Heart is in the home: The 25 best family sitcoms of all time

“All in the Family” isn’t just one of the best family sitcoms of all time, it’s widely regarded as one of the best shows of all time, period. Although the show tackled some serious issues and included its share of dramatic moments, most episodes in its nine-season run dealt with comical interactions and differences of opinion between the “lovable crank” Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), his ditzy wife Edith (Jean Stapleton), their kind-hearted daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers), and her hippie “Meathead” husband Michael (Rob Reiner).

Still criminally underrated despite four Emmy wins, “Arrested Development” is easily one of the funniest shows to ever air on television, and was an enormous influence on the single-camera sitcoms that followed it, including “30 Rock” and “Community.” It also features the Bluths, an impossibly dysfunctional family, portrayed by the all-star cast of Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Jessica Walter, Jeffrey Tambor, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, and David Cross. (And don’t look now, but season five is currently in production!)

The critics were never too kind to Jed Clampett (Buddy Ebsen), his mother-in-law Daisy May (Irene Ryan), his daughter Elly May (Donna Douglas), and his nephew Jethro (Max Baer Jr.), but that was of little consequence because “The Beverly Hillbillies” struck oil in the ratings week after week and season after season between 1962 and 1971. And not only was this series a hit for CBS, but it inspired the network to create two other shows to further exploit the city-versus-country sitcom formula: “Petticoat Junction” and “Green Acres.”

Sherwood Schwartz was the brains behind “The Brady Bunch,” a sitcom that featured one of the biggest families on TV, at least as far as the number of members is concerned. Mike, Carol, Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, and Cindy made up the Brady household, which also included their live-in housekeeper, Alice, and a dog named Tiger. (There was also Cousin Oliver in the final season, but we won’t open that disastrous and annoying can of worms.) The show and its cheesy innocence never received high ratings or critical acclaim during its run in the early ‘70s, but nevertheless became an iconic part of Americana due its popularity among younger viewers.

It’s difficult to view “The Cosby Show” in the same light after creator and star Bill Cosby’s sexual assault allegations and subsequent exile from Hollywood, but it’s also impossible to deny the show’s significance, popularity, and ability to break down racial stereotypes during its eight-season run from 1984 to 1992. Plus, co-stars Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Bonet, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Sabrina LeBeauf shouldn’t be unnecessarily punished for the sins of the TV father.

“Everybody Loves Raymond” cashed in on 15 of its 69 Emmy nominations between 1996 and 2005, including acting wins for Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton (twice), Brad Garrett (three times), and Doris Roberts (four times), as well as two Outstanding Comedy Series honors. The three-generation family comedy not only found its own fame, but also resulted in the semi-spinoff “King of Queens,” another successful CBS sitcom.

Crude, off-color, violent, and almost always controversial, “Family Guy” has been blessing TV screens for 16 seasons dating all the way back to 1999. To say the animated sitcom is popular would be a grand understatement; it was actually the first show to ever be canceled and later resurrected based on DVD sales. Series mastermind Seth MacFarlane used the show’s success to launch similar family sitcom cartoons like “American Dad!” and “The Cleveland Show,” but neither has matched the success of the original show helmed by the Griffins: Peter, Lois, Brian, Chris and Stewie. (And Meg too, we guess.)

Interestingly, the character in “Family Matters” that mattered the most wasn’t even part of the family. In fact, the show started as a spinoff of “Perfect Strangers,” but the Winslows weren’t doing too well in the ratings until the introduction of their nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White). By the end of the first year, Urkel became the focus of the show, which eventually amassed 215 episodes over nine seasons, and the character became so popular that he even crossed over into shows like “Full House,” “Boy Meets World,” and “Step by Step.” Cue Urkel’s catchphrase: “Did I do that?”

In addition to featuring Michael J. Fox’s Emmy-winning breakout role of Alex P. Keaton, “Family Ties” also provided early minor roles for future screen icons like Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Courteney Cox. With Fox playing the role of a conservative son being raised by liberal parents (Meredith Baxter-Birney and Michael Gross), we wonder if anyone else has thought about what “Family Ties” would like like as a 2018 reboot?

This is a story all about how Will Smith’s life got flipped, turned upside-down. After all, Smith was a rapper in the ‘80s, and aside from one afterschool special, he didn’t break into acting until NBC approached him in 1990 to star in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” alongside James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, and Tatyana M. Ali. The Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated show received a lot of attention in its day, but it has arguably become even more popular in syndication, with most Gen-Xers and millennials able to easily rap along to the theme.

We have some strong opinions about the sequel series “Fuller House,” but that’s because the original “Full House” is basically untouchable in our minds. Funnymen Bob Saget, Dave Coulier, and John Stamos formed a perfect paternal trinity while doing their best to raise a family of young ladies played by Candace Cameron, Jodie Sweetin, and Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen. Or, more significantly, they were really raising scores of kids across America for eight seasons between 1987 and 1995.

For family sitcom fans in the ‘80s, Alan Thicke’s Dr. Jason Seaver was the quintessential TV dad. In addition to being a caring and supportive parent to his kids, he also ran the household while his wife returned to her career a reporter, but still managed to work a job of his own as a psychiatrist. “Growing Pains” aired for seven seasons, during which Thicke received a Golden Globe nod. However, he was outshined by his TV son, Kirk Cameron, who received two nominations. The excellent cast was rounded out by Joanna Kerns, Tracey Gold, Ashley Johnson, and even Leonardo Dicaprio, in the show’s final season.

A first, “Happy Days” was an idealized representation of growing up in a family of four (five if you count older brother Chuck, who inexplicably disappeared sometime in the second season) in the 1950s. But after receiving mixed ratings, the show began focusing more on the Cunningham’s extended family members, comprised of Richie’s (Ron Howard) friends Fonzie (Henry Winkler), Potsie (Anson Williams), Ralph (Donny Most), and later Chachi (Scott Baio). Although the sitcom became one of the biggest hits in television history, it also became a prime example of a show overstaying its welcome, and is actually the source of the term “jumping the shark.”

Prior to “Home Improvement,” Tim Allen was simply a stand-up comedian, and not an actor. However, once he starred in what would soon become one of the most popular sitcoms of the ‘90s, he was offered roles in Hollywood hits like “The Santa Clause” and “Toy Story,” and his career would never be the same. Allen starred alongside Patricia Richardson as his TV wife, Jill, in the show’s eight seasons, with their three young sons played by Zachery Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith.

Although it struggled with threats of cancellation on numerous occasions, the sly and subversive “King of the Hill” was praised by critics for its writing and extremely talented voice cast, and amassed a devoted, cult following during its 13-season tenure between 1997 and 2010. By the end, Mike Judge had created the third-longest-running animated series of all time, earned two Emmys, and was given a place on Time magazine’s list of the 100 greatest television shows of all time, with the publication rightfully stating it had “quietly been the best family comedy on TV” during its run.

For a glimpse of what was viewed as the ideal suburban family in the 1950s (for better or worse), one need only look to “Leave It to Beaver,” which starred Jerry Mathers as the titular character, Tony Dow as his big brother Wally, and Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont as their parents, June and Ward Cleaver. The show was innocent, wholesome, and endlessly amusing for six seasons, and probably could have lasted even longer if it wasn’t for the child actors eventually growing out of their roles.

“Malcolm in the Middle” could be quite silly at times, which makes people forget how successful it truly was. In addition to being one of the highest-rated and most acclaimed shows in FOX history, it either launched or significantly boosted the careers of actors Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, and Erik Per Sullivan. The misfit family (which never received a surname) also earned seven Emmys, a Grammy, and a Peabody over seven seasons in the early 2000s.

Two decades before “Modern Family” and a year before “Roseanne,” “Married… with Children” set out to portray what the typical American suburban family was truly like, and hit it out of the park for 11 seasons. Al Bundy (Ed O’Neill) represents the hapless but hardworking schlub-of-a-patriarch, Peggy (Katey Sagal) is his nagging and free-spending wife, Kelly (Christina Applegate) is the “dumb blonde” daughter, and Bud (David Faustino) is the awkward adolescent son, and almost every viewer knew someone – possibly in their own family – that matched each stereotypical member of the Bundy clan.

The only live-action show on this list that’s still consistently turning out new episodes year after year, “Modern Family” also needs to be recognized for its 21 Emmy wins and all-star ensemble cast. The single-camera mockumentary is regularly praised for handling taboo topics with intelligent, comical ease, and in addition to strong acting performances, it also has some of the best writers in the biz. Nine seasons and 203 episodes (and counting!) still isn’t nearly enough; we hope “Modern Family” stays on the air forever.

In a lot of ways, “The Munsters” are a normal family. Sure, the members include a Frankenstein’s monster, a vampiress, a vampire, a werewolf boy, and a pet bat and dragon (as well as Marilyn, the “dull” niece who is actually the only normal one), but the episode plots that involve making a living, going to school, and dealing with family squabbles are relatable (and endlessly amusing) even for humans now living in the 21st century. Not bad for a show that debuted 54 years ago.

Of course we have to include “Roseanne” in our ranking – after all, it’s the whole reason behind this piece! Creator Matt Williams and star Roseanne Barr found a way to perfectly balance an endless string of one-liners and an honest portrayal of a working-class American family over nine seasons from 1988 to 1997. The ending soured the series a bit for some fans, but the show will return to TV with new episodes on March 27, while boasting original cast members Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, Lecy Goranson, and Michael Fishman – plus some special guests!

We don’t have nearly enough space to discuss the influence and impact of “The Simpsons” here. Heck, we don’t even have enough space to properly discuss the number of characters on the show, except to say that it centers on Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson, plus hundreds of other familiar faces that have came and went throughout the show’s 29-season run. Not to imply that the family sitcom – which is sometimes referred to as the greatest show of all time – is anywhere near done. Despite waning ratings, it has already been renewed for a 30th season.

“Two and a Half Men” in no way had a traditional family sitcom dynamic – and it was marred by a feud between creator Chuck Lorre and star Charlie Sheen, which eventually resulted in the latter being fired and replaced with Ashton Kutcher – but it nevertheless fits the bill. After all, the main characters were Charlie, his brother Alan (Jon Cryer), his nephew Jake (Angus T. Jones), his brother’s ex-wife Judith (Marin Hinkle), and his mother Evelyn (Holland Taylor). The now-infamous show also averaged 15 million viewers per week and amassed 46 Emmy nominations throughout its dozen seasons on CBS. 

Although “227” centered on Mary Jenkins (Marla Gibbs), her husband Lester (Hal Williams), and their daughter Brenda (Regina King), the breakout star of the family sitcom was Jackée Harry, who played Sandra Clark, the family’s neighbor. Sandra and Mary’s bickering and eventual close friendship became the cornerstone of the show, which ran for five seasons on NBC, and earned Harry an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1987.

It’s has been more than 25 years since “Who’s the Boss?” aired its eighth and final season, and we still don’t know whether the boss was the family matriarch and advertising executive Angela Bower (Judith Light) or former baseball player-turned-live-in housekeeper Tony Micelli (Tony Danza). All we know is that the show is a family sitcom classic, and it earned some 40 major award nominations, including 10 Emmy and five Golden Globe nods – winning one of each.