The Best Sitcom On Network TV Returns In 2 Weeks
Liz Hersey is an Editor and Critic for ScreenRant's TV team, editing, reviewing, writing, and creating content about the iconic shows you love to watch. She began her editing career at ScreenRant in 2019, shortly after joining the site as a Writer that same year.
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It's a tough time for network shows right now, but one long-running sitcom proves that broadcast TV isn't dead yet, and it returns for its sixth season in two weeks. Comedy series as a whole are doing just fine, with Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (CBS), Happy's Place (NBC), and Shifting Gears (ABC) all going into their third seasons as part of the 2026- 2027 TV lineup. However, as popular as these shows are, they're hardly what you would call influential sitcoms the way classics like Friends or Seinfeld were when they were on the air.
That's what makes ABC's Abbott Elementary such a welcome outlier. Sure, the teachers at Willard R. Abbott Elementary School are hardly household names like Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe, but Quinta Brunson's mockumentary sitcom about an underfunded Philadelphia public school is one of the rare network TV shows still acclaimed and culturally relevant enough to be nominated for major awards like the Primetime Emmys.
The ABC sitcom will premiere its sixth season on October 7, 2026. The new season will see Abbott Elementary achieve a major milestone with its 100th episode, a massive feat in this current era of short-running, short-seasoned TV series. With how excellent the show is, this is the opposite of Abbott Elementary overstaying its welcome.
Image courtesy of MovieStillsDb
At some point in the 21st century, something happened to comedy TV series: as television was becoming an increasingly more respected medium, comedy shows stopped being, well, funny. Sure, there was humor to be had in series that won prestigious comedy TV awards, but viewers of Fleabag, Ted Lasso, and The Bear are more likely to shed a tear than they are to laugh out loud.
There's been some recent backlash to these undeniable dramedy series swooping in and cleaning up at awards ceremonies, and even the 2026 Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series contained several shows with heavy subject matter (The Bear, Hacks, Shrinking) or were genre hybrids (Only Murders in the Building and the winner, Widow's Bay). Abbott Elementary was the only true sitcom of the lot, and though it's been an "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" nominee in this category every season it's been on air, there's a growing, vocal contingent of critics imploring voters to give the series its due.
Quinta Brunson vehemently rejects the "prestige TV" label regarding her show, telling UpRoxx that Abbott Elementary is "TV for everybody". She's not wrong. Abbott Elementary is a family-friendly sitcom that's irreverent without ever punching down, and heartfelt without ever being twee. It revives the classic mockumentary show format popularized by 2000s sitcoms like The Office and Parks and Rec, and makes it wholly original and modern. In terms of quality, Abbott Elementary is the series that all other sitcoms should aspire to be.
After Six Seasons, Abbott Elementary Is Still In Its Prime
These days, it's almost unheard of for a TV show to reach its sixth season, but even when this was more commonplace, season 6s often came with a quality dip. Sticking around this long usually meant growing stale or jumping the shark in an attempt to stay relevant.
However, Abbott Elementary remains fresh by keeping its subject matter and comedy style consistent while allowing its characters to develop organically. Janine, Greg, Ava, and co. are never the same people at the end of a season as they were at the beginning, yet their growth never comes at the expense of the show's humor.
Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience
American Sitcom
Trivia Challenge
☕FriendsI’ll be there for you
💼The
OfficeThat’s what she said
🥣SeinfeldNo soup for you!
🏠Modern
FamilyWe’re a family
🎥ClassicsGolden era
01
For ten seasons, six friends gathered at a Manhattan coffee shop with a famously orange couch. The group — Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe — made this spot their second living room. What is the name of this iconic café?
✓ Correct! Central Perk is the coffee shop where the Friends gang spent most of their free time. With its iconic orange couch and Gunther behind the counter pining for Rachel, it became one of the most recognizable fictional locations in TV history.
✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Central Perk. MacLaren’s Pub is from How I Met Your Mother, Monk’s Café is from Seinfeld, and The Coffee Bean is a real chain. Central Perk is where Phoebe played “Smelly Cat” and six friends became family.
02
The American version of The Office follows the employees of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch, led by their well-meaning but painfully awkward regional manager. Which actor played the beloved Michael Scott?
✓ Correct! Steve Carell turned Michael Scott into one of the most iconic sitcom characters ever. His mix of cringe-worthy humor and surprising heart anchored The Office for seven seasons. “That’s what she said” became an inescapable pop culture catchphrase.
✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Steve Carell. Rainn Wilson played Dwight Schrute, Ed Helms was Andy Bernard, and Ricky Gervais created the original British version and played David Brent. Carell’s Michael Scott is the heart and soul of the American Office.
03
Often called “the show about nothing,” this groundbreaking 1990s sitcom followed a fictionalized version of a stand-up comedian and his three friends in New York City as they obsessed over life’s minor annoyances. Which show is it?
✓ Correct! Seinfeld (1989–1998), created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, revolutionized the sitcom with its observational humor about everyday life. From “The Contest” to “No soup for you!”, it produced some of the most quoted moments in TV history.
✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Seinfeld. Frasier was a Cheers spin-off, Everybody Loves Raymond focused on family dynamics, and Curb Your Enthusiasm is Larry David’s later show (which is essentially a spiritual sequel). Seinfeld is the original “show about nothing.”
04
In this CBS sitcom, a father in the year 2030 tells his children the winding, years-long story of how he met their mother. Along the way, audiences meet Barney Stinson, whose catchphrase “Legen — wait for it — dary!” became iconic. Which show is this?
✓ Correct! How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014) starred Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby and Neil Patrick Harris as the suit-obsessed Barney Stinson. The show’s creative framing device and running gags made it a 2000s staple — though its controversial finale still divides fans.
✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is How I Met Your Mother. New Girl featured Jess and the loft gang, Happy Endings was a short-lived cult favorite, and The Big Bang Theory focused on Pasadena physicists. Only HIMYM gave us Barney’s Playbook and the blue French horn.
05
Modern Family ran for 11 seasons on ABC, following three interconnected families. One fan-favorite character is a goofy, magic-loving real estate agent married to Claire Pritchett, played by Ty Burrell. What is this character’s name?
✓ Correct! Phil Dunphy, the self-proclaimed “cool dad,” is Modern Family’s lovable goofball. Ty Burrell won two Emmy Awards for the role. Phil’s terrible magic tricks, his book of “Phil’s-osophy” wisdom, and his devotion to Claire made him a modern sitcom icon.
✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Phil Dunphy. Jay Pritchett is the family patriarch played by Ed O’Neill, Cameron Tucker is Mitchell’s partner played by Eric Stonestreet, and Manny Delgado is Gloria’s son. Phil is the magic-loving, “cool dad” real estate agent.
06
This 1980s sitcom is set in a Boston bar “where everybody knows your name.” It starred Ted Danson as an ex-baseball player turned bartender and ran for 11 seasons, spawning the spin-off Frasier. Which classic sitcom is this?
✓ Correct! Cheers (1982–1993) is one of the most beloved sitcoms ever made. Ted Danson’s Sam Malone, Shelley Long and Kirstie Alley as his love interests, and a legendary ensemble made it a ratings juggernaut. Its finale was watched by over 80 million viewers.
✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Cheers. Taxi was a late-70s/early-80s sitcom, Night Court was set in a courtroom, and Wings was actually created by Cheers writers but set at an airport. Only Cheers gave us Sam and Diane, Norm’s barstool, and one of TV’s all-time great theme songs.
07
Andy Samberg stars as a childish but brilliant detective in this comedy set in a New York City police precinct. The show was saved by NBC after Fox cancelled it, thanks to a massive fan campaign. Which sitcom is this?
✓ Correct! Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2021) starred Andy Samberg as Detective Jake Peralta alongside Andre Braugher’s scene-stealing Captain Holt. When Fox cancelled it in 2018, fan outrage was so loud that NBC picked it up within 24 hours for three more seasons.
✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Parks and Recreation was set in Pawnee’s government offices, Scrubs took place in a hospital, and Superstore was set in a big-box retailer. Only B99 featured the 99th Precinct and the legendary Jake-Holt dynamic.
08
In this beloved 1990s NBC sitcom, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia is sent to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in Bel-Air. The show launched its star into global superstardom. Who played the titular Fresh Prince?
✓ Correct! Will Smith played a fictionalized version of himself in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996). The show’s theme song is one of the most recognizable in TV history, and the series launched Smith’s career from rapper to one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Will Smith. Martin Lawrence had his own show Martin, Eddie Murphy was already a film star, and Jamie Foxx had The Jamie Foxx Show. Only Will Smith flipped his life upside down and moved to Bel-Air to become the Fresh Prince.
Season Finale Your Laugh Track Record
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Are you a showrunner — or still binge-watching reruns on the couch?
This is precisely why nobody is saying that Abbott Elementary is past its prime at season 6. In June 2026, Deadline reported that Brunson has an eight-season acting deal on Abbott, and even that doesn't feel like it would be too much. As long as Abbott Elementary continues to be this good and Brunson wants to keep making it, it's a fantastic time to be a sitcom fan.
- Release Date
- 2021 - 2026-00-00
- Network
- ABC
- Showrunner
- Quinta Brunson, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker
- Directors
- Randall Einhorn, Jennifer Celotta, Jaime Eliezer Karas
- Writers
- Quinta Brunson, Riley Dufurrena, Garrett Werner, Joya McCrory, Kate Peterman, Justin Tan, Brittani Nichols, Ava Coleman, Chad Morton, Rebekka Pesqueira, Brian Rubenstein
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Quinta Brunson
Janine Teagues
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Tyler James Williams
Gregory Eddie
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.