The Funniest TV Shows of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated January 22, 2021 503.7k votes 30.9k voters 526.8k views443 items

List RulesVote up the most hilarious sitcoms, sketch shows, or other programs in television history

The funniest TV shows ever range from some of the best TV shows of recent memory to some of the best TV shows of all time. These hilarious television shows and series are the ones that make you accidentally snort your soda up your nose, spill your TV dinner, and fall off your chair from laughing. Some of these funny TV shows are so good, they'll have you chuckling at just the memory of a joke, even years down the line.

From the timeless antics of I Love Lucy's Ethel and Lucy to the foul-mouthed hi-jinks of the kids from South Park to the moral depravity of the Bluth family on Arrested Development, these funny television series make the living room (or bedroom, plane, car, office, whatever..it's the digital age, we get it) a funnier place to be. Many of these amusing TV shows are still on the air (The Simpsons, Big Bang Theory), others have gone to TV heaven (Cheers, 30 Rock), and more still have been resurrected from the digital grave (Family Guy, Futurama).

What are the funniest series on TV? Funniest of the decade? What is the funniest TV show ever? This list of the funniest TV shows ever looks to crown one TV show the funniest television show ever. It doesn't matter if the show is old or new - these are the top TV comedies of all time. Vote for your favorite TV show and make sure to add any popular funny TV shows that might be missing from the funniest television series list. Note that they aren't necessarily all comedy tv shows - a show can be funny and not necessarily a "comedy" per se. But let's face it - most of the funniest tv shows are also the best comedies of all time.

Check out the best streaming Netflix TV shows if you want to know if some of these hilarious series are available for streaming there.

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4,007
The Office
Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson
Premiered: 2005
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Mockumentary
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2
4,045
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Parks and Recreation
Amy Poehler, Jim O'Heir
Premiered: 2009
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Mockumentary, Satire, Romance TV, Comedy-drama
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3
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Friends
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox
Premiered: 1994
Genres (Tv): Sitcom
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4
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Married... with Children
Ed O'Neill, Christina Applegate
Premiered: 1987
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
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5
3,759
2,927
Chappelle's Show
Dave Chappelle, Donnell Rawlings
Premiered: 2003
Genres (Tv): Sketch comedy, Satire, Variety show, Sketch, Comedy
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6
3,730
2,207
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton
Premiered: 2005
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Black comedy
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7
5,744
4,507
South Park
Trey Parker, Matt Stone
Premiered: 1997
Genres (Tv): Animation, Television comedy, Sitcom, Satire, Animated cartoon
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8
5,069
4,009
Family Guy
Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein
Premiered: 1999
Genres (Tv): Black comedy, Animation, Sitcom, Animated cartoon, Comedy
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9
2,258
1,690
Mr. Bean
Rowan Atkinson, Robin Driscoll
Premiered: 1990
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
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10
6,042
5,033
Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Premiered: 1989
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
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11
1,878
1,303
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie
Premiered: 1998
Genres (Tv): Improvisational theatre, Television comedy
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12
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2,377
Frasier
Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves
Premiered: 1993
Genres (Tv): Sitcom
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13
1,049
492
Looney Tunes
Mel Blanc, June Foray
Premiered: 1930
Genres (Tv): Animation, Comedy
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14
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The Golden Girls
Bea Arthur, Betty White
Premiered: 1985
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
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15
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Futurama
Billy West, John DiMaggio
Premiered: 1999
Genres (Tv): Animation, Sitcom, Comedy, Science Fiction
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16
3,025
2,555
I Love Lucy
Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz
Premiered: 1951
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
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17
3,707
2,956
Modern Family
Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara
Premiered: 2009
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Mockumentary, Family, Comedy, Family Film
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18
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1,943
The Carol Burnett Show
Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence
Premiered: 1967
Genres (Tv): Sketch comedy, Variety show, Sketch, Comedy
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19
1,810
1,429
The Muppet Show
Jim Henson, Frank Oz
Premiered: 1976
Genres (Tv): Sketch comedy, Variety show, Children's television series, Live action, Comedy
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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Will Smith, James Avery
Premiered: 1990
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
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21
5,921
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The Simpsons
Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright
Premiered: 1989
Genres (Tv): Animation, Television comedy, Comedy, Family Film
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22
2,091
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Home Improvement
Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson
Premiered: 1991
Genres (Tv): Sitcom, Comedy
23
2,788
2,258
Malcolm in the Middle
Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek
Premiered: 2000
Genres (Tv): Sitcom
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24
834
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Tom and Jerry
Tom Kenny, Rick Zieff
Premiered: 1940
Genres (Tv): Animation, Comedy, Family Film
25
1,325
775
Brooklyn Nine-nine
Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz
Premiered: 2013
Genres (Tv): Comedy, Sitcom, Police procedural
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