20th-century sitcoms that are still in our regular rotation

Let’s start with an early sitcom — and we really mean early, as sitcoms were first introduced in the late 1940s and “I Love Lucy” premiered in 1951. Starring the incredibly funny Lucille Ball in the title role and the charming and talented Desi Arnaz as her husband, Ricky, the show cranked out classic episode after classic episode filled with some of the funniest scenes on television to date. Whether Lucy is shown struggling to keep up with the conveyor belt at a candy factory or drunk off of “Vitameatavegamin” while futilely trying to film a commercial, “I Love Lucy” made our grandparents laugh, our parents laugh, and still makes us laugh to this day.

After cutting his teeth on Broadway, Dıck Van Dyke was given his own TV show in 1961 and thank goodness for this. Not only did “The Dıck Van Dyke Show” put the now-iconic funnyman in front of a national audience, but it also launched the career of Mary Tyler Moore. The show won 15 Emmys over five seasons thanks to its smart, sophisticated, and sometimes silly scripts, many of which were penned by the show’s creator and producer, Carl Reiner.

Our only complaint about “The Munsters” is that we were only given two seasons of Herman (Fred Gwynne), Lily (Yvonne De Carlo), Grandpa (Al Lewis), Eddie (Butch Patrick), and Marilyn (Beverley Owen/Pat Priest). In classic sitcom fashion, the episodes were interchangeable, with our favorite ones involving the running gag of the Munster family members viewing their appearances and lifestyle as normal, while everyday citizens were seen as strange and unattractive. This includes Season 2’s “Just Another Pretty Face,” when Herman is horrified to find that an electric shock has left him with a disfigured face…which is just Fred Gwynne without the monster makeup.

The TV producers wanted a spoof of James Bond, Mel Brooks wanted to make a series about an idiot, and the result was “Get Smart.” Along with writer Buck Henry, Brooks created the character of Maxwell Smart, a bumbling secret agent armed with a seemingly never-ending array of impractical gadgets — like his famous shoe phone. “Get Smart” succeeded (and is endlessly rewatchable) thanks to the brilliant performance of lead actor Don Adams, a slew of big-name guest stars, ever-changing storylines, and some memorable catchphrases. 

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” wasn’t just a funny sitcom, but also a groundbreaking one that centered on a single, independent, working woman. Moore was warm and witty as a lead, and she surrounded herself with a packed cast of comedic big names that broke out during the show’s seven-season run, including Ed Asner, Ted Knight, Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper, Betty White, and Cloris Leachman. With the entire cast now gone, it’s always a pleasure seeing them again in reruns. 

It wasn’t necessarily the titular star that compelled audiences to watch “The Bob Newhart Show.” Sure, Newhart’s wry wit as a private practice psychologist was the centerpiece, but his strong-willed wife (Suzanne Pleshette), sarcastic receptionist (Marcia Wallace), airheaded airline navigator neighbor (Bill Daily), womanizing orthodontist pal (Peter Bȯnerz), and a revolving door of patients (including Jack Riley, Florida Friebus, and Howard Hesseman) are what made the show entertaining week after week for six full seasons of hilarity and hijinks. 

You haven’t heard of “Fawlty Towers”? This sitcom stars John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, the rude, disingenuous, and downright ridiculous co-owner of a seaside English hotel along with his domineering wife, Sybil (Prunella Scales). “Fawlty Towers” isn’t as far-out and zany as Monty Python, but if you’re a fan of Cleese, you can’t miss him playing this likably dislikable innkeeper.

You can’t go wrong with an all-star cast that includes the likes of Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Jeff Conaway, Marilu Henner, Tony Danza, Andy Kaufman, Christopher Lloyd, and Carol Kane — and “Taxi” certainly did things right. In just five seasons, the employees of the fictitious Sunshine Cab Company racked up an astonishing 31 Emmy nominations, winning 18. We first checked out reruns of Taxi after TV Guide named DeVito’s curmudgeonly Louie De Palma as No. 1 on their list of the Greatest TV Characters of All Time, and we haven’t stopped watching since.

Do you know the “Naked Gun” movies starring Leslie Nielsen? Then you may have noticed that the full title of the first film, released in 1988, is actually “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” That’s because this comedy trilogy is actually a spin-off of a little-known TV series from 1982 that was canceled after only six episodes. The ratings were low, but the show’s quality was not. Like the movies, “Police Squad” starred Leslie Nielsen as the inept, deadpan Detective Frank Drebin, and also like the films, it was packed with rapid-fire jokes, spot-on pop culture parodies, and sight gags both obvious and subtle. We rewatch it not just for all the jokes we know, but for the new ones we’re constantly discovering. 

“Newhart” had an identity crisis in its first couple of seasons. Vermont inn owners Dıck and Joanna Loudon (Bob Newhart and Mary Frann) and their handyman (Tom Poston) were there since the beginning, but two main characters played by Jennifer Holmes and Steven Kampmann were ditched, Julia Duffy and Peter Scolari replaced them, and Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl (William Sanderson, Tony Papenfuss, and John Voldstad) were given regular roles. The trio of brothers were one of the most memorable parts of “Newhart,” which also had one of the most infamous finales in TV history.

There’s a special comfort in rewatching “Cheers,” like you’re one of the regulars pulling up a stool next to Norm and Cliff (George Wendt and John Ratzenberger) while getting served by Sam and Carla (Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman). We don’t care if it’s the earlier Coach and Diane (Nicholas Colasanto and Shelley Long) seasons or the later Woody and Becky (Woody Harrelson and Kirstie Alley) years — we’re always in the mood for a drink at Cheers.

Often referred to as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, “Seinfeld” is a show that we’ll never stop watching. It was a perfect snapshot of pop culture, idiosyncrasies, and societal norms of the 1990s, while coining some of its own cultural contributions and terminology, including everything from “close talker,” “low talker,” and “man hands,” to “yadda yadda yadda,” “spongeworthy,” and “anti-dentite.” And as far as eccentric characters go, you can’t beat Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and, of course, Kramer (Michael Richards).

It feels strange to include “The Simpsons” on a list of twentieth-century sitcoms when new episodes are still airing and the show has been consistently running for more than 30 years. But this animated series about Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and all the residents of Springfield is one of the most important parts of modern television, and we’ll never get tired of watching episodes from the show’s prime…which began in Season 1 or 2 and ended somewhere between Seasons 10 and 12.

“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is the story all about how Will Smith’s life got flipped turned upside-down, and I’d like to take a minute to explain why we still watch this sitcom more than 30 years after it first aired. Not only was it the impetus of Smith’s illustrious acting career, but it was a genuinely smart, sweet, comical, and, at times, poignant show about life in the latter 20th century for young black men and black families. Despite tackling serious issues like gun violence, crime, and fractured families, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” also gave us plenty of classic comedy moments, including Alfonso Ribiero’s famous “Carlton Dance” and Will’s constant ribbing of his family and their butler, Geoffrey.

Booze, drugs, cigarettes, handsome young men, and all the excesses of the ‘90s surrounded best friends Eddie (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) throughout the five seasons of “Absolutely Fabulous.” This British series was supposed to be a satire of consumerism and capitalism, but most fans ended up idolizing the fashion-forward friends, who are infinitely watchable as they serve up jokes and find themselves in situations that will make you choke with laughter.

It’s remarkable that 11 outstanding seasons of “Cheers” were immediately followed by 11 equally impressive seasons of “Frasier.” Although the latter show had a different vibe complete with more sophisticated characters, complex storylines, and witty jokes, it was just as enjoyable. Much of that was due to surrounding the Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar) character with a strong cast of David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin…as well as some familiar faces from our favorite Boston bar.

It’s safe to say that “Friends” might be the most popular ‘90s sitcom. It was universally adored during its initial run, and has picked up additional fans in every generation since, with most viewers identifying with it enough that they know if they’re a Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), a Monica (Courtney Cox), or a Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow)…or a Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Chandler (Matthew Perry), or Ross (David Schwimmer). And even though there are 10 full seasons, could there be a more quotable show?

We’ve been headin’ on up to “South Park” for more than 25 seasons, and have no intention of quitting. Whether Stan, Cartman, Kyle, and Kenny are hanging with Mr. Hankey in Season 1 or battling PC Principal in Season 20-something — and regardless if the plot is a searing satire or just an ridiculous romp — we love watching reruns featuring this foul-mouthed foursome, as well as Butters, Randy, and anyone else in the fictional Colorado town created by the brilliant Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

A dumb, overweight, funny husband with an attractive, nagging wife? We’ve seen this premise before so many times, yet somehow “King of Queens” still managed to establish Doug (Kevin James) as an endearing everyman and Carrie (Leah Remini) as a strong-willed but supportive and loving spouse. (Plus, it had plenty of Jerry Stiller ranting, raving, and doing what he does best!) With all the popular sitcoms of the ‘90s, “King of Queens” often gets overlooked and forgotten, but its nine seasons were easily one of the most consistently funny sitcom runs of all time.

Remember that couple formula from the last slide? Well, “Family Guy” tried it once again — in animated form, much like “The Simpsons” — but still forged its own path through edgier and more offensive humor, even more outlandish characters and plotlines, and their signature cutaway jokes. “Family Guy” is still airing today, and creator Seth MacFarlane barely snuck it into the twentieth century, with a 1999 debut, but it’s in constant rotation in our home and absolutely deserves a spot on this list.