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

Saturday, December 9

none scheduled

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 4)

Friday, December 8

  • Eddie Murphy (The PJs) - Watch Eddie on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Only Murders in the Building/High Fidelity/People of Earth/Selfie) - Da'Vine appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • John Caponera (The Good Life) - John is a guest on a repeat of Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen on CBS between 12:37-1:37am.
  • Robert Smigel (Let's Be Real) - Triumph the Insult Comic Dog aka Robert Smigel chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
  • Noah Galvin (The Real O'Neals) and Molly Gordon (Ramy) - Noah and Molly talk about Theater Camp on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
  • Eric Stonestreet (The Santa Clauses/Modern Family) - Eric talks about The Santa Clauses on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
  • Kenan Thompson (Kenan/Kenan & Kel) - Kenan sits down with Sherri to talk about his new book, When I Was Your Age, on Sherri, so check your local listings.
  • Sebastian Maniscalco (Bookie) - Sebastian appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.


New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-December)

Family Matters - The Complete Series Step by Step - The Complete Series ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

09/05 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Sixth Season
09/12 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Second Season
09/12 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-6 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/26 - Family Matters - The Complete Series
09/26 - Step by Step - The Complete Series
10/10 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Thirteen / The Complete Season Fourteen
10/17 - ALF - The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) (Shout! Factory Special Offers)
10/17 - Night Court (2023) - The Complete First Season
11/07 - South Park - The Complete Twenty-Sixth Season (Blu-ray) (DVD)
11/14 - Leave it to Beaver - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

That Girl - The Complete Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

12/09 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Remembering Norman Lear; Fox to Air M*A*S*H Retrospective
12/08 - CBS Norman Lear Tribute Special Tonight (December 8); Peacock Renews Twisted Metal
12/07 - Harlem Renewed for Season 3; Netflix Orders Drama Ransom Canyon
12/06 - Remembering TV Legend Norman Lear; Critics Choice Awards Nominees
12/05 - Who's the Boss? Now on Hulu; The CW Announces New Series Wild Cards
12/04 - The Upshaws Renewed for Season Prior to Season 5 Launch; Fox Holiday Movie with Justin Long
12/03 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of December 4, 2023)
12/02 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Bob ♥ Abishola Coming to an End; Only Murders in the Building Gets Limited Run on ABC
12/01 - Abbott Elementary Post-Oscars Airing, Only Murders on ABC; Remembering Frances Sternhagen, Marty Krofft and Others We Recently Lost
11/30 - Bob ♥ Abishola Ending After This Season; NBC Renews Rookie Dramas
11/29 - Antenna TV January 2024 Schedule; Max December Comedy Specials
11/28 - Prime Video's Hazbin Hotel; Lacey Chabert Gets Hallmark Unscripted Series
11/27 - Sundance Now Gets Original Comedy; Hallmark Original Returns for Season 2 in January
11/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 27, 2023)
11/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Kelsey Grammer Ready to Do 100 Episodes of Frasier; TBS Cancels Miracle Workers
11/24 - Fox Winter 2024 Schedule; An Evening From the Heart John Ritter Foundation NYC 2023 Event
11/23 - 2023 Thanksgiving TV Marathons
11/22 - Kerry Washington's UnPrisoned Gets Season 2; Classic Comedy Shorts Celebrate 40th Anniversary
11/21 - NBC Winter 2024 Schedule; Netflix Renews Rob Lowe Comedy
11/20 - BUZZR Celebrates Bob Barker's 100th Birthday; Ted Prequel Series on Peacock Gets Premiere Date
11/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 20, 2023)
11/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Young Sheldon Coming to an End After Seven Seasons; The CW International Sitcom Approach Not Going So Well
11/17 - ABC Winter 2024 Schedule; CBS Celebrates 98th Birthday of Dick Van Dyke
11/16 - Whoa Mama! Urkel Is Back for the Holidays!; Hulu Gets Such Brave Girls Comedy
11/15 - COZI TV's A Very COZI Christmas Schedule; Young Sheldon to End This Season on CBS
11/14 - CBS Winter 2024 Schedule; The CW Pulls 2 Comedies
11/13 - Antenna TV 2023 Holiday Marathons Schedule; Rewind TV 2023 Holiday Marathons Schedule
11/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of November 13, 2023)
11/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: SAG-AFTRA Strike Finally Ends; New Digital TV Broadcast Networks Coming
11/10 - AXS TV's The Partridge Family Thanksgiving Marathon; AspireTV Holiday Programming
11/09 - Bookie Premieres November 30 on Max; Ted Lasso Star Holiday Special on Apple TV+