Written by Jaiden Arada, Converge multimedia journalism intern and Senior at Cherokee Bluff High School
All over the world, people watch television. It is a way to bring people together by bonding over a fandom of a show. Specifically with situational comedies, they make everyday situations comedic and show viewers that they can relate to the characters. These sitcoms are a couple of my favorites in how they portray these lovable and funny characters.
Friends
Friends is a classic 90s sitcom that grabbed the hearts of a lot of people around the world. The six ensemble friend characters worked to create a family dynamic that most friend groups envy. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, the chemistry was amazing between these actors for 10 seasons. Within the show, there’s romance, cliff-hangers and extremely laughable moments that will definitely make people smile. The beauty of the show is that sometimes the episodes are filled with important content and others are just about their daily lives.
One of my favorite episodes is in season three, on episode two called “The One Where No One’s Ready.” The group are trying to get ready for an event at Ross’ (David Schwimmer) museum job and everything stops that from happening. There is a moment in that episode that one of the characters ends up wearing another character’s entire wardrobe! You will have to watch the series to find out who!
The Office
Another sitcom that grabbed my attention was The Office. The show takes place at a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania that is filmed in a mockumentary style. The regional manager of the company, Michael Scott who is played by Steve Carrell, is a boss who says all the wrong things at the wrong time. He wants everyone in the office to adore him and members of the office do not live up to his high expectations. Throughout the show, it follows an ensemble cast, including Michael Scott, throughout their lives within the paper company.
In the first season, I had a hard time understanding the humor and dynamic of the show. Once I reached the second season, I understood the reason it got such good reviews. It was funny and real while following the characters and made me want to work at an office like theirs. I would recommend this series to anyone who wants to laugh.
New Girl
New Girl is a sitcom about a woman who finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her. In an attempt to get away from him as quickly as possible, she finds a Craigslist advertisement for a loft with three other people, who she assumed were girls. She ends up being interviewed by three guys who let her live in the loft apartment. The show is about how she navigates living with three other male roommates.
In the first episode, she already makes an impact in their lives. When Jess, the main character, gets stood up on a date, the three guys come to be her dates instead. The show displays how people can always be there for you, even if you are a stranger. It is a very funny show that stars Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris and more. It is a great lighthearted humor show that teaches viewers that everything will be okay.
Parks and Recreation
Modeled similarly to The Office, Parks and Recreation is another mockumentary-style show that follows a government office parks and recreation department. Leslie Knope works for the parks department, and she is dedicated to making the town a better and more environmentally friendly place. She has some interesting coworkers including the exuberant April, the stubborn Ron, the helper Ann and the lovable Andy.
This sense of comedy is a little different than the other shows. The one liners that they deliver within the show are truly hilarious. One of my favorite one liners comes from the character Andy when he says, “Leslie I typed your symptoms into the [computer] up here, and it says you could have network connectivity problems.” Overall, it is a very funny show, and I would recommend it to anyone!
Full House
If you’re looking for a sitcom about family, Full House is a heartwarming and funny show that will give audiences a nice, warm feeling. Differing from the other sitcoms in this list, this show is TV-PG and it teaches people life lessons on how to deal with things within their family.
One episode that stuck out to me in particular is the one where the character DJ, played by Candace Cameron Bure, suffers from body image issues. She wants to lose weight unhealthily to look like supermodels of the time. Her father, uncle and father’s best friend help her understand that doing that is unhealthy and that she is beautiful the way she is. It is a great lesson for young viewers and ties it into a show with comedy as well. It is a great show for the whole family to watch.
That ‘70s Show
If you’re looking for a show about teenagers doing reckless things, That ‘70s Show is the perfect sitcom. Following Eric Foreman, played by Topher Grace, through his high school experiences with dating, friendships and getting into trouble. One of the characters I believe is the funniest is Red Foreman, Eric’s father. He is always getting angry with the teenagers and his comedic delivery is hilarious. This show is not recommended for younger viewers, but older viewers may enjoy laughing at the stupidity of these teenage characters.
