Friday, January 03, 2020

Fri-Yay: Top Sitcoms of the Decade, Part 1; Modern Family Heads to Paris for Episode

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

Happy Endings

by Vincent

As we enter the 2020s, it's a good time to look back at the past 10 years of sitcoms and reflect on the best of the best. Below you'll find my list of the top sitcoms of the decade, with a little blurb about why I chose them as a standout sitcom. I decided to go with 12 sitcoms, as these 12 sitcoms are the ones that I felt really stood out as unique, original and important this decade. This week, I'll preview the first half. Next week, I'll count down the top 5!

12. New Girl (Fox, 2011 - 2018): New Girl started out as an ordinary Zooey Deschanel vehicle, obviously trying to propel its leading lady to TV stardom. However, it quickly grew into a show about a lovable group of misfits that became one of the best makeshift families on TV. New Girl’s humor, heart and wit made it one of the best sitcoms of the 2010s.

11. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox and NBC, 2013 - present): Brooklyn Nine-Nine was one of the sharpest workplace comedies of the decade, taking a familiar setting of a police precinct and making a unique structure of a sitcom meets a case-of-the-week series. However, what really makes this show shine is its extraordinary cast. The members of the 99th precinct are some of the most likable people on TV, and that's what made Brooklyn 99 one of the most likable shows of the 2010s.

10. 30 Rock (NBC, 2006 - 2013): Although 30 Rock aired only about half of its run in the 2010s, it still deserves a mention on this list for being one of the the funniest, best crafted sitcoms of all-time. The show's 2010s episodes (which spawned from the middle of the fourth season through the seventh season) were some of their best, featuring format-changing episodes such as live shows and episodes styled like Bravo reality shows. The show's final season in particular was a gem, wrapping everything up with emotional weight while still maintaining its signature joke-a-minute pace. 30 Rock will forever go down as one of the most joke-heavy shows to ever hit the airwaves.

9. One Day at a Time (Netflix and Pop TV, 2017 - present): If there's any show that's going to revive the multi-camera sitcom, it's One Day at a Time. After the format largely went dormant this decade aside from CBS's slate, One Day at a Time proved that it could still be full of laughs while still being cutting edge and inventive. The reboot of the 1970s sitcom stands out from the original by packing every episode with family love and a focus on relevant social issues.

8. Superstore (NBC, 2015 - present): NBC's Superstore can arguably be called the savior of NBC comedy this decade. After the network's attempts at going "broad" following their cancellation of the beloved 30 Rock/Community/Parks & Rec/Office blocked that marked the first few years of the decade went kaput, Superstore proved there was still a place for funny, sharp and smart comedy on the peacock. Superstore is a razor sharp satire of Corporate America with a funny and diverse cast, and it remains one of TV's biggest gems to this day.

7. Broad City (Comedy Central, 2014 - 2019): Broad City is a show that, in many ways, broke barriers. Not only did it allow two girls to enjoy the kind of success from crude, realistic humor in a way that hadn't been done before, its rags-to-riches story from a web series to a big-time TV series paved the way for many similar cable comedies after its debut. Broad City's lovable goofiness and strong example of female friendship will no doubt remain a major cultural touch-point of this decade.

6. Happy Endings (ABC, 2011 - 2013): The shortest-running show on this list, Happy Endings continues to go down as a fan favorite that was overlooked at the time but seems to be growing in popularity slowly but surely, the same way shows like Futurama and Arrested Development did before it. The show's fast-paced format rivaled classic Simpsons and 30 Rock for how many jokes it could cram into a single minute, and the friendship between its principle cast combined with its love of wordplay made for one of the most fun sitcoms of the 2010s.

Next week, I'll count down my top 5 sitcoms of the 2010s!


Modern Family - Paris

Je T'aime, Paris! Over the last 11 seasons, the Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan has traveled the globe, making hilarious memories wherever they went – from Hawaii, Australia, Wyoming and Disneyland to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and New York City. In one last family trip, they head to Paris so Jay can accept a lifetime achievement award for his work in the closet industry. However, his old nemesis, Earl Chambers, finds a way to haunt him. Meanwhile, Claire has a secret rendezvous in one of the most romantic cities in the world, and Cam's lifelong dream of performing as Fizbo on the streets of Paris is about to become a reality on an all-new episode of Modern Family, titled "Paris," on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 9:00 p.m. EST, on ABC. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on ABC.com, the ABC app and Hulu. Modern Family is currently the No. 1 comedy of the season in Adults 18-49.



Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Sunday, November 1

Animal Control - "Bugs and Rabid Dogs" (Fox, 7:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Frank goes undercover at Roman's new privatized animal control company, Pax Romana.

Universal Basic Guys - "La Gloire Du Bouffon" (Fox, 7:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mark learns to play a new instrument; Tammy confronts her fear of clowns.

The Simpsons - "Testing 1-2-3" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
In what she argues is not an attempt to get extra time on tests, Lisa has herself evaluated for three types of neurodiversity -- which remind her of behaviors she's witnessed in Principal Skinner, Comic Boy and Homer.

Animal Control - "Sled Dogs and Kitty Litter" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Victoria balances pig parenting with a hot date.

Universal Basic Guys - "Termination: Salvation" (Fox, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Mark teaches Andrea how to live the post-work lifestyle; Hank helps a robot find joy.

Grimsburg - "CrimeShare" (Fox, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The precinct goes on an office retreat.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 26)

Friday, October 30

  • Kate Berlant (Ghosted/Search Party) - Watch Kate on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This/Central Park/The Good Place) - Kristen appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Joe Manganiello (Mythic Quest/How I Met Your Mother) - Joe is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Quinta appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Natasha Leggero (Broke/Dice/Another Period/Free Agents) and Tommy Davidson (The Varnell Hill Show/The Proud Family/Malcolm & Eddie/Between Brothers) - Natasha and Tommy will be on a repeat of Funny You Should Ask at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep/The New Adventures of Old Christine/Watching Ellie/Seinfeld/Day by Day) and Allison Janney (Mom/Mr. Sunshine) - Julia and Allison talk about Broadway's Other Desert Cities on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
  • Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Do Not Disturb/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Jerry appears on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Sophia Bush (Partners) - Sophia talks about And I Will Tell You Mine: Notes from a Life in Progress on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Sherri Shepherd (Mr. Iglesias/Trial & Error/Sherri/Less Than Perfect/Suddenly Susan) - Sherri talks about Broadway's Aladdin on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
  • Karyn Parsons (The Job/Lush Life/The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) - Karyn discusses her new novel, Blue Beach, and her iconic role as Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
  • Marilu Henner (Taxi/Evening Shade) - Marilu is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD) The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray) The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD) I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

01/20/26 - The Woody Woodpecker and Friends Golden Age Collection (Blu-ray)
01/27/26 - The New Fred and Barney Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/11/26 - Tom and Jerry - The Complete CinemaScope Collection (Blu-ray)
03/24/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
04/11/26 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
04/21/26 - Famous Studios Champion Collection (Blu-ray) (DVD)
05/19/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (DVD)
05/19/26 - Looney Tunes Cartoons - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
06/16/26 - Difficult People - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
06/30/26 - Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
07/14/26 - The Office - The Complete Series - Superfan Extended Episodes (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Bill Dana Show - The Complete Series (DVD)
07/28/26 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series - 75th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray)
07/28/26 - The Paper - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
08/25/26 - Perfect Strangers - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/08/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Vault - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
09/22/26 - Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/20/26 - The Quick Draw McGraw Show - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

10/31 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Criminal Minds Coming to an End; Baywatch Premiere Date Set
10/30 - VH1 to Bring Back America's Funniest People Starring Ms. Pat; Remembering Barbara Barrie and Patrick Stewart
10/29 - Peacock's Dig Trailer and Artwork; The CW 2026 Holiday Programming with A Very Brady Christmas, A Flintstone Christmas and More
10/28 - ABC 2026 Holiday Programming; Remembering Susan Saint James of Kate & Allie
10/27 - Fox's Baywatch Premieres January 6; aspireTV's First Sitcom Premieres January 7
10/26 - COZI TV's Halloween Schedule with Roseanne, George Lopez, The Munsters and More; Chloe Radcliffe: Eyes Down Here Stand-up Special
10/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 26, 2026)
10/24 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Reboots in the Works for Coach and Glee; Saturday Night Live Sets November Hosts
10/23 - Prime Video Renews Carrie for Season 2; Remembering Richard Riehle of Grounded for Life
10/22 - Abbott Elementary Returns Big After 7 Day Viewing; BET Renews ComicView: Rooftop Series
10/21 - Charmed Joining Hulu This Huluween; Prime Video's Comedy Variety Series Hosted by Nick Kroll
10/20 - Hulu's Phony Premieres Today; Janelle James Netflix Comedy Special Drops November 10
10/19 - Lil Kev Season 2 Premieres December 9; It's a Wonderful Lifetime 2026 Schedule
10/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 19, 2026)
10/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Hulu Picks Up Reboot for The X-Files; Roseanne Self-Produces New Sitcom
10/16 - Christa B. Allen in Night of January 16th Play Through Sunday; Remembering Sitcom Writer and Producer Bernie Orenstein
10/15 - Guest Stars for Peacock's Comedy Dig; Apple TV Renews Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed for Season 2
10/14 - HBO Brings Back Girls for 5 Episodes; Hulu's The X-Files Picked Up to Series
10/13 - Full Cast for Three's Company Live Reading in New York City; High Potential to Air After Super Bowl on ABC
10/12 - Bob's Burgers Holiday Special on Hulu; The Rookie and The Rookie: North Wednesdays on ABC in January
10/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 12, 2026)
10/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Colin Jost and Danny Chun to Launch Free Streaming Comedy; Paramount/Warner Merger Completed
10/09 - Apple TV Comedy Stick Returns November 4; News from New York Comic Con 2026 Day One
10/08 - FETV Acquires I Dream of Jeannie and The Bionic Woman; Netflix Renews The Hunting Wives for Season 3, Before Season 2 Launch
10/07 - More Live Three's Company Readings; Lucy Hale is Scarlett Holmes for Roku in 2027
10/06 - NBC's Happy Place Season 3 Trailer; Apple TV's Imperfect Women Renewed for Season 2
10/05 - A Different World to Return for Season 2 on Netflix; Prime Video's Barbershop Comedy Series Premieres February 10
10/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of October 5, 2026)
10/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: A Different World Renewed for Second Season; A First Look at Ted: The Animated Series
10/02 - Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head Season 4 Launch; Anthony Anderson Returns to Soul Train Awards
10/01 - Ted: The Animated Series Premieres December 17 on Peacock; Trailer for Apple TV's Small Prophets