10 Essential Sitcoms That Belong on Every Fan's Bucket List
Christine is a freelance writer for Collider with two decades of experience covering all types of TV shows and movies spanning every genre. With a particular affinity for dramas, true crime, sitcoms, and thrillers, if it's a top TV show, Christine has likely watched it and is eager to share her thoughts. When she's not furiously writing away, you can find her enjoying the next binge obsession with a glass of wine in front of the TV.
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A show should be considered an "essential sitcom" if someone says "what do you mean you've never seen it?" when you disclose that you haven't. These are the shows that fans assume the entire world has watched. It's almost a certainty that if you quote lines from these shows, at least someone in a nearby radius will pick up on the reference.
There's good reason: the most essential sitcoms are ones that have inspired so many others. They have set the tone for what a good sitcom should look like. If you haven't watched any of them, chances are they are already on your bucket list of shows to get around to watching. And they're all totally worth the investment in time once you do.
'Seinfeld' (1989–1998)
It goes with the sitcom territory that if you're talking about bucket list ones, Seinfeld will always top the list. If you want to be part of the conversation when you hear someone talk about "man hands," randomly scream "no soup for you!," or refer to a sexual encounter as "yada, yada, yada," you need to watch these iconic episodes from the iconic show.
Seinfeld transcends other sitcoms because there's no actual story. A camera simply follows four adult friends in New York City going about their daily lives and having conversations about nothing-burger topics while we watch. But somehow, it works. The show is incredibly funny, witty, sharp, and well-acted. Even if you don't get through all 180 episodes of the nine seasons, at least pick out the best ones. But if you want to truly cross this one off the bucket list, invest the time. With short 22 to 24 minute episodes, you'll get through it quicker than you think. And it's a sitcom worth watching over and over, too.
'Friends' (1994–2004)
Similarly to Seinfeld, there's like an entire language around Friends. From "we were on a break!" to "pivot!" and "how you doin'?", those who have watched Friends are part of an exclusive (albeit also massive) club. If you want to be part of it, start binging the 236 episodes across 10 seasons now. Yes, it sounds overwhelming. But in the same amount of time that it would take you to watch a two-hour movie, you can power through six episodes. That's a quarter of an entire season!
Chances are, however, you'll end up watching more than that. The show is so addictively funny, the characters so darn likable, and the chemistry so believable. It's silly, fun, and clever, escapist entertainment at its finest. Everyone has a favorite character, or someone in the cast who reminds them of someone they know, maybe even themselves. Without Friends, there would have been no How I Met Your Mother, Happy Endings, or Dawson's Creek.
'I Love Lucy' (1951–1957)
I Love Lucy is one of the defining sitcoms of the '50, and arguably of the genre in general. But it's one of those shows that many from the newer generations know about but have never actually sat down and watched. With 180 episodes and six seasons, it's admittedly a lot. But the series is a great reminder of how simple plots and engaging roles are all that's needed to make a good show.
This series, one of the most universally loved of all time, did that better than any other, following the lives of Lucy (Lucille Ball) and her husband Ricky (Desi Arnaz) as they handle life as a married couple. But most of the fun comes when Lucy gets into trouble with her neighbor and best friend Ethel (Vivian Vance). Eventually, the pair face their husbands in the aftermath, and the consequences of their ridiculous but hilarious actions. It's a reflection of the times and a reminder that Ball was one of the greatest comedic actors of all time.
'The Golden Girls' (1985–1992)
If you didn't have the pleasure of watching The Golden Girls when all four stars were still alive, the best way to honor them and check one item off your TV bucket list is to watch it now. Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Sofia (Estelle Getty) are four later-in-life women starting their second chapters. Divorce, death, and/or kids growing up and moving away have left them on their own. So, they come together to share a beach house in Miami.
As one of the funniest sitcoms ever made, watching these ladies navigate their lives and one another's quirky and distinct personalities is comedy gold. The Golden Girls arguably opened doors for other shows with all-female leads and later-in-life women, like Sex and the City and Grace and Frankie. It's important to appreciate the brilliance of this show while you're still here to enjoy it.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Iconic Fandom Should You Join? Harry Potter · Lord of the Rings · Star Wars · Star Trek
Eight honest questions about how you actually are: what you put on when you need cheering up, how deep you go into the things you love, what you argue about, what you keep on your shelf. Answer them and we will tell you where you belong. Four of the biggest fandoms on earth are taking new members, and they could not be more different from one another.
⚡Harry Potter(Wizarding World)
💍Lord of the Rings(Middle-earth)
⚔️Star Wars(A Galaxy Far Away)
🖖Star Trek(The Final Frontier)
01
What do you put on when you need cheering up? Nobody is brave about this one.
02
How deep do you go into something you love? There is no shallow end here, only different deep ends.
03
What do you and your friends actually argue about? Every fandom has one argument it has been having for years.
04
How do you feel about a room full of strangers? Every one of these comes with a very big room.
05
Where would you rather spend a week? Pick on instinct rather than on budget.
06
What do you believe about people, mostly? All four of these stories have an answer, and they disagree.
07
What is actually on your shelf? Look over at it before you answer.
08
What do you actually want from a story? Eight questions in, this is the one that picks your fandom.
Membership Confirmed Your Fandom Is…
Four of the largest communities on the planet, and four completely different reasons to belong to one. Here is yours, what it would give you, and the argument you would be having within a week.
Harry Potter
You belong to the fandom that is really about comfort. Hogwarts works on people because it is a place rather than a plot, and the pull is not the wizard war so much as the corridors, the food, the weather and the sense that somebody is expecting you.
- You are drawn to belonging, which is why this fandom sorted itself into houses within about five minutes and has never stopped.
- This is the most social of the four, and the one most likely to know which type every single person in your life would be.
- The books are built to be reread rather than analysed, and rereading is exactly what you do with things you love.
- The new HBO series is bringing the whole thing back one book at a time, which means the arguments are about to start all over again.
Lord of the Rings
You belong to the deepest fandom on this list, the one where somebody has always read further than you and is quietly delighted to say so. Middle-earth rewards patience more than any other world in popular culture.
- You like the sense that the story you are reading is only the visible part of something enormous, which is precisely how Tolkien built it.
- This fandom takes adaptation seriously to a degree that other fandoms find slightly alarming, and it has good reasons for that.
- Your favourite thing about the books is probably the bit that is not action at all, which is the walking, the songs and the long goodbyes.
- Nobody here thinks heroism belongs to the powerful, and the whole story exists to make that argument.
Star Wars
You belong to the loudest and largest tent of the four, the one where three generations are all watching the same thing and none of them agree about any of it. That disagreement is not a flaw in this fandom, it is the main activity.
- You want something you can share with absolutely everybody, from a six year old to a grandparent, and this is the only one on the list that really does that.
- Nobody argues like Star Wars fans argue, and the argument has been running since roughly 1980 with no sign of resolution.
- The pull here is sensory before it is narrative, since it is the sound design, the score and the look of a used and dented galaxy.
- You would be first in the queue, in costume, with strong opinions and a genuinely good time.
Star Trek
You belong to the thinking fandom, the one that turns up for the argument rather than the explosion. Trek has always been a series of ethical problems in space, and the people who love it love being asked what they would have done.
- You are an optimist in a way that is currently unfashionable, and this is the only major franchise still willing to say the future might be better.
- The best episodes are the ones where nobody fires anything, which is a sentence that makes perfect sense to this fandom and to nobody else.
- Starfleet Academy brought the franchise back to a classroom in 2026, which is appropriate, because Trek has always been a bit of a seminar.
- You would want the conversation afterwards more than the episode itself, and here you will always find somebody willing to have it.
'The Office' (2005–2013)
I'll admit that I'm one of the people who has The Office on my bucket list, only having watched a few episodes and not the entire nine seasons and 201 episodes. An American remake of the British mockumentary sitcom starring Ricky Gervais, Steve Carell takes on the lead role as Michael Scott, head of the Scranton division of a paper company.
The single-camera show gets off to a slow start, which is likely why I never fully got invested in it. But those who have watched promise it's worth the investment in time. There are so many memorable moments and characters, many actors who went on to star in huge projects after their talents were recognized in this show, like John Krasinski and Mindy Kaling. You'll come out of every episode feeling satisfied and excited for the next. And it doesn't hurt that The Office has a sitcom ending that's a genuine masterpiece.
'Schitt's Creek' (2015–2020)
One of the newest sitcoms on this list, Schitt's Creek has already managed to carve its spot on the essentials list. The Canadian sitcom that swept the Emmys for its final season explores the question: What happens when all you know is wealth and excess but suddenly lose it all? It's an important message but delivered in a hilarious way thanks to the star-studded cast of comedy legends and newcomers.
Schitt's Creek also sensitively tackles LGBTQ+ themes, delivering a story from a modern lens that's fitting to the 2010s. But mostly, the sitcom is a simple story of a family finding out what really matters in life. That's something anyone of any situation or economic class can relate to, making it such a universal tale.
'The Big Bang Theory' (2007–2019)
The Big Bang Theory is one of those sitcoms that made its mark on television, airing throughout almost the entire 2010s, and several years prior. At one point in time, the cast was the highest paid TV actors, and for good reason. When new main cast members were added, the chemistry only got stronger. The story evolved, and yet the essence of the characters always remained the same.
As one of the greatest CBS shows of all time, The Big Bang Theory sheds a spotlight on geek culture, portraying a group of friends unlike any other on television. They love comic books, superheroes, and Star Wars, and they are obsessed with science. While each main character is much more intelligent than the average person, they also have their flaws, too. It's a refreshingly endearing, sweet, and wonderfully written show that makes social outcasts look cool for being, by the conventional definition, the exact opposite.
'The Brady Bunch' (1969–1974)
Going back decades, The Brady Bunch is one of those shows that many, especially from younger generations, know the name of but have never actually seen. But it's an essential sitcom to add to the bucket watch list. While shows featuring blended families are common nowadays, it was groundbreaking at the time to watch two previously married people come together with their own grouping of kids.
The Brady Bunch was wholesome, showing familial conflict in a way that was relatable but not controversial and morally sound. Kids got to learn about boundaries while parents watching understood a bit more about the sibling dynamic. Kids might fight, families might face conflict and challenging times, but they all deeply care for one another and will get through it together.
'New Girl' (2011–2018)
New Girl will have you rolling on the floor laughing, a sweet story about a jilted young woman who worms her way into a shared apartment with three other single guys and somehow becomes "one of the guys." They are so endeared by her charms that they can't help but instantly feel a connection.
One of many shows about single friends navigating life, dating, and careers in a big city, New Girl adds a predictable "will they, won't they" romance dynamic, but it's handled better than many others within the genre. The show was so beloved that even Prince requested a cameo appearance because he was such a fan. It's one of the most perfect sitcoms of the last 20 years.
'The Bernie Mac Show' (2001–2006)
One of the most underrated sitcoms. The Bernie Mac Show gave viewers a glimpse into the life of Bernard "Bernie" McCollough (Bernie Mac) as he dealt with the unexpected challenges of parenting. Why unexpected? Suddenly, he and his wife Wanda (Kellita Smith) take in his sister's three kids when she's no longer able to care for them. Together, they try their best at tough love, Bernie often leading the charge as he navigates the complexities of trying to guide kids at different stages and with very different personalities.
As soon as you hear the word "America!," you know that Bernie, a comedic genius, is about to drop some serious wisdom in his usual acerbic style. The best part is that he does so by breaking the fourth wall to address the audience in mockumentary style. Yes, long before that style of sitcom was even popular. What makes the show even more fascinating and emotional is that it's loosely based on Mac's own life. He did briefly take in his own niece and her daughter and had a friend who raised their sisters' kids. He turned these stories, which he weaved into his stand-up comedy routine, into this massively successful sitcom worth watching.
The Bernie Mac Show
- Release Date
- 2001 - 2006-00-00
- Network
- FOX
- Directors
- Lee Shallat Chemel, Victor Nelli Jr., Ken Whittingham, Linda Mendoza, Reginald Hudlin, Michael Spiller, Robert Berlinger, David Grossman, Keith Truesdell, Millicent Shelton, Roger Nygard, Allison Liddi-Brown, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Jamie Babbit, John Fortenberry, Kevin Bray, Rusty Cundieff, Sam Weisman
- Writers
- Marc Abrams, Michael Benson, Jerry Collins, Saladin K. Patterson, Fred Johnson, Jeffrey Bushell, Antonia F. March, Kate Angelo, Corey Nickerson, Jacqueline McKinley, Brian Egan, David Flebotte, Jacqueline R. Clay, Paul Lieberstein, Bobby Gaylor, Robert Bruce, Courtney Kemp Agboh, Amanda K. Montgomery, Denise Downer, Roger Reitzel
-
Bernie Mac
Bernie 'Mac' McCullough
-
Jeremy Suarez
Jordan Thomkins
-
Camille Winbush
Vanessa 'Nessa' Thomkins
-
Dee Dee Davis
Bryana 'Baby Girl' Thomkins
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 6
- Producers
- Bernie Mac, John Riggi, Ken Kwapis, Kriss Turner, Larry Wilmore, Richard Appel, Steve Tompkins, Warren Hutcherson, Michael Petok, Teri Schaffer
- Creator(s)
- Larry Wilmore
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.