10 American Sitcoms That Will Forever Stand The Test Of Time

Published Aug 28, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT Zach Moser has been writing for ScreenRant since 2022, covering movies, classic TV, and streaming TV. His areas of expertise cover a wide range of genres with a particular interest in horror and drama, and the conversations around the TV and film industry. When he's not covering the latest film releases or chronicling the latest season of a new show, he's writing humor pieces for McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Slackjaw, and Points In Case or working on short stories and his second novel. These 10 American sitcoms will stand the test of time and decades in the future, they're still going to have loyal fan bases with a place in pop culture. This is not a list of the best sitcoms ever, nor has every sitcom on this list aged perfectly. Plenty have jokes that don't hit quite the same, and conceits that don't make sense in the modern era. They are sitcoms, however, that aren't going anywhere. They are woven into the fabric of television, and as long as the medium exists, the names of these 10 shows aren't going to be forgotten. They have ardent fans for good reason. When they came out, they broke new ground, and since their arrival, there really haven't been any sitcoms like them. I Love Lucy (1951-1957) Image via MovieStillsDB.com I Love Lucy was the most-watched show in the United States for most of its run, and it basically developed, or at least popularized, syndicated TV shows and reruns. Modern TV would look a lot different without I Love Lucy, and 70 years after it premiered, Academy Award-nominated biodramas like Being the Ricardos are keeping the series in the public consciousness. The series stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, a married couple living in New York City. I Love Lucy generally follows Lucy's attempts to break into show business but just as often finds her getting into whatever hijinks and situations, usually caused by her innocence combined with ambition. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977) The Mary Tyler Moore Show stars the titular actress, Mary Tyler Moore, as Mary Richards, an independent, unmarried woman who has a great job she cares about at a local news station. Quaint now, that show's description was groundbreaking in the era, and still represents a critical moment in women's representation on television. Throughout the seven seasons of the show, Mary succeeds in her career and her life goals, all without a man being involved in any significant way. If you ever want to talk about keystone moments in representation on television, The Mary Tyler Moore Show has to be brought up, and it just so happens to have one of the greatest sitcom performances leading it as well. Cheers (1982-1993) Image courtesy of MovieStillsDb Cheers is one of those shows that you know the details of, the setting (a bar), the characters (Norm, Sam, Diane), even the style of the jokes (barflies wasting time anyway they can), but you still may not have ever seen even an episode of it. It might be just a few years too old for the streaming generation to be willing to jump back in. Yet, it's as much a comfort sitcom as The Office, Friends, or Seinfeld, the podium for comfort shows. It's a surprisingly modern series for beginning its life in the early '80s, and the ensemble cast, which includes Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, and Kirstie Alley, have gone on to relevant and fantastic careers. The Golden Girls (1985-1992) The Golden Girls is just shorthand now, a phrase you use to refer to any group of older women who are living like age is just a construct. The show is memorable beyond its conceit, though, which stars Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty as four elderly women living together in a house in Miami. The four women navigate age and life together as they make the most of their late-life freedom. There really aren't too many shows or movies like The Golden Girls, and the ones that have tried to emulate it are nowhere near as compelling. It's the only show you can turn to when you want something in its exact register. Seinfeld (1989-1998) Seinfeld is just too funny for it to ever be forgotten about. Even if three-quarters of the jokes don't work as well anymore, whether because of the outdated laugh track or because they inspired so many copycats, one-quarter of the amount of jokes found in a Seinfeld episode is still a lot of laughs. The series stars Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as four friends who wind up in absurd and unfortunate situations, almost always because of their own selfishness and lack of tact. It's a show that will remain relevant no matter the time period, as long as people keep acting with only their self-interest in mind. The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air (1990-1996) Image via NBC The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air remains fresh, even after its star has fallen a bit in the cultural eye. It's a testament to the comedic chops of the entire cast and the brilliant writing of the series. After a combative game of basketball in West Philadelphia, young Will (Will Smith) is sent to live with his bougie cousins in Bel-Air, California. Will's street-wise attitude comes into hilarious conflict with the buttoned-up, upper-class sensibilities of his family. It's an idea that never gets old. What really helps the series stay relevant is its strong grip on the dramatic storylines, whether that be Will's difficult home life or the discrimination a black family in the United States faces no matter their income bracket. Friends (1994-2004) Via MovieStillsDB Friends is a wonderful sitcom about, well, friends. Though it's more on the modern side of things, it still feels like the prototype for a lot of shows that would end up coming after. The series is the quintessential sitcom, with every trope you can think of, from interfriendship romances to giant apartments no barista could afford. A comedy with a lot of heart, it's one of the sitcoms where it pays to watch it from start to finish. The silly jokes and ridiculous situations eventually give way to some tearjerking arcs between romantic partners, families, and friends. It's a panoramic series with something for everyone. Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005) Everybody Loves Raymond is a unique sitcom in the pantheon. The series stars Ray Romano as Ray Barone, a sportswriter on Long Island who lives with his wife and three children. Across the street are his overbearing and intrusive parents, and his dopey older brother is a cop in the area, though he spends more time on Ray's couch than in his patrol car. It's a typical sitcom setup, but Everybody Loves Raymond is more honest about American family life than almost any other show. The fact that the series almost never extends outside of the core family unit goes to show how deep the series wants to mine into the idea of nuclear families. It's a rigorous storytelling method that will keep the series relevant for years. The Office (2005-2013) Credit: MovieStillsDB The Office popularized the mockumentary style sitcom, which is still a staple of network and streaming comedies over 20 years later. That alone places it on the list of sitcoms that will remain relevant for years to come. It also overcame the challenge of translating a hilarious, sharp British series into an American sitcom that stands on its own. Most importantly, The Office provided nine years of brilliant, hilarious writing. The jokes in the first two seasons of the show are just as funny now as they were then, and it almost feels like shows have gotten a little less funny since, as if they're worried they won't reach the heights of a series that's going to be remembered for years. New Girl (2011-2018) Image via MovieStillsDB New Girl is the most recent show on this list, and for some, that might make it feel too soon to be put on the list of shows that will stand the test of time. However, there are so many things going for the series that you can already tell it's the type of show that's going to be rediscovered every 10 years. There are few other American sitcoms that can claim to have a cast with the chemistry of New Girl, where every configuration of characters makes for a compelling and funny storyline. Jess (Zooey Deschanel) is an incredible point-of-view main character, and someone everyone will relate to in one way or another.