Of all the genres on television, the sitcom is perhaps one of the most overlooked in today’s climate. Where the sitcom once reigned supreme, they’re now often overlooked in favor of more serious and dramatic fare. While many claim there are great older TV sitcoms that need reboots, the genre is actually alive and well, and bursting with originality. Situational comedy is fast becoming something of a niche market, especially as popular comedy has grown increasingly divisive in nature, and sitcoms tend to stick to less volatile subject matter. However, there are many great sitcoms that have aired in recent years that just don’t get enough attention.
What makes a great sitcom is far more complex than it may seem. As well as comedy, good sitcoms need light drama, and they also need to organically inspire moments of genuine emotion. The best TV sitcoms are able to consistently deliver laughs while also demonstrating engaging character ensembles that are heavily reliant on both good writing and acting. Even so, recent sitcoms that embody all those qualities often go overlooked despite being incredibly entertaining.
7) Fresh Off the Boat (ABC, 2015-2020)
Fresh Off the Boat is a great example of a recent underrated TV sitcom that doesn’t get enough attention. Based on the life of chef and comedian Eddie Huang, it follows a family of Chinese-American immigrants and their experiences in Florida in the 1990s. Starring Randall Park and Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat has plenty of great comedy in a fairly traditional sitcom setting that puts a great spin on the established tropes of the genre.
6) Life in Pieces (CBS, 2015-2019)
One of the best cancelled TV sitcoms of recent years, Life in Pieces is another great show that doesn’t get mentioned enough. It follows several generations of the Short family as they go about their lives, with each episode comprising four short stories involving different branches of the family tree. The show’s interesting format is complemented by great performances from its ensemble cast, but it simply never gets enough love, especially since its cancellation in 2019.
5) Difficult People (Hulu, 2015-2017)
While they may not be the most hated sitcom characters, Julie and Billy from Difficult People certainly have a lot of people they hate. Created by and starring Julie Klausner, the show also stars Billy Eichner, with the pair playing jaded comedians filled with contempt for those around them. It’s a hilariously written sitcom with some truly memorable characters, but for some reason isn’t talked about much despite its quality.
4) Single Parents (ABC, 2018-2020)
Many sitcoms involve families with a relatively traditional dynamic, and sometimes those that eschew that trope end up better off for it. Single Parents is exactly that: it follows a divorced dad in his 30s whose fellow single parents realize that he is in dire need of encouragement to get out and live his own life. As touching as it is comedic, Single Parents is a recent example of how sitcoms can more accurately portray modern relationships, but it never quite received the attention it should have.
3) The Unicorn (CBS, 2019-2021)
In premise, The Unicorn shares some similarities with Single Parents. It stars Walton Goggins as a widowed single father encouraged by his friends to get back into dating, but that’s where the similarities end. He learns that, as an eligible widow and a devoted father that he’s actually in high demand with single women his own age. Alongside Goggins, The Unicorn‘s great comedic cast includes Rob Corddry, Omar Miller, and Maya Lynne Robinson, all of whom combine to make it a sitcom that deserves to be talked about much more than it currently is.
2) Workin’ Moms (CBC Television, 2017-2023)
Something that was only occasionally touched on by great 1980s TV sitcoms was the idea of parents who also held down full-time jobs, but more modern shows find the idea inescapable. No shows better play on that societal shift than Workin’ Moms, a Canadian sitcom that centers on a group of characters who are all working mothers balancing their family lives with their professional and social ones. It ran for seven seasons before ending in 2023, and despite its long run and great reputation, it just doesn’t get enough attention.
1) Angie Tribeca (TBS, 2016-2018)
There are many great workplace comedies that don’t get enough love, but Angie Tribeca stands out as one of the most recent. The show follows the titular character, a 10-year veteran of the LAPD played by Rashida Jones, when she is assigned a new partner. Praised for its one-liners, use of irony, and dedication to visual humor, Angie Tribeca easily matches the energy of Brooklyn Nine-Nine with a West Coast flavor. Despite being a great sitcom send-up of police procedurals, it’s another recent show that people hardly mention at all.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
