Sitcoms are one of the most popular genres of TV shows. We have determined which sitcom is the best according to the community of FILMSTARTS, the largest German film and series website.
Sitcoms, a portmanteau of „situation“ and „comedy,“ come in many forms and variations. They all follow a certain basic formula: while the same beloved characters and settings are at the center over many seasons, what’s more important than continuity of plot are the jokes and punchlines, ideally fired off at a breathtaking pace – sometimes, but often supported by the laughter of the studio audience. As the characters eventually grow close to our hearts like good acquaintances and individual episodes rarely exceed a length of 30 minutes, hardly any genre of series is better suited for cozy distraction in between – the ideal „comfort food.“ But what is actually the best sitcom of all time? To find out, we took a look at the ratings from the FILMSTARTS community. According to the official numbers from IVW for the year 2024, FILMSTARTS.de is the most widely read German-language site for films and series, with a community that includes numerous film and series fans. The opinion of FILMSTARTS users can therefore be considered representative of the German audience. But now, we won’t keep you in suspense any longer: Here are the top 10 sitcoms of all time:
– „The Big Bang Theory“ – 4.325 out of 5 stars
– „Modern Family“ – 4.232 out of 5 stars
– „How I Met Your Mother“ – 4.287 out of 5 stars
– „Rick And Morty“ – 4.287 out of 5 stars
– „Brooklyn Nine-Nine“ – 4.225 out of 5 stars
– „Scrubs – Die Anfänger“ – 4.216 out of 5 stars
– „Die Simpsons“ – 4.197 out of 5 stars
– „King Of Queens“ – 4.181 out of 5 stars
– „Community“ – 4.102 out of 5 stars
– „New Girl“ – 3.967 out of 5 stars
It’s not a big surprise that „The Big Bang Theory“ clearly outperformed its competition and is ranked first in our list. With „How I Met Your Mother“ and „Modern Family“ rounding out the top 3, two more sitcoms that started in the 2000s. Even later – in 2013 – „Rick And Morty“ (4th place) premiered, alongside the cult classic „The Simpsons,“ one of two animated sitcoms on the list.
What’s especially noticeable is what’s missing in the top 10: While newer sitcoms clearly dominate (from „Brooklyn Nine-Nine“ to „New Girl“ to „Community“), many classics are absent – from „Friends“ to „The Nanny“ to „The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,“ „Roseanne,“ or „Seinfeld.“ Even „Malcolm in the Middle,“ „Two And A Half Men,“ or „The Office“ surprisingly didn’t make the list!
In conclusion, a few remarks about the list: All average ratings are rounded to the third decimal place. Just like with the reviews from the FILMSTARTS editorial team, all users can rate between 0.5 (poor) and 5 stars (masterpiece). Also, „The Big Bang Theory“ creator confirms: Sheldon still doesn’t know the truth behind his biggest trauma even years later.
