Need a Laugh? Watch the Funniest Sitcoms You Can Stream This Week

SCTV comedy troupe veterans Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara star in this Canadian-produced sitcom about an affluent family bilked by their financial advisers until they are left with one asset — a woeful community called Schitt’s Creek. The show has a 92% Freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and positive reviews from 95% of audiences. The sitcom has a rating of 8.4 out of 10 among IMDb users.

Comedian Martin Lawrence stars as radio — and later television — personality Martin Payne on this sitcom, which ran from 1992 through 1997 on Fox. The series is packed with memorable characters, including Payne’s love interest Gina Waters, his friends Cole Brown and Tommy Strawn, and numerous smaller roles played by the highly versatile Lawrence.

The coming-of-age sitcom about teenagers growing up in the 1970s in Wisconsin entertained audiences for eight seasons and helped launch the careers of actors including Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher, and Mila Kunis. The Emmy Award-winning show maintains high ratings online (it’s currently rated 8.1 out of 10 by IMDb users) and continues to draw new viewers on streaming platforms such as Netflix.

After several years as a recurring sketch on “The Jackie Gleason Show,” “The Honeymooners” began airing as a sitcom that would eventually become one of the most enduring television comedies of all time. Jackie Gleason played the ever-aspiring moon-faced bus driver Ralph Kramden, with Audrey Meadows as his long-suffering wife Alice and Art Carney as the loopy neighbor Ed Norton. The 39-episode series is rated 8.6 out of 10 among IMDb users.

Octogenarian actors Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda star in this Netflix series about two women forming a strong bond after learning their husbands have long been romantically involved with one another. A seventh season of the Emmy-nominated series is scheduled for release in 2021.

Aziz Ansari created and starred in this series about the personal and professional adventures of an immigrant in New York who aspires to be an actor. The Emmy Award and Golden Globe-winning series ran for two seasons and was warmly received by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, who gave it a 100% Freshness rating. Also, 90% of audiences liked the show.

“30 Rock” was created by Tina Fey, who also stars in the show. Fey is accompanied by an ensemble cast that includes Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer. The show received an exceptional 103 Emmy nominations over just seven seasons, including 22 nominations in 2009 — the most of any comedy series in a single awards year ever.

Created by actor, comedian, and musician Donald Glover, “Atlanta” is a unique sitcom in both thematic content and its playful approach to the now well-traveled medium of the 30-minute comedy show. The two-time Golden Globe-winner has impressed audiences and critics, who gave it a rating of 8.6 out of 10 on IMDb, an 89% user score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 97% rating from critics on the site. Only two seasons have been released thus far, with an additional two in the works.

Co-created by Mike Judge (“King of the Hill,” “Office Space”), HBO’s “Silicon Valley” skewers California’s tech industry through a cast of lovable yet imperfect characters who work at a startup. The Emmy-winning show ended in December 2019, and the entire series can now be streamed on platforms including HBO Now.

The oftentimes absurdist sitcom “Broad City” stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson as two best friends living in New York City. The show ran for five seasons on Comedy Central, during which time it was a critical favorite, earning a Rotten Tomatoes Freshness rating of 99%.

Creator and star Larry David’s whine fest — about an oafish East Coast transplant who has decamped to Los Angeles — ran for 10 seasons and won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” holds a 93% audience approval score on Rotten Tomatoes and has an 8.7 rating out of 10 among more than 96,000 IMDb users.

The Golden Globe-winning comedy police series, which stars Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, and Terry Crews, had its season finale added to Hulu in late April. All seven seasons of the sitcom are now available to stream on the platform. The comedy series has a Freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes of 97%, and 93% of audiences were amused by it.

The hospital-themed comedy “Scrubs” ran for nine seasons before it was canceled. The Emmy Award-winning series that stars Zach Braff holds a Freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes of 83%, and 87% of audiences liked the show. Among IMDb users, “Scrubs” has a rating of 8.3 out of 10.

Joel McHale stars in this series about a lawyer who has to return to college after his bachelor’s degree turns out to be bogus. The six-season series won an Emmy and received critics’ kudos for its snarky tone and deconstruction of sitcom conventions as well as its engaging cast, which includes “Saturday Night Live” alum Chevy Chase.

The Emmy Award-winning series is about a working-class family in suburban Chicago doing whatever it takes to survive. Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy lead the strong cast of the 11-season series, and four of the seasons hold a 100% Freshness rating among critics. Users on IMDb gave “Shameless” an 8.6 rating out of 10.

“Saturday Night Live” alum Amy Poehler stars in this sitcom done in mockumentary style about the goofy projects cooked up by an Indiana town’s parks and recreation department. The acclaimed series ran for seven seasons ending in 2015. It holds a 93% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and 89% of audiences liked the show. All of the original characters returned for a one-show special in April to raise funds for Feeding America’s Response Fund.

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” will become the longest-running live-action comedy series ever following the release of its 15th season, which has been ordered by the show’s network FX. The series follows five slightly unhinged friends who own and run an Irish dive bar in Philly. It currently has a rating of 8.8 out of 10 from IMDb users.

Will Smith, who had already launched a career as a rapper when the show first aired, successfully transitioned to the small screen in this sitcom. Smith plays a street-savvy young man from West Philadelphia who runs afoul with local toughs and is sent by his mother to live with rich relatives in California. On Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of audiences liked the show, which is also remembered for its infectious theme song rapped by Smith. “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” has a rating of 7.9 out of 10 among IMDb users.

The long-running sitcom turns family comedy on its head with the weekly adventures of three related though different families. “Modern Family” has a Freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes of 85%, and 88% of audiences liked the show. More than 329,000 IMDb users give the sit-com an 8.4 rating out of 10.

The self-styled television show about nothing became one of television’s most successful sitcoms. “Seinfeld” follows the lives of four neurotic New Yorkers. The series was among the top-rated television shows throughout its run, winning 10 Emmys in nine seasons. Its finale was the fourth-most viewed series-ending of all time. “Seinfeld” has an 88% Freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 95% of audiences liked the show. It holds a rating of 8.8 out of 10 among IMDb users.

Jason Bateman stars in the five-season sitcom as a young man who takes charge of his kooky family and its real estate business after his father lands in jail over securities fraud. The Netflix series holds a 75% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and 81% of audiences liked the show, which has won Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.

The sitcom about quirky office workers in Scranton, Pennsylvania, told in documentary style is based on the British series of the same name. Ricky Gervais, who starred in the British version, helped create the American series. The show ran for nine seasons. The series helped make Steve Carell a major star and put John Krasinski on the path to stardom. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the series an overall Freshness rating of 81%, with three seasons awarded a Freshness rating of 100%. Audiences on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 93%. “The Office” received an 8.9 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.

“How I Met Your Mother” follows lead character Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) as he tells his son and daughter stories of his younger days with friends in New York City leading up to his relationship with his wife. Overall, the series received positive ratings from critics and viewers (it earned an 83% rating from both on Rotten Tomatoes) though the eighth season was a notable weak point for the sitcom.

The long-running sitcom about a group of dweebish scientists who have their social circle invaded by an attractive neighbor has not only been hugely popular with viewers but also won numerous industry awards, including 10 Primetime Emmy Awards. The show’s 281 episodes can be streamed on platforms like Amazon Video.

The sitcom about twenty-something friends living in New York made stars out of all six actors. “Friends” was nominated for 62 Emmy Awards during its 10-season run and won six. The show’s finale drew 52.5 million viewers in May 2004 and was one of the top-rated television series enders. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a Freshness rating of 78%, while audiences gave it more love, with a 95% score. IMDb users gave “Friends” a rating of 8.9 out of 10.