Top 10 TV Sitcoms

Okay, here's my first shot at a Top Ten list for Top Ten Tuesdays. I thought I'd start with TV comedies because there's enough to make it worthwhile, while not so many that I'd spend hours trying to narrow it down. You can take these all as my recommendations, as well. If you haven't seen any

Here are my criteria:

• Rewatchability - it has to be something I'd be willing to rewatch, if I haven't already. 
• Consistently good - There are generally no bad seasons, even if there are bad episodes. (Sorry, The Office, that's why you didn't make the top 10.
• Funny - This seems obvious, but so many shows settle for amusing. I want a comedy to make me laugh out loud.
• Stands the test of time - It's something you could and would still watch today. Some older shows haven't aged as well for whatever reason. The ones on my list are those I still find funny today.
• Half hour - Not an hour dramady, but a traditional half hour situation comedy.

These are my favorite shows. I'm not arguing that there might not be other good shows, these are just the ones I'm willing to watch over and over again. I'd love to hear your thoughts about what you might like to include. Feel free to leave a comment.

So without further ado,:

10. How I Met Your Mother - A comedy with heart and a great cast. 

9. Community - Quirky and twisted, just like me! Troy and Abed are the best. No series does meta better. And rumor has it that they are going to get their movie!

8. Cheers - No matter how many times I've seen these episodes (and I've seen them many times, I never get tired of them! 

7. The Big Bang Theory - The danger with this one is that it will get overexposed as so many TV stations run it constantly. But that's because it's so good and you can pretty much jump in any season and enjoy it.

6. M*A*S*H* - Classic and still funny after all these years. The middle years are the best, but all are great, even if it got a little tired in its final couple years.

5. Newsradio - I've got this series on DVD and rewatched it a few years ago with my son, Jordan. Excellent and still holds up all these years later. This is unfortunately a somewhat forgotten gem. I hope someone reruns it or streams it to get it back in the public eye.

4. Frasier - sophisticated comedy that's really funny. You are probably already familiar with it, and if you aren't, you should be. 

3. Parks and Recreation - Really, really funny with a lot of heart. 

2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Unexpected for me, as I wasn't an Andy Samberg fan before. But I am now! Great ensemble, even if in its last year it got a little preachy.

And my number one favorite TV sitcom:

1. The Good Place - This is a delightfully unexpected show which actually raises some great philosophical questions. I'm hoping to do a Bible study someday using this series as a discussion starter and then giving more biblically-based answers to some of the questions raised. Plus, it's just stinking funny (even if sometimes a little off-color).

Note: You have to watch it in order. It's more like a series of mini-series that builds to a finale over the years. You can't just jump in anywhere. That almost kept it out of the number one spot, but it's so charming it made it in anyway. 

Okay, now this list is not set in stone and I reserve the right to modify it in the future, but best as I can figure right now, this is it. Tomorrow I'll share some thoughts about the ones that didn't make the cut and the reasons why.