For nearly 30 years, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-stars Will Smith and Janet Hubert remained on the outs due to their behind-the-scenes conflicts on the hit sitcom. Hubert and Smith finally broke the ice, though, in 2020 when they chatted amid the Fresh Prince reunion special. Since then, it’s appeared that the relationship between the two actors has remained copacetic. On that note, Hubert just took the time to share an update on where she stands with her on-screen nephew and to sing his praises for a lovely gesture he recently made.

Janet Hubert – originated the role of Vivian Banks on Fresh Prince – recently had something of a full-circle moment just recently when she visited the Big Tigger Morning Show on V-103. It was on that very radio station that Will Smith made comments about Hubert decades earlier that essentially initiated their beef. Those feelings have changed now, as when asked about her relationship with Smith, Hubert referred to it as being “so good.” She also shared how Smith helped prop up one of her latest endeavors:

For context, JG and the BC Kids is an independent animated film that Janet Hubert produced and starred in, which is also being released via Amazon Prime Video. To hear that Will was so supportive of the production by providing digital resources for his former co-star is so heartwarming. Apparently, that’s not the only way in which Smith managed to be there for Hubert. As the General Hospital alum explained during her interview, which is on YouTube, Smith also appeared at a Miami-based event for the Embrace Girls Foundation, which she’s been working with for over 20 years.

It goes without saying that the dynamic between these two Fresh Prince stars has certainly shifted in a major way. Before the actors made amends in 2020, they hadn’t spoken since Hubert left the show in 1993 over creative differences. In 2017, Hubert was also critical of a photo showing a reunion of the surviving stars of the show. Smith has since been honest about the part he played in his co-star’s exit, admitting that he “horribly underestimated” her value to the show.

Will Smith and Janet Hubert have since shown up for each other on other occasions as well. In 2024, Smith attended Hubert’s event in promotion of the book JC and the BC Kids, on which the new animated production is based. Several years back, Hubert also defended Smith after he received backlash for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

As a longtime fan of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it really does my heart well to see Janet Hubert and Will Smith on great terms again. I’d personally love to see the two act alongside each other again at some point. Even if that doesn’t happen, though, I’ll just remain grateful that these previously estranged stars have not only reforged their bond but remain supportive of each other.

Stream episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air now using a Hulu subscription.

NBC has been churning out some of the best sitcoms since the dawn of television. The Peacock Network's history of hit comedies is long, but the network really came into its own in the 1980s and 1990s when it dominated the ratings with shows like Cheers, Seinfeld, and Friends. This list is what I think are most of NBC's greatest shows, most of which aired in that magical era.

Cheers

For 11 seasons in the '80s and '90s, millions tuned into Cheers to check in with their favorite barflies at the titular drinking establishment. A ratings hit right up until the end, Cheers played a big part in launching the careers of actors like Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Kelsey Grammer, Kirstie Alley, and John Ratzenberger.

Night Court

Originally part of the "Must-See TV" Thursday Night lineup on NBC, Night Court had an incredible ensemble cast and sharp writing that made it one of the more irreverent shows on this list. The show ran for six seasons, starting in 1984, in its original run, and was brought back in 2023 for three more seasons. It also had a classic theme song that still slaps today.

Friends

Without a doubt, one of the most enduringly popular shows from NBC is Friends. The show started with great fanfare in 1994, and its popularity only grew from there, until, after 10 seasons, when we all said goodbye to all our friends, the show had been #1 for multiple years. More than two decades since it ended, it's still a widely streamed show.

Sanford And Son

The chemistry between Redd Foxx, who played Fred Sanford, and Demond Wilson, who played his son, Lamont, was the magic that made Sanford and Son an all-time classic. Running for six seasons in the mid-'70s, it proved popular long after it went off the air, running in syndication for many years after it ended on NBC.

NewsRadio

I will always maintain that NewsRadio is the most under-appreciated sitcom in history. The show was brilliantly funny and had an all-star cast that was perfect for the show's witty writing. Not only did the late Phil Hartman shine, but there was Joe Rogan, Stephen Root, Dave Foley, and a whole slew of guest stars like David Cross, Patrick Warburton, and Lauren Graham.

Frasier

It's said that no actor has played the same role for as many years as Kelsey Grammer has played the titular Frasier Crane. The role began on Cheers before moving to the spinoff. The show was revived in 2023 for two more seasons after 11 during its initial run.

Parks And Recreation

NBC first found success in a mockumentary-style sitcom with The Office, and before long, they had a second hit in the same style with Parks and Recreation. The show's secret sauce was definitely in the chemistry between all the members of the ensemble cast, which included Amy Poehler and a bunch of actors whose careers would really blow up after the show, like Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, and Chris Pratt, among many others.

Taxi

Network sitcoms weren't always known for being at all subversive, even in the 1970s, but Taxi, which ran for five seasons in the late '70s and early '80s, bucked that trend with comedic actors like Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and the late Andy Kaufman.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Will Smith was already a famous rapper when he landed a sitcom with NBC in 1990. What seemed like a stunt by the network by giving a rapper a show soon proved to be a stroke of genius, and The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air became a monster hit, launching Smith's career into the stratosphere.

The Office

Along with shows like Friends and Seinfeld, The Office is Hall of Fame of great sitcoms. Although it was based on Ricky Gervais' British show of the same name and even borrowed several jokes from the early episodes, it eventually surpassed the original in popularity both in the US and abroad. By the end of its nine-season run, it was one of the most beloved shows of all time. We're still quoting Michael Scott all the time.

The Cosby Show

Of course, for a number of reasons that I'm not going to get into here, The Cosby Show's legacy has been tainted, and it's hard to watch reruns these days, but in its time, it was one of the all-time greats. It anchored Thursday nights on NBC for eight seasons in the eighties and early nineties and helped launch multiple shows on this list on account of its huge ratings.

Seinfeld

Quite possibly the GOAT sitcom of all time, Seinfeld started slow, with disappointing ratings in its first season, but soon that all changed, and the show became one of the most-watched shows of all time. It's filled with plots we still discuss, and lines that have become part of the English lexicon.

30 Rock

Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) never won an EGOT, but 30 Rock racked up Emmys during its seven-season run on NBC starting in 2008. Like a lot of shows on this list, it featured an outstanding ensemble cast that was headlined by Morgan, Tina Fey, and Alec Baldwin.

The Golden Girls

Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia came into our homes every week for seven seasons in the 1980s and brought joy to millions. It's a show that proved remarkably enduring, as it's still beloved today, even though the four wonderful actresses who played those great characters have all passed away.

Family Ties

Family Ties was a sitcom that wasn't afraid to tackle some major issues, but at its heart, it was a family sitcom that was pretty darn wholesome. It's certainly remembered these days for being the springboard that launched Michael J. Fox's career, but the whole cast was amazing, as were some of the guest stars, including Tom Hanks and River Phoenix.

The Good Place

Like a lot of sitcoms in history, both on NBC and otherwise, The Good Place struggled to find a large audience, but the fans it does have really love the quirky show about the afterlife starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, along with others.

227

227, especially the early seasons, was a fantastic show that is maybe a little under-appreciated these days. While it wasn't the first sitcom to feature a Black middle-class family, that was still pretty rare, even in the 1980s.

I Dream Of Jeannie

Barbara Eden, the genie in I Dream of Jeannie, started in Hollywood in the 1950s and has had a long career both before and after the show. It was this NBC sitcom that brought her the greatest acclaim and her biggest fame. Kids like me in the '80s were still watching the show, which originally aired for five seasons in the late '60s, in syndication.

Diff'rent Strokes

For kids in the '80s, no show was more popular than Diff'rent Strokes, which anchored its successful Friday night lineup. Starring Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as two brothers adopted by a rich guy on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the show provided endless laughs, and some of the craziest cameos of the era, including Mr. T and Nancy Reagan.

Will & Grace

When Will & Grace first hit the airwaves in 1998, it became one of the pioneers of LGBTQ+ representation on television, and that will always make it important in TV history. However, it never would have lasted for seven seasons (plus four more in a revival) if it hadn't been completely hilarious.

Mad About You

Helen Hunt and Paul Riser played newlyweds (at least in the beginning) on Mad About You, which was kind of a surprise smash hit in the 1990s. It won a ton of Emmys and was so beloved that it got a short revival in 2019, which got mixed reviews.

Community

Like a lot of the best sitcoms, Community was never the ratings hit it should have been. The show's quirky humor wasn't for everyone, but those who "got" the writing loved the show. It constantly fought off being canceled by NBC, and internal squabbles also helped doom the show, but not before it ran for six seasons.

A Different World

A show as wildly popular as The Cosby Show usually ends up spinning off multiple shows, but the only spinoff that came from Cosby was A Different World. The show saw Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) head off to college, where she met a ton of new friends, like the iconic Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison). Bonet left the show after one season, and A Different World proved it could stand on its own for five more seasons.

Silver Spoons

If you were anything like me in the 1980s, at least half of the time, you were thinking of ways to convince your parents to get you a race car bed like Ricky has in Silver Spoons. I never sold them on that idea, nor did I find a way to sell them on having a train run through the living room like in the insane house I always wanted to explore on the show.

Scrubs

Although it wasn't one of my personal favorites, I couldn't leave Scrubs off this list. I've watched episodes here and there over the years, and you can't help but see the endless memes that the show, which ran for nine seasons in the '00s. It helped launch Zach Braff's career, but it featured a great ensemble cast including Donald Faison, Dave Franco, and John C. McGinley.

Get Smart

One of the most enduring sitcoms of the 1960s has to be Get Smart. The spy show was unique at the time, as a sort of parody of James Bond with wacky gadgets and a bumbling superspy, Maxwell Smart (Don Adams). It also helped launch the career of Mel Brooks, who created the show.

The Facts Of Life

Few people remember that The Facts Of Life was a spinoff of Diff'rent Strokes when Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae) left the Drummonds to become a house mother at boarding school. That's because it was such a huge hit on its own.

Just Shoot Me!

Just Shoot Me! is a perfect example of a show that constantly got moved around the TV schedule, but uniquely didn't suffer all that much in the ratings department because of that. Over its six seasons, it was moved all over the weekly schedule, but the show, led by David Spade, retained its audience as it did.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Adam Samberg was an established star on NBC from his days on Saturday Night Live, when he was rewarded with his own show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The show was an instant hit, and that translated into nine very successful seasons for the cops at the fictional 99th precinct in Brooklyn, NY. Samberg wasn't alone in the fantastic cast, which also included Terry Crews, Stephanie Beatriz, and the late Andre Braugher.

3rd Rock From The Sun

John Lithgow has proven over his incredible career that he can play any character, from legendary British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on The Crown to a wacky alien in 3rd Rock From The Sun. There really haven't been many sitcoms like 3rd Rock over the years, though, at its heart, it's a great fish-out-of-water story.

Wings

Though it wasn't a direct spinoff of Cheers, Wings definitely existed in the same universe. Not only was it set in New England (Nantucket), but over the years, there were some crossover characters between the shows. Wings took off right away, as audiences loved the interactions between all the quirky characters at the regional airport where it was set.

Gimme A Break!

Before Joey Lawrence found his greatest fame on another great NBC sitcom, Blossom, he played a character also named Joey, a foster child who joined in the third season of Gimme A Break!. The Nell Carter vehicle is one of those great sitcoms that made a huge impact at the time, but people hardly talk about it anymore. Still, like the others on this list, it was one of the best NBC offerings in its golden age of sitcoms in the '80s and '90s.

Great sitcom families come in all shapes and sizes when it comes to the expansive landscape. From animated favs to semi-autobiographical cranktakorous comedians, and even classic Hollywood iconic fams, all show up, good, bad or ugly. Regardless of their grade or feelings for one another, each brood left an indelible mark on the television genre. Wherever you stand within your family tree, this list is for the fathers, mothers, step-parents, kids, siblings, cousins and much more.

The Addams - The Addams Family 5/5

Though they can be considered creepy and kooky, the Addams remain as relevant as ever in pop culture. Starting as a single-panel New Yorker comic strip, the blended oddballs continue to showcase true love through dark and dismal ways. The success of these longstanding family unit vibes is due to one of the best couples (outside of rom-coms), Gomez and Morticia, and their unwavering love and pride.

The Simpsons - The Simpsons 4/5

The long-running cartoon has become a recognizable pop culture staple worldwide. Even if Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie aren’t the Cleavers of the past thirty years, they still show up for one another however they can. Realistically, though, Marge has and continues to be the anchor of the Simpson family dynamics.

The Taylors - The Andy Griffith Show 5/5

Mayberry, North Carolina, wouldn’t be the same without the Taylors, in my opinion. Andy, Aunt Bee and Opie paved the way wholesomely for many other families, of any shape or size, in the sitcom landscape. Now and again, though, small conflicts would arise between the trio (I still can’t get over the Opie, slingshot and bird episode) that would get addressed head-on and with care.

The Bunkers - All In The Family 3/5

The Bunkers live in a working-class Queens home fueled by loud opinions, generational clashes, and sharp-tongued debates. Archie’s old-school views and Edith’s unwavering sweetness lend to the frequently boisterous home. Though daughter Gloria and husband, Mike, are no strangers to stirring the pot, either. Underneath it all lies a stubborn but constant love for each other amid all the high-strung dynamics.

The Jeffersons - The Jeffersons 4/5

The titular unit first starred on All in the Family as the Bunkers' neighbors. Not long after did George, Louise and their family moved on up. The Jeffersons showcased a pretty average but caring reflection of familial dynamics–dad’s arrogance clashed with mom’s calm, while their son, Lionel, tried to be a voice of reason. Along with the trio’s inner workings, extended relatives were added into the mix in a humorous but heartfelt way.

The Stephens - Bewitched 3/5

Though Bewitched was presented as generally lighthearted with a focus on comedic situations, the storylines made the Stephens’ experience some turbulence. Between Samantha’s relatives interfering in her everyday dealings, to Darrin initially doubting her abilities, and even her kiddos stirring the pot, the familial layers ran through a whole gamut.

The Sanfords - Sanford And Son 3/5

Fred and Lamont make up this parent-kid relationship, and while it’s relatively stable, the less-than-stellar communication skills hinder these two from leveling up. Notably, it’s a love-hate vibe between the two, with Fred’s habits and personal beliefs that cause the most trouble in their day-to-day lives.

The Munsters - The Munsters 5/5

Presented as a satirical counterpoint to the other familial shows during the 60s, the spooky eponymous unit was quite loving. Herman and Lily, Frankenstein’s monster and a vampire, respectively, were good-natured parental role models who welcomed open conversations, even when things went haywire.

The Petries - The Dick Van Dyke Show 4/5

The veteran black and white trio balances everyday life with Hollywood dealings. Filled with quick wit, heartfelt moments, and the occasional misstep (often turned laugh), they face the ups and downs of everyday personal and professional issues as a unit. The Petries are a great example of running a home with grace, humor, and even a little song and dance when needed.

The Gellars - Friends 2/5

Monica and Ross are typical sister-brother fodder. They both hang with all of their pals in a home I've wanted to explore forever, and from time to time, break out an iconic childhood dance number. When their parents come into play, that rating dives off a cliff. While Ross is viewed as a golden child, Monica continuously gets scrutinized or patronized for every element of her life, and her bro is MIA to defend her.

The Costanzas, The Seinfelds - Seinfeld 3/5

While Seinfeld isn’t centered on regular relative relations, the Seinfelds and Costanzas got featured somewhat consistently. Jerry and his parents' (and occasionally, Uncle Leo's) dynamics are pretty run-of-the-mill, but can be somewhat quirky. Meanwhile, George’s mom and dad illustrate the louder side of caring, but also outspoken heads of the family. Together, they’re a hilarious blended group poking and prodding at their kids.

The Banks - Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air 4/5

Like many of the other blended broods, the Banks show up at the end of the day for one another. Will coming to stay with the Bel-Air residents showcased from the jump what type of good-willed, community-driven people they are. Their actual reactions in their relationships on the surface may look quite different, though.

The Bundys - Married… With Children 1/5

The Married… with Children family is built differently. The Bundys are filled with insults, bad luck, and relentless sarcasm, paired with Al’s bitterness, Peg’s laziness, and the kids’ scheming--making it one unpredictable place. As miserable as they claim to be in regards to money, love and success, they’re stuck together—and wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Tucker-Pritchetts, Pritchett-Delgados and Dunphys - Modern Family 5/5

Ed O’Neill’s second run with a family sitcom was as notable as Married… With Children, but related much better to his loved ones, playing Jay Pritchett, the staunch but understanding patriarch. Between him and his OG kids, Claire and Mitchell, their respective families, his new wife and kids, and everyone interacting regularly, it’s more often than not a fun-loving and humanistic give and take of blended familial relationships.

The Flinstones - The Flintstones 3/5

The titular family of the first notable animated sitcom premiered back in the 1960s. And while it was widely successful and has multiple iterations a la The Addams Family, Fred is far from Gomez. But the fictionalized caveman continued to show up for his family even when the going got tough, or got him flustered.

The Belchers - Bob’s Burgers 4/5

As one of the most rewatchable shows ever, The Belchers' family dynamic is the stuff of magic. While they may be far from perfect, overly successful, or even popular (to some), the five humorously and oddly show up for one another every week. Now and again, Bob or one of the other four shows some defiance with the goings on, but it never lasts for long.

The Tanners (and co.) - Full House 4/5

The blended household has a lot going on within all of its floors, including regularly showing up for each other. Danny, Joey, Becky and Jesse do their best for the collective kiddos but can also lead them into trouble from time to time. All in all, though, the collective fam has nothing but the best intentions, except maybe when DJ’s neighbor's best friend, Kimmy Gibbler, comes around.

The McCulloughs - The Bernie Mac Show 4/5

The Bernie Mac Show is another classic, somewhat reflective look into the late comedian Bernie Mac’s real life. As the McCulloughs take in their two nieces and nephew after their mom has issues, lots of boundaries are explored for the new fivesome. With his bold humor but well-intended grace, they all learn to bond.

The Wilkersons - Malcolm In The Middle 3/5

Malcolm and the rest of his family live in middle-class chaos, outside of careers, much of which is due to the close-knit but quarrelsome four brothers. Regardless of how messy, wild, or outlandish it gets, Lois, with the help of Hal, is there to rein it all back in time and again. Through thick and thin, and a bonkers way of getting their feelings across, they continue to stick together.

The Barones - Everybody Loves Raymond 4/5

Ray and his family live in a whirlwind of sarcasm, guilt trips, and unsolicited visits, mostly stirred up by their impossibly close but constantly bickering dynamic. With Marie’s meddling, Frank’s gruff indifference, and Robert’s simmering resentment, Ray and Debra are rarely left in peace. Still, no matter how overbearing or absurd it gets, they always find a way to resolve any quip.

The Rocks - Everybody Hates Chris 4/5

The Chris Rock reflective sitcom is the perfect blend of comedy and heart between the core five. Even though the noted balance hangs true in most episodes, the reactions and happenings that fill out the original UPN show highlight the realities of their normalcy. All of them are trying their best in their personal and collective lives, and it’s an excellent showcase.

The Mitchells - Moesha 3/5

The Mitchells on Moesha broke barriers and still remains a part of pop culture due to breaking untrue industry perceptions. Though Frank ran his household in a tight manner, alongside his second wife, Dee (remarried after his first wife, Marguerite, passed), they faced issues head-on and together. (Including Frank’s past infidelities.)

The Lopezes - George Lopez 4/5

Another outstanding example of parents and their kids comes from the early ‘00s George Lopez series. Not that it didn’t have its issues, including Lopez’s spotty communication skills, the fivesome navigated their best through an array of ups and downs using humor and diverse perspectives.

The Davids - Curb Your Enthusiasm 1/5

In the off chance you’re not familiar with this somewhat factual Larry David sitcom, Larry has and always will be the problem. It’s exactly why Cheryl Hines divorced him during the long-running 12-season show. The writer and comedian loosely based this on his own marriage, but with a larger-than-life comedic spin to it.

The Mosbys - How I Met Your Mother 3/5

It may be a forgotten fact that the Mosby kids are sprinkled throughout the series, but their presence is the hinge of the show. From the small sampling we have of Ted with his son and daughter, it all seems pretty average (depending on who you ask). During the 9 seasons, Mosby ignores direct questions from his children, albeit comedically, and focuses on recounting the whole thing in order.

The Bluths - Arrested Development 2/5

The Bluth family and their fictional company were a comedic trainwreck from start to finish. Even though they all had shining moments of showing up for each other, their rich, out-of-touch ways, personally and professionally, wreaked some major havoc. With the corrupt and scheming patriarch George Bluth at the helm, sooner or later, all the issues were bound to hit a boiling point.

The Griffins - Family Guy 2/5

As one of the more outlandish cartoon families, the Griffiths don’t hold down the homestead title as well as others. From Peter to Stewie, each of them has some highlights, but their flaws and how they relate to each other through those traits are the glue that somehow holds them together. Overall, they have fine moments of true connectedness, but it's not commonplace.

The Landrys, Campbells - Sister Sister 5/5

The still lovable Sister Sister shows just how to work through a wildly unexpected happening together. Starring Tia and Tamera Mowry as long-lost twins of the same name to reunite and live with their respective parents under one roof takes a lot of gumption. By no means did the new era between the four run smoothly, but all were onboard to give it their best shot to let the sisters get to know each other.

Schitt’s Creek 5/5

Co-creators and real-life father-son duo, Eugene and Dan Levy, nailed this fictional riches-to-rags story’s foursome. The Canadian sitcom took over the world because of the Schitt’s humor, ridiculous banter, but a pure heart of gold for one another. From start to finish, we watched them grow as a family and as individuals who truly realized that our relationships are the most important thing any of us has.

The Hills - King Of The Hill 4/5

You’d never expect a place like small-town Texas to house one of the best animated shows and families of all time, but it does. The Hills reflect a completely average American family in suburbia, with, generally, semi-realistic issues they work through together. Hank may be a little rough around the edges when something goes wrong, but he usually works through it and celebrates by cracking open a cold one with his pals, uh-huh.

The Reynolds - It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 2/5

The Philadelphia area-based family isn’t for the faint of heart. They are a ragtag bunch that dysfunctionally can be supportive, but often through very muddied lenses of narcissism, manipulative behavior or shallowness. Somehow, through all of the dynamics, they continue to co-own and successfully tend a bar together.

The Solomons - 3rd Rock From The Sun 3/5

This case stands a little differently from the rest, in terms of human family dynamics vs. alien ones. As the Solomons, the quartet of ETs are wacky and get into a lot of antics Earthside that get them into trouble. But how they act toward one another as who they really are helps bump their score up.

You know when some good relationships on television make you want to squeal the moment you see them? Yeah, these are the relationships down below. Sure, we can spend some time watching the best rom-com movies, but what about several seasons of build-up to a relationship that makes it all worthwhile? Here are some couples that define “goals.”

Chandler And Monica (Friends)

Chandler and Monica are the couple from the Friends cast, and I will not be asking any other questions about it at this time. Ross and Rachel were what people talked about, but these two? I love them. They are defined as “goals” based on how much they love each other, even if they didn’t have the typical start. Friends-to-lovers is one of the best.

Ian And Mickey (Shameless)

There was a time when Ian and Mickey were literally all I saw on my Tumblr feed back in the early 2010s. The Shameless cast featured plenty of great relationships, some healthy and others…not so healthy, but Ian and Mickey were a relationship that made it until the end. There’s nothing quite like them.

Rebecca And Jack (This Is Us)

The This Is Us cast defined my time in college when the show was airing, and Jack and Rebecca were the blueprint for how I wanted my future marriage to go. I have never seen two people just so in love with each other on TV, but also portray such a realistic marriage.

Corey And Topanga (Boy Meets World)

I think Corey and Topanga were the couple for the '90s kids. I didn’t grow up watching Boy Meets World, but I know from many that watching these two grow into teenagers and then young adults was one of the best aspects of this series. And honestly, I love that for you.

Jim And Pam (The Office)

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Sure, there were moments between Jim and Pam in later seasons that felt a little out of character, but these two were the defining relationship from The Office cast. We were all on the edge of our seats at the beginning of the series when these two were just friends, and we wanted them all to get together.

Leslie And Ben (Parks And Recreation)

Leslie and Ben from the Parks and Recreation cast are the perfect example of a relationship that took its time but blossomed beautifully. Ben was the type of person who always let Leslie shine and never tried to dim her light, which is something that I love about them. They always supported each other no matter what.

Marshall And Lily (How I Met Your Mother)

There have been so many relationships that have come and gone in How I Met Your Mother, but you want to know what one of the best was? Obviously, Marshall and Lily. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as many warm fuzzies as I did watching these two.

Stefan And Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)

Team Stefan and Team Damon? Nah, Elena was always going to pick Damon and me, but Stefan and Caroline? Perfect, excellent. There are absolutely no notes on that couple because, honestly, they were better suited for each other. Sorry.

David And Patrick (Schitt’s Creek)

I’m pretty sure watching David and Patrick in Schitt’s Creek altered my brain chemistry because I don’t think another TV couple has stood out the same as them. The Schitt’s Creek cast is filled with memorable characters, but watching the progression of their relationship throughout its five seasons was something that I will always adore. These two loved each other so much.

Luke And Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)

Look, I know that we’re all here for Team Jess or Team Dean or whoever we’re rooting for with Rory, but to me, as an adult woman now, I like Luke and Lorelai’s relationship a heck of a lot more. It feels more mature, more natural, and less dramatic. Please, give me this rather than the craziness of teenage romance.

Nathan And Haley (One Tree Hill)

The definition of high school sweethearts that somehow worked out. They definitely had their moments of doubt throughout the nine seasons of the show, but these two loved each other so much and ended with a happily married life with two children, which is all you can really ask for in most teen drama romances out there.

Phil And Vivian (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

I’m sure you weren’t expecting to see Phil and Vivian on this list because The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air isn’t really known for its romances. But honestly, Phil and Vivian are the perfect couple. They complement each other perfectly, know when to be each other’s rock or to stop the other from making a poor decision, and took care of Will as well as their biological family in the perfect way. I have no complaints.

Santana And Brittany (Glee)

The Glee cast is filled to the brim with couples, so much so that it’s hard to keep up with them. But my personal favorite was always Santana and Brittany. Not only was their relationship a great stepping stone for many lesbian/bisexual relationships on TV back in 2010, but it’s really one of the few that made it to the very end of the series. They were best friends turned lovers turned to something really real, and it ended with them getting married!

Randall And Beth (This Is Us)

“Perfectly imperfect” is a phrase that I still use to this day, ever since Randall uttered it to Beth in This Is Us. These two exemplify what it means to not only marry your best friend, but also marry a partner. They will stand by each other, support each other, and when someone is messing up, they will make them own up to it. There’s no sliding, and that’s what a genuine relationship should be like.

Jess And Nick (New Girl)

New Girl is one of those shows where relationships come and go, but there are always a few that stick the landing for the long haul. Jess and Nick were one of those, and we rooted for them, watching them fall in love, fall apart, and then fall back in love all over again.

Uncle Jesse And Aunt Becky (Full House)

I mean, of course, I have to put Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky. I feel like Full House literally never would have been the same without them. Their relationship started very early on, and it’s always fun to rewatch episodes of the show and watch them fall in love with each other time and time again.

Anthony And Kate (Bridgerton)

While I do love the specialness of Penelope and Colin and the steaminess of Daphne and Simon, there’s just something about Anthony and Kate that gets me going every time. These two, a classic enemies-to-lovers romance, clearly love each other so much by the time the season ends and Season 3 rolls around.

Claire And Jamie (Outlander)

Outlander, in general, is one of the best Starz shows, but a big reason is Claire and Jamie. Their love has transcended literal timelines. I don’t know how you can get more perfect than that.

Mitch And Cam (Modern Family)

I think when it comes to couples in Modern Family, Mitch and Cam are the perfect example of how two people work so well together, and to the outside, people wonder how the heck they function with how crazy they are. But throughout the several seasons of the show, there’s no denying that these two love each other dearly.

Lucy And Ricky (I Love Lucy)

I can’t have a relationships list without putting the OG’s here. Lucy and Ricky are the definition of “goals.” They were the first people on television to show you how in love with each other they are, no matter the amount of shenanigans that they may put the other through. You can’t get better than these two.

Phil And Claire (Modern Family)

I always see Phil and Claire as the much calmer couple of Modern Family, which is saying something because they still have their fair share of hilarious moments in their household of three kids. But what I love about Phil and Claire is that there is evident respect there, and Phil will support Claire no matter what and stand up for her, while Claire will do the same, regardless of what others think. They’re a team, through and through.

Killian And Emma (Once Upon A Time)

God, there are so many couples in Once Upon a Time, but I think the one we always return to is Killian and Emma. Whether it’s their steamy chemistry or their genuinely emotional story, they are an amazing romance with plenty of fantasy aspects that I just love.

Willow And Tara (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

As someone who loves looking back on legendary relationships that paved the way for others, I know there’s no one better to bring up than Willow and Tara. The couple was a significant landmark for LGBTQ+ representation in television and showed two people who clearly loved each other.

Kev And Veronica (Shameless)

These two were freaky, don’t get me wrong – but they were also freakishly in love with each other. Kev and Veronica stood by each other, and when someone dared to threaten the other, it was on sight. They would fight anyone to protect their love and their relationship, and no matter what, always strived to make time for the other.

Fran And Mr. Sheffield (The Nanny)

I’m pretty sure that if you’ve ever read any rom-com novel, then these two are who you picture when you think of the nanny and the billionaire falling in love. But what I love about Fran and Mr. Sheffield is that it’s not an instant lust between them. It’s more of a relationship built on respect and friendship before love was even considered.

Jake And Amy (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast features some hilarious characters, but personally, I always came back for Jake and Amy. I always saw them as rivals-to-lovers, but it feels so real watching them turn from competing with each other to becoming friends to going on dates and so much more.

Jane And Rafael (Jane The Virgin)

These two are in a strange situation, considering they didn’t even know each other when Jane fell pregnant accidentally. But watching their relationship grow organically throughout the show’s seasons is always something that I love to view.

Rick And Michonne (The Walking Dead)

When you think of couples who would literally kill for each other, I can think of no better than Rick and Michonne. Not only are they one of the best Walking Dead relationships, but there was a whole spinoff series dedicated to them finding their way back to each other after years apart. Now that is true love right there.

Poussey And Soso (Orange Is the New Black)

It hurts to even write about Poussey and Soso because it feels like they weren’t given enough time together in Orange is the New Black, but from what we were able to see, they really did work well together. Poussey was the kind of friend that Soso needed, and that blossomed into something brighter between the two of them before it was snuffed out. I needed so much more.

Morticia And Gomez (The Addams Family)

I mean, talk about a man who is obsessed with his woman. In any iteration of The Addams Family, Gomez always loves Morticia, but of course, we have to put the OG here from the 1960s TV series because these two were so in love that they ruined our expectations for all real-life romances.

Glenn And Maggie (The Walking Dead)

Yeah, I’m sad even writing about these two because the way it ends is something I don’t like to think about. But for the five seasons that we got with these two together, they were a light in the darkness that was the world of The Walking Dead. They loved each other, protected each other, and stood by the other until the very end.

Hopper And Joyce (Stranger Things)

God, I visibly remember screaming when these two finally got together in Stranger Things because it was just so apparent that they were into each other. Hopper literally risked his life for Joyce, and she risked hers to save him, and I love them together.

This just makes me want to revisit all of these television shows and watch these couples all over again. I’m in need of some cute TV romances. It's time for a binge-watch.

The 1990s gave us all-time great sitcoms like Home Improvement and Friends, iconic crime dramas like Law & Order and Oz, and so many other legendary shows considered “must-see TV” by millions of people week in and week out. And while those shows gave us unforgettable characters, side-splitting and shocking moments, and jokes that are still being told decades later, they also had some outrageously nonsensical or head-scratching moments.

That said, here’s one ridiculously unrealistic thing about 32 ‘90s TV shows…

There's No Way Danny Tanner Could Afford That House (Full House)

There’s so much ridiculousness going on with Full House, but one question that remains just as baffling now as it did decades ago is “How did Danny Tanner afford a historic house in the heart of San Francisco?” The math just doesn’t work when you have a local news anchor and a pair of part-time jingle writers paying the mortgage and other expenses for an ever-growing household.

Mr. Feeny Teaches The Main Characters Through Multiple Grades And Several Schools (Boy Meets World)

There’s nothing wrong with Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World; in fact, William Daniels’ take on the beloved teacher and neighbor was one of the show’s greatest strengths. However, this educator stays with Corey Matthews and his friends through middle school, high school, and college. The guy was either teaching above his level or dumbing it down early in his career to spend more time with those kiddos.

Steve Urkel Cloned Himself (Family Matters)

Let’s face it, Steve Urkel was a mess on Family Matters. This guy built outrageous machines, destroyed the Winslow house countless times, and went to space, but the most unrealistic thing he ever did was clone himself. Not only does human cloning not exist, but his clone, Stefan Urquelle, was just too cool (and not in a good way).

There's No Way Tim Taylor Could Survive All Those 'Tool Time' Mishaps (Home Improvement)

You’ve heard of cats having nine lives, but what about TV show hosts from Detroit? How many do they have? Well, Tim “The Toolman” Taylor must have had at least 50 on Home Improvement because he survived being crushed, electrocuted, burnt, you name it.

The Midnight Society (A Group Of Kids) Is Able To Meet In The Middle Of The Night (Are You Afraid Of The Dark?)

The various stories told during Are You Afraid of the Dark? were intense and fantastical and terrifying at times, but that’s not the unrealistic part. Instead, what’s up with “The Midnight Society,” the group of kids and teenagers who would sneak out of their houses in the middle of the night to tell scary stories in the woods? Where are the parents?

Monica's Apartment (Friends)

Sure, it is later revealed there was a loophole that allowed Monica to have a cheap apartment in Manhattan throughout Friends, but this whole rent-control aspect is so unrealistic.

That Time Scully Had An Alien Baby (The X-Files)

The X-Files was one wild show where anything and everything could happen. But what about when Scully got pregnant with the help of aliens? Yeah, this is a show that doesn’t live within the constraints of reality, but this is a stretch.

The Gang's Extracurricular Activities Go Unnoticed By Red Forman (That '70s Show)

Red Forman is a no-nonsense and tough-as-nails father who doesn’t seem like a guy who would like to be tricked, lied to, or misled… especially in his own home. Are you honestly saying he didn’t know what Eric and his friends were up to down in the basement? Really?

Jack McCoy's Success Rate (Law & Order)

Law & Order is one of the great crime/legal dramas in the history of TV, but the one thing that’s always been baffling (especially during the show’s glory days) is Jack McCoy’s success rate in the courtroom. This guy is constantly collecting wins in high-profile cases, so much so that it seems too good to be true.

The ER Doctors Are Jacks Of All Trades (ER)

ER will forever be remembered as one of the most popular medical dramas to ever grace the small screen, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have its problems. The biggest of those has to be the fact that some of the doctors were jacks of all trades. Sure, they are in the emergency room at a trauma center, but they were all like five doctors in one at various points throughout the series.

The Way The Teenagers Talk About Politics, Cinema, And Poetry (Dawson's Creek)

Have you gone back and watched Dawson’s Creek? What’s up with the cast of teenagers shooting out dialogue that sounds like it was an AI-generated version of a first-year English major’s diary? They talk about politics, cinema, poetry, and music like they’re adults, not sappy teenagers living in a fictional Massachusetts town.

The Dancing Baby (Ally McBeal)

The CGI dancing baby from Ally McBeal became one of the biggest memes of the ‘90s when the popular legal drama series introduced the uncanny youngster. Though the baby can be seen as the manifestation of Ally’s inner turmoil, the thing looked so bad, so random, and so out of place.

Dr. Mark Sloan's Uncanny Ability To Solve Crimes (Diagnosis: Murder)

There were so many oddball crime shows in the ‘90s in the wake of Murder She Wrote. One of the most absurd has to be Diagnosis: Murder, which saw Dick Van Dyke play a doctor that – you guessed it – helped solve homicide cases. But here’s the thing: he was better at it than the detectives who do this every day of the week.

Angel Grove Constantly Being Destroyed And Rebuilt (Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, one of the best kids shows for those who grew up in the ‘90s, was absolutely bonkers looking back. But you know what’s crazier than teenagers turning into masked fighters to take on a witch from the Moon? Well, it has to be the fact that Angel Grove gets destroyed and rebuilt like nobody’s business each episode, and no one seems to notice.

Zack Morris Being Able To Graduate Despite Never Being In Class (Saved By The Bell)

Zack Morris, pretty much the king of Bayside High, did everything he could at school to not going to class, and he was mostly the class clown when he was in class. But somehow, someway, he was able to graduate with his friends and go on to college. Maybe, he should have been held back; we at least wouldn’t have had to sit through Saved by the Bell: The College Years.

Warden Leo Glynn Not Being Canned Or Sent To Prison Himself (Oz)

Anyone who’s watched a single episode of Oz knows that the prison at the center of the landmark HBO series wasn’t the best place to be. Despite riots, inmates sneaking in guns, inmates trapping people behind walls, and all sorts of madness, Oswald Pentitentiary Warden Leo Glynn kept his job. Make that make sense.

Can We Talk About The Serial Killers And Supernatural Phenomena (Picket Fences)

Remember Picket Fences, the CBS drama series about life in a seemingly quiet small town filled with serial killers, supernatural phenomena, and a variety of other strange and distressing occurrences? This show had it all, except for maybe a realistic view of the world. Pure madness.

Ranger Cordell Walker Is Seemingly Bulletproof (Walker, Texas Ranger)

Insert Chuck Norris joke here. Seriously, his titular character from Walker, Texas Ranger was pretty much the bulletproof cowboy. Between the dodging bullets, scores of roundhouse kicks, and other heroics, it seems like it’s all too good to be true.

Bike Cops Do What Normal Officers Can't (Pacific Blue)

Pacific Blue, a show that was often the lead-in for Monday Night Raw on Monday nights, followed bicycle cops as they went about their days. But here’s the thing, they often pulled off feats (and bike stunts) that normal cops couldn’t match.

The Lifeguards Do Way More Than Save People At The Beach (Baywatch)

The last time we checked, lifeguards watched over the beaches for drowning swimmers, shark attacks, and missing kids. But if you watch Baywatch, you’ll see them do that plus defeat terrorists, help out in wrestling matches, and run on the beach in slow-motion. Not very realistic, right?

No One Thinks Angels Interfering In Everyday Life Is Odd (Touched By An Angel)

Everybody’s grandma’s favorite show, Touched by an Angel, followed a group of three heavenly visitors who helped people back on Earth make incredible decisions that mostly saw them take a more righteous path. But the fact that angels could interfere in people’s lives and not cause a stir (or end with a trip to the mental ward) is hard to believe.

Will Gets Into Princeton After Solving A Rubik's Cube (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

Though he ended up not going to the Ivy League institution, the fact that Will received an offer to attend Princeton in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is just wild. But you know what’s crazier? It wasn’t the “Fresh Prince’s" charisma that impressed his interviewer, but instead his skill with a… Rubik’s Cube.

All Kinds Of '90s Tech And Luxuries In The Age Of The Dinosaur (Dinosaurs)

Okay, Dinosaurs was a meta deconstruction of the sitcom format with a family of dinos in place of the standard nuclear family. But, the thing that has always been so wild is the fact that the Sinclair family has all kinds of modern tech – TVs, radios, construction equipment, you name it, and it’s there.

Dylan's Dad Dying In A Car Bomb Explosion (Beverly Hills, 90210)

What started as a show about uber-rich kids living in one of the most exclusive zip codes in the world turned into a wild exploration of pretty much every TV genre by the time it was all said and done. One of the most insane plotlines in Beverly Hills, 90210 was the one involving Dylan’s dad being blown up in a car bomb explosion, which would lead to the character played by the late Luke Perry trying to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Unaccompanied Minors Going On With Their Lives (Party Of Five)

Though the eldest of the five Salinger siblings in Party of Five was technically an adult, Charlie wasn’t that responsible, leaving his younger (and underage) brothers and sisters to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

The School/Band Balance Is Not Sustainable (California Dreams)

Do you remember the ‘90s teen comedy California Dreams? No? Well, imagine Saved by the Bell, but the main characters also have to balance school with being in a successful rock band. Somehow, they’re able to balance both worlds while not getting too stressed out or falling behind. Anyone who has been in a band before knows this is a dream.

How Is Al Bundy's Family Not In Serious Debt? (Married... With Children)

Before Married… with Children jumped the shark, it gave TV viewers some of the funniest (and most uncomfortable) moments. But one thing that has always been baffling is the fact that Al Bundy was able to have a decent-sized house, raise two kids, and have a shopaholic wife by working at a shoe store. How did they not go into debt?

How Did The Family Afford That Disney Trip? (Step By Step)

Despite being one of the greatest TGIF comedies, Step by Step was a show with a lot of problems. Not to harp too much on finances, but how did that massive family afford to go on an all-inclusive trip to Disney? How many people was that again?

How Many Moral Dilemmas Can One Family Face And Overcome? (7th Heaven)

The Camden family had one moral dilemma after another over the course of 7th Heaven’s 11-season run, so much so that it got exhausting by the time the show ended in 2007. At times, it felt like this family had a black cloud hanging over them or was placed under some kind of curse.

The Origins Of Alex Mack's Powers (The Secret World Of Alex Mack)

The Secret World of Alex Mack was a massive ‘90s Nickelodeon show about a young girl who gains some wild powers after coming in contact with a mysterious substance. How does she come in contact, exactly? Well, she is nearly hit by a truck containing the stuff in a company town owned by her father’s employer. What year is this again?

The Whole ‘High School On A Demonic Portal' Aspect Of The Show (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Everyone loves Buffy the Vampire Slayer here, so no judging. One thing that’s always been so funny about the show is the fact that Sunnydale High School was built over the Hellmouth, a literal portal to a demon realm. Why not just close the school down?

Kel's Constant Destruction Has No Consequences (Kenan & Kel)

Following the success of All That, Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell got their own show: Kenan & Kel. It’s impossible to count how many times Kel’s character caused massive amounts of damage to houses, stores, restaurants, and schools, facing little to no consequences.

Will Smith is known for being an Oscar-winning movie star today, but one can never forget that his acting career began with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. By working on the beloved NBC sitcom (which can be streamed with a Max subscription), Smith was really able to get his feet wet when it came to the craft. He was apparently a bit green in the beginning, and one of the series’ showrunners could see that. With that in mind, the producer sought to fix that by doing something Smith supposedly disliked.

Gary H. Miller joined Fresh Prince as showrunner for Season 4, which began in the fall of 1993. Changes had to be made at the time (especially since OG Aunt Viv actress Janet Hubert left the year prior and had to be recast). Miller ultimately remained with the show through its fifth season and apparently forged a complex relationship with its lead actor. Miller recently admitted that he could see right away that Will Smith would be a star, but he also noticed that he’d picked up a few less-than-desirable habits for his work:

Based on what’s been said over the years, Will Smith did have to overcome something of a learning curve after he was tapped for the beloved NBC sitcom. It’s been said that he actually used to mess up his co-stars during tapings, because he would mouth their lines to them in an attempt to memorize his own. (That’s still one of Smith’s habits today, according to Bad Boys co-star John Salley.) As for Smith’s other peccadillo, Gary H. Miller sought to smoothen out the star’s skills with some vintage TV:

One of the few TV shows to change its name following the pilot, You’ll Never Get Rich or The Phil Silvers Show is widely considered to be one of the greatest sitcoms ever made. It may seem dated to some people now, but Silvers was indeed a comedic genius, who was more than capable of keeping up the energy during an episode. I can completely understand why Gary H. Miller had Will Smith watch those classic reruns.

Based on the final few seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, I’d say that the eventual Oscar winner picked up some great tips, as his performances are pitch-perfect. He also had some great co-stars to learn from as well, including the late, great James Avery, who played Uncle Phil. Just recently, Will Smith also talked about observing co-star Alfonso Ribeiro, who famously portrayed the quirky Carlton Banks. It certainly takes a skilled ensemble to make a sitcom work, and I’m glad the cast and crew helped the star find his footing.

Throughout the history of TV, there have been great sitcom duos, like Sanford and Son’s Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson and Laverne & Shirley’s Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air stars Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro deserve their flowers as well for their contributions. The show marked Smith’s first major acting gig, and he had to pick up quite a bit of skills on the job. As he recently revealed, he learned a lot from Ribeiro as well, and there’s a specific lesson that, as a fan, I’m truly glad he took to heart.

It’s not uncommon for Will Smith to warmly reflect on his tenure on one of the best Black sitcoms of the ‘90s. Smith did so yet again when he appeared on the Drink Champs podcast (which is available on YouTube). When Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks, came up during the discussion, Smith lauded his co-star and longtime friend’s commitment. He also recalled the keen way that his good buddy would work with the Fresh Prince writers:

That’s a smart way for an actor to approach their work. By giving it his all no matter the quality of the joke, the Silver Spoons alum was able to give the writers a clear indication as to whether something worked or didn’t work. It makes me wonder just how many of Carlton’s best jokes were formed due to the actor’s commitment. Will Smith went on to sing his co-star’s praises for his A+ “Carlton dance” and more:

Even today, Alfonso Ribeiro’s performance as Carlton is well remembered and still enjoyed by fans. It’s hard to imagine the star not landing the role in the first place, even though Ribeiro dislikes his audition due to the fact that he wore clothes that didn’t match Carlton’s personality. Of all the notable moments from his time filming the show, Ribeiro now says his favorite is from the Season 5 episode “Will’s Misery. It’s at the end of the installment that Ribeiro, in an unscripted move, runs around the set.

It wasn’t always easy for the child star to play the preppy Carlton, though, as the character arguably became a bit too popular, leading him to become synonymous with Banks. It’s for that reason that the Love Wrecked alum came to resent Carlton, especially amid a slew of post-Fresh Prince career struggles. Thankfully, TV personality Tom Bergeron helped him turn his career around, and he now hosts America’s Funniest Home Videos and Dancing with the Stars.

Alfonso Ribeiro now seems to have made peace with his performance as Carlton, and I’m glad, given that he, along with Will Smith, produced comedic gold. It’s great that Ribeiro’s dedication to the craft rubbed off on Smith the way that it did, as I’m not sure the show would’ve become what it did otherwise. You can stream all six seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the 2020 reunion special using a Max subscription.

It’s been nearly 29 years since The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired on TV, but some things never change. For Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley Banks in the hit family comedy, it’s the sibling-like bond she still has with Will Smith to this day. To prove that point, the two recently reunited for a viral TikTok trend, reminding Ali of the greatest advice her on-screen cousin has ever given her.

The Viral Fresh Prince Trend Is Taking Over TikTok

If there’s anything TikTok loves more than a viral dance trend, it’s one born out of a pop culture moment. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which was one of the best Black sitcoms of the ‘90s, is chock-full of them. And no, this time it’s not the Carlton, but I’m sure Alfonso Ribeiro’s memorable moves will have their resurgence (again) in due time.

The scene being recreated by millions of users is actually from very early on in the series, when Will walks in on Ashley dancing around her room. Since she has headphones on, she doesn’t hear him enter, and he starts mimicking her moves. She eventually turns around to see Will totally vibing on his own, to music he can’t hear. Watch the hilarious encounter here:

It became a trend on TikTok recently, with Doechii’s “Anxiety” becoming so big that Ali told For Women First the Grammy winner’s team reached out to her and Smith. The result was an epic collaboration from the trio, posted to TikTok:

In a separate TikTok video posted to Ali’s page, she and the Bad Boys star address the ad-libbed origins of that scene, and how a lot of people on the viral video app didn’t know the trend was inspired by their show. It’s safe to say they do now, as the Fresh Prince stars’ video with Doechii currently has almost 300 million views.

Clearly though, Smith and the Christmas Everlasting actress picked up right where they left off, and despite his cancellation a few years ago, she has always held love for her brotherly mentor.

The Best Advice Will Smith Ever Gave Ali

The Fresh Prince himself entered Hollywood at a young age, and, therefore, is a great mentor for his two kids, Willow and Jaden Smith, who also grew up in the entertainment industry. But before he had kids, there was his on-screen sibling, Tatyana Ali. Ali started filming Fresh Prince at only 11 years old, with her whole career ahead of her. One thing the Suicide Squad actor told her has stuck with her all these years too, and it was instrumental in her success, as she explained to the outlet:

One of those possibilities was returning to her roots. Ali joined the cast of Bel Air, Peacock’s dramatic reimagined reboot of the iconic original sitcom, in Season 2 in a recurring role as Ashley Banks’ English teacher. The Love That Girl actress said her emotional scenes with her former character were a full circle moment.

I have to say that it must have been quite surreal, and I imagine it was a similar experience for the other OG Fresh Prince cast members who appeared in Season 1. Perhaps with the upcoming fourth and final season set on the 2025 TV Schedule, Will Smith will add a Bel Air cameo to his list of upcoming projects. I would love to see him and Ali reunite on screen again after this iconic dance moment.

In any television show out there, some episodes genuinely take the cake for their dark themes – or rather, just being dark overall. Some shows are darker than others, but there's always an episode that genuinely makes people sit there for a moment and contemplate what they just watched – those are the kinds of dark episodes we are going to get into today.

Oh, and also, spoiler alert!

'The Rains Of Castamere' (Game of Thrones)

I mean, of course, I have to put "The Rains of Castamere" here. It's one of the most shocking Game of Thrones moments ever, when we watch basically a third of the Stark family get taken out by traitors. And yes, I will still never forgive the Boltons or the Lannisters for what they did.

'The Day Will Come When You Won't Be' (The Walking Dead)

It would be a sin for me not to put "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" here. It features Glenn's demise, one of the most heartbreaking The Walking Dead deaths, and really shows the entire group that we have come to love for six seasons straight get absolutely blasted with the arrival of Negan and his Saviors. It's still a dark episode, one I skip on any The Walking Dead rewatch.

'Ozymandias' (Breaking Bad)

There are some fantastic Breaking Bad episodes, but oftentimes, most of them are pretty dark, and "Ozymandias" is one of those. Considered one of the best television episodes ever by many critics, this episode really capped off the damage that Walt had done to his life when he watched Hank, his brother-in-law and DEA agent, get shot dead.

'To You, In 2000 Years - The Fall Of Shiganshina: Part 1' (Attack On Titan)

There are plenty of great dark anime out there that I could steal episodes from to put on this list, but I have to say the winner must be "To You, in 2000 Years—The Fall of Shiganshina: Part 1." I mean, you really can't get darker than having your mom get eaten in the first episode of your series—right in front of you as you're being dragged away. No wonder Eren was so messed up.

'Pretty Much Dead Already' (The Walking Dead)

For a time, The Walking Dead was the show out there that everyone talked about each week, and one of the darkest episodes of that time was "Pretty Much Dead Already." It was the first midseason finale for the show and featured a stumbling Sophie coming out of the Greene farm when everyone had been looking for her for several episodes already. Breaks your heart every time.

'The Hellfire Club' (Stranger Things)

I don't really consider a lot of Stranger Things dark, but I will say that as the series has progressed, these episodes have gotten a lot scarier, and the first that comes to mind is "The Hellfire Club." The episode starts off well enough—including the introduction of Stranger Things Season 4 All-Star Eddie. But then Vecna makes his first appearance at the end of the episode, and it is a horrorfest that instantly turns the entire thing darker than ever.

'Phoenix' (Breaking Bad)

Walter White has done some pretty horrible things as a human being, and one of his darkest moments, for sure, in Breaking Bad, was in "Phoenix." We already knew that Walter didn't like Jane, but standing there, watching her overdose right next to Jesse, was another level of darkness that I didn't think he was capable of.

'Heaven's Half Hour' (Daredevil: Born Again)

There are many moments in the original Daredevil series that I could point to, but I have to give it to a recent entry, Daredevil: Born Again, and the premiere episode. We literally open up with Matt and his friends just getting a drink, and BOOM, Foggy is shot, and Matt literally hears him die by the sound of his heartbeat. Darkness to the brim.

'The Dance Of Dragons' (Game Of Thrones)

While "The Dance of Dragons" isn't a super dark episode in itself, it's a moment in it that makes it super dark. One of the most heartbreaking Game of Thrones deaths happens here when Stannis burns his daughter alive because of Melisandre's ridiculous nonsense about a king's blood sacrifice. And then we watch her die. It's messed up in the worst ways.

'Living Doll' (The Twilight Zone)

I think The Twilight Zone is one of those shows where the episodes might not seem so dark now in comparison to what we have experienced on TV, but there are still some good ones there, and one is "Living Doll." The episode is all about a husband who is annoyed by a talking doll his stepdaughter has, but the doll begins to talk back to him, saying how much she hates him and how she wants to hurt him—it gets really dark, real quick.

'The Bent-Neck Lady' (The Haunting Of Hill House)

Honestly, every Mike Flanagan TV show has some incredibly dark episodes, but "The Bent-Neck Lady" is by far the darkest. It shows Nell finally realizes that the visions and ghosts that have been haunting her all her life are actually her. The reveal is incredibly sad and dark and one I often think about.

'72 Hours' (The Golden Girls)

I'm sure that at first glance, you would never expect me to put something like The Golden Girls on this list, but "72 Hours" is a very dark episode. Rose's doctor reaches out to her and says that her blood transfusion may have included HIV-positive blood, and now she has to wait for three days for results. It's a very harrowing episode for a show that is, at its core, a sitcom.

'Honor' (The Walking Dead)

There are plenty of moments in The Walking Dead that I could put on here, but one of the darkest episodes was "Honor." I'm sure most don't even know it because it happened in Season 8, but it was the episode where Carl, Rick's son, ended up getting bitten while trying to save a doctor for their community. It's literally one of the darkest episodes of the entire series, especially watching Rick and Michonne wait for the gunshot that signals Carl's death.

'Bullets Over Bel-Air' (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was an iconic sitcom for many reasons, but it also wasn't afraid to go dark in some of its episodes. One of which was "Bullets Over Bel-Air," in which Will is shot by a robber and then Carlton goes out and buys a gun to try and be safe. It's an entire episode focused on gun violence.

'ABQ' (Breaking Bad)

There are plenty of Breaking Bad episodes out there that are genuinely dark, but one I always think of is ABQ, which is the finale of season 2 of the show. While most of the episode isn't necessarily super dark, the ending moment is where Walt watches as two planes crash above his home, sending debris to the ground, because the air trafficker's daughter just died – you know, the daughter that Walt watched overdose and didn't do anything about it.

'Bad News' (How I Met Your Mother)

At first, we all think that the "Bad News" in this episode is going to involve a fertility test with Lily, but the bad news is suddenly broken to Marshall that his father has suddenly passed from a heart attack. It's so out there that it creates a devastating episode in this sitcom.

'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken' (Game Of Thrones)

The episode 'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken' isn't necessarily dark itself, but rather the ending scene. After Sansa is forced to marry Ramsay Bolton, he forcefully assaults her on their wedding night. Meanwhile, Theon (Reek at this point) is just standing over there forced to watch. My god.

'To The Lost' (Boardwalk Empire)

Boardwalk Empire wasn't afraid to venture into dark territory, and one of its darkest episodes was "To The Lost," mainly because of the death that happens when Nucky shoots Jimmy, a protege of his, because he failed to start a feud. The moment is shocking, considering that throughout the series, these two have basically been side by side, and now, all of a sudden, it was over.

'Coda' (The Walking Dead)

I will never forgive The Walking Dead for what they did to Beth in "Coda." One of the darkest episodes of the series, it shows the group reuniting with Beth only for her to get shot in the head when she stands up for herself. She didn't even get to reunite with her sister again. Talk about awful.

'Long Term Parking' (The Sopranos)

The Sopranos cast is filled to the brim with epic talent, which only means there will be epic episodes that tend to lean a little darker. When Silvio finds out that Adriana's slipping info to the FBI, she's taken out. It was dark and scary and showed just what happened when you crossed the Soprano family.

'Connor's Wedding' (Succession)

With how talented the Succession cast is, I wouldn't be surprised if they made half of their episodes darker, but the darkest I could point to was "Connor's Wedding." At first, it feels like just a normal episode, but all of a sudden, Logan Roy drops dead, and we, as well as the kids, are left to deal with the fallout of what occurred as the episode progresses.

'Two Storms' (The Haunting Of Hill House)

First of all, this episode is an absolute unit of cinematography. It's shot beautifully. But aside from me geeking out about how amazing it looks, "Two Storms" is dark because it's so creepy, and we keep seeing Nell's casket repeatedly getting moved or messed around with.

'Hardhome' (Game Of Thrones)

The first half of "Hardhome" is pretty tame, honestly. It's all about watching Jon and the Wildlings try to come to a compromise to, you know, survive. But then the White Walkers come and literally destroy it all, and the number of deaths that occur makes it one of the most brutal episodes for me to watch ever.

'Please Remain Calm' (Chernobyl)

I. Can't. Stand. This. Episode.

At all.

As someone who recently rewatched Chernobyl, I find this to be the darkest episode of the miniseries. Watching those three brave souls go into the factory to drain the radioactive water and try and stop this madness was terrifying, but seeing their lights go out at the end? Good god. The entire episode is shot beautifully, but man, is it dark in many instances.

'Endure And Survive' (The Last Of Us)

As someone who is one of the biggest fans of The Last of Us franchise, this episode took it out of me, both mentally and physically. I already knew that Henry and Sam (from The Last of Us cast) would die from playing the game but man, they made this episode twenty times darker with the ending and it still makes me jump and look away each time I've watched it.

'Papa's Got A Brand New Excuse' (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has some serious moments that often lead to darker episodes, and one of those was definitely "Papa's Got A Brand-New Excuse." Will's father shows up out of nowhere, but, of course, by the end, he gives an excuse not to spend actual time with Will. We get an entire monologue from Will about how he doesn't need his father before he breaks down. It's so sad.

'Alone Again, Natura-Diddly' (The Simpsons)

There are some side characters on The Simpsons that you might have forgotten about, but one was taken out in the darkest possible way. In "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly," Ned Flander's wife, Maude, is struck in the head by a t-shirt and then knocked to her death. Yes, this happens in real-time on The Simpsons. This is an actual episode from Season 11.

'Too Far Gone' (The Walking Dead)

You want to talk about dark episodes of The Walking Dead? "Too Far Gone" is up there. The episode is the midseason finale for Season 4 and shows the all-out war that happens at the prison. But before then, we also watch The Governor completely snap and kill Hershel, who was hands down the group's moral compass for a long time.

'Teddy Perkins' (Atlanta)

This episode is just creepy, man. It's creepy in all the right ways. Aside from the social commentary that every episode of Atlanta seems to have, seeing Donald Glover dressed up in full prosthetics and makeup and creeping out Lakeith Stanfield is an episode I will never quite get over.

'Playtest' (Black Mirror)

There are plenty of dark episodes on Black Mirror, but one that I always think of is "Playtest," specifically for its ending. There are so many twists and turns that it's hard to keep up with it, and then the main subject, Cooper, is just killed because everything was all in his head and nothing was real—it's just too much and too dark so quickly.

'Chikhai Bardo' (Severance)

Severance is an excellent Apple TV+ show, and usually, I don't think I'd put an episode here, but "Chikhai Bardo" is a dark episode because we find out what really happened to Gemma and how she's essentially a slave for Lumon, forced to carry out multiple Severance scenarios for whatever grand design they are planning. It's messed up in so many ways.

'The Female Of The Species' (The Boys)

As someone who loves Kimiko in The Boys, the first episode, where we really see her and get to know her, is one of the darkest of the series. We see just how violent and terrifying she really is. She is not for those who have a weak stomach, but man, I love it.

What are some dark episodes that you would think of? I need to go watch some of the best rom-coms as a palette cleanser now. Goodness gracious.

Alfonso Ribeiro may have come to fame decades ago on TV shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but these days he’s likely known more for his dancing. Of course we’re all aware of the Carlton Dance, but Ribeiro proved he was more than his nerdy character when he won Season 19 of Dancing with the Stars and went on to become the competition’s co-host. He got to show off those moves recently, donning a pink suit for a moment that even got Will Smith’s attention.

There’s been no official word on when DWTS Season 34 will hit the 2025 TV schedule, but Alfonso Ribeiro had no intention of waiting to bust a move when he visited The Jennifer Hudson Show. Take a look at his walk to the stage:

Now, if you are unfamiliar with Jennifer Hudson’s spirit tunnels — where her crew lines the hallway outside of the guests’ dressing room, chanting, singing and dancing to pump them up as they take the stage — I implore you to stop now and go down that rabbit hole. It’s not an exaggeration to say I’ve lost hours watching videos.

Alfonso Ribeiro certainly looked to be embracing the “happy place,” as he hit them with some footwork, strutting down the hall with a big smile as he ultimately did a spin move that earned cheers from the hype team.

The viral video also earned props from his former TV cousin, Will Smith, who showed up in the comments to say:

I love this support from Will Smith three decades after the two actors starred together on one of the best TV sitcoms of all time, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Men in Black actor knows all about Alfonso Ribeiro’s talents, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who recalls that Ribeiro was a child actor with a big personality whose career actually started on Broadway in 1983 when he played the titular character in The Tap Dance Kid.

Will Smith, of course, has been known to “get jiggy wit it” himself, and this isn’t the first time he’s shouted out “Alf.” A couple of years ago Alfonso Ribeiro reunited with his Dancing with the Stars partner, Witney Carson, for a viral dance to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song, prompting Smith to comment:

I think my favorite part about The Jennifer Hudson Show video, though, is that Alfonso Ribeiro didn’t feel pressured to do the Carlon Dance, even though he knows he’ll break the Internet (like he did on DWTS) if he does do it. Ribeiro has opened up about strangers constantly asking him to do the dance for them, which must be so exhausting. I love that he got the chance to show some different moves in the spirit tunnel.

If you want to relive Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro’s olden days, there are plenty of Carlton-centric episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that are available to stream with a Max subscription.

From Downton Abbey to the Red Keep to 742 Evergreen Terrace, there are so many cool houses I'd love to explore from television shows. Some have even gotten quite famous for their use on these shows. Obviously I understand these are mostly sets on a soundstage with an exterior of a completely different house, but let's take a moment to use our imagination and talk about how fun and cool these houses I've always wanted to explore would be.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Of course with have to include Uncle Phil and Aunt Bev's house on The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. Most of the show pretty much takes place in two rooms, the kitchen and the living room, with other scenes in various bedrooms and occasionally other spots. There must be so much more to see!

The Addams Family

Who doesn't want to explore a house like that of the Addams family? It's creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky! It's got a dismembered hand running around, a cousin covered in hair, and an uncle who can light up a light bulb in his mouth! This is the kind of house I want to learn a whole lot more about!

Friends

Much has been made about the apartments on Friends and how unrealistic they are. Sure, that may be true, but that doesn't mean they aren't cool, especially where Monica and Rachel live. As someone who lived in a shoebox in the East Village for years, this is the kind of place I'd love to explore and dream about how I could have been living... in a fever dream.

Full House

The Painted Ladies in San Francisco are some of the most iconic houses in the entire United States Of America. For that reason alone it's worth it to explore the Tanner home on Full House. I might not have a chance to explore one otherwise (not that would in this fictional scenario anyway!)

Succession

Let's be honest, I can't stand the Roy family and it makes it hard for me to love the show Succession, because I need someone to root for and there is no one on this show worthy of that. Except maybe the houses and locations, those all look amazing. So that's decides it, I'm rooting for fictional houses.

Game Of Thrones

I've included the Red Keep here from Game of Thrones, but really it's a stand-in for basically every castle, keep, and ancestral home on the show. They all look really cool and I love old European castles, so an architectural tour of Westeros is right in my wheelhouse. Winterfell, Dragonstone, the Eyrie, Sunspear... they are all amazing. Even the ruins of Harrenhal would be awesome to hang out in for a bit.

Gossip Girl

I lived a very different life in my shoebox in the East Village when I lived in New York than the families in Gossip Girl lived. Frankly, every location looks incredible in its own way and I want to see them all and the well-dressed people who live in them.

Frasier

Frasier Crane doesn't live in the most extravagant condo in TV history, but it still seems like a really cool place. Seattle is a beautiful city and the view they had would make a quick tour very worthwhile. Plus, who doesn't want to have a good sit in Martin's chair?

Diff'rent Strokes

The 1980s was filled with over-the-top residences, and the Drummonds apartment in Diff'rent Strokes is close to the top of the list. We really only got to see a little bit of the two-story New York apartment, as almost every scene was in the living room, kitchen, or Willis and Arnold's bedroom. I want to see more! There must be a cozy study in there somewhere with a fireplace filled with many old books and rich mahogany!

Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey is one of the few fictional houses on this list that one can actually spend some time in. The house, which is known as Highclere Castle in real life, is open for tours to the public, and not only can you explore the grounds, but many of the rooms from the show as well. I've not done it yet, but I'd love to do the tour at some point.

Silver Spoons

As a kid of the '80s, the Stratton's mansion on Silver Spoons is close to the top of my list of houses I wished I lived in. There was a train running through the living room, multiple arcade games, and a racing car bed! It's everything I ever wanted and more. Plus, we never got to see much other than a couple of rooms, there has to be so much to explore!

Dynasty

The 1980s were a time when incredibly rich families stirred up melodrama among themselves on shows like Dynasty. Set in Denver, the show's family, the Carringtons, lived in an amazing home. The exteriors of the home were actually a palatial home in Pasadena called Arden Villa.

Modern Family

Jay and Gloria Prichett's house on Modern Family fits the name of the show well. It's...well... modern and it's the kind of house I like to stalk on Zillow. It's not the most over-the-top, or biggest (nor the smallest, for sure), but it seems like a really awesome, realistic house that would be perfect for a week-long AirBnB rental.

Mork & Mindy

This is one of those homes on TV that actually seems like a place I could actually afford and live in. It's a simple house in Boulder, CO, where the show is set and while the prices all over Colorado for real estate are kind of insane, it's still a very cool looking, sensible house. Mork (Robin Williams) is the only thing that isn't sensible about it.

The Munsters

There are few houses in TV history as iconic as the Munster's mansion from The Munsters. Though I'm not a big fan of horror movies, even I can appreciate all the Easter eggs and tributes to old monster movies that must be hidden all over the house. It's the kind of place that is a museum of the weird as much as it is a home.

The Brady Bunch

I love Mid-Century Modern architecture, especially houses. There is no better example of a cool Mid-Century Modern house in TV history than the house designed by Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch. It's also one of the rare shows where we basically see every room in the house in almost every episode. The one part we never see is where Alice lives, so that's something new to explore.

The Golden Girls

I'm a total sucker for those weird Florida gated communities like the one in The Golden Girls and for that reason, I'd love to check the house shared by the four retired roommates in the classic NBC sitcom. It's not the most extravagant, nor the most interesting, but it's still the kind of realistic house I love.

The Sopranos

This is a little bit of an outlier because really, the house in The Sopranos is everything I kinda hate in a house. It's pretty much a standard suburban McMansion, so that means my exploration would really be to make fun of it. I get that it's not a great idea to criticize Carmela's decorating or Tony's house in general, but it's a risk I'd be willing to take.

Mad Men

Don Draper's apartment in Mad Men looks amazing. It's not the biggest home on this list, but it's so perfectly set in its time, it would be amazing to spend a few hours in listening to some jazz and smoking cigarettes.

Dallas

Southfork Ranch is a real place. It's a popular spot in Dallas to hold weddings and other events. That means that exploring the house, which is home to the Ewing clan in Dallas is possible, but I'd want to go back in time and see it as it was when the Ewings lived there (on the show anyway). There would be so much to see across all of the property.

The Simpsons

There are few addresses as famous as 742 Evergreen Terrace. It's not the grandest house on this list, obviously, but still, it's just so iconic. I can just see myself having a Duff on the back patio while Homer relaxes in his hammock, or lying on the floor with Lisa and Bart watching the latest episode of Itchy & Scratchy. Maybe even helping Marge in the kitchen cooking pork chops for dinner.

Dexter

Okay, I'll admit, this one is the most depraved choice on this list. Checking out Dexter's apartment from Dexter is sure to be disturbing and morbid, so it's the kind of place where it's good to keep in mind this is all fictional! Demented and sad, but fictional!

Seinfeld

Jerry's apartment on Seinfeld is probably the smallest home on this list. It's really just the kitchen and living room open-plan space (that doesn't actually make sense) and Jerry's bedroom, but there is always some cool stuff in the background, like Superman memorabilia and cereal boxes. Those are worth exploring, right? Maybe not, but Kramer may have the hot tub open in his apartment.

Charmed

Like a few others on this lit, visiting nd exploring the house on Charmed is less about the house - though it does look stunning - and more about learning about what is really going with these three witches. It has to be fascinating to see how they live when they aren't fighting demons and the like.

The Nanny

I'll admit I'm pretty fascinated by huge New York City apartments. It's just so different from how most people live in the city. The opulence and ease of living in multi-story dwellings in the city must be amazing, and the home on The Nanny certainly fits the bill like others on this list.

Desperate Housewives

This entry isn't about one house, it's about all the house and the neighborhood that makes up Wisteria Lane on Desperate Housewives. There isn't anything particularly special about any one house, but wow what a subdivision to live in! My suburban street was nothing like this... or maybe it was and I was just ignorant of it. Probably not.

The Crown

There are a lot of palaces and castles in Netflix's The Crown and all of them are real places, though none of the show was actually filmed in them, of course. Of all the castles and palaces that Queen Elizabeth is seen in on the show, the coolest and most interesting has to be Balmoral, her castle in Scotland where she ultimately died in real life. That's the castle and grounds I want to explore.

Billions

Even by TV show standards, Bobby Axelrod (Damien Lewis) on Showtime's Billions has a ridiculous beach house in the Hamptons. I mean, it looks like a country club clubhouse or a hotel, it's insane. It feels like you could spend a month there and never hang out in the same room twice.

Ozark

I've been to the Lake of the Ozarks a bunch of times in my life and while it's a super fun place, you don't really think of it as having interesting houses. On the show Ozark, the Byrdes definitely live in one that you wouldn't ever expect to see there, and it's based on a real place there. It's exactly the kind of house I love. It's also one of the few places that is actually based on a real thing at Lake of the Ozarks, as the show was primarily shot in Georgia.

Beverly Hills, 90210

As someone who grew up watching Beverly Hills, 90210 every week, this is definitely a very personal choice. I just always thought the house was really nice looking and I'd love to spend some time hanging out with the Walshes.

Arrested Development

Yes, it's only a model house, and yes, it's basically cheap construction of plywood and chewing gum, but still, the house in Arrested Development would be a wild place to hang out for a while. You could look for George in the attic, or count the number of blue handprints on the wall... there's just so much. I wouldn't mess around with the cornballer though.

Falcon Crest

One of the wildest wealthy fictional families on TV in the '80s was the Channing/Gioberti clan on Falcon Crest. It's a show that no one talks about anymore, but the house, set in a fictionalized version of Napa Valley is amazing and really, we should be talking about it as the star of the show, though Jane Wyman is pretty fantastic on the show too.

A "bottle episode" is a term used when a TV show, usually in an attempt to save money on sets, keeps the action all in one place. Some of these episodes justify their singular setting by trapping the characters inside against their will while others incorporate more clever storytelling devices. Let's cover some of the most interesting and entertaining examples of a bottle episode in TV history with the following.

Mad About You - "The Conversation"

Sometimes, raising an infant might have parents feeling trapped in their own home (or even a singular location in their home) which is a topic explored in an episode from the sixth episode of the hit Paul Reiser TV show, Mad About You. Filmed in one single-shot take, "The Conversation" depicts Paul (Reiser) and Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt) talking while they wait for their infant daughter to cry herself to sleep.

Breaking Bad - "Fly"

Considered by some to be one of the best Breaking Bad episodes and by others to be the worst, "Fly" earns its title from an insect that Walter White (Bryan Cranston) discovers making itself at home in the lab owned by Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). Directed by Rian Johnson, the episode sees him and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), determined to save their jobs (and lives), spending an entire night struggling to rid the lab of the "contamination," while having heartfelt and complex discussions regarding the current state of their lives.

Seinfeld - "The Chinese Restaurant"

In an episode of one of the all-time best sitcoms that left some network executives confused from behind the scenes, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) spend 20 minutes waiting to be seated for dinner before heading to the movies. Despite not featuring Michael Richards' Kramer, Season 2's subdued yet witty "The Chinese Restaurant" is one of the best Seinfeld episodes and one that most strongly defines the NBC comedy's schtick as a "show about nothing."

The West Wing - "Isaac And Ishmael"

One of the most powerful bottle episodes in TV history was a standalone from Aaron Sorkin's Emmy-winning political drama called "Isaac and Ishmael," which was broadcast before the official Season 3 premiere as a tribute to the victims of the tragedy on September 11, 2001. Described as a non-canonical play by the West Wing cast in a cold open where the actors directly address the audience, the episode is primarily set in the mess hall of the White House, which has been put on lockdown amid a terrorist attack, forcing some of those inside to investigate the matter and others to discuss it from a philosophical perspective with some visiting students.

Friends - "The One Where No One's Ready"

In Season 3's "The One Where No One's Ready," the Friends cast is hanging out when Ross shows up urging them to prepare to leave for an event. Depicted in real time and taking place almost entirely in Monica's living room, the episode proved popular enough to convince the producers to do at least one bottle episode per season for the remainder of the hit series' run.

The Twilight Zone - "Five Characters In Search Of An Exit"

Some of the most interesting stories told on horror anthology TV shows are bottle episodes but that is not the only reason why "Five Characters in Search of An Exit" is a shoo-in for one of the best Twilight Zone episodes. As the apt title suggests, the Rod Serling-penned Season 3 story, following a group of strangers trapped in a room with no windows or doors and no memory of how they got there, is a wickedly surreal mystery with a killer twist ending.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "The Box"

One of the best episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, "The Box," sees Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and Captain Holt (Andre Braugher teaming up to see if they can get a dentist suspected of murder to give a confession before they are legally forced to release him from the interrogation room. Sterling K. Brown gives an Emmy-nominated performance in the Season 5 favorite as the stone-cold potential perp who forces Peralta to pull out every trick in the book to break.

Frasier - "My Coffee With Niles"

The Season 1 finale of Frasier (a spin-off show as good as its predecessor, Cheers) served as an homage to the 1981 dramedy, My Dinner with Andre. "My Coffee with Niles" takes place entirely during a cafe conversation between the title character (Kelsey Grammer) and his brother (David Hyde Pierce), during which they discuss happiness and Niles, for the first time, admits his feelings for Daphne (Jane Leeves).

Family Guy - "Brian & Stewie"

For its 150th show, Family Guy aired a bottle episode that stripped away its opening credits, musical score, the typical cutaway gags, and most of the characters. The entire plot of "Brian & Stewie" takes place inside a bank vault where the eponymous dog and baby (both voiced by creator Seth MacFarlane) find themselves accidentally locked inside for more than 24 hours.

Community - "Cooperative Calligraphy"

Likely responsible for teaching a generation of viewers about the concept of a bottle episode, one of the best episodes of Community, "Cooperative Calligraphy," is identified as such by Abed (Danny Pudi) in one of his signature meta moments. The Season 2 favorite sees the study group lock themselves in the study room for an entire night at the request of Annie (Alison Brie) to figure out who among them took her pen.

Parks And Recreation - "Leslie And Ron"

The seventh season of Parks and Recreation saw Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) on non-speaking terms for mysterious reasons until it was addressed and resolved in the season's fourth episode, aptly titled "Leslie and Ron." Locked in a room at the office by Ben (Adam Scott), the former coworkers are forced to talk through their feud, which we learn was caused by a sidelined Ron asking Leslie for a job to be closer to his old friends, only to be stood up.

Archer - "Vision Quest"

One of many examples of a bottle episode in which multiple characters find themselves trapped in an elevator comes from the sixth season of Archer. In "Vision Quest" much of the main cast of the animated spy comedy series get at each other's throats more than usual when they share a lift at ISIS that suddenly breaks down.

Kenan & Kel - "Freezer Burned"

Nickelodeon's Kenan & Kel aired a few episodes that saw the eponymous duo (played by All That cast members Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell) stuck in one place. One instance is Season 3's "Freezer Burned" in which Kel accidentally points a restaurant's restroom sign in the wrong direction, causing himself, Kenan, Kenan's family, and many others to become trapped in the freezer.

Grey's Anatomy - "The Room Where It Happens"

While all bottle episodes take place in one setting, not all are necessarily set during just one period of time. For instance, "The Room Where It Happens" from Season 13 of Grey's Anatomy takes place in a single operating room in which multiple characters recall their own memories of the most significant moments they have experienced there.

How I Met Your Mother - "The Limo"

Some TV shows get away with covering more ground than the typical bottle episode allows by keeping most of the action inside a mode of transportation. For instance, "The Limo" follows the How I Met Your Mother cast hopping between multiple New Year's Eve parties in a limousine driven by the recurring character Ranjit (Marshall Manesh), marking the beginning of his transition from taxi driving.

Hey Arnold! - "Das Subway"

Sometimes even a bottle episode set in a mode of transportation still sees the characters stuck in one place, like in the Season 1 Hey Arnold! episode, "Das Subway." Arnold and his friends decide to get home from the movie theater by taking the subway but end up sharing it with a bunch of stir-crazy passengers when it breaks down mid-trip.

Castle - "Cuffed"

Some bottle episodes manage to show scenes from outside the main setting by the use of flashbacks. That is how the Season 4 Castle episode, "Cuffed," explains how Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) ended up handcuffed together and trapped in a small room where they struggle to retrace their steps.

Supernatural - "Baby"

Rarely do bottle episodes and road trip episodes crossover but Supernatural achieved it in its eleventh season with "Baby," which is named after Dean Winchester's (Jensen Ackles) beloved Impala. The entire story – following him and Sam (Jared Padalecki) on a demon-hunting journey – is entirely told from inside the car.

Drake & Josh - "Tree House"

In the fourth season of Drake & Josh, the titular pair of stepbrothers (played by Drake Bell and Josh Peck) must reconstruct a neighbor's tree house that they accidentally destroyed. Upon finishing it, they find themselves trapped inside, having forgotten to cut out an exit before putting up the final wall. Their sister, Megan (Miranda Cosgrove), refuses to help them find a way out, and, to make matters worse, two twin sisters are waiting to meet them at the movie theater.

The X-FIles - "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas"

"How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" is a fun holiday episode from the sixth season of one of the all-time best sci-fi TV shows, The X-Files. It sees FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) becoming trapped in a house haunted by the spirits of a dead couple (played by TV icons Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin) who want to prove to them how lonely the season can be.

Chicago Fire - "My Lucky Day"

The rescuers fall desperate for a rescue in a Season 9 episode of NBC's Chicago Fire ironically called "My Lucky Day." Firefighters Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) and Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) become cut off from outside communication when they and two others board a freight elevator that breaks down in the middle of a building fire.

Eureka - "H.O.U.S.E. Rules"

In the first season of the hit SyFy series Eureka, newly appointed sheriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) considers leaving the small town of brilliant people after being blocked from investigating a crime. However, his A.I.-equipped smart house tries to convince him to stay by luring other locals into the home and locking them inside.

Leverage - "The Bottle Job"

The title of the Season 2 episode of Leverage, "The Bottle Job," has a triple meaning – one being that it is a bottle episode. The other meanings refer to Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton's character, Nate, taking up his drinking habit again, as well as the team's task to commit an elaborate con that would take weeks in only 90 minutes.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - "Did The Earth Move For You?"

While there are many examples of bottle episodes used to help two characters mend their issues with one another by trapping them together, the Season 2 premiere of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air sees two characters grow apart as a result. In "Did the Earth Move for You?" the victims are Will Smith (Will Smith) and his new girlfriend, Kathleen (Tisha Campbell), who learn too much about each other after an earthquake leaves them trapped in the Banks' basement.

This Is Us - "The Waiting Room"

Most episodes of This Is Us jump back and forth between different time periods but Season 3's "The Waiting Room" takes place entirely in the modern day without any flashbacks. However, for what it lacks in appearances by Milo Ventimiglia as Jack, it makes up for it by keeping the Pearsons (and the audience) on their toes as they stay in a hospital waiting for the birth of Kate's baby.

MacGyver - "Phoenix Under Siege"

Before Die Hard, there was the Season 2 MacGyver episode, "Phoenix Under Siege," which boasts a few plot similarities. Mac (Richard Dean Anderson) and his grandfather, Harry Jackson (John Anderson), stop by the Phoenix Foundation to look for some tickets to a hockey game only to become trapped inside the building when it is invaded by terrorists.

Scrubs - "My Full Moon"

The Season 8 Scrubs episode, "My Full Moon," is a notable bottle episode as being one of the few times we see Turk (Donald Faison) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke) teaming up. They are left in charge of four interns at Sacred Heart on the night of a full moon, hence the title.

Teen Titans Go! - "Bottle Episode"

Never has a series taken the concept of a bottle episode as literally as the 29th show from the third season of Teen Titans Go! Aptly called "Bottle Episode," it sees the team of young superheroes struggling to figure out an escape when they become trapped in a large glass bottle.

Moonlighting - "Between A Yuk And A Hard Place"

Taking place months after the previous episode when Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) suffers a miscarriage, "Between A Yuk and a Hard Place" sees her and David (Bruce Willis) reunited when they become trapped in an elevator. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that Agnes (Allyce Beasley) and MacGillicudy (Jack Blessing) intentionally caused the elevator to break down, giving the couple a chance to work out their issues.

The Dead Zone - "Cabin Pressure"

In the second season of USA Network's series adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone, Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall) has a psychic vision that the plane he is currently traveling on is bound to crash. The episode is set entirely on a jet and is even depicted in real-time.

Black-ish - "Hope"

Creator Kenya Barris' ABC dramedy Black-ish was never afraid to address tough real-life topics and one of the most powerful examples is Season 2's "Hope." It takes place entirely in the Johnsons' living room as they watch a news report of a police brutality case, which prompts a difficult discussion regarding racial injustice.

That's My Bush! - "Trapped In A Small Environment"

From South Park creator Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Comedy Central's short-lived series That's My Bush poked fun at common sitcom cliches while also offering a humorous inside look at the then-current George W. Bush administration. It once took aim at the "trapped in a small environment" trope in an episode called "Trapped in a Small Environment," in which the president and his neighbor, Larry (John D'Aquino) get stuck in an elevator, giving them an opportunity to work through a feud.

Over the years, the principal members of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s cast remained relatively close, and they still are to this day. There was, however, a bit of friction between lead actor Will Smith and one of his co-stars back in the day. He and Janet Hubert – who originated the role of Vivian Banks – were engaged in a feud for years following her exit from the show. Both actors ultimately squashed that beef, however, and Smith is now recalling a “horrible” mistake he made while working with Hubert all those years ago.

Will Smith has been incredibly candid about his former conflicts with Janet Hubert over the years and, during a recent interview, he added some more thoughts. The Oscar winner was recently interviewed for a new episode of Vice’s Black Comedy in America, for which People had a preview. When asked about his past issues with Hubert, Smith admitted that a lot of that animosity came down to an aspect of her work that he didn’t realize until later on:

According to the now-56-year-old Bad Boys star, he didn’t realize just how important his co-star’s role on the show was. The Cats alum’s role as “Aunt Viv” was and remains a praised aspect of the beloved sitcom. Ms. Hubert’s witty, loving and no-nonsense approach to the character contributed some of the best moments on the earlier seasons of Fresh Prince. Among her most iconic moments on the show is Season 2’s “The Big Four-Oh,” during which her character performed a dance routine that’s since gone viral.

Janet Hubert played Vivian Banks during the NBC comedy’s first three seasons from 1990 to 1993. Following the third season (during which she was pregnant), she was offered a new contract that she didn’t think was fair for her. While that was the true reason Hubert stopped playing Viv, many long alleged that she was fired from the show following on-set “tension” with Will Smith. The actress was subsequently succeeded in the role of Vivian by Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played the character for the remainder of the sitcom’s six-season run. Both Hubert and Smith reunited for the series’ reunion special in 2020, during which they had a heart-to-heart and reconciled.

The Independence Day star isn’t the only member of the Fresh Prince cast who’s given the Sweet Magnolias actress her flowers. Ashley Banks actress Tatyana Ali praised her on-screen mother as well shortly after seeing her again during the reunion special. Ali viewed her co-star with a “spotlight,” given that she was a beautiful Black woman who was able to perform on such a large screen. Furthermore, Ali mentioned that as a Black child, it was impactful for her to see and work alongside someone with such grace and talent.

As a longtime fan of the Will Smith-led series, I can honestly say that Janet Hubert more than deserves all of the love she has and continues to receive. It’s also wonderful that she and Will Smith have settled their differences and that Smith is fully aware of his co-star’s impact on the show and his own life. They’ve both made positive contributions to the culture and, together, they contributed to one of the great Black sitcoms of the ‘90s.

Stream all six seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air now using a Max subscription. You can also use that membership to stream the reunion special.

Will Smith has seen much success throughout the course of his illustrious career in Hollywood. Of course, he didn’t reach such massive heights alone, as he had a few people looking out for him early on. A person who served in that capacity for him was revered record producer and composer Quincy Jones. The great Jones sadly passed away earlier in November at 91, and many have since shared their recollections of him. Now, Smith is recalling how Jones taught him about legacy at a time that he was experiencing ups and downs.

The Oscar winner found success early through his rap career but also experienced financial issues stemming from poor decisions made early on. A lot of that started to change when Quincy Jones came into his orbit and in time, helped Will Smith land The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Smith recently appeared on 95.7 Hallelujah FM, during which he discussed the notion of his legacy. Eventually, interviewer Tracy Bethea asked the Bad Boys star about Quincy Jones, which led him to share the following sentiments in the YouTube clip:

Quite frankly, the story of how the late “We Are the World” arranger helped make Fresh Prince – one of the best Black sitcoms of the ‘90s – a reality. It was all due to a conversation between Will Smith and the late music man during the latter’s birthday party. And, that same night, Smith not only auditioned for the bigwigs of NBC (at the Jones’ home), but a contract was also made up. It’s truly one of the most extraordinary moments in entertainment history.

What I really love, though, is the sheer amount of love and appreciation that the Independence Day star still has for Quincy Jones to this day. He was among the many to pay tribute to Jones following his passing. In a candid Instagram post, the King Richard lead thanked his mentor for his impact, saying that he “defended”, "nurtured" and “inspired” him. The now-56-year-old rapper-turned-actor also shared some sweet throwback photos. As a whole, this all signifies that one shouldn’t underestimate the impact of a solid mentor.

On that note, a part of Will Smith’s legacy has been to serve as a guide of sorts to others who are currently navigating Hollywood. An example of that is the way in which he reached out to Keke Palmer years ago when she considered getting emancipated from her parents. Smith apparently left a voicemail on her phone and told her that he understood that “sometimes it's hard being the first” in your family to achieve fame. He also advised her to keep loving her relatives and staying focused on her work.

And, of course, in addition to his mentorship, the A-lister has also continued to be a box office draw. The 2024 movie schedule marked the release of his latest film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which was a hit at the box office. He’s also working on a number of upcoming films that are in different stages of development. Between his continued work and his desire to pay it forward, I’d say that the multihyphenate is doing Quincy Jones proud.

Fans who’d like to check out Will Smith in Bad Boys: Ride or Die can stream the film now using a Netflix subscription. You can also dive into all six seasons of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air using a Max subscription.

There are so many shows out there that are perfect for your next binge. They could be one of the best shows to watch on Netflix or even be an original series for a streaming service – either way, they are full of life and hilarity. And if you're looking for a new show to watch, you might want to consider any of the following options for your next best sitcom.

Friends

I can't have a sitcom list and not write about Friends. The series was a huge hit for several years, running for ten seasons and making the Friends cast the vast stars they are today. The series follows a group of friends who live in New York City and follow their personal and professional lives.

How I Met Your Mother

For nine seasons, How I Met Your Mother dominated the world. The How I Met Your Mother cast was exceptionally popular, with skyrocketing careers, and featured some of the funniest jokes ever. If you ignore the finale (which most tend to do), it's honestly one of the best shows out there. The series follows the main character as he tells his children about how he met their mother.

30 Rock

Created by Tina Fey, 30 Rock ran for seven seasons and was a hilarious addition to the sitcom's run. The series follows the lives of workers at a fictional sketch show in New York City, based on Fey's time working on Saturday Night Live. The 30 Rock cast is hilarious in so many ways.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Okay, so this series is the definition of a long binge. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has run forever, it seems. It follows the story of a group of friends (and one annoying father) who live in Philadelphia and get up to the craziest things (usually illegal). I mean, this series is iconic—it can't really get better than this one.

Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary is on the fast track to becoming an all-time great show. The series follows the lives of teachers who work at a public school in Philadelphia and the struggles they have to go through to make their children happy and give them a good environment, as well as their own personal lives.

Frasier

Running for eleven seasons, Frasier is a spinoff of Cheers and follows the psychiatrist Frasier Crane, who travels back home to Seattle and documents his personal and professional life. Talk about an incredible spinoff – and it earned a reboot several years later on Paramount+.

The Office

I mean, obviously, I have to include The Office. Running for eleven seasons, the series followed the lives of workers in a paper company in Scranton and is considered one of the best mockumentary sitcoms of all time. The Office cast is super iconic, and after one watch, you'll be returning to this show like a security blanket.

Community

With six seasons, Community is a fun one to watch. It follows five misfits who go to a community college and form a study group together – which gets them into hilarious situations. The series is hysterical, and while Season 5 is a little iffy (in my personal opinion and many others), it's still worth a binge – especially since a Community movie is in the works.

Cheers

Running for eleven seasons, Cheers is one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time. The show mainly revolves around patrons and friends who gather at a bar as we follow their lives both in and out of the world. The series is responsible for creating several big stars, such as Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, Kelsey Grammer, and Woody Harrelson.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

While it only ran for four seasons, I personally love Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The series follows a young woman who was locked away in a bunker for several years only to emerge and find herself a stranger in this new modern world. With the help of some unlikely friends, she finds her path.

Two And A Half Men

As someone who watched Two and a Half Men for the first time a few years ago, I find this series hilarious. Running for twelve seasons and originally starring Charlie Sheen (before switching over to Ashton Kutcher years later), the series follows a man who houses his brother and his son during a divorce and the craziness they get into as time goes on. This series is wild, so be prepared for some jokes that most likely did not age well but are still fun.

Parks And Recreation

Parks and Recreation aired a few years after The Office ended, and people loved this show just as much. The series mainly follows Leslie Knope, who works at the Parks Department in a fictional town and cares deeply about her job, causing headaches for others. If you take a look at the Parks and Recreation cast, you'll see a ton of familiar faces.

That '70s Show

Running for eight seasons, That '70s Show was a series that raised me as a kid. The series follows a group of teenagers who are living in the 1970s and their experiences with the culture there. The series was so popular that it spawned a spinoff years later called That '90s Show, although it was short-lived.

Seinfeld

I mean, obviously, I have to put Seinfeld on here. Created by comedy legends Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, Seinfeld is "a show about nothing," following the lives of a fictionalized version of Seinfeld and his friends in New York City during the 1980s and 90s. The series ran for nine seasons and created the famous Seinfeld cast.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Where was he raised? In West Philadelphia, of course. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air starred Will Smith and followed the story of a young man who is sent to his uncle in Bel-Air after getting into trouble back home in Philly. His mother hopes that his uncle can straighten him out, and it just turns into hilarity for this fresh prince. The series ran for six seasons.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast is hilarious in every way possible, and I thoroughly recommend this series with my whole heart. The series follows the lives of workers at a fictional police station in New York City, from their professional lives to their own, and how they all intertwine.

The Golden Girls

I have to recommend The Golden Girls. Running for seven seasons and just as iconic as you would expect, the show starred Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty as four older women who lived together in their later years in Miami and the crazy lives they got into.

Bob's Burgers

Animated shows are probably some of the best series to binge because they often have so many seasons, and Bob's Burgers is an excellent example of that. The series, which has been running for fifteen seasons and counting, follows the lives of a family who own a burger shop and what they get up to when they're not in the kitchen—as well as the drama that unfolds in their restaurant. It's hilarious, and I highly recommend it.

I Love Lucy

Of course, I have to put the original sitcom here. I Love Lucy is a classic sitcom starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky, a couple living in New York City, and the shenanigans that Lucy gets into all the time. I'm often not the best person to recommend older TV shows because most tend to miss the mark, but this is one of the best you can watch. The series ran for six seasons.

Modern Family

Modern Family is an absolute icon, and yes, you need to watch it. Running for eleven seasons, It is exactly what you would expect it to be—it follows the lives of a modern-age family and the craziness they get into. The Modern Family cast is hysterical, and I can assure you that you will laugh several times throughout the show.

The Nanny

"She's the nanny, the nanny named Fran!" I can assure you that the theme song for this show will be stuck in your head by the end of this binge. Running for six seasons, The Nanny, starring Fran Drescher, follows the lives of a fashionista who decides to take on the role of a nanny for three children when she needs the money, only for her life to intertwine with their father, Peter Marc Jacobson.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Created by Larry David and running for twelve seasons (despite that twenty-four-year-long streak), Curb Your Enthusiasm is a hilarious HBO series that stars David as a fictionalized version of himself as he lives in Los Angeles and his days as a retired TV producer and writer, and the stuff he gets into as he deals with all the drama Hollywood can bring.

Full House

The Full House cast is iconic because of how great this series was and how many of us were raised on it, honestly. Full House follows the lives of three men, one a widow, one a brother-in-law, and the other a best friend, who all live in the same house, and work together to raise the children of one after his wife passes away. The series ran for eight seasons.

The Simpsons

Obviously, I have to put The Simpsons on this list. The Simpsons is probably one of the most iconic TV families ever, following the animated tales of Homer and his family as they get into the craziest shenanigans you could ever think of and more.

The Big Bang Theory

Running for twelve seasons, The Big Bang Theory was an extremely successful modern-day sitcom that followed several people living in California. It mainly followed the lives of Leonard and Sheldon, who they ran into as total science nerds, and the friends they surround themselves with.

South Park

South Park has some outrageous episodes, but this is the perfect binge if you want something that's way more adult. The series follows the lives of four fourth-graders in the world of South Park, a fictional town in Colorado, where literally nothing is off the table for the drama they get into. This series is just a lot to handle but so freaking hysterical.

Scrubs

Created by Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Shrinking) and running for nine seasons, Scrubs is the medical sitcom that you're in need of. The series follows the lives of workers at a hospital, following the medical interns as they work their way up in the world and the hilarious things that happen to them.

Schitt's Creek

While Schitt's Creek only ran for four seasons, its impact on pop culture is widely known. The series follows the lives of the Rose family, who suddenly lose everything in their name except for a little town the father bought as a joke years ago – Schitt's Creek, the place where they will begin their return to wealth. The Schitt's Creek cast is absolutely hysterical.

Veep

Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and running for seven seasons, Veep is a hilarious HBO sitcom and political satire show that will make you laugh for hours on end. The series follows the life of political figure Selina Meyer, who is the Vice President of the United States, and how she deals with what is thrown at her, as well as working with the president who drives her nuts.

Rick And Morty

Created by Dan Harmon, Rick and Morty is one of those animated sitcoms where you never know what is going to happen next, but you know it'll be hilarious. Rick and Morty follows the scientific adventures of Grandpa Rick and his grandson, Morty, as he takes him across multiple dimensions and into situations that really no young boy should ever experience.

Arrested Development

Running for five seasons, with two of them happening in the later years of the 2010s, Arrested Development is the type of show that will make you laugh for hours. The series follows a formerly wealthy family as they try to adjust to normal everyday life – and they most certainly have a hard time doing it.

Everybody Hates Chris

Created by Chris Rock, Everybody Hates Chris stars Tyler James Williams and is loosely based on Rock's life when he was a teenager and what it was like living in New York City back in the 1980s as a teenager. It ran for four seasons (but to me, it should have ran for way more).

Any of these shows would be excellent picks for you to watch next. Now, I feel like I need to have a TV marathon. It's time to dim the lights and get the popcorn once again.

For every unnecessary reboot of a beloved movie, there seem to be just as many unnecessary reboots of a beloved TV series. While some would prove to be a welcome improvement on what came before, there are even more (including some successful ones) that we still feel we could have done without, given our continued enjoyment of what came before. We had almost too many examples to choose from while compiling this of TV shows that did not need to be rebooted.

Knight Rider (1982-1986)

Despite its cheesy moments, Knight Rider was one of the best '80s sci-fi TV shows, boasting one of David Hasselhoff's best performances in the role of Michael Knight – a government agent whose partner in fighting crime is an indestructible car powered by a sentient artificial intelligence called KITT (voice by William Daniels). In 2008, NBC aired a soft reboot, set in the same world but following a new protagonist (Justin Bruening as Mick Traceur) and a new KITT (voiced by Val Kilmer), which lacked the charisma, the fun, and much semblance of a brain, leading to its premature cancellation.

Charmed (1998-2006)

One of the best Shannen Doherty TV shows was Charmed, which starred her, Holly Marie Combs, and Alyssa Milano as three sisters who discover they are descended from witches. After The WB became The CW, despite no real demand, the network developed a reimagining starring Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock, and Sarah Jeffery that managed to last four seasons, despite criticism for its one-dimensional characters and uninspired plotlines.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)

Creator and narrator Rod Serling's landmark horror anthology TV show, The Twilight Zone has been resurrected numerous times. However, neither the late '80s revival, nor the early 2000s version with Forest Whitaker, or even producer and narrator Jordan Peele's iteration achieved the same acclaim as as the chilling and thought-provoking classic.

Full House (1987-1995)

What made Full House successful despite its unimpressive critical reputation was a healthy dose of wholesomeness amidst its generic family comedy antics. Netflix's revival, Fuller House – which recycled the plot but made DJ (Candace Cameron Bure), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and Kimmy (Andrea Barber) the leads – had a decent five-season run, despite being criticized for the same things, in addition to relying mostly on nostalgia.

The Bionic Woman (1976-1978)

Even with Battlestar Galactica producer David Eick involved, NBC's 2007 reboot of The Bionic Woman did not manage to be better, faster, or stronger, especially in the ratings. One would hope its cancellation after eight episodes teaches executives to avoid rebooting the series that star Lindsey Wagner's original sci-fi series was spun-off from The Six Million Dollar Man.

Jersey Shore (2009-2012)

For a while, it seemed like the entire world was talking about the cast of Jersey Shore, even if most of the discussions surrounding their boisterous behavior and debaucherous shenanigans were mocking and disdainful. Years after it seemed like the world had finally forgotten about this uproarious reality show, MTV debuted Jersey Shore Family Vacation in 2018.

That '70s Show (1998-2006)

A That '70s Show spin-off was first attempted in 2002 with That '80s Show, which had little to no connection to the original, potentially costing it a longer life and better reception. At least Netflix's That '90s Show – which sees Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty's (Debra Jo Rupp) home overrun with a new batch of teens, including their granddaughter – can say it earned a decent following but not enough to last more than two seasons.

Gossip Girl (2007-2012)

If there was any reason to bring back Gossip Girl, it might have been to correct the widely disappointing series finale reveal that Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) was the eponymous blogger the entire time. Instead, Max's short-lived retread of the hit CW drama, running between 2021 and 2023, introduced a whole new cast and attempted to freshen up the material with the overcooked theme of teens' relationship with social media.

Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-2000)

The CW's 90210 was developed as a continuation of producer Aaron Spelling's primetime soap opera and even featured a few returning Beverly Hills, 90210 cast members to keep its promise. However, despite the fan service, the 2008-2013 series essentially recycled the plot of the original with a new ensemble of good-looking youths.

Roseanne (1988-1997)

While the series finale of Roseanne may have left some viewers disappointed, we wonder if that was really any reason to try again with a modern revival. Not to mention, the sitcom's 2018 reboot took a rough turn in its premiere run when its star, Roseanne Barr, was fired for a controversial tweet, leading ABC to kill off her character and rebrand the show as The Conners.

Charlie's Angels (1976-1981)

Originally starring Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith, Charlie's Angels would find success in the early 2000s on the big screen with two feature-length adaptations starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu. However, ABC's series reboot from 2011 with Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, and Rachael Taylor received universal disdain and lasted only eight episodes.

That's So Raven (2003-2007)

Years after launching her career on The Cosby Show, Raven-Symoné became the star of her own sitcom, That's So Raven, as a teen who can occasionally see the future. However, no one could predicted that, in 2017, Disney Channel would come out with Raven's Home – following the adult Raven Baxter as a single parent – which was a surprising success despite its unnecessary existence.

MacGyver (1985-1992)

CBS would produce a long list of reboots of its most popular crime dramas from yesteryear, including MacGyver, which would last a decent five seasons from 2016 to 2021. However, most would agree that the modern version with Lucas Till as a younger Mac does not quite hold a candle to the fun of the original, starring Richard Dean Anderson as an unimaginably resourceful secret agent.

Saved By The Bell (1989-1992)

Peacock's 2020 revival of NBC's hit coming-of-age sitcom, Saved By the Bell, while certainly unnecessary, was pretty well received during the short time it lasted. While The College Years could have been better, though, what really overstayed its welcome was The New Class, which replaced the entire cast, save Dennis Haskins as Mr. Belding and Dustin Diamond as Screech.

V (1984-1985)

The V franchise – an alien invasion story told over the course of two miniseries and one traditional series that lasted a season on NBC – would be reinterpreted for modern audiences on ABC in 2009. Of course, by then, the extraterrestrial visitors' true, malevolent intentions were no secret, leaving little room for suspense in the reboot.

Beauty And The Beast (1987-1990)

The classic French fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Beauty and the Beast, was reimagined as a romantic contemporary drama in the late 1980s starring Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton, the former of which won a Golden Globe for his performance. The CW's 2012 iteration with Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan would last a good while but did not capture the same magic as developer Ron Koslow's vision and, not to mention, did not bother to make the male lead particularly "beastly."

Roswell (1999-2002)

Based on Melinda Metz's book series, The WB's Roswell follows three young human/alien hybrids with special gifts living in the eponymous New Mexico town where an alleged UFO crash took place. A reimagining of the story, Roswell, New Mexico, ran for four seasons on The CW and was admired for its commentary on immigration, only to be overshadowed by criticism for being a retread of what came before.

Dallas (1978-1991)

In its prime, there were few series nearly as popular as Dallas, which is famous for having one of the most iconic cliffhangers in TV history by leaving viewers obsessed with the mystery of who shot J.R. Ewing for a summer. We cannot quite say the same about TNT's revival, which was canceled after 40 episodes in 2014.

Magnum P.I. (1980-1988)

The Jay Hernandez-led reboot of Magnum P.I. lasted an impressive five seasons (originally on CBS before moving to NBC). However, even critics and audiences who enjoyed it agree it was mostly a watered-down carbon copy of Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson's '80s classic starring Tom Selleck as the titular Hawaii-based private investigator.

Melrose Place (1992-1999)

The 2009 reboot of Melrose Place, which followed the dramatic lives of the eponymous L.A. apartment complex's residents, only lasted 18 episodes. We imagine this might be because it premiered in such close proximity to another CW drama based on a hit '90s show about young people with problems: the 90210 reboot.

Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1991-1996)

Starting off as an educational computer game in the mid-1980s, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? was later adapted into a hit game show and an animated series featuring Rita Moreno as the titular thief. With all due respect to the developers of Netflix's animated reboot, Carmen Sandiego, and Gina Rodriguez, who is great in the title role, we cannot help but feel that the property was already past its prime by this point.

24 (2001-2010)

The unique, real-time narrative structure of 24 and Kiefer Sutherland's engaging performance as Jack Bauer kept the drama going for eight seasons before bringing the reckless counter-terrorism agent back for the 2014 miniseries, 24: Live Another Day. Just two years later, Fox tried to continue the series as 24: Legacy, led by Corey Hawkins in a new role, which only lasted "12 hours."

DuckTales (1987-1990)

Perhaps we can understand wanting to introduce Huey, Dewey, and Louie to a new generation of viewers with a reboot of DuckTales, which aired on Disney XD from 2017 to 2021. However, we still prefer their triplets' original adventures with Uncle Scrooge, especially for its superior animation style.

Fantasy Island (1977-1984)

If we had a fantasy we would like to see come true, it would be that all reboots of Fantasy Island – set on a paradisiacal getaway where dreams magically come true – did not exist. Neither the 1998 series reimagining with Malcolm McDowell, nor Fox's sequel series with Roselyn Sánchez as Elena Roarke, or, especially, Blumhouse's darker feature adaptation managed to enchant critics and fans of the ABC original with Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize's Tattoo.

Boy Meets World (1993-2000)

We would actually be willing to call Girl Meets World, which ran from 2014 to 2017, the best show that Disney Channel produced in years. Yet, when you really think about it, the sequel to Boy Meets World is mostly a reiteration of a lot of the same lessons we already learned in the original TGIF sitcom.

Heroes (2006-2010)

Despite a strong start and a relatively loyal following for much of its run, NBC's Heroes would quickly begin to lose steam as critics noted a steady decline in quality over time. The 2015 reboot Heroes: Reborn did not do much to help resurrect the franchise as it was not very well received and did not last more than one season.

The Odd Couple (1970-1975)

Inspired by the film based on Neil Simon's hilarious play, The Odd Couple, Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson's sitcom adaptation with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall worked quite well. However, after enough mismatched roommate/friend stories, CBS' reboot with Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon, despite lasting three seasons, felt a bit stale.

Dynasty (1981-1989)

Perhaps the most successful of The CW's string of primetime soap opera reboots was a reimagining of Esther and Richard Alan Shapiro's Dyanasty. Lasting five seasons and featuring a strong performance by Elizabeth Gillies as Fallon Carrington, the old "wealthy families fighting to retain power" schtick was not enough to win critics over.

The Magic School Bus (1994-1997)

In 2017, Netflix released The Magic School Bus Rides Again – a new take on the popular, educational animated show based on a series of books following an elementary school class on some epic field trips. SNL's Kate McKinnon is certainly an inspired choice to voice the new Ms. Frizzle but even she might agree she is no Lily Tomlin.

iCarly (2007-2012)

Considering how much the world of internet blogging had evolved since iCarly's original Nickelodeon run ended, we can understand why there was interest in bringing it back. Yet, we would argue that Paramount+'s reboot, which lasted from 2021 to 2023, suffered from hinging on Carly (Miranda Cosgrove) and Freddy's (Nathan Kress) romance following years of "will they, won't they" and the absence of Jennette McCurdy as Sam and Noah Munck's Gibby.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air (1990-1996)

When a short film reimagining NBC's hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as a serious drama dropped in 2019, we can't deny we were intrigued. However, we never expected star Will Smith to actually help get a series adaptation off the ground, becoming Peacock's Bel-Air, which barely offers anything particularly new to the coming-of-age genre.

Frasier (1993-2004)

NBC's Frasier, starring Kelsey Grammer as his role from the Cheers cast, is a prime example of how to do a sitcom spin-off right. While Paramount+'s reboot would earn surprising critical acclaim, even its biggest fans might agree that we did not really need more than the 11 years we got of the eponymous psychiatrist's time in Seattle, especially without David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves.

There are some crazy popular TV shows out there. There are also some big characters from those TV shows that have gone on to become fan favorites. But there are also plenty of other characters as well that have fallen into a long hole of forgotten characters that we still can barely remember. So today, we'll get into some of the most obvious.

Heath (The Walking Dead)

It would be a crime if I didn't include Heath on this list. In all eleven seasons of The Walking Dead, I have never seen a character more forgotten than Heath. He seemed important, but then, after one bad zombie run, we literally never see him again and don't even know if he's alive or dead. There was some solution later, one where we found out Jadis traded him over to the Commonwealth, but that came years later.

Mark Brendanawicz (Parks And Recreation)

The Parks and Recreation cast is filled to the brim with talented stars and great characters, but one who was part of the main cast in Season 1 was Mark Brendanawicz. He was actually a love interest for Leslie and Ann, but he instantly left in Season 2 because he had an epiphany. And we never saw him again.

Sunshine Corazon (Glee)

There have been many characters on Glee who have come and gone from the limelight, but one I have to point out is Sunshine Corazon. She is a transfer student who dared threaten Rachel's spotlight in Season 2 of the show, so much so that Rachel tricked Corazon into going to a crack house. We saw Corazon one more time in the show before, but we never heard from her again despite her killer vocals.

John Bennett (Orange Is The New Black)

It felt like during the first few seasons of Orange Is The New Black, we would find a way for John Bennett to stick around. Eventually, he ends up leaving Daya and their baby alone when he has cold feet. And then we literally never hear about him again. I mean, the Orange Is The New Black cast was still stellar without him, but he just up and left.

Lincoln (The 100)

I really do love The 100 and think it's one of the best shows to binge if you want a series that you have no idea where it's going to go next. But sometimes, I forget the times when the series was grounded, and Octavia fell for a man named Lincoln, who taught her everything about being a Grounder – only for him to be executed a few seasons later and spurring her into the fighter she becomes. But I feel that we all forgot about him, right?

Nicole (Zoey 101)

It's really a sad story about what happened to the actress behind Nicole in Zoey 101, and I stand by her in what she has done standing up to the wrong situations behind the scenes at Nickelodeon. But that doesn't change the fact that her character, Nicole, was also completely forgotten in the show. Out of all the characters in the series, she didn't have much of a story and ended up getting written out entirely as the show went on.

Cathay Simms (The Office)

While Jim and Pam are certainly the most significant relationships in The Office, there have been plenty of other women in Jim's life. One of those was Cathay Simms, a young woman who tried to sleep with him on a business trip, but the trip itself fell apart. However, even when they get back to Scranton, she is literally never seen again.

Simon (The Walking Dead)

I might get some flack for this, but I swear, on my rewatch of The Walking Dead, I forgot Simon even existed until I saw him again. I think the main reason is that Negan became such a tremendous character that most of his followers felt like complete background people, even when some of them – like Simon – played essential roles in the plot. He was killed anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Jacqueline "Jackie" Ames (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

While Tyra Banks has gone on to appear in plenty of movies and TV shows, she made her acting debut in Season 4 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where she played Jackie, a friend of Will's from childhood. Their romantic chemistry is off the charts. Still, after a bad night of partying and her fed up with Will's behavior, she leaves. From then on, Jackie is not a part of the show anymore.

Scott Rosson (Gossip Girl)

Yeah, what happened with this? It felt like the fact that Dan and Serena had a half-brother was such a massive part of Gossip Girl for a bit, and then he just vanished without a trace. They even had a family reunion, but it's pretty much never brought up again. Like, how do you forget about a half-brother?

Abby Day (New Girl)

Believe it or not, Jessica Day has a sister—Abby Day, who the lovely Linda Cardellini played. We saw her once, and then we legitimately never saw her again during the series, which is pretty surprising because New Girl has some good consistency with a lot of its characters.

Santiago Herrera (Friday Night Lights)

This is another case of someone just vanishing from a TV show. He was a major recurring character in Season 2 of Friday Night Lights and had a pretty good story, but then he just vanished the next season. Legit, no one knows what happened to his character.

Frank Jr. (Friends)

Remember when Phoebe from the Friends cast got pregnant for her half-brother, Frank Jr.? Yeah, I barely did, too, but that did happen. Frank Jr. seemed like he was going to be a bigger part of the overall story, but then, after she gave birth to the triplets in the one-hundredth episode, we really don't see him or his family that often again.

Olivia Burke (Gossip Girl)

There are a lot of random people I forgot guest-starred in Gossip Girl, and one of those was Hilary Duff, who played Olivia Burke. The character was only there for six episodes, which explains why we forgot about her so quickly, but when looking back, it really feels like she should have been part of a bigger Gossip Girl cast. She was a good addition.

Robin Sylvester (Glee)

Sue had a daughter.

Yeah, that's right, I'll tell you again – Sue Sylvestor had a daughter, whom she named after her deceased sister, and then we rarely ever see her again—a baby. Don't even try to pretend you remembered because I sure as heck didn't.

Detective Daniels (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Alright, while what happened to Detective Daniels isn't that surprising, it's still a good thing to point out. This character was introduced in the pilot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but we never see her again after. This isn't the first time a show has cut people out from the pilot, but still, a character that we totally forgot about.

Tara (The Walking Dead)

Out of any forgettable character on The Walking Dead, Tara is one that stuck around for several seasons, and I still needed to remember her. Maybe it was because her stories felt like they were pushed far in the background in comparison to what else we were all going through, but man, every time I've rewatched this show, I always forget that she becomes a decently big character.

Tori Scott (Saved By The Bell)

Tori was a new character introduced to Saved By The Bell in her later years. While she made friends with the group and even dated two boys, she was gone ten episodes later and is barely mentioned again.

Matt Rutherford (Glee)

The Glee cast is endless, and it feels like there are always new characters coming and going, but man, everyone forgets about Matt Rutherford. He was a background character in Glee in the first season, and there were so many other crazy characters there that it's honestly not that surprising he was just gone in Season 2. We will always remember to forget you, Matt.

Charles Miner (The Office)

I swear to God, every time I watch The Office, I always, always forget that Idris Elba guest-starred. He's a new VP for Dunder Mifflin, and he doesn't get along with Michael at all. While he was hilarious on the show, it wasn't enough for his character to last super long and be memorable.

Ben Geller (Friends)

I remember back in Friends Season 1, it was a big deal that Ross was going to have a baby with his ex-wife, but then we barely got to see him throughout the show. Thankfully, we did see him grow up a little when young Cole Sprouse played him, but before then, it was like Ben Geller never even happened.

Dani (Glee)

As a young bisexual woman, seeing Dani on Glee basically altered my state of mind. I wished she had stayed on the show forever because she and Santana seemed like a power couple with their voices. However, Dani (and Demi Lovato) ended up not staying on the show for long—and inevitably, Santana went back to Brittany anyway.

Isaac Lahey (Teen Wolf)

These teen supernatural dramas are filled to the brim with characters that just come and go all the time, and one to point out is Isaac Lahey, a student at the primary school of the franchise who was there and then just not the following season.

Ruby Lucas (Once Upon A Time)

Ruby is a character that seemed like she was going to have a big part in Once Upon a Time, but as any fan of this show knows, more and more storylines began to converge and push out other ones that could have been great, and Ruby's was sadly one of them. Eventually, she does get her happy ending, but no one ever really remembers her that much now.

Tina Pinacotti (That ‘70s Show)

Remember that Donna had a little sister? Yeah, I didn't either. We see Donna's supposed little sister, Tina, in an episode about a party, but then we never hear from her again after that episode. And then, we see Donna say several episodes later that she's an only child, so that got retconned.

Chuck Cunningham (Happy Days)

For those who have watched Happy Days, you might remember Chuck Cunningham, the brother of Richie and Joanie. However, he ended up becoming a background character and then vanishing altogether.

Morales (The Walking Dead)

We see Morales one other time in The Walking Dead besides Season 1 of the show, where we watch him leave the leading group with his family. And then, when he suddenly shows up as part of Negan's crew, he's killed by Daryl. Why bring him back to die? Ridiculous.

Mutt Schitt (Schitt's Creek)

Alexis from the Schitt's Creek cast has certainly had her fair share of love interests, and one of those was Mutt Schitt. That fling ended up fading away just as quickly as it began, and then soon, he was gone—which is honestly a shame because he was pretty funny.

Isla (Succession)

The Succession cast is so talented, and the characters have so much depth. One of those that continued to grow over the course of its four seasons is Roman Roy. But do you remember that in Season 1, he had both a wife and a daughter? Her name was Isla (the daughter), and yeah, we legit never heard about this little girl, like, ever.

Cooper Anderson (Glee)

Blaine had a brother who Matt Bomer played, and they actually had some sick duets on the show. But yet again, we legitimately never see him again. He was actually a great addition and really gave Blaine a kick in the butt to become better at singing (even though he already was), but we don't even see him in the finale or anything.

Otis (The Walking Dead)

There are plenty of The Walking Dead deaths that are pretty much forgotten about, and one of them, hands down, has to be Otis. One of the farmhands on Hershel's farm, Otis, is devoured by zombies thanks to Shane leaving him behind. We only saw him for a few episodes, and he was never mentioned again.

Ken Tanaka (Glee)

Ken Tanaka was the former coach of the football team at McKinley and was engaged to Emma. However, after suffering a nervous breakdown, he's gone from the show, and Coach Beiste takes his place. We never see him again after Season 1, despite him playing a big role in the first season.

Did any of these picks stir your memory? They certainly stirred mine—and now I have to rewatch all these shows to see them all again.

There are few novelties within the media landscape that can be more enjoyable than good crossovers. For years now, creatives have found intriguing ways to cross-pollinate properties. Said events are especially common when it comes to TV shows, and viewers have certainly been treated to some entertaining productions involving multiple series mixing it up. On that note, we’re going to talk about 32 particularly excellent small-screen mashups. 

Batman/The Green Hornet

The 1960s series Batman and The Green Hornet linked up in a few small ways during their runs, but their most prominent crossover occurred during a two-part episode of the former show. “A Piece of the Action” and “Batman’s Satisfaction” saw Gotham’s protectors forge an uneasy alliance with the Hornet and Kato, and the result was a truly action-packed hour of pulpy goodness.

Full House/Family Matters

Remember the time Family Matters’ Steve Urkel appeared on Full House? In Season 4’s “Stephanie Gets Framed,” the Urk Man traveled from Chicago to San Francisco for a science fair and ended up giving Stephanie Tanner advice regarding her new glasses. The result was a relatively sweet installment, which built a solid bridge between two of ABC’s best TGIF comedies.

The Jetsons/The Flintstones

The respective casts of Hanna-Barbera’s prehistoric and futuristic animated sitcoms finally came together in the 1987 TV movie The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones. During the special, the two groups walked a mile in each other’s shoes via time travel, and the result was a fun piece of work that could make you yell Yabba Dabba Doo!

The Beverly Hillbillies/Petticoat Junction/Green Acres

It’s no secret that CBS’ The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres are all set within the same fictional universe. All three shows crossed over multiple times, but the sweetest example was arguably the Hillbillies Season 7 episode “The Thanksgiving Spirit,” in which the casts of the three comedies warmly shared a meal together.

St. Elsewhere/Cheers

Both Cheers and St. Elsewhere are set in Boston, so it was only fitting that a connection was built between the two NBC shows. The crossover occurred during Season 3 of the medical drama, when several doctors visited the titular pub from one of the best sitcoms of all time. Come for the intrigue of the mashup, and stay for Rhea Perlman’s Carla Tortelli chewing out a group of medical professionals.

Diff’rent Strokes/Hello, Larry

Honestly, Hello, Larry wasn’t all that interesting on its own, but its three two-part crossovers with fellow NBC sitcom Diff’rent Strokes were solid. The final meetup between the two casts, “Thanksgiving Crossover,” was particularly enjoyable and highlighted character dynamics in fun ways.

Boy Meets World/Sabrina The Teenage Witch

Fan-favorite Sabrina the Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart briefly appeared as her eponymous character during the closing tag for the Boy Meets World Season 5 episode, “The Witches of Pennbrook.” Her appearance may not be considered canon now, but it was certainly cool to see at the time. 

Scooby-Doo/Josie And The Pussycats

Throughout the two-season run of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Mystery Inc. ran into a number of notable people – both real and fictional. It was only fitting that the sleuths met up with their fellow Hanna-Barbera-birthed peers from Josie and the Pussycats. The two gangs teamed up to solve a mystery in “The Haunted Showboat,” resulting in a fun romp.

NCIS/NCIS: Los Angeles/NCIS: Hawai’i

In early 2023, NCIS’ first triple crossover debuted, bringing together characters from the mothership show as well as the Los Angeles and Hawai’i spinoffs. The shows’ respective teams joined forces to investigate the apparent suicide of a retired military official. It can be said that this Avengers-style event was well worth the wait.

Happy Days/Laverne & Shirley

Within the fictional TV universe co-created by producer Garry Marshall, Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley cross-pollinated multiple times. One of the most notable instances of that was with the two-part crossover “Shotgun Wedding,” in which Shirley and Laverne became engaged to Richie Cunningham and the Fonz to save them from arranged marriages.

The Mask: Animated Series/Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Both Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask: Animated Series were adapted from Jim Carrey movies, so it was only right that they both crossover. The two-part event – which was spread across both shows – was a truly wild romp that involved brain-switching shenanigans, a trip to space and more.

Friends/Mad About You

Amid all the truly strong and ridiculous Friends episodes, is the memorable two-parter, “The One with Two Parts.” The installments see Joey Tribbiani falling for Phoebe Buffay’s twin sister, Ursula, from Mad About You. The fun episodes also featured cheeky cameos from Helen Hunt and Leila Kenzle, who appeared as their MAU characters.

The Golden Girls/Empty Nest/Nurses

Three-show crossovers can be tricky, but NBC pulled off a fun one in 1991 with The Golden Girls, Empty Nest and Nurses. “Hurricane Saturday” saw the characters of the Florida-based sitcoms weathering a massive storm and humorously crossing paths as they did so.

The King Of Queens/Everybody Loves Raymond

Due to a retroactive bridge being retroactively built between them, Everybody Loves Raymond and The King of Queens crossed over multiple times throughout their runs. One of the best of those, however, is the first crossover, which occurred in the Queens Season 1 episode “Road Rayge.” It’s a funny episode that sees Doug Hefferman and Ray Barone striking up a friendship after meeting at the DMV.

Power Rangers In Space/Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

Power in Space’s “Shell Shocked” marked the realization of a Saturday morning dream, as it saw the rangers team up with the heroes in a half shell. These iterations of the amphibious martial arts masters hailed from Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (a show that shouldn’t have been canceled after one season). The Turtles were mind-controlled by the Rangers’ nemesis, Astronema, who uses them to take over the power team’s Megaship.

The Office (U.S.)/The Office (U.K.)

Both iterations of The Office collided when Ricky Gervais’ David Brent popped up on a Season 7 episode of the U.S. series. During that installment, he and his American counterpart, Michael Scott (Steve Carell), ran into each other. I don’t know what’s funnier: the two abrasive bosses getting along so well or Michael awkwardly telling David that Dunder Mifflin wasn’t hiring.

Supergirl/The Flash

The Arrowverse showcased a number of great team-ups over the years, but the first was a fun crossover between The Flash and Supergirl, in which the titular hero of the former show found himself in Kara Danvers’ universe. As fun as the Supes Season 1 episode is, what’s even more amazing is that this event happened before the Melissa Benoist-led show moved from CBS to The CW to join its slate of DCTV fare.

Sister, Sister/Smart Guy

Fellow shows on The WB, fan-favorite Sister, Sister and Smart Guy seemed like the right fit for a crossover, with the former sitcom hosting it. The episode saw 10-year-old prodigy T.J. Henderson being recruited to tutor twins Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell for their SATs. T.J. ultimately employed some unconventional – but effective – methods to get the job done.

The Fairly Oddparents/Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

Few cartoon crossovers can match the greatness of the three-hour-long crossovers between Nickelodeon’s The Fairly Oddparents and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. Known as The Jimmy/Timmy Power Hour, the episodes saw Neutron and Timmy Turner coming into interdimensional conflict on multiple occasions. Even today, seeing characters from two of the best Nick shows of the 2000s is downright delightful.

New Girl/Brooklyn Nine-Nine

I’m not sure anyone could’ve predicted that a crossover between New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine would happen, but that’s exactly what fans were treated to in 2016. This was a two-part event spread across both comedies, and it was certainly fun to see Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta, Zooey Deschanel’s Jessica Day and more mix it up.

Luke Cage/Iron Fist

After much demand from the fans, Netflix’s Luke Cage featured a true superhero tag team between the show’s eponymous character and Danny Rand of Iron Fist. While reception to the latter show and its protagonist had been relatively underwhelming, fans loved what was done with Rand on Cage. All in all, it was a team-up worthy of the Heroes for Hire legacy.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air/In The House

One crossover that I’d argue is rarely talked about is the one that took place between The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and In The House. ITH’s “Dog Catchers” saw Alfonso Riberio guest star as Carlton Banks and Tatyana Ali as Ashley Banks. The story involved Carlton (inadvertently) alerting Marion Hill (LL Cool J) to the fact that friend Tiffany Warren’s (Maia Campbell) new boyfriend was two-timing her with Ashley.

The Simpsons/Futurama

“Simpsorama,” a Season 26 episode of The Simpsons, finally brought Springfield’s famous family into contact with the cast of Futurama. The Planet Express crew made their way to the present to prevent Homer and co. from causing a dire situation in the future. The crossover not only employed the kind of gags specific to both Matt Groening-produced shows but preserved the heart as well.

Scandal/How To Get Away With Murder

Kerry Washington’s Olivia Pope and Viola Davis’ Annalise Keating finally met each other when Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder crossed over. The 2018 multi-episode arc saw the crisis manager and defense attorney join forces to collaborate on a class action case. Both actresses brought their A-game for what proved to be a truly emotional story, with some poignant social commentary.

Supernatural/Scooby-Doo

I’m not sure many people envisioned Supernatural bringing in the Scooby-Doo characters upon the announcement of a crossover in 2017. However, the episode, “Scoobynatural,” ultimately received high praise from critics and fans alike. Seriously, the sight of Sam and Dean Winchester aiding Mystery Inc. in a case (set against the backdrop of one of the animated franchise’s classic episodes) was so much fun.

The X-Files/Cops

Have you ever wanted to know what it would be like if The X-Files’ Mulder and Scully’s off-kilter adventures were ever presented in a format similar to Cops’? Well, look no further than the Season 7 episode “X-Cops,” as it put the two in such a situation. The idea may have sounded wild at the time, but it proved to be highly entertaining TV.

Archer/Bob’s Burgers

It’s rare that a crossover gets wilder than the one between Bob’s Burgers and Archer, which occurred in the later show. "Fugue and Riffs" featured an amnesiac Sterling Archer waking up to discover that he’s the head of the Belcher family from Bob’s. That episode was certainly fun, especially considering that H. Jon Benjamin voiced both Archer and Bob regularly anyways.

That’s So Raven/The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody/Hannah Montana

Disney Channel gifted children of the 2000s with a real treat when the three-way TV event That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana. It brought together the casts of the hit shows That’s So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Hannah Montana for a madcap meetup that’s still beloved today.

Doctor Who/Torchwood/The Sarah Jane Adventures

Series 4 of Doctor Who ended on a high note with a two-part finale that brought the eponymous Time Lord and his allies together with characters from two spinoff series, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Not only did the Who writers manage to provide plenty of crossover craziness, but they also wrapped up a number of pivotal story arcs in the process.

Generator Rex/Ben 10

It’s not often that two awesome do-gooders link up on the small screen, and Ben 10/Generator Rex: Heroes United offered a shining example of that. While it was great to see the two eponymous characters ultimately team up, it was also cool to see them come to blows upon first making contact.

Bones/Sleepy Hollow

The notion of the cast of Sleepy Hollow and Bones coming together for a two-part story sounds weird on paper, and that’s because it is. Nevertheless, it was intriguing to watch Special Agents Seeley Booth and Temperance “Bones” Brennan team up with FBI Agent Abbie Mills and Ichabod Crane to investigate a decades-old corpse on Halloween.

Arrow/The Flash/Supergirl/Batwoman/Legends Of Tomorrow

The producers behind “Crisis on Infinite Earths” did the impossible by uniting the casts of not two, three or four Arrowverse shows but all five series that were on the air at that time. What was even more impressive was that in addition to Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Batgirl being involved, Black Lightning’s eponymous hero was also in the mix. You’d be hard-pressed to find a small-screen crossover as massive as this one was.

There are some movie and TV characters who are defined by just one actor, while others could be defined by two or even three. Of course, in an industry dominated by reboots and remakes these days, it is far from unusual to see the same role being handled by multiple performers, but we are specifically referring to roles from the same cinematic franchise or TV series — and in the same continuity, mostly — that had to be recast for one reason or another. Let’s explore this phenomenon by reviewing some of the most notable examples.  

Vivian Banks (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

For the sitcom's first three seasons, Janet Hubert starred in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast as Will Smith's aunt, Vivian Banks. However, on-set drama between Hubert and Smith led to Daphne Maxwell Reid assuming the role, which Jazz (DJ Jazzy Jeff) would cleverly poke fun at on a couple of different occasions.

James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Near the end of 2008's Iron Man, Terrence Howard, as James Rhodes, gazes upon one of Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) unpainted armored suits and decides he will try it out "next time." However, there would not be a next time for Howard, who left due to contract disputes and was succeeded in Iron Man 2 by Don Cheadle, who has played the colonel otherwise known as “Rhodey” in the MCU ever since.

Catwoman (Batman)

Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt portrayed two iconic iterations of Catwoman on Batman. Of course, the feline-esque foe was also played by Lee Meriwether in the cinematic spin-off of the Adam West-led, 1960s-era spin-off.

Emperor Palpatine (The Star Wars Movies)

Unless they got their hands on an unedited copy of 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, most modern fans of the Star Wars franchise might not have realized that Emperor Palpatine was originally physically portrayed by Elaine Baker and voiced by Clive Revill. After Ian McDiarmid took over the role in Return of the Jedi in 1983, the actor was edited into the 2004 version of Empire.

Cleveland Brown (Family Guy)

It may come as a surprise to some more casual Family Guy viewers that one of the animated series' few Black characters was voiced by a white actor until 2020. Mike Henry — who also voices Herbert and Consuela — willfully stepped down from the role and was replaced by Arif Zahir, whose talent for portraying the character was discovered on YouTube.

Evelyn O'Connell (The Mummy Movies)

After playing Evelyn O'Connell (née Carnahan) in 1999's The Mummy and The Mummy Returns in 2001, Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz turned down the chance to play the brash librarian a third time. Thus, Maria Bello succeeded in the role for 2008's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Darrin Stephens (Bewitched)

When a back injury made working on Bewitched more challenging, Emmy nominee Dick York was forced to step down from the role of Samantha Stephens' (Elizabeth Montgomery) mortal husband, Darrin. The producers would then go to their original choice for the role, Dick Sargent, who was involved in a different show, but was able to play Darrin for the supernatural sitcom's final three seasons.

Jack Ryan (Jack Ryan Movies)

The first cinematic adaptation of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan novels, 1990’s The Hunt for Red October, cast Alec Baldwin as the CIA analyst, but, due to his commitment to a theatrical production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Harrison Ford took over as the lead of 1992’s Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger in 1994. In 2002, Ben Affleck led The Sum of All Fears, and, more than a decade later, Chris Pine took over the role in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit before John Krasinski was named the lead of Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan series.

Harriette Winslow (Family Matters)

Some of the Family Matters cast, reportedly, did not get along — namely Steve Urkel actor Jaleel White and JoMarie Payton, who played Harriette Winslow. This growing tension and certain disagreements with the direction of the long-running sitcom led Payton to cut ties in the middle of the ninth and final season and be replaced by Judyann Elder.

Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter Movies)

Two-time Academy Award nominee Richard Harris originated the role of Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies until he passed away in 2002. The Hogwarts headmaster was succeeded by Michael Gambon, who officially joined the wildly popular fantasy franchise with 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Newman (Seinfeld)

Jerry's nemesis and Kramer's buddy, known only as Newman, was originally conceived as a TV character you would never actually see, but only hear, with Seinfeld co-creator Larry David providing the voice. However, the United States postal worker would make his grand entrance in the long-running sitcom’s third season, as played by Wayne Knight.

Bruce Wayne (Batman Movies) 

Michael Keaton starred as the Dark Knight in two live-action Batman movies helmed by Tim Burton — 1989’s Batman and Batman Returns from 1992. When director Joel Schumacher took over the franchise, Keaton left and was succeeded by Val Kilmer in Batman Forever, only to be replaced by George Clooney as Bruce Wayne in Batman & Robin.

Rick Sanchez And Morty Smith (Rick And Morty)

Justin Roiland co-created one of the all-time best animated TV series with Rick and Morty, for which he also voiced both members of the titular grandfather and grandson duo. Assault allegations against the actor led to his forced exit, paving the way for Ian Cardoni to voice the disgruntled scientist with Harry Belden portraying the anxious teen. 

Sabretooth (X-Men Movies)

When Marvel’s X-Men comics were first adapted for live-action films, the animalistic, ageless mutant known as Sabretooth was played by professional wrestler Tyler Mane. Despite its intentions of being a direct prequel, X-Men Origins: Wolverine enlisted Liev Schreiber to take over the role alongside Hugh Jackman’s reprisal of his brother, Logan.

Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane (Game Of Thrones)

It had never been unusual for Game of Thrones cast members to be killed off, nor was it out of the ordinary for their roles to be recast. One of the most notable examples of this was when “The Mountain” actor Craig Stevens was replaced after one season by Ian Whyte in Season 2 and again by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson for the remainder of the series.

Chewbacca (Star Wars Movies)

For Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Peter Mayhew returned to play Chewbacca, but also shared his iconic Star Wars character with Joonas Suotamo, who handled the more physically demanding scenes. When Mayhew passed, the Finnish actor took full responsibility of the Wookie, whom he would reprise again in Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Becky Conner (Roseanne)

The role of Becky Conner was played by two different actors at almost sporadic times throughout the original run of Roseanne. Alicia Goranson, who originated the character, was on for the first five seasons, the eighth season, and the revival series, while Sarah Chalke was in the cast for the sixth, seventh, and ninth seasons, but also returned for The Conners in a different recurring role.

Bruce Banner (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

When Mark Ruffalo reprised his role as Bruce Banner in Disney+'s She-Hulk, he mentioned how, when he fought a "hulked-out" Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), he was a "completely different person" then. He means this literally because the physicist-turned-superhero was played by Edward Norton in 2008's The Incredible Hulk.

Laurie Forman (That '70s Show)

The late Lisa Robin Kelly was best known for starring in the That '70s Show cast as Laurie Forman for the period sitcom's first five seasons. Before the character was effectively written off, Eric's older sister was portrayed by Christina Moore for the first half of Season 6.

Victoria (The Twilight Saga)

Before Rachelle Lefevre was cast as Victoria in 2008's Twilight and the first sequel, New Moon, one of the first actors approached was Bryce Dallas Howard, who felt the role was too minor. After Lefevre was dropped, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts, Howard accepted to take over as the villainous vamp in Eclipse.

Meg Griffin (Family Guy)

Everybody recognizes Meg Griffin's voice as that of Mila Kunis, but she would only join the Family Guy cast in Season 2 after Lacey Chabert left the role. The series has poked fun at the recasting numerous times, like when Stewie finds himself in a world where time goes in reverse and points out that his sister's voice sounds different.

Clarice Starling (Hannibal)

Jodie won an Academy Award in 1992 for playing FBI agent Clarice Starling in Jonathan Demme’s horrifying Best Picture Oscar winner, The Silence of the Lambs. Yet she was not available to reunite with Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector for director Ridley Scott’s Hannibal from 2001, so Julianne Moore took over the role.

Daario Naharis (Game Of Thrones)

Ed Skrein first joined Game of Thrones as Daenerys Targaryen’s advisor and lover, Daario Naharis, in the epic fantasy drama's third season. When the English actor left the series the following season, Michiel Huisman would take over.

Thanos (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

The first time we met the MCU’s iteration of Thanos was in a brief mid-credits cameo from 2012’s The Avengers, in which he played in performance capture by Damion Poitier. For the mad, purple Titan’s second appearance in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the role was passed on to Oscar nominee Josh Brolin, who would continue to portray the character on the big screen until his defeat in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.

Carol Willick (Friends)

When Friends first introduced Carol — Ross Gellar's (David Schwimmer) ex-wife and mother of his son, Ben — in the second episode of Season 1, she was played by Anita Barone. That would be the actor's only appearance in the role as she left soon after and was succeeded by Jane Sibbett, who played her for the rest of the remainder of the long-running sitcom.

Rachel Dawes (The Dark Knight Trilogy)

Bruce Wayne's childhood friend and crush, Rachel Dawes — a character invented specifically for 2005's Batman Begins — was originated by Katie Holmes. When she turned down the chance to star in 2008's The Dark Knight, Maggie Gyllenhaal was cast as the Gotham City attorney. 

Greg Serrano (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)

In the first two seasons of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) has a complicated on-and-off affair with Greg Serrano who was then played by Santino Fontana before the actor's one-year contract expired. So, when the character came back for Season 4, he was replaced by Pitch Perfect star Skyler Astin.

Jennifer Parker (Back To The Future Trilogy)

Some audiences may remember Elizabeth Shue as Jennifer Parker, but she only appeared in the second and third installments of the Back to the Future trilogy. Marty McFly’s girlfriend and eventual wife was first played in the original time travel movie classic from 1985 by Claudia Wells, who did not reprise the role after pausing her acting career for family reasons.

Ann Veal (Arrested Development)

Fans of Arrested Development know George Michael Bluth's (Michael Cera) utterly forgettable girlfriend, Ann, as Mae Whitman. However, they also might have forgotten that the role's original actor was Alessandra Torresani, for just one episode of the acclaimed comedy's first season.

Gellert Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts)

The 2016 Harry Potter prequel, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, revealed that Percival Graves was a disguised Gellert Grindewald, played by Johnny Depp, who reprised the role in the 2018 sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald. However, legal troubles led Warner Bros. to cut ties with the Oscar nominee and enlist Mads Mikkelsen to play the villainous wizard in The Secrets of Dumbledore in 2022.

Reggie Mantle (Riverdale)

Ross Butler was in the Riverdale cast for the first season of the dark Archie Comics adaptation in the recurring role of football player Reggie Mantle. However, the actor's commitment to 13 Reasons Why forced the series to cast Charles Melton when the character was expanded.

Marnie Piper (Halloweentown Movies)

Marnie Piper — who discovers she is a young witch in the 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie, Halloweentown — was portrayed by Kimberly J. Brown then and again in two of the not-so-scary witch movie’s sequels. However, for reasons even Brown does not know, Sara Paxton went brunette to succeed in the role in the fourth installment, Return to Halloweentown, from 2006.

The notion of a TV show going through cast changes for one reason or another isn’t all that unusual. In some cases, an actor might choose to leave a show in order to pursue other opportunities. And, at other times, a character naturally runs their course and is written out, leading to a star being ushered out of a production gracefully. However, there have been a number of instances in which an actor has dramatically exited a popular show for more salacious reasons. And we’re going to talk about a number of those situations.

Mackenzie Phillips (One Day At A Time)

Mackenzie Phillips dealt with substance and alcohol abuse during her tenure on One Day at a Time. As her problems increased and she allegedly became erratic on set, the actress was fired after the fifth season of the Norman Lear-produced sitcom. After voluntarily receiving treatment, Philips was invited back to the series at the start of Season 7. But, as mentioned in her Biography special she was fired one more time early in Season 9.

Delta Burke (Designing Women)

Designing Women cast member Delta Burke, who played breakout character Suzanne Sugarbaker, left the beloved CBS comedy after its fifth season. At the time, Burke was having issues with series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. While appearing on the Glamorous Trash podcast years later, Burke said she and the EP “tried to kill each other” but “survived.” They eventually patched things up and teamed up again for a short-lived spinoff series, Women of the House.

John Amos (Good Times) 

Fans, like myself, would probably argue that Good Times – one of the greatest sitcoms of all time – changed tremendously after John Amos’ James Evans Sr. was written out following Season 3. That creative decision was the result of Amos being incredibly vocal about his frustrations with the direction of the show and even threatening the writers. As the actor explained during an interview, series EP Norman Lear called him up personally to tell him he’d been fired. 

Rob Lowe (The West Wing)

Before he dazzled on Parks and Recreation and after rising to prominence as a “Brat Pack” member, Rob Lowe starred on The West Wing. The show was originally set to center around his character, Sam Seaborn, though the focus shifted early on. Feeling underutilized as time went on, Lowe left the show after four seasons.

Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)

Roseanne Barr’s eponymous ABC sitcom was revived for a tenth season that aired in 2018, and it saw considerable success. Following its renewal, Barr was fired after posting a tweet about former government official Valerie Janet that was condemned as being racist. Her dismissal led to the cancellation of Roseanne and the conception of a spinoff sequel series The Conners.

Janet Hubert (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

Two actresses portrayed Vivian “Aunt Viv” Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the first being Janet Hubert. By the NBC sitcom’s third season, she and lead actor Will Smith began to butt heads. Both were also dealing with situations in their personal lives. Ultimately, Hubert left Fresh Prince due to getting an unsatisfactory new contract offer and, years later, she and Smith made amends during the show’s 2020 reunion.

Kevin Spacey (House Of Cards)

House of Cards experienced a significant shake-up after Kevin Spacey was accused of being inappropriate towards actor Anthony Rapp while he was still a minor. Netflix eventually cut ties with Spacey and, as a result, he was replaced as the lead of the show by co-star Robin Wright.

Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

When it comes to an exit from a TV series, few get more dramatic than Charlie Sheen’s departure from Two and a Half Men. During the eighth season of the hit CBS show, he made headlines for partaking in wild parties and even entered rehab. Sheen’s fate was sealed, however, when he made disparaging remarks about series co-creator Chuck Lorre. Men would continue for four more seasons, with Ashton Kutcher taking over as co-lead.

Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) 

There are a lot of moving parts to Katherine Heigl’s Grey’s Anatomy exit, but it was truly set in motion after the actress kept her name from Emmy consideration in 2008. Heigl did that because she didn’t think the work she’d done for that particular season was Emmy-worthy. In 2009, the Izzie Stevens actress accused series creator Shonda Rhimes and the producers of initiating long work hours for the cast and crew. And, in 2010, amid Season 6 of the drama series, Rhimes released Heigl from her contract early.

Valerie Harper (Valerie/Valerie’s Family/The Hogan Family)

Amid the second season of Valerie, lead actress Valerie Harper became engaged in a salary dispute with both NBC and production company Lorimar. It was after that season that the Emmy winner was fired, and she ultimately sued both of the aforementioned companies for breach of contract. The series aired for four more seasons – and had two more names. But, ultimately, Harper won her case and was awarded $1.4 million and future show profits.

Robert Downey Jr. (Ally McBeal)

Robert Downey Jr. had experienced a number of personal issues by the time he was cast for Season 4 of Ally McBeal, and they continued throughout his tenure. During that season, he was arrested in November 2000 for drug possession and was taken into custody again under suspicion of being under the influence in Culver City in 2001. With that, Downey was fired from McBeal.

Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

In 2017, amid the MeToo Movement, Jeffrey Tambor was accused of inappropriate behavior by his former assistant. Shortly after, one of Tambor’s Transparent co-stars accused him of misconduct as well. Amazon, which had renewed the Emmy-winning dramedy for a fifth and final season, officially fired Tambor in early 2018. His character, who was the lead, was ultimately killed off in the musical series finale special.

Esther Rolle (Good Times)

Esther Rolle took issue with some of the creative decisions made on Good Times, not unlike her co-star, John Amos – who was fired after Season 3 even though Rolle was more publicly vocal about her disdain. Given her discomfort, Rolle left after the fourth season when her contract expired. She did, however, return as a main cast member for the sixth and final season. 

Suzanne Somers (Three’s Company)

Some TV devotees may not be aware that Suzanne Somers exited Three’s Company after five seasons due to a salary dispute with ABC’s execs. Her attempts to renegotiate a new deal proved to be unsuccessful, and her contract was not renewed. Throughout the remainder of the show's run, Somers' Chrissy Snow would be succeeded by two other characters.

Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill)

Many were likely surprised when Chad Michael Murray was one of two major stars to exit One Tree Hill ahead of its seventh season. At this point, there’s been no clear reason as to why Murray, who played Lucas Scott parted ways with the show. Some contend that he was ready to leave, but Murray was even recorded saying that the network wanted to drop him to save money.

Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)

Veteran actress Lori Loughlin was starring on Netflix’s Fuller House when she was indicted as part of the 2019 college admissions scandal. In 2020, Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to two months in prison. Given her legal woes, Loughlin’s Aunt Becky was excluded from the sitcom’s final season.

Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy)

It was in October 2006 that Isaiah Washington made headlines after it was reported that during an on-set conflict with Patrick Dempsey, he insulted their fellow Grey’s Anatomy co-star, T.R. Knight, with a homophobic slur. Washington reportedly issued an apology though, by the summer of 2007, his contract with ABC was eliminated after Season 3. Washington did, however, reprise the role for a Season 10 episode.

Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds)

Criminal Minds fired Thomas Gibson amid production on Season 12. As has been reported, Gibson, who was directing an episode at the time, had a disagreement with the episode’s writer. The scribe was on set at the time and, during an encounter with Gibson, the actor apparently kicked him. Gibson subsequently expressed regret over his actions.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed)

Few TV deaths were more tragic than that of Shannen Doherty’s Prue Halliwell during Charmed’s third season finale. In the years since she departed the show, Doherty has claimed that her on-set tension with co-star Alyssa Milano caused her to be let go. For her part, Milano said she was “sad” that Doherty blamed her for how everything panned out.

Danny Masterson (The Ranch)

While starring on Netflix’s The Ranch, Danny Masterson was investigated by police due to allegations of assault by multiple women. Masterson was soon fired from the series amid production on Season 3 and, in 2023, he was sentenced to prison.

Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

After leading Batwoman for just one season, Ruby Rose exited the Arrowverse show in 2020. The actress initially attributed her decision to the “taxing” nature of heading up a TV show as well as an allergic reaction to the latex in her costume. However, Rose later made claims of an abusive workplace against her ex-co-stars, The CW and more. Warner Bros. TV denied the allegations as did Rose’s former scene partners.

Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley)

Laverne & Shirley lost co-lead Cindy Williams early into the show’s eighth and final season. Williams became pregnant early into production and, as she explained to Today, she wouldn’t sign a new contract due to the producers having her work on her due date. So Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio finished out those last episodes without Williams’ Shirley Feeney.

Chevy Chase (Community)

It’s been well documented that Community’s Chevy Chase had creative differences with series creator Dan Harmon over his character, Pierce Hawthorne. While working on Season 4, the veteran funnyman reportedly had an on-set tirade during which he dropped the N-word. Chase departed the show shortly after that.

Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-0)

Daniel Dae Kim’s exit from CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot after seven seasons came down to a salary dispute with the network. After the news of his departure was reported, Kim himself (who was one of the procedural’s most recognizable stars) addressed the situation, confirming that he and the network couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal.

Lisa Bonet (A Different World)

Cosby Show spinoff A Different World finished its first season on NBC in early 1988 and, afterward, lead actress Lisa Bonet announced her pregnancy with then-husband Lenny Kravitz. The sitcom’s incoming showrunner, Debbie Allen, wanted to keep Bonet on the show and depict her character, Denise Huxtable, as a single mom. But, as Allen explained years later, series creator Bill Cosby preferred that Bonet be dropped from the show.

Columbus Short (Scandal)

After three seasons on ABC’s Scandal, Columbus Short was removed from the cast of the hit drama series. It was during that time that the actor was dealing with personal issues and was even arrested on a domestic violence charge. Short later explained that he was cut due to his struggles with drugs and alcohol.

Gina Carano (The Mandalorian)

MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano established a polarizing social media presence during her two-season stint on The Mandalorian. Among the controversial posts she shared was a message that seemingly compared being a modern-day conservative to being a Jewish person during the Holocaust. Disney and Lucasfilm fired Carano in 2021 ahead of the highly popular Star Wars show’s third season.

Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives)

Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan was written out of the show after the show’s fifth season, with her character, Edie Britt, being killed off. Several years later, the actress filed suit against Marc Cherry, the show’s creator and ABC. Sheridan alleged that Cherry assaulted her on the set and that she was fired for reporting it. Cherry provided an account of events and, in time, the harassment claims were thrown and Sheridan was unsuccessful in getting a retrial.

T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy)

In 2009, T.R. Knight – who played Dr. George O’Malley on Grey’s Anatomy – left the show after the fifth season. Knight said his reason for leaving was due to a “breakdown of communication” with series EP Shonda Rhimes, his own decision to come out as gay and more. This also all came a few years after Knight was allegedly insulted with a homophobic slur by ex-co-star Isaiah Washington. 

Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill)

Much has been said about Hilarie Burton’s exit from One Tree Hill after the sixth season. The most common assertion has been that the Peyton Sawyer actress couldn’t agree with the network on a new deal. Interestingly, while Burton recalled filming her final scene for the show, she noted that while shooting another sequence, a producer announced on set that the show was renewed for Season 7. However, both Burton and co-star Chad Michael Muray were surprised as they apparently hadn’t been offered new deals.

Justin Roiland (Rick And Morty)

Rick and Morty actor and co-creator Justin Roiland was fired from the Adult Swim show in 2023 after it was revealed that he was facing a domestic violence charge and other offenses in court. Roiland’s case was eventually thrown out later that year. However, the animator and voice actor was later accused of assault and messaging underage girls.

John Rhys-Davies (Sliders)

The sci-fi cult classic Sliders lost cast member John Rhys-Davies when the actor opted to depart after three seasons amid other cast changes. Sometime later, Rhys-Davies explained that he left due to conflicts with the writers. The veteran actor later explained that by the time he left the show, the scripts had become “incomprehensible gibberish.”

Though television programming existed in various forms for more than a decade before the first situation comedies officially arrived in the late 1940s, the sitcom quickly became one of the most popular and duplicated genres for the next 80+ years. From stand-up comics to Hollywood icons, sitcoms are responsible for some of pop culture’s biggest stars, from Jerry Seinfeld to Jennifer Aniston to Dick Van Dyke to Lucille Ball, as well as some of the most memorable catchphrases.

Despite broadcast networks no longer championing sitcoms as much as in years past, with streaming services picking up the slack — Netflix is now more known for multi-camera sitcoms than any of the Big 4 — TV comedies will likely continue to keep audiences breathless with laughter for many more years to come. As such, CinemaBlend’s staff came together to celebrate and rank the 100 best sitcoms of all time, with the order stemming partially from our writers’ sharing scores for more than 200 different series, along with other contributing factors.

So sit back in your favorite recliner, grab an extra-large Squishee (or an ice-cold Duff, if you’re of age) and settle into the coziness, comfort, and occasional cringeworthiness of the best TV sitcoms of all time, according to CinemaBlend.

100. Bewitched

You know a show is a classic when even Marvel is drawing inspiration from it nearly 50 years after its end. The fantasy sitcom Bewitched worked its magic at CBS for eight seasons, partially due to the phenomenal comedic acting of Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York, who was famously replaced by Dick Sargent due to York's worsening health issues. Add in an equally impressive ensemble cast including Agnes Moorehead, David White, and Paul Lynde (just to name a few), and it's no wonder Bewitched was a nose-twitching delight of a show that doesn't need supernatural abilities to be great.

99. Laverne and Shirley

Arguably the most successful Happy Days spinoff, as well as one of the best TV comedies of all time, Laverne & Shirley followed two best friends and bottle-cappers as they navigated life and everything it threw at them in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (later Burbank, California). Though similar in tone to its predecessor, this long-running sitcom relied more on the physical comedy talents masterfully pulled by stars Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. And when it comes to iconic opening credits sequences, Laverne & Shirley was in a league of its own with all those shots of the fictional Shotz Brewery along with that classic theme.

98. Beavis And Butt-Head

No Beavis And Butt-Head fan will argue that the show isn’t dumb. Because it is. It really, really is, in each of its iterations. The two eponymous characters rank as two of the most unambiguously stupid protagonists to ever grace a TV screen, and every word they say is unadulterated idiocy. Ironically, though, that’s the genius of Mike Judge’s creation. The impossibly dumb leads allow for stories that no other sitcom can reasonably or responsibly touch with any degree of verisimilitude, while also permitting some outrageously weird takes on music videos (and social clips) across various eras.

97. Hogan's Heroes

War stories are often suited for prestige dramas, but Hogan's Heroes proved that a P.O.W. camp comedy could be just as awards-worthy. During its 168-episode run, Bob Crane's titular leader and his squad constantly thwarted Nazi enemies with fast-talking and constant hijinks (many of which were put into play by future game show legend Richard Dawson). Lasting as long as World War II did itself, Hogan's Heroes showcased how reflecting on past tragedies with humor can make for memorable art.

96. How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother may be higher on this list if not for fan opinions of the final season, but I would 100% say that it’s worth watching despite a lackluster ending. This show is about finding out how Josh Radnor’s Ted met his future wife, but it really thrives as a series about best friends. As Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney Stinson would say, this ensemble is legen–wait for it–dary, and those who check it out will definitely be invested in what the cast is doing now that the series is over.

95. Mork & Mindy

Today we all know what an immense talent Robin Williams was, and the absolutely wild places he could take comedy. Imagine not knowing any of that, and then turning on an early episode of Mork & Mindy, where he must have come across quite like somebody from another world, much like the character he played. Mork from Ork gave Williams the freedom to do almost anything on screen opposite Pam Dawber’s Mindy (and later Jonathan Winters), and it’s no surprise he took over Hollywood after four successful seasons.

94. The Adventures of Pete and Pete

Plenty of shows focus on the weirdness of suburbia, but Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete still stands awkwardly as one of the best. As Older Pete (Michael Maronna) and Younger Pete (Danny Tamberelli) navigate the oddities of Wellsville, life lessons and warm memories are gifted to viewers by creators Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. Pete & Pete delivers its homespun tales with a deep-seated love of ‘50s and ‘60s pop culture, and with one of the more impressive celebrity guest star rosters of kid-centric TV. Where else will you find REM’s Michael Stipe as a conspiratorial ice cream man?

93. black-ish

Watching Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross’ Andre and Rainbow Johnson raise their family amidst navigating various challenges in and around their largely white-populated neighborhood, all while still hanging onto their Black identities, makes for eight seasons of exceptional sitcom storytelling. While black-ish went on to launch two spinoffs, the original still stands as the cream of the crop, expertly balancing pointed social commentary and humor regarding a variety of topics, racial and otherwise. Plus, TV grandfather-dom looks great on Laurence Fishburne.

92. The Munsters

What happens when a family largely modeled after Universal’s Classic Monsters takes up residence in the middle of suburban America’s Mockingbird Heights? You get The Munsters, which slotted in nicely among other comedic offerings in the ‘60s while also satirizing sitcom tropes of the era. Although Fred Gwynne’s bumbling patriarch Herman was often the driving force behind the weekly shenanigans, Lily, Grandpa, Eddie and Marilyn (the only “normal” looking one) were all far more endearing than their monstrous counterparts, making The Munsters a great platform for chaotic, yet heartfelt entertainment.

91. Happy Endings

Best friends are always good sitcom fodder, as David Caspe’s Happy Endings proved for three seasons on ABC ahead of its fan-angering cancellation. Damon Wayans Jr.’s cucumber-cool Brad and Eliza Coupe’s A-type Jane are the group’s PDA-friendly couple, while her sister, Elisha Cuthbert’s confusion-prone Alex, is exes-ish with Zachary Knighton’s dorky-smooth Dave. The group is rounded out by Adam Pally’s schlubbo-sexual Max and Casey Wilson’s serial dater Penny. Perhaps the only sitcom whose leads share a fictional history as Real World vets, Happy Endings is as fun and fancy-free as romance-fueled sitcoms get.

90. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Less than two years after Ellie Kemper played Erin Hannon for the last time on The Office, she sunshine-smiled her way through a bonkers show of her own with Netflix’s original Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The series, which centered on former cult member Kimmy’s surreal and gung-ho acclimation to life in a “real” world she hadn’t lived in for years. One of the more unique shows from creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, Kimmy could have made this list just for turning the multi-talent Tituss Burgess into a small-screen regular. Extra kudos for the follow-up movie Kimmy vs the Reverend.

89. That '70s Show

Starring Topher Grace and running for eight seasons from 1998-2006, That ‘70s Show transports any generational audience who watches back to the late 1970s for the horned-up (and oh-so-slightly drugged-up) exploits of high school besties and their respective parents. The teens were played by actors who would go on to become bona fide stars, including Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Wilmer Valderrama, and Laura Prepon. The Circle in Eric’s basement was always reliable for big laughs, and though its final season suffered from cast exits, Netflix’s That ‘90s Show kept the good times going far more successfully than That ‘80s Show.

88. Extras

Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant followed up on the smash success of The Office by crossing the ocean to HBO for the Hollywood-skewing riot Extras, which hinged on the fraught character trifecta of Gervais’ dispirited actor Andy, his god-awful agent Darren (Merchant) and his kind-hearted and oblivious actress BFF Maggie (Ashley Jensen). While only two seasons and a Christmas special, it’s a modern classic not only for its gloriously cornball faux sitcom When the Whistle Blows, but for bonkers celebrity cameos from Kate Winslet, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan and more. Gervais also delivers an all-time Top 5 spit-take in one episode.

87. The Bernie Mac Show

The late Bernie Mac is still widely viewed as a comedy giant, and his eponymous family sitcom is a major reason for that. The Bernie Mac Show definitely isn’t the first comedy to be headlined by a stand-up, but it’s one of the few that so perfectly utilized the talents of its lead. Mac’s signature brand of no-nonsense humor is especially hilarious when he bounces off his A+ co-stars. But, overall, what makes this series one of the great modern Black sitcoms is its funny, warm and nuanced depiction of familial dynamics amongst African Americans.

86. Gilligan's Island

Before The Brady Bunch (but after The Red Skelton Show), screenwriter and producer Sherwood Schwartz launched 1964's smash-hit Gilligan's Island, and the fictional voyage was far more doomed than the show's. Starring Bob Denver and Alan Hale, the sitcom won over viewers with plots hinged on island inventions, unexpected visitors, dream sequences, and random items washing up ashore. While the show famously never hit one hundred episodes, its premise was beloved enough to spark several TV movies and the truly baffling Saturday morning cartoon spinoff Gilligan's Planet.

85. Mad About You

Chemistry is usually all it takes to keep a sitcom afloat, whether its shared by an ensemble (see: Friends) or tethered to a winning duo like Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt in Mad About You. It helps that both actors lent their movie-level wattage to the sitcom for eight seasons, exploring marriage and eventually parenthood in New York City. (Reiser previously co-starred in My Two Dads, to be sure.) But despite the parade of stellar comedic co-stars — Hank Azaria, Lisa Kudrow, Carol Burnett, and Mel Brooks? Come on! — it was Paul and Jamie keeping us invested. We were mad about them, and maybe a different kind of mad about Mabel.

84. Three's Company

Three’s Company is an interesting case-study in dated sitcom writing, as 90% of the jokes that prop up the show wouldn’t fly today. Almost every single line can be construed as sexual innuendo, and the plot twists of a given Three’s Company episode are so driven by silly miscommunications, the formula is basically cliche. However, John Ritter’s deep reservoir of charm, when combined with his incredible chemistry with the female roommates that came in and out of his orbit, made it an overall win, and one of the most memorable and breezy sitcoms of the 1970s and ‘80s.

83. Family Guy

What can be said about Family Guy that hasn’t already been said? While Seth MacFarlane’s first mega-hit doesn’t feel quite as crude as other late night animated fare these days, it quickly cemented itself as an envelope-pushing primetime entry thanks to its murderous baby, they hyper-perverse Quagmire, and the less said about Herbert, the better. The series made a meme-worthy artform out of cutaway gags, man vs. chicken fights and lowbrow pop culture spoofs. At this point, the Griffins are basically as widespread as the Simpsons, and Brian would certainly drink to that.

82. Malcolm In The Middle

Malcolm in the Middle was a key part of Fox’s Sunday comedy lineup for six of its seven seasons from 2000-2006. At the time, the Frankie Muniz-starring comedy was a rare example of a single-camera sitcom that eschewed a laugh track and had its lead regularly breaking the fourth wall. The family was known to deal with serious issues in the background of the shenanigans of the sibling trio, which helped the sitcom win seven Emmys. It was also Bryan Cranston’s breakout primetime TV role, proving he was a comedy legend years before dipping into drama for Breaking Bad.

81. The Facts Of Life

A spinoff of Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life is one of the most successful TV offshoots that shares little with its predecessor, and for good reason. The coming-of-age sitcom explores adolescence in a way that neither its predecessor nor follow-up projects ever could, with a perfectly cast ensemble of young actresses led by the incomparable Charlotte Rae. This sitcom exists because of Rae’s previously stellar work, and her warmth and charm in the role of Mrs. Garrett helped make a family out of her girls, from Natalie to Tootie to Jo to Blair and the rest.

80. The Addams Family

Although The Addams Family started off as a single-panel New Yorker comic strip published from 1938 to 1964, it was the TV series premiering that same latter year which made the family a pop culture favorite. Watching Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester, Wednesday, Pugsley, Grandmama, Lurch and Thing freak people out with their macabre tastes and supernatural antics never got old, and without the popularity of this show, it’s doubtful these ghoulish characters would have returned in a variety of live-action and animated projects in later years.

79. My Name Is Earl

My Name Is Earl earned its way to sitcom greatness thanks to star Jason Lee’s all-in performance as Earl Hickey, as well as the great premise that sees Earl attempting to right the litany of past wrongs committed against seemingly everyone he’d ever met. (The concept also helps make it easy to drop in on any random episode without really needing to see what happened beforehand.) Ethan Suplee, Eddie Steeples and Jaime Pressley are equally brilliant in their respective roles, and we can still relate to Earl to this day anytime we struggle to keep our eyes open while taking a picture.

78. The Middle

Every once in awhile, a show sneaks it way into the zeitgeist and in our memories. The Middle, a show about a quirky middle-class family from the Midwest ran for nine years and hit home for a wide and nostalgic audience. It was a breath of fresh air and an honest take on class and what it was really like to grow up in, well, “the middle” of everything. Ironically, it was the ending of the show that stuck with most, but all good things must come to an end. 

77. Dave

This whole entry could be spent talking about how Dave is driven by the exceptional talent of David “Lil Dicky” Burd, who has a truly offbeat world perspective to go along with his legitimate gifts as a rapper. But that would be a disservice to Davionte "GaTa" Ganter, who proves over the course of the three seasons to be the NSFW series’ true heart. It gets funny and ridiculous, but it can also deliver a nice, solid gut punch courtesy of your investment in the characters’ plights for recognition.

76. Spin City

Arguably TV's least polarizing political sitcom, Spin City was a winning candidate for its six-season term in part due to co-creators Bill Lawrence and Gary David Goldberg. The latter also created Family Ties, and brought Michael J. Fox into the lead role here as well, with Charlie Sheen successfully taking over in Season 5 after Fox's medical-related exit Spin City is also a melting pot of TV excellence, boasting Connie Britton, Carla Gugino, Richard Kind, Alan Ruck and more greats filling out the NYC mayor’s office.

75. The Andy Griffith Show

One of the most iconic and wholesome sitcoms of the 20th century, The Andy Griffith Show gave audiences nearly 250 episodes with the residents of the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, centering on local sheriff Andy Taylor, played with aw-shucks charm by Griffith. Characters like Barney Fife (Don Knotts), Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), and Opie (a young Ron Howard) made for plenty of the early highlights in sitcom history, both in black-and-white and color.

74. Family Matters

Airing for nine seasons from 1989-1997, Family Matters became a beloved sitcom for multiple generations regularly tuning into ABC’s TGIF lineup. The spinoff of Perfect Strangers followed the highs and lows of the Winslow family, with Die Hard vet Reginald VelJohnson becoming an iconic sitcom dad as Carl Winslow. Of course, Jaleel White’s Steve Urkel famously stole the spotlight as the nerd-tastic breakout star, sporting the signature “Did I do that?” catchphrase. Yes, he certainly did, if by “that” he meant annoying his unrequited love Laura or creating alternate versions of himself via sitcom science.

73. The Wonder Years

The Wonder Years aired from 1988-1993, but very fathfully recreated the late ‘60s and early ‘70s to invite audiences into the lives of the Arnold family. Starring Fred Savage in his breakout role (alongside fellow greats Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, and Danica McKellar), the coming-of-age comedy touched on Vietnam War politics, high school romance, deaths of loved ones, sibling rivalries and more, with Daniel Stern's narration a key source of its charm and emotional heft. From using Joe Cocker’s unforgettable “With a Little Help from My Friends” to its powerful-yet-unplanned finale, it’s no wonder that this classic eventually inspired a reboot.

72. The Flintstones

The Flintstones is arguably the first animated project to prove itself as much of a classic sitcom as anything in live-action. Premiering back in 1960 and running for six wildly successful seasons, the sitcom follows the titular family within a fictional and idealized version of the Stone Age. Its popularity kept it airing in syndication for decades,later inspiring spinoffs, live-action movies, TV specials, ice cream pops, and (of course) the most memorable vitamins down the medicine aisle.

71. The Proud Family

The Proud Family was one of the standout shows of ABC’s One Saturday Morning programming block, walking the line between cartoony kids show and legitimate family drama quite well. Disney+’s more recent Louder And Prouder revival is evidence of that popularity and storytelling skills. Kyla Pratt’s Penny Proud is as relatable a TV teen as can be, and Sugar Mama (voiced by Family Matters’ Jo Marie Payton) is the kind of grandmother anyone would appreciate, sans bodyslams.

70. The Drew Carey Show

Long before he became host of The Price is Right, Drew Carey jumped from standup comedy to sitcom stardom with The Drew Carey Show, which ran for nine increasingly zany seasons from 1995-2004. The comedian starred as a fictionalized version of himself living in Ohio, working at a mundane job surrounded by a core group of friends with hijinks to spare. (Particularly during the A+ April Fool’s Day episodes.) This was the first big scripted TV role for cast members like Christa Miller, Diedrich Baker, Ryan Stiles, Craig Ferguson, and John Carroll Lynch. Hopefully fans can agree with the show on one thing: Cleveland Rocks!

69. Designing Women

If watching four sassy, professional ladies flourish, flounder, and tell it like it is sounds like something you can get behind, then look no further than Designing Women. The comedy starred the all-time great cast of Dixie Carter, Young Sheldon’s Annie Potts, Delta Burke and Hacks star Jean Smart as co-workers sharing their personal and professional trials and triumphs to side-splitting effect over several seasons. Even better, the show managed to work in a lot of social commentary that’s still relevant today, and no one has ever taken down bullies and bigots like Carter’s Julia Sugarbaker.

68. Night Court

Many sitcoms can be vehicles for a single great comedian to shine, but the strength of the original Night Court was its ensemble. (And that sax-y theme.) Harry Anderson played de facto leader Judge Harry Stone alongside John Laroquette, Markie Post, Richard Moll and more, and the jury of TV audiences gave the verdict of Night Court being guilty of hilarity. Despite the fact that the show’s format could seem as formulaic as real-life courtroom dockets, silliness often ensued, and fans were happy to watch these talents play off each other for an enviable nine-season run. Its popularity endures with Melissa Rauch’s 2023 revival.

67. The Honeymooners

TV shows have a way of changing the pop culture landscape by being quotable, and The Honeymooners is one of the earliest sitcoms whose influence is definitely still felt in that category, with “One of these days Alice…” and “To the moon!” persisting so many decades later. The all-time classic follows two New York City couples and the various shenanigans they get into, with Ralph and Alice famously played by Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows, respectively. And while the empty threats of domestic violence might be jarring for newcomers, The Honeymooners significantly set the stage for so many sitcoms to follow.

66. Raising Hope

Wacky isn’t always a word that comes up when discussing family sitcoms, but Raising Hope fits that description to a T. The Chance family is filled with more lovable and well-meaning weirdos than you’d think could possibly fit into half-hour eps, but they all have their odd (and potentially relatable) quirks. From dad Burt (who picks his nose by using all 10 fingers), to matriarch Maw Maw (who can frequently be found shirtless and/or braless and giving off old people smells), you’d be hard-pressed to land on an episode that doesn’t make you choke on your big dill pickle.

65. Fresh Off The Boat

Everyone loves a good family sitcom, and while Fresh Off the Boat is technically about the young, hip-hop-obsessed son within a Taiwanese-American family in Orlando, the real comedic meat of the show is his mom, Jessica (Constance Wu). We’ve never seen a mom like Jessica Huang before. Yes, she’s loving, but it’s an absurdly tough, uncompromising love that pushes her nice, America-loving husband and three sons to excel. She’s also fiercely competitive and not someone to mess with, which diners-and-dashers can attest to, and is a big reason why Fresh Off the Boat will always be watchable.

64. Everybody Hates Chris

Abbott Elementary fans can attest to Tyler James Williams’ comedic chops, but he first honed them from his younger Hollywood days as the star of Everybody Hates Chris. Created by Chris Rock (who narrates) and Ali LeRoi, the show is based on the stand-up legend’s teenage years, and finds ways of making everyday occurrences the most hilarious things in the world, often landing a wide-eyed Chris in trouble. From James’ impressive performance as a teenager to the rest of the cast (including a stellar Terry Crews’ dad mode), Everybody Hates Chris is a must-watch for comedy lovers of all ages.

63. Get Smart

Secret agent movies were big in the 1960s, so how could one go wrong with a spoof comedy series created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry? Get Smart stars Don Adams’ Maxwell Smart (aka the bumbling CONTROL Agent 86) often teaming up with Barbara Feldon’s more-than-capable sidekick, Agent 99, to thwart the evil, if not entirely professional, efforts of the cabal KAOS. From the series’ iconic opening credits to Max’s shoe phone, Get Smart stands the test of time, with some great catchphrases to boot, including “MIssed it by that much,” and, “Would you believe…?”

62. Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

We sometimes wonder how well creator Nahnatchka Khan’s Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 would have fared if it lasted beyond its celebrated two-season run. And we wish we were given the chance to actually see that hypothetical third season for ourselves, as the 26 episodes we did get were spot on. Pairing Dreama Walker’s naive June with Krysten Ritter’s scheming Chloe made for an odd couple who knew how to have exciting adventures. Frequent appearances by an early-career Eric André and an always charming James Van Der Beek only made this ABC series all the sweeter.

61. Good Times

A quality sitcom spinoff can be a challenge. Repeat what worked on the original, or try to do something totally different? Good Times spun off from Maude (which itself was an All In The Family offshoot), and succeeded through carving out its own authentic niche centering around the hard-working and cash-strapped characters of Florida (Esther Rolle) and James Evans (John Amos). The two leads were excellent throughout, though Good Times eventually shifted its primary focus to Jimmie Walker, the sitcom’s breakout star who coined the phrase “Dynomite!” and rode that marketing freight train to global superstardom. A series that lives up to its name, and then some.

60. The Nanny

The Nanny has long been synonymous with its star Fran Drescher, who played the titular Nanny Fine throughout the show’s six-season run on CBS. Despite being a quintessential ‘90s sitcom, the show’s comedy still feels super fresh and contemporary, even if the pop culture references are dated. Descher is truly unbelievable as Fran, and The Nanny has one of the best TV theme songs of all time. And it’s a show that younger generations absolutely NEED to binge-watch, amidst the ongoing hope for fans to see more.

59. Archer

If Archer were merely an expertly crafted James Bond parody, we’d still love it. However, this long-running FX staple’s greatness comes from the lore-heavy, spy-fi universe that creator Adam Reed’s built atop the back of loving send-ups to the espionage subgenre. H. Jon Benjamin anchored an all-timer voice cast that delivered dialogue and performances as sharp as Lana’s switchblade. The show veered from staleness by aping different genres for Danger Island and other “Coma Seasons,” further widening the comedic field of play, and I can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t finger Archer as the wildest workplace sitcom to date. Phrasing, BOOM!

58. Happy Days

When one thinks of Happy Days, the first image that likely comes to mind is Henry Winkler’s Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli giving a cool-as-hell thumb’s up. Though he was initially just a minor player, the leather-donning jukebox-smacking ladie’s man quickly became the show’s most popular character. But its picturesque version of the 1950s and 1960s is just as iconic, as is the entire Cunnhingham family (except maybe for the disappearing brother Chuck) and further ensemble, which spawned a whopping seven spinoffs. And if you don’t agree with all that, well, sit on it!

57. Martin

A couple of years before he became an action movie king in Bad Boys, Martin Lawrence created and starred in his own sitcom, which gave fans five seasons of over-the-top episodes. Lawrence’s Martin Payne is a loud, rambunctious, and highly opinionated Detroit disc jockey who constantly finds himself in all kinds of trouble both at work and at home with Tisha Campbell’s Gina. (A dynamic that shifted in the final season for BTS reasons.) Martin himself was fun, but his various other personas —Sheneneh Jenkins, Rosco, and Dragonfly Jones — gave the sitcom a fun and unique spin, foreshadowing Lawrence’s later career.

56. Living Single

Living Single is one of those sitcoms that thankfully managed to age well , premiering back in 1993 and following a group of friends residing together in a Brooklyn brownstone. With a killer cast including Queen Latifah (who also performed the outstanding theme song), Kim Coles, Kim Fields and Erika Alexander, Living Single’s formula succeeded ahead of Friends reaching more sensational heights, and the topic of influences there has made for many discussions. Regardless, the sitcom is a Black TV treasure, and boasts a trove of terrific musicians, athletes and comedians as guest stars, from Flip Wilson to Chaka Khan.

55. Will and Grace

Will & Grace might as well have also had Jack and Karen in the title as well, such was the strength of this foursome as they unsuccessfully dated and schmoozed their way to making LGBTQ+ history. The NBC Must See TV classic was an Emmy darling during its initial eight-season run, and its ongoing popularity beyond the “final” season inspired NBC to revive it for another two seasons. Which thankfully meant more from the bevy of guests and recurring stars that popped up over the years, from Matt Damon to Matt Bomer to Madonna.

54. Murphy Brown

Sure, Murphy Brown fulfilled the sitcom basics of starring a single, middle-aged working woman (whose eventual single-mom status shook up the status quo), being funny, and serving up great characters — Jim Dial, slugger — to support the Aretha Franklin-loving titular lead. Arguably most important, though, its its rare delivery of a flawed female main character (recovering alcoholic) who’s frequently irascible, dedicated to her job as a journalist, and unafraid to speak up in a male-heavy industry, giving audiences every reason to root for through every uproarious rant and unnecessary assistant change. There’s a reason Candice Bergen earned five Emmys from seven nominations for her work across ten seasons.

53. The Bob Newhart Show

Nobody can do deadpan humor quite like the eponymous star of The Bob Newhart Show. The beauty of this 1970s sitcom was that it allowed Bob Newhart to play off of those stand-up comedy strengths, acting as the straight man to his psychologist Bob Hartley’s many unique patients. Co-starring Suzanne Pleshette as Bob’s beloved wife Emily — the two made sitcom history together on his next sitcom as well — and Peter Bonerz and Bill Daily as his pals, The Bob Newhart Show remains exemplary for its character-driven laughs.

52. Sanford And Son

The laughs that Sanford and Son delivers from episode to episode are fairly unique compared to other sitcoms. Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson are perfectly cast as Fred and Lamont Sanford, respectively, playing off of each other in ways reminiscent of comedy duos in vaudeville and radio shows. The writers also deserve a lot of credit for effectively employing racial humor, considered edgy at that time, as well as for bringing in hilarious characters like “Aunt” Esther Anderson and Grady Wilson. But Foxx – who just oozes superior comedic timing – steals so many scenes with his energetic performances. “This is the big one!”

51. Superstore

All things consumerism considered, it’s almost surprising so few workplace comedies are anything like Superstore. For six seasons, viewers watched Amy (Oscar nominee America Ferrera), Jonah (Ben Feldman) and their wacky big box store co-workers readily getting into myriad insane scrapes and intriguingly complicated relationships, while trying to maintain order (or causing disorder) within the retail sphere. Superstore gives fans peak workplace sitcom, with innumerable sight gags for those watching closely, as well as a low-key, slow-burn mystery involving feet showing up all over the store. It’s a hilarious win-win that theoretically helps everyone see their jobs aren’t as bad as they could be.

50. The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Before the Men in Black and Bad Boys franchises and that Academy Award-winning role in King Richard, Will Smith veered away from his successful rap career to introduce viewers to…Will Smith…for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Just saying its name instantly brings its classic theme song to mind.

Following a kid from West Philly sent off to live with his affluent uncle’s family in Bel-Air, this sitcom oozed ‘90s sitcom charm and hilarity, helping Will Smith expand his comedic talents opposite the great James Avery, Janet Hubert (for a spell) and more. From the Carlton dance to that classic “very special episode” where Will gets shot, Fresh Prince features plenty of justification for its continued success in syndication and streaming.

49. Family Ties

Eventually, Family Ties became known as “The Michael J. Fox Show,” and it was hard to avoid. Fox was a charismatic ball of energy who became a bona fide superstar during the run of the show, and even eclipsed famous guest stars such as Tom Hanks when they appeared.

But before Fox reached all-star status, Family Ties won over audiences as a warm, endearing, and relatable sitcom about liberal parents trying their best to raise their three kids – one of whom happened to be a briefcase-toting, card-carrying Republican. We all saw ourselves in at least one member of the Keaton family, and tuned in weekly to appreciate the ties that bound them all together.

48. Mr. Bean

Rowan Atkinson would have been amazing during the silent film era, but is thankfully a more modern talent, since we otherwise might never have known the childlike, frustration-spiked foibles of Mr. Bean. Co-created by the comedian’s Black Adder partners in hilarity, Ben Elton and Richard Curtis, Mr. Bean is an idiosyncratic sitcom in that its five-year stretch comprised 15 sporadically aired one-off episodes, as opposed to seasons, which inspired a pair of feature films, an animated series, and more pop culture greatness.

Atkinson brings his physical comedy mastery to a plethora of disaster-laden circumstances, from nonchalantly changing into a swimsuit to getting ready for the dentist while driving to being locked out of a hotel room and dozens of other awkward moments.

47. The Mick

Only two seasons of The Mick aired between January 2017 and April 2018, telling the story of a foul-mouthed dirtbag forced to be the guardian of her affluent niece and nephews, and all 37 episodes are send-you-doubled-over-off-your-couch hilarious. Which means a lot of people were sleeping on this brilliance when it aired, and we’re still sore about it.

Led by Kaitlin Olsen, the entire cast is spectacular (with a special hat tip to the brilliant Scott MacArthur as the oft-injured ne'er-do-well Jimmy), but what truly makes this show exceptional is its beyond-dark sensibilities and unwillingness to accept the idea of a “line” that can’t be crossed. The final scene of the series finale is actually a perfect ending in that sense, and we’re sure that more seasons would have pushed it higher up the rankings.

46. The Jeffersons

Norman Lear & Co.nailed it when they moved George, Louise and Lionel Jefferson from All in the Family to their own show. The Jeffersons is 30-minute comedy at its finest, offering an excellent premise, and an array of interesting stories built on it. Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford are electric as George and Lousie, effortlessly conveying their on-screen marriage with warmth, humor and occasional contention, all while surrounded by a strong supporting cast.

There’s also the series’ impact on Black culture and the TV landscape as a whole. It’s one of the earliest shows to have depicted an upper class African American family – and the complexities of such a dynamic. We should all be grateful that these characters moved on up.

45. 30 Rock

If there were any doubts that Tina Fey could transport her magic touch from SNL to a scripted sitcom, 30 Rock proved them pointless. The show-within-a-show’s very first season won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and scored nominations for Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. (Both went on to win elsewhere in the NBC comedy’s seven-season run.)

The show is infinitely quotable, thanks in large part to Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski, and recruited standout part-time stars ranging from Matt Damon to David Schwrimmer to – of course – Steve “How do you do, fellow kids?” Buscemi. Plus, it imparted the following important lesson from Tracy Jordan: “Live every week like it’s Shark Week.” No SNL knowledge is needed to appreciate the sketch-skewing humor, but it’ll help.

44. Scrubs

Hospital dramas have become as commonplace as any TV offering, so having Scrubs around to follow its doctors, nurses and Sacred Heart staff through a comedic lens continues to be a welcome respite. Not to say Scrubs wasn’t without its emotional and poignant moments, since one could argue it functions nearly as well as a dramatic series when in that mode.

But the humor is where Scrubs’ gets surgical with it. Whether we were joining J.D. in his wild daydreams, or the crazy events unfolding between characters while treating patients, this show excelled at delivering the laughs. If only we could witness John C. McGinley’s Dr. Cox ranting at residents while a nameless Janitor pranks people within a real-life hospital. Additionally, J.D. and Turk are one of TV’s all-time best-buddy pairings.

43. Bob's Burgers

In all of sitcom family-dom, few clans are as relatable in their middle-class weirdness as the Belcher family that serves up the titular meals and good-time goofiness on Bob’s Burgers. The beloved series from creator Loren Bouchard has followed sitcom standards to a T while building up its hilarity-filled universe of Italian restaurateur rivals, handyman besties, and plenty of schoolchildren I’d much rather watch on TV than deal with at home. But it’s the Belchers that keep us coming back.

From H. Jon Benjamin’s expertly exasperated attempts to get by to Louise’s rebellious sadism to Tina’s butt fascination, Bob’s Burgers is as timeless as the hamburger itself, and isn’t afraid to mix sweetness into the juvenile hijinks. A must-watch for pun enthusiasts.

42. The Cosby Show

Decades after its debut on NBC, The Cosby Show remains a seminal piece of TV work. This sharp family comedy offers a warm look at a family (who just happened to be Black) and, while the Huxtables are quite pristine, they never feel unrelatable, except perhaps where sweaters are concerned. The impeccable ensemble boasts the likes of Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Keshia Knight Pulliam masterfully playing off the series’ titular star. Give the writing staff credit, too, for formulating some eternally classic episodes, like “Goodbye Mr. Fish” and “Happy Anniversary.”

Of course, the show’s legacy has been further evaluated due to Bill Cosby’s legal entanglements, and understandably so. That debate will surely continue, though what’s hard to deny is the sitcom’s game-changing position in the cultural lexicon.

41. Party Down

“Are we having fun yet?” The oft-used sarcastic throwback to Henry’s (Adam Scott) singular professional achievement is actually a pretty fitting way to sum up the careers of the motley crew of caterers on Party Down. The aspiring actors and writers who comprise the eponymous catering company would certainly rather be pursuing their passions than serving drinks and apps to their rich customers, but with each episode plunking them into a different bougie event, it was delightful to see the ridiculous and usually cringey situations they would get themselves into.

On top of a fabulous ensemble cast featuring the likes of Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Lizzy Caplan and Martin Starr, Party Down featured A+ cameos at each catering function. That Steve Guttenberg episode? Chef’s kiss, or at least a caterer’s kiss.

40. The Boondocks

We may never get another animated series about American society as unabashedly insightful as The Boondocks, which was created by Aaron McGruder and based on his comic strip of the same name. Each episode provides a thoughtful examination of the Black experience, principally seen through the eyes of young intellectual Huey Freeman and his gangster-wannabe brother Riley (both voiced by Oscar/Emmy Award-winner Regina King), under the spotty guidance of their John Witherspoon-voiced Granddad.

Not only does McGruder's bold writing provide clever observations about everything from rap music to movie theater decorum, but the anime style continues to remain eye-popping and brilliantly utilized. Especially with the killer kung-fu sequences, which demonstrate a deep love for both the animation medium and the martial arts action genre.

39. Abbott Elementary

Arguably one of the best sitcoms currently airing, Abbott Elementary took the world by storm when it premiered in 2021, introducing the world to Quinta Brunson’s brilliance as Janine Teagues. The Black Lady Sketch Show vet created, writes, produces and stars in the show centering on a Philadelphia school’s staff, and her care and love for it is infectious.

Between Gregory and Janine’s will-they-won’t-they relationship, hilarious talking heads and well-established characters with silly interests (like Ava being a doomsday prepper), this show has all the hallmarks of classic mockumentaries. However, its setting at an elementary school and the unique chemistry the incredible cast has developed make this ABC comedy one that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. (And it won’t need a stool like Janine, amirite, Ava?)

38. The IT Crowd

As if Graham Linehan’s entertainment legacy wasn’t already assured by Father Ted, the man went and crafted another all-time Britcom with The IT Crowd. (Okay, Black Books, too.) The basic premise follows the lives of corporate climber Jen (Katherine Parkinson) and IT department slackers Roy (Chris O’Dowd) and Moss (Richard Ayoade). A classic workplace sitcom trio if there ever was one.

In execution, the 25-episode run was far more fun and unpredictable than the set-up. Skewering corporate culture and malfeasance, as well as all things personal and pop, The IT Crowd feels like a cheeky mix between Seinfeld and Spaced. Not to mention this being a great place to get a Matt Berry fix.

37. Community

It’s difficult to summarize what makes Community such an exceptional sitcom. Its meta awareness and deep love of pop culture is a key ingredient, executed principally through the genius character that is Danny Pudi’s Abed Nadir. But that’s an example of the phenomenal way the show balances the unique voices of its seven main characters – be it the confident idiocy of Donald Glover’s Troy Barnes, the extreme selfishness of Joel McHale’s Jeff Winger, or ridiculous uptightness of Alison Brie’s Annie Edison.

These characters planted in an environment of ever-growing weirdness that is Greendale Community College permits wild, creative, and clever single episode stories… but also not to be slept on are its effective emotional swings (Like I said, it’s really Dean-ficult to sum up!)

36. Modern Family

Modern Family was one of the first family sitcoms to eschew studio audience laughter for the single-camera format, and its massive success and influence was undeniable. Running for eleven seasons, the star-studded sitcom gave viewers a front seat to watching the blended Pritchett and Dunphy families grow up together.

But what makes Modern Family one of the best sitcoms ever is its relatability and ability to tap into all the emotions. There’s plenty to laugh at, thanks to hilarious deliveries from Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and others, and more episodes than can be poignant, whether it’s about love, sexuality, growing up, or plenty of other feelings to connect to.

35. Arrested Development

At the far end of the “wholesome sitcom family” spectrum is the Bluth clan responsible for the majority of the conning and downward spiraling on Arrested Development. (Ron Howard’s Narrator: “They really were.”) With too many A+ cast members to namecheck in one breath, the fourth wall-breaking comedy is technically about the legal troubles surrounding the family company following a major scandal, but it’s really about the family’s myriad other problems.

Let’s see, we have twin-fidelity, oedipal complexes galore, PTSD from both Army (Mother!) and loss of limb, rampant alcoholism, potentially incestuous foreplay, hair metal magic, and never-nudism, though that’s a corner of a snowflake atop the tallest mountain of comedic quirks. Come for the brilliant performances, stay for the smartest callback jokes on TV.

34. WKRP In Cincinnati

WKRP in Cincinnati is one of those shows that never seems to receive its flowers quite enough alongside others from the era. Airing for four seasons between 1978 and 1982, the comedy takes place at a struggling AM radio station in the heart of the Midwest, and boasts everything one would want in a sitcom: great jokes, iconic characters, and unforgettable TV moments.

Despite early schedule struggles, WKRP eventually found its footing on CBS, thanks to audiences loving the comedic stylings of Howard Hesseman’s Dr. Johnny Fever, Tim Reid’s Venus Flytrap, and Richard Sanders’ Les Nessman. It’s always been a hit with radio DJs, for good reason, and produced quite possibly the greatest Thanksgiving TV treat (that doesn’t have Charlie Brown in it) with “Turkeys Away.”

33. The Critic

In the wake of The Simpsons’ success, creators Al Jean and Mike Reiss shaped a cult classic with The Critic, focused on bitter film critic Jay Sherman, voiced with gusto by Jon Lovitz. The animated sitcom took after its spiritual cousin, offering up both heartfelt and cuttingly satirical gags, and bouncing from ABC to Fox only sharpened the show’s edge.

Keenly lampooning the world of show business, The Critic’s writers crafted A+ parodies of classic films, fake cinematic atrocities so bad they’re funny, and welcomed cameos from actual critics. Anyone wanting to see Siskel & Ebert in a fist fight need look no further. Two words aptly sum up how we feel about this series not lasting nearly as long as The Simpsons: “It stinks.”

32. Married...with Children

With Frank Sinatra’s “Love and Marriage” performance as its subversively optimistic theme song, Married with Children is the gleefully bawdy archetype for sitcoms about miserable people. Ed O’Neill’s misogyny-encrusted slopfest Al Bundy stiff-arms his way through life with affection-seeking wife Peg, blonde joke incarnate daughter Kelly, and lazy hornball son Bud. And Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate and David Faustino are the epitome of “the family you love to watch, but would hate to live with.”

As the live-action series that put Fox on the map, Married with Children has long been celebrated for its politically incorrect humor and cartoonishly offensive storylines, and it remains among the most offensive TV shows of all time. But it worked because the Bundy’s always came out worse than anyone else.

31. Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls’ offbeat sitcom greatness truly deserves recognition for a show that may be written off for being a Disney Channel original. Creator and cast member Alex Hirsch crafted a well-animated, off-kilter show that wins over younger viewers with its thrills, humor and heart, while also capturing older viewers with overarching mysteries, surprisingly deep lore, and barrages of callbacks, clues and pause-required animation details. (Long live Bill Cypher!)

At the center of all the madness is the perfectly realized Pines family — Grunkle Stan, Dipper and Mabel — and their friends and co-workers like Wendy, Soos and others. With two seasons and 40 episodes under its belt, Gravity Falls is a tight show that builds to a very satisfying conclusion, even if fans railed against its cancellation at the time.

30. Parks And Recreation

When Parks and Recreation premiered, SNL and UCB vet Amy Poehler was its biggest name, but the careers of co-stars such as Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Retta and Aubrey Plaza exploded in the years after. And it’s no surprise, since the NBC sitcom is where they were able to hone their characters distinct personalities for seven seasons.

Parks and Rec follows the misfit-lite group running Pawnee, Indiana’s parks department Indiana, and had little trouble getting into the wildest hijinks in each 30-minute runtime. The episode “Flu Season” delivers the goods in a nutshell, between Amy Poehler pretending she’s not sick, Chris Pratt’s physical comedy, and Nick Offerman perfectly portraying Ron Swanson’s disdain for government work. Parks and Rec is a quirky and lively show that deserves a spot in everyone’s lives.

29. Letterkenny

It's not often that a show can lean heavily on both the importance of morals and the notion of violence, but Letterkenny managed to strike an amazing balance between the two for twelve seasons. The Canadian sitcom is known for its amazingly paced banter and extensive wordplay and unique phrasings. As if the amazing comedic timing wasn't enough, one of the main themes continues to acknowledge the importance of standing up for what you believe in and striving to do good in the world. "If a friend asks for help, you help them."

Creator and star of the show, Jared Keeso, has also recently hit another comedic home run in the Letterkenny extended universe with the spinoff Shoresy.

28. The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Four years after winning TV audiences’ hearts for the last time on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Tyler Moore struck further gold with her own titular sitcom, earning a spot high on the pyramid of inspirational female pop culture icons. For seven seasons, Moore’s Mary Richards worked diligently amidst other colorful characters in the MJM newsroom, such as Gavin McCleod’s snarky Murray, Ted Knight’s dimwitted Ted, and Ed Anser’s ever-stoic (and spinoff-bound) Lou Grant. Not to mention Betty White’s ego-puff Sue Ann.

Outside the office, some of the Emmy-amassing show’s best scenes featured Mary mixing it up with her neighbor buddies Rhoda and Phyllis, portrayed with respective pizazz by Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman. “Chuckles Bites the Dust” and “The Last Show” are as good as sitcom TV gets.

27. Friends

“Best sitcom” conversations can’t happen without mentioning Friends once or a dozen times. As the epitome of Must-See TV in the 1990s and early aughts, the sitcom skyrocketed its six stars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox. Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer — to fame. Decades later, the reruns are ever-present on TV and streaming, and the gang’s catchphrases continue to resonate as new generations make their way through Central Perk’s doors..

You don’t even have to have been a regular viewer to have heard Ross’ infamous “Pivot!” shout, to have a favorite Chandler quote, or to take a side on the Ross and Rachel “we were on a break” debate. Such universal recognition is relatively rare for a show that’s been off the air for 20 years.

26. The Office (UK)

We never would’ve met Steve Carell’s Michael Scott if there hadn’t been David Brent. Ricky Gerais and Stephen Merchant brought The Office to UK small screens in 2001 and, through two brief seasons and a Christmas special, introduced audiences everywhere to a new level of cringe in the form of this hilarious mockumentary series (one which kept its documentation scenarios realistic).

This dry and occasionally super-awkward comedy follows one branch of a paper company and its workers — played by Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis and several other talented actors — as they attempt to get through each and every workday, dignity optional. It’s the simplicity of the show and the way the characters played off one another that made The Office a true gem.

25. Roseanne

Whether viewers are from the working class midwest or other parts of the country, Roseanne found a way to be relatable to so many. Through the sea of picture-perfect television families came the tidal wave that is the Conner family, who bickered, joked and suffered through enduring hard times. At the core of it all was a family raised by two parents, portrayed by Roseanne Barr and John Goodman, whose love remained strong throughout.

The Conners were never the idealized family everyone strives to be, but still feels like a mirror of what blue class households are really like. And despite the baffling retconned lottery season, and Barr’s off-screen controversy, Roseanne’s comfort-TV legacy remains as timeless as the family’s living room furniture.

24. The Dick Van Dyke Show

There are great workplace comedies and there are great domestic family comedies, but The Dick Van Dyke Show somehow stands out among the best ever in both capacities. From the moment Van Dyke goes barreling over that ottoman, you know you’re in for something special, as the star’s gifts for physical and verbal comedy are nearly unparalleled. He’s often not even the one delivering the best jokes, because his reaction to his legendary co-stars is the true punchline.

Speaking of, the show was very much a group effort, despite its single-star title. Conceived and written by co-star Carl Reiner, and co-starring the incomparable Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, and Maury Amsterdam, all the pieces come together perfectly to make one of the most consistently high-quality sitcoms of all time.

23. What We Do In The Shadows

What We Do in the Shadows is a bonkers TV show that shouldn’t work, just like the vampires yelling “Bat!” shouldn’t work as a catchphrase, but it all absolutely does. The mockumentary, spunoff from the co-creators’ film of the same name, follows a group of ridiculous, socially out-of-touch bloodsuckers — save for energy vamp Colin Robinson and human familiar Guillermo — trying to prove their worth in Staten Island.

Despite how silly and NSFW the show is, movie-level prosthetics and visual effects help to elevate and add shocks to the narrative. The cast is truly outstanding, as it goes for any Matt Berry-infused cast, and WWDITS has earned as much awards recognition as any TV horror comedy. With murder and duplicitousness afoot, the series still hits all the sitcom benchmarks, including a fun neighbor (the mind-sapped Sean), a great theme song, and a bunch of A+ celebrity cameos.

22. The Office (U.S.)

Following the success of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s brilliant U.K. series of the same name, Greg Daniels’ adaptation of The Office took the mockumentary style of its predecessor – along with some of the more amusing traits and dynamics of its characters – and set out to tell new stories with office workers in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Whether it’s the hilarious standout ensemble of characters (led for most seasons by Steve Carell’s cringe-perfecting boss Michael Scott), the way it embraces the mundanity of office life, or how it follows years of these workers’ lives over years while squeezing every drop of humor along the way, The Office continues to be funny, relatable and — for many of us — a comfortable place to return to in the years since its fantastic 9-season run ended. Not to mention the timeless romances of Pam and Jim, Dwight and Angela, Phyllis and Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration.

21. South Park

With more than 25 seasons and a growing number of one-off specials, South Park reigns supreme as a long-running pillar of TV satire. A look at the 20 best episodes from the series is an easy way to effectively understand just how relevant this series has been on so many levels, evolving from a Kenny-killing, catchphrase machine to a show with a lot more to say than T-shirt fodder.

What other TV series, much less animated comedy, has taken on major religious institutions, accused killers, wild dieting trends, controversial music superstars and world politics throughout its run? If others exist, they probably didn’t do it as well as South Park does, and there’s still no end in sight to the Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s pop culture phenomenon, even if the duo have understandably been less prolific animators in later years.

20. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

From some of the best TV cold opens – “I Want It That Way” sung by suspects, I mean, come on, it’s genius – to ongoing gags ike the annual heist, and “title of your sex tape” that make you laugh so hard your side hurts, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a wild sitcom that is surprising in the best ways and absolutely irresistible as comfort comedy.

Led by Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews and Joe Lo Truglio, this team of detectives quite literally never gets old, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine only got better in time as everyone grew comfortable in their roles and leaned into the silliness of their surroundings. Especially the all-time terrible cop duo of Hitchcock and Scully.

All around, what Dan Goor and Michael Schur created was so special, and as Jake Peralta would say “cool, cool, cool.”

19. Newhart

Bob Newhart struck TV gold a second time (not counting his stand-up appearances) with the endlessly cozy treasure Newhart, which centered on the comings and goings within the Stratford Inn in small-town Vermont. You know, the kind of small town where a man named Larry can have one brother named Darryl, and then also another brother named Darryl. It’s there where the star comedian and Mary Frann’s Dick and Joanna Loudon take over after a move from New York City, but their big-city know-how can’t quite compete with the quirkiness of their fellow residents.

Nothing ever gets old when it comes to watching the core cast — including Tom Poston, Julia Duffy and Peter Scolar — and the revolving door of recurring actors and guest stars bounce their energies off of Bob Newhart’s. And we’d be remiss not to give Newhart its flowers for shattering TV reality with its truly iconic finale twist.

18. All in the Family

All in the Family is arguably one of the most important TV series ever made, sitcom or otherwise, and shows don’t get the chance to change television if you’re not also good enough to stay on it in the first place. Not only was All in the Family successful enough to span eight seasons, but it also spawned five spinoffs. Despite the fact that the show’s primary character Archie Bunker was specifically designed to be the most bigoted person you know, it somehow all works so incredibly well. You love him even while you hate him, which is a testament to the abilities of creator Norman Lear and star Carroll O’Connor.

Dealing with, and poking fun at, topics that had been seen as taboo to even address previously, All in the Family courted its share of controversy and certainly ruffled some feathers. But that’s just further proof that it left an indelible and influential mark upon audiences everywhere.

17. Frasier

For a TV spinoff to be anywhere near as popular as its parent show is a huge accomplishment, and NBC’s Frasier pulled off just such a transition following Cheers’ conclusion. To be sure, it was plainly great to see Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane taking center stage after all those stool-sat years as an ensemble character. However, it’s unlikely the sitcom would have been nearly as successful without the supporting cast of David Hyde Pierce’s Niles, Jane Leeves’ Daphne, Peri Gilpin’s Roz and John Mahoney’s Martin.

These five characters’ unique personalities and the dynamics they share with one another make them one of the best sitcom casts of all time, and we’ll throw Eddie a bone there as well. Let’s not gloss over the intelligent writing Frasier consistently delivered, which was part of the show’s 37 Emmy wins over its eleven years on the air. Its continued popularity even sparked the Parmaount+ revival of the same name.

16. Taxi

Speaking to Taxi’s greatness takes little beyond listing the murderer’s row of talent yukking it up for five seasons at the Sunshine Cab Company: Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, Andy Kaufman, Tony Danza, Jeff Conaway, Christopher Lloyd, and Carol Kane. Theoretically, these actors could have struck gold with any TV narrative, but the New York setting provided the comedically ideal edge and neuroses that earned the show 18 Emmys and millions of fans. (Not that Kaufman’s Latka Gravas was a local.) Not to mention the quartet of sitcom royalty in creators James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, and Ed Weinberger.

Despite such over-the-top personalities, Taxi excels at grounded and heartfelt storytelling as much as broader humor, never shying away from the characters’ relatable struggles or the hot-button issues of the time. Extra points for its appearances from future Cheers stars Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman and George Wendt.

15. The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls is excellent enough to convince audiences that spending your twilight years in a shared living space with your mother and two roommates is a blueprint for endless laughs, when that might not match up with reality. It’s a credit to the stellar cast comprising Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. Queens, one and all. Amidst all the drama, the endless insults thrown around, and the cheesecake, the foursome’s friendship really shines through in this show.

It’s indeed that friendship that causes the gals to get into some absolutely wild adventures. Who can forget the time Rose nearly ended the Cold War with the Soviets with a letter? Not every narrative goes quite so big as that, even if Blanche plays up her romances as such, but it’s always a helluva fun ride.

14. Curb Your Enthusiasm

After Seinfeld concluded its historic run in the late ‘90s, series co-creator Larry David could have ridden off into the sunset atop a horse made from residual checks. Instead, the stickler for human behavior not only created true sitcom brilliance, but also broke new ground for HBO and self-deprecating celeb cameos.

Curb Your Enthusiasm — far more than a pretty, pretty, pretty good show — never failed to inspire laughs and shocks in equal order, following David’s over-the-top fictionalized version of himself (think George Costanza on shame-eliminating steroids), facing so many provocatively awkward situations with a vast array of friends, colleagues, contemporaries, and eventual enemies. (R.I.P. Richard Lewis and Bob Einstein.) The largely improvised show found new ways to be both relevant and funny across 24 years and 12 seasons, a task that’s easier said (and avoided) than done. And it also delivered an all-timer of a finale, poking fun at Seinfeld’s polarizing conclusion.

13. The Larry Sanders Show

As host of the fictional late night talk show The Larry Sanders Show, Garry Shandling implores his audience to stay tuned, ordering them, “No flipping!” It was an easy command to obey when it came to HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show, still one of the bravest, funniest, and most insightful programs that happily sinks its teeth into the Hollywood hand that feeds.

Larry is just an exaggerated caricature of Garry Shandling, who let all of his own neurosis and anxieties fly out of the mouth of his insecure comedic television personality who desperately wanted to be liked by his chosen industry. And the show got a lot of mileage out of real-life celebrities appearing and poking fun at their public personas. (David Duchovny for the win.) But it’s the supporting cast – led by the late Rip Torn and the wonderful Jeffrey Tambor – that elevates Larry Sanders to legendary status. There’ll never be another as biting and satirical as this.

12. Spaced

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s long history with director Edgar Wright includes the so-called Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End). Before that, though, they rocked the sitcom landscape with the UK gem Spaced. A relatable premise is vital to a good sitcom, and it was so easy to fall in love with pro slacker Tim (Pegg) and the uber-dramatic Daisy (Jessica Stevenson) while shrewdly securing their affordable apartment under the watchful eye of Julia Deaken’s landlady Marsha.

In addition to watching Tim and Daisy maintain their ruse of being a “professional couple” while figuring out the whole adulting thing, Spaced — one of Simon Pegg’s best projects — packed in endless horror movie references, video game easter eggs, and more pop culture love. (The pantomime gun fight is everything.) It also featured a supporting cast of hilariously exaggerated characters that will NOT have you wanting to “skip to the end.”

11. The Good Place

Sitcoms are, by design, often stagnant, with the same characters facing similar situations week after week. If the jokes land, everything works, but if not, well… Then along came The Good Place to throw those preconceptions out the window. If creator Michael Schur had just repeated Season 1’s twisty premise for five seasons, it would have still been good, but The Good Place achieved true greatness with its storytelling.

Fronted by Kristen Bell and Ted Danson in top-tier fashion, The Good Place takes massive risks with its afterlife-set narrative, changing elements from one season to the next. The house of (God) cards would have tumbled down had it not all worked as infallibly as the big man himself, but it never even wavered. Indeed, The Good Place is simply forking unbelievable from beginning to end, buttressed by fully realized characters portrayed by co-leads William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto, and D’Arcy Carden. Stream the show for everyone now, Janet. Janet..?

10. Fawlty Towers

As part of Monty Python’s sextet of comedy masterminds, John Cleese had already conquered the world of sketch comedy and film, so the next obvious move was to craft a largely perfect sitcom with then-wife Connie Booth, and Fawlty Towers was just such perfection across twelve increasingly fraught.

Set within the non-existing titular hotel in Torquay, Cleese’s Basil Fawlty suffers the existence of everyone around him, especially Prunella Scales’ Sybil, his oft-demanding wife, and the language issues of Andrew Sachs’ Manuel, the establishment’s Spanish waiter. Booth’s chambermaid Polly gets slightly less irritation for being regularly competent. A hotel owner who hates his clientele is in the high-concept echelon, and the series offered up an eternally memorable selection of frequent and one-time guests, as well as builders, inspectors and others whose actions bring Basil’s blood pressure to a proper boil.

Similar to other classic ‘70s and ‘80s sitcoms, Fawlty Towers has been both celebrated and derided for its politically incorrect humor. It's perhaps exemplified best by the series’ marquee episode “The Germans,” and is something Cleese intends to replicate with the revival series he’s creating with daughter Camilla.

9. Cheers

Locations can mean everything to a sitcom. Memorable shows are set in places to which we want to return, from Mel’s Diner to the Dunder Mifflin offices to, of course, the bar from Cheers – where everybody knows your name. Audiences became such regulars to the comfortable sitcom, we practically expected to hear our own names shouted out, a la Norm, when we turned the program on.

The familiarity and welcomeness of Cheers kept us tuning in, even as some of the cast rotated. We all invested heavily in the “will they or won’t they” relationship of barkeep Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and waitress Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), but stuck around when Diane was replaced by Rebecca (Kirstie Alley); and Southern simpleton Woody (Woody Harrelson) was embraced after first filling in for the departed Coach (Nicholas Colasanto). Not that anyone could ever replace Cliff Clavin.

Television hasn’t been the same since Cheers closed its doors, with Frasier going a completely different spinoff route, and I’m not sure another show can be set in a bar, and reach the high bar set by this program.

8. The Simpsons

I think there’s an argument to be made that The Simpsons should have a place on any top 100 list when it comes to describing the best television, regardless of what additional parameters there may be. Part of the allure of this series, as it heads toward 800 episodes, is that there’s not really anything it hasn’t done at this point. There’s a Simpsons episode for whatever mood readers are feeling that day, though it may take a bit of research to figure out which one that is. 

What I love most about The Simpsons is how the series has evolved with time and how the show has modernized the characters with the times while still retaining the core elements that audiences loved about them. Sure, seeing Homer Simpson send memes to Lisa on a smartphone can feel a bit jarring sometimes, but it’s also 100% on-brand for the patriarch and definitely less weird in the modern day to younger audiences compared to if he was still using a rotary phone. Plus, if you prefer the old stuff, it’s all available to stream on Disney+

7. I Love Lucy

For the majority of TV’s existence as an entertainment platform, sitcoms have been synonymous with Lucille Ball, who achieved icon status several times over during her run as Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy (and other incarnations and later series). The series remains a blueprint reference for sitcom-crafting, and was revolutionary at the time for not only its star, but for her real-life husband Desi Arnaz portraying her faux hubby Ricky, and more.

While I Love Lucy could occasionally pull an emotional heartstring or two, its strength was comedy, and Ball maximized that concept throughout its run. Lucy and Ricky are as loud and wild a TV couple as can be, especially opposite their slightly more subdued neighbors Fred and Ethel Mertz. From Lucy’s efforts to get into Ricky’s shows to her attempts to hock Vitameatavegamin to her and Ethel’s conveyor belt struggles, the show regularly produced unforgettable sequences.

I Love Lucy is also revolutionary for women in television, with Ball helping pave the way for so many other amazing female actresses to lead their own successful shows, even if struggles are still real on that front. No need for further ‘splanation: I Love Lucy is TV gold.

6. Schitt's Creek

Schitt’s Creek didn’t truly hit the mainstream until its final season, but when people found it, its popularity exploded and its legacy was cemented. Created by father-son duo Dan and Eugene Levy, the comedy centers on a rich family who loses all their money, with the titular town as their silver lining. Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara co-star alongside the Levys in this most hilarious fish out of water story.

Seeing these four totally out of their element within the less-than-chic town is an easy way in for viewers. But the hooks that keep people watching are Catherine O’Hara’s ridiculous fake accent, Dan Levy’s sassy one-liners, Annie Murphy’s over-the-top everything as Alexis, Eugene Levy’s brilliant straight-man reactions, and the heartfelt growth this family goes through as they learn to love each other and the town they now call home.

Since the show became a sensation, lines like “Ew David!” have entered the everyday lexicon, and impersonations of Moira and Alexis can be seen frequently on social media. Schitt’s Creek shined bright when it was on — remember the network Pop? — and since then it’s cemented itself as a permanent part of the zeitgeist.

5. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Rarely does a piece of pop culture offer up a character who constantly proves themself to be unendingly vile, self-consumed, aloof, destructive and terrible for society. But a combination of those words describes literally every single character who speaks in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Of course, the biggest and most hilarious offenders are the central Paddy’s Pub gang made up of possible serial killer Dennis (Glenn Howerton), his slightly less evil Bird…e… sister Dee, the sexually fluid approval-seeking Mac (Rob McElhenny), glue-eating connoisseur and janitor Charlie (Charlie Day) and the shockingly demented and depraved Frank (Danny DeVito).

No stone goes unturned when it comes to shocking viewers with how low these characters will go to achieve even the most meaningless iota of recognition or selfish pleasure. There’s racially charged (and socially questionable) takes on Lethal Weapon and The Wiz, exploiting all manner of substance and behavior addictions, satirical jabs at gun control, welfare, sexual assault, and much more. Its unsanitary hilarity is cherished among fans who have watched it live on longer than any other TV comedy in history, with no end in sight. (Except for Danny DeVito’s bare one, that is.)

4. King Of The Hill

Animation isn’t often a medium for classic sitcoms, but Mike Judge’s King of the Hill delivered on all fronts by settling audiences into the everyday life of the Hill family. Hank, Peggy, Bobby, and an assortment of other Arlen standouts kept viewers rolling and clamoring for more Southern-fried hilarity during its 13-season stretch. (And more is on the way thanks to Hulu’s revival.)

King of the Hill tackles issues while poking fun at them in ways that most viewers can probably relate to — from the stresses of the workplace to the terror of puberty to the awkwardness of family — adding a layer of realism to the two-dimensional characters’ world. To that end, Judge’s series is also atypical for adhering to realism throughout, as opposed to going off the cartoonish deep end for laughs (outside of dream sequences, that is).

Judge’s Hank and Kathy Najimy’s Peggy, along with Brittany Murphy’s Luanne and Pamela Adlon’s Bobby, provide a lot of the show’s heart and soul with their struggles and not-always-brilliant reactions to those struggles. But it always helps to have friends around like the hapless good’n Bill, the conspiracy-obsessed Dale and the mush-mouthed Boomhauer.

3. Seinfeld

It’s joked that Seinfeld is “a show about nothing,” and that’s a fair surface-only assessment. The NBC hit provides no lasting messages or morals, and it focuses the majority of its creative energy on eccentric minutiae of everyday life – be it waiting forever for a table at a restaurant or getting in disputes with cashiers over proper change. Characters don’t grow or change — save for temporary shrinkage and mustache-growing — and there’s no reach for deep themes. They’re not even nice people.

And yet, it’s utterly brilliant, timeless, and endlessly rewatchable.

Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine each have their own unique and hilarious personalities strengthened by the actors’ performances, which in turn drives hilarious stories that unlock the real magic of the show: the way everything intertwines. Kramer golfing on the beach is its own weird gag, but also perfectly sets up George being called into action to rescue a beached whale after previously lying about being a marine biologist. Just about every sitcom since the early 1990s has tried to capture some of the magic of the nine-season series, but there is only one Seinfeld. (A notion that Newman would applaud.)

2. Veep

Veep was the [censored] creation of Armando Iannucci, the mastermind known for The Thick of It and Alan Partridge’s various incarnations, and HBO’s political workplace comedy is dripping with just as much satire and [censored] as anything graced by his Midas touch before or after. It’s one of the fastest and foulest sitcoms to date, with a jokes-per-minute rate that rivals other rapid-paced greats like The Simpsons and Arrested Development, and a [censored]-per-minute rate that is second to none.

As it goes with the best of the best, Veep boasts and expansive ensemble of uppermost geniuses, as led by Emmy magnet Julie Louis-Dreyfus’ Vice President (and then some) Selina Meyer, whose struggles to remain a boss in Washington D.C. means absolute hell for the masses of aides, pundits, strategists, etc. in her orbit. That applies most to her body man and extra appendage Gary, played with aplomb by Tony Hale.

Every Veep co-star brings something perfect to the table, from Anna Chlumsky’s rage suppression as Amy to Matt Walsh’s common sense suppression as Mike; from Reid Scott’s smarm-oozing Dan to Timothy Simons’ arbitrary naysayer Jonah. And we’d just as easily watch spinoffs centered on Kevin Dunn’s Ben and Gary Cole’s Kent, as well as Sam Richardson’s go-getter Richard Splett.

1. BoJack Horseman

One of the best animated TV shows of all time, Netflix’s BoJack Horseman took the adult-toon formula and evolved it into six seasons of one of TV history’s most unique offerings that — at least in CinemaBlend’s perspective — is the sitcom GOAT. Will Arnett is perfect voicing the tragic title character, a past-his-prime ‘90s sitcom star and substance abuser, and he’s bolstered by a who’s who of talented actors portrayed well-written characters, including fan-favorites Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie) and Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins).

After establishing its sitcom formula in its earliest wordplay-embracing seasons, Bojack Horseman begins getting experimental with its format in phenomenal ways, such as with Season 3’s “Fish Out of Water,” a thought-provoking underwater story with no dialogue, or Season 5’s “Big Churro,” a full-length Bojack eulogy following a big character death.

There are certainly laughs to be had, for sure — big, hearty, consistent, gut-shredding, animalistic laughs throughout all six seasons — but don’t be surprised if you end up shedding a tear or suffering an existential crisis or two along the way as well. The show-within-a-show Horsin’ Around probably wouldn’t have made it onto this list, but BoJack Horseman itself is a Triple Crown winner of the highest order.

Everybody loves a good, harmless prank… emphasis on “harmless.” Unfortunately, not every trick or gag results in a particularly funny outcome — even for the pranksters themselves — and many signature instances of this can be found on the big screen and the small screen. We decided to only count our favorite fictional examples, so do not expect to see any of the real-life victims of Johnny Knoxville or Sacha Baron Cohen among our picks for the most disastrous pranks from movies and TV shows.

Dumping Pig Blood On Carrie (Carrie)

In the iconic climax of Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie, bratty Chris Hargenson (Nancy Allen) conspires to humiliate Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) by dumping pig blood on her head at prom. Unbeknownst to her, the meek student is telekinetic and the stunt unleashes a rage within her that results in an all-out massacre in the high school gym with very few survivors.

The Prank War (Boy Meets World)

It starts when Cory (Ben Savage) and Shawn (Rider Strong) sneak Rachel's (Maitland Ward) car into her and Angela's (Trina McGree) dorm room. They and Jack (Matthew Lawrence) retaliate by gluing Cory, Shawn, and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) to their desk chairs, dousing them with honey, and letting a bear loose on them. Cory and Shawn's retort, in the form of posting an enlarged, revealing photo of Rachel in the student union, hurts her to tears and nearly ruins the relationship between these characters from the Boy Meets World cast.

Kidnapping Niedermeyer's Horse (National Lampoon's Animal House)

After helping D-Day (Bruce McGill) and Bluto (John Belushi) kidnap a horse belonging to Omega House member Neidermeyer, Flounder (Stephen Furst) is convinced to shoot the animal, not realizing they only put blanks in the pistol. Still, when Flounder shoots upward, the sound gives the horse a fatal heart attack, resulting in one of the darkest gags from National Lampoon's Animal House, which is really saying something.

Lloyd Gives Harry A Laxative (Dumb And Dumber)

To get even with Harry (Jeff Daniels) after learning he spent the day with Mary behind his back, Lloyd (Jim Carrey) puts a heavy dose of laxative in his coffee before he goes to see Mary again. This leads to, easily, the grossest scene from Dumb and Dumber in which Harry ends up violently unloading his waste into Mary's toilet, which he only then discovers is broken.

Getting Back At Mrs. Slater (The House On Sorority Row)

In the 1982 slasher, The House on Sorority Row, seven female college students attempt to prank their house mother, Mrs. Slater (Lois Kelso Hunt), by stealing her cane and forcing her to retrieve it from their pool herself while holding her at gunpoint. When the older woman retaliates by startling Vicki (Eileen Davidson), she accidentally shoots her, which makes them a target of a killer using her cane as the murder weapon.

Winston Convinces Nick And Jess They Are Evicted (New Girl)

The entire New Girl finale, in which Nick (Jake Johnson) and Jess (Zooey Deschanel) are forced to leave the loft, was an elaborate prank by Winston (Lamorne Morris). While the couple did successfully find a new place to live, the gang chalks up this gag as an example of when "Prank Sinatra" takes his sense of humor way too far.

Michelle And Natalie's Car Chase Game (Urban Legend)

In a late '90s slasher called Urban Legend, a wave of murders related to popular myths reminds Natalie (Alicia Witt) of a game she played with her high school friend, Michelle (Natasha Gregson Wagner). The object was to drive without headlights on and chase after the first car to flash its lights at them, which resulted in the death of the other car's driver.

Jim Hides Andy's Cellphone (The Office)

Dwight (Rainn Wilson) is the victim of Jim’s (John Krasinski) best pranks on The Office, but one that backfired a bit was targeted at Andy (Ed Helms) in retaliation for his annoying new ringtone. In the series’ third season, Jim hides the former Stamford Branch salesperson's cell phone in the ceiling and calls it repeatedly, which sends him into a rage that, ultimately, leads him to overreact by punching a hole in the wall.

Squidward Tries To Get Back At SpongeBob (SpongeBob Squarepants)

In an April Fool’s Day episode of one of the best-animated series of all time, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob Squarepants, Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) decides to get even with his eponymous co-worker (Tom Kenny) simply for enjoying one of his favorite holidays by setting an elaborate, Rube Goldberg-style trap in the Krusty Krab. However, the cantankerous octopus’ prank only causes SpongeBob physical and emotional pain and earns criticism from bystanders, forcing him to apologize.

Flaming Poop Bag Blows Up A Competing Bar (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia)

A classic example of the aggressively dark humor on FX’s It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in the second season when the gang conspires to get back at a business developer who tries to claim he owns half of Paddy’s. One of their acts of vengeance is throwing a flaming bag of fecal matter into their rival’s property, unaware that there is a gas leak occurring at that moment, which causes an explosion inside.

The Gym Rats Make Melvin Kiss A Sheep (The Toxic Avenger)

After Melvin (Mark Torgl) is tricked into wearing a pink tutu and kissing a sheep he thinks is his crush, Julie (Cindy Manion), the embarrassed gym custodian accidentally runs through a window and falls into a vat of toxic waste. However, you could argue that this had a positive outcome, since the accident transformed him into a grotesque, but powerful, vigilante known as the Toxic Avenger.

Hiding Fish Causes A Deadly Standoff (Dirty Work)

In the cult favorite, 1998 Norm Macdonald movie, Dirty Work, professional revenge artists Mitch (Macdonald) and Sam (Artie Lange) try to make a client's rowdy neighbor's mansion literally smell fishy. When the owner returns with others to complete an illegal business deal, the buyer points out the odor, which the seller assumes is a signal that he is being set up, leading to a bloody massacre offscreen.

The Haunted Rock Quarry (Trick 'R Treat)

One of the most chilling segments from the 2007 anthology horror movie classic, Trick 'R Treat, sees Rhonda (Samm Todd) in hysterics by fellow-trick-or-treaters pretending to be the vengeful spirits of children who died at the bottom of a local quarry years earlier. Rhonda gets the last laugh, however, when she leaves the pranksters to die as the actual spirits of the murdered kids emerge to attack them.

Bart's Exploding Duff Can (The Simpsons)

Bart Simpson (Nancy Cartwright) is one of pop culture’s most legendary pranksters, but one of his biggest bombs occurred in an April Fool’s Day episode of The Simpsons as fate would have it. He shakes up a can of Duff so vigorously that, when Homer (Dan Castellaneta) cracks it open, it literally blows the roof off their house.

A Flaming Halloween Prank Leads To Victor Crowley's Death (Hatchet)

A horror movie villain we have some sympathy for is Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder), whose brutal murder streak in the Hatchet franchise is out of vengeful retaliation for the cruel Halloween prank that inadvertently led to his demise. When the grotesquely deformed man becomes trapped in his house as it is lit on fire by trick-r-treaters, his father (also played by Hodder) uses a hatched to break in and save him, but accidentally kills him with the tool instead.

Geoffrey Thinks He Won The Lottery (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

In Season 3 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will (Will Smith) and Carlton (Alfonso Ribiero) convince Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell) that he won a $26 million jackpot, to which he excitedly responds by resigning as the Banks’ live-in servant. This forces the cousins to come clean about their trick (achieved by playing him a tape of the previous week’s lottery reading and buying a ticket with corresponding numbers), to which he responds by nearing choking them to death.

Aiden And Mia Convince Grace They Are Dead (The Lodge)

In many great horror movies, the inciting incident or entire plot revolves around a prank gone awry and a most devastating example is 2020’s The Lodge. The major reveal of the holiday horror movie is that Aiden (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh) successfully convince their father’s girlfriend, Grace (Riley Keough), that they are all in purgatory, but are unable to get her to realize it was a joke, leading the unstable cult survivor to shoot their dad (Richard Armitage) under the belief that he has also joined them in the afterlife upon his return to the cabin. 

Frasier's Clown Costume Gives His Dad A Heart Attack (Frasier)

To get back at his father, Martin (John Mahoney), for spooking him earlier, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) sneaks up on him dressed as a killer clown. The gag works too well, causing the startled Martin to end up in the hospital with a mild heart attack.

Scott And Cartman's Prank War (South Park)

It probably came as no surprise to South Park fans that a series of retaliative pranks between Scott Tenorman (voiced by Toby Morton) and Eric Cartman (Trey Parker) would lead to extreme circumstances, but just how it came to be was shockingly absurd. After Scott tries to trick Cartman into eating his body hair, Cartman gets even by tricking Scott into eating his own parents.

Columbus Gets Spooked By Bill Murray In Zombie Makeup (Zombieland)

The 2009 horror-comedy classic Zombieland features one of the most memorable Bill Murray cameos, especially for the tragic turn it takes when he tries to sneak up on Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg). Because the comedy legend’s disguise as a walking corpse is so convincing that, Columbus ends up shooting him in the chest, ending his life for real.

Joey Gets His Head Stuck In A Turkey (Friends)

In one of the best Friends episodes set on Thanksgiving, a flashback reveals a time when Joey (Matt LeBlanc) placed his head inside the dinner’s main course and could not take it off. He explains to Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) that he put the turkey on in the first place in hopes it would scare Chandler (Matthew Perry).

Lewis And Fuller Accidentally Prank A Psychopath (Joy Ride)

The 2001 thriller Joy Ride stars Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski as three road-trippers stalked by a sadistic trucker known as Rusty Nail (voiced by Ted Levine), but really have no one to blame but themselves for the ordeal. Walker and Zahn’s characters, Lewis and Fuller, played a practical joke on Rusty Nail — posing as a woman on CB radio and luring him to a racist businessman’s motel room — that he clearly did not find funny.

Liz's Fake Birthday Kidnapping Results In Her Death (Jawbreaker)

One of the darkest high school movies of the ‘90s is Jawbreaker, in which a clique of popular young men (Rose McGowan, Julie Benz, and Rebecca Gayheart) decides to surprise their fourth member, Liz (Charlott Ayanna), with a birthday dinner by pretending to kidnap her and throwing her in the trunk of a car. However, they are the ones who end up being surprised when they discover that, on the way, she choked to death on the titular piece of candy.

Max's War On Bullies (Max Keeble's Big Move)

When he learns he is moving by the end of his first week at school, the title character of Max Keeble's Big Move (Alex Linz) decides to get back at his bullies with, not just one prank, but a series of elaborate and uproarious gags. Unfortunately, when his dad quits his job, allowing his family to stay home instead, all of Max's tormentors come for him at once. At least his friends come through and help save him from a grisly fate.

Scaring Cropsy (The Burning)

The 1981 slasher The Burning follows a former summer camp caretaker named Cropsy, who seeks murderous vengeance years after he was the victim of a prank gone awry by a group of campers. An attempt to scare Cropsy by placing a burning, bug-infested skull near his bed works too well, resulting in an inferno that engulfs his cabin and leaves him horribly disfigured.

Just About All Of Junior's Mischievous Acts (The Problem Child Movies)

Dennis the Menace and Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister may be the more famous mischievous youngsters, but pop culture’s true, most fearsome troublemaker might be Junior (Michael Oliver) from 1990’s Problem Child and its sequel from the following year. The seven-year-old wreaks havoc by throwing the family cat on his grandfather (which ends him up in the hospital) and turning the propane on his new neighbor’s gas-powered barbecue pit high enough to cause an explosion.

Booker Thinks He Saw A U.F.O. (The Famous Jett Jackson)

On Disney Channel’s The Famous Jett Jackson, Jett (Lee Thompson Young), Kayla (Kerry Duff), and J.B. (Ryan Sommer Baum) mess with a working flying saucer prop from the Silverstone set that ends up hovering over Booker (Andrew Tarbet). While the trio never intended to prank him with it, they indulge in the opportunity when the deputy appears visibly shocked by the sight. However, they come to regret it when Booker spreads the word and causes a ruckus across town that ends up costing him his job.

Rachel Teaches Ben The Art Of Pranking (Friends)

Desperate to find some way to relate to young Ben (Cole Sprouse), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) shows him some of the ways she and her siblings used to mess with each other in their youth, such as putting saran wrap around the toilet. Rachel ends up in the dog house, though, when Ben’s gags begin to upset his father, Ross (David Schwimmer), and mother, Carol (Jane Sibbet).

The Badger At Cece's Wedding (New Girl)

In the Season 2 finale of New Girl, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) wants to sabotage Cece’s (Hannah Simone) wedding to Shivrang (Satya Bhabha) and enlists the help of “Prank Sinatra,” Winston, who conspires to drop a live badger onto the officiant from inside the venue’s vents. Unfortunately, he and Nick never get that far into the plan because they get trapped in the vents with the badger after it springs loose from his crate.

A Crank Call Leads To Manslaughter And Murder (Don't Hang Up)

In the 2017 thriller, Don't Hang Up, Sam (Gregg Sulkin) and Brady (Garret Culkin) convince a woman over the phone that there is an intruder in her home and, unwittingly, reveal the truth only after she had dropped the phone. Hearing someone that she believes is the intruder, she fatally shoots them before discovering it was her own daughter entering the house. This incident makes Sam and Brady the target of a cruel killer who punishes pranksters like them.

The Haunted Warehouse (The Office)

As part of the Dunder-Mifflin Scranton branch's Halloween haunted house attraction, Michael (Steve Carell) suspends himself from the ceiling with a fake noose around his neck, absolutely traumatizing their young guests. The cold open proved controversial in real life, too, and has since been removed from the episode, called “Koi Pond,” wherever The Office is available to stream.

Faking Megan's Death Proves Fatal (Sorority Row)

The inciting incident of the 2009 slasher, Sorority Row (a reimagining of 1982's The House on Sorority Row), is a prank to punish Garrett (Matt O'Leary) for cheating on Megan (Audrina Patridge) by convincing him he killed her. However, he ends up killing her for real by mortally wounding her with a tire iron.

It should go without saying, but you should be careful about who you prank and how you prank them. If you don’t believe us, just check out these examples of pranks from movies and TV for reference.

When The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s OG Aunt Viv actress, Janet Hubert, left the sitcom following Season 3, there was bad blood between her and co-star Will Smith. Back then, the show’s lead star allegedly claimed that Hubert caused issues on set. For years, the two actors didn't speak to each other. However, But they resolved their feud when Smith and the cast reunited on the Max special that aired in 2020. And Hubert and Smith just came together once again for the latter's book event, and fans are loving that "there is healing here."

It’s beautiful that the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air special to spark the emotional conversation between Will Smith and Janet Hubert that led to them making up. By clearing the air and acknowledging that they’re both different people than when they were years ago, they could start anew. The love between the two was truly palpable in an Instagram video that showed the two reuniting at Hubert’s book event for her pilot-to-series feature JC and the BC Kids. Take a look at the wholesome video of the pair who truly seem like family:

Isn't that the sweetest thing? As you can see in the video, the stars warmly embraced each other and then started catching up. From there, the Sweet Magnolias star invited her TV nephew to the stage to help promote her book, and he read sections of JC and the BC Kids. The Oscar winner also had a cute moment, as he kindly had the kids in the audience chant a shout-out to the children's book’s author. It looked like a very heartwarming event not just because of the reunion but because it appeared the kids could feel empowered to be their true selves as well.

I’m not the only one who got a kick out of watching the inspirational book event. A number of Instagram users loved watching this sweet reunion unfold before their eyes. Take a look at the praiseworthy comments below:

• blacktvsitcoms- 🫶🏾 We love to see it. There is healing here. Love to see the support for Janet aka OG Aunt Viv.
• lexxistalking- This is what forgiveness and maturity looks like. So healthy ❤
• nicole_svnhwb- I love seeing this. Forgiveness & reconciliation IS possible.
• thejessiewoo- I smiled so hard this entire clip. I need Kleenex! 🥹☺️❤️
• julesaujus- I love how you have reconnected with her ❤ it was such a beautiful reunion to witness.

All of these comments are absolutely right that forgiveness and growing up is the right path to take. It likely wasn’t for Will Smith and Janet Hubert to meet and have their deep conversation after decades of not seeing each other. They spoke about the real reason Fresh Prince’s OG Aunt Viv left the show, which was due to a bad deal she was given in the third season. As part of that, she was to only get two weeks of work for two months. As the sitcom actress was pregnant at the time with a husband out of work, she left the NBC comedy contrary to reports that she was fired. 

The tension between the two allegedly started when Will Smith reportedly made negative comments about the actress, which made it hard for her to find work after her exit. But, now that the I, Robot star is an older adult with three kids of his own, he admitted on the special to being more understanding of Janet Hubert’s tough situation now than he was back then. 

Following the reunion, the Fresh Prince stars' relationship now seems to be better than ever, as they frequently text each other. The A-lister also sends love to his Aunt Viv any chance he gets like when giving her a shout-out for their impactful reunion or sending Ms. Hubert a cute birthday message It’s a huge relief that the two former co-stars are friends again.

Will Smith and Janet Hubert reuniting for her special book project shows that talking through your problems can be incredibly invaluable. And fans will surely continue to be grateful that Hubert and Smith found their ways back into each other's good graces. 

All episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as well as The Fresh Prince Reunion are available to stream with a Max subscription. And make sure to take a look at our 2024 TV schedule for information on shows returning and premiering this year.

Alfonso Ribeiro is synonymous with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and also is with Dancing with the Stars. And the two shows collided in a way that made sense a few years ago. During his time as a contestant on the ABC dance competition, Ribeiro performed the Carlton dance on air, to much delight. This time, the DWTS co-host reunited with former dance partner Witney Carson to dance to the Fresh Prince theme. After the video went viral on TikTok, Riberio’s friend and former co-star, Will Smith, had some thoughts.

DWTS fans couldn’t hold back their excitement as Witney Carson posted her reunion video with her colleague on her TikTok. However, the former dance partners didn't simply recreate their memorable jazz number from 2014. This time, they substituted Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual” for the iconic TV theme song. Watch the duo nail a 2023 version of the iconic routine in the viral clip below:

Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson's reprisal of their acclaimed dance number seemingly warmed the hearts of many DWTS fans. The latter recently guest starred on the TV dancing competition after taking a break for personal reasons. So it's lovely that the duo made the time to shoot the dance video, and it's not surprising the moment went viral. Its virality led to the Fresh Prince alum posting the reunion on his Instagram account. Upon seeing Ribeiro's update, Will Smith decided to comment on the stellar routine, saying:

There’s nothing like a boost from a friend to make you feel good. Of course, the Oscar winner spent many years watching the America’s Funniest Home Videos host do the “Carlton” regularly on set. Will Smith cheering on Ribeiro was sweet, especially considering the latter never taught the former the actual dance. As the Emancipation star commented, the TV host has still got the moves years later. Everything was just as smooth as the original routine. That shouldn’t be surprising with the Carlton Banks' actors dancing background. However, the viral clip still marked a full-circle moment of sorts as his two worlds collided again.

What's even more special is that the clip is a reminder of the actor and media personality's journey from DWTS performer to co-host. Now, I'm wondering if Fresh Prince fans will see him break out into some moves if he appears on the dramatic reimagining, Bel-Air. At present, though, viewers may have to wait for more dancing from Alfonso Ribeiro as DWTS Season 32 just concluded. That is, unless he posts a dance video not related to the show in the meantime.

If you want to catch up on Dancing with the Stars, get a Hulu or Disney+ subscription. Once you’re done, revisit Will Smith and Alfonso Ribeiro’s time as frenemy cousins on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which is streaming for Max subscribers. Also, check out our 2024 TV schedule to stay in the know on what the stars have coming up.

When your favorite TV show is said and done, it’s kind of hard to pick which episode is the best of the bunch. But that’s exactly what we’re here to discuss, as according to the voters at IMDb, there’s a definitive answer for the highest rated episodes for 32 of beloved TV series like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Friends. Prepare to be amazed by these potential conversation/argument starters! 

“Ozymandias” - Breaking Bad - Season 5

In Breaking Bad’s five seasons of TV, the Rian Johnson directed “Ozymandias” is easily the victor. A perfect 10/10 in its IMDb vote, many have heralded this chapter of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and his crime saga as the finest. Which is probably because of all the acclaim spotlighting one word that this installment seems to embody: “payoff.”

“Plan And Execution” - Better Call Saul - Season 6

Much like its predecessor Breaking Bad, it’s the setup to the punchline that made Better Call Saul’s crown jewel a fan favorite. “Plan and Execution” is so close to the finale that you can feel the series’ finality, but at the same time you might be surprised to know that the climactic betrayal and death of Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) was actually the mid-season finale of Bob Odenkirk’s swan song.

“Connor’s Wedding” - Succession - Season 4

How was Succession ever going to send out Logan Roy (Brian Cox) with a bang? Well, in the episode “Connor’s Wedding,” the answer was simple: you kill him by surprise, and early on in the final season. Stuff the episode with the sort of tragically awkward Succession moments that we all know and love, and you’ve got a recipe for a story that brings down the house.

“Finale” - The Office - Season 9

The Office’s series finale, aptly titled “Finale,” tied things up with a beautiful knot, which just happened to include Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) tying the knot. Also, Steve Carell’s big return as Michael Scott still circulates online as a true moment of joy from this landmark chapter. 

“Pine Barrens” - The Sopranos - Season 3

Even after The Sopranos pretty much answered the pressing question of whether or not Tony Soprano was wacked, Season 3’s “Pine Barrens” still contains an unsolved mystery. So on top of Steve Buscemi’s directorial chops, and watching Paulie (Tony Sirico) and Chris (Michael Imperioli) spend some time in those Jersey woods, people are probably still watching this episode in hopes of answering, “Is Valery dead, or not?” The world may never know.

“Modern Warfare” - Community - Season 1

What happens when a mile-a-minute pop culture joke machine like Community dedicates an entire episode to some of the best action movies of all time? Well, you’d get the Justin Lin directed “Modern Warfare,” an all-time heater that sees Jeff (Joel McHale) battling it out for priority registration. It’s an episode that blew people away so hard, that much like Die Hard, it got a couple sequels. 

“The Constant” - Lost - Season 4

Through Lost's best episodes, it was a series that bent people’s minds in all sorts of directions, and left them wanting more. “The Constant” is a firm example of that, as the time travel-centric episode went down the usual rabbit holes the show was known for. However, throwing in that romantic plot line between Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) and Penny (Sonya Walger) probably stuck the landing for this one in the hearts of fans. 

“The One Where Everybody Finds Out” - Friends - Season 5

It’s not hard to see why “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” is Friends’ highest-rated episode on IMDb. With Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) finally seeing their clandestine love affair outed to their whole group, it's a watershed moment for the pair. It's also considered one of Matthew Perry's best Friends episodes, so there's something else to consider.

“Everyone’s Waiting” - Six Feet Under

Would anyone be surprised to learn that Six Feet Under’s series finale “Everyone’s Waiting” is the highest rated entry? Alan Ball’s darkly comic dramedy about death went out on a fitting note, showing the entire Fisher family’s final fates. Sia’s “Breathe Me” still brings people to tears when thinking about it.

“How Your Mother Met Me” - How I Met Your Mother - Season 9

Getting the answer to who “The Mother” was in How I Met Your Mother was only the beginning of the road for the series’ endgame. With Season 9 bringing fans closer to Tracy (Cristin Milioti) and her marriage to Ted (Josh Radnor), “How Your Mother Met Me” took the time to fill us in on every hysterical and heartbreaking moment that led these two to each other.  

“Once More, With Feeling” - Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Season 6

There are several reasons “Once More, With Feeling” probably topped the list of Buffy the Vampire Slayer favorites. Known forever as “the musical episode,” the keen gimmick introduced us all to the silky smooth singing of Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) just as he was heading out the door. Also, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Spike (James Marsters) had their first actual, non-magically influenced kiss. 

“The Stockholm Syndrome” - The Big Bang Theory - Season 12

Sitcom characters are a good example of systems so delicate that the wrong type of change could sink them rather quickly. The Big Bang Theory managed to seemingly avoid that with its series finale “The Stockholm Syndrome,” which both gave Dr. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) everything he wanted, and the audience an ending they didn’t know they needed. Seeing a very married, and very loving Sheldon is the ingredient that more than likely made this curtain closer one fans still remember.

“The Contest” - Seinfeld - Season 4

When an episode of a sitcom happens to be so good it invents pop culture slang that still lands to this day, as well as finds itself referenced in an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, you know its done the trick. One of Seinfeld’s best episodes, “The Contest,” fits both of those bills, as the New York gang of idiots challenge each other in a very personal way. 

“Connection Lost” - Modern Family - Season 6

Sometimes, you need a good format breaker to keep things fresh. In the sixth season of Modern Family, the powers that be recognized that and gave us “Connection Lost,” a story where Claire (Julie Bowen) plays a literal game of telephone to investigate what may or may not be happening with daughter Haley (Sarah Hyland). 

"The Inner Light" - Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 5

"The Inner Light" is an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that's so popular, all you need is music to spark its memory within the fandom. A touching story of bittersweet devastation and empathy, this could be the episode that epitomizes who Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) is, and what he's always stood for in this landmark sci-fi franchise.

“Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” - The X-Files - Season 3

Story driven series like The X-Files sometimes strike it big with the occasional one-off episode. In the case of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s third season of action, “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” was one such episode, following the case of an insurance salesman (Peter Boyle) who knows when people are going to die. Properly spooky, but also slyly witty, it may be Mulder and Scully’s greatest victory against the show’s shadowy conspiracy. 

“Middle Ground” - The Wire - Season 3

“Middle Ground” is the type of episode that shows like The Wire live for. Well regarded by fans and critics alike, the Season 3 heater saw Stringer Bell (Idris Elba) ringing on the streets of Baltimore for the last time. With Omar (Michael K. Williams) helping punch his ticket, this endgame between these legendary characters is still the episode to beat.  

“The Suitcase” - Mad Men - Season 4

“THAT’S WHAT THE MONEY’S FOR!” You could probably hear a pin drop after Don (Jon Hamm) and Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) had their infamous argument over who deserved the true credit for the Glo Coat ad. “The Suitcase” saw perhaps the greatest fracture between this mentor/mentee team, and its effects would reverberate through to the series’ finale. Also, that quote did become one hell of a meme; so that helped in the longevity department of this Mad Men champion.

“Eye Of The Beholder” - The Twilight Zone - Season 2

Technically, The Twilight Zone has two episodes tied for the highest rating in its iconic collection of episodes. If you guessed Nightmare at 20,000 Feet as the technical tie, you’re absolutely correct. However it’s Season 2’s  “Eye of the Beholder” that still wins out, based on a higher volume of votes. And if you want to guess why that is, it’s probably because this episode has one of the biggest twist endings in Twilight Zone history, complete with truly frightening prosthetics.

“One Last Ride” - Parks and Recreation - Season 7

Sorry Parks and Rec fans, even with Chris Pratt’s legendary improv “Flu Season” isn’t the NBC series’ highest rated episode. Rather, the series finale “One Last Ride” is the best regarded installment of the pop culture hit. Though if you’re a true fan of the Amy Poehler-led ensemble series, you’re probably not sorry, as this is the episode that gave everyone a pretty happy ending.

“Two Cathedrals” - The West Wing - Season 2

“Two Cathedrals” is both one of the darkest hours and finest moments of President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen). The episode where he ponders running for another term, in light of an MS diagnosis and the loss of close friend and colleague Mrs. Landingham (Kathryn Joosten). The reason this episode is the top of the class is, unquestionably, Sheen’s enraged monologue in discussion with God; which became a real bilingual tongue lashing of fury.

“Papa’s Got A Brand New Excuse” - The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air - Season 4

If you ever need inspiration to cry in a rush, put on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’s Season 4 episode “Papa’s Got A Brand New Excuse.” When you get to the end, in which Will (Will Smith) expresses his heartbreak of being abandoned by his father again, you’ll understand why this is the episode that still has fans singing its praises.

“11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.” - 24 - Season 1

24 was a massive cultural hit when it first premiered, and eventually spawned the story of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and the worst days in his life. The best rated episode of his adventures, “11:00 pm - 12:00 am” saw Jack’s deadly battle with the Drazen family come to an explosive conclusion; but at a cost. With the loss of his wife Teri (Leslie Hope) and the escape of traitor Nina Meyers (Sarah Clarke), the path of his life would be set for years to come.

“Crossroads: Part 2” - Battlestar Galactica - Season 3

Talk about a “payoff” episode, as Battlestar Galactica's "Crossroads: Part 2" not only brought Starbuck (Katee Sackoff) back from the dead, it also revealed the Final Five Cylons hiding among the Galactica’s crew.  So depending on where your head is at as a fan, you’ve got two different reasons to choose from, and both lead to Earth! 

“Happy Ending” - Schitt’s Creek - Season 6

When a comedy can make you laugh as much as Schitt’s Creek has, the ability to make the audience cry in-between laughing fits is seen as a bit of a superpower. “Happy Ending” closed out the ensemble series with tears of joy and sadness, as David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) finally got married. With the Rose family splitting off for fates unknown, a truly happy ending was had as all of our favorite characters grew into the beautiful beings we saw in this final frame.

“On The Beach” - ER - Season 8

Good luck talking about this episode of ER without breaking into tears. Serving as the tearful goodbye to Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards), watching a dear friend make peace with his mistakes before his death was a heart smasher. To this day, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole’s cover of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” is an easy emotional trigger. 

“Abyssinia, Henry” - M*A*S*H - Season 3

M*A*S*H is a unique animal. “Abyssinia, Henry” proves that point rather well, as the departure of Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) went from bittersweet to downright devastating. With the series regular dying in a finale that even surprised the cast, you could imagine how fans felt when they first saw it.

“Raincoats And Recipes” - Gilmore Girls - Season 4

Gilmore Girls fans, you know exactly why you voted “Raincoats and Recipes” as the top rated episode on IMDb. If you’re a fan of Lorelai (Lauren Graham), you love this episode because it’s her first kiss with Luke (Scott Patterson). If you’re on Team Rory (Alexis Bledel), then the rather complicated moment of her and Dean (Jared Padalecki) trying to “salvage their friendship” is probably the high point.

“An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux” - Sex and the City - Season 6

Before both movies and the formation of the legacy-quel And Just LIke That would change history, Sex and the City landed its grand finale with “An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux” as Carrie's (Sarah Jessica Parker) fairy tale reunion with Mr. Big (Chris Noth) seemed like the happy ending fated from square one.

“Always” - Friday Night Lights - Season 5

The last dance with Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his East Dillon Lions resulted in “Always,” the series finale to the ever popular Friday Night Lights. With a State Championship on the line, as well as Coach’s own future in football, the results weren’t the draw for those who followed the show. It was, as always, about clear eyes and full hearts. 

“Lucy Does A TV Commercial” - I Love Lucy - Season 1

Legendary sitcoms like I Love Lucy have those gags that always land on t-shirts, trivia questions, and fan favorite roundups. “Lucy Does A TV Commercial” gave the world one such moment, as Lucy (Lucile Ball) talks her way into a medicine commercial for Vitameatavegamin. Let’s just say the side effects of that elixir are what make this episode very “poopular.”  

“One For The Road” - Cheers - Season 11

There is no Cheers without Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Full stop, no exceptions. The series finale “One For The Road” got that right out of the gate, and seeing Sam realize it in the closing moments is probably why fans love it so much. It’s good to know that there’s always somewhere where everybody knows your name.

Fans know what they love from their favorite series, and the episodes that top the charts only prove it. So remember that whenever your favorite show takes its final bow, it'll eventually be contributing to the history of moments and plotlines like the ones shown above.

Will Smith is easily one of the biggest stars in all of Hollywood. As a rapper, he’s produced hit songs and, as an actor, he’s headlined countless box office hits. Of course, his acting career was launched in earnest by The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The hit NBC sitcom (which can be streamed with a Max subscription) turned Smith into a household name and remains popular over two decades after the conclusion of its run. The star had a number of memorable experiences while making the show, but what might be the most notable tale is the one involving the audition that landed him the part. There’s a wild story behind how Smith became a primetime mainstay, and it involves Quincy Jones as well as a party. 

Now, when an actor typically goes out for a role, there’s a formal audition process that involves callbacks. The Philadelphia native, of course, isn’t the typical star and because of that, hasn’t always found himself in the most normal circumstances. After all, by the time the notion of him leading the now-iconic Fresh Prince came into the picture, he was already a well-known hip-hop artist. So it shouldn’t be all too shocking that he earned his role under less-than-usual circumstances. So without further ado, let’s talk all about how this star’s life got even more flipped-turned upside down. 

Will Smith Was Facing Financial Struggles Before He Landed His Sitcom Role

Before we get to the meat of all this, we need to set the stage. So while the Philadelphia native was already a successful rapper by the late ‘80s, his finances weren’t looking all that good at the time. The I Am Legend star opened up about this in a YouTube vlog back in 2018. As he quipped, “Before I was in trouble with Uncle Phil, I was in trouble with Uncle Sam.” The actor explained that after he and collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff struck gold with hit singles, he spent money frivolously. He bought “motorcycles and cars” and even closed out the Gucci store in Atlanta for his friends. Those monetary moves paired with an unsuccessful song were what landed him in hot water:

Will Smith’s situation was looking mighty grim, but a suggestion from his then-girlfriend turned out to be just what he needed. She proposed he should go to The Arsenio Hall Show and hang out, as celebrities and Hollywood bigwigs were typically there. Though Smith was hesitant, he took her advice and, while he was at a taping, he met a man by the name of Benny Medina. For those who are unaware, Medina conceived The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which was inspired by his experiences as a Black teen living with a rich white family in Beverly Hills. Medina and Smith ultimately hit it off and, while the music man had no true acting experience, the exec thought he’d be perfect. Of course, Smith would then have to meet with a few other people, including the man who helped Medina get the show greenlit – Quincy Jones. 

The Would-Be Sitcom Star Auditioned For The Show During A Major Party At Quincy Jones’ House

So as fate would have it, in December 1989, Quincy Jones was throwing a birthday party for himself at his home. Will Smith and Benny Medina conversed even more while at the shindig and, as the actor explained during The Fresh Prince Reunion in 2020, that’s where Medina formally pitched the show to him. The young man soon met Jones himself, who was a big fan of his. As Smith put it, the music mega producer had “wet his beak,” so he was really enthusiastic when he and Medina began discussing the proposed sitcom with him:

From there, Quincy Jones took the star into his office, which was filled with posters from his famous productions like Michael Jackson’s Thriller and The Color Purple. Not only that, but Jones' numerous Grammys were also on display – and that intimidated Will Smith even more. To say that he was hesitant would be an understatement, but he changed his tune, so to speak, after Jones made an appeal: 

Alfonso Ribeiro talked about being embarrassed by his own audition, but one could argue that the pressure he felt was nothing compared to what’s described above. But in the end, everything seemed to work out. 

What Happened With The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air After That Crazy Audition?

In time, the rest of the Fresh Prince cast was assembled, and the pilot for the series was shot three months after the party at Quincy Jones’. In September 1990, the show premiered, and the rest is TV history. This must-see sitcom eventually found an audience and wrapped its successful six-season run in 1996, with a two-part series finale. Though it’s been out of production for well over two decades, it’s remained relevant, thanks to streaming and syndication. 

Viewers’ continued love for the series is ultimately what sparked the creation of Bel-Air, a dramatic “reimaging” of the sitcom that premiered in 2022. The program, which is available to Peacock subscribers, received mostly positive reviews from critics and general audiences. While it’s much different from its predecessor, the show maintains the same emotional core. 

In short, this small-screen franchise is a major piece of pop culture, and you can’t help but wonder if it would’ve still been a hit had Will Smith not been the person playing the lead role. We’ll never know how it would’ve worked out, but I think I speak for a lot of people when I say thank goodness he went through with that audition at Quincy Jones’ party. 

In addition to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, you can watch the reunion special on Max as well. You can also read about other great Black ‘90s sitcoms and where to stream them.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reached its 33rd anniversary this year, but that doesn’t mean that star Will Smith has officially let go of sitting on the throne as the Prince of Bel-Air. He recently did some mad freestyling for his son, Jaden Smith, which proves the Fresh Prince still exists.

Performing the lyrics to the theme song of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air can bring out your inner millennial, but the best rappers are the ones that can freestyle like Will Smith. He showed off to his son that the Fresh Prince is alive and well. Take a look at the freestyles of the ‘90s TV star in his Instagram video down below.

Will Smith is laying down some impressive rhymes in this video to his son, who’s laughing the entire time as he watches his dad. The caption of his Instagram states “Sometimes you gotta remind these youngins ;-)” He created one of the best-selling rap albums of all time “Big Willie Style.” Not to mention, he won four Grammys for his rap performances. Smith spoke to young audiences that “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.” 

The I, Robot star’s right-hand man Jazzy Jeff commented on the post, “Let them forget…We’ll remind them…” That’s a good way of looking at it. A lot of the Instagram commenters praised the Hancock actor on rapping without profanity. In the past, Will Smith took a lot of heat for his clean lyrics, but he paid no mind to it as he remembered the words of his Gigi. After she took a look at Smith's original raps when he was 12, she advised him not to curse in his songs to show his intelligence better that way. It didn’t matter to Smith if fans called him “soft,” “corny,” or “not Black enough.” He cared more about what his grandmother thought. 

Since The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was a big part of Will Smith’s life, I'm sure Jaden Smith is not without constant reminders of his dad’s celebrated show. But that just means The Karate Kid star has plenty of puns to throw at his dad. He once gave a major Fresh Prince burn sending his After Earth co-star a photo of him wearing a Sixers crop top on an episode. This picture can be a useful weapon against any fashion critiques his father may give him. 

Then, there was the time The Get Down star had a funny comment to a Fresh Prince post that showed a mural of his dad based on the show with graffiti in the background and a literal bush of hair. So, it appears that Jaden Smith has plenty of hilarious shade to give to his dad about his time on the show when he needs to use it.

Despite the best performances Will Smith has given us with his movies, The Fresh Prince is still here with his freestyle rapping saying it all. If you’d like to explore Will Smith’s early television roots, you can watch episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on your Hulu subscription, Paramount+ subscription, and Max subscription. Take a look at our 2023 TV schedule so you don’t miss out on the latest shows and premieres. 

We are well into the era of widespread TV reboots and revivals, with so many classic series making returns happen in recent years, either with a new cast or the cast we all know and love. NBC's hit '90s sitcom Blossom is one of the more highly anticipated in-development comebacks, with star Mayim Bialik announcing in May that a reunion series was in the works, and her latest update revealed an unexpected change, as the project seems to be taking cues from Will Smith's NBC sitcom Fresh Prince, which was rebooted as the Peacock drama Bel-Air.

Far ahead of her Big Bang Theory success, and the stint of normal life between roles, Mayim Bialik portrayed the titular Blossom Ruby Russo on the beloved series, and confirmed to Vanity Fair that a new series centered on the character is, in fact, in the works, and with plenty of familiar faces involved. However, fans shouldn't expect the same laughs the original series brought, as this one is going a little bit darker and deeper with its storytelling. In her words:

The series sounds like it’s going to be pretty different from the original, and more on par with Bel-Air than a direct revival. Despite being a reboot of Will Smith’s Fresh Prince, the Peacock original dives deep into issues such as racial tension, culture shock, and more. While the new Blossom will likely still have the heart fans remember, it’s going to put a lot of focus into deeper issues, which will set it apart from the original but still bring back fans who watch it back in the ‘90s.

During Blossom’s run, the show was praised for addressing serious topics such as family dysfunction, addiction, sex, depression, sexual assault, gun violence, and more. It’s definitely hard to cover such serious topics while on a sitcom. While most sitcoms do cover serious topics, including that many and doing it in a way that is authentic and organic is rare, which is why Blossom got much praise for doing so. Not to mention the fact that it also centered on a teenage girl, which was also rare at its time.

Blossom starred an ensemble cast that also included Joey Lawerence, Michael Stoyanov, Jenna von Oÿ, David Lascher, Portia Dawson, Barnard Hughes, Finola Hughes, Courtney Chase, and Ted Wass. While the cast is on board for the new series, it’s still unknown how much involvement they will have. At least they are on board, which is better than nothing. Whatever happens with the new Blossom, it already sounds like it’s going to be a series you won’t want to miss. Even if it is a little different.

Not much information about the Blossom reboot has been revealed other than what to expect. With the WGA strike concluded, the SAG-AFTRA strike needs to end so that production can eventually commence. Once that happens, more details will surely come out about exactly which direction the new project will take. 

The wait will be well worth it, hopefully, but fans can watch the original Blossom with a Hulu subscription in the meantime.

There are so many beloved sitcoms that made their debuts in the ‘90s, from Living Single and Saved by the Bell to Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond. Of course, you can’t talk about that roster of sitcoms without bringing The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air into the mix. The hit NBC show not only served as an appropriately fresh addition to the network’s lineup years ago, but it helped launch lead actor Will Smith into true Hollywood stardom. That’s probably one of the reasons why he still has so much affection for the show today. With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Smith found a way to celebrate Fresh Prince’s 33rd anniversary. 

It’s hard to believe it’s been over 30 years since Will Smith and the Bel Air-based Banks family were introduced to avid TV watchers. Some may not have known what to expect from Fresh Prince ahead of its premiere but, in time, it solidified itself as appointment-viewing TV. There are plenty of recognizable elements from the show, including Will’s fresh Jordans (which he begged for) as well as Alfonso Ribeiro’s Carlton Dance – a diddy that’s inspired flash mobs. There’s also the mansion, which was used in the show’s exterior shots throughout its six-season run and has become iconic itself. So it’s fitting that Smith posted a photo of himself in front of the mansion to mark the anniversary. Check out his Instagram post – complete with perfect caption – below: 

It should be pointed out that this isn’t actually a recent photo of the 54-year old actor. This snapshot was taken in 2020, during which he and the rest of the Fresh Prince cast toured the house ahead of their reunion special. Interestingly enough, the house is actually located in Los Angeles and has been available for rent via Airbnb. That home’s actual location, however, doesn’t diminish its connection to the Bel Air-set series, though. You can also watch the video of the stars’ tour:

Will Smith’s post about the anniversary may be short, but it’s also sweet. It’s funny how time passes and, for some, it must be surreal to think that it’s been 33 years since the pilot dropped. Admittedly, I wasn’t around when the show first hit the airwaves. (I came along a few years later.). However, like so many others, as I grew older, I discovered the show through syndication and adore it today. The fact that the sitcom has managed to reach multiple generations is a true testament to the efforts of its cast and crew.

Over the years, the I Am Legend star has been open about his experiences in front of and behind the camera while working on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He’s discussed a myriad of topics, including the NSFW advice his late father gave him while he was on set. The Oscar winner opened up even more during the Fresh Prince Reunion, even discussing his past issues with (and the eventual departure of) OG Aunt Viv actress Janet Hubert. (He and Hubert ultimately made amends during the retrospective.) And the show continues to permeate the actor’s life in other unique ways. For instance, his son, Jaden, designed a fashion piece inspired by one of Will’s most embarrassing (and hilarious) moments on the show.

The comedy series has a firm legacy, and it’s being built upon, thanks to the dramatic reimagining, Bel-Air, which is streamable with a Peacock subscription. You love to see that this franchise is still thriving after over three decades and that Will Smith still has no problem hyping up the production that made him a star. Here’s hoping fans continue to indulge in its humor and warmth for 33 more years.

Those who want to celebrate The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s 33rd birthday can do so by streaming episodes from all six seasons using a Max subscription.

As one of the most famous entertainers in Hollywood — both for better and for worse — Will Smith is no doubt very used to seeing a wide array of loving tributes from fans everywhere he goes. And obviously not just for one certain topic, but for a variety of celebrated efforts in the worlds of movies, music, TV and beyond. But it’s hard to top the artistic bliss delivered by the super-talented muralist Fábio Gomes Trindade, who honored Smith’s ‘90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with his highly unique public art, and Jaden Smith had an amusing response after his dad posted about it.

The Brazilian artist has an impressive knack for painting wall murals that repurpose overhanging trees and bushes as the hair for whatever subject he happens to be depicting. he  recently shared the photo and video of his Fresh Prince homage, which is both an excellent representation of Will Smith on top of being a nifty way to make an otherwise unremarkable space pop. Check out the video of him in action below! 

Magnificent, isn’t it? Trindade has certainly captured some gorgeous visages through many other works, but perhaps none with a subject as widely known as Will Smith’s. And when it comes to fan art, few projects can compare with the scope, size, ingenuity, and public access as these finely crafted wall paintings. Which makes Jaden Smith’s response so amusing in its spot-on-ness, while also still being a major understatement.  

Like, Will Smith could already boast tons of examples of his decades of fame and mass wealth by way of houses, vehicles and other expensive purchases, but those kinds of physical goods could also be boasted by tons of other monoliths of affluence. But how many of those same people can claim they're also the subject of a stellar painting like the ones crafted by Fábio Gomes Trindade? Flex on, Big Willie Style.

Earlier in the summer, Jaden Smith addressed his and other family members’ use of psychedelics, saying that his mom Jada Pinkett Smith was the one responsible for introducing those trippy vibes to everyone. Regardless of how that started, I have to think it would be a blast to go on a shroom or LSD ride in a space near where Fábio Gomes Trindade would be working on his latest piece. 

The King Richard actor's message about the painting wasn't so flex-forward, but rather complimentary about Trindade himself. Here's how he captioned his  Instagram post:

And Jaden wasn't the only familiar face who responded to Will Smith's post. Fellow Fresh Prince vet Daphne Reid chimed in as well with appreciation for both the artist and the subject, saying:

While no one is turning a palm tree into Jaden Smith’s hair just yet, it’s always a possibility. The musician is currently in Japan to help launch the first collaboration between his clothing brand MSFTSrep and the sportswear company New Balance, which will build upon past partnerships that Smith himself had with NB. 

Anyone hoping to relive Will Smith’s ‘90s hair in its prime can rewatch episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on streaming with a Max subscription.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was as famous for its family-friendly comedy as for its celebrity cameos. Pop culture figures like Naomi Campbell and The Jeffersons’ Sherman Hemsley appeared throughout the series' run. However, there allegedly was one potential celebrity cameo that never made it past the pitch process. Will Smith reportedly rejected Drag Race’s RuPaul from appearing on the NBC sitcom.

The allegation was made by former Fresh Prince executive producer David Steven Simon in author Thea Glassman’s book Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek: How Seven Teen Shows Transformed Television. According to What’s Trending, the alleged matter came up as Simon spoke about his time on the series. Having the legendary drag performer on the NBC sitcom was Simon’s idea as RuPaul was a rising star in the 1990s. Before this suggestion, the producer reported Smith had never rejected a guest star pitch. He recalled Smith’s alleged reaction, saying:

Simon’s claim could be taken multiple ways. Neither the Drag Race host nor the Oscar winner have responded to the former executive producer's comments over the reportedly axed cameo. He also wasn’t done giving his thoughts on the rejected celebrity cameo. The Hollywood producer gave his take on the alleged reason why the Emancipation star didn’t want to share the screen with RuPaul:

Simon’s comment doesn’t paint Will Smith in the best light. Smith was still entrenched in the hip-hop culture during The Fresh Prince’s early days. Homophobia was rampant in rap music as derogatory slurs and phrases toward the LGBTQ community were commonplace. Still, the claim about Smith not wanting RuPaul on his show has not been confirmed by either party. Even Smith didn’t mention the story in his best-selling autobiography Will.

While fans wait to see if either Will Smith or RuPaul address the allegations, both icons have multiple projects coming up. RuPaul is currently appearing in Drag Race All-Stars Season 8, airing on MTV every Friday. He will be featured in one of 2023’s upcoming movies, Trolls Band Together, arriving in theaters on November 17. You can also find RuPaul's Drag Race and various other shows in the franchise streaming on Paramount+. 

As for Will Smith, he is currently filming the sequel to Bad Boys for Life, which has no release date just yet. You can revisit The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air through streaming platforms like Hulu and Max. Bel-Air is only streaming on Peacock, however, with Smith credited as an executive producer. If you're in the market for some new viewing options this summer, check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule.

When it comes to the latest and greatest in streaming services, there’s no one doing it quite as well as Max, originally known as HBO Max, which is certainly one of the best streaming services to subscribe to. If you happen to have a Max subscription, you’re certainly going to want to take advantage of any of these shows that are on there available to binge right now, some of which are coming out as part of the 2025 TV schedule whether you’re into high-stakes dramas or something that’s a little more family friendly. Let’s get into it.

Fun For The Whole Family

From Teen Titans to some of the best sitcoms out there, here are the best family friendly shows that you can watch on Max right now.

Friends

Probably one of the most iconic TV series of all time, Friends follows a group of friends in their mid-twenties living in New York City and trying to just survive and find their own paths, all while relying on each other along the way. The Friends cast is filled to the brim with talent and all went on to have great careers, and while some of the jokes can be a bit risque, the show still has plenty for families to enjoy.

Stream Friends on Max.

Abbott Elementary

You’ll be feeling that Philly love by the end of this hilarious series. Abbott Elementary takes place at the fictional school in Philadelphia, and follows both the professional and personal lives of the teachers and employees there in a classic mockumentary way. The series has earned several awards, and is absolutely hilarious for the whole family.

Stream Abbott Elementary on Max.

The Big Bang Theory

Think Friends, but with socially inept physicists. The Big Bang Theory follows a group of Caltech graduates who try to solve the mysteries of the universe, but they can’t really do much from their little apartment while struggling to even talk to women. However, when a new neighbor moves in across the hall, everything changes.

Stream The Big Bang Theory on Max.

Adventure Time

I really don’t think I can recommend Adventure Time enough. This show is probably one of the best kids/family shows of the two decades, following the tales of Jake the Dog and Finn the Human as they travel across vast lands to take on the ultimate adventures. The series was so popular it inspired a spinoff series called Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake – but that one is more for adults. Stick to the original Adventure Time for the kids.

Stream Adventure Time on Max.

Full House

It doesn’t really get more family friendly than Full House. Starring the wonderful Full House cast, the show mainly focuses on the widowed Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) and his three daughters, as he raises them from little girls to beautiful young women with the help of his friends.

Stream Full House on Max.

Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

In West Philadelphia, born and raised, a legend was born with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Starring Will Smith, the iconic sitcom follows a native Philadelphian who travels to Bel-Air in order to stay out of the trouble he was getting into at home, and live with his uncle and his family, causing mayhem as time goes on.

Stream The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Max.

Looney Tunes

I mean, obviously. This iconic series is probably one of the most known cartoons of all time and it pretty much shaped my childhood. Looney Tunes follows a cast of cartoon characters on the most wacky adventures, like Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and many more that I’m sure everyone reading this article knows about. Do I even need to get into why you should watch it? Just watch it. Your family will laugh your butt off.

Stream Looney Tunes on Max.

Regular Show

Hailing originally from Cartoon Network, Regular Show follows the day to day lives of Mordecai and Rigby, anthropomorphic animals who have jobs at the local park as groundskeepers and have to deal with their intense boss, Benson, on a daily basis. As someone who watched this show as a kid, it’s hilarious.

Stream Regular Show on Max.

Big Drama, Crimes Of Passion, And More

Backstabbings, intense fantasy, and so much more – here are the best dramas on the platform that you can watch.

True Blood

Based on the novels, The Southern Vampire Mysteries, this series was a HUGE hit for HBO when it came out. True Blood follows the lives of vampires who are able to live amongst the general public when a synthetic blood product helps them, and how they fight for fair rights while several humans fight against them – all while a human and a vampire fall in love.

Stream True Blood on Max.

Succession

One of the most successful dramas of the last few years is Succession. With four seasons to watch, it follows the story of the wealthy Roy family and the patriarch's work to figure out who is the next one best fit to run their media conglomerate, Waystar Royco. With the great Succession cast, there is so much to love about this show.

Stream Succession on Max.

The West Wing

In this political drama, we mainly follow the (fictitious) U.S. presidency of Josiah Bartlet. Throughout seven seasons, we see what truly happens in the west wing of the White House – and the drama that goes on behind the scenes.

Stream The West Wing on Max.

The Pitt

Starring Noah Wyle, The Pitt is the kind of medical drama that I think all of us love, and since it’s so new, I need to talk about it as much as possible, especially since it was just renewed for Season 2. The series is done incredibly well on Max, and follows a single work-night at an emergency department in Pittsburgh, where each episode is one hour of the 15-hour shift. Yeah, this is serious, and every episode is so incredibly well-done.

Stream The Pitt on Max.

Love And Death

What would you do for love? Kill someone? Love and Death, starring Elizabeth Olsen, is the true story of Candy Montgomery, and how she supposedly murdered the wife of the man she was having an affair with, and the criminal case that came from it.

Stream Love and Death on Max.

Boardwalk Empire

Taking place during the 1920s and ‘30s, Boardwalk Empire mainly follows the life of Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, who controls Atlantic City during the Prohibition era and the people (and criminals) he runs into during the time period there. The series earned critical acclaim for its five seasons.

Stream Boardwalk Empire on Max.

The Wire

One of the most popular HBO original shows of all time, The Wire is a crime drama that takes place in the city of Baltimore, and details how crime affects the city, with the stories of a number of criminals, cops, and civilians all explored.

Stream The Wire on Max.

Dune: Prophecy

Oh, you knew this would be on here somehow. Set in the same universe as the Dune films and set as a prequel, the series follows the story of the Bene Gesserit, a group of powerful individuals who gain abilities after years of laborious training. There’s already a Season 2 in the works after the successful first season.

Stream Dune: Prophecy on Max.

The Last Of Us

With Season 2 coming out in 2025, now’s the time to watch The Last of Us. The show, starring the talented The Last of Us cast, follows Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a man who is assigned to bring a special young woman all the way across the United States in a world that is infested by monsters and creatures that can kill you in seconds flat, all of which used to be humans.

Stream The Last of Us on Max.

Game of Thrones

What can I say about Game of Thrones that hasn’t already been said? When the king of Westeros suddenly dies, it’s an all out war to see who is the next to sit on the Iron Throne. There are backstabbers, betrayals and so much more in this epic HBO series that made the Game of Thrones cast incredibly popular.

Stream Game of Thrones on Max.

House Of The Dragon

So you’ve watched Game of Thrones but you’re not that satisfied by that ending and you’re still looking for that dragon fix – then this is the show for you. House of the Dragon takes place about two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, and follows the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of Dragons, where two heirs to the throne fight for power. There are two full seasons you can watch as we all wait for House of the Dragon Season 3.

Stream House of the Dragon on Max.

The Outsider

This limited series is the kind of show that will make you shudder. The Outsider is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, and is a psychological thriller-horror that follows the story of how a local town tries to solve a young boy’s brutal murder, but there are strange forces surrounding it that turn everything upside down.

Stream The Outsider on Max.

Big Little Lies

When a murder occurs in a small town, it turns the lives of a group of mothers who never thought this would ever happen upside down – especially when they get tangled up in the murder investigation.

Stream Big Little Lies on Max.

Watchmen

Based on the comics of the same name, Watchmen is the kind of dystopian drama that you will absolutely love because I adored it. The series takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma and follows a detective as she looks into the resurgence of a white supremacist group that leads to her finding conspiracy after conspiracy about vigilantes and the plans that run deeper than she ever could have imagined.

Stream Watchmen on Max.

The Sopranos

Arguably one of the best TV shows of all time, The Sopranos is a crime drama mainly following Tony Soprano, a mafia leader, and how he struggles to somehow be a normal everyday man for his family while also keeping the criminals who work for and with him in line.

Stream The Sopranos on Max.

Comedies Of All Kinds

Max has plenty of comedies to laugh at, whether you want something lighter or as dark as comedy can get. Here are the best.

The Boondocks

Based on a comic strip, The Boondocks is an animated show and mainly follows Huey and Riley Freeman as they live their lives in a dysfunctional family after settling into a white neighborhood, offering different takes on social commentary such as stereotypes, social classes and more.

Stream The Boondocks on Max.

Sex And The City

Starring the impeccably talented Sex and the City cast, the show mainly follows Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), a sex/relationship column writer, and her escapades in NYC with her friends (who are in their thirties and forties) as they navigate life, love, and their professions. There’s even a spinoff series called And Just Like That…

Stream Sex and the City on Max.

Barry

Starring Bill Hader, Barry tells the story of the titular character, Barry Berkman, a former Marine who turns to a life of crime in order to make money, but when he travels to Los Angeles for a target that he must kill, he finds his life completely turned upside down by the theater community. The series is entirely complete, so you should check it out.

Stream Barry on Max.

Rick And Morty

Get in on all the inside jokes and Rick Sanchez being the absolute worst. Rick and Morty follows the titular characters as they travel through the galaxy together as grandfather and grandson – while getting into tons of hilarious trouble along the way.

Stream Rick and Morty on Max.

The White Lotus

With two complete seasons and a third one currently airing, The White Lotus is the perfect show to get into if you’re looking for a great comedy that’s a little more mature. Originally a limited series but turned into an anthology because of how popular it was, each season follows vacationers who travel to The White Lotus, a luxurious hotel chain across the world, and the drama they get into. The first season takes place in Hawaii, while the second is in Italy, and the third is currently in Thailand.

Stream The White Lotus on Max.

Veep

Veep is the political satire show that you want to see. Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as well as the incredible Veep cast, the show mainly follows her Selina Meyer as the Vice President of the United States, and how she has to deal with a ridiculous president, and all her crazy political co-workers in a modern day America.

Stream Veep on Max.

South Park

Come on down to South Park, we’ll have ourselves a time! South Park is the iconic animated dark comedy that has gone on for many, many years now, mainly following Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman, fourth-graders who get into trouble consistently at home, whether that means starting the whole COVID-19 pandemic, impersonating Hitler, or something else crazy.

Stream South Park on Max.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Last but not least, we need to take a look at Curb Your Enthusiasm. Starring Larry David, the show takes a fictionalized look at his life, following the man as a semi-retired writer and producer living in L.A., as he gets up to trouble with his former co-workers, other actors, and so much more – all while making you laugh your butt off. There are twelve seasons in its entirety, so check it out.

Stream Curb Your Enthusiasm on Max.

There are truly so many shows to watch on Max, and this is just the beginning of what you could check out. No matter what you pick, you will be entertained for hours.

Bel-Air is the gift that keeps on giving as the Fresh Prince revamp has spawned constant online chatter. The viewers’ response and stellar streaming numbers led to the series getting a third-season renewal, and upon hearing the good news, Bel-Air’s Jabari Banks and his co-stars took to the internet to react to the announcement.

The renewal news first came to light courtesy of Deadline. As soon as the news broke, the Bel-Air cast took to the internet to celebrate the exciting announcement. Of course, the first one to hop on social media was Will Smith himself, Jabari Banks. However, Banks decided to share the moment with his castmates by posting a fun image carousel on his Instagram account. See how the Bel-Air star kicked off the Season 3 renewal celebration in the post below.

The introduction video alone captured Banks and the cast’s excitement about getting a Season 3 pickup. The fun and silliness he displayed in the short clip channeled all the love and gratitude the show has for its fanbase. Seeing the cast put up their three’s made the moment even more real, especially since we saw them all together in one post.

Jabari Banks’ renewal excitement was followed up by his TV uncle Adrian Holmes, who hopped on his Instagram account to acknowledge the moment. Holmes revealed the third-season pickup came before a very special day for him. He captioned the news:

It was only a matter of time before Banks matriarch Vivian Banks spoke about the much-deserved announcement. Cassandra Freeman didn’t hold back her happiness about the news as she thanked the viewers for making the renewal a possibility. Freeman said in her Instagram post:

The appreciation and love for the Peacock series’ fandom continued as co-star Jimmy Akingbola went to Instagram to thank the fans for making Season 3 happen. Akingbola didn’t waste the moment by pushing them to keep viewing the Fresh Prince reimagining.

While some Bel-Air cast members expressed their gratitude in words on social media, others kept things simple with posts on Instagram Stories. Ashley Banks herself Akira Akbar posted the image below of her putting up three fingers to celebrate the great news.

Akbar wasn’t the only one who took the celebration to IG stories, as her co-star Simone Joy Jones hopped on her Instagram Stories to show her enthusiasm for the streaming series coming back for a third season. Jones couldn’t contain her excitement as she shared an image of her smiling from ear to ear with multiple exclamation points in her caption.

The news shouldn’t be surprising as Bel-Air is Peacock’s most-watched sophomore series after Season 2 drew in huge numbers for the streamer. The second season saw Akbar’s Ashley Bank meet the original Ashley Tatyana Ali, who revealed her guest spot led to an unexpectedly emotional return. Hopefully, she'll return for Season 3 along with other Fresh Prince of Bel-Air OG's.  Maybe Marlon Wayans' Lou Smith will return for another chance with his son. It is currently unknown when Season 3 will start filming or will be available for those with a Peacock subscription to view. But while we wait, you can check out Bel-Air Seasons 1 and 2 to get caught up before the third season premieres. Also, don’t forget to look over our 2023 TV schedule to what new and returning shows are premiering.

Whether she is appearing in groundbreaking coming-of-age dramas like Boyz n the Hood, iconic comedy shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, or more recent streaming titles like The Best Man: The Final Chapters and You People, Nia Long has long been one of the most prolific and triumphant voices in the entertainment industry. Over the course of the past four decades, the talented actress has landed lead or supporting roles in some of the most consequential films of our time, and it looks like that trend will continue for just as many years.

Since CinemaBlend has a habit of recommending movies to watch while also sharing the various ways to enjoy them (either through streaming or purchasing digital copies), we have put together a collection of some of Long’s best movies and TV shows from throughout her career. It’s a varied bunch, which is great, as each of these roles show off how Long handles herself in everything from comedy to drama to long-running TV crime procedurals. Let’s begin.

Boyz N The Hood (1991)

The late John Singleton’s riveting directorial debut, Boyz n the Hood, turns its focus to South Central Los Angeles with a heartbreaking coming-of-age story about Jason “Tre” Styles III (Cuba Gooding Jr.) after he is sent to live with his father, Jason “Furious” Styles Jr. in the hope that he won’t end up like so many of his peers. That’s difficult, however, as gang violence and the drug trade keep pulling in his friends Darrin “Doughboy” Baker (Ice Cube) and Ricky Baker (Morris Chestnut), resulting in a tragic end.

Serving as Tre’s guiding light in the crime-ridden neighborhood is Brandi (Nia Long), Tre’s deeply devoted and religious girlfriend who attempts to motivate him to escape the dangerous neighborhood before he gets caught in the crossfire. Though one of her first roles, Long handles herself in key emotional scenes tremendously.

Stream Boyz n the Hood on Starz.
Rent or buy Boyz n the Hood on Amazon.

Friday (1995) 

Released in 1995, the Ice Cube-led stoner comedy, Friday, follows down-on-his-luck Craig Jones (Ice Cube) as he tries to reconcile with the fact that he was fired on his day off. Told over the course of a single day, F. Gary Gray’s timeless classic sees Craig reluctantly smoke pot with his best friend, Smokey (Chris Tucker), dodge a drive-by shooting, and stand up to neighborhood bully, Deebo (Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr.) before the stroke of midnight.

Nia Long shows up in the Friday cast as Debbie, Craig’s crush who shows she’s one of the few people in the neighborhood who's not scared of Deebo, standing up to him at one point, setting up one of the most iconic showdowns in ‘90s cinema. She's cool, calm, and collected, and not willing to take anything from anyone, even the massive man that is Deebo.

Stream Friday on HBO Max.
Rent or buy Friday on Amazon.

The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air (1991 - 1995)

Before Will Smith became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood with movies like Bad Boys, 1996 box office juggernaut Independence Day, and the Men in Black franchise, he became a household name with the landmark sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Throughout his journey, which took him from West Philadelphia to Southern California, Will had more than his fair share of romantic interests, going as far as almost tying the knot with Beulluah “Lisa” Wilkes (Nia Long), not once, but on two separate occasions.

Long’s time on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was brief, but memorable, as she was involved in one of the biggest storylines of the groundbreaking series, which came at a time where her career was reaching new heights. It should also be noted that Long made a one-off appearance earlier in the series, playing a girl named Claudia in the show’s second season.

Stream The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Hulu.
Buy The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on Amazon.

Soul Food (1997) 

Released in 1997, George Tillman Jr.’s star-studded dramedy, Soul Food, centers on the complicated relationships shared by Josephine “Big Mama” Joseph (Irma P. Hall), her three daughters, played by Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, and Nia Long, and other members of their large family and group of friends. When the family matriarch falls into a coma, her loved ones fall into a state of chaos as they become frightened by a prospect of a life without the glue that keeps them together.

All of the performances in Soul Food are incredible, including Brandon Hammond as Ahmad, Big Mama’s grandson who provides narration, but the three sisters, and their testy relationships, serve as an anchor for the incredible highs and lows of a family crisis.

Stream Soul Food on Prime Video.
Rent or buy Soul Food on Amazon.

The Best Man Franchise (1999 - 2022)

Between 1999 and 2022, Malcolm D. Lee released three chapters in his The Best Man saga in the form of two movies – The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday – and a Peacock original series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, that followed a close-knit group of college friends as they deal with the trials and triumphs of early adulthood and middle age.

The cast, which is anchored by the core group of Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs), Lance Sullivan (Morris Chestnut), Julian “Murich” Murchison (Harold Perrineau), and Quentin Spivey (Terrence Howard), also includes the likes of Nia Long as Jordan Armstrong, Harper’s friend and former classmate who was almost something more. Though her character had multiple great moments throughout the chronicle, few compare to the scene in The Best Man where she called Harper out on his attitude with one of cinema’s most explosive slaps.

Stream The Best Man on Prime Video.
Rent or buy The Best Man on Amazon.

Stream The Best Man Holiday on Peacock.
Rent or buy The Best Man Holiday on Amazon.

Stream The Best Man: The Final Chapters on Peacock.

Big Momma's House (2000)

Raja Gosnell’s 2000 comedy, Big Momma’s House, follows FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) as he goes undercover in hopes of tracking down escaped convict Lester Vesco (Terrence Howard) before he can find the stolen cash he hid away before going behind bars. But, this isn’t any normal sting operation, as Turner has to dress up like the grandmother of Vesco’s ex-girlfriend, who was suspected to have had a role in the robbery.

Though most of the comedy comes from Martin Lawrence’s shenanigans while dressed up like a cranky southern woman, the drama comes from an outstanding performance by Long, who plays Sherry Pierce, Vesco’s ex. The mystique surrounding Pierce throughout the movie leaves you guessing until the very end, a feat pulled off thanks to Long’s talents.

Stream Big Momma’s House on HBO Max.
Rent or buy Big Momma’s House on Amazon.

NCIS: Los Angeles (2017 - 2018) 

The CBS hit drama-action series NCIS: Los Angeles is one of the longest-running shows on TV right now, though its 14-season run will conclude at the of the 2023 spring TV schedule. Over the years, the show that follows an elite undercover force fighting enemies both foreign and domestic, has seen a great number of actors join cast mainstays Chris O’Donnell, Daniela Ruah, and L.L. Cool J, including Nia Long for a short period of time.

During Seasons 9 and 10, Long took on the role of NCIS Executive Assistant Director for Pacific Operations, Shay Mosley, who provided moments both tense and light as the team’s new leader. This wasn’t Long’s first time appearing on a series like this, as she portrayed Officer Sasha Monroe on NBC’s Third Watch a decade earlier.

Stream NCIS: Los Angeles on Paramount+.
Buy NCIS: Los Angeles on Amazon.

Love Jones (1997)

Theodore Witcher’s 1997 romantic drama, Love Jones, centers on poet Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) and photographer Nina Mosley (Nia Long) as they explore their respective careers in Chicago while also becoming major parts of each other’s lives. This romance, however, is not without its ups and downs, as the lovers quickly discover that matters of the heart are never as easy as they seem.

Love Jones has a supporting cast consisting of some of the biggest names of the time like Isaiah Washington and Bill Bellamy, but they don’t distract from the tense and tumultuous performances by the two leads, specifically Long, who shines throughout.

Stream Love Jones on HBO Max.
Rent or buy Love Jones on Amazon.

Keanu (2016)

Before Jordan Peele won an Academy Award for his Get Out screenplay, he wrote his first movie alongside Key & Peele co-creator and co-star, Keegan-Michael Key. That effort, 2016’s Keanu, follows two cousins – Rell Dresden (Peele) and Clarence Dresden (Key) – as they go to great lengths to find and retrieve a kitten that had been stolen from them, creating a hilarious and sometimes intense buddy action comedy.

Long shows up in the movie as Hannah, Clarence’s wife, who encourages him to relax while she goes off on a weekend trip. And though her screen time is limited in the movie, Long makes the most of it, creating some hilarious moments in the process.

Rent or buy Keanu on Amazon.

Good Hair (2009)

One of the great streaming options on Plex for Black History Month, Jeff Stilson’s 2009 documentary, Good Hair, follows Chris Rock as he explores the history and cultural impact of the Black hair industry. Over the course of interviews with the likes of Nia Long, Kerry Washington, Lauren London, Tracie Thoms, Maya Angelou, and multiple others, Rock attempts to get to the bottom of the $9 billion Black hair industry, learning a great deal along the way.

Stream Good Hair on Plex.
Stream Good Hair on Freevee.
Rent or buy Good Hair on Amazon.

You People (2023)

And then there is Kenya Barris’ comedy, You People, which was one of the new titles added to Netflix in February 2023. The movie centers on struggling podcaster Ezra Cohen (Jonah Hill) and fashion designer Amira Mohammed (Lauren London) as they prepare for their parents to meet for the first time, which ultimately leads to all kinds of issues for the couple.

The You People cast, in addition to the two leads listed above, also includes Eddie Murphy, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and David Duchovny as the four parents, who are from two completely different backgrounds. Though she doesn’t have a ton to do in the movie, Long, like always, finds a way to shine in her portrayal of Fatima Mohammed.

Stream You People on Netflix.

We included more than a dozen movies and shows featuring Nia Long, but this is barely scratching the surface of her incredible on-screen career. If you want to see what’s coming out after going down memory lane with these great movies and shows, now’s a good time to check out our 2023 movie schedule. 

Nia Long has, well, long been a big and small screen favorite for many people. She’s lit up the screen in everything from a number of classics, like Soul Food and The Best Man franchise (which includes the recently released Peacock series The Best Man: The Final Chapters), to newer fare like the smart mystery, Missing, and being a part of the You People cast. But, a lot of people surely got their first taste of the actress when she portrayed Will Smith’s girlfriend and eventual fiancée, Lisa, on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in Season 5 of the hit NBC sitcom. She recently opened up about working with Smith, and the “burden” he’s carried as a Hollywood star.

What Did Nia Long Say About Will Smith And His Burden?

The Fatal Affair talent became a working actor in the ‘80s, when she was still in her teens, landed her role on The Fresh Prince after a one-off part much earlier in the series, and after working with Smith on the Whoopi Goldberg movie, Made in America. She recently reminisced about her long career with Yahoo! Entertainment and talked about working with the rapper-turned-movie-star, and what she thinks his fame meant for him personally, saying:

Obviously, a lot of the dialogue over the past year about the man who helped make not only the TV comedy that bares his hip hop moniker a success, but movies like Independence Day and the Men in Black franchise major hits as well, has been about his shocking actions at the 2022 Oscars ceremony. While Smith won his first Academy Award that night, it came after he walked up on stage and slapped Chris Rock after he joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss. That led to the King Richard actor resigning from the Academy and then being banned from the Oscars for 10 years.

A lot has been said about what may have led to the infamous award show moment, including by Smith himself, who released a lengthy video answering questions about that night and the aftermath. He apologized to Rock and a lot of other people in that video, and also mentioned that personal traumas, his constant desire to never let people down, and his fears of not being able to protect his family all played a part in his actions.

His admissions all seem to echo what Long talked about when she referred to his “burden.” Something that every non-white person who who steps out into this world to do anything understands is that, even though we are all human and fallible, we become representatives for our entire race. Any mistake, whether it’s one that could be easily made by anyone or not, sets not just the individual back, but views on everyone they are seen to supposedly represent. And, we are reminded of that daily, even in the smallest, seemingly nice interactions with white people.

So, if you have someone who is already eager to please and make folks happy, who then becomes a mega-star who’s seen as a representative for all Black people everywhere, I think we can all imagine how that makes even the smallest slips in behavior feel like a complete no-go. And, how one’s anger/frustration at having to hold back and also attempt to be perfect, all the time, might eventually boil over in a terrible way.

Long continued, and spoke about how, even though she believes her former co-star to be a genuinely happy person normally, he has probably had a lot to unpack about his life, including his fame and success:

The good thing is that Smith does seem willing to do that work to “reconcile” the many facets of his life, whether good or bad, as he continues to return to the spotlight.

With its first season, Peacock’s Bel-Air convincingly distanced itself tonally from its sitcom predecessor (for better or worse), all while still largely honoring Fresh Prince’s legacy and characters. In Season 2, the streaming drama will continue down this heightened path, with Jabari Banks’ Will Smith at an emotional crossroads after learning the truth about his dad Lou, as portrayed by Marlon Wayans. Amidst all that turmoil, Bel-Air will be welcoming Fresh Prince vet Tatyana Ali into the fold, and it won’t just be a one-off appearance, either!

Before we even dive into the details, check out the first look at Tatyana Ali’s new character within the Bel-Air universe, who basically looks like a slightly older O.G. Ashley Banks, despite entire decades having passed since the last time we saw the character.

Ali is joining Bel-Air Season 2 in a recurring guest star capacity as a character named Mrs. Hughes, who serves as the English Literature teacher at Bel-Air middle school. She’ll have a particular bond of sorts with Akira Akbar’s Ashley, as Mrs. Hughes sees much potential within the teen, and attempts to boost her intellect by allowing her to borrow books from a personal collection. 

Fans can check the former Fresh Prince star out in the first Season 2 trailer below, where she shows up around the 1:13 stamp. Oh, and don’t forget to also be wowed and stressed out by everything else that happens in the trailer, from Carlton going ham on a dude’s face to the first look at rapper Saweetie’s guest spot to Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv looking almost impossibly dashing at any given moment. 

It kinda seems like new sole showrunner Carla Banks Waddles and the creative team were winking at fans by way of Mrs. Hughes’ line to Ashley in the trailer:

Tatyana Ali isn’t the only O.G. Fresh Prince star popping up in the reboot’s universe, with Season 1 having welcomed Daphne Maxwell Reid and Vernee Watson-Johnson into the mix as Art Council board members. Still waiting on Jazzy Jeff to join the Peacock series as…well, any role possible, really. 

That said, the DJ and rapper’s amusingly chill vibes might clash with all of the blood-bubbling drama and tension on display in the Season 2 trailer. Things are about to get as complicated as ever for Will, who’s shown to be pulling in bank through presumably illicit means, and one can’t help but feel wary about seeing him in the passenger seat while pulled over by police. But then after seeing Carlton lose his shit and succumbing to fist-slamming violence, Will might have it easier in Season 2. We’ll just have to see how things pan out. 

As one of Peacock’s current best dramas, Bel-Air is set to debut Season 2 on the streaming service on Thursday, February 23, so make sure not to schedule any street ball tournaments on those days, especially not ones that might get out of hand and turn violent. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way.

Though it debuted on NBC over 30 years ago, there’s still plenty to love about The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The classic sitcom featured winning performances from Will Smith, Alfonso Ribeiro and co. as well as some A+ jokes and gags that are simply timeless. The show is also still fondly remembered for its cavalcade of guest stars, many of whom played love interests for Smith. Up until this point, one could only wonder how the star handled the wave of beautiful and talented women that were on the set. Smith has now explained, though, that his dad gave him some NSFW advice on how to handle the circumstances. 

Fresh Prince was essentially a “who’s who” of Hollywood back in the ‘90s. When it came to actresses alone, the comedy played host to Naomi Campbell, Vivica A. Fox, Tyra Banks, Nia Long and more. It’s certainly interesting that so many of these notable names would end up on the same show alongside the same leading man. But as Will Smith explained, that wasn’t exactly by design. The Oscar winner simply chalks it up to the series’ position in the Hollywood landscape at the time: 

That explanation is fair, as Fresh Prince was one of the most popular Black sitcoms of the ‘90s. In terms of the ladies, I can’t even fathom the thought of being in the I Am Legend star’s position at that time. During Will Smith’s interview on Showtime’s All THE SMOKE, even co-host Stephen Jackson admitted that he would “have been all over the place” if he’d been in the actor’s shoes. Smith didn’t succumb to any kind of temptation, though, after his father hit him with a blunt piece of wisdom early on: 

That’s a wake-up call if I’ve ever heard one, though it sounds like it was more than effective. As someone who’s seen plenty of Fresh Prince episodes (which Will Smith says he can’t watch), I can say that it’s always fun to see the actor chop it up with his on-screen lovers. Some of those romances were better received than others, as co-star Alfonso Ribeiro was slightly miffed about Smith (unintentionally) squashing a romance between Carlton and Tyra Banks’ Jackie. 

But ultimately, each one of those faux relationships played out perfectly, and Fresh Prince is definitely better (and funnier) for having them. I will say that anytime I watch those scenes now, I”ll be thinking about the words that Will Smith’s father imparted to him. Smith Sr. certainly knew how to paint a picture, but he made a good point about not allowing lust to mess up your finances.

You can check out those classic episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air by streaming all six seasons with an HBO Max subscription. Peacock subscription-owners can also stream the dramatic reimagining, Bel-Air, which returns for its second season on February 23 as part of the 2023 TV schedule.

It's safe to say that The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air left a lasting impression on viewers, as many still quote lines and discuss certain scenes today. Of course, many also still talk about the fashion. Each week, viewers got to see what Will Smith and the Banks family were wearing, and they had some very fresh fits. Smith’s fashion choices were particularly notable among the Fresh Prince cast members. One thing fans seemingly appreciated most was his character's epic shoe game, especially his preference for Air Jordans. Looking back at his time on the NBC sitcom, Smith discussed the time he begged Michael Jordan himself to let him wear the coveted basketball shoes on the show.

Let's be honest, Will Smith’s shoe game was always on point, and that’s what the actor wanted for his character. Surely there are those who remember the high schooler wearing the Jordan 4s during the show’s opening. While discussing his well-received performance in Emancipation on Showtime’s All the Smoke, Smith opened up about how he was able to get exclusivity when it came to Jordans. Smith recalled pleading with Michael Jordan to wear them on the show, and he got a blunt answer from the Chicago Bulls icon at the time:

It's hard to imagine see the Smith character with his fresh kicks. Of course, Will's shoe game was only a part of his distinct sense of style, as his colorful hats and inside-out Bel-Air prep jacket were also notable. Still, the shoes were crucial, and he ultimately succeeded when it came to getting what he wanted. Smith sported the now-classic Jordan 4’s not only during the show’s iconic opening theme song sequence but in a promotional shoot for the first season. 

Eventually, the shoes became so synonymous with Smith and the series that they were referred to as The Fresh Princes -- a moniker they carry to this day. I'm sure that added publicity didn't hurt Michael Jordan's shoe success at the time, either. Before the 1990s sitcom was reimagined in 2022, the basketball shoes were even re-released in 2018 as Air Jordan 5’s in order to celebrate the Hollywood star’s 50th birthday.

The Independence Day star didn’t realize the impact his shoe game was having on Black (and general pop) culture at the time. When thinking back, he summed up that time in his life with a simple response:

When Fresh Prince premiered in 1990, Will Smith was a fish out of water in the acting world, as his music career was in limbo at the time. He recalled in his best-selling memoir, Will, that he was broke before landing the classic '90s sitcom. He gained his initial fame and success as part of the rap duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. The duo had hit albums and singles, which were accompanied by colorful and outlandish music videos. So fans of rap music were already familiar with his style by the time mainstream audiences got to see it weekly. 

Now, three decades later, Will Smith remains a fashion icon of the '90s, and he still enjoys Jordans to this day. You can look back at his classic shoe choices by streaming The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air using an HBO Max subscription. Once you’re done with the original sitcom, you can check out its dramatic reimagining, Bel-Air, with the use of a Peacock subscription -- in case compare the Wills’ shoe games.  

Carlton Banks was viewed as the corny and stuck-up cousin of Will Smith on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But while Carlton was the foil to Will’s antics most times, he had some hilarious moments, which were perfectly executed by Alfonso Ribeiro. The actor, who admitted to resenting the Carlton character for years, has been open about his time on the show and what it was like to play some of the preppy student's funniest moments. When discussing the show just recently, the actor recalled his favorite moment. (And no, it doesn't involve the much-requested Carlton dance.) 

The America’s Funniest Home Videos host often went toe-to-toe with Will Smith on the show and that led to some pretty hilarious situations. While promoting AFV and Dancing with the Stars with Gizmodo, the star explained that there's one particular moment involving their two characters that truly stands out as his favorite. Ribeiro pointed out the much-talked-about ending of the Fresh Prince episode “Will’s Misery.” The television personality recalled how the scene came to be:

So the memorable scene was just a last-minute decision that resulted in comedy gold. The mere thought of Carlton running through the set is enough to make one laugh. The moment proved that Alfonso Ribeiro could match or outdo Will Smith’s ability to go for the laughs. The scene was pivotal in changing his view of Fresh Prince. And from a narrative standpoint, it was a perfect way to end the episode, given that Will was trying to get back at Carlton for helping a sorority play a trick on him.

The scene was also unique as not too many shows were breaking the fourth wall outside of Saved By the Bell. Alfonso Ribeiro, during the same interview, shed more light on just how the moment came to be and what was initially planned for it:

It was nice to know the director and crew were willing to take the actor's advice and go with it. It's interesting how the some of the most memorable moments in TV or film can be birthed from something like a last-minute suggestion. I, for one, am glad that the Carlton Banks actor spoke out and that he now has an awesome memory as a result.

If you want to revisit the episode, you can stream The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air using an HBO Max subscription. Don't forget to watch some of the best Carlton episodes while you're at it. You can also look over CinemaBlend's 2022 TV schedule so you'll know when you can catch Alfonso Ribeiro on America’s Funniest Home Videos on ABC and Dancing with the Stars on Disney+.

In this golden age of television, there are so many amazing shows out there, from huge fantasy series like Game of Thrones to the greatest dramas ever, like Breaking Bad. And, today, I’m going to focus on some fantastic shows that are all led by talented Black actors and actresses. 

I’m talking classics like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, to some of the latest and greatest, such as Atlanta. If you’re looking for some amazing TV shows led by Black actors, be sure to check out this list, as all of this will surely entertain you for plenty of hours. 

Insecure 

First up, we have the HBO original series, Insecure. Starring Issa Rae, Insecure is a modern day comedy, following two young Black women through their every-day triumphs and tribulations, from trying to find a new job to relationships of all types, and to heavier topics such as race. 

Insecure is honestly such a great series. From the first moment I watched it, I was captivated so much by Issa Rae’s performance that I was looking forward to whatever Rae had coming up next. The show offers hilarious moments and heartfelt/serious topics that truly make it one of the best comedies on TV in a long time. The show ended in 2021 with five great seasons to watch, so be sure to check it out.

Stream Insecure on HBO Max.

Abbott Elementary 

One of the most recent entries on this list is Abbott Elementary. Filmed in a mockumentary style, this comedy series is set in Philadelphia and follows a group of teachers who work in an underfunded school , where it’s rare that a teacher ends up staying for more than a year. However, these certain teachers are trying to really change the game, and make the lives of their students that much easier and give them a proper education. 

The series actually won several awards at the 2022 Primetime Emmys, and features several amazing performances that are certainly deserving of every award they have won. What really makes Abbot Elementary stand out amongst the rest is its writing, because it is so funny – which is proven even more since Quinta Brunson, one of the stars of the series, also won an Emmy for her writing for the show.