My Favorite Sitcoms List That Got Left Out of Top 100

Rolling Stone just put out a list of the 100 Best Sitcoms of All Time and, what a surprise, I’ve got some problems with it.

I know these lists are subjective, but there are a few omissions that are just egregious. Also, as much as I love Spongebob, clearly it is NOT a Sit-com.

For starters, RS had to DEFINE a sitcom. They didn’t count sketch shows like SNL or MadTV. They also didn’t count shows that were more “drama” than “comedy” so you won’t see a great show like Freaks and Geeks or even The Wonder Years on their list. So, I’d like to mention some of my favorites that were left off the list. First, though, a couple of nice surprises on the list:

Parks and Recreation is in the Top 10! My favorite of all the “faux documentaries” that 2000s TV will be most remembered for, it’s great to see this one in the Top 10 where it belongs.

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Also, they included “What We Do in the Shadows” which has only been on for two seasons. Two wonderful, hilarious, glorious seasons. Nice job including this gem, Rolling Stone.

On the disappointing side…how does a brilliant show like “Schitt’s Creek” ONLY make it as number 100 on a list of 100?!? It should have been Top 20, easily. Also, you can’t convince me that there are 83 better sit-coms than “Modern Family”.

But, at least they MADE the list. Here are the worst snubs in my opinion.

• #4 Beavis and Butthead

Somehow Daria AND King of the Hill made this list but Beavis and Butthead DIDN’T?? Those two other shows wouldn’t even EXIST if it weren’t for Beavis and Butthead. B&B were much, much more dangerous and influential and, at least in the case of Daria, FUNNIER. Daria was just a monotone classmate and Hank Hill was just the next door neighbor except with a crew-cut and glasses. As further evidence, neither Daria nor King of the Hill were decried by Fritz Hollings in front of the U.S. Senate.

• #3 Happy Days

Even the spin-offs from Happy Days should probably be on this list. Laverne and Shirley are not on there and neither is Mork and Mindy, which was basically 30 minute installments of Robin Williams doing improv while wearing rainbow suspenders and summoning all of the comedic powers of 1970’s grade cocaine. But Happy Days being left out is especially unjust. It ran for 11 seasons from 1974 to 1984. That means the I watched the first season when I was in 2nd grade and I watched the series finale when I was a junior in high school! As far as being influential all I can say is “Sit on it, nerd” and “Ayyyyyy”. Lots of sitcoms have “jumped the shark” but Happy Days was the only one to LITERALLY JUMP A SHARK.

(Actually, out of respect to the word “literally” I should probably point out that this scene was filmed on a lot with shark footage edited in. I’m a stickler about “literally”, guys.)

• #2 Three’s Company

This sitcom was very, very funny. John Ritter was the most gifted physical comedian of that era of television and that INCLUDES Robin Williams.

Also, it was the one and only show that I was EXPRESSLY forbidden by my mother to watch. Something about “living in sin”, as I recall it.

• #1 Married: With Children

So controversial was this show that one member of the Romney family dedicated her life to getting if OFF the air. While Tipper Gore was protesting Twisted Sister and N.W.A, Terry Rikolta was waging war against the Bundy’s.

Sure, maybe in light of the #Metoo movement Married hasn’t aged that well. But that didn’t keep them from putting The Cosby Show high on this list. In fact, Married: With Children was created as the ANTI-Cosby…because The Cosby Show was considered so idyllic and family-friendly! I don’t recall Al Bundy roofie-ing anybody and if he had it probably would have been Peg so he could get OUT of having sex with her.

Also, if Married had failed there might never have been The Tracey Ullman Show. If there was no Tracy Ullman Show there would have been no Simpsons. And, just like that, we’re back to the number one show on this very imperfect list.