8 Most Perfect Sitcoms of the Last 10 Years, Ranked

Image via NBC Universal / Peacock Published Sep 9, 2026, 7:41 AM EDT Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts! On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK. In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Sign in to your Collider account We seem to be living in another heyday of television. Between networks, premium cable, and streamers, the bar has been raised as quality is overtaken by quantity. When it comes to sitcoms, the days of the 22-episode season are a thing of the past, allowing the shows to produce the most perfect product possible. Over the past 10 years, we have witnessed some sensational sitcoms that have reshaped the media landscape. We are here to curate the very best sitcoms since 2016. This list will focus more on traditional sitcoms than on general comedies, though there is some overlap with certain shows. That said, the shows on this list made us ponder life, feel nostalgic, and gave us a reason to believe again. From mockumentaries to high-concept laugh riots, these shows have delivered the laughs since they popped up on our screens. Let's just say the last 10 years have been a hilarious delight. 8 'Abbott Elementary' (2021–Present) Image via ABC Sitcoms have often fallen into two camps: the family sitcom and the workplace comedy. The latter tends to provide the opportunity for the former, but the antics at work become the focal point. We’ve seen school-set shows focusing on the kids, but what about the hard-working, tight-knit faculty that serve as the beating heart of the school? Welcome to Abbott Elementary. One of the most important sitcoms in modern comedy, the Emmy-winning hit follows the staff of the underfunded titular school in West Philadelphia. A mockumentary captures the everyday struggles, systemic hurdles, and triumphs of public education through the eyes of perpetually optimistic second-grade teacher Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson). Alongside fellow teachers, Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph), Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams), Melissa Schemmetti (Lisa Ann Walter), and Jacob Hill (Christopher Perfetti), and self-absorbed, unconventional, and unpredictable principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), Abbott Elementary grounded the stakes in a relatable way while giving its audience a chance to laugh without the harsh realities bogging it down. Abbott Elementary is all heart and charm. A perfectly written, expertly acted series, Abbott Elementary serves as a nostalgic-spirited comedy set in a place we know intimately. Abbott Elementary may not have been your school and the teachers may not have been the ones you had, yet you can comprehend and sympathize with them. The main ensemble is masterfully compiled to create a well-balanced puzzle. They each fulfill their own archetype and never overshadow one another. The comedy comes because of how different their personalities are. The sentimentality comes through their shared mission of making the school a better place. Abbott Elementary is one of the rare sitcoms today that sticks to the traditional 22-episode order. And yet, there's no fluff. By adhering to a real-life school schedule, you feel as if you're within the school year with Janine, Barbara, Gregory, and company. Abbott Elementary is a smart comedy that rewards attentive viewing by stacking quick background gags and left-field punchlines into every scene. 7 'Derry Girls' (2018–2022) Image via Channel 4 There are very few sitcoms as delightfully perfect as the largely underrated gem, Derry Girls. The masterpiece, created by Lisa McGee, follows four local teenage girls, Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), her cousin Orla McCool (Louisa Harland), and friends Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlan) and Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), along with Michelle's "wee English fella" cousin, James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn), as they try to survive high school at Our Lady Immaculate College, headed by the dryly wry Sister Michael (Siohbán McSweeney). Meanwhile, at home, Erin's eccentric extended family lives under the same roof, dealing with everyday domestic arguments and financial worries. Set against the backdrop of The Troubles, the teens navigate the universal chaos of adolescence in Northern Ireland during the 1990s. The epitome of nostalgia in a pop culture-rich atmosphere, Derry Girls puts the political turmoil secondary to the mundane and relatable teenage problems. Derry Girls is sensational writing at its finest. The razor-sharp, rapid-fire comedy provides non-stop laughs. The beauty of the story lies in its accessibility. You may not have grown up with their experience of adolescence, but you know what it's like to grow up with close friends, face family woes, and desperately wish school to end forever. The core group together operates as a unified force of self-absorbed teenage chaos. You can't believe the hijinks they get the marines into, and yet relish in seeing more antics unfold. There is a profound historical heart that sets the sitcom apart from anything else on television. For three seasons, Derry Girls was perfection. Maybe one day we'll see the teens at a high school reunion for a revival show. 6 'Jury Duty' (2023–Present) Image via Freevee Every so often, a show comes along that is completely unexpected and skyrockets to success because it's uniquely its own. Such is the case with the reality-hoax sitcom Jury Duty. From the minds of Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, the series began by chronicling a faux civil jury trial through the eyes of an entirely unsuspecting juror, Ronald Gladden. Ronald, unlike everybody else in the room, is not an actor. Including Hollywood's own James Marsden, who plays an extension of himself. Believing he is participating in a legitimate documentary about the jury duty process, he is put through the wringer as increasingly bizarre, maddening, and outlandish circumstances unfold. In the end, Ronald's empathy is on full display as proof of the real good ones in the world. In Season 2, the antics shift to a company retreat where Anthony Norman, a temp worker, believes he's joining the staff of Rockin' Grandma's Hot Sauce for team-building, only to discover the ploy is that the company is being sold to suits. Again, Anthony's heart becomes central to the story. Jury Duty is a sensational hybrid sitcom that unites the absurd, structured plotting of classic sitcoms with the hilarity of an unscripted reality show. By having an endearing straight man to anchor the action, Jury Duty masterfully pulls off the con without harmfully exploiting its target. You feel for him at moments when things seem to go too far, but you feel even more for the improv actors who test the limits and genuinely feel guilty of what they put their subject through. And that's where the charm lies. Jury Duty fulfills the quirks necessary for a classic sitcom, where the funny comes through in the enduring escalation. Jury Duty is the epitome of feel-good humor. Kindness wins in the end. Jury Duty forces you to examine your own life when things go awry. Could I be the next Ronald or Anthony? Wouldn't be such a bad gig! 5 'St. Denis Medical' (2024–Present) Image via NBC Easily the most underrated sitcom on this list is the delightfully funny St. Denis Medical. Created by Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin, the workplace mocumentary follows the overworked, hilariously flawed, and inept staff at the underfunded safety-net hospital in Oregon. Through the eyes of devoted supervising nurse Alex (Allison Tolman), we see her navigate St. Denis Medical and a cast of eccentric individuals, including veteran doctor Ron (David Alan Grier), inexperienced newcomer Matt (Mekki Leeper), and wild-dreamer executive director Joyce Henderson (Wendi McLendon-Covey). St. Denis Medical blends fast-paced banter, goofy situations, and genuine heart to depict the harsh realities of the modern healthcare system in America. Created by the minds behind Superstore, St. Denis Medical assumes the same charm to appeal to an audience who genuinely seeks a comfort laugh. St. Denis Medical is the type of sitcom you relish for the buffoonery that helps make our own lives not seem half as bad. Though not the first nor the last hospital comedy, St. Denis Medical remains refreshing and poignant today. The series feels like the genre's classics we fell in love with. St. Denis Medical thrives through its standout ensemble who make up the perfect cast of kooky characters. Because they are well-meaning and dedicated, they are rooted in sincerity, even when the chaotic workplace antics go off the rails. If you need to escape reality, St. Denis Medical is the place to escape to. Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one. 🚀Star Wars 💍Lord of the Rings 🧙Harry Potter 👑Game of Thrones 🖖Star Trek FIND YOUR UNIVERSE → 01 What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question. ABeing part of something larger than myself — a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me. BThe journey itself — the places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way. CLearning — unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more. DLegacy — the name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me. EUnderstanding — exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast. NEXT QUESTION → 02 Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully. AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture — connected by conflict, trade, and the Force. BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges. CA world hidden inside our own — full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned. DA brutal, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation. EA future where humanity has reached the stars — and must decide what kind of species it wants to be. NEXT QUESTION → 03 How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul. AThrough sacrifice and courage — someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to. BThrough fellowship — the impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road. CThrough growth — confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge. DThrough strategy — outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt. EThrough dialogue — finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer that doesn't require a body count. NEXT QUESTION → 04 Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for. AA small crew — a pilot, a rogue, a warrior — each broken in their own way, unbeatable together. BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road. CFriends who grew up alongside me — who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway. DAllies whose loyalty I've earned — and tested — and whose ambitions align with mine, for now. EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space. NEXT QUESTION → 05 What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are. AI want to use it to protect — and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful. BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up. CI want to earn it — through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it. DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me. EI want to understand it — its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real threat. NEXT QUESTION → 06 How does your universe treat good and evil? A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map. AThere is a dark side and a light side — and the choice between them is always present, always personal. BEvil is real and ancient and patient — and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it. CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people — and people are complicated, always capable of both. DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency. EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems — and understanding it is the first step to solving it. NEXT QUESTION → 07 What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying? AThe reluctant hero — ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act. BThe unlikely carrier — the one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything. CThe student — not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs. DThe player — sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it. EThe explorer — drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before. NEXT QUESTION → 08 What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you. AThat hope is real — that even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible. CThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try. CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise. DThat the wheel keeps turning — that power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it. EThat humanity — or whatever we become — is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be. REVEAL MY UNIVERSE → Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose. Star WarsYou believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast. You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance. You'd find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources. Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story. The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is. Lord of the RingsYou understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost. Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate. You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival. Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance. Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world. Harry PotterYou believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise. The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle. You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete. Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying. That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely. Game of ThronesYou see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it. Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation. You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be. Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer. Winter always comes. You are already prepared. Star TrekYou believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation. Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear. You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is. The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better? You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 4 'Ted Lasso' (2020–Present) When the world was experiencing some dark times, we were united around a fictional soccer coach who gave us hope and a reason to believe. Ted Lasso depicts the kind and folksy American football coach named Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), who is hired to lead A.F.C. Richmond by the team's owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), whose mission is to ruin the club out of spite for her ex-husband, Rupert Mannion (Anthony Head). Without any experience in the sport, Ted leads with relentless optimism, empathy, and pure kindness, reminding everyone that winning isn't everything, but it sure is nice! Ted Lasso moves beyond just silly sitcom tropes to focus on themes of overcoming trauma, toxic masculinity, mental health, and becoming the best possible version of yourself. Ted Lasso is a special type of comedy. Like its central character, the series leads with pure empathy, making it lovingly accessible. The series may be a sports-centric show, but it is truly just a backdrop for extraordinary, deeply developed characters. Ted's upbeat demeanor is used as a genuine coping mechanism that transforms the individuals in his orbit. There is profound sweetness in the ensemble that makes you want to become their best friends. With a focus on real-world issues that affect us all, Ted Lasso hits home. If the characters are flawed and tackling their problems head-on, it gives us hope that we too can find the courage to change and evolve. With slick writing, strong emotional stakes, slap-stick humor, and dad jokes that evoke a groan, Ted Lasso is comfort television at its finest. 3 'The Good Place' (2016–2020) Image via NBC Perhaps one of the most unique sitcoms to ever grace our screens is the brilliant The Good Place. Created by Michael Schur, the fantasy sitcom centers on Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), a self-centered woman who dies and wakes up in a heaven-like afterlife, known as The Good Place, by mistake. Run by an architect named Michael (Ted Danson), Eleanor tries to learn how to be a genuinely good person alongside other denizens, including Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil), and Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto). A series that truly took flight after the big twist dropped, The Good Place rejects the traditional sitcom tropes for a tightly plotted philosophical thinker. Through an intellectually crafted narrative with sensational character dynamics and exceptional world-building, The Good Place felt more realistically developed than some sitcoms set in our own reality. Schur masterfully created a universe that starts, stops, evolves, and resets with purpose. With all the sight gags, rapid-fire bits, and over-the-top antics, The Good Place effortlessly dips deep into existential questions, making the comedy more profound and philosophical than anything we’ve seen before. In a sublime four seasons, The Good Place was precisely told with no filler, proving that a well-constructed story can have a solid beginning, middle, and end without superfluous content. 2 'The Paper' (2025–Present) Image via Peacock It seemed like an impossible feat to replicate The Office. And yet, its original spin-off, The Paper, simply used the same continuity and DNA to establish its own identity while maintaining the spirit that made the original a massive pop culture success. The mockumentary set in Toledo, Ohio, follows the historic yet struggling Toledo Truth Teller led by new editor Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson), who is hired to revive the paper. Joined by a ragtag team of misfit volunteer reporters, Ned showcases the power of journalism through optimism and enthusiasm. The Paper prints the recipe for success through its strong acting core, witty scripts, and reliance on nostalgia. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, The Paper is a great example of how a legacy series should be made. Aside from the same base humor, the worlds are tied together by the continuity of the same documentary crew and the return of Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez), who helps deliver The Office Easter eggs. The series' humor balances typical workplace hijinks with modern media struggles, the world of clickbait, and local news bureaucracy. The entire ensemble shines, finding moments to ham it up in the spotlight while also giving space to their fellow teammates. Though the combo of Esmeralda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore) and Ken Davies (Tim Key) is truly a chef's kiss. With Season 2 arriving oh so soon, The Paper is destined to continue the tradition of its predecessor and deliver comedy gold. 1 'What We Do in the Shadows' (2019–2024) Image via FX Every now and then, we need an off-kilter comedy to remind us that originality will always shine supreme. Created by Jemaine Clement, the comedy-horror-fantasy series follows a documentary crew that follows a group of roommates who happen to be ancient vampires. They argue about the most mundane things, including chores, paying rent, and trying to get into clubs. A genuine hoot of a series, What We Do in the Shadows combines a high-concept supernatural story with the most hilariously ridiculous plots while acknowledging its own world-building lore. Inspired by the film of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows treats the iconic bloodsuckers as average modern humans who are worried about dry cleaning, local town council meetings, and forgetting to do the dishes. The reason these bits are bops is thanks to the sensational characters, each of whom is their own distinct archetype. The ensemble, comprised of Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch, and Kristen Schaal, make up one of the most hilarious acting cores in modern comedy. Through a combination of pre-planned plots and innovative improvisation, the cast riffs and builds natural, hilarious rhythms that lift the material to great heights. What We Do in the Shadows is absurdism at its finest. 35 Emmy nominations across six seasons isn't half bad! What We Do in the Shadows Release Date 2019 - 2024-00-00 Network FX Cast Matt Berry Laszlo Cravensworth Showrunner Paul Simms Directors Kyle Newacheck, Jason Woliner, Jackie van Beek Writers Chris Marcil, Lauren Wells, Tom Scharpling, Rajat Suresh, Jeremy Levick, Max Brockman, Duncan Sarkies, Iain Morris, Josh Lieb, Aasia LaShay Bullock Main Genre Comedy Seasons 6 Producers Paul Simms, Taika Waititi, Garrett Basch, Jemaine Clement, Eli Bush, Marika Sawyer, Derek Rappaport, Sam Johnson, Scott Rudin, Yana Gorskaya, Stefani Robinson, Todd Aronauer Creator(s) Jemaine Clement Story By Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi Streaming Service(s) Hulu