The Definitive List of Funniest TV Shows EVER

Television comedies are experiencing a grand resurgence. With such hit comedies as The Big Bang Theory, Glee, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Two and a Half Men, 30 Rock, and The Office, the viewing schedule is not lacking the funny these days. Maybe one day these awesome shows will  join our list of the funniest TV shows ever, but for now, we’ll stick to the classics. What hilarious comedies are you loving?

Arrested Development

This show, though absolutely hilarious, was under appreciated in its time. The show followed the incredibly dysfunctional Bluth family as they tried to build their business, pursue romantic relationships, and avoid jail time. After three glorious seasons, the show ended in 2006. Since then, it has gained a substantial cult following. Bad news: no new episodes. The good news? A movie is in the works. The Bluths and Fünkes will finally be back in our lives again. To whet your palate:

Seinfeld

This super popular show aired from 1989-1998. Touted as a show about nothing, Seinfeld followed the lives of four friends living in New York. Incredibly funny, hyper quotable, and remarkably influential, Seinfeld will forever be remembered as one of the funniest shows ever. Here, one youtuber shares some of the series’ finest moments with us:

Friends

Friends ran from 1994 to 2004. During those ten years, the show garnered fans, accolades, and even a few wannabes. Much like Seinfeld, the show followed a group of friends living in New York. Only this time, there were six of them. And they really liked coffee. The awesomeness of this show made women replicate Rachel’s haircut, men strive for Chandler’s quick wit, and big sisters to post pictures of Ross all over basement walls. The show is still hot in syndication and on DVD, but if you need a little extra fix, YouTube has you covered. Here are just a few clips:

I Love Lucy

It’s old. Running from 1951 to 1957, it is clearly the Larry King of the list. It was ridiculously popular and revolutionary in its era, and is still hilarious by today’s standards. It follows two couples (Lucy & Ricky Ricardo, Ethel & Fred Mertz) and their ridiculous antics. Here are a few of their finest moments:

Flight of the Conchords

In this series, the real life comedy/music duo “Flight of the Conchords” (Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement) played fictionalized versions of themselves. The fictitious “Flight of the Conchords” were dorky, awkward men from New Zealand trying to break into the music business in New York City. Sadly, after two seasons Bret and Jemaine called it quits, making it the shortest series on this list. We’ll always have New Zealand Town. Here are a couple of their great music performances:

Saturday Night Live

This sketch comedy show has been airing since 1975. Not only have there been countless memorable sketches, a lot of big stars have been made on this show. Always current, often funny, and sometimes offensive, this show is a classic. Here are a few great moments:

The Simpsons

There have been more hilarious episodes of The Simpsons than you can shake a donut at. Seriously: We’re 464 episodes and 21 seasons into the series and it is still going strong. This animated family brings us a humorous look at run-of-the-mill, working-class Americans. Here are just a few great moments: