Image via NBC
Published Oct 10, 2026, 6:52 AM EDT
Christine is a freelance writer for Collider with two decades of experience covering all types of TV shows and movies spanning every genre. With a particular affinity for dramas, true crime, sitcoms, and thrillers, if it's a top TV show, Christine has likely watched it and is eager to share her thoughts. When she's not furiously writing away, you can find her enjoying the next binge obsession with a glass of wine in front of the TV.
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I love sitcoms and have since I was a child. There's something comforting about curling up on your own or with the family to watch one together after dinner, before winding down for bed. Lately, we have gotten into some classics. My 14-year-old wants to watch the original Malcolm in the Middle. The 2000s, when that sitcom came out, as well the decades prior and since, have all introduced iconic sitcoms that are not only worth watching, but also re-watching. While I watched Malcolm in the Middle way back when, long before my son was born, rewatching it now after 20+ years have passed is like watching a brand-new show.
But even some of the newer sitcoms are ones you'll enjoy rewatching either on your own or with someone who hasn't seen it yet so you can gauge their reactions. A few iconic sitcoms in particular have fantastic rewatch value for various reasons. Some were ahead of their time, some remind you of a very different time in television, and most have timeless jokes that are still as funny today as they were back then.
10 'The Office' (2005–2013)
Image via NBCThere are two perfect ways to re-watch The Office — on your own when there's "nothing on" and you want something that will make you smile in the background, and with someone who "never got around" to watching it. It's the kind of show that starts slowly, but as you begin to understand the office dynamic, you appreciate the subtle humor. Plus, the show's ending is a genuine masterpiece.
The story is framed by Michael Scott (Steve Carell), head of the Scranton, PA branch of an office paper company. It sounds totally mundane, but Scott makes it anything but, as do the other quirky personalities that work there. You get into office politics, ridiculous schemes, office romances, and typical workplace interactions that both remind you of what your own office might be like and feel so totally strange at the same time. It's comedic perfection. Watching again today, more than 20 years after it originally came on the air, will remind you of some of the funniest moments you either forget about or still talk about to this day.
9 'Will & Grace' (1998–2020)
Image via NBCSeeing LGBTQ+ characters on television today is common. But back in the late '90s, it was not. That made Will & Grace more progressive than it's sometimes given credit for being. The story centers around Grace Adler (Debra Messing) and Will Truman (Eric McCormack), best friends since college and roommates who once dated before Will came to terms with his sexuality. The pair navigate single life and careers while interacting with their best friends Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) and Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes).
It's so wonderfully written, so refreshingly honest about the gay experience. The show was lauded for its representation and the complications of love and life. Will is, by all intents and purposes, the love of Grace's life, but they simply weren't meant to be in the traditional sense. The show was so popular that it returned in 2017 for another three seasons. Seeing gay characters depicted on television in such a real way is still impactful today, a reminder of how far we've come. Plus, the recurring jokes, and especially Karen and Jack's one-liners, are genius.
8 'Scrubs' (2001–Present)
Image via ABCAnother iconic sitcom that came back to bring fans more of its hilarity, Scrubs took the medical profession and ran with it in a humorous way. It was nice to see alongside a sea of intense medical dramas. Dr. John Michael "J.D." Dorian (Zach Braff) and Christopher Turk (Donald Faison) are best friends who work at the same hospital but still act like frat boys. Many scenes are presented with J.D.'s daydreams, bringing a light and joy to an otherwise somber profession.
As one of the most fun shows of the 2000s, Scrubs leans heavily into slapstick humor, which never gets old. Seeing the silliness, hearing the witty dialogue, and watching the antics is worth reliving. Plus, you'll love being reminded of all the guest actors who appeared on the show through its original run, including Brendan Fraser, Heather Graham, Michael J. Fox, and Colin Farrell.
7 'Married… with Children' (1987–1997)
Image via FOXOne of my favorite sitcoms as a kid, probably when I was too young to be watching it or at least understanding some of the jokes, was Married… with Children. It's an unconventional sitcom that bucks the trend of showing a middle or upper-class family dealing with first-world problems, much the same way that Roseanne did. Except Married… with Children takes it to absurd levels of humor versus the reality check approach of Roseanne.
The Bundys are a lower-class family barely getting by on dad Al's (Ed O'Neill) meager salary as a shoe salesman. Mom Peggy (Katey Sagal) doesn't cook, clean, or work, and the two teenage kids, Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud (David Faustino), sort of fend for themselves. Yet the family dynamic is hilarious. Some aspects, like Al constantly insulting overweight customers or poking fun at his nerdy son Bud, might be considered inappropriate today. But Married… with Children takes the storylines to such ridiculous heights, you can't help but laugh. Watching it again now would likely raise eyebrows. But you need to understand the humor and intent to truly appreciate its appeal.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Netflix Character Would Be Your Best Friend? Dustin · Emily · Wednesday · Gi-hun
Some friends drag you out of the house. Some sit with you on the worst night of your life. Netflix has written both, plus the one who tells you the truth you have been avoiding all week. Answer eight quick questions about how you actually do friendship, and find out which of them was always going to end up in your corner.
🧢Dustin(Stranger Things)
🗼Emily(Emily in Paris)
🕷️Wednesday(Wednesday)
🟢Gi-hun(Squid Game)
FIND YOUR BEST FRIEND →
01
How do you usually end up making a new friend? The origin story says a lot about the friendship that follows it.
AWe got loud about the same obsession and never stopped. BThey invited me somewhere before we had properly met. CWe bonded over disliking exactly the same thing. DThey noticed I was struggling and stayed with me.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
What is a perfect Saturday with your best friend? Friendship is mostly built out of very ordinary hours.
AA ridiculous plan neither of us should attempt. BSomewhere new, photographed heavily, ending very late. CSomewhere quiet, few people, zero small talk. DSomething simple, and a conversation that actually matters.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
You call them at two in the morning. What happens? This is the real test of a friendship, and everybody knows it.
AThey are already putting their shoes on. BThey answer instantly and turn it into a plan. CThey answer and say something unflattering and true. DThey listen for an hour and never check the time.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
What do you want from them when you are clearly wrong? The best friendships are the ones that survive being corrected.
ASupport first. We can review the mistake later. BA relentlessly positive reframe of the entire disaster. CThe blunt version. Do not soften it for me. DPatience, and no judgment about how I got here.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
What do your friends actually value about you? The friend you attract says something about the friend you are.
AI am all in, always, about everything. BI can turn almost any situation into a good time. CI say the thing nobody else in the room will. DI look after whoever is having the worst day.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
You have a falling out. How does it go? How a friendship repairs itself matters more than how it breaks.
ALoudly, briefly, then back to normal by Tuesday. BThey apologise first, enthusiastically, with a gift. CCold silence, then one dry joke that fixes everything. DWe talk until we both understand what actually happened.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
What do you actually need a best friend for? Everybody is missing something. The right friend fills that gap.
ATo make my life bigger than it would be alone. BTo push me out of the house and into my own life. CTo catch me when I start lying to myself. DTo be the person who never gave up on me.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
Ten years from now, what keeps the two of you close? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides who you get.
AWe would still drop everything for each other, instantly. BWe still make plans, and we still actually go. CWe still cut through each other's nonsense in one sentence. DThey stood by me once when it cost them something.
REVEAL MY BEST FRIEND →
The Group Chat Has Spoken Your Best Friend Is…
Four Netflix characters, four completely different ways of showing up for somebody. This is the one who fits how you actually do friendship, and what having them in your life would be like.
Dustin Henderson
You do not do friendship at half volume, and neither does he. What you want is somebody who says yes to the plan before you have finished describing the plan.
- Dustin is the friend the entire show runs on: loyal past the point of sense, enthusiastic about everything, and incapable of leaving anybody behind.
- You have the same instinct. Your friendships are loud, specific and slightly ridiculous, and they last for decades because of it.
- He is also the one person who would take your strangest interest completely seriously, which is far rarer than it sounds.
- You would have a group chat. It would never once be quiet.
Emily Cooper
You are the friend who makes things happen, and so is she. Together you would be mildly exhausting to everyone around you and completely delighted with yourselves.
- Emily treats an ordinary Tuesday as something that could be turned into an occasion, which is either the best or the worst quality in a friend depending on your energy levels.
- You share her refusal to sit still. Neither of you has ever accepted a night in when something was happening somewhere else.
- She is far more loyal than people give her credit for. She defends her friends loudly, publicly, and occasionally before checking the facts.
- She would post the photo without asking. You would forgive her, because it is a very good photo.
Wednesday Addams
You have no patience for pleasant lies, and she has no ability to tell them. What looks like coldness from the outside is the most reliable friendship on this list.
- Wednesday never says a kind thing she does not mean, which makes the rare ones count for an enormous amount.
- You would rather be told the truth than be made comfortable. She is constitutionally incapable of offering you anything else.
- Underneath all of it she is ferociously protective. She simply refuses to make a performance out of caring.
- Do not expect a birthday message. Do expect her to ruin anyone who wrongs you.
Seong Gi-hun
You look after whoever is having the worst day. So does he. It is the least strategic way to move through the world and the best possible quality in a friend.
- Gi-hun is not the strongest player in Squid Game, or the cleverest. He is the one who keeps choosing to protect somebody else, over and over, at genuine cost to himself.
- You have the same instinct. You notice who is struggling and you stay with them, long after anybody would blame you for leaving.
- He is a flawed friend, and that is part of why it lands. He lets people down, then comes back and tries again, which is more than most manage.
- He would give you his last chance and never once mention that he had done it.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
6 'The Big Bang Theory' (2007–2019)
Image via CBSThere are shows you can switch channels and come across, leave on halfway through an episode, and enjoy. The Big Bang Theory is one of those shows. Whether it's from Season 2 or 10, every episode is as funny as the next, one of the most consistently funny shows ever on television. As new characters were added to the mix, they each enhanced the story alongside the original cast.
Yes, there's a lot of scientific and "geek culture" talk, but even if you're not into either, you can appreciate the story. This is largely thanks to Penny (Kaley Cuoco), who represents the every person who is just as confused and out of place when the others talk about string theory or physics as most viewers are. If you are into science, comic books, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Marvel, you'll appreciate the show even more. And the storylines and references are timeless in the sitcom, one of the greatest CBS shows of all time.
5 'How I Met Your Mother' (2005–2014)
Image via CBSHow I Met Your Mother is one of the best written sitcoms, an original premise framed by an older Ted Mosby in the future, voiced by Bob Saget and played by Josh Radnor. He's telling his teenage kids the story of how he met their mother. And while the seasons and episodes cycle through woman after woman who could be her, it's really about Ted's time as a young adult hanging out with his friends and navigating his career.
While the sitcom has one of the worst TV show endings and its entire final season was disappointing, rewatching it will remind you of how great How I Met Your Mother was for the first eight seasons of its run. Clever with running gags like the pineapple, iconic episodes like "Slapsgiving," and a memorable ensemble cast, How I Met Your Mother is at the top of my list of shows to re-watch. I know I'll laugh just as hard as I did the first time around.
4 'Modern Family' (2009–2020)
Image via ABCAlready having earned iconic status, Modern Family was a refreshing new sitcom at a time when original ideas in the sitcom space were few and far between. The Pritchetts and Dunphys are anything but traditional. There's a nuclear, blended, and same-sex family dynamic among the daughter, dad, and son, respectively, each with kids who have their own unique personalities. But they come together in the most beautiful and unconventional ways.
Delivered mockumentary style with each family member talking to the camera to explain various events from their perspective, you never really find out what this documentary was being filmed for. But as one of the most perfect sitcoms of the last 20 years, it's a window into hilarious moments. They navigate raising kids, dealing with conflict, and simply being a family.
3 'Friends' (1994–2004)
Image via NBCOne of the most iconic sitcoms of all time, it doesn't matter what country you were born or raised in, how old you are, your gender, or your beliefs. Everyone knows about Friends and has probably at least seen an episode. It's one of those shows that always seems to be on television in re-runs, and you can pick up at any point in its ten seasons and laugh until it hurts at the antics.
Centered around six friends living in New York, the personalities are so different with each, which makes their interactions so entertaining. From the writing to the acting, the running jokes and the memorable one-liners, Friends will continue to go down in history as one of the best shows ever on television.
2 'The Golden Girls' (1985–1992)
Image via NBCThere's something about The Golden Girls that makes it transcend decades. Since the show premiered more than 40 years ago, it's still part of the cultural discourse. The characters are memorable ones that everyone knows and appreciates as being some of the best ever on television.
Four older single women move in together in a beach house in Miami as they navigate this second stage of life. They lean on one another but also can't help but annoy one another. Listening to Rose Nylund's (Betty White) crazy stories from her hometown of Saint Olaf, Sophia Petrillo's (Estelle Getty) memories of Sicily, Blanche Devereaux's (Rue McClanahan) sexual exploits, and Dorothy Zbornak's (Bea Arthur) sarcastic remarks, is utter perfection. Every moment, every joke, stands the test of time.
1 'Seinfeld' (1989–1998)
Man hands. Serenity now. Master of your own domain. No soup for you. These are all lines from episodes of Seinfeld, one of the most fun shows of the 1990s that we still quote to this day. As a show famously about nothing, there's no order you need to watch episodes. You can queue up any episode of any season from the nine-season run and laugh hysterically.
The ensemble cast is perfect. The writing is impeccable. The ability to make you laugh when there isn't really anything going at all is a feat not many shows are able to pull off. Larry David did it again with Curb Your Enthusiasm, but Seinfeld was his first show to solidify that a sitcom doesn't have to have a hook. It can simply… be.
