Well, round three of our sitcom tournament is over. More than 4,500 votes were cast and you, our readers, had some tough decisions to make. We’re sorry to say many great sitcoms have fallen but, one of them will get another chance!
In the 1950s category, I Love Lucy triumphed over The Honeymooners by a margin of almost three to one. Interestingly, there was a time when it seemed that Ralph and Alice were more beloved than Lucy and Ricky. Have times changed?
For the 1960s competition, two beloved sitcoms — The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Andy Griffith Show — duked it out. It was pretty close but Andy and the Mayberry gang won out.
Two groundbreaking situation comedies, All in the Family and M*A*S*H, were the contenders in the 1970s category. Both are highly regarded but the folks of the 4077th were the easy victors. Sorry, Meathead.
In the 1980s, it came down to two veterans of NBC’s legendary Thursday night lineup — The Cosby Show and Cheers. Though the Huxtables got bigger ratings in their day, the Boston barflies won by a margin of nearly two to one.
The 1990s category was a real surprise. Friends looked like it would walk away with the competition but the show about nothing, Seinfeld, won out by a narrow margin.
And finally, in the 2000s pairing, Everybody Loves Raymond triumphed over current popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory. You would think that a show that’s currently in primetime would have triumphed but Ray and his family were on the air for many years.
Now, we’re putting the winners of decades against one another to find the top three out of the top six. We’re also giving the second place winners (can’t call them losers!) a second chance. One of them will be put back into the mix for round five. We’ll put the top four up against one another and finally crown our winner.
UPDATE: This round has now closed. Please go on to round five — the final round!
Which of these two sitcoms is better?
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Which of these two sitcoms is better?
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Which of these two sitcoms is better?
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Which of these sitcoms deserves a second chance?
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What do you think? Is the voting getting any easier? Who are you rooting for?
I loved Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Cheers, Fraiser, Will & Grace, Kings of Queens, Cosby show, Full House, Who’s the Boss, Growing Pains, I love Lucy.
some great shows, we need more shows like those..
Hmmm. There have been a handful of ensemble sitcoms that have reflected America, and you’ve pretty much nailed them all – with the possible exception of Barney Miller/Welcome Back Kotter (low budget schlog compared to Cheers and Seinfeld, but still something millions talked about around the water cooler) For me – I loved all the ‘biggies’ (except Friends – which was a little ‘young’ for me – by the time it came on we were having kids and out of the ‘living with college friends’ thing) . And I can certainly see how someone else would have a different number… Read more »
I’m sorry “Arrested Development” hasn’t already won. And “The Comeback” which was the most innovative, brilliant show I’ve ever seen on television. Only lasted one season.