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

Friday, May 30

Happy's Place - "Don't Sweat It" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bobbie asks Isabella to move in with her, but when Isabella sees that Bobbie likes to address conflict head on, Isabella decides it might not be the best idea.

Happy's Place - "Fish Fry Monday" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Emmett sees Bobbie drowning in work, he devises a clever ruse to give her a much-needed day off fishing, all under the guise of reviving the tavern's Fish Fry Mondays; Isabella dives into the world of bartending with Gabby.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 26)

Friday, May 30

  • Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal/The Curse) - Watch Nathan on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Paula Poundstone (Home Movies) - Paula performs stand-up comedy on a repeat of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
  • Nathan Lane (Mid-Century Modern/Only Murders in the Building/Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!/One of the Boys) - Nathan appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Ralph Macchio (Eight Is Enough) - Ralph swings by for a chat about Karate Kid: Legends on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
  • Justina Machado (One Day at a Time) - Justina chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. She also talks about Broadway's Real Women Have Curves: The Musical on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
  • Yara Shahidi (grown-ish/black-ish) - Yara is telling Drew about the new venture she's taking on, where she's currently at with dating and more on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
  • Don Darryl Rivera (Only Murders in the Building) - Don talks about Broadway's Aladdin on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series Frasier (2023) - Season Two Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered) Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)

01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (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

05/30 - FX's Adults Pilot Available on Social Platforms; BET and BET+ Premiere New Tyler Perry Series in June
05/29 - Netflix's New Chuck Lorre Sitcom Leanne; Apple TV+ Season 4 Premiere of The Morning Show
05/28 - Max Renews Hacks for Season 5; Byron Allen Coming Back to CBS Late Night
05/27 - Antenna TV Summer 2025 Schedule; Rewind TV Summer 2025 Schedule
05/26 - Memorial Day 2025 TV Sitcom Marathons
05/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 26, 2025)
05/24 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Zach Braff Joins Scrubs Reboot; 7th Heaven Reboot in the Works
05/23 - Discovery Channel's Shark Week with Tom Bergeron; Apple TV+ Season 2 of Hit Series
05/22 - TV Legend Henry Winkler's New HISTORY Series; The CW Renews Family Law
05/21 - Remembering George Wendt of Cheers; Platonic Season 2 First Look
05/20 - The CW Renews Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble; Mike Birbiglia: The Good Life on Netflix May 26
05/19 - North to Shore Festival Returns This June in NJ; S.W.A.T. Sets Spinoff Series
05/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 19, 2025)
05/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Netflix Picks Up New Dan Levy Comedy; First Look at King of the Hill Reboot Artwork
05/16 - Michael J. Fox to Guest Star on Shrinking; The CW Picks Up Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent
05/15 - 2025 Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront; 2025 Netflix Upfront
05/14 - Chad Powers Premieres September 30 on Hulu; Upfront Premiere Dates for FX on Hulu
05/13 - ABC Upfront 2025-26: Fall 2025 Schedule; Ted: The Animated Series Coming to Peacock
05/12 - NBC Upfront 2025-26: Fall 2025 Schedule; Fox Upfront 2025-26: Fall 2025 Schedule
05/11 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 12, 2025)
05/10 - SitcomsOnline Digest: NBC Cancels Night Court and Lopez vs. Lopez; ABC Renews Duo of Game Shows
05/09 - Peacock Orders Dig from Amy Poehler; Apple TV+ Comedy Stick Premieres June 4; Remembering Ruth Buzzi
05/08 - CBS 2025-26 Schedule; Animal Control and Going Dutch Renewed by Fox
05/07 - Netflix's A Man on the Inside Bulks Up Cast for Season 2; The Studio Renewed by Apple TV+
05/06 - Netflix's Long Story Short Announces Cast; NBC Renews All Chicago Series for 2025-26
05/05 - Antenna TV's The Partridge Family Mother's Day Marathon; Rewind TV's 227 40th Anniversary Marathon
05/04 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of May 5, 2025)
05/03 - SitcomsOnline Digest: CBS Cancels The Equalizer; Wisteria Lane Offshoot of Desperate Housewives in the Works
05/02 - USA and SYFY Announce Summer Premieres; CBC in Canada Renews 5 Series, Including Wild Cards
05/01 - ABC Summer 2025 Schedule; Audible Scripted Comedy Podcasts for Summer
04/30 - The Carol Burnett Show Mother of All Marathons; Netflix Renews North of North