With the rise of streaming platforms, binging and rewatching TV shows have become standard practice. In fact, research shows that rewatching TV shows can help alleviate anxiety, form connections, and share in on the culture. While there are dozens of genres of TV shows, sitcoms stand out as the ones with the highest rewatch potential.

Watching your favorite characters in funny predicaments while they navigate personal relationships is endlessly amusing. Whether you prefer a sitcom based on the workplace, a group of friends, or even a family, your options are limitless. Everyone’s taste is unique, but we’ve taken it upon ourselves to select the 5 best sitcoms of all time.

Friends

No list of the best sitcoms of all time would be complete without the legendary ‘Friends’. The sitcom that tells the story of a group of six friends living in NYC debuted in 1994, going on to dominate ratings for the next 10 years. In fact, ‘Friends’ is so popular that it has earned Warner Bros. over $4.8 billion since its debut.

This show’s popularity among different generations is not unwarranted. It’s one of the most relatable sitcoms ever aired, because everyone can relate to the obstacles our protagonists face. Whether you’re a fan of Chandler, Monica, Joey, Phoebe, Rachel, or Ross, or the entire friend group, you can relate to their highs and lows, their achievements and failures. They get fired and promoted, they fall in love and break up, they fight and make up. ‘Friends’ is a brilliant sitcom because it creates comedy from everyday occurrences.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ is another 90s sitcom, having debuted in 1990. This show has an average rating of 91% from fans on RottenTomatoes. Will Smith played the protagonist, conveniently also named Will Smith. This story starts with Will, an unruly teenager from West Philadelphia, arriving at his Aunt and Uncle’s mansion in Bel-Air. His mom sends him there to keep him out of trouble, and it’s up to Will to adjust to living with very rich, but very strict relatives.

While Will is the protagonist and the source of most of the shenanigans in the show, the other main characters are just as entertaining. From the authoritarian Uncle Phil and maternal Aunt Viv, to the spoiled cousin Hilary, stuck-up cousin Carlton, and adorable cousin Ashley, the characters are well-written and compelling. We can’t leave out the wise-cracking butler Jeffrey, whose subtle humor adds the cherry on top.

Community

‘Community’ is a sitcom that debuted in 2009 and went on to run for 6 seasons, or 110 episodes. This show stands out from the others on our list because of its setting. It doesn’t tell the story of a group of friends, coworkers, or a family. Instead, it tells you the story of disbarred and suspended lawyer Jeff Winger, who lied about having a bachelor’s degree. So, he enrolls in a community college and meets a ragtag selection of students when he joins a Spanish study group.

The group consists of Britta Perry, Abed Nadir, Troy Barnes, Shirley Bennett, Annie Eddison, and Pierce Hawthorne. Although they originally get together to study, the show’s plot takes them on various misadventures around campus. You also meet several colorful supporting characters, like the flamboyant Dean Craig Pelton and the unstable teacher Ben Chang. The community college setting provides a refreshing backdrop to the hilarity of sitcoms. That is one of the reasons ‘Community’ is in our 5 best sitcoms of all time.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Who doesn’t love a crossover between a buddy-cop comedy and a workplace sitcom? That is exactly what ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ offers you in its 8 hilarious seasons. The show originally sets Jake Peralta, the goofy but brilliant detective, as the lead. However, it is actually one of the most well-developed ensemble cast shows we’ve had the pleasure of watching. Although a workplace sitcom, you genuinely get the feeling that the characters are friends, even family.

Jake’s direct counterpart is Captain Raymond Holt, a robotic, by-the-book captain who has waited for his own command for decades. The main group consists of Detective Amy Santiago, Jake’s rival and eventual love interest, as well as Detective Charles Boyle, a dedicated friend who disregards boundaries. You can also enjoy the hilarity of the terrifying Detective Rosa Diaz, strong but gentle Sergeant Terry Jeffords, scatterbrained Detectives Hitchcock and Scully, and aloof administrator Gina Linetti.

Modern Family

‘Modern Family’ is one of those sitcoms that has an incredibly high rewatch value. This show has an 8.5/10 rating on IMDb, and a 85/100% Tomatometer rating on RottenTomatoes. The premise of ‘Modern Family’ is quite simple: it shows you the daily lives, shenanigans, and touching moments of three families. The blended family consists of Jay, Gloria, and Manny, while the same-sex family consists of Cam, Mitchel, and Lily. Finally, the nuclear family consists of Claire, Phil, Haley, Alex, and Luke.

These three families are connected through Jay Pritchett, who is Claire and Mitchel’s father. He divorces their mother and remarries Gloria, who is much younger than him and has a young son, Manny. Although there is some tension with Gloria at the start, the families quickly learn to lean on each other and navigate the various mishaps that occur in their daily lives.

What Makes the Best Sitcoms of All Time

Much like with books and movies, there is no one, uniform answer to what makes the best sitcoms of all time, as you can see by our top 5 picks. While one sitcom may rely on the developing relationships between strangers, another may opt to utilize the established familial connections. The common features that we’ve noticed in all of these sitcoms are the following.

First, they all earn your investment in the characters by developing them slowly and making them relatable. Apart from that, they rely on the familiar surroundings, whether that’s Central Perk in ‘Friends’ or the Banks’ mansion in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’. Everyone has their own favorite sitcoms for a variety of reasons, but these 5 are our top choices anytime.