What made sitcoms so revolutionary was not just their humor. It was their willingness to take risks. Writers and producers began weaving real-world issues into comedic narratives, blending entertainment with sincerity in ways rarely seen before.
These shows introduced characters who were deeply human and often flawed, moving away from perfect families and idealized settings. The influence of these sitcoms continues to shape the voice and structure of modern television comedy.
Webster
George Papadapolis and his wife Katherine’s lives are turned upside down when they take in Webster, the son of a former football teammate of George. The show brings to light the discussions of color and family values.
Police Squad!
Police Squad! would top this list if it hadn’t been canceled after just six episodes. The show was incredibly ahead of its time, ditching the usual serious detective trope for slapstick humor and pure absurdity. Each episode is a classic, and it ultimately paved the way for the Naked Gun film series
Family Ties
Michael J Fox became a household name playing Alex Keaton, the conservative son of two liberal ex-hippies Steven and Elyse Keaton. It was an amazing dynamic to the American wholesome family.
Alf
A wholesome American family gets a visitor… from another galaxy. Alf is a quick tongue alien that was kept secret by the family who took him in. The show was popular with its fans, but not the network or the cast, who hated working on a TV show where a puppet got the best lines. The show ends in a sad cliffhanger where Alf is caught by the military, the idea was to change direction for season five, but the show was canceled. Sad ending to a popular show.
Saved by the Bell
Six friends from high school go through the growing pains of dating, friendships, school, summer jobs, and eventually college. Saved by the Bell became a huge hit for over 20 years living on through syndication.
Perfect Strangers
A cynical man’s, who moves out to Chicago, life takes a massive shift when he meets his foreign cousin who comes to America to live with him. Perfect Strangers had various changes to its format over the course of the series but the chemistry between Bronson Pinchot and Mark Linn-Baker was pure gold. Oh, and remember the dance of joy?
The Hogan Family
Another typical American family sitcom that had a twist, the first two seasons centered around Valerie Harper, a career-oriented mother and wife, when her character was killed off, the show ran for four more seasons when Valerie’s sister-in-law came to live and help raise the family.
The Cosby Show
Bill Cosby became one of the most famous and most influential people in the entertainment business with his show about a successful African American family. Despite its family humor and Cosby’s delivery all the greatness of this show will now be forever tainted by what happened many years later.
Cheers
The bar of an ex-Boston Red Sox’s player became one of the most successful shows of the 1980’s. From its quirky characters and modern humor, Cheers was a show that finally broke with the norm of the “American Family” sitcom, instead focusing on the issues adults face after work at their local bar.
Charles in Charge
Charles in Charge revolves around Charles, a college student who works as a live-in housekeeper for a family, essentially becoming a big brother figure to their children. Charles’s best friend, Buddy Lembeck, was a prominent and often comedic character who was popular with audiences. While Scott Baio was already famous from Happy Days, his role as the good-natured and responsible Charles in this series further cemented his status as a teen idol and a sitcom star.