Rules: Must have had a series finale already. Revivals don’t count.
Must be live action (not cartoons)
10 – IT Crowd (UK)
Brilliant show about 3 people in a basement of an office building.
9 – Party Down
Short lived but a great show. Maybe it’ll get a few more views now that another person blogged about how it should’ve had more views.
8 – Chappelle’s Show
Classic. “I like this couch!” Anything I say about it wouldn’t do the show justice.
7 – Parks and Rec
Gems. The entire cast is so flawless in their roles. It is perfect casting and excellent writing that made this show the beacon of light it was (is).
6 – 30 Rock
Tina Fey is brilliant. And having Alec Baldwin across from her was magical. The writing is so sharp and executed so well. Phenomenal show.
5 – Community
Eclectic cast and genius writing make this show a winner. Every season with Dan Harmon, creator of the show, is fantastic (all but the 4th season).
4 – The Office (US)
I try to forget that there were seasons after Steve Carrell left. Every episode with him was amazing. Each one without him was disappointing. Phenomenal cast and script.
4b – The Office (UK)
So I cheated. You got a bonus show. Ricky Gervais. Period. End of sentence.
3 – Seinfeld
Some people say you can’t have a list like this without Seinfeld on it. I agree. Greatest “show about nothing” ever made.
2 – Friends
Only show with a laugh track I got through. It’s actually so good for the first half of the series that I didn’t realize there was a track (I laugh a lot).
1 – Arrested Development
Smartest comedy ever. Under-appreciated in its time. So many layers of jokes you have to watch multiple times to catch them all. And read a blog on it. And watch it again. And talk about it with your friends. Stop talking to people who refuse to watch this masterpiece.
Note: This is written by a 28-year-old man who didn’t watch television until he was a senior in high school. I’ve had only 10 years of TV watching experience, but these are my favorites.