What is the greatest sitcom?

Situational comedies. They are so watchable, and many of them are globally iconic. Perhaps its the shorter, quick fire style of sitcoms, or the light hearted comedic content that can only leave you smiling, all tied together by a heart warming and often a 'will they won't they' romantic storyline.

Some sitcoms centre on family life, some on romantic relationships and some are just outrageously random and often about nothing at all. There are certain ingredients that make a sitcom successful. Characters are key, they have to be unique and consistent in their faulty personality traits. You need conflict, you need catastrophes, catchphrases and of course comedy from every angle possible.

Naturally, this list is going to be biased, because at the tender age of eighteen I have only seen a handful of sitcoms (I know, shock) but I am incorporating other sitcoms I haven't seen based on second opinions, mostly Google's. If you disagree with any of this, then leave your own suggestions in the comments.

I narrowed it down to a list of 15 to choose from and after much deliberating, this was my conclusion.

15 - Only Fools and Horses

British classic from 1981 to 1991, and voted Britain's best sitcom by the BBC in 2004. In summary it's two brothers buying and selling pretty much anything. A sign of its success are the endless re-runs forty years after it aired. I've never actually seen it though.

8.9/10 - IMDb

14 - Cheers

It's one of those where your parents might tell you how great it was. Set almost entirely in a bar in Boston 'where everybody knows your name', Cheers ran from 1982 to 1993 and grew in popularity throughout. Seems like a similar concept to Friends...

7.8/10 - IMDb

13 - Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The ongoing sitcom was approaching an eighth season, although that's rather on the back-burners right now given its a little sensitive to make comedy about police. But, there's no doubting that Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a hugely successful series, and for good reasons as from what I have seen, its both engaging and amusing.

8.4/10 - IMDb

12- Blackadder

British comedy at its finest, taking the Michael out of the trenches in WW1. With a sole aim of surviving the war, it would have been rude if the final episode didn't kill them all off. Running from 1983 to 1989, humour and sarcasm was blended well with wit and intellect, as only a true British series could pull off.

8.1/10 - IMDb

11 - Rick and Morty

The weird world of Rick and Morty has taken many by storm, although it really is an acquired taste. The often dark humour is also witty, but if I'm honest, I can't comment a whole lot more... I've never seen it. Sure its good though.

9.2/10 - IMDb

10 - Parks and Recreation

Into the top ten with Parks and Recreation, a series that draws lots of similarities with The Office. From 2009 to 2015, the mockumentary follows ditsy politicians as they seek to improve the town of Indiana.

8.6/10 - IMDb

9 - Frasier

Frasier is a typical American sitcom, done rather well. All the characters are a bit snobby, and the dynamic is amusingly awkward but this goes up in the list since I watched it every morning on Channel 4 over Breakfast in lockdown :)

IMDb - 8/10

8 - Seinfeld

Okay, my hands are up, I've never seen this one either, but according to my research, its meant to be funnier than FRIENDS. Jerry Seinfeld stars as himself, a comedian, and it's essentially him and his friends navigating life. Aired between 1989 and 1998.

IMDb - 8.8/10

7. How I met your Mother

In hindsight, I've been generous with seventh place here, but it is quite funny, even if occasionally cringe and hard to watch. The ending is notoriously poor. I mean its honestly all you really hear about it, but don't let it take away from another high quality sitcom.

IMDb - 8.3/10

6 - The Simpsons

Maybe some debate over whether it's a sitcom, but for me it counts. But honestly how on earth do they keep coming up with fresh ideas for the Simpsons? It's astounding. The first episode was in 1989. And it's oh so iconic. The yellow characters are recognisable on a global scale and it's seemingly always on at least one TV channel at any given time.

IMDb - 8.7/10

5 - Modern Family

The recently ended series was a staple for many during its eleven years. Essentially follows three very unusual families and how they deal with kids, love lives and jobs. Well produced sitcom which ticks many of the right boxes. Also very American. Also never seen it.

IMDb - 8.4/10

4 - The Big Bang Theory

Finished only last year as well, a quirky sitcom that was consistently funny throughout. What makes The Big Bang Theory stand out particularly is the character development. Also, nerds love it because it's relatable. That's not too harsh is it?

IMDb - 8.1/10

3 - The Inbetweeners

The importance of the Inbetweeners to British culture, particularly for those who grew up with, really shouldn't be understated. It's iconic even if it doesn't get as much recognition outside the UK. The comedy provided by this sitcom is absolutely unrivalled.

IMDb - 8.4/10

2 - Friends

No sitcom is bigger, no sitcom has a larger following and even still today, 25 years after it first aired, it's widely watched on a global scale. It might be the easiest series to rewatch again and again, and the jokes will still land successfully nearly every time. What sets Friends apart from the rest is the heartwarming (and occasionally heart crushing) storyline and iconic catchphrases.

IMDb - 8.9/10

1 - The Office US/UK

Okay now I know this is controversial. I've put the US and UK versions of the Office together because they are both unbelievable feats of comedy. An honest opinion would put the US on top simply for longevity, but the UK Office was undoubtedly funnier - just too short. This is one of the few sitcoms that doesn't have the sometimes obnoxious background laughing track. This adds to the awkwardness and more authentic feel of the jokes. It doesn't feel quite as 'set up', and in both, the character dynamics are unique, particularly with a David Brent/Michael Scott leading the comedic line. For me, its unrivalled and I'll need significant persuading to believe otherwise.

Anyway as I said, if you disagree - fight me.