Change in the Sofa: An Ode to the Sitcom

In the brilliant Scrubs episode "My Life in Four Cameras," J.D.'s sappy final monologue includes this touching tribute to the sitcom: "Unfortunately around here, things don't always end as neat and tidy as they do on sitcoms. Relationships aren't always magically fixed in thirty minutes, you have to work on them. Problems don't always have easy solutions. And around here, nice people don't always get better. At times like that, it's comforting to know that there's always one thing that can pick your spirits up." As a television junkie, I couldn't agree more with the sentiment.

Recently finishing a whirlwind viewing of the first six seasons of the currently-popular "How I Met Your Mother," I've been thinking a lot about what sitcoms have picked my spirits up over the last several years. Here's a list of my favorites.

(A note: There are myriad definitions for what constitute a sitcom. For the purposes of this post, I'm not limiting my selections to the traditional sound-stage set, live audience, laugh track sitcom, though I know for purists out there this constitutes sacrilege. All complaints can be sent in writing to my non-existent secretary.)

10. How I Met Your Mother (2005-present)
Favorite Episode: "Slapsgiving"

Using an ingenious constant flashback device, How I Met Your Mother features both humorous nods to long-time viewers (the Slap Bet, the Goat, "Haaaaaaave ya met Ted?") interested in the overall plot of the show and great one-off episodes that explore the very nature of story-telling and embellishing. A smart comedy in an era where they appear few and far between.

9. The Office (2005-present)
Favorite Episode: "The Return"

Another series that has recently come under fire for declining quality (illustrating the woefully short lifespan for great sitcoms), the American "Office" program hit its stride with the introduction of Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) and other secondary characters in its third season, as the central relationship between Jim and Pam began to attain more significance and drama. Featuring some of this generation's finest comedic character actors, "The Office" proves that a great sitcom is sometimes merely the sum of its parts.

8. Friends (1994-2004)
Favorite Episode: "The One With All the Thanksgivings"

Sure, it was rather Anglo-centric, and in retrospect is probably viewed with a greater amount of nostalgia by today's audiences than for its actual quality, but "Friends" was huge for several key components that are necessary in any successful and classic sitcom: on-screen chemistry, excellent writing, and compelling characters that both make you laugh and invite you to share in the ups and downs of their daily lives.

7. The Wonder Years (1988-93)
Favorite Episode: "Good-bye"

Twenty years before "Superbad," Carol Black and Neal Marlens brought us the closest approximation of being a teenager allowable on network television through the popular sitcom convention of the flashback, currently used by the aforementioned "How I Met Your Mother." This selection, of course, stresses the definition of what a sitcom can be, with The Wonder Years tackling serious issues like Vietnam, death (in the very first episode, no less!), and the painful process of growing up on an almost weekly basis. But tucked away are brilliant comedic moments narrated to perfection by the incomparable Daniel Stern. And, like most sitcoms, the show killed the career of every actor involved (Paul's rumored turn as Marilyn Manson notwithstanding).

6. The Cosby Show (1984-92)
Favorite Episode: "Pilot"

Even ignoring the social significance of The Cosby Show, bringing the middle-class African-American family to the forefront of American mainstream culture in a way shows like "The Jeffersons" and "Sanford and Son" could never do (and paving the way for the tremendous "Family Matters" which only barely missed out on this list), The Cosby Show rallied around its tremendously popular eponymous star and created one of the finest examples of American family comedy to date. Continuously emulated but never equaled, "Cosby" continues its position of privilege in the annals of American television history to this day, and still holds up well over twenty years later in syndication on several major networks.

5. Scrubs (2001-10 [supposedly, though we all know it ended in 2009])
Favorite Episode: "My Screw Up"

"Spin City" was an excellent first creative project for Bill Lawrence, but he hit something special with "Scrubs" that defied genre expectations and gave the hospital setting a swift, irreverent kick in the pants. Solid principal characters, surrounded by a constantly-growing and developed ensemble cast, allowed Scrubs to hit a high mark in its third season in terms of both dramatic story-telling and comedy.

4. M*A*S*H* (1972-83)
Favorite Episode: "Abyssinia, Henry"

Arguably, M*A*S*H became a better show once it cast off the traditional sitcom elements that characterized the show during its first several seasons: canned laughter in the operating room, the departure of Larry Lanville's Frank Burns as the stiff CO, and the incorporation of more actual Korean War surgeon stories into the plotline of the show, granting the series additional weight. However, the constant levity brought by the larger-than-life Hawkeye and the strong ensemble cast keep M*A*S*H in the discussion for not only greatest sitcom, but greatest television program ever to this day.

3. Cheers (1982-93)
Favorite Episode: "The Last Angry Mailman"

Like M*A*S*H, Cheers' mainstream popularity afforded the program an unusually long run for a sitcom and a number of spin-off projects (including the wildly hilarious in its own right "Frasier"). Cheers remains a mainstay in syndication to this day thanks to the social issues it confronted boldly in the 1980s, and the popularity of its strong ensemble cast rounded out by Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin-guys you'd want to have a drink with in real life. Its close-knit charm in a big city provides the escapism needed in any endearing sitcom.

2. Arrested Development (2003-6)
Favorite Episode: "The Immaculate Election"

It is inexplicable that FOX has given so many horrible shows a chance over the years, but barely showed any support to the finest program to yet air on their network (yeah, you heard that right "Simpsons"). Arrested Development, like many other shows on this list, takes the conventions of sitcoms and irreverently turns them around, poking fun at the genre, audience, and show itself all to the delight of the audience. Special props for getting sitcom legend Ron Howard to provide the skeptical narration that ties the show together, and for perhaps one of the funniest group of secondary characters to appear on the same screen. It's great to see Archer on FX carry on the dysfunctional family tradition from "Arrested Development," and to see all of the actors move on (more or less) to continued work on some inspired comedic projects. But now, let's get them all back together for that promised movie, damnit!

1. Seinfeld (1989-98)
Favorite Episode: "The Caddy"

Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld's genius decision to craft a sitcom that ignored the touchy-feely for the everyday hilarious created a mainstream comedy hit that NBC continues to search for today. The series is so rife with quotable lines, pop cultural creations, and memorable secondary characters that it would require a volume to chart its social significance. Though the series killed the careers of several of its stars (with the notable exception of David, whose "Curb Your Enthusiasm" was too off-the-wall to include in this list), its legacy remains untouchable to this day, and its prominent position in syndication during primetime on several networks attests to its staying power.

Did I forget your favorite? Let me know!