Sitcoms often center around families, but many of the most popular ones throughout the decades also focus on groups of friends. The dynamic among two, three, or even more close friends always leads to plenty of interesting storylines. Some are about coming of age, others center around characters at other points in their lives, including those who are much older.
The best sitcoms about friendships show how friends can be just as close, if not more so, than biological family. These are the people to lean on in times of trouble, to share moments of joy with, and of course, get up to plenty of silly antics.
10’Grace and Frankie' (2015–2022)
Created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris
CreatorMarta Kauffmanknows a thing or two about making sitcoms about friends, having served as co-creator ofFriends. But there’s a unique twist inGrace and Frankie. The two title characters, played byJane FondaandLily Tomlin, respectively, are later-in-life women who learn that their husbands and business partners have secretly been romantic partners for decades as well. The ladies now find themselves in uncharted, unexpected territory, with divorce and having to start over in their late 70s.
The two women couldn’t be more different from one another: Grace, a high-society, classy businesswoman, and Frankie, an eccentric hippie. But they find solace in one another, the only other person who can understand their circumstances.The series chronicles the two women as they grow closer and more accepting of one another, finding friendship in the wake of unfortunate circumstances.
Grace and Frankie
9’Will & Grace' (1998–2006, 2017–2020)
Created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick
The dynamic inWill & Graceis a unique one. Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Messing) are old college friends who once dated. That is, prior to Will coming out as gay. They remained best friends, however, living together in an apartment. They’re clearly soulmates even though there’s no possibility for a romantic connection between them, which leads to complicated feelings.
The series follows their lives as they deal with work, dating, and life challengesalongside their two other friends, Karen (Megan Mullally) and Jack (Sean Hayes). The show was groundbreaking, portraying gay main characters at a time when it wasn’t as common on television. It was so popular and arguably before its time that the show returned for a sequel series more than a decade later, adding three more seasons to contribute toall the bestWill & Graceepisodes.
Will & Grace
8’Happy Endings' (2011–2013)
Created by David Caspe
AnABC show that many feel was canceled too soon,Happy Endingswas like a modern-day version ofFriends. It centered around a group of six best friends following the fallout of the relationship between two of them, Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) and Dave (Zachary Knighton). This event aside, the sitcom quickly dives into the very different lives of each character, but also how they come together and are there for one another.
There’s a character to whom every viewer can relate, from the ditzy one to the daydreamer, the uptight wife and her overachieving husband, and the slacker man-child.The chemistry among the cast was top-notch, leaving fans livid when ABC canceled the show after just three seasons.
Happy Endings
7’New Girl' (2011–2018)
Created by Elizabeth Meriwether
New Girlhad one of the best but alsomost frustrating will-they-won’t-they romance storylineson television. The story begins when schoolteacher Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) discovers her boyfriend cheating and promptly moves out. She finds a great apartment for rent, but all the roommates are male. Nonetheless, she convinces them to let her move in, and they all become fast friends.
With Jessica as the quirky young woman who upends their lives,New Girldelivers plenty of running gags, hilarious one-liners, and silly anticsas the group tries to help one another through their biggest challenges.
6’Seinfeld' (1989–1998)
Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld
Famously a show about nothing,Seinfeldis about four friends meeting and chatting about their lives, and the minutiae of daily life.Jerry Seinfeldplays a fictional version of himself, a popular stand-up comedian, whileJulia Louis-Dreyfusis Elaine, his once romantic partner now turned friend. Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) is Jerry’s eccentric neighbor who pops in whenever he feels like it, while George Costanza (Jason Alexander) is his oddball best friend.
Seinfeld, one ofthe best sitcoms ever, has made its mark in pop culture history.The interactions among the friends, from their weird bets to their ridiculous conversations, make the show one of the most memorable of the decade and beyond.
5’That ’70s Show' (1998–2006)
Created by Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, and Mark Brazill
Aired in the late ‘90s and early 2000s but set in the ‘70s,That ‘70s Showis about a group of high school friends who spend most of their free time in their friend’s basement. They relax, deal with traditional coming-of-age challenges, some dating one another (and others), and enjoy partaking in their signature circles filled with clouds of smoke.
The show defined a generation and provided a glimpse into high school life in the 1970s, with plenty of references to the times. Yet it was relatable to kids growing up at the time it aired, too. The show has stood the test of time and introduced fans to actors likeTopher Grace,Mila Kunis,Laura Prepon,Wilmer Valderrama, andAshton Kutcher.
That ’70s Show
4’The Golden Girls' (1985–1992)
Created by Susan Harris
Before there wasGrace and Frankie, there wasThe Golden Girls, another sitcom about mature women navigating changes that come later in life. Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) are widowed, while Dorothy (Bea Arthur) is divorced, and her elderly mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty), lives with them since her retirement home burned down. Together, the four women share a beach house in Miami, finding friendship to help get through this new chapter of their lives.
Cuttingly funny with one of the best ensemble casts ever on television,The Golden Girlsisa must-watch sitcomthat will make you laugh. Every sarcastic comeback, every witty one-liner, every ditzy comment from Rose, or a hilarious story about Sicily from Sophia come together to make for a beautiful story. It’s not uncommon to see friends gathered in the kitchen sharing a cheesecake in the center of the table as they talk about their day’s adventures or just complain about life in general.
The Golden Girls
3’How I Met Your Mother' (2005–2014)
Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas
One of the best sitcoms with one of theworst TV show endings,How I Met Your Mother, told the story of how Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor, narrated by the lateBob Sagetin the future) met the mother of his two children. But it was really more about the antics of he and his close-knit group of friends, including college friends Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan), his sometimes love interest Robin (Cobie Smulders), and the playboy new friend Barney (Neil Patrick Harris).
Like a modern-dayFriends, the show replaced the coffee shop with a pub on the ground floor of their buildingand a new group with similarly complicated lives. It had just as many running gags, memorable characters, and lines people still quote to this day.
How I Met Your Mother
2’The Big Bang Theory' (2007–2019)
Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady
The Big Bang Theoryis all about a very different group of friends than any other series, self-professed nerds who work in the fields of science and physics and enjoy geeking out together over things likeStar Trekand comic books. The socially awkward guys find their lives upended when a pretty waitress and aspiring actor moves into the apartment across the hall.
Focusing on unlikely friends with an underlying theme of acceptance of differences,The Big Bang Theorywill leave you laughing heartily as the friends deal with Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and his inflated ego, and each one of their individual quirks and distinct personalities.
The Big Bang Theory
1’Friends' (1994–2004)
Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman
It’s fitting that a sitcom calledFriendswould be the best sitcom about, well, friends. One of the first to feature the ensemble cast format, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Chandler (Matthew Perry), and Ross (David Schwimmer) have become the most recognizable six friends ever on television.
The show, one of theessential sitcoms everyone should see at least once, begins with the six friends in their 20s as they explore living as singles in New York.From relationships to careers, family drama, and ridiculous storylines, every episode is funnierthan the last, right through to the end.
NEXT:Shows To Watch if You Love ‘Friends’
