[Editor’s note: The below article was originally published on March 27, 2020. It has been expanded from the 50 greatest TV comedies of all time to 80, as of June 26, 2024.]
Comedy rules are made to be broken. If all laughter comes from some , then it follows that the funniest series are the ones that continue to take the unexpected routes. Some of the greatest comedies in contemporary television are arguably not comedies at all, but find moments of levity between nonstop tension and heartbreaking drama. FX’s “The Bear,” now premiering a third season, has fans and Emmy voters begging for the high-octane stress of a Chicago kitchen and clinging to the hope that any scene will end in laughter instead of tears (or an accidental stabbing).
Sometimes a comedy is memorable because of the rules that it inadvertently puts in place. Some foundational TV series have endured not because they were ratings or cultural juggernauts in their time, but because their spiritual descendants dotted programming lineups years — maybe even decades — after their cameras stopped rolling. As in other realms of entertainment, the TV comedies that endure and that are worth revisiting manage to speak to something brewing in their day and the audiences watching generations after. Sometimes it’s a matter of seeing how much the idea of good governance has changed since some starry-eyed optimists in Indiana closed up shop. Other times, it’s recognizing how a quartet of thankful friends in Miami are still providing comfort for viewers the same age as their great-grandchildren.
Por supuesto, el ideal platónico de una comedia televisiva también ha cambiado durante ese tiempo. La máxima de tres chistes por página se convirtió en el evangelio ... y luego fue arrojado sumariamente por la ventana, ya que los shows encontraron más formas de ser catárticos que un desfile de risas. Están los espectáculos inteligentes, lo ingenioso y lo seco, lo escandaloso y lo provocativo, los que se apoyan en su conocimiento de todos los demás mientras ofrecen referencias con un guiño y un asentimiento.
So, in an effort to gather that unpredictable cross-section of over a half-century of TV comedies, we’ve tried to form our picks for the 80 greatest. We’ve tried our best to combat recency bias, while acknowledging that the explosion in quality TV of late has made it impossible to ignore that some all-time work is still unfolding in front of our eyes. The order of the list has also been retooled over time, reflecting shows that were not yet on the air or incomplete when we first compiled it. Those developments also extend into the world beyond the fictional ones, where once-vaunted series have become irreparably tainted by the conduct of their stars and creators. (You can guess which ones those are by their omission in the collection below.)
Given IndieWire’s existing list of , as well as our regularly updated coverage of what elusive , this list only consists of live-action, scripted comedies. No animation, international, or sketch/variety series are included. That being said, IndieWire understands animation is a medium, not a genre, so please do not take this exception as anything more than an attempt to preserve our sanity in culling thousands of contending shows. After all, even with those options eliminated, there’s still a shocking number of possibilities to choose from. (The IndieWire staff has considered hundreds of programs and determines finalists through a recurring series of votes.) At this point in TV history, 80 might be a representative sum, but it’s far from comprehensive. Still, it’s worth saluting the following shows, that range from the to the .
Libby Hill, Proma Khosla, Kristen López, Liz Shannon Miller, Noel Murray, Hanh Nguyen y Tambay Obenson también contribuyeron a esta lista.
80. “The Bear” (FX, 2022 – present)
‘The Bear’Chuck Hodes
Though its comedy classification may be debated (see also: “Barry”), Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo’s high-octane kitchen thriller (what a phrase!) is certainly an unforgettable entrée — um, entry — in the annals of the half-hour TV series. Jeremy Allen White plays Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, a supremely talented chef back home in Chicago to run his late brother’s restaurant. With the help of a boisterous and memorable team, sister Natalie (Abby Elliot), “cousin” Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and newcomer Sydney (Ayo Edibiri), Carmy’s life and career aren’t exactly easier, but he’s got good company for a turbulent ride. —_PAQUETE_
79. “New Girl” (Fox, 2011 – 2018)
‘New Girl’Patrick McElhenney/©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Elizabeth Meriweather’s “adorkable” comedy was marketed on star Zooey Deschanel’s manic pixie dream girl energy, but from the very start it was so much more than a cute girl moving in with a group of men. “New Girl” found warmth, humor, and depth in every single character, and while it stood by Jess (Deschanel) and best friend Cece (Hannah Simone), it also made space for new masculinity in the sitcom world through Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Winston (Lamorne Morris), and Coach (Damon Wayans, Jr.). From unforgettable gags like True American to endlessly quotable dialogue and delivery to an all-time will-they/won’t-they and kiss heard through space and time, “New Girl” is a spectacular evolution of “Cheers,” “Friends,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and the hallowed tradition of friends figuring life out together. —_PK_
“Corporate”Courtesy of Comedy Central
78."Corporate" (Comedy Central, 2018-20)
"Corporate" es el mejor escenario para un espectáculo que se siente como un sueño febril. Los escritores y creadores Pat Bishop, Matt Ingebretson y Jake Weisman pudieron construir una protesta de tres estaciones de larga duración contra las manipulaciones del capitalismo, todo sin que el programa mismo se sintiera como una mercancía. Transformó la vida de la oficina, a saber, las hazañas de los compañeros de cubículo Matt (Ingebretson) y Jake (Weisman), en puntos de salto para experimentos de género salvaje. Algunos de ellos llegaron a la espalda de enamoramientos desesperados o pequeños rencores. Pasar de los chismes de la oficina a pequeña escala a las consecuencias geopolíticas de un mega-conglomerado masivo fue un truco que "corporativo" logró inquietantemente bien. Y un conjunto astuto, dirigido por un Lance Reddick que nunca mejoró, se aseguró de que el programa nunca se aburriera incluso si Matt y Jake lo hicieron. De una manera extraña, "Corporate" es una especie de pieza de época ahora, una cápsula de tiempo perfecta de una estructura de trabajo que colapsaba aún más rápido de lo que el equipo creativo del programa podría haber adivinado._—SG_
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“Casual”Courtesy of Greg Lewis / Hulu
77. “Casual” (Hulu, 2015-18)
Realmente no hay una sinopsis de la trama que pueda capturar lo bueno de "casual". Sí, existe la mirada intergeneracional a los romances complicados. Pero lo que hizo de esto un portador estándar temprano de la serie Hulu es que entendió profundamente a sus personajes. Hubo la confianza de que valía la pena pasar el rato con Valerie (Michaela Watkins), Alex (Tommy Dewey) y Laura (Tara Lynne Barr) a través de malas fechas y rupturas desordenadas y los rayos de la luz del sol en el medio. Hubiera sido fácil para un malestar establecido, como a veces lo hace para los programas construidos en problemas muy específicos de LA. Sin embargo, a medida que evolucionó el programa, se volvió menos sobre una familia encorvada a través de la crisis de la vida y más sobre las personas que elige aceptar en su vida, por el tiempo que sucede por mucho tiempo._—Sg_
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"American Vandal" Tyler Golden / Netflix
76. “American Vandal” (Netflix, 2017-18)
With Netflix cranking out true-crime documentaries at an unprecedented rate, it was only a matter of time until the streaming service catering to everyone and everything would satirize its own subscribers’ favored genre. But no one could’ve expected such a comedy to be this good. Created by Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda, “American Vandal” is at-once a low-brow laugh riot and a high-brow dissection of a particular filmmaking style. Season 1 asks a simple, now-iconic question — “Who drew the dicks?” — but pursues answers with a disproportionate intensity and structure that keeps the investigation compulsive, even when it’s calling attention to its own machinations. With a boost from a pitch-perfect Jimmy Tatro, Season 1 set a seemingly unreachable standard. Yet Season 2 lives up to its predecessor, pushing into even more complex territory as Perrault and Yacenda push themselves to cover fresh ground. It’s just a shame “American Vandal” had to end there, long before the true-crime grind slowed down. There’s plenty more to parody, and these creators clearly have plenty more to give. —BT
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“Will and Grace”Courtesy of Chris Haston / NBC