcom, you’re going to have to poke fun at yourself.
That’s exactly what led to All in the Family‘s success. Yes, it deals with some complex issues for its time, but it doesn’t come off as preachy. Instead, it deals with serious matters while providing ample room to laugh once or twice.
Or through the entire episode.
Taxi
Few television sitcoms, modern or classic, rival Taxi‘s cast.
Danny DeVito is undoubtedly the star here, as Louie is, but he’s not alone. Christopher Lloyd, Andy Kaufman, Judd Hirsch, Tony Danza, and Marilu Henner all left their mark on this incredible sitcom.
King of the Hill
The only animated sitcom on our list, King of the Hill has aged better than a vintage wine.
Mike Judge’s sitcom does an excellent job of tackling how the conservative, old fashioned family patriarch Hank Hill has to adjust to how things are changing around him.
I cannot wait for the revival to air on Hulu this year.
I Love Lucy
No comedian, man or woman, is capable of demonstrating peak physical comedy like Lucille Ball.
Everyone remembers the chocolate factory, but in reality, that was one of many iconic scenes carried by Ball’s performance.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
I Love Lucy was one of my favorite Nick at Nite shows growing up. My mother, on the other hand, preferred The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Seeing Mary Tyler Moore as a strong, independent female lead helped pave the way for future shows. It proved that with intelligent writing and a great cast to play off of, women are more than capable of being the star.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The biggest example of how well Fresh Prince holds up is that Gen Z understands its references.
Everyone can sing the theme song, do The Carleton, and know that Uncle Phil is the man.
It’s more serious themes and “special episodes” also hold up extremely well today.
Married…With Children
Yes, Married…With Children is a “classic” sitcom, even if it pushed a lot of boundaries and ruffled some feathers with its subject matter.
The Bundy Family has more in common with what you’d see on air today than with what you’d see in the late 1980s and 1990s. That’s what makes it so good, though. It takes the classic sitcom formula and ushers in a new era of jokes and writing that is more than just crude jokes: it’s fantastic satire on suburban life.
Plus, you gotta give Al Bundy props for scoring four touchdowns in the 1966 city championship.
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