The Big Bang Theory (TBBT) debuted in 2007 and lasted an impressive 12 seasons, including 279 episodes. While its early seasons garnered lukewarm reviews, The Big Bang Theory developed a strong following. Ultimately the show would become one of the biggest on TV ever. Like many before it, TBBT dominated a sphere of pop culture and entertained families around the world.

The breadth of this television genre can sometimes make The Big Bang Theory seem like a small screen fish in a big ocean. For fans of TBBT, there are likely a few other series to fill all sitcom-watching needs.

Updated June 6, 2022, by Anthony Jeanetta. The emergence of several streaming services has resulted in a boon in TV production. Today there are more sitcoms than ever before, but many of the best sitcoms of the past 30 years began before the streaming service windfall. This list is updated to include more sitcoms comedy fans will enjoy.

15 Rules of Engagement Has Become a Forgotten Gem

The Main Cast of Rules of Engagement Laying in Bed

Airing between 2007 and 2013, the CBS series Rules of Engagement reached seven seasons and 100 episodes before its cancellation. The show's storyline focused on five friends: a married couple (Jeff and Audrey), their newlywed neighbors (Adam and Jennifer), and the group's cocky bachelor (Russell). Eventually, the main cast grew to six when Russell's assistant, Timir, became a series regular.

While not offering anything groundbreaking or particularly unique, Rules of Engagement was an enjoyable show. With a large volume of episodes and some fun dynamics between the cast, it gave viewers plenty to enjoy. During its run, the show faced stiff sitcom competition from juggernauts like TBBT and How I Met Your Mother, which likely played a significant part in its eventual demise.

While the ABC series Roseanne would eventually meet a controversial end in 2018, there's no denying the impact its initial run had on the world of television. Lasting from 1988 to 1997, Rosanne spanned 222 episodes and a brief 9-episode return before its cancellation.

Roseanne featured an electric cast that included Roseanne Barr and John Goodman. The series also starred TBBT regulars Johnny Galecki, Sara Gilbert, and Laurie Metcalf. During its run, the show often topped ratings and won multiple awards. Despite its unfortunate end, Roseanne maintained its popularity to this day.

13 Spaced Is A Cult Classic

The Main Cast of Spaced Posing Together

Spaced is precisely the type of series Sheldon and the gang would've watched themselves. Starring Simon Pegg, Jessica Stevenson, and Nick Frost, Spaced is a single-camera satire about two friends pretending to be a couple to live in an affordable apartment. The show's top-notch performances and loads of fun references keep fans entertained.

Spaced has maintained a significant pop culture presence, despite only lasting two seasons and 14 episodes. The show is a standout in the filmographies of Pegg and director Edgar Wright — who have hugely impacted Hollywood in the years since the show aired in 1999.

12 Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Ted Danson, George Wendt, and Woody Harrelson in a scene from Cheers.

From 1982 to 1993, NBC's Cheers dominated TV screens worldwide. Cheers still has regular viewers on syndication to this day. The cast is chock-full of long-time stars like Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Kelsey Grammer, and Woody Harrelson. Plus, Cheers fans know the show's theme song is one of the best and probably have it stuck in their heads.

Funnily enough, NBC almost canceled Cheers during its first season due to low ratings. Thankfully, it wasn't canceled and went on to span 275 episodes over 11 seasons. The show was also notable for introducing the character of Frasier Crane (played by Grammer), who continued to portray Crane in his own spin-off series.

11 Frasier Continued The Legacy Of Cheers For Over A Decade

Debuting shortly after Cheers ended, Frasier ran for 11 seasons, beginning in 1993 and ending in 2004. The series followed the titular character as he returned to his hometown of Seattle and introduced more of Frasier Crane's friends and family.

Frasier was both a massive success and one of the most successful spin-offs of all time. The show included returns of almost every main character from its predecessor via cameos or recurring roles. These special guest spots, and Kelsey Grammer's deadpan delivery, gave Frasier a singular style in the world of sitcoms.

10 Blackladder Was A Wonderfully Unique Series

Blackadder Goes Forth Ending final scene

Rowan Atkinson, the man behind the beloved Mr. Bean (and the voice of Zazu), had great success on the small screen. Atkinson starred in the British period sitcom Blackadder. Aside from Atkinson, Blackadder featured a fantastic cast and a creative approach to sitcoms. These features made the show immensely rewatchable. Each of the four seasons occurred in entirely different periods, ranging from 1485 to 1917.

Blackadder's primary cast carried throughout the series, despite these time shifts. With each change in the period, the cast played new characters. The show implied that these characters were descendants of their previous characters. Additionally, several on-shot specials followed the show.

9 HIMYM Gave TBBT Some Strong Competition

From 2005 to 2014, another rollicking sitcom on CBS challenged The Big Bang Theory's popularity. How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) began its 208-episode run with a unique framing device that centered the bulk of the series in flashbacks and/or flashforwards. This framing device and the show's frequent cutaways to short gags helped How I Met Your Mother stand out from the live-action sitcom crowd.

How I Met Your Mother featured a strong cast which included stars like Alyson Hannigan, Jason Segel, and Neil Patrick Harris. While airing, the series amassed several awards. Unlike many similar multi-camera sitcoms, HIMYM rarely filmed in front of a live studio audience due to the inclusion of said flashbacks/flashforwards. After filming, producers showed a final cut of an episode to an audience, recorded their reactions, and added them in before broadcast. These reactions helped the jokes stick their landing.

community greendale seven study group

A single-camera series airing from 2009 to 2014, Community lasted 110 episodes across six seasons. Like TBBT, it was full of fantastic pop-culture references and jokes. This sense of humor made Community the kind of TV show The Big Bang Theory group would've enjoyed.

Community ran for five seasons on NBC before the channel canceled it. Yahoo! Screen, a streaming service from the search engine giant, soon picked the show up and allowed Community to produce one more season —bringing fans closer to the ultimate endgame of "six seasons and a movie."

7 Arrested Development Has Been Lauded As The Funniest Show Ever

Arrested Development

Arrested Development ran for five seasons across two different networks (Fox and Netflix). Since its debut in 2003, Arrested Development has garnered significant critical appraisal. The series followed the exploits of the Bluth family as they contended with losing their wealth and featured narration from acclaimed director and former child star, Ron Howard.

Arrested Development is widely regarded as one of the best sitcoms ever. Despite this praise from critics and fans, the show received low ratings. These ratings resulted in its cancellation after its third season. Eventually, Netflix stepped in to revive the show and brought it to a larger audience.

6 The IT Crowd Is Unique And Hilarious

The Main Cast of The IT Crowd sitting rogether on a couch.

Over four seasons, British-sitcom The IT Crowd lasted only 25 episodes but enjoyed a long life of TV reruns before eventually landing on Netflix. The IT Crowd's sense of humor made the series extremely singular. Despite having one of the original stars involved, this individuality resulted in an almost instant cancellation for its ill-fated U.S. remake.

The cast had great success in show business, with the primary three actors appearing in numerous shows and movies. Additionally, it sparked a classic catchphrase from grump technician Roy: "Have you tried turning it off and on again?"

5 Rick And Morty Is A Smart And Rollicking Sci-Fi Adventure

The cloned smith family enjoy their last moments, holding hands in the water

Rick and Morty, the creation of Dan Harmon (creator of Community) and Justin Roiland, debuted in 2013 on Cartoon Network. Across five seasons, the series tracked the wide-ranging and eccentric adventures of super-scientist Rick and his nephew Morty.

Each episode of Rick and Morty features a hilarious and intelligent take on an existing movie, TV show, and/or scientific concept. As the titular duo explores infinite universes, they stumble into a wide range of thought-provoking and sidesplitting hijinks. Be warned, Rick and Morty is anything but kid-friendly, even if it's animated.

4 Silicon Valley Takes An Inside Look At The Lives of Tech "Geniuses"

Four of the main actors from Silicon Valley looking quizzical.

From co-creator Mike Judge (Office Space and Beavis and Butt-Head), Silicon Valley began in 2014 and ran for 52 episodes across six seasons. The show centered on Richard Hendricks, a Silicon Valley engineer attempting to build his own tech company, Pied Piper. On their way to creating a new technology giant, Richard and his friends revealed how fickle and corruptible the industry was.

Silicon Valley includes notable comedy performers like Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Kumail Nanjiani, and Zach Woods. Watching this gang go through the booms and busts of the high-powered technology sector is ripe pickings for Mike Judge's biting satire.

3 Better Off Ted Was A Short-Lived Satire Of Workplace Comedies

Television Better Off Ted Cast posing by Water Fountain

Better Off Ted was a comedic flame that burned short but bright. Premiering in 2009, Better Off Ted lasted only 26 episodes over two seasons. This series followed the titular Ted, a middle manager at an unscrupulous technology company, as he worked to reign in control of his brilliant but unconventional scientists.

Aside from Portia De Rossi, Ted's demanding superior (and part-time love interest), Better Off Ted doesn't feature any A-listers. But the tag teaming between Malcolm Barret and Jonathan Slavin (scientists Lem and Phil) consistently steal the show.

2 Archer Is James Bond With A Budget

A scene from the twelfth season of Archer featuring most of the main cast within an elevator.

Debuting in 2009, Archer is still going strong. Archer numbers 12 seasons with 156 episodes and counting. An eight-episode Season 13 is expected sometime in 2022. Created by Adam Reed, Archer follows the adventures of secret agent Sterling Archer and his crew.

Initially, a zany but straightforward spy comedy, Archer has taken advantage of its animated format to play with its conceit. Since season five, Archer and his crew have been drug smugglers and private detectives and have had an entire season inside a character's head.

1 Happy Endings Is A More Caustic But Equally Rib-Splitting Version of TBBT's Gang

Dave's friends support him at his wedding in the Happy Endings pilot

Happy Endings was a show as funny as it was short-lived. First airing in 2011, Happy Endings spanned 57 episodes (and one mid-pandemic Zoom special). A cold opening of a bride leaving her groom on the altar for a doofus in rollerblades might not sound like fertile comedic ground, but this series made it work.

Damon Wayans Jr., Casey Wilson, and Adam Pally highlight Happy Ending's main cast. This show operates like an acidic Friends rip-off. The group in Happy Endings is more likely to verbally lash a friend than they are to help them move their couch. Still, the joke-a-minute pacing with just enough heart makes Happy Ending's spice go down easily.