Just because we’re in the midst of the 2026 TV schedule doesn’t mean we can’t also be in the middle of ‘90s nostalgia, from Lisa Kudrow making Friends references on The Comeback to Ben Affleck’s Super Bowl ad to this week’s news about that Animorphs reboot. Over on American Idol, the judges and contestants celebrated the era with a ‘90s Time Warp episode, leading to a social media-crushing post from a trio of sitcom queens led by Boy Meets World vet Danielle Fishel (who also hosts Idol's official podcast).

No stranger to leaning all the way back into ‘90s culture (for better and worse) in her co-created podcast Pod Meets World, Fishel teamed up with Full House and Fuller House’s Andrea Barber and The Wonder Years’ Danica McKellar to craft a ‘90s-infused post that sent Instagram (and perhaps yours truly) into a throwback, puppy-lovey tizzy. Check out the video below, which is set to the decade-defining tune of The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.”

The comedic threesome tipped their metaphorical hats to the ‘90s roles that turned them each into eternal TV stars, and it’s amazing to see instant evidence of just how much each of them h as changed over the past 30 years or so, while also still essentially looking the exact same. I probably should have reached out to ask for beauty tips back in 1996, but that ship has likely sailed.

I gotta say, for all the '90s details seen in those photos, I think my favorite decade-specific detail is the see-through phone that's sitting on the table in front of the actresses. It's quite bizarre to see someone's cell phone lying next to it, too.

Understandably, the post garnered a slew of likes and shares, with several other celebs chiming in, including Barber's Full House chum Candace Cameron Bure, and the offiicial Goo Goo Dolls profile.

• CANDACE CAMERON BURE: Love it
• HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE: Awesome
• DAMON WAYANS JR: Oh come on 🥹😍🥰
• MIKE RUGA: This trio tho 🔥🔥🔥
• THE GOO GOO DOLLS: 💜💜💜

So many non-celeb comments as well, with a lion's of the responses being about childhood crushes that may or may not have dissipated over time. Which is to say, a lot of hornballs, both men and women. (Though mostly men.) Fishel has spoken about being perceived as a sex symbol as a teen, and the body issues that plagued her, but given that most of the comments are more sweet and innocent than salacious, hopefully they're received well.

I just want to shout out this comment for feeling as if it was removed directly from my brain and transcribed by Instagram.

• If you added Kelly Kapowski with Topenga and Winnie Cooper, would have been the Trifecta! - @jake005

Danielle Fishel later shared a post more directly tied to American Idol, in which she and the judges mouthed the words to dialogue from Ryan Murphy's horror comedy series Scream Queens. It's not exactly a '90s callbak, but the show did co-star Full House's John Stamos, so it counts.

All three of the actresses seen above are maintaining their busy careers. Andrea Barber, for example, is currently hosting the Full House rewatch podcast How Rude, Tanneritos alongside former co-star Jodie Sweetin, with the latest episode covering Season 6, Episode 14.

Fresh off of her Dancing with the Stars season, Fishel and her former co-stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong remain busy with Pod Meets World. And Danica McKellar, who turned 50 last year, recently celebrated the 38th anniversary of The Wonders Years premiere, and has kept busy in recent years starring in Christmas movies for Hallmark and Great American Family.

Alright now, ABC, how's about bringing TGIF back for a night of sitcom reunion specials?

It seems like only yesterday that The Wonder Years’ Danica McKellar celebrated the show’s 35th anniversary with adorable throwback pics. Her sweet girl-next-door character, Winnie Cooper, is forever iconic to fans, and it's been amazing to see how the show's popularity has endured. With that, it’s hard to believe how much time has passed since it premiered. The ABC series just turned 38, and McKellar celebrated by sharing a truly sweet message.

One of the best sitcoms of all time, The Wonder Years centers around young Kevin Arnold grows up during the late 1960s/early 1970s against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement and more. The show received critical acclaim amid its six-season run between 1988 to 1993, and it also inspired a reboot that ran for two seasons from 2021 to 2023. To celebrate the OG series' 38th anniversary, Danica McKellar took to Instagram to celebrate the show’s 38th anniversary with a slideshow of stills from the show as well as a heartwarming message:

The love for the show is definitely real, and I love that McKellar still connects with fans over the series even now. I also love seeing the throwback photos of young McKellar (as Winnie) in her pigtails and looking adorable alongside Fred Savage. It goes without saying that the Young Justice alum still has love for the classic sitcom that truly launched her career.

One of the best qualities of The Wonder Years is its depiction of how imperfect adolescence is and how there aren’t always happy endings. The general sense of warmth and comfort that the show evokes is also what McKellar wants to continue to deliver to audiences. She continued to talk about bringing the legacy of the Emmy-winning series to her work on the Great American Family network:

After Danica McKellar left acting for years to pursue her mathematics degree, she starred in various Hallmark Channel movies. McKellar eventually made the move to Great American Family. According to McKellar she left Hallmark due to a desire to not only to star in family-oriented movies but to write and produce them as well. From 2022’s The Winter Palace to last year’s Have We Met This Christmas?, McKellar’s multi-picture deal allows her to create programming that continues to bring families together like Wonder Years once did.

38 years later, The Wonder Years is still a solid fixture within the cultural zeitgeist, and I'm loving it. It's nothing short of heartwarming that Danica McKellar still sees and appreciates the joy the show brings people, and I hope that continues. On that note, you can celebrate with McKellar by streaming the nostalgic ABC series using a Hulu subscription.

You know those ill-behaved sitcom kids and bullish older brothers and sisters from family shows whom you are supposed to find funny? Well, to be perfectly honest, I do not find their irritating quirks very funny and sometimes even dread the moment they will appear on screen and highly anticipate their eventual exit. Here are some examples of the annoying TV siblings I am talking about.

Megan Parker (Drake & Josh)

In most episodes of Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh, the trouble the titular stepbrothers (played by Drake Bell and Josh Nichols) would regularly get into was of no fault but their own. However, they still faced a great deal of torment at the hands of their younger sister, Megan (Miranda Cosgrove), whose early pranks were adorably mischievous but later proved to be surprisingly sophisticated and even life-threatening, also making her a fictional child you should not mess with.

Bobby Brady (The Brady Bunch)

To be frank, I think each one of the kids from The Brady Bunch has their own annoying characteristics. However, Bobby was a bit of a special case, and not just because he was the youngest boy, but because he would come up with new ways to annoy the others in multiple episodes.

Trina Vega (Victorious)

Trina Vega (Daniella Monet) – the older sister of Victoria Justice's Tori Vega, the central character from Nickelodeon's Victorious – is a perfect representation of the exact kind of person I am most infuriated by. Her aggressively selfish delusions about her looks and talent have robbed her of any humility, convincing her she is justified in putting down anyone she believes is lesser than her, which is just about everyone she encounters.

Sue Heck (The Middle)

The Middle is a sitcom that gives you reason to find any of the central family's children annoying, but many seem to be especially perturbed by Sue Heck (Eden Sher). While some fans admire the brace-faced middle child's unbridled optimism, others feel she could take things down a notch.

Stephanie Tanner (Full House)

I think any fan of Full House would agree that the sitcom's most annoying character is not any member of the blended central family, but D.J.'s best friend, Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber). However, among the Tanners, middle daughter Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) would have to take the cake, especially in the earlier seasons when she displayed overdramatic and bratty tendencies and would withhold important information because "nobody asked" her about it.

Brad Taylor (Home Improvement)

Just about every character in the Home Improvement cast has something to like about them, but I think the one with the least criteria is Tim (Tim Allen) and Jill (Patricia Richardson)'s oldest son, Brad Taylor (Zachary Ty Bryan). In early seasons, he was the most notorious for tormenting his youngest and most meek brother, Mark, and his intelligence only seemed to regress as he got older.

Pim Diffy (Phil Of The Future)

The Diffy family from Disney Channel's sci-fi sitcom, Phil of the Future, would often come closest to revealing their true identities as a 22nd-Century clan trapped in the past because of the eponymous teen's younger sister, Pim (Amy Bruckner). Not only was she prone to relying on her family's futuristic gadgets for personal gain, but she also aspired to use them to take over the world.

Caillou (Caillou)

While the titular 4-year-old from Caillou had a younger sister named Rosie, he was easily the biggest baby of his family by behavior alone. I remember, even as a youngster, feeling so annoyed by the kid's crybaby temperament that I could not bring myself to watch PBS' adaptation of the illustrated Canadian children's books any longer.

Tonya (Everybody Hates Chris)

Tonya (Imani Hakim) from Everybody Hates Chris serves as a definitive representation of what happens when you spoil your children, just like her father, Julius (Terry Crews), did. As a result, the Rock Family's youngest turned out to be a mercilessly controlling bully, especially to the titular eldest kid (Tyler James Williams, a former child star who still acts today).

Reese (Malcolm In The Middle)

There are plenty of reasons why you could argue that the most annoying child character in the Malcolm in the Middle cast is Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan). However, his intelligence and temperance significantly outweigh that of the second oldest brother, Reese (Justin Berfield), who seemed to thrive on insubordination, made worse by his hopelessly foolish instincts.

Candace Flynn (Phineas And Ferb)

The titular stepbrothers from Disney Channel's beloved animated series, Phineas and Ferb (voiced by Vincent Martella and Thomas Sangster), want nothing more than to make every day of their summer vacation the best day possible. Thus, I find it genuinely distressing that their older sister, Candace (Ashley Tisdale), constantly goes out of her way to ruin their fun for vague and selfish reasons when she should just learn to relax.

Stewie Grffin (Family Guy)

Honestly, out of all these annoying TV siblings, I think I do enjoy Stewie Griffin (voiced by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane) because the sophisticated infant is pretty funny. However, I have never understood why he is so committed to murdering his mother, Lois (Alex Borstein).

Kyra Rockmore (Kenan & Kel)

Something I noticed while rewatching Kenan & Kel as an adult is that Kenan Rockmore's (future long-running SNL cast member Kenan Thompson) younger sister, Kyra (Vanessa Baden), only has one defining character trait: her ridiculous crush on Kel Kimble (Kel Mitchell). The fact that the writers of the otherwise hilarious Nickelodeon sitcom never bothered to develop her beyond that quirk is truly what makes her annoying to me.

Ferguson Darling (Clarissa Explains It All)

What did Clarissa Darling (Melissa Joan Hart's first starring role, in Clarissa Explains It All) do to deserve a younger brother as snooty, pretentious, and invasive as Ferguson? I cannot help but wonder if Jason Zimbler's years playing such an annoying kid on the Nickelodeon comedy inspired the former child star to walk away from the spotlight and become a software engineer (according to The Sun).

Carrie Ingalls (Little House On The Prairie)

In the earlier years of Little House on the Prairie's run, Carrie (played by twin sisters Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush) and her struggles to pronounce comprehensible lines of dialogue was one of the most adorable aspects of the period family drama. However, as the series adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's autobiographical novels went on, the third Ingalls child never really seemed to grow up, and viewers were not too charmed by her immaturity.

Henry Finnerty (Grounded For Life)

After actor Jake Burbage moved away from the set of Grounded for Life with his family, his character, Henry Finnerty, disappeared from the show's fifth and final season. I must admit, I was pretty relieved that I did not have to see any more of Sean (Donal Logue) and Claudia's (Megyn Price) third child – an incessant chatterbox with a tendency to stir up trouble in the household for no reason other than, perhaps, because he wants to watch the world burn.

Erica Sinclair (Stranger Things)

I can understand why some Stranger Things fans believe that Dustin Sinclair's (Caleb McLaughlin) younger sister, Erica (Priah Ferguson), and her unbridled boisterousness makes her the acclaimed Netflix sci-fi TV show's real MVP, especially in Season 3. However, let me just say that if I had her as a sibling, I would not know what to do with myself.

Matt McGuire (Lizzie McGuire)

Fun fact about myself: Lizzie McGuire first started airing on Disney Channel around the time my sibling was born. After getting pretty fed up with the ridiculously antagonizing rivalry between Hilary Duff's eponymous teen and her mischievous younger brother (played by Jake Thomas), I promised to never let my relationship with my sister evolve into anything remotely similar. So, I guess I have Matt to thank for that.

D.W. Read (Arthur)

Young aardvark Arthur Read turned out to be such a decent kid and yet, it seems that barely any of those same values were passed down to his sister, D.W. While the 4-year-old is might not be the most annoying character on the beloved animated series, her spoiled attitude and brutal honesty is jarring, especially for a PBS Kids show.

Cory Baxter (That's So Raven)

While That So Raven's Raven Baxter (Raven-Symoné) has the ability to see the future, she can't seem to notice that she can be deeply self-centered and bossy. However, her younger brother, Cory (Kyle Massey), is described in the first episode of the hit Disney Channel series as "a master in deceit and the art of psychological manipulations" and would typically apply these skills purely for his own benefit and to the detriment of others.

Dee Dee (Dexter’s Laboratory)

I will admit, the unusually intelligent and deeply arrogant title character of Dexter's Laboratory is someone I often had trouble warming to. On the other hand, I did empathize with him having to deal with his overactive and ditzy older sister, Dee Dee, and her tendency to make waste of his experiments on many occasions.

Ross Gellar (Friends)

Who says this list has to be exclusive to kids when there are also grown-up TV siblings as irritating as the most annoying character in the Friends cast, Ross Gellar? There are many reasons why David Schwimmer's character is just the worst and why his younger sister, Monica (Courteney Cox), is easily the more mature sibling. He is incessantly needy, hypocritical, and, perhaps worst of all, possessive over Rachel (Jennifer Aniston).

Sarah (Ed, Edd N Eddy)

With the exception of, maybe, Nazz, just about all of the unsupervised youngsters from Ed, Edd n Eddy were a handful, especially the dim-witted Ed (Matt Hill). Of course, even he was an absolute prize when compared to his younger sister, Sarah (Janyse Jaud), who is one of the most terrifyingly short-tempered kids on the cul-de-sac.

Laurie Forman (That ‘70s Show)

If it were not for Red (Kurtwood Smith) showing her favoritism, Laurie Forman would have taken a lot more heat from him and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) than her younger and meeker brother, Eric (Topher Grace), did on That '70s Show. Originally played by the late Lisa Robin Kelly before a casting shake-up brought in Christina Moore, Laurie constantly bullied her brother and belittled her mother, seduced Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) into cheating on Jackie (Mila Kunis) with her, and was even unfaithful in her green card marriage to Fez (Wilmer Valderama).

Timberly Johanssen (Hey Arnold!)

Some of the most distressing predicaments and misadventures that Arnold and Gerald went through on Hey Arnold! were caused by Gerald's younger sister, Timberly. For instance, there was the time the best friends tried their hand at selling chocolate turtles but lost all of their product when Timberly ate them, forcing them to make them from scratch.

Kelly Bundy (Married... With Children)

If Bud Bundy (David Faustino) was not blessed with a far higher intelligence than his aggressively selfish older sister, Kelly (Christina Applegate), I might be inclined to call him the more annoying child from the iconic blue-collar TV show, Married... with Children. Either way, these siblings were already destined for ruin growing up in a household run by Al (Ed O'Neill) and Peg (Katey Segal).

Debbie Thornberry (The Wild Thornberrys)

On Nickelodeon's The Wild Thornberrys, the central character, Eliza (voiced by Lacey Chabert), always showed gratitude for the opportunity her parents gave her to travel the world and learn about different cultures and animal species. The same cannot be said about her conceited older sister, Debbie (Danielle Harris), who always had something to complain about on their many adventures.

Wayne Arnold (The Wonder Years)

Growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s did not look easy from the perspective of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), especially when you have an older brother like Wayne. Jason Hervey's character from The Wonder Years was TV's definitive nightmare sibling during its six-season run from 1988 to 1993.

Cindy Brady (The Brady Bunch)

For her naivety and tendency to tattle on her siblings, Cindy (Susan Olsen) is among the young characters from The Brady Bunch I would least like to have as a sibling.

Alan Harper (Two And A Half Men)

Back when I watched Two and a Half Men, I always had empathy for Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) as a divorced father with perpetual struggles to find love and financial stability. However, for his hypocritical tendencies, sniveling pretentiousness, and for being a freeloader, I have more sympathy for the guy who has to live with him: his older brother, Charlie (Charlie Sheen).

Liv Rooney (Liv And Maddie)

One of the reasons why Liv and Maddie is one of the best TV shows for Dove Cameron fans to watch is her impressive, Daytime Emmy-winning performance as both of the titular sisters, who could not be more different. While Maddie is smart and kindhearted, Liv is absent-minded and completely full of herself.

Max (Max & Ruby)

Both of the titular rabbit siblings from the Canadian children's program, Max & Ruby, have their faults, considering the older Ruby's bossy nature. However, the three-year-old Max and his rambunctiousness and overeagerness were known to test her patience quite often.

The Grateful Dead were never really part of mainstream culture for most of their 30-year career that ended in 1995 with the death of Jerry Garcia. Sure, they had a hit song in the '80s and now they are ubiquitous, but for years they flew under the radar despite a huge fanbase of dedicated fans. With so many diehards loving the Dead, it's actually not surprising that they are referenced quite often in pop culture. Sometimes one of their songs may pop onto a soundtrack and other times it's as simple as a lyric or a bumper sticker sneaking into a movie or TV show. This list of times the Grateful Dead have been referenced in a movie or on TV is hardly exhaustive, but it's a good start - and we're not talking about concert films here, either.

Freaks And Geeks

Freaks And Geeks doesn't seem like the kind of show that would have the Grateful Dead play an important role, but in the end - literally the end - it turns out they completely change Lindsey's life. After being gifted a copy of the band's American Beauty album, Lindsey (Linda Cardellini) decides to skip her trip to Ann Arbor and "hops on the bus" as Deadheads would say and travels with her friends to Colorado to catch the Dead in concert.

Romancing The Stone

One of the funniest scenes in Romancing The Stone comes when Jack (Michael Douglas) and Joan (Kathleen Turner) come across a downed plane full of grass. The pilot, long dead and nothing but a skeleton, is shown wearing a jacket with "Grateful Dead" written on the back. Gotta love those flyboys.

Flirting With Disaster

Until we meet Mel's parents, played by Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin, Flirting With Disaster isn't the kind of movie that screams "Grateful Dead," but after, it makes total sense that Mel (Ben Stiller) would decide his unborn child after the bands guitarist Jerry Garcia and he does, at the very end of the movie as "Truckin'" plays.

Seinfeld

This is a tough one to spot, but believe it or not, there is a quick Grateful Dead reference in a Season 4 episode of Seinfeld called "The Airport." In the episode, George catches a ride with Kramer to the airport to pick up Elaine and Jerry, and while they are driving, you can see what is clearly the top of the famous "Steal Your Face" Grateful Dead logo.

Friends

There are a few hints from time to time that Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is a Deadhead in Friends. One of the more obvious times is after she "learns" how to play basketball with a new boyfriend, she arrives at the Central Perk wearing a Dead tie-dye the band made to honor the Lithuanian national basketball team for the Olympics.

Game Of Thrones

Author George R.R. Martin, whose books were adapted for HBO's massive hit Game Of Thrones, is a self-professed Deadhead and he has sprinkled in numerous subtle Grateful Dead references into his books and the show. Dire wolves (named after a Dead tune), Weirwood trees (named after member Bob Weir) and others are all throughout the series. Martin has even said when he is writing that "I always have Grateful Dead lyrics rattling around in my head."

LA Law

One of the more ridiculous references to the Dead came in an episode of LA Law from Season 8 called "Dead Issue." One of the plotlines involves a couple getting divorced in part because of the husband's love of the Dead. Something all Deadheads can probably relate to on some level.

Tommy Boy

Another quite subtle reference comes in the Chris Farley classic Tommy Boy when Farley is seen on his sailboat at the end of the movie. He is wearing a pretty sweet looking jacket that clearly shows a Smiling Skeleton Sun patch, another logo used by the Dead.

The Simpsons

Over the years, The Simpsons have made multiple references to the Dead, including the not-so-subtle dig at Deadheads in the episode where Homer meets people who travel the country following the Krusty Burger Ribwich. A more direct reference comes in the Season 10 episode "D'oh-in' in the Wind" when Flanders accidentally takes peyote and hallucinates seeing the band's famous Dancing Bears as he drives.

The Facts Of Life

Famously, the Grateful Dead allowed their fans to record their concerts and trade the tapes. It's a big reason the band found such a loyal fanbase. This practice was even referenced on a 1982 episode of The Facts Of Life called "Kids Can Be Cruel." Carl 'Rocky' Price (Dan Frischman) is seen carrying a tape recorder and tells Mrs. Garrett that he tapes Dead shows.

Roseanne

A Season 8 episode of Roseanne brought us one of the most bizarre Grateful Dead references. In the episode, Roseanne is in the hospital giving birth to her son, and Jerry Garcia appears as a ghost telling her that everything is going to be alright and in light of the "encounter," she decides to name her baby after the singer. It's...very odd.

One More Saturday Night

Al Franken and fellow SNL writer Tom Davis were both huge Deadheads. They often appeared with the band and went to hundreds of Dead shows over the years. In 1986 they made a movie together that you might not have even heard of. They play musicians in the movie, but the band sounds nothing like the Dead. However, they did name the movie after a Grateful Dead song, One More Saturday Night.

The Office

In a Season 3 episode of The Office called "Branch Closing" there is a brief Dead reference when Pam signs a goodbye message to Kelly with the lyrics to "Truckin'", "What a long, strange trip it's been."

South Park

The guys behind South Park don't seem like the biggest fans of the Grateful Dead. In one episode, Jerry Garcia is shown as a resident of Hell, and in another Mr. Mackey gets upset when he tells Jimbo that he can't go to a Grateful Dead concert because "Jerr-bear is dead." They also take a few shots at bands like the Dead in the episode where Cartman exterminates hippies.

Splash

In a "blink or you'll miss it" moment in Splash, Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah are walking past Radio City Music Hall and you can just make part of the Dead's name on the marquee. The band famously played the venue in 1980, though the movie was shot later.

Mask

In a tear-jerking moment at the end of Mask, after Rocky (Eric Stoltz) has died, the Dead's beautiful song "Ripple" is played just as the movie ends. It's the perfect way to end the movie and there's no way you won't cry when you watch. The movie is filled with great music from the '60s and '70s.

Ted Lasso

It's really not surprising to find that Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) on Ted Lasso is a Deadhead. He admits that he once saw a concert featuring the Dead, The Black Crowes, and Phish jamming together. Unfortunately, in real life such a jam never actually happened, though the Crowes did open for Dead once in 1995, but they didn't share the stage.

My So-Called Life

The Grateful Dead are mentioned a few times in My So-Called Life, including when Rayanne (A.J. Langer) wears a tie-dye and talks about going to see them in concert while she is in an argument with Angela (Claire Danes) on the show. Graham also listens to the album American Beauty on the show.

Runaway Bride

There are numerous references to the Dead in the Julia Roberts and Richard Gere rom com classic The Runaway Bride. It might not be one of Roberts' best movies, but the band comes up repeatedly because one of her ex-fiances was a Deadhead. It's something Richard Gere throws in her face a few times, like it's a bad thing.

Around The Fire

Around the Fire is not a great movie, though it is notable for starring Tara Reid and, in his big screen debut, Colman Domingo as traveling fans of an unnamed rock band that is clearly meant to be the Grateful Dead. It is pretty unintentionally funny and although no Dead music is used in the movie, there is a soundtrack filled with the likes of Phish and String Cheese Incident.

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

During one of Raoul Duke's many benders in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (one of the best movies set in Vegas), there is a very brief snippet of the Grateful Dead playing in concert amongst the other images of bombs falling on Vietnam and other horrors.

Spider-Man 2

Some of the best references to the Dead come with no explanation. Take, for example, Peter's doctor in Spider-Man 2. In the scene where Peter (Tobey Maguire) meets with the doctor, the doctor is inexplicably wearing a Grateful Dead T-shirt. It's something only Deadheads would pick up on, and that is what makes it so great.

The Ben Stiller Show

In the '90s, it was never surprising to see hip comedians like Bob Odenkirk and Ben Stiller taking shots at the Dead and their fans. In one skit on The Ben Stiller Show, Odenkirk plays an insurance salesman who specialized in selling his policies to Deadheads. Of course it's filled with cliche jokes about the band and their fans and drugs, but it's hard to admit some of it isn't pretty funny.

Family Guy

In one of Family Guy's patented flashbacks, Stewie is seen at a Grateful Dead concert wearing no shirt and clearly, um, messed up, based on the state of his pupils. He makes a joke about trading his shirt (a tie-dye, of course) for a grilled cheese. Honestly, it's not that far off from reality, if we're honest, even if it is the easy joke to make.

Indian Summer

In the underrated movie Indian Summer, Bill Paxton's character is a Deadhead and is seen wearing a tank top with a classic Steal Your Face logo on it. He also mentions that work is what he does between Dead shows. In another scene, he's wearing a Crosby, Stills, and Nash tie dye, so it's easy to see what kind of music he loves.

WKRP In Cincinnati

One of the more predictable references comes from WKRP In Cincinnati. In one episode Johnny Fever (Howard Hessman) plays "Shakedown Street" by the Dead. The only thing surprising about it is that there weren't more references to the band on a show all about great '70s rock.

30 Rock

One of the most famous quotes in 30 Rock history has to be Jack advising Liz to "never go with a hippie to a second location." In another hippie reference, Jack (Alec Baldwin) tells Liz (Tina Fey) that he isn't interested in quashing his argument with the Post Master General over a Jerry Garcia stamp.

Half Baked

Half Baked is a terrible movie filled with lazy stoner jokes. It's just not a funny way to ever portray smoking. In one scene, Jim Breuer (the worst actor in the movie) "preys" to Jerry Garcia to protect them. It's stupid, but hey, it's a reference, so we'll count it.

The Wonder Years

In a TV show filled with great music from the '60s and '70s, of course there has to be a little Grateful Dead. In one scene, the whole class loads up in a bus for a field trip and as the bus heads down the highway, the all-too-appropriate "Truckin.'"

Black Hawk Down

One of the weirdest references to the Dead has to be the taxi driver in Black Hawk Down. How a cab driver in Mogadishu would end up wearing a Dead shirt is a mystery, but there it is, as he pulls up to the target he is sighting for the US military.

Apocalypse Now Redux

This one only sort of counts for this list, but it's an important one. When Francis Ford Coppola started making Apocalypse Now, he originally had the drummers in the Dead, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman create the soundtrack. In the end, Coppola went a different direction with the music, but when he recut the movie for the Redux version, some of their original work was used.

The Music Never Stopped

Deadheads love the song "The Music Never Stopped" so it's not surprising that it was used a movie title for a movie about a father and son reconnecting with the Dead music in common.

Some of the best TV theme songs were already hits or great songs that were adapted as a theme song. These are songs that were written for the show, like the retro ones that still slap, but these are all great songs.

Like The Who contributing to the CSI franchise, or Jane's Addiction lending one of its songs to Entourage. For this list, we're going to avoid covers or reworked versions of the songs that were already famous, like the cover of The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," which was used for the show Life Goes On. This is our list of existing songs that became awesome TV theme songs.

"Who Are You" - CSI

All of the CSI franchise shows have used songs by The Who as their theme song, creating a nice symmetry between the shows. The original show, CSI, or later CSI: Las Vegas used "Who Are You," and it turned out so great, that when CSI:Miami became the first spinoff, the producers chose

"California" - The O.C.

The band Phantom Planet released their second album, The Guest, in 2002, which included the earworm "California." It was a natural choice for The O.C. which has to be one of the most "California" shows ever. A fun fact about the song is that Phantom Planet's drummer at the time, and on the track, was actor Jason Schwartzman.

"I Don't Want To Wait" - Dawson's Creek

"I Don't Want to Wait" was first recorded and released on Paula Cole's second album, titled This Fire, in 1996. A couple of years later the song was chosen to be the theme song for the WB's first mega-hit Dawson's Creek. The song likewise became a hit, rocketing to #11 on the Billboard charts.

"Bad Reputation" - Freaks And Geeks

19 years after Joan Jett told the world she didn't care about her "Bad Reputation," the cult classic show Freak And Geeks used it as its theme song for its one and only season. The song has had a life far beyond the show, just as the show has had a long life beyond it's only season.

"With A Little Help From My Friends" - The Wonder Years

If you're going to set a TV show in the '60s, it's a good idea to dig deep into that well of amazing rock and soul music of the era. The Wonder Years smartly used tons of great music from the era, including a theme song by a famous musician who first had a hit with it in 1968. Joe Cocker's version of The Beatles song "With a Little Help from My Friends" was a bigger hit than The Beatles' version, and this was the song that led off The Wonder Years.

"We Used To Be Friends" - Veronica Mars

The Dandy Warhols are one of the great cult bands from the late '90s/early '00s. It was one of their songs, "We Used To Be Friends," that was chosen to be the theme of Veronica Mars and it's frankly the perfect choice for the show. The band, like the show, has a strong fanbase that won't let the song, or the show, be forgotten.

"Way Down In A Hole" - The Wire

This one is a little tricky because technically it breaks our rule about having cover versions of the original song (or the original hit, at least). The first season of The Wire featured a version of the Tom Waits song "Way Down In The Hole" by the Blind Boys Of Alabama. But we're in luck because the second season of the HBO classic features Tom Waits' original version. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons would also feature cover versions of the song.

"C'mon, C'mon" - Rescue Me

The Von Bondies were a good band that really only gained the attention they deserved when their song "C'Mon, C'Mon" was chosen to be the theme song of Rescue Me, starring Denis Leary. For seven seasons, the song ran over the opening titles and as a result, became a big hit for the group.

"Teardrop" - House

Massive Attack has never been a...massive band in the United States. In Britain, however, they are huge. The trip-hop electronic act has released a slew of fantastic records, though their third album, Mezzanine, remains probably the most popular. One of the best songs on that album, "Teardrop" became the theme song for House, though a different, more generic song has been used on streaming and in syndication.

"Reflections" - China Beach

There aren't a lot of shows about Vietnam, but there are a lot of movies about the war. All those movies feature great songs from the era and thankfully the one hit show about the Vietnam War followed suit. China Beach chose the fantastic song "Reflections" by Diana Ross & the Supremes. Solid choice, for sure.

"Save Me" - Smallville

"Save Me" was the lead single on the album The Golden Hum, by the band Remy Zero. It was dubiously released on September 10th, 2001. A week later the WB hit Smallville debuted, using "Save Me" as its theme song. The song became a minor hit for the band, but sadly, Remy Zero broke up before recording a follow-up album.

"Woke Up This Morning" - The Sopranos

"Woke Up This Morning" by the British band Alabama 3 was a minor hit in the U.K. in 1997, when it was released, but didn't gain any traction in the U.S. That changed in a huge way when it was picked to be the theme song of The Sopranos. The song became one of those spine-tingling moments whenever viewers would here that famous HBO audio mark right before the beat of the song would hit as Tony drove from New York City to his house in New Jersey each week.

"Love And Marriage" - Married... With Children

For a show that took pride in just how crude it can be, it's kinda awesome that the theme song was by one of the classiest singers of all time. Married... With Children used the Frank Sinatra song "Love And Marriage" as its theme song and it worked amazing for that intro with the shot of a fountain in Chicago.

"Little Boxes" - Weeds

Malvina Reynolds wrote "Little Boxes" in 1962 and gave it to her friend, legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, who had a minor hit with it in 1964. It was Reynolds' version that would become the biggest hit when it was used as the theme for Showtime's Weeds.

"Superhero" - Entourage

Jane's Addiction had their biggest hits in the early '90s before they broke up (for the first time) in 1994. When they reconvened in 2001, they finally recorded their third "proper" album, Strays (JA fans will tell you it was their fourth album, including their debut live album commonly called XXX). The song "Superhero" from Strays became the best-known song from the album when it was used for the theme of HBO's Entourage.

"Stand" - Get A Life

Highlighting just how offbeat Get A Life, starring Chris Eliot, was, the show managed to score an REM hit for its theme song. "Stand" from the REM album Orange was a huge hit and the band was notorious for protecting their songs from too much commercialization. In short, they were the last band you'd expect to allow one of its songs to be used on TV. But the show was so unique, that it made perfect sense.

"Rock Around The Clock" - Happy Days

We know what you're thinking, "Wait a minute, Happy Days had its own song. You're right, but that famous theme song wasn't used until the show's second season. The theme in the first season was the Bill Haley and the Comets hit "Rock Around The Clock."

"Jessica" - Top Gear

"Hold on! Top Gear used a cover version of The Allman Brothers Band's song "Jessica"" is what you're thinking here. Well, you're right. But the old Top Gear, the original version that ran from the '70s until the late '90s, used the original version by The Allmans.

"Wanted Dead Or Alive" - Deadliest Catch

Even reality shows like to use big hits. Take, for example, The Deadliest Catch, which used a perfect song, Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive." There's no way you can find a more perfect theme, nor could anyone write a more perfect one.

"Straight Up And Down" - Boardwalk Empire

One of the coolest ideas the showrunners of HBO's Boardwalk Empire had was to use a very modern song by The Brian Jonestown Massacre. For a show set in the 1920s, you wouldn't expect a song like "Straight Up and Down" and yet it works perfectly.

"Low Rider" - The George Lopez Show

It might be a little on the nose, but somehow it still works. The George Lopez Show uses the band War's hit "Low Rider" which is one of the best songs Chicano rock songs of all time.

"What A Wonderful World" - Family Matters

This is another one where you might be thinking that the show had its own, unique theme song and you're right. For most of its run Full House used its own song, but for the first five episodes of Season 1, the show used the classic "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.

"Carry On My Wayward Son" - Supernatural

If we're being honest, "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas doesn't jump out as the perfect theme song for a fantasy show like Supernatural, but today, it's impossible to think the theme song to the show could be anything other than the 1970's hit.

"Tea For The Tillerman" - Extras

"Tea For The Tillerman" by Cat Stevens is the perfect choice for the Ricky Gervais show Extras. The song wasn't a huge hit, it was more of a coda on Cat Stevens' album by the same, which was a huge hit when it was released in 1970.

"Bad Boys" - COPS

COPS is one of the longest-running TV shows of all time, as it's basically been on the air in one form or another since 1989. In total, there have been well over 1000 episodes of the groundbreaking reality show and all of those episodes have started with the song "Bad Boys" by reggae legends Inner Circle.

"Closer To Free" - Party Of Five

Wisconsin band BoDeans landed their biggest hit when their song "Closer To Free" from their fifth album became the theme song to Party Of Five. The song charted as high as #16 once the show took off.

"Bad Things" - True Blood

Singer-songwriter Jace Everett released "Bad Things" in 2005, but it failed to make a big impression on the public. It was a great song though, and when it was picked as the theme to the HBO hit True Blood, the song, like the show, took off and became a hit among fans of the show.

"Livin' On The Edge" - Ice Road Truckers

Following in the footsteps of his cousin, Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers picked another song from a hair metal band. The theme for the first four seasons of the nail-biting show was "Livin' On The Edge" by Aerosmith, a perfect choice.

"Next Year" - Ed

NBC's Ed found a cult following during its four seasons on the air, but the band whose song was the theme, The Foo Fighters, is anything but a cult band. They were then and are still one of the biggest bands in the world and their song "Next Year" is one of their many hits.

"Flagpole Sitta" - Peep Show

it's sad to say that Harvey Danger, who released "Flagpole Sitta" in 1997, is a one-hit wonder. They deserve so much better. But alas, "Flagpole Sitta" was their lone hit, but what a hit it's been. It's seemingly everywhere, even more than two decades since its release. That includes as the theme for the British show Peep Show for the show's final eight seasons.

"Where You Lead" - The Gilmore Girls

The Gilmore Girls has been a surprisingly enduring show over the years. Though it ended almost two decades ago, the show remains beloved by its fans. It's fitting that the show's theme song is an enduring hit too. "Where You Lead," by Carole King, was first released in 1970. it's worth noting that the theme song is slightly reworked by King and recorded for the show by King and Louise Goffin.

"Forever Young" - Parenthood

Parenthood pulled off quite the coup when they landed the Bob Dylan song "Forever Young" as its theme song. Dylan is famously protective of this music.

Even the best shows need to end, and some of the classics had endings that are still remembered to this day. Apologies if you don’t see some of your favorites like Lost or The Sopranos on this list, as those series ended outside of the “classic” cutoff of 2004. But now, let’s get into some comfort shows, cult favorites, and overall stunners, and see how they all ended.

Cheers

In “One For The Road,” Sam Malone (Ted Danson) was this close to running off one last time with Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). But after the couple decided they’re better apart, Sam heads back to Cheers, in a finale that would become one of the highest rated TV episodes on IMDb, and surely wouldn’t be undone by any future guest appearances on a Frasier Crane spinoff.

Newhart

After eight seasons, Newhart’s series finale “The Last Newhart” seemed to have sold the entire town the Stratford Inn resided in… save for that respite run by Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart). However, in one of the most ingenious endings of TV history, the entire series turned out to be a dream in the mind of The Bob Newhart Show’s Dr. Robert Hartley (also Newhart). Now that is a proud member of the club for TV shows that ended well.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

WJM-TV's Six O'Clock News gang is fired… except for everyone’s favorite blowhard Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). With The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s cast of comedic ringers sharing a famous final hug, and the same box of tissues, our friends send the long running sitcom out during “The Last Show” the exact way it came in: with heartfelt laughs.

Friends

“The Last One” is, thankfully, not on the list of the most ridiculous Friends episodes. And how could it be, with the two-part finale seeing the gang finally move into their own lives. Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) finally agree to set their relationship status to “they will,” and sweethearts Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) move to suburbia to start their family’s life.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Sunnydale’s Hellmouth finally collapses… taking the entire town Buffy The Vampire Slayer called home with it. But not before claiming the lives of Spike (James Marsters) and Anya (Emma Caulfield), and helping Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) realize that there are plenty of other Slayers that she can assist in a world still filled with supernatural danger. And of course Angel (David Boreanaz) and Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) return, to make “Chosen” a proper send off.

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) writes a memoir, which sends us into The Dick Van Dyke Show’s flashback laden finale “The Last Chapter.” Unfortunately for him, the publisher isn’t as pleased with the results as his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). That’s ok, Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) plans to adapt it into a TV show; which puts a beautifully funny bow on this sitcom classic.

Angel

Angel (David Boreanaz) finally seems to defeat the forces of evil at Wolfram & Hart, with several of Angel’s gang of misfits surviving the aptly titled “Not Fade Away.” Unfortunately for fans, the spinoff to Buffy the Vampire Slayer ends on a pumped up cliffhanger that doesn’t feel like the end of a series. Not to mention the death of Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (Alexis Denisof) probably still rubs some fans the wrong way; especially when creator Joss Whedon admitted to the A.V. Club that the former librarian would have survived… if the show hadn’t been canceled.

Roseanne

While ABC’s Roseanne would not only find itself revived, but also spun off into the sequel series The Connors, the original run of Roseanne Barr’s hit sitcom ended on a rather odd note. After a final season of increasingly weird and out of place twists, Roseanne Conner was revealed to have become a writer, and husband Dan (John Goodman) had actually died… a decision that would be retconned in a series revival decades after the fact.

Frasier (NBC)

Everyone Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) knows and loves is moving on in their lives, with the Cheers mainstay having his own new lease on life waiting for him in Chicago. Moving to the Windy City for a new job and the woman he loves, “Goodnight, Seattle” was a finale that was sure to have the final say, and not be undone by a future Paramount+ revival series.

Blackadder

For four seasons Blackadder saw Rowan Atkinson and a who’s who of British comedians, including but not limited to Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Rik Mayall, and Miriam Margolyes, sending history up with a laugh. But in the series finale “Goodbyeee,” the World War I centered story ended with our heroes engaged in one final push into combat, which somberly transitioned to a field of poppies. Lest we forget.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Leave it to Star Trek: The Next Generation to show us once more that “All Good Things…” do indeed come to an end. With Q (John DeLancie) resuming the prosecution of humanity he began in the series’ premiere, the finale sees Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) become the species’ greatest defender. The captain finally joins the ship’s regular poker game, with a future of motion picture and legacy-quels awaiting.

ER

Cook County General Hospital’s life on TV ended pretty much the way it started. As ER finally said goodbye with the episode “And In The End…” Dr. Carter (Noah Wylie) and his colleagues were swamped with cases that came from the same industrial accident. Ushering in what looks like the start of Rachel Greene (Hallee Hirsh) and her medical career, and with a recent reunion of old friends lingering in the air, life goes on.

Seinfeld

You’d be hard pressed to find a finale as controversial as Seinfeld’s “The Finale.” Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Kramer (Michael Richards) are all tried and convicted for violating the Good Samaritan law in Massachusetts, thanks to a parade of character witnesses who claim they are indeed the worst. It’s ok, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s series finale would relitigate, and seemingly correct this choice, in the funniest way possible years later.

Beverly Hills, 90210

One of the mainstays of ‘90s TV fittingly said farewell in 2000, as Beverly Hills, 90210 struck up “Ode To Joy” and sent West Bev’s finest fully into adulthood. Don’t worry: Kelly (Jennie Garth) and Dylan (Luke Perry) finally committed to each other in the end, in a decision that surely wouldn’t be undone by a CW legacy-quel series decades after the fact.

M*A*S*H

“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” wasn’t just the last episode of M*A*S*H, it was a two and a half hour TV movie sending the men and women of the 4077 into that good night gracefully. The gang commemorated the end of the Korean War, and their eventual returns to civilian life. But not before ​​B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) sends Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) a final message that would live in television history.

The Fugitive

“The Judgment” finally brought an end to The Fugitive’s search for the One Armed Man, with Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) being exonerated for the murder of his wife. In a two-parter that was staggered between two weeks of airtime, Part II was billed as “The Day The Running Stopped,” with Dr. Kimble and his dogged pursuer Lt. Philip Gerard (Barry Morse) parting ways as friends.

St. Elsewhere

St. Elsewhere’s Season 8 finale "The Last One" implied the entire series to be the creation of Tommy Westphall (Chad Allen), the autistic son of series regular Dr. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders). That decision led to what Unsupervised Nerds dubbed “The Tommy Westphall Universe,” which implies that other series like Cheers, Homicide: Life on the Streets, and even Law and Order: SVU exist in that same sphere, thanks to various crossovers and references.

The Golden Girls

“One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest” saw The Golden Girls closing the Lanai one final time, thanks to Dorothy (Bea Arthur) marrying Lucas (Leslie Nielsen), uncle to fellow housemate Blanche (Rue McClanahan). The two-part episode ended the seven season run of the network TV mainstay, while leading to one of the great TV spin offs you might have forgotten, The Golden Palace.

Dinosaurs

While Dinosaurs seems rather short-lived when compared to some of these other titans of TV, ABC’s four-season sitcom still landed a crushing blow with its series finale “Changing Nature.” As a chain of events doomed Pangea to perish in a freshly begun ice age, we see Earl Sinclair (Stuart Pankin) and his family struggling to find hope in the bleakest of situations.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s series finale, the two-parter entitled "I, Done," spawned a meme thanks to the moment where Will (Will Smith) looks around at the mansion he called home for six seasons one last time. As the Banks family move on to the next chapters in their lives, the West Philadelphia transplant actually stays in California, ready to get an education and finally make a name for himself.

Family Matters

For a series that started with Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) as a secondary comic relief, Family Matters’ final episode “Lost in Space Part 2” showed how far the series had shifted in nine seasons. With Steve actually engaged to Laura Winslow (Kellie Shanygne Williams), and a mission to space ending in what felt far from a series finale, the show that switched networks from ABC to CBS during its run saw its nosy neighbor become the star of the show.

Star Trek

Star Trek’s initial five-year mission actually only lasted three seasons on the NBC network, and “Turnabout Intruder” showed just how abruptly this cancellation was carried out. In what seemed like another day aboard the USS Enterprise, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) switched bodies with former lover Dr. Janice Lester (Sandra Smith), who then proceeds to try and kill Kirk to assume his command. By the end, everyone’s back in their own bodies, with a future in the motion pictures just around the corner!

Home Improvement

The three-part epic “The Long and Winding Road” saw Home Improvement end on a note that was both bittersweet, and totally bonkers. With Tim (Tim Allen) and Jill (Patricia Richardson) deciding to stay in Detroit after watching Al (Richard Karn) getting married in their backyard. While Jonathan Taylor-Thomas’ Randy would be a no-show for the finale, the series ended with the Tool Man’s ultimate hare-brained scheme: towing and tugging the family home to wherever they might choose to move to in the future.

The Wonder Years

In an act that resembles the bittersweet nostalgia The Wonder Years always embodied, "Independence Day" provides us with closure through one last narration from older Kevin (Daniel Stern). Young Kevin (Fred Savage) and Winnie (Danica McKellar) weren’t the endgame we all expected, family wounds were healed, and life went on.

Quantum Leap

Say the words, "Sam Becket never returned home" to any Quantum Leap fan, and they’ll probably glare at you as if you’d kicked their puppy. But that’s exactly how NBC’s sci-fi fan favorite ended in the episode “Mirror Image: August 8, 1953.” Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) was doomed to this horrific fate, and a misspelled name in the final title card, before sadly never returning.

Dallas

In a series as wild as Dallas, a crazy finale was all but assured. Sure enough, the Season 14 two-parter “Conundrum” saved the nuttiest for last, as J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) saw what life would have been like if he had never been born… and then was assumed to have shot himself after seeing the result. Five years later, the TV movie Dallas: J.R. Returns would prove that he didn’t shoot himself, allowing the Texas oil man to continue his reign of soapy terror.

The Cosby Show

After 8 seasons and 201 episodes, The Cosby Show saw “And So We Commence” closing the book on the Huxtables once and for all. What starts with Cliff (Bill Cosby) getting into another comedic scrape over graduation tickets eventually gives way to his son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) graduating from college. As the show drew to a close, our last image was of Cliff and wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad) dancing to the tune of a freshly fixed doorbell.

ALF

“Consider Me Gone” saw ALF ending after four seasons on NBC in a cliffhanger that was initially labeled “To Be Continued…” As ALF/Gordon Shumway (Paul Fusco) attempted to return home to Melmac, the nefarious Alien Task Force intercepted him at the last minute, and that was it. At least until the sequel movie Project ALF would provide a fitting, if not disappointing end, six years later, naming our alien wisecracker an official ambassador of Earth.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The two-part episode “The Seven Wonders of the World Affair” drew The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to a close, with Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Ilya Kuryakin (David McCallum) achieving the following result: "The battle (between good and evil) ends once and for all in favor of good." If only Guy Ritchie’s fan favorite film adaptation could have gotten the same ending.

Benson

Benson never intended to have a cliffhanger ending, but that’s exactly what “And the Winner is…” gave fans at the end of Season 7. Salon actually revealed that three different endings were filmed… with a tie being the most likely choice, leading into the hypothetical Season 8. But as it stands, Benson (Robert Guillaume) and Governor Gatling (James Noble) will forever be in a tie for the governorship.

Get Smart

In an ingenious spoof of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, Get Smart ended in a way similar to how The Man with the Golden Gun started. In “I’m Curiously Yellow,” Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) is brainwashed by an evil KAOS agent to sabotage his home agency CONTROL. But, as you might expect, the day was eventually saved… in an ending that kind of felt like another day at the office.

Freaks And Geeks

Nobody wanted to see NBC’s Freaks and Geeks end after just one season of magic, but alas that’s what "Discos and Dragons" did. After eighteen episodes of adolescent dramedy, Linda Cardellini’s Lindsay Weir ditched an academic event to follow the Grateful Dead on tour. Honestly, that feels like a rather poetic, if still unfortunate, way for creator Paul Feig’s beloved series to end.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that some of the best TV theme songs are courtesy of some of the greatest musicians in pop culture. Iconic TV theme songs can be as fondly remembered as the characters on the show, sometimes even more so. These are themes that still slap because they were created by the best of the best. Here is our list of some of the great songs that became iconic TV theme songs.

Friends - The Rembrandts

The legend goes that REM was first approached to have their song "Shiny Happy People" used as the theme song to Friends, but they turned the producers down. According to Michael Stipe, the producers then turned to the LA-based dup The Rembrandts to write an REM-like song. Frankly, "I'll Be There For You," the song that became a hit as the theme doesn't sound much like REM, but it's a great song, even if the band found the fame very stressful and almost quit over it. 

Orange Is The New Black - Regina Spektor

The creative team behind Orange Is The New Black found the perfect voice in Regina Spektor to compose and perform the theme song for the show. "You've Got Time" was written for the show and lyrically and musically it fits the show perfectly. 

The Wire - Tom Waits

The Wire did something unique with its theme song. Each season, the same song, a dark, brooding song called "Way Down In The Hole" written by Tom Waits and included on his 1987 classic album  Franks Wild Years. In the first season, it was performed by The Blind Boys of Alabama. Waits' original version was used for Season 2. Seasons three and four saw the theme performed by  The Neville Brothers and a group of local Baltimore kids dubbed  DoMaJe, respectively. For the fifth and final season, singer-songwriter Steve Earle, who also played Waylon on the show, did the song. 

The Golden Girls - Andrew Gold

"Thank You For Being A Friend" is certainly most well known for being the theme to the classic sitcom The Golden Girls, but it was written and recorded by singer Andrew Gold almost a decade earlier and became a top 25 hit in 1978. Singer Cindy Fee sang the TV version. 

Get A Life - REM

In the early days of the Fox network, they were throwing anything and everything at the wall to see what stuck. One brilliant show that never found its audience was Get A Life starring Chris Elliott, now most famous as being from the cast of Schitt's Creek. The show even featured "Stand" by REM as its theme. 

Boardwalk Empire - The Brian Jonestown Massacre

HBO's Boardwalk Empire may have been set in the 1920s, but the theme is from the 1990s. The song, "Straight Up and Down" comes from the excellent 1996 album Take It From The Man by the notorious Brian Jonestown Massacre. Side note - that's the best band name ever. 

A Different World - Aretha Franklin

When A Different World was spun off from the most popular sitcom of its era, The Cosby Show, you know they had to go big with the theme song. It doesn't get any bigger than the Queen of Soul herself, the legendary Aretha Franklin, who sang the theme song for Seasons 2 through 5 after Phoebe Snow sang it in the first season. Later Boyz II Men took over. 

Freaks And Geeks - Joan Jett

Joan Jett didn't give a darn about her bad reputation, nor did the characters in Freaks and Geeks, making the rocker's song, "Bad Reputation" the perfect theme song for the beloved cult show. 

The Big Bang Theory - The Barenaked Ladies

A show about nerds deserves a theme song by a band made of, let's be honest, other nerds. The Barenaked Ladies had a slew of hits in the '90s with their unique brand of dorky, catchy tunes like "Brian Wilson" and "If I Had A Million Dollars," and that aesthetic was perfect for The Big Bang Theory's theme about the origins of the universe. 

China Beach - The Supremes

In the late 1980s, Baby Boomer nostalgia was at its peak, with shows from the '60s being rebooting left and right, and shows like China Beach, about the Vietnam War, finding success on the airwaves. The theme song had to fit the era, and so the producers chose "Reflections" from 1967 by Diana Ross and The Supremes. 

South Park - Primus

An offbeat cartoon like South Park needs an offbeat theme song, so there was no better choice than to enlist Les Claypool and Primus to write and perform it. The theme has become iconic and Primus has even occasionally played it in concert. You just can't imagine the show beginning with anything but that twangy intro. 

The Proud Family - Solange And Destiny's Child

Let's be honest, it's kind of shocking that The Proud Family only aired for two seasons on the Disney Channel in the early '00s. It was a ground-breaking cartoon featuring an African-American family and as such, it deserved a theme song by legends like Solange and Destiny's Child. 

Entourage - Jane's Addiction

HBO's Entourage has one of the coolest intros of any TV show of its era as the characters cruise through Hollywood in a vintage convertible. The Jane's Addiction song "Superhero" plays over the scenes, adding to that coolness. It's a song that comes from JA's 2003 release Strays, but feels very much like it could have been written for the show. 

Dog The Bounty Hunter - Ozzy Osbourne

Dog The Bounty Hunter was a wild show, and having one of rock's wildest characters, Ozzy Osbourne perform the theme song was a match made in heaven. It doesn't sound much like a song you'd expect from the heavy metal legend, but you can't mistake his trademark vocals. Really, it's the best part about the show, if we're honest. 

Miami Vice - Jan Hammer

Jan Hammer might not be a household name, but he's played with some of the biggest jazz and rock legends of all time. His career stretches back to the late 1960s and throughout the '70s he played with legends like Billy Cobham, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, and John McLaughlin. He also composed virtually all of the music for Miami Vice throughout the show's entire run, including the iconic theme song. 

House - Massive Attack

If you watch House on a streaming service, you likely won't hear the song it originally used as its theme, "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. Instead, there is a generic song that vaguely sounds close to that song but is not nearly as good. 

That '70s Show - Cheap Trick

The theme to That '70s Show has a disjointed history. The song, "In the Street," was originally written and performed by Big Star, and released in 1972. A slightly reworked version, renamed "That '70s Song" was performed by Todd Griffin for the show's first season. Starting in Season 2, Cheap Trick recorded a version of "That '70s Song" which remained the theme for the rest of the show's eight-season run. 

The Drew Carey Show - The Presidents Of The United States of America

The best-known theme song from The Drew Carey Show is "Cleveland Rocks" by the Seattle band The Presidents of the United States of America. However, it actually had a completely different theme in its first season, a song by Carey himself called "Moon Over Parma." 

All That - TLC

Nickelodeon's All That was groundbreaking in a lot of ways. An SNL for kids that helped launch the careers of actors like Nick Cannon, Kennan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, Gabriel Iglesias, and Jamie Lynn Spears. It has to be said that the TLC, who performed the theme song also got a boost from the show, though they were already pretty huge when they recorded it. 

Malcolm in the Middle - They Might Be Giants

In a lot of ways, Malcolm in the Middle defines what being a kid in the early 2000s was all about. Though it was about Milennial childhood, the band who recorded the theme song, They Might Be Giants, are Gen X stalwarts. "Boss of Me" even won the group a Grammy. 

Dawson's Creek - Paula Cole

Paula Cole's song "I Don't Want To Wait" was first released on her 1996 album This Fire and hit #11 on the Billboard charts in 1997. In 1998, it became the theme song for Dawson's Creek and has become simply iconic in the years since. 

The Wonder Years - Joe Cocker

Of course, a show set in the '60s had to have an epic '60s song for its theme song. For The Wonder Years that meant going with Joe Cocker's version of The Beatles' "A Little Help From My Friends." Due to its appearance at the beginning of every episode, Cocker's version is at least as well known by Gen X as the original by the Fab Four, if not more. 

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Who

The original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, set in Las Vegas, spawned spin-offs set in Miami and New York, and all the shows used songs by The Who as their theme songs. For the original, it was "Who Are You," for CSI: Miami it was "Won't Get Fooled Again," and for CSI: NY it was "Baba O'Riley." The short-lived CSI: Cyber, which only had 31 episodes also used a song by The Who, "I Can See For Miles."

One Day At A Time - Gloria Estefan

When One Day At A Time was rebooted by Netflix in 2017, this time about a Latino family, the famous theme song was recorded by one of the greatest Latin artists of all time, Gloria Estefan. You couldn't have asked for a better match. 

Weeds - Malvina Reynolds

Malvina Reynolds has one of the most fascinating stories in 20th-century music. She didn't even start her career in earnest until she was in her forties and her biggest hit, "Little Boxes," was written and recorded until she was in her 60s. The song, first released in 1962, became a hit again as the theme song to Weeds in the '00s. 

The O.C. - Phantom Planet

The most famous member of Phantom Planet is an actor and drummer, Jason Schwartzman, so it tracks that they would find their biggest success when their song "California" was picked to be the theme song of The O.C. Without a doubt, it's a banger and fits the show perfectly. 

Gilmore Girls - Carole King

Carole King's massive hit album Tapestry sold millions of copies on the strength of two hit songs, "I Feel The Earth Move" and "It's Too Late." A third song from that album, "Where You Lead" was re-recorded by King and served as the theme song to Gilmore Girls decades after it was first written. 

Married... With Children - Frank Sinatra

When it comes to 20th Century recording artists, it doesn't get any bigger than Old Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. You wouldn't expect one of his biggest hits, "Love and Marriage" to serve as the theme to a raunchy sitcom like Married... With Children, and yet it works perfectly. 

Veronica Mars - The Dandy Warhols

The show Veronica Mars and the band that performed the theme song, "We Used to Be Friends," by The Dandy Warhols, have something in common. Both the show and the band were critically lauded and gained a loyal and rabid fanbase, but neither really broke through to a broader mainstream audience. Fitting partners, for sure. 

Party Of Five -  BoDeans

For more than a decade, starting in the early '80s, Wisconsin band BoDeans worked hard to develop their career in music. It all came together for them in the early '90s with their album Go Slow Down, which featured their hit "Closer To Free." The song ended up as the theme song to Party Of Five and has since become iconic. 

Sanford & Son - Quincy Jones

When it comes to TV theme songs, there is not bigger banger than the theme to Sanford & Son. The infectious, impossibly funky tune was written by one of the all greats, composer and producer Quincy Jones. So if you ever wondered what made it so great, there's your answer. 

Ed - Foo Fighters

For decades, The Foo Fighters have been on top of the rock n' roll world. There isn't much that the Dave Grohl-led band hasn't done and that includes having a song serve as a theme song to a TV show. Ed was an underrated hit show on NBC in the early '00s and the Foos' "Next Year" was a great choice for a theme.

The Wonder Years is truly one of the best sitcoms of all time, as it depicted the everyday challenges of growing up in the late 1960s. Since the final episode of the coming-of-age series aired back in 1993, the young stars that acted on the show have all grown up . So grown up that Jason Hervey, who played Kevin Arnold’s older brother Wayne on the dramedy, is now a grandfather. And his former co-star, Danica McKellar, feels just like we do.

Some can probably still vividly remember Jason Hervey’s Wayne messing with Fred Savage's Kevin and calling him "Butthead." (He's definitely a member of the Arnold Clan who you wouldn’t want to invite to Thanksgiving dinner.) Given those memories, it's kind of surreal to know that, at 52 years old, Hervey, who's also a TV producer, is a proud grandfather to his daughter’s baby boy. Needless to say, I’m getting all of the feels from Wonder Years co-star Danica McKellar’s Instagram post, which you can see below:

While The Wonder Years cast reunited a decade ago for the show’s DVD release and had another reunion at a Rangers hockey game, the latest get-together at the Fanboy Expo in Tennessee takes the cake. It was there that the cast of the ‘80s/’90s sitcom got to meet Jason Hervey’s grandson, Shia. While I can get around Mr. Hervey being a father of four children, it’s so hard to believe the former child star known for playing Kevin’s mischievous older brother is now a grandparent! My mind is clearly stuck in another place in time, and it make take me a little bit to wrap my head around this.

Little Shia was so lucky to get to meet the former cast members of his grandfather’s old show, including his “TV great-grandfather,” Dan Lauria, who played Wayne's father on The Wonder Years. But the most memorable pic from the Instagram carousel is the shot of Danica McKellar holding this little bundle of joy. In her caption, the Hallmark/GAC Family actress expressed her thoughts, which align with mine and probably yours as well:

Yes, he absolutely is. In her caption, the actress explained that Shia was originally crying when the actress/author held him in her arms. But the mother of one was a pro at getting him to stop crying, as shown in a video of her performing a little “U-bend” that she did for her own son when he was four weeks old. The skilled mathematician swayed Shia from side to side, giving him little pats on the back and chanting, “Babies need a little bit of rhythm.” Jason Hervey commented on Danica McKellar’s post that he was more than appreciative of what she provided for his grandson at that moment:

It’s still unbelievable that the older brother from The Wonder Years is now a grandfather but, like so many others seem to be, I'm happy for him. I also love that Jason Hervey and his co-stars are still so close. As Hervey told McKellar, “YOU are family,” and I'm living for the fact that little Shia apparently has so many people who love him.

You can relive the nostalgia of The Wonder Years by streaming all six seasons with a Hulu subscription. Make sure to also look at our 2024 TV schedule in case you're looking for some shows that are a bit more current.

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.

1985 saw the first dedicated attempt to bring the “oldies” format from radio to television, and it wasn’t long before Nick at Nite became as popular with adult audiences as Nickelodeon is with kids. Over the years, the vast majority of the brand’s programming has focused on whatever primetime hits were airing 20-30 years prior, and became the first place where many viewers first met iconic characters like Lucy Ricardo, Mr. Ed, Dennis the Menace, and even the Friends cast.

Nick at Nite later launched the spinoff network TV Land, with slightly more focus on creating original content, and other networks have cropped up over the years with a nostalgic TV bent. But the O.G. programming block can never be topped, and we’re celebrating more than 30 of Nick at Nite’s most memorable and timeless offerings.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

After cementing herself as a TV queen in The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Tyler Moore struck lightning once more with her eponymous Emmy-winning classic. Featuring A+ co-stars such as Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Betty White and more, MTM offers audiences a look at the issues strong women face in the workplace, and how much things haven’t changed all that much in the decades since. And she can still turn the world on with a smile.

The Munsters

Arriving in the post-Universal Classic Monsters era, The Munsters added some Hollywood horror flair to 1960s suburbia, and its legacy as a quintessential sitcom remains intact, thanks to killer performances from stars such as Fred Gwynne, Vyonne De Carlo and Al Lewis. The series, which was most recently reimagined as a 2022 Rob Zombie feature, technically spent more time airing on Nick at Nite than it did airing on CBS during its two-season run. (Which later sparked various specials and TV movies.)

Mork & Mindy

It’s baffling to think that Robin Williams’ on-screen legacy as a comedy icon came largely from playing a sitcom alien on one of television’s loosest spinoffs, the Happy Days-offshoot Mork & Mindy. But so it goes, and we’re all the better for it, with Pam Dawber’s Mindy a splendid foil for Williams’ madcap energy. Nick at Nite helped turn “Nanu nanu” into a catchphrase for wholly new generations.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

While obviously iconic for films such as Psycho, Rear Window and many more, director Alfred Hitchcock brought his talents to the living room with ten seasons of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which remains one of the best horror TV anthologies. Which is saying something, since many of the stories fell outside the genre. Though the filmmaker helmed less than 20 of the installments, his impact was always felt via hosting appearances, and AHP is one of the relatively rare spooky series to get Nick at Nite love.

The Jeffersons

One of television’s most successful spinoffs, All in the Family’s offshoot The Jeffersons delivered eleven highly watched, expertly acted, guest-filled seasons of Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley’s Weezy and George Jefferson guiding family, friends and viewers through the social wringer on their way to that deluxe apartment in the sky. Thankfully, it was easier to find it on Nick at Nite than during its slot-shifting run on CBS

SCTV

Canadian television was a go-to source in Nickelodeon’s early years, so the all-time great TV sketch comedy series SCTV was a natural fit for Nick at Nite. And it arrived in 1988, at a point of massive popularity in the U.S. for all-star cast members like Catherine O’Hara (Beetlejuice), Martin Short (SNL), Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters), Rick Moranis (Spaceballs) and John Candy (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles). It definitely helped that it was funny as heck, as well.

The Bob Newhart Show

Stand-up genius Bob Newhart first became a sitcom mainstay as Chicago psychologist Bob Hartley in The Bob Newhart Show, as classic a workplace comedy as there can be. (Everybody needs a Carol.) The series, whose pop culture embrace certainly wasn’t hurt by its years on Nick at Nite, is perhaps best known for Bob and Suzanne Pleshette’s Emily later appearing in the series finale of his also beloved follow-up, Newhart.

I Love Lucy

Though her later sitcom The Lucy Show was the first to hit Nick at Nite, her wildly popular first series was a huge addition to the brand, with six seasons of Ball’s ever-enjoyable performances to utilize. Co-starring her hubby Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley, I Love Lucy is the epitome of classic TV, and its influence has held so strongly that the hilarious conveyor belt sequence was re-enacted for both a 2020 episode of Will and Grace and a segment for the A+ 2024 Emmy telecast.

WKRP In Cincinnati

Few TV shows are set in the world of radio, perhaps because few could pull it off as well as WKRP in Cincinnati and faithful squad members such as Venus Flytrap, Dr. Johnny Fever, Les Nessman and more. Never a ratings hit, the comedy hit it big in syndication post-cancellation, inspiring the less memorable New WKRP in Cincinnati spinoff (1991-93), and arriving at Nick at Nite years later. Watch out for those falling turkeys, though.

Car 54, Where Are You?

Starring The Munsters and Pet Sematary great Fred Gwynne opposite The Phil Silvers Show standout Joe E. Ross, Car 54, Where Are You? is easy to recognize as a sitcom predecessor to Barney Miller and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. (And featured the first on-screen pairing of Gwynne and future Munsters co-star Al Lewis.) Toody and Muldoon remain a riot all on their own, and the show featured other screen faves such as Charlotte Rea and Ossie Davis.

Rhoda

Valerie Harper earned her own spinoff from The Mary Tyler Moore Show for her years of playing outspoken BFF Rhoda Morgenstern, and she went on to earn an Emmy for her work. (Specifically for one of television’s most celebrated wedding episodes, which was viewed by more than 52 million people.) Rhoda is also noteworthy for co-starring Julie Kavner, who became a TV legend in her own right as the voice of Marge Simpson.

Friends

A sitcom whose popularity may outlast all living things, Friends was a ratings phenom for NBC for ten years, making superstars out of its core cast members, including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and the late Matthew Perry. It remains so popular, in fact, that its syndicated stretch on Nick at Nite eclipsed its original network run by years.

The Donna Reed Show

Arguably the poster mom of B&W television, film star Donna Reed fronted her eponymous sitcom for 8 seasons of exceedingly wholesome and family-friendly episodes. Donna and Alex Stone (Carl Betz) were the mythically endearing parents to their ne’er-do-naughty kids Jeff and Mary, portrayed by former Mouseketeer Paul Peterson and singer Shelly Fabares, respectively. Low in stakes and diversity, but high in family values, The Donna Reed Show is peak Nick at Nite.

The Wonder Years

As Dobie Gillis and the Brady kids did previously, The Wonder Years offered Nick at Nite viewers another teen-centric series, and one set in the brand’s familiar era of the 1960s. A classic coming-of-age dramedy fronted in part by fan-favorite lovebirds Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) and Winnie Cooper (Danica McKellar), The Wonder Years brought a reflective perspective to issues like school dances, angry parents, and the Vietnam War, and many viewers wished that Alley Mills’ Norma was also their mom.

Looney Tunes

Of everything Nick at Nite has aired over the decades, animated fare ranks among the rarest, but there’s no question why Looney Tunes is among the few exceptions. Though unseen, Mel Blanc and the scores of animators who worked on the plethora of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, etc. shorts are as talented as on-screen performers. Plus, this was a time when a cartoon show airing at night was mythical to kids.

Taxi

One of TV’s best blue-collar comedies is also one of its most well-cast, as Taxi boasts a lineup featuring Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman, Tony Danza, Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Carol Kane, Jeff Conaway and Christopher Lloyd. Even if the scripts were terrible, that cast could have spun them into gold, so it’s a good thing Taxi featured A+ narratives throughout its five-season run, while also serving up some of Nick at Nite’s more serious and touching sitcom eps.

The Dick Van Dyke Show

The Dick Van Dyke Show is one of several classics that became synonymous with Nick at Nite, with endlessly rewatchable repeats airing for nearly ten years. The titular talent is as impeccable as any TV lead, and he was joined by a stellar ensemble comprising Mary Tyler Moore, Maury Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Carl Reiner and more. Without any true stinkers in the bunch, Dick Van Dyke is a timeless treasure, and gets extra points for changing up the ottoman-infused opening credits.

Cheers

Sometimes you want a show where you know everybody’s name, and for so many millions of people, Cheers was that show for eleven hilarious and sometimes touching seasons. The entire cast is legendary, from Ted Danson to Shelley Long to Woody Harrelson to Rhea Perlman, and they were performing some of the best sitcom scripts of any decade. I bet one of the TVs inside the bar is playing Nick at Nite, too.

Bewitched

With just a twitch of her nose, Elizabeth Montgomery’s Samantha Stevens was capable of just about anything, such as keeping the sitcom Bewitched on the air for eight seasons (even though the show recast Darren partway through). Classic ‘60s hijinks and stereotypes abound, and there are few better TV duos on Nick at Nite more enjoyable than Agnes Moorehead and Paul Lynde.

All In The Family

One of Norman Lear’s prize jewels, All in the Family remains a rewatchable classic for all the known, and the head of Carroll O’Connor’s socially out-of-touch Archie Bunker would no doubt be carved into Nick at Nite’s Mt. Rushmore. The sitcom tackled issues that even modern dramas still tiptoe around, and made household names out of Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner.

The Facts Of Life

One of few TV series in the 1980s to feature an entirely female ensemble (save for smaller roles from Mackenzie Astin and George Clooney), The Facts of Life featured several casting changes over the years, but never fully lost the charms inherent to Eastland Academy. For many, the core squad will always be Mrs. Garrett, Blair, Tootie, Natalie and Jo, and they’ll remain the best friends and housemates a viewer could ever get.

Get Smart

Who needs James Bond when Don Adams’ Maxwell Smart is here to save the day? (Better make that “shave” the day, Chief.) The bumbling secret agent comedy, co-created by Mel Brooks, introduced some all-time great TV spy devices, from the shoe-phone to the Cone of Silence, and inspired several follow-up spinoff series and TV movies, as well as the Steve Carrel theatrical film. Though only the original series made it to Nick at Nite.

The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis

Without Dwayne Hickman’s audience-addressing sweetheart Dobie Gillis, pop culture may never have produced such fourth wall-breaking classics like Ferris Bueller and High Fidelity. The series oozes 1950s charm and corniness, with Bob Denver’s work-fearing beatnik Maynard in the mix, and gave TV audiences one of the first shows with a teen character front and center.

The Office

Beloved as Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s O.G. The Office is, few shows anywhere can touch the massive popularity of Greg Daniels’ U.S. iteration, thanks to many years of socially hyper-awkward chaos from Steve Carrel’s Michael Scott. Not to mention the oft-adorbs romance between John Krasinski’s Jim and Jenna Fischer’s Pam, and the umpteen other characters involved in the mockumentary.

Family Ties

A capsule of a time when a family’s political differences still made for heartwarming TV, Family Ties was the breakout sitcom for co-stars Michael J. Fox and Justine Bateman, and marked Meredith Baxter’s reign as a sitcom queen (coinciding with her reign as TV movie queen). It was peak ‘80s TV, down to featuring pre-Married with Children appearances from both David Faustino and Christina Applegate.

Welcome Back, Kotter

What’s the best thing about Welcome Back, Kotter? Is it John Travolta’s Sweathog Vinnie? Ron Palillo’s signature Horshack laugh? The way Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs’ Boom-Boom pronounces Mr. Kotter’s name? Maybe it’s Gabe Kaplan’s subtle-in-comparison portrayal of the titular high school teacher. Whatever the reason, watching Welcome Back, Kotter on Nick at Nite was way more fun than actually going to school.

A Different World

With respect to the so-so first season of the Cosby Show spinoff, A Different World entered classic TV territory once Debbie Allen took creative control in Season 2, with a cast led by Dawnn Lewis, Kadeem Hardison, Cree Summer and Jasmine Guy. The sitcom broke ground for dealing with real-world issues without falling back on Very Special Episode tropes, and episodes still felt refreshing upon hitting Nick at Nite in the mid-2000s.

Newhart

Bob Newhart’s second TV sitcom, the fittingly titled Newhart, is like a calmer and quirkier Fawlty Towers, with plenty of kooky fun to be had in the Stratford Inn especially when it involves Larry and his brothers Darryl. With stellar turns from co-stars like Mary Frann, Peter Scolari, Tom Poston and Julia Duffy, the series boasts arguably the most parodied and homage TV finale of all time.

Roseanne

A sitcom that defines the ‘80s and ‘90s as much as blue-collar culture, Roseanne spun out of comedian Roseanne Barr’s stand-up comedy to give audiences the down-but-never-out Conner family. Barr and co-stars John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf (among many others) made self-deprecation an art form, at least until the WTF ninth season. That brassy theme never stops hitting, either.

The Monkees

As America’s flip-side to The Beatles, The Monkees have always been celebrated more for their music than their bumblingly breezy TV show. NBC’s The Monkees put beloved fictional band members Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz into tons of silly situations that earned the show’s first season an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. It was canceled after two seasons, but enjoyed a surge of popularity in the 1980s thanks to re-airings on MTV and later Nick at Nite.

The Brady Bunch

The Brady Bunch was a decent hit during its initial 1969-74 run, but famously never cracked into TV’s Top 30 in that time, earning its massive popularity largely through syndicated reruns. Nick at Nite picked up the reins later in the ‘90s, making sure to keep that iconic opening sequence and theme in everyone’s brains. Though Nick at Nite did feature limited airings of spinoffs such as The Brady Bunch Hour and The Brady Bunch Kids, there can be only one true classic.

Rowan And Martin's Laugh-In

The first sketch comedy series to cycle through Nick at Nite’s schedule, Laugh-In brought Dan Rowan and Dick Martin’s counter-culture comedy and psychedelic set designs to TV audiences in the last 1980s. Hippies vs. yuppies arguments aside, the show’s quick pacing and stacked cast (including Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin) have kept it a classic all these years later.

There are many child actors still acting today, and it’s always amazing to see how much they have or haven’t changed. It’s also always great to see ‘90s stars hanging out together, even if they weren’t ever co-stars. Now, both these points have collided in the best way as Danica McKellar and Melissa Joan Hart got together and posted photos where they looked ageless.

McKellar is best known as Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years, and Hart is known for playing titular characters in both Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, all of which aired in the ‘90s. Fast forward 30 years, and the actresses are actually friends. McKellar shared some sweet photos of the two of them on Instagram, admitting that although they were both child actors in the ‘90s, they “didn’t become friends until about two years ago.” And honestly, they look like they haven’t aged a day:

Winnie Cooper and Sabrina Spellman would have definitely been best friends in another life, and it’s pretty great to see that these '90s stars are so close. It’s unknown just what brought them together, but considering the two have more than likely crossed paths at events like ‘90s Con and Christmas Con, it was likely just a matter of time before they became pals.

Despite the stories told in the explosive documentary that's been airing on the 2024 TV schedule, Quiet on Set, Melissa Joan Hart spoke about her experience working at Nickelodeon in the '90s, saying that she loved her time working there and that she "was surrounded by an amazing crew and incredible cast." However, she also made it very clear that she believes those who spoke out in the documentary. While the discourse surrounding those who worked on shows as kids has been turbulent recently, it's nice to see Hart reflect on her experience and post about how she's bonded with others who were child stars.

When it comes to what these two actresses have been doing lately, while they look ageless, they have been doing things that show just how long they've been gracing our screens. Hart recently played a grandmother in a Lifetime movie, which is pretty hard to believe and makes a whole generation feel old. Meanwhile, McKellar celebrated the 35th anniversary of The Wonder Years in early 2023, which is also enough to make anyone feel old.

Regardless, it seems this friendship between Danica McKellar and Melissa Joan Hart is one that has been long in the making and is a match made in heaven. Hopefully, they will take many more pictures together and maybe even unite their former co-stars so it can be like one big happy family. In the meantime, this might be one of the best nostalgic moments to come out recently, and I'll be smiling about it for the foreseeable future.

Some movie teachers genuinely change not only the characters' lives but our lives as well. Today, we'll be talking about a specific kind of movie character – the teachers from movies that have made a real impact. Here are thirty-two fictional teachers who left their mark, whether on the character or the world. 

John Keating (Dead Poets Society)

When I think of the best fictional teachers out there, there is no one better to bring up than John Keating from Dead Poets Society. In one of his best roles, Robin Williams delivered the performance of a lifetime as John Keating and made us all want to have a teacher like him who taught us lessons and inspired us to do more in our lives. To go after what we believed in. 

Ms. Frizzle (The Magic School Bus)

As someone who grew up watching The Magic School Bus, there were many days when I wished that Ms. Frizzle was my science teacher or that science was nearly as cool as she made it out to be. With her school bus that seemed to morph into anything for her lessons, Ms. Frizzle was the teacher we all wanted, making teaching look like the adventure of a lifetime. 

Ms. Rain (Precious)

Precious is an Academy Award-winning movie about a young woman from a troubled background hoping to reroute her life, and the first person who helps Precious is Ms. Rain. Played by the incredible Paul Patton, Ms. Rain teaches Precious the essentials she needs to know. She has been an encouraging source from day one and helps her through everything. She was sweet, kind, and all Precious needed when it felt like the world had given up on her. 

Professor Stromwell (Legally Blonde)

As someone who could spend years watching the best Reese Witherspoon movies, Legally Blonde is most certainly one of them. And the best teacher in that was, hands down, Professor Stromwell. While strict at first, Elle comes to care for Professor Stromwell, as the teacher pushes her to her limits so she can be at her best. 

Mr. George Feeny (Boy Meets World)

Out of everyone, we all know Mr. George Feeney in Boy Meets World. While Feeny was a strict man, he had a heart of gold underneath his grumpy exterior and became one of the best mentors. Everyone still tears up when he says in the finale, "I love you all. Class dismissed." Jeez, I'm still getting emotional. 

Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid)

While not the kind of teacher you would meet in a school, Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid franchise is as much of a teacher as anyone else here. Because of his patience, diligence, and skill, he taught Daniel LaRusso the art of karate and truly made him into the man we know all these years later in Cobra Kai. His teachings live on, even if the actor who played him, Pat Morita, passed on in 2005. 

Pete Dixon (Room 222)

Room 222 was an ABC series about the life of students and teachers at a Los Angeles high school and focused on Pete Dixon's history class most of the time. Lloyd Hanes played Pete Dixon, the kind, innovative, and educational teacher who always seemed to have the best lessons for his students and viewers, especially on relevant topics at the time. The series lasted five seasons, and Pete Dixon cemented his name in history. 

Gabe Kotter (Welcome Back, Kotter)

Sitcoms were some of the biggest television shows in the 1970s and Welcome Back, Kotter was one of them, telling the story of Gabe Kotter (played by Gabe Kaplan). He's a teacher who returns to his alma mater to teach a remedial class of troubled students, but his attitude and teaching methods win him favor with the students. In the end, many of these kids end up doing so well because of him. 

Erin Gruwell (Freedom Writers)

I recall watching Freedom Writers as a kid and respecting Erin Gruwell, played by Hilary Swank. As someone who has had a lot of trouble with patience and perseverance, I admired Gruwell's persistence and tenacity to never give up on her students despite them hating her initially and making her feel unwelcome. Ultimately, because of her diligence, everyone was given the chance to graduate and live successful lives. 

Mr. Hand (Fast Times At Ridgemont High)

There's something about history and English teachers in movies and T.V. because Mr. Hand, the history teacher from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is one of the most memorable. While he usually had a frown on his face, he was a softer person underneath that gruff exterior. He will do anything to help his students succeed, even spending time after school to help his kids understand lessons, which I'm sure they appreciate. 

Severus Snape (Harry Potter)

As someone who loves the Harry Potter franchise, I couldn't make this list without including Severus Snape, played by Alan Rickman in one of his best roles. While Snape was a bit of a jerk to everyone, there's no denying that underneath that, he was an older man with a lot of trauma and someone who did everything in his power to protect the students and those he cared about. Even in the end, he could give Harry his tears to show him that he always loved Lily, Harry's mother. 

Dr. Frank Bryant (Educating Rita)

Michael Caine has delivered some incredible performances over his time in Hollywood, and personally, Dr. Frank Bryant in Educating Rita, is one of my favorites. The story is about a woman going back to university years later, and the movie shows that sometimes, all a teacher needs to rekindle their love for their subject is that one student, and watching how both Bryant leaves his impact on Rita (Susan) and vice versa is lovely to see. 

Mr. Collins (The Wonder Years)

The Wonder Years is one of the most iconic sitcoms of the '80s and '90s, and of course, I must mention Mr. Collins. Steven Gilborn played the teacher and worked with the main character, Kevin Arnold, to push him to be the best he could be, never quitting for a single moment. Gilborn was a professor before becoming an actor, making this role more special. 

Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)

Minerva McGonagall was one of the most impactful teachers in Harry Potter's life in the Harry Potter movies. I mean, not only did she teach him several lessons in magic, but it was because of her that he could do so many things – join the Quidditch team, get him a broomstick, etc. Plus, she did everything she could to protect the students of Hogwarts during the war, consistently putting her life on the line as one of the best witches there. 

Coach Fredericks (Freaks And Geeks)

Are there teachers in Freaks and Geeks? Of course, there are, but I have to give this spot to Coach Fredericks, played by Tom Wilson. He starts as a pretty stereotypical bad guy P.E. teacher, but throughout the show's one season, we get to know the teacher and understand who he is as a person. 

Mark Thackeray (To Sir, With Love)

Starring Sidney Poitier, To Sir, With Love is a British drama film about Mark Thackeray, an immigrant who takes a teaching position despite never teaching before, to find some income where he is told to teach delinquents who have been rejected from other schools. And through his teaching ability, he wins over the class, treating them more like adults than children, trying to reach them on a different level. 

Miss Honey (Matilda)

Whether you watch the 1990s version of Matilda or you check out the underrated Netflix musical version, Miss Honey in both is the kind of teacher that we hear about in fairytales. Not only is she sweet as honey and teaches her children so many things, but she takes it upon herself to raise Matilda at the end of both films because she cares that much about the girl, giving her the life she always wanted. 

Lydia Grant (Fame)

I'm one of the biggest fans of the best dance movies, but watching dance on television is also a great pastime, and Fame gave me that and more. In Fame, a show about high school students at a performing arts school in NYC, we meet Lydia Grant, a dance teacher. Indeed, her moves and teaching style are memorable, keeping her kids in a tight line and making sure they were the best they could be. 

LouAnne Johnson (Dangerous Minds)

Michelle Pfeiffer is LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds, the story of a former marine who takes on a teaching position where she must handle a classroom of low-income, challenging teenagers involved in gangs and drugs. I think what makes Johnson such a great teacher is that she goes out of her way to teach with unconventional methods, such as giving everyone an A that they must maintain or using the lyrics of Bob Marley to get into poetry. That's what makes her extraordinary. 

Mr Chips (Goodbye, Mr. Chips)

Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a movie from the classic period of Hollywood and stars Robert Donat as Mr. Chips, an aging teacher who reflects on his life through the decades. There's too much here to say how Mr. Chips was a great teacher, as he impacted not only one student's life but many over several years. 

Remus Lupin (Harry Potter)

Harry Potter had some great teachers, and one that most certainly comes to mind is Remus Lupin, one of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Teachers in the series. While his time as the teacher only lasted for a year (as is tradition with most teachers there), Lupin left his mark on Harry as the kindest DADA teacher he had and taught him one of the most valuable charms there is – the Patronus charm. 

Jaime Escalante (Stand And Deliver)

Starring Edward James Olmos, Stand and Deliver is all about Jaime Escalante, who becomes the math teacher at a high school in East Los Angeles and has a class full of Latino students. Through his teaching methods, he can make them achieve great things in calculus and stand up for them when no one else will. 

Joe Clark (Lean On Me)

Joe Clark in Lean On Me, played by Morgan Freeman, is a teacher who does not mess around with his students. The movie is based on a true story about a teacher named Joe Clark, who becomes the principal and uses his past and much more to bring his school up to standards. While radical at first, the students grow to care for him in all that he does, both in the school and outside. 

Ms. Norbury (Mean Girls)

Mean Girls is more of a comedy than anything else, but Ms. Norbury, played by Tina Fey, is a great teacher. She's one of the few who stands up for Cady, and in the end, she still stands by her side despite what Cady wrote about her in the Burn Book, leading to Norbury being investigated as a drug dealer. 

Mr. Medina (Gilmore Girls)

Gilmore Girls had plenty of grown-up characters, but Mr. Medina, played by Scott Cohen, was one of the most prominent. He was Rory's beloved English teacher, who taught her many valuable lessons and ended up getting romantically involved with Lorelai. 

Dr. Larabee (Akeelah And The Bee)

Akeelah and the Bee stars Keke Palmer and Laurence Fishburne, and this film focuses on the relationship between Akeelah and her mentor, Dr. Joshua Larabee. And while their partnership at first is tenuous, they grow because of each other and truly leave an impact. 

Manish Kulkarni (Never Have I Ever)

Never Have I Ever is a hilarious Netflix teen romance series; Devi's English teacher is a great part of that. He is the definition of an excellent and honest teacher who sugarcoats nothing – and what's even better is that he winds up dating Devi's cousin later anyway. 

Dewey Finn (School Of Rock)

While he initially faked his way into the role, having no teaching experience, Dewey Finn left his impact on his students in School of Rock, so much so that a new program was created for students for music. It's undoubtedly one of Jack Black's best films. 

Annalise Keating (How To Get Away With Murder)

Played by the talented Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder introduced audiences to Annalise Keating, a law professor and criminal defense attorney, who not only leaves her mark on her students but works with them to solve a murder case together. And through it all, she aims to keep them safe and sound despite everything turning upside down. 

Sister Mary Clarence (Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit)

Sister Act 2 saw Whoopi Goldberg return as Sister Mary Clarence, now serving as a choir teacher who takes a group of students from a failing school and turns them into a choir that could knock the socks off of anyone out there. 

Miss Bliss (Good Morning, Miss Bliss)

Many people know Saved By The Bell, which was a spinoff of Good Morning, Miss Bliss. The one-season Disney Channel series is all about Miss Bliss, a junior high teacher who is a great educator and a source of calmness and delight to her students, who often turn to her for the problems they face. 

Glenn Holland (Mr. Holland's Opus)

Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Mr. Holland's Opus is the definition of a movie teacher that left an impact. The movie follows a high school music teacher who makes his music, but throughout the film, we see how much his dedication to his craft has impacted his students. Guaranteed, you will cry. 

We could talk about many excellent teachers in movies and on TV, but these truly stand out as some of the best. Now, I need a movie and a T.V. marathon to appreciate them again—time to grab a box of tissues. 

Many who came of a certain age through the 1990s experienced puppy-dog crushes on two of TV’s neatest and sweetest teen queens, Boy Meets World star Danielle Fishel and The Wonder Years fave Danica McKellar. Given that the latter series was canceled just a few months before BMW’s TGIF debut (both on ABC), the two actresses never shared the screen as their characters Topanga Lawrence and Winnie Cooper, but fans can now finally experience the next best thing, albeit 30 years later, in the form of an adorable photo that could have feasibly been taken many years prior. 

Fishel spent the weekend with her former Boy Meets World co-stars and current Pod Meets World co-hosts Rider Strong and Will Friedle at the latest ‘90s Con, which was held in Tampa. Perhaps obviously, McKellar was also present at the throwback convention to meet up with The Wonder Years fans while promoting her line of informative and affirmational McKellar Math books. And at some point, the stars and heavens aligned for the two celebs to not only meet up, but also to document the occasion with a cutesy-wootsy pic.

Now I know I’m not the only one whose mind instantly flocked to lofty hypotheticals for how Danielle Fishel and Danica McKellar could bring their acting talents together on the small screen. The first idea, which would also be the least likely one, would be a double-headed revival in which Topanga and a time-traveling Winnie meet up, become BFFs, and probably take over the world, as inspired by the sage advice of Norma Arnold and George Feeny. If not that, though, any kind of completely unrelated project led by the duo would work as well. 

Given how synonymous McKellar has become with made-for-TV movies — she most recently co-wrote and executive-produced the GAF holiday movie Royal Christmas Ball — I’m sure fans would also love to see her team up with Fishel in that kind of context. But maybe one with more of a ‘90s vibe. Sign me up. 

To be expected, the Wonder Years vet responded to the picture post with some positivity. But what fans might not have expected is for her former co-star Jason Hervey to also chime in. Here’s what they had to say: 

• Danica McKellar: 😍😍😍
• Jason Hervey: Hello my friends!! What a pic!!

Beyond both being TV fixtures through the 1990s and beyond, there’s further connective tissue between the two actresses, which fans of their respective shows no doubt already thought of. McKellar starred opposite Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold (whom she totally crushed on during the early years), while Fishel’s on-screen romantic foil for the bulk of Boy Meets World and its sequel series Girl Meets World was Ben Savage. 

The former Cory Matthews portrayer is campaigning for California’s 30th congressional district, and reportedly isn’t one to hang out with his former co-stars, making him already something of a white whale guest for Pod Meets World. Maybe that’s the show that Fishel and McKellar can do together: two actresses trying to locate their former co-star that they haven’t spoken with in years, and he may or may not be a secret government agent. Extra points if Melissa Joan Hart can jump on board as a third lead.

There’s nothing like seeing a nice blast from the past, courtesy of a childhood favorite. The Wonder Years’ Danica McKellar stoked all the feels with such a photo. McKellar shared a throwback TV Guide cover featuring her and former co-star Fred Savage. The 48-year-old Hallmark also questioned her fashion, and I must agree that the pants she was wearing were something else.

The GAF star took to her Instagram to give Wonder Years fans a nostalgic treat while also providing a refresher on the the classic sitcom’s iconic 1960s style. McKellar posted the throwback TV Guide cover featuring her and Fred Savage to celebrate the second season of the reboot, which is currently airing. While it was a nice nod to ABC's revival, the Winnie Cooper actress spilled some behind-the-scenes tea about the pants she sported for the cover. Check out the sweet, vintage shot of the actors while also getting the latter’s take on her swirly pants:

Danica McKellar had to come to terms with those swirl-patterned capris, it seems. It's understandable that McKellar didn’t understand the vintage style, given she herself was a teenager growing up in the 1980s. Since the family comedy-drama was set in the 1960s, the looks she sported for the series and any photoshoots simply reflected the show’s setting. So with that in mind, the attire definitely makes sense.

However, I do agree that her pants were… "different." The swirl pattern featured a myriad of mixed colors that were clashing. The pattern effectively reflected the psychedelic feel of the 1960s, which is a design that can be hard on the eyes. Sure, it fits with the intended time period, but it's still a bit outrageous. The Young Justice alum's appearance definitely stood out compared to Fred Savage’s blue jeans and green-and-white New York Jets jacket. But at the very least, the capri’s colors were picked up in her long-sleeved shirt and vest.

All of that aside though, Danica McKellar and Fred Savage's photo is one for the books. It captures the innocence of the original series, which was partially conveyed through the puppy love between Winnie Cooper and Kevin Arnold. The TV Guide cover was released during The Wonder Years’ freshman season, which established their love story that would play out over six seasons. Interestingly enough, McKellar actually had a crush on Savage, and he apparently reciprocated those feelings at the time.

Their coming-of-age sitcom has endured long in the years since the series finale aired in 1993. The Wonder Years was a ratings and critical hit during its run, earning its first Emmy nominations and wins shortly after it hit the airwaves. It's wonderful to see the show get so much love to this day. And the icing on the cake is the fact that its presence is still felt through the ABC revival, which featured a huge Winnie Cooper connection. Danica McKellar -- who celebrated the sitcom’s 35th anniversary with a social media post earlier this year -- seems to still have a lot of affection for the dramedy. With that, one would think that she'll continue to post sweet throwback photos (which possibly have other questionable fashion choices).

If you want to check out The Wonder Years, just grab a Hulu subscription to stream all six seasons. And after screening the original series, stay on platform to watch the reboot series, which is a part of the 2023 TV schedule.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Wonder Years' Season 2 premiere "One Small Step." Read at your own risk!

The Wonder Years finally made its grand return to television after being bumped to June in lieu of other midseason ABC programming. The Peabody Award-winning series came back with lots of energy and excitement though, and it rolled right into Season 2 with a fun story about  Bill and Dean spending the summer in New York City. Bill was struggling to try to write music for Marvin Gaye, and he ended up getting help from their neighbor Lonnie, who performed in The Village as a drag queen. Dulé Hill was a big fan of the episode and this storyline featuring drag as he spoke about its relevance to the show as well as today's culture. 

Lonnie, who was played by Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actor Tituss Burgess, ultimately helped Bill translate his southern talent to a New York audience, which won him favor with Gaye in the end. Meanwhile, The Wonder Years tackled Bill's clear discomfort in associating with a gay man, while Dean blissfully remained unaware of the tension between his father and Lonnie. Star Dulé Hill spoke to The Wrap about the episode, and he applauded the show for showing the impact of drag culture long before it became part of the mainstream. He said: 

The three men were able to make conversation in The Wonder Years based on the fact that they all were from Montgomery, Alabama. Lonnie stayed with Dean after he was jumped and locked out of the apartment, and he was able to coax Bill up to his flat after showing him he could prepare a great southern-style meal. 

It takes some time, but slowly Bill is able to let his guard down and allow Lonnie to help him adapt to New York City. By the final moments of the episode, they'd gotten to the end of the summer, and it seemed like there was a pretty good relationship between them. Things were finally going great in New York, but when Bill opened a letter to find Lilian had sent him a boudoir photo, he packed up, got Dean, and made a fast trip back to Montgomery. Dean would later wonder if Lonnie was able to return to Montgomery "boa and all" later in life. 

Dulé Hill felt The Wonder Years made its point well. Once Bill and Dean were able to see Lonnie as more than the man who lives near them who wears a dress, they grew from the experience. It's Hill's hope that others can take that lesson from the premiere: 

The Wonder Years delivered a big message that synched up perfectly with Pride month and all the programming available for that, making it a perfect time for this episode to air. Of course, the fun and lessons, plus the continued spirit of the original series have only just begun as there's still plenty of Season 2 for fans to get through either by watching on ABC or with a Hulu subscription. 

Those without access to streaming can catch new episodes of The Wonder Years on ABC on Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Unfortunately, the two-episode premiere was a one-time deal, but on the bright side, that makes for more episodes to watch weekly over the next couple of months. 

When it comes to fan-favorite TV couples from the ‘80s and ‘90s, many viewers would likely first mention such pairings as Friends’ Ross and Rachel, Cheers’ Sam and Diane, or Roseanne’s titular matriarch and Dan. But for the most nostalgic sector of the audience, The Wonder Years’ Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper are a paradigm for young, innocent love. And so it shall always be. And many within that audience would be especially pleased to hear that stars Danica McKellar and Fred Savage did fancy each other a bit early on in the the run, which the ever-youthful actress recently discussed at ‘90s Con while also sharing how a major real-life coincidence helped strengthen the characters’ big break-up episode.

Danica McKellar took the stage for ‘90s Con opposite former co-star Olivia D’Abo, who portrayed Kevin’s rebellious older sister Karen Arnold, and the two talked all about their years both on and after the ABC dramedy. After discussing the always-popular topic of Kevin and Winnie’s first kiss, and how many takes they filmed for it — six, with the sixth take being the one that was used in the episode — McKellar explained why it was a bit mortifying for her as a tween actress crushing on her co-star.

To which Olivia D'Abo was surprised, saying she wasn't even aware of that. Which is kind of wild, all things considered. In any case, McKellar continued, saying:

To note, the Hallmark-turned-GAF star had her mother in the crowd recording the panel. And after the love letter came up, the actress asked her mom if she still had the letter somewhere, and it was determined she didn't, but that it was likely in storage somewhere. And while it wasn't directly stated, I'm pretty sure it would scientifically be the cutest love letter to ever exist. 

Danica McKellar On Kevin And Winnie's Break-Up

During a later portion of the panel, a fan asked Danica McKellar about the process of being a teenager and coping with that while simultaneously portraying a teenager on TV who’s going through similar issues. And while she’s talked about this coincidence previously, the actress discussed filming Kevin and Winnie’s big break-up in Season 6 soon after ending a relationship with her off-screen boyfriend. In her words: 

Rewatching Kevin and Winnie’s break-up, like many on TV and otherwise, was all the more heart-shattering given the fact that we know they get together again not too far down the line, and was sparked by distance more so than genuine break-up-worthy reasons. And the genuine emotional discomfort from that awfulness can be attributed to how McKellar was truly feeling during the filming for Season 4’s “Heartbreak,” which she’s come to be somewhat grateful for in retrospect. She continued:

No matter where Danica McKellar’s career takes her in the future, her connection to The Wonder Years and millions of viewers’ hearts can never be reversed. Her appreciation for the Emmy-winning series has been evident even beyond ‘90s Con appearances, such as celebrating the show’s 35th anniversary last year and taking part in promoting the arrival of ABC’s second iteration of The Wonder Years, for which Winnie Cooper was referenced, which is set to return for Season 2 later this year.

Danica McKellar has had a big 12 months. After a long and storied career on the Hallmark network, the Crown for Christmas actress shifted to GAF, where she’s continued to focus on family fair. While the love and family stories the networks explore have sometimes gotten a bad rap, Danica McKellar says there’s a big reason she’s so invested in the type of content she’s been putting out in recent years. 

In an interview touching on a wide range of topics, including her Hallmark days and her shift to Great American Family, Danica McKellar says she loves making Hallmark movies. She’s really proud of roles she’s taken for the network, noting that her recent acting work “promotes women and women's stories.” It’s a far cry from roles she was offered earlier in her career. She told Insider: 

The actress  of course is historically known as the actress who played Winnie Cooper, the infamous love interest of Kevin Arnold, who himself was the protagonist of The Wonder Years. She said after the role made her famous, she was recognized for it everywhere, even though she was trying to find her way in the world of math. It took her a long time, as she put it to “find out how I was valuable outside of Winnie Cooper.” 

Danica McKellar ultimately took a break from acting for years before returning for Hallmark and other gigs and it sounds like those roles were empowering for her. Though to her point, historically a lot of projects have been like this for women, not just the ones offered to her. 

To note, Hallmark movies have gotten a bad rap in recent years. There is the criticism Hallmark movies are too predictable. Lacey Chabert recently pushed back on the idea they are too "formulaic" noting the strides the network has made "to leave the audience a little bit surprised." There's also been criticism the network hasn't been friendly enough to POC and LGBTQ+ storytelling, a narrative the cable channel has been working to change.

But Danica McKellar says she had only a positive experience during her time working at the network. She still is supportive of Hallmark projects, including her pals who did Three Wise Men and A Baby this holiday season. She only left, as she's noted prior, because GAC gave her new opportunities, like producing and taking more charge of her own projects. 

Danica McKellar was one of a rash of former Hallmark stars to leave for GAC, with some of the other big names including Jen Lilley and Candace Cameron Bure. While Bure landed some backlash for wanting to tell "traditional marriage" stories, there's seemingly been room for both networks to compete. Though, I will miss Danica McKellar in Matchmaker Mysteries in particular. 

In a time of constant reboots, revivals, sequels, and prequels, it seems like one such ABC project has fans worried over why it hasn’t returned yet. The Wonder Years revival aired its first season finale in May of 2022, but there haven't been many updates indicating when the second season will premiere, or what fans can expect, sparking speculation that the network dramedy was canceled. Luckily, that’s not the case for the Dulé Hill-led series, and the creative team has a lot more things planned for the Williams family.

When Will The Wonder Years Return?

After ABC initially set a Season 2 premiere date for midseason 2023, Variety confirms that the comedy has been shifted to the network’s summer schedule, likely in favor of promoting the new Gina Rodriguez-led comedy Not Dead Yet. Although a specific premiere date has yet to be revealed, fans should definitely be able to rest easy knowing the Williams family will be coming back for more throwback stories, even if we do have to wait a little bit longer than usual.

Despite having an estimation of when The Wonder Years will return, it is a bit troubling knowing that was pushed until the summer. Summer burnoffs are a normal thing in the TV world, with networks often using that time to air bubble shows likely heading for cancellation. (Not always the case in recent years for shows specifically meant for summer airing, but more for those who get shifted, such as it goes here.)

However, this does give The Wonder Years a bit of an advantage as well, since there will likely be less competition for ratings. Since the fan response for The Wonder Years has been great, it shouldn’t be a problem for them to stick around for the summer, especially since they’ll be deprived of the series for over a year at that point. Plus, they have quite the star-studded lineup planned.

Who’s Set To Guest-Star In The Wonder Years Season 2?

When the Williams family finally come back to us, they will also be joined by some pretty big guest stars. Among those include Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess, Donald Faison, Phoebe Robinson, and Bradley Whitford, who will be joining previously announced guest star, Patti LaBelle. So even though it will be a while until The Wonder Years returns, there are more than a few reasons to be excited. A barbershop quartet moment between LaBelle, Burgess, Brady and Faison would be worth waiting years for, even if that likely won't happen.

Wayne Brady is set to portray Bill’s older brother Melvin, who is the favorite in the family, while Tituss Burgess will play drag performer Lonnie. Scrubs alum Donald Faison is going to be playing a real estate agent this time around named Terrence, who is also Cliff’s frat brother. Phoebe Robinson portrays Lillian’s younger sister Jackie, and Bradley Whitford plays Dean’s music teacher Alan. There is going to be a lot going on, but it sounds like they have a big season planned, so it’ll be a great way to spend the summer.

Make sure you check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule to stay up-to-date on when The Wonder Years Season 2 will finally be premiering on ABC. In the meantime, catch up on the series, along with the original The Wonder Years, now with a Hulu subscription!

Danica McKellar has had a steady presence in the entertainment industry for decades now, and that’s due, in great part, to her breakthrough role on the classic coming-of-age series The Wonder Years. For six seasons, she played the role of Winnie Cooper, the object of young Kevin Arnold’s affections. McKellar nailed the part, and many still recognize her for it years later. While the actress is busy with her commitments to the Great American Family network these days, she hasn’t forgotten about the TV show that made her a star. To that point, she celebrated the dramedy’s 35th anniversary with some adorable throwback pics and even managed to include a GAF shoutout. 

For some, it may be crazy to think that it’s been over three decades since audiences were introduced to The Wonder Years. I admittedly wasn’t born when it debuted on ABC in January 1988 but, like many others, I discovered it through syndication. (And I still get chills any time I hear Joe Cocker’s version of “With a Little Help from My Friends.”) Danica McKellar’s Instagram post definitely gives one the feeling that she knows just how special the show is for so many. While her message is sweet, it’s the snapshots – which feature co-stars Fred Savage, Josh Saviano and more – that can really melt one’s heart. Take a look, and try not to get too overwhelmed by the nostalgia:

This is such a sweet way to commemorate the anniversary of what’s considered to be one of the greatest shows in TV history. In some cases, actors don’t look back too fondly on their early work, so it’s lovely to see the actress, who recently celebrated her 48th birthday, show this level of affection here. In her warm message, she shared her feelings about the show while plugging her more recent work: 

The Young Justice alum went on to mention that she loves hearing fans talk about their personal experiences with the series. That prompted her to ask her followers to share their remembrances in the comments section. The user remarks vary, with some opening up about favorite episodes and others quoting the sitcom. But what all of the sentiments seem to have in common is a genuine love and respect for Neal Marlens and Carol Black’s classic show. 

Over three decades after The Wonder Years’ cancellation in 1993, its legacy lives on through a reboot that’s currently airing on ABC. The new series centers on an African American family living in Montgomery, Alabama during the late 1960s. The show has received positive reviews and has been lauded for staying true to the feel of the vintage TV franchise while also forging its own path. While the revamp doesn’t lean too heavily on its roots, it’s since been confirmed to exist within the continuity of its predecessor. This was confirmed when Season 1 featured a huge Winnie Cooper connection, which Danica McKellar was supportive of. 

Danica McKellar quit acting for years following her stint on the program, and explained that this was due to her desire to find out how she could be “valuable outside of Winnie Cooper.” That journey led her down an academic path, on which she earned a degree in mathematics from UCLA. Of course, after that, she’d eventually become a Hallmark staple before leaving the network for GAF in 2021. So far, she’s starred in The Winter Palace and Christmas at the Drive-In for the latter, and she has plenty of other productions on the way. Though she continues to tackle new projects, it’s good to know that she holds a special place in her heart for the series that made her a star decades ago.

Those who want to connect with the veteran actress, and some of her former co-stars, can do so by attending this year’s ‘90s Con which will take place from March 17-19 in Hartford, Connecticut. Fans feeling nostalgic right now can use a Hulu subscription to stream The Wonder Years as well as the reboot, which will return this summer as part of the 2023 TV schedule.

Danica McKellar’s career has gone through many changes since scoring her breakthrough role as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years. While viewers have come to know her for her Hallmark output, there was a period when McKellar set aside her acting career to pursue other interests outside of Hollywood. Years after she disappeared from TV, the former Hallmark star gave a thoughtful answer after her son asked her why she quit acting for so long.

The Wonder Years alum opened up about why she took a break from acting after starring in the ABC hit. As the source of teen crushes in the 1980s and 1990s, Danica McKellar left many hearts wondering what happened to her before she re-emerged in the 2000s. Of course, only her son Draco could get a straight answer from her as he interviewed his mom for ET. McKellar revealed how her love for education (especially math) led to her pursuing a college degree for a few years.

Taking herself out of the Hollywood rat race was possibly the best decision she could do for herself. Having been on TV since she was a tween, Danica McKellar felt like she didn’t have an identity outside of being Winnie from The Wonder Years. Her whole being had been warped to think her value was nothing more than her looks and appeal to TV audiences. The Winnie Cooper connection appeared to harm McKellar’s sense of self as a teenage girl growing up on TV.

For her, math was her way to let other UCLA students (and viewers) know she was more than just Winnie Cooper. During her time at the school, she did just that. Her work in the mathematics field lead to Danica McKellar gaining a place in science with Chayes–McKellar–Winn theorem after co-authoring a research paper alongside UCLA professor Lincoln Chayes and fellow student Brandy Winn. After college, the GAC Family star penned 11 best-selling math-oriented books geared toward teens.

Of course, McKellar didn’t give up on acting as she had starred in multiple TV shows and movies, including Hallmark projects. She did make waves last year for leaving the network for rival GAC Family with her first project The Winter Palace airing earlier this year. Outside of her work with her new network home, Danica McKellar has experienced mixed results from celebrating her ageless father’s 72nd birthday to opening up about an unexpected death in her family. But it appeared the 47-year-old actress has kept things moving despite life’s difficulties.

Right now, McKellar’s new network home GAC Family Is gearing up for its Thanksgiving and Christmas programming. So, viewers will have to see what projects Danica McKellar pops up in next. Keep updated by checking out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule to see what new TV shows and movies are set to premiere.

ABC’s The Wonder Years reboot amassed relatively solid buzz during its first season on the air and managed to earn itself a second-season renewal from the network as a result. However, the show will be moving forward without one key figure, series director and EP Fred Savage, who was fired after a misconduct investigation a few months ago. Since then, more alleged details on Savage’s dismissal have come to light, including Savage’s purported misbehavior with younger crew members. Amid the situation, both he and the studio behind the dramedy have made statements on the matter.

What 20th Television Has Said In Regard To Fred Savage’s Dismissal

News of Fred Savage’s firing was reported back in May, during which it was said that the star was facing three separate allegations. It was also said that the star, who played the lead on the OG Wonder Years show, was cooperating with the proceedings. 20th Television, which produces the series, didn’t provide any specifics on the alleged incidents at the time, though the entertainment entity’s statement (shared with THR and other news outlets) suggested that the findings were enough to have Savage removed from the production: 

The additional alleged details on the behind-the-scenes situation were reported earlier this week. And with that, the Kevin Arnold actor did provide a statement in response to the accusations.

How Fred Savage Responded To The Multiple Accusations He’s Facing

THR released a lengthy report that details allegations from multiple individuals. Per the trade, a group of six women came together on set, with the goal of taking action against Fred Savage. The women, who did not identify themselves, accused Savage of being cordial and friendly around the show’s stars and network execs but being less accommodating when it came to “below-the-line employees who don’t have power.” Accusations of verbal abuse were part of these allegations.

The women also made note of an alleged relationship that the former director had formed with a younger female crewmember on set, adding that the woman’s personality was negatively affected by her interactions with the TV vet. Another woman also claimed that Fred Savage followed her into a restroom and physically subdued her before "forcefully" putting his mouth on hers.  In conjunction with the story, Savage released a statement in which he addressed the claims and stated that he’s currently working on himself:

Fred Savage’s involvement in the Wonder Years reboot was reported in the summer of 2020. The actor was reportedly instrumental in getting the show off the ground alongside series creator Saladin K. Patterson and EP Lee Daniels. The star was even on hand to welcome the series lead, Elisha “EJ” Williams, to the show. Savage would ultimately direct seven episodes during the first season, including the pilot.

This new iteration of The Wonder Years takes place in the late ‘60s and focuses on the Williams’, a Black family living in Montgomery, Alabama. The central character is 12-year-old Dean, who like Kevin Arnold before him, is experiencing the ups and downs that come with adolescence. The show notably stars Dulé Hill, who plays family patriarch Bill. Hill has been vocal about how OG fans have warmed up to the show after initially being skeptical. There’s not much connective tissue between the shows narrative-wise, though it did feature a major Winnie Cooper connection. 

The coming-of-age period piece is set to return to ABC for its second season in 2023 as a midseason addition. What lies ahead for Fred Savage, meanwhile, is tough to say, but it seems clear that he will no longer be involved with the show. 

The first season of The Wonder Years is available to stream with a Hulu subscription.

While Abbott Elementary has arguably made more headlines as the bigger freshman comedy success for ABC during the past TV season, the network also celebrated the rebooted return of the '90s coming-of-age hit The Wonder Years, with West Wing vet Dulé Hill leading this Black-led iteration. Unfortunately, the series caused a stir for reasons beyond its storytelling and ratings, with executive producer and O.G. star Fred Savage being fired for what was, at the time, referred to as “allegations of inappropriate conduct.” Now, some of the alleged details behind the high-profile ousting have been revealed. 

The behind-the-scenes spotlight on Fred Savage’s on-set behavior started to take shape back in February 2022, as six female Wonder Years employees officially made a complaint to Disney focusing on his conduct regarding certain women working on the show. According to THR, one of the complainants (who remained anonymous) claimed the company took quick action in starting an investigation while forbidding the former child actor from appearing on set. But after sources claimed Savage was self-reflecting with the support of friends and co-workers, the employees made the decision to go public with their accusations so that others would know specifics that likely wouldn’t come out of a tight-knit in-house investigation.

In particular, Fred Savage was accused of “manipulative” and “controlling” behavior regarding a younger female crew member who’d reportedly moved into the Atlanta house that Savage was living in while The Wonder Years was in production. The younger woman allegedly claimed to colleagues that Savage, who is currently married to Jennifer Savage, bought her gifts and spoke of potential future plans with her, but also that she grew more afraid of him due to anger issues. Coworkers claim that the young crew member’s entire demeanor was changed over time, and that she lost the “bubbly” personality that she exuded before working with Fred Savage. 

Another crew member told THR that when she tried to get between Savage and the younger employee, the Friends from College vet verbally insulted and harassed her. She and others shared the opinion that Savage’s eyes would “go dead” whenever he was at his angriest on the set, which supposedly only ever happened with staffers who didn’t have much power behind the scenes. But when it came to actors, producers and others on that level, Savage would allegedly flip right back to being as charismatic as ever. 

To that end, Fred Savage allegedly also showed preferential treatment to another younger female crew member, and others noticed to the point where it came up among the official complaints. This particular staffer, who is in her early 30s, told THR that the occasional Conners guest star and director befriended her across several months, with things being largely platonic, despite the claim that he attempted to gift her with expensive items (which she says she declined), and also met her parents. She says she saw him as a brother or cousin, and spoke with him about an emotionally rough break-up that she’d been going through. 

At this point, the woman was apparently fired from The Wonder Years without any warning or reason, though she doesn’t currently believe that Fred Savage was the cause for her sudden removal. In December 2021, she was invited to join Savage and others from the show at a bar named Astoria, which the crew regularly frequented, despite no longer working with them. As the woman attempted to go to the restroom that night, Savage allegedly followed her in, pushed her against a wall, and attempted to kiss her while reportedly trying to put her hand on his crotch, all while she was asking him not to. He allegedly stopped his advances after a while, and was very angry about it, and his former employee says she “shoulder checked him” so that she could exit the restroom.

The former Wonder Years crew member says she was not so much fearful of him in those moments as she was pleading for him not to destroy their friendship. After the incident, Savage allegedly left the bar with the previously mentioned younger house mate, but then later reportedly texted the former staffer asking her to come to his house. What’s more, she says he continued to call and text for the next couple of weeks, which led to a few weeks without contact. Finally, he left her a voicemail calling himself her “old friend Fred,” and saying that he was a “huge asshole” and that he was sorry that he disrupted their burgeoning friendliness. The woman says she did not reach back out to him.

Fred Savage, whose sexual harassment allegations on the O.G. series supposedly played into its cancellation, provided the below statement in response to allegations made against him:

At this time, The Wonder Years is still set to move forward with Season 2 on ABC, though it won’t be part of the network’s fall schedule, and will return as a midseason debut. It’s unclear, however, whether there will be any further connective tissue made beyond Season 1’s callback to Winnie’s brother. Head to our 2022 premiere schedule to see what shows will be popping up this fall.

The Wonder Years reboot found a way to tap into the same nostalgia that the original found but did so using a distinct perspective. The dramedy has been well received during its freshman season due to its smart storytelling and stellar cast, which includes Dulé Hill in the role of family man Bill Williams. Of course, any reboot or revival of a beloved show can receive a myriad of responses from fans of the predecessor. And now, as the series prepares to close out its first season, Hill is discussing the responses that he's heard from OG devotees.

Because the late-'80s/early-'90s TV classic is so revered, strong reactions from fans were to be expected.  Dulé Hill, who felt excited to be joining ABC's Black-led revamp, seemed to be more than prepared for any strong responses. The West Wing alum appeared on The Bakari Sellers Podcast and was asked how veteran Wonder Years viewers have received the new iteration. The actor said about his interaction with fans of the vintage sitcom:

Ultimately, fans – new and old – seem to have connected with the Alabama-based Williams family as they did the Arnold's of Any Town, USA and have likely enjoyed the nods to the OG show. (The heartbreaking Winnie Cooper connection was particularly poignant.) Dulé Hill, who connected with the character of Bill Williams early on, believes the series is incredibly relatable. In the same interview, the multihyphenate went on to explain that this is a major reason why viewers likely appreciate the storytelling:

As the actor astutely pointed out, TV shows should reflect the experiences of all families, not just a specific one. In recent years, audiences across all demographics have become accustomed to more inclusive casts and stories like the ones seen in the the recently concluded black-ish and Fresh off the Boat. Hopefully, such representation will continue to flourish on both the small and big screens as time goes on.

The appreciation for the show is what's earned it a renewal for a second season, which will be without executive producer and OG Wonder Years star Fred Savage. Despite that behind-the-scenes shakeup, Dulé Hill and his collaborators should still be able to deliver humor and heart through a brand-new set of stories that will delight both new and seasoned fans alike.

As you wait for more news on The Wonder Years Season 2, you can check out the 2022 TV schedule to see what new and returning shows are headed your way.

Fred Savage, best known as an actor for his roles in The Princess Bride and the original run of The Wonder Years, has been fired from his position as executive producer and director of the ABC and 20th Television reboot of his beloved sitcom. The big move comes after an investigation into multiple allegations of misconduct while working on the reboot. 

The news of Fred Savage's firing comes when The Wonder Years reboot has not yet been renewed for a second season, but it's not clear whether or not cutting Savage will affect its renewal chances. At the time of writing, Deadline reports that the allegations against the actor/producer/director include inappropriate behavior and verbal outbursts, and neither Savage nor any of his representatives have so far responded. A statement from a 20th Television spokesman confirms that Savage will no longer be part of the project:

Details regarding specific complaints about Savage's behavior and the investigation that led to his firing are unavailable at this point, but this is not the first project that has resulted in allegations against him. Back in 2018, his former Wonder Years co-star Alley Mills revealed that there was a sexual harassment lawsuit against Savage during what turned out to be the final season of the show. That suit was settled out of court. 

Also in 2018, a lawsuit was filed against Savage regarding alleged behavior on the set of his short-lived Fox comedy The Grinder, which co-starred Rob Lowe and ran for one season. Deadline reported at the time that Savage dismissed the claims as "absolutely untrue," and 20th Century Fox TV – which now goes by 20th Television and produces the Wonder Years reboot – reportedly found no evidence against him. 

Although Fred Savage was the face of the original The Wonder Years – which ran for six seasons from 1988 to 1993 – his involvement in the 2021 ABC reboot involved working behind the scenes. (The reboot did include an emotional tie to the original series, but not in the form of Savage appearing on screen.) He has been a prolific producer and director over the years of his career, so he seemed like a natural fit behind the scenes for the new version of The Wonder Years. Now, his tenure at the show has lasted just one season, and there's no guarantee that a second season will happen at all. 

Prior to the eight episodes of The Wonder Years that he directed, he helmed episodes on a number of other ABC TV shows, including black-ish (which ended after eight seasons earlier this year), The Conners (on which he also appeared as guest star back in October), Single Parents, Modern Family, and The Goldbergs. As fans await news of whether or not the Wonder Years reboot will be renewed or cancelled in light of the news about Fred Savage's firing, you can find the full first season so far streaming with a Hulu subscription.

The Season 1 finale airs on Wednesday, May 18 in the 2022 spring TV schedule. The reboot stars Elisha "EJ" Williams, Don Cheadle, Dulé Hill, Saycon Sengbloh, and Laura Kariuki, among others. 

Spoilers below for the latest episode of The Wonder Years, so be warned if you haven’t watched!

Even before The Wonder Years made its debut on ABC with its current iteration, fans were already pondering whether or not the Dulé Hill-starring dramedy would feature any direct connections to the original ‘90s series. At least, beyond having former lead Fred Savage as an executive producer and frequent episode director. Well, that answer came in a huge way during the episode “Love & War,” which delivered a meaningful and somewhat heartbreaking callback to the very first episode of The Wonder Years that aired 34 years ago. And to be expected, Savage and former co-star Danica McKellar had thoughts about this newly introduced connective tissue.

For those who didn’t watch, “Love & War” was a big episode for Spencer Moore II’s Bruce, who returned home to recover from injuries sustained in combat in Vietnam, for which he earned a Bronze Star. Bruce was initially keeping a secret from the rest of the family, in that he’s dating a single mom divorcée named Tammy, as portrayed by Yvonne Orji. But the bigger bombshell for audience members came late in the ep, as the character emotionally shared that his survivor’s guilt was inspired by the tragic death of his friend and fellow soldier Brian, who was revealed to be none other than Winnie Cooper’s older brother. The same brother whose whose death gave The Wonder Years’ original pilot episode its emotional heft. 

The current iternation’s creator and showrunner Saladin K. Patterson talked to Deadline about linking the two worlds so directly, and how Brian Cooper was part of the original pitch to ABC as part of Bruce’s narrative evolution. When asked if the creative team reached out to Danica McKellar, whose Winnie Cooper was devastated to learn of her brother’s death, he said they definitely gave her notice, saying:

It’s awesome to hear that Danica McKellar was so enthusiastic and encouraging about the way Saladin K. Patterson & Co. wanted to use Brian Cooper as a means to dovetail the two series without falling back on guest stars and less logical crossover moments. And for those who didn’t watch, the episode ended on the pic of Winnie and Brian seen below.

Obviously, Fred Savage was fully aware that The Wonder Years was going to take on that heavy link to his original series, and it probably would have been strange if he’d been adamantly against doing it. Thankfully, Patterson said Savage was very much behind the idea, in part because it wasn’t glaring and hackneyed. In the showrunner’s words:

It’s unclear whether or not viewers can look forward to other nods of the sort, the showrunner did confirm that Bruce’s girlfriend Tammy would not be returning this season, due to scheduling conflicts during filming. Though she will get mentioned, and the character isn’t necessarily gone from the show altogether.

While fans shouldn’t expect to see O.G. stars in the new series, ABC did feature a full Wonder Years-flavored night earlier in the season, with Dan Lauria guesting on The Goldbergs, Fred Savage making a return to The Conners, and Danica McKellar popping by Home Economics. Those who want to see McKellar more frequently can catch her on GAC, where she signed an exclusive deal after leaving Hallmark.

The Wonder Years airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET, in between new episodes of The Goldbergs and new episodes of The Conners, which has featured callbacks to its own origin series this season. While waiting for more, remember new episodes of the ‘60s-set dramedy are available next-day for Hulu subscribers, and our 2022 TV schedule will keep you up to date with all the new and returning shows popping up soon.

Every once in a while, celebrity siblings - such as Ben and Casey Affleck or Dakota and Elle Fanning - end up sharing the screen together. Well, apparently it happens a little more often than just every once in a while, given the amount of examples we compiled below.

Jake And Maggie Gyllenhaal (A Dangerous Woman, Homegrown, Donnie Darko)

Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and his twice-nominated older sister, Maggie, are in three movies together: 1993’s A Dangerous Woman, 1998’s Homegrown (both were directed by their father, Stephen), and the eventual sci-fi cult classic, Donnie Darko, in 2001.

Jeff And Beau Bridges (The Fabulous Baker Boys)

Oscar winner Jeff Bridges and his older brother, Beau, also played siblings in The Fabulous Baker Boys - a 1989 comedy in which the titular musicians become rivals after teaming up with a beautiful aspiring singer (Michelle Pfieffer).

Kate And Rooney Mara (Urban Legends: Bloody Mary)

Kate Mara of the House of Cards cast led the 2005 straight-to-video slasher, Urban Legends: Bloody Mary, in which her younger sister, Nightmare Alley’s Rooney Mara, made her acting debut.

Sean And Chris Penn (At Close Range)

Future two-time Oscar-winner Sean Penn and his late younger brother, Chris (best known from the Reservoir Dogs cast) played siblings in the 1986 crime thriller, At Close Range, starring Christopher Walken as their criminal father.

Andrew, Owen, And Luke Wilson (Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums) 

Owen Wilson and his younger sibling, Luke have also acted alongside their eldest brother, Andrew, in 1996’s Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums from 2001 - both of which Owen also co-wrote with director Wes Anderson.

Chris And Luke Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok)

Chris Hemsworth has yet to star in anything with his little bro, Liam, but the Australian Marvel movie star’s older bother, Westworld star Luke, did show up in Thor: Ragnarok as a dramatized version of the God of Thunder, whom he is set to reprise (along with Matt Damon as “Actor Loki”) in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Dylan And Cole Sprouse (Various)

Twin brothers Dylan and Cole Sprouse (the latter of which went on to join the Riverdale cast) have shared the same role in several TV shows (most notably Grace Under Fire) and movies (such as Big Daddy with Adam Sandler) and have played siblings just as often, most famously as the title characters of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, its spin-off The Suite Life on Deck, and 2011’s The Suite Life Movie.

Tia, Tamera, And Tahj Mowry  (Sister, Sister, Smart Guy, Seventeen Again)

Twin sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry have shared the screen with their little brother, Tahj, several times - most notably as guest stars on each other’s respective sitcoms, Sister, Sister and Smart Guy, and in the 2000 Showtime original movie, Seventeen Again.

James And Dave Franco (The Disaster Artist)

After years finding success in the business in separate projects, James Franco and his younger brother, Dave, played Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero of the infamous cult favorite, The Room, in the 2017 biopic, The Disaster Artist.

Hilary And Haylie Duff (Various)

Haylie Duff would appear on three episodes of her younger sister, Hilary’s, Disney Channel show, Lizzie McGuire, and provided the singing voice of Isabella Parigi in the theatrical spin-off before they both played a singing group on an episode of American Dreams, sisters in the 2006 rags-to-riches story Material Girls, and both leant their voices to the infamous animated movie Foodfight!, which was released in 2012.

Aly And AJ Michalka (Various)

Singer-songwriter duo Aly and AJ Michalka first shared the screen in the 2006 Disney Channel original movie Cow Belles as sisters, again in the MTV original Super Sweet 16: The Movie the next year as rivals, followed by three episodes of Aly’s CW series Hellcats in 2011 as half-sisters. Most recently, they appeared in the 2015 drama, Weepah Way For Now, as what appear to be fictionalized versions of themselves.

Dakota And Elle Fanning (I Am Sam, Taken)

Elle Fanning has portrayed a younger version of her older sister, Dakota, on two separate occasions: first in the 2001 drama I Am Sam and secondly in the Steven Spielberg-produced, Syfy original miniseries, Taken, in 2002.

Spencer And Abigail Breslin (Various)

Academy Award nominee Abigail and her older brother, Spencer, played siblings in both Raising Helen and The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement in 2004, played elves in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause in 2006, and later played cousins in the 2014 crime drama, Perfect Sisters.

Jason And Justine Bateman (Arrested Development)

Justine Bateman played her real-life brother, Jason's, sibling in the 1986 TV movie Can You Feel Me Dancing? and a sex worker whom Jason’s Michael Bluth mistakes for his long-lost sibling on Arrested Development.

John, Joan, Ann, And Bill Cusack (Grosse Pointe Blank)

While beloved star John Cusack and his Academy-nominated sister, Joan, have appeared in more films together than most celebrity siblings can claim (including Say Anything… and High Fidelity), the only screen credit that they also share with both their sister, Ann, and brother, Bill, is 1997’s Grosse Pointe Blank, which John also co-wrote and produced.

Bill And Brian Doyle Murray (Various) 

Bill Murray and his older brother, Brian, are both Saturday Night Live veterans (although at different times) and have several classic movies in common - including Caddyshack, Scrooged, Ghostbusters II, Groundhog Day, and The Razor's Edge.

Ben And Casey Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Chasing Amy)

Years before casting him in his amazing directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck shared the screen with his younger brother and fellow Oscar winner, Casey, in Good Will Hunting (which Ben co-wrote with Matt Damon) and Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy in 1997.

Macaulay And Kieran Culkin (Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York)

Kieran Culkin (now more famous than ever since starring on HBO’s Succession) made his acting debut alongside his older brother (child megastar Macaulay Culkin) in 1990’s Home Alone cast as his cousin, Fuller - a role he would also reprise in the 1992 sequel.

Rory And Kieran Culkin (Igby Goes Down)

In addition to playing Macaulay’s younger self in Richie Rich, the youngest Culkin brother, Rory, also played a younger version of Kieran as the title role in 2002's Igby Goes Down.

The Wayans Siblings (Various) 

Where do we start with the Wayans Siblings? Well, for instance, several of them (such as Damon and Kim Wayans) were a part of the In Living Color cast with star and creator Keenen Ivory Wayans, who later directed his younger brothers, Marlon and Shawn, in movies like White Chicks, the first two Scary Movie installments, and Little Man.

Zooey And Emily Deschanel (Bones)

In Season 5 of Bones, star Emily Deschanel’s sister (Zooey of the Elf cast fame and later the lead of the New Girl cast) guest starred as Temperance Brennan’s second cousin, Margaret Whitesell.

Fred And Ben Savage (Little Monsters, The Wonder Years, Boy Meets World)

After playing siblings in the family-friendly horror film, Little Monsters, in 1989, Ben Savage made a guest appearance on his older brother, Fred’s, hit dramedy, The Wonder Years, in 1990 and later returned the favor by inviting him to the Boy Meets World cast for an episode in 1998.

Charlie Sheen And Emilio Estevez (Various)

After making several movies together - including Young Guns, Men At Work, and Rated X (the latter two of which Emilio Estevez directed), Charlie Sheen (née Carlos Estevez) reunited with his brother on an episode of his hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men, in 2008.

Vanessa and Laura Marano (Saving Zoë)

Both of these talented ladies had guest appearances on Dexter at different times in the series’ run, but Vanessa Marano and her younger sister, Laura, did appear together in the 2019 mystery, Saving Zoë, as siblings torn apart by one’s unsolved murder.

Nat And Alex Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band, Mr. Troop Mom, Stella’s Last Weekend)

Hereditary’s Alex Wolff and his older brother, Peacock’s Joe vs. Carole cast member Nat Wolff, both debuted as fictionalized versions of themselves in Nickelodeon’s faux rockumentary, The Naked Brothers Band, its series continuation, and the 2009 TV movie Mr. Troop Mom before reuniting in 2018’s Stella’s Last Weekend, which was written and directed by their mother, Polly Draper.

Vera And Taissa Farmiga (Higher Ground, At Middleton, The Nun)

Scream Queens Vera and Taissa Farmiga, who are often mistaken for mother and daughter, played mother and daughter in 2013’s At Middleton after Taissa previously played her older sister’s younger self in Vera’s 2011 directorial debut, Higher Ground. However, interestingly, their characters in the 2018 Conjuring spin-off, The Nun, have no apparent familial ties.

Maude And Iris Apatow (Knocked Up, This Is 40, Funny People)

Euphoria’s Maude Apatow and her younger sister, Iris, have played siblings in 2007’s Knocked Up, its “sort-of sequel” This is 40 from 2012, and 2009’s Funny People - all three of which also starred their real mother, Leslie Mann, as their mother, and were written and directed by their father, Judd Apatow.

Dan And Sarah Levy (Schitt’s Creek)

While Annie Murphy plays co-creator Dan Levy’s on-screen sister in the Schitt’s Creek cast, Café Tropical owner, Twyla Sands, is played by his real-life sister, Sarah.

Mary-Kate, Ashley, And Elizabeth Olsen (How The West Was Fun)

After Full House made the Olsen Twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley, household names and  before the Marvel movies made their younger sister, Elizabeth, an A-lister, all three of them appeared together in the ABC original TV movie How the West Was Fun in 1994.

Bill And Alexander Skarsgård (White Water Fury)

Years before his terrifying performance as Pennywise in It, Bill Skarsgård made his acting debut alongside his older brother, True Blood cast member Alexander, in the 2000 Swedish thriller, White Water Fury.

Blake And Robyn Lively (Simon Says)

Robyn Lively, star of 1989’s Teen Witch, shared the screen with her then up-and-coming half-sister, former Gossip Girl cast member Blake Lively, in a 2006 slasher flick called Simon Says, which also stars fellow ‘80s icon Crispin Glover.

Brian And Domhnall Gleeson (Mother!, Frank Of Ireland)

Despite plenty of years of experience between the them, it was not until 2017 when Star Wars star Domnhall Gleeson and his younger brother, Brian, shared the screen in Mother! before reuniting as co-creators and co-stars of the Amazon Prime original comedy Frank of Ireland - also starring their father, Brendan Gleeson.

Eddie And Charlie Murphy (Harlem Nights, Norbit)

Comedy icon Eddie Murphy worked behind the scenes a lot with his older brother, Charlie, who passed away in 2017, but the two would also share a few acting credits, - namely Eddie’s 1989 directorial debut Harlem Nights (also Charlie’s first movie), and in 2006’s Norbit, in which Charlie voiced a dog named Floyd.

Phylicia Rashad And Debbie Allen (The Cosby Show, Grey’s Anatomy, The Old Settler)

Phylicia Rashad and her younger sister, Emmy-winning dance legend Debbie Allen, have made guest appearances on each other’s shows - The Cosby Show, on which Rashad played Claire Huxtable, and Grey’s Anatomy, on which Allen plays Dr. Catherine Fox (née Avery) - and both starred in a 2001 TV movie called The Old Settler, which Allen also directed.

Ron And Clint Howard (Various) 

You can find Clint Howard in just about every movie directed by his brother, Ron Howard - including his feature-length directorial debut from 1977, Grand Theft Auto, which was also the brothers’ third time acting alongside each other after the 1963 film The Courtship of Eddie’s Father and a handful of episodes of The Andy Griffith Show.

Angelina Jolie And James Haven (Gia, Hell’s Kitchen, Original Sin)

Audiences probably remember Angelina Jolie’s brother, James Haven, better for other reasons than all the times he shared the screen with his younger sister - namely Gia and Hell’s Kitchen from 1998, and 2001’s Original Sin.

Jared And Shannon Leto (Various)

In addition to being bandmates with his young brother, Oscar winner Jared Leto, in 30 Seconds to Mars, Shannon Leto also shared the screen with him on a couple of episodes of My So-Called Life (on which Jared played the iconic Jordan Catalano) and through brief appearances in the movies Prefontaine from 1997, 1998’s Highway, and Sol Goode in 2003.

Chris And Scott Evans (Before We Go, Playing It Cool)

Former Captain America actor Chris Evans has a brother named Scott who has also appeared in two romantic-comedies from 2014 with his older sibling, called Before We Go (which Chris also directed) and Playing It Cool.

Sarah And Laura Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program, Bob’s Burgers, Masters Of Sex)

Comedian and actress Sarah Silverman and her sister, Laura, played heavily fictionalized versions of themselves as series regulars on The Sarah Silverman Program, made guest appearances on Showtime’s Masters of Sex together, and have recurred on Bob’s Burgers as Jimmy Pesto’s twin sons, Andy and Ollie.

Kevin, Nick, And Joe Jonas (Camp Rock Movies, Jonas)

Back when they were the biggest thing to come out of Disney Channel, Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas played three brothers in a band not named the Jonas Brothers in the Camp Rock movies, and later played themselves to more comedic effect in their own sitcom, aptly titled Jonas.

Looks like talent really does run in the family.

Beloved late ‘80s-early ‘90s coming-of-age dramedy The Wonder Years is the latest series to be rebooted. This time around it centers on a Black middle-class family in Alabama in the late 1960s. Emmy-nominated actor and The West Wing star Dulé Hill portrays Bill Williams, father to main character Dean, played by Elisha Williams. His musical roots and heartfelt scenes have already made him a big winner, and now Hill is sharing when he truly felt connected to his character.

Bill Williams is known as a “cool dad” with his quick quips, and critics have been praising Dulé Hill for his raw talent in his emotional scenes. When asked how he knew he was right for the role, Hill told TV Guide just when he felt connected to Bill and why it was so important for him to be part of this reboot:

Dulé Hill went on to share that he realized the role would be perfect for him when he was able to embody the "rhythm" and "flavor" and "swag" of a musician, with his own history as a tap dancer and growing up around jazz artists. He was inspired by how those "jazz cats" would "move through life."  He explained further about when it came to actually feeling fully connected to Bill, and it has to do with The Wonder Years showrunner Saladin K. Patterson:

If it works, it works! I guess sometimes you just need to really figure out what makes makes your character tick to make your character feel multidimensional. Dulé Hill has been bringing such emotion and comedy to Bill Williams already after just four episodes, and it's probably safe that say that his performance is only going to get better as he settles into the role. After all, it can't be easy being on the reboot of such a popular and loved series.

The Wonder Years airs Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC!

ABC has never been one to shy away from nostalgia, and audiences will get a big dose of it in the Fall TV season. As a way to promote the upcoming premiere of The Wonder Years reboot with Dulé Hill, the network is bringing some OG Wonder Years stars back for guest spots across a small variety of its original comedies, including The Conners.

While The Wonder Years 2.0 will make its debut on Wednesday, September 22, ABC is setting up its midweek throwback for October 13, as not to disrupt other season premieres with the guest spots. First up that evening will be The Goldbergs, which will feature a guest appearance from the always excellent Dan Lauria. As Wonder Years fans will no doubt agree, Lauria is second to none at delivering performances that made his character Jack Arnold appear to be the most put-upon and eternally defeated character on TV. (Not unlike a grown-up Charlie Brown.) Considering The Goldbergs is set in the '80s, which is when TWY first debuted, it should be interesting to see how Lauria is utilized within that episode.

Following that evening's installment of the reimagined Wonder Years, ABC's The Conners will welcome Fred Savage back to Lanford, presumably still as Darlene's therapist Dr. Harding. Judging how things went with Ben at the end of Season 3, I'm guessing it'll take more than a couple of episodes to resolve all that, so she'll probably need another therapist visit that viewers can bear witness too. Landing Savage as a Season 3 guest star was a perfect fit for The Conners, which also stocked its cast with Married with Children's Katey Sagal and Murphy Brown's Candice Bergen (among other sitcom vets), with Seinfeld's Jason Alexander joining the ensemble in a recurring capacity in Season 4.

However it goes, that Conners ep will be followed up by a new episode of Topher Grace's Home Economics, with Danica McKellar set to guest star. As girl-next-door Winnie Cooper, McKellar won the hearts of tons of younger Wonder Years fans during those golden years, but what will she be up to on Home Economics? As it went with Dan Lauria, no character details were given, so we obviously don't know just yet, but perhaps she'll play into the publishing company or the parent of a child that gets mixed up with one of Tom and Marina's kids.

Interestingly enough, even before making his on-screen debut for The Conners, Fred Savage had already worked on six prior episodes as a director, with the sixth episode being his first. No telling whether or not he'll be helming the episode he appears in but he'll almost definitely be behind the camera for a few Season 4 installments. (Fun fact: Savage also directed two episodes of The Goldbergs.)

So remember to mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 13, for that evening's episodes of The Goldbergs, The Wonder Years, The Conners and Home Economics, with the comedy block kicking off on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET.

It goes without saying that we’re currently living in an era of reboots and remakes. This past decade alone has seen new variations of numerous classic shows, ranging from Full House and Roseanne to Hawaii Five-O and MacGyver. Now, another classic show is preparing to join those revamped/rebooted ranks -- The Wonder Years. The mid-’80s/early ‘90s coming-of-age show is being retooled with a predominantly Black cast and was recently ordered to series at ABC. Now, one of the show’s new leads, Psych alum Dulé Hill, is sharing some thoughts following news of the series order

Shortly after news of The Wonder Years’ big step at ABC, Dulé Hill took to Instagram to share some thoughts. The gravity of the moment was not lost on the actor and his brief, yet sweet, sentiments summed up things perfectly:

Dulé Hill seems more than excited to be moving forward with the show, and it’s not hard to see why. Not only does he get to play a part in bringing back one of television’s most beloved shows, but he also gets to do it alongside talented creatives. And the premise is one that is sure to resonate with viewers.

This iteration of The Wonder Years centers on the Williamses, a middle-class Black family living in Montgomery, Alabama during the late 1960s. The show will mostly be told from the perspective of imaginative 12-year-old Dean Williams (Elisha “EJ” Williams), as his older self (Don Cheadle) narrates, reflecting on the humorous and defining moments of his youth. Dulé Hill plays Williams family patriarch, Bill, while Saycon Sengbloh plays his wife, Lillian, and Laura Kariuki plays their daughter and Dean’s older sister, Kim. You can check out the first look at the cast down below:

Behind the scenes, Saladin Patterson (Psych, The Bernie Mac Show, and The Last OG) serves as writer and executive producer. Empire creator Lee Daniels executive produces alongside Marc Velez under the Lee Daniels Entertainment banner. Wonder Years alum Fred Savage is also an executive producer and directed the pilot.

The fact that ABC is interested in bringing back The Wonder Years isn’t surprising when you consider that the original show was highly successful during its six-season run. While we’ve yet to see any actual footage from the new show, the first images indicate that the revamp is going for the same vintage aesthetic of the original.

The Wonder Years is considered by many to be one of the greatest television shows ever made, so the cast and crew have a lot to live up to. But with capable artists both in front of and behind the camera, the show has the tools to succeed. We’ll see if Dulé Hill and his collaborators can make a splash during this upcoming TV season.

Whether he is appearing in gritty dramas like Boogie Nights, star-studded heist films like the Oceans trilogy, or in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as War Machine, Don Cheadle has continued to entertain audiences while at the same time continuing to grow as an actor. For nearly 40 years now, the Marvel star and Academy Award nominee (Hotel Rwanda) has remained one of the most charismatic actors in film and television, and it doesn’t look like he has any plans of slowing down anytime soon.

So, what upcoming Don Cheadle movies and TV shows can we expect to see from the Golden Globe winner (The Rat Pack, House of Lies) in the next year, two years, and beyond? Quite a lot, actually. With everything from the pop-culture explosion that is Space Jam: A New Legacy to another movie with longtime director pal Steven Soderbergh, there’s a lot to look forward to in the near future. Then there’s that business with the Disney+ series Armor Wars, which has just about everyone excited.

Space Jam: A New Legacy - July 16, 2021 (Completed)

There has been talk of a sequel to the Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes crossover film Space Jam ever since the live-action/animation hybrid first hit theaters in 1996, but now it’s actually happening 25 years later. The highly anticipated Space Jam: A New Legacy sees LeBron James taking over for Michael Jordan in a story that centers around the NBA star’s on-screen son, Don James (Cedric Joe), getting trapped in a computer program created by the villainous AI-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle). With the help of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the rest of the Looney Tunes gang, LeBron puts together a team to defeat the rogue algorithm and his Goon Squad.

After years of failed attempts to continue the Space Jam franchise, Warner Bros. officially moved forward with the LeBron James version in 2014, but principal photography wouldn’t begin for another five years following more delays. Though most of the film was completed in 2020, several changes were made, following outrage for the over-sexualization of Lola Bunny and controversy surrounding Pepé Le Pew.

Space Jam: A New Legacy is slated to premiere in theaters and on HBO Max on July 16, 2021, and will remain on the streaming service for 31 days before being removed like the other Warner Bros. movies being released that way in 2021.

With/In - TBD (Post-Production)

Since about halfway through 2020, we have seen multiple movies which were filmed during some state of quarantine. There is everything from HBO’s Coastal Elites to the Shudder horror film Host, and the critically acclaimed Malcolm & Marie, which received award considerations following its release in early 2021. Now it looks like there will be another addition to the shot-in-quarantine genre with the upcoming release of With/In, a star-studded anthology drama consisting of more than a dozen short films starring everyone from Chris Cooper to Don Cheadle and Julianne Moore to Rebecca Hall, with many of the actors also writing and directing each mini-film.

According to Deadline, the anthology is the brainchild of Trudie Styler, Celine Rattray, and Margaret Nagle, who approached their friends and asked them to come up with stories that center on being stuck inside during the pandemic. Each of the 13 films were shot individually with producers and other crew members assisting through Zoom. Per a Variety report, With/In is in post-production but no release date has been announced at this time.

No Sudden Move - TBD (Post-Production)

Don Cheadle has worked with director Steven Soderbergh just about more than anyone not named George Clooney at this point, and that partnership will see its next chapter with the upcoming release of the crime thriller No Sudden Move, when the star-studded drama lands on HBO Max at some point in the near future. Per Deadline, the movie, which is led by Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, and nearly a dozen of today’s biggest movie and TV stars, will center on a group of small-time criminals in 1955 Detroit who are hired to steal what appears to be simple document. If you've seen any of Soderbergh’s previous films, you’ll know that things never really go according to plan.

First announced back in November 2019, No Sudden Move went through a juggling act with its leads prior to the start of production the following September with George Clooney, John Cena, Josh Brolin, and others dropping out due to delays brought on by the pandemic. It wasn’t all bad news, however, as Matt Damon was added in a cameo role prior to production wrapping in November 2020. There is no word exactly when post-production work will be completed and when No Sudden Move will drop on HBO Max.

Black Stallions - TBD (Announced)

In addition to being one hell of a dramatic actor, Don Cheadle can also handle himself quite nicely in more comedic roles, as seen in shows like House of Lies, and with his scene-stealing joke in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Well, Cheadle’s comedy background will come in handy if the long-in-the-works Netflix sports comedy Black Stallions ever gets off the ground. The movie, which was first announced back in 2018 is set to feature Cheadle, Kevin Hart, and Lil Rel Howery as rival brother jockeys in the world of competitive horse racing.

Nothing has been revealed about Black Stallions since the movie was first revealed by Deadline three years ago, but you can never count something out, especially with the upcoming Netflix release of Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, which sat in various stages of development hell for more than a decade before finally getting a release date on the streaming giant.

Prince Of Darkness - TBD (Announced)

In the past, Don Cheadle has portrayed real-life people like Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda, Sammy Davis Jr. in The Rat Pack, and Miles Davis in Miles Ahead, a film he co-wrote and directed back in 2015. There could be another addition to that list if Prince of Darkness, a biopic about 19th Century black millionaire Jeremiah G. Hamilton ever gets off the ground. In April 2017, Variety announced that Cheadle would be starring in and co-writing the film with Steven Baigelman, who helped the actor with the script for the Miles Davis biopic.

Based on Shane White’s book Prince of Darkness: The Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street’s First Black Millionaire, the movie is set to follow the larger-than-life character as he amasses his $2 million fortune ($48 million in 2021 dollars) and becomes a legend in the business world. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much in the form of details about the movie’s plot or even when Prince of Darkness will enter production.

Armor Wars (TV Series) - TBD (Pre-Production)

Ever since not getting much time to decide if he wanted to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Iron Man 2, Don Cheadle has become one of the franchise’s most prolific stars with his portrayal of James Rhodes, aka War Machine. Fans have never really gotten too much backstory for War Machine, but the upcoming Disney+ original series Armor Wars looks to change that when it reveals “a lot” about the character. Included in the slate of Disney+ shows announced in December 2020, Armor Wars will premiere at some point in the coming years and explore a post-Blip world in which War Machine is still dealing with the loss of his best friend and fellow Avenger Tony Stark.

We know that Armor Wars will follow James Rhodes as he confronts one of Tony Stark’s greatest fears — his tech falling into the wrong hands — but there is still a lot about the show which remains a mystery at this time. If we go by comments made by Don Cheadle in a February 2021 interview with ET Online, we can expect to see cameras start rolling on the Disney+ Marvel series at some point this spring.

Armor Wars isn’t the only upcoming Marvel TV show coming to Disney+, as multiple series have been announced for the streaming service in recent months.

The Wonder Years (TV Series) - TBD (Pre-Production)

In case you haven’t heard, there are currently plans over at ABC to reboot the 1980s classic coming-of-age series The Wonder Years. With a promising cast, unique spin on the story, and involvement from the stars and producers of the original, things are looking on the up-and-up for the TV project. The show’s prospects got even better in March 2021 when Deadline reported on the casting of Don Cheadle as the show’s narrator in the pilot and series if the powers that be at ABC give it a series order later on.

For those not caught up to speed, The Wonder Years reboot will follow the Williamses, a black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama, in the final years of the 1960s with the main focus being put on the family’s teenage son Dean (Elisha “EJ” Williams), in a similar fashion to Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) on the original show 30 years ago. The original The Wonder Years featured Daniel Stern as the show’s narrator, the adult version of Kevin Arnold.

The Wonder Years' pilot is slated to enter production at some point in spring 2021.

As you can see, Don Cheadle will continue to be one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood these next few years with a slate of upcoming movies and TV shows. If you want to know what’s coming out sooner, however, go on and check out CinemaBlend’s list of 2021 movie premiere dates for all the latest on movies coming to theaters and a myriad of streaming services.

Even though it has been nearly 30 years since the last time we heard Joe Cocker belt out the opening lyrics of The Wonder Years’ title sequence, the coming-of-age story of a young Kevin Arnold is just as popular now as ever before. First there was the show’s run on Nick-at-Nite in the late ‘90s, then its arrival on Netflix and other streaming services, and now there will soon be a new version of the show with a new setting, new characters, but, hopefully, the same charm that made the original so beloved. The Wonder Years reboot, with its new cast and setting will hopefully capture the same charm of the original.

And, even though The Wonder Years reboot has only received a pilot order as of right now, the potential series seems to have a lot going for it. From its outstanding cast to the number of figures from the original series who are involved with this latest iteration, it seems like The Wonder Years is more than a grab at an old hit, and actually has something to say.

The Wonder Years Reboot Will Follow A Black Middle-Class Family In 1960s Alabama

When you first see the words The Wonder Years reboot, it’s safe to say that a chill runs down your spine in fear of ABC tarnishing the name of a series it cancelled decades ago. But, fear not, as the new version of the timeless classic won’t be set in a different time period or avoid a lot of the same issues addressed back in the day.

In July 2020, The Hollywood Reporter revealed The Wonder Years reboot will once again be set in late 1960s America, but instead of following a suburban white family, the show will follow a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama. You may remember that Alabama, Montgomery especially, was at the center of the civil rights movement and served as a backdrop to several of the decades’ most historic moments.

Elisha “EJ” Williams Will Lead As Dean Williams, The Reboot’s Version Of Kevin Arnold

If The Wonder Years reboot clears the pilot stage and receives a full series order, Elisha “EJ” Williams will become this generation’s Kevin Arnold. The casting was announced in March 2021 with Deadline reporting that Williams, who has appeared in Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger and Danger Force, will portray Dean Williams, an inquisitive and hopeful 12 year old determined to make his mark on the world around him. Considering the show is set in one of the most turbulent times in American history, young Dean will be given plenty of opportunities to rise up to the occasion.

In The Dark Star Saycon Sengbloh Will Serve As The Williams Family Matriarch On The Wonder Years

The Tony Award-nominated (Eclipsed) actress and In The Dark star, Saycon Sengbloh, will be taking on the role of Lillian Williams, the matriarch of the family at the center of The Wonder Years reboot. When the casting was announced in March 2021, Variety described Sengbloh’s character as sharp as a tack, confident, kind, and perceptive, along with having a good sense of humor. The full-time accountant, wife, and mother is the very backbone and driving force of the Williams family, who helps guide her husband and children through the insanity of 1960s America.

Psych Alum Dulé Hill Has Been Cast As Bill Williams, Dean’s Outspoken Musician Father

The Wonder Years reboot kept the momentum going throughout March 2021 with the announcement that Psych star Dulé Hill had joined the cast as Bill Williams, the musician father of series lead, Dean. When revealing the casting, Deadline described the elder Williams as a music professor by day and funk musician by night. The cool and composed figure will being a driving force in his family’s push to “be cool” as well as lead his kids and neighborhood to be as self-sufficient as possible.

That same report also announced that Black Lightning newcomer Laura Kariuki, who plays JJ in the final season of The CW’s superhero series, will portray Kim Williams, Dean’s older sister.

Lee Daniels And Fred Savage Are Executive Producers On The Wonder Years Reboot

If The Wonder Years reboot is picked up following the completion of the pilot (more on that later), the series will have two big names serving as executive producers. According to a July 2020 USA Today article on the project, Empire creator Lee Daniels, who recently directed Andra Day in her Golden Globe winning performance in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, will be helping run the show, along with someone with ties to the original series.

That person? None other than Fred Savage, who, following a successful run as a child actor, began to step behind the camera with shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, and The Goldbergs. The good news doesn’t stop for the former Kevin Arnold there…

Fred Savage Is Also Set To Direct The Wonder Years Reboot Pilot

In addition to serving as an executive producer, Fred Savage will also be serving as the director for The Wonder Years reboot pilot, bringing things full circle, per The Hollywood Reporter. Even though Savage had appeared in The Princess Bride and The Twilight Zone by the time he was cast in the original run of The Wonder Years, he will forever be known as Kevin Arnold to a large part of the population. In addition to the previously mentioned directorial efforts by the former child star, Savage has also sat behind the camera on shows like 2 Broke Girls, Best Friends Forever, and The Conners.

The Big Bang Theory Producer Saladin K. Patterson Wrote The Pilot’s Script

Speaking of successful sitcoms of the 21st Century… Saladin K. Patterson, a writer and co-producer of shows like The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, and Psych, penned the script for the soon-to-be-shot pilot for The Wonder Years reboot. Patterson, who also worked on The Bernie Mac Show and Frasier earlier in his career, will serve as one of the show’s executive producers in addition to serving as a writer. Patterson was reportedly part of the group that initially approached ABC with the idea of rebooting the series, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The Wonder Years Pilot Will Be Shot In Spring 2021

It is still not yet known when ABC will make a decision on picking up The Wonder Years reboot for a full series, but we should know soon enough, as production on the pilot is slated to get underway at some point in Spring 2021, per Deadline. In the meantime, there’s never been a better time to go back and watch the original series to bring back all those old memories.

Watch The Wonder Years on Hulu.

There is still some time before we know whether or not The Wonder Years reboot will end up on the 2021 TV schedule, but considering all the great shows coming to television screens (and streaming services) these next few months, there’s plenty to hold you over.

The Wonder Years won plenty of fans during its run from 1988-1993 as viewers watched young Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) grow up in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Now, the beloved sitcom is getting a reboot with Fred Savage on board, but that doesn't mean a show is on the way to revisit Kevin Arnold, his friends, and family. A new version is in the works at ABC, centered on a black family in 1960s Alabama.

The new version of The Wonder Years is developing at ABC with original series star Fred Savage on board as director and executive producer, according to The Wrap. Lee Daniels, who created the hit Fox series Empire, is also producing, although it's probably safe to say that any family at the center of a version of The Wonder Years isn't going to have a ton in common with the Lyon family of Empire. Fred Savage isn't the only person from the original Wonder Years attached to the new project. Co-creator Neal Marlens will serve as a consultant.

While the original Wonder Years never specified where the Arnold family lived, the new project is set in Montgomery, Alabama in the late 1960s. Centered on a black middle class family, they'll work to make sure that the late 1960s will be "wonder years" despite the turbulent times.

The setting in the late '60s means that the new project will be set in the same era as the original, if not the same place. It also means that any Wonder Years fans who hoped to see Fred Savage reprise his role for the reboot shouldn't count on it. Maybe if the new show was set in 2020 and accounted for a grown-up Kevin!

The new Wonder Years also isn't guaranteed to make it to the small screen. At the time of writing, the new project only has a pilot production commitment from ABC. A miniature writer's room will get started after the script for the pilot is approved. The reboot is a long way from becoming an ongoing TV show, and nothing is guaranteed.

That said, ABC is probably the ideal place for a Wonder Years reboot. Despite rumors of what led to the cancellation of the original series, The Wonder Years had a successful run of six seasons on the network in the late '80s and early 90s. ABC has had great success in recent years with new versions of classic comedies, such as Roseanne's incredibly successful (albeit brief) revival run and then the launch of The Conners. ABC also just lost Modern Family, which was a longtime comedy anchor. The network may be in need of a new family sitcom.

That's not to say that ABC gives the go-ahead to every new take on an old classic, as the network recently passed on a thirtysomething sequel series that would have starred Supergirl's Chris Wood, and several projects are further along in development at ABC than this new Wonder Years. Only time will tell if Fred Savage is able to bring another version of the show to the small screen.

For now, you can always watch (or rewatch) the full original run of The Wonder Years streaming on Hulu. If you're in the market for some more current and upcoming options, check out our 2020 TV premiere schedule.

The teen drama is a vital part of the television experience, with shows that each generation has their loyalties to. What would happen, however, if we took each major teen drama stereotype and named the definitive character of that category in hopes Hollywood would construct an all-star team of characters similar to them? We're not sure, but we did it in hopes someone gets wise and makes a show with characters modeled after our favorites in each category. We even threw in some runner-ups just so that whoever tackles this primo drama has some additional options for inspiration. Take a look!

The Leading Man: Ryan Atwood - The O.C.

If ever there was a character in a teen drama everyone could get behind, Ryan Atwood of The O.C. was it. Who doesn't love a kid from a bad upbringing finally seeing some comeuppance and transforming a community around him in the process? In a genre where it's seemingly hard to write a leading man who is objectively good as well as entertaining, Ben McKenzie's portrayal is the gold standard. The ideal teen drama leading man needs the opportunity to grow into the character he should be as the series continues on, and Ryan Atwood is the perfect example of what happens when that works.

Runner-Up: Lucas Scott - One Tree Hill

Ironically enough Chad Michael Murray turned down the role of Ryan Atwood to play Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill. Lucas and Ryan are similar characters, but Ben McKenzie's portrayal and the overall cheese One Tree Hill got into with its later seasons certainly put Ryan above Lucas.

Leading Lady: Veronica Mars - Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars was such a great character she has the show named after her. Kristen Bell's portrayal as the young private investigator was so popular it even managed to get a film years later, which is yet another nod to how great her character was. Teen dramas often feature young characters solving mysteries the town is stumped by, and while Riverdale's Betty Cooper does some pretty good investigating, Veronica would've easily sniffed out her father was the Black Hood killer long before Cooper ever did. Veronica Mars also taps into the compelling story of a lead overcoming a terrible past situation, which is not something that always happens for principal female characters in these types of shows.

Runner-Up: Elena Gilbert - The Vampire Diaries

Elena certainly has the tragic background for a female lead, but it's a hard sell to say she's as good as Veronica Mars. Put simply, The Vampire Diaries was able to continue without Nina Dobrev. Could Veronica Mars have kept going without Kristen Bell?

The Girl Next Door: Joey Potter - Dawson's Creek

The girl next door archetype isn't always vital to the teen drama, but when it is done it needs to be done right. Joey Potter is the perfect case study for what the "girl next door" should be, as it sets some real-world expectations for teens who may be experiencing a relationship similar to that of Dawson and Joey. As hard as it may be to hear for young lovers, fairy tale romances don't always happen the way folks plan, and surely Joey's story on Dawson's Creek encouraged plenty of people to move on from their Dawson to link up with their Pacey.

Runner-Up: Betty Cooper - Riverdale

Betty might not be the definitive archetype in any teen drama category, but her character often falls in the middle of the road in many other categories. This includes her playing "girl next door" to Archie and keeping that perfect balance between close friend and potential lover about as close as teens like to walk that tightrope.

Best Friend: Paul Pfeiffer - The Wonder Years

Best friends don't get much better than The Wonder Years' Paul Pfeiffer, who stuck with his friend Kevin Arnold for about as long as anyone could. Sure the two had a bit of a strained relationship in the show's later years, but it's completely understandable considering Kevin could be a real dick sometimes. Despite that, Paul stuck around in the younger years and really managed to make Kevin look much better in comparison even though Kevin was just an average kid. That's about as good of a solid as any best friend can do for another

Runner-Up: Bill Haverchuck - Freaks and Geeks

There had to be some inspiration taken from Paul Pfeiffer to create Freaks and Geeks' Bill Haverchuck, which means the title by default has to go to the OG who started it all. Plus, Bill is cooler (not by much) than Paul, and best friends that outshine lead characters rarely benefit anyone and can end in ill-conceived spinoffs that no one wants.

The Queen Bee: Cheryl Blossom - Riverdale

A lot of teen dramas like to make their alpha female a raging "B," but that isn't always necessary to create a memorable and interesting side character who shakes things up. Riverdale showed this with Madelaine Petsch's Cheryl Blossom. While Cheryl does have quite the mean streak, she's hands down also one of the most lovable parts of Riverdale. Whether she's rocking some flawless outfit, going off the rails crazy, or just delivering a snarky one-liner in the midst of a serious situation, Cheryl commands every scene she's given in. She certainly keeps things interesting when the story starts to lag, which is really what this type of character should always be doing.

Runner-Up: Blair Waldorf - Gossip Girl

This one was incredibly close to call, although Cheryl ends up besting Blair because she has no discernable weakness. Blair, on the other hand, had a weakness for perhaps one of the sleaziest characters in teen drama history, which segues beautifully into the next category.

The Redeemable Bad Boy: Chuck Bass - Gossip Girl

Chuck Bass is one of the most beloved and memorable characters of Gossip Girl, which is really a testament to how the show changed his character around. Chuck was originally written to be an antagonist in the novels and was portrayed as an attempted rapist sociopath in Season 1. Somewhere down the stretch the character won some fans, and while he was still a self-absorbed asshole seasons later, Chuck was well-liked enough that he even got a happy ending just like everyone else. Honestly, it's not something anyone can understand if they didn't watch Gossip Girl, but trust us, it worked.

Runner-Up: Tim Riggins - Friday Night Lights

Tim Riggins is certainly a solid choice for the bad boy aspect. Not so much. Friday Night Lights knew Tim was a good kid deep down but had a lot of demons he had to deal with in real life. He's nowhere near the level of crazy exhibited by Chuck Bass and in our opinion a distant second.

The Parents: The Taylors - Friday Night Lights

Eric and Tami Taylor are about the most wholesome, strong, and amazing adult couple the teen genre has ever seen. The Friday Night Lights parents aren't just mentors to their daughters, but to just about every other teen in the series they come in contact with. On top of that, they both weather some pretty tough times while still being the definition of relationship goals. All of these things are nearly impossible for a parent to accomplish in the average teen drama, so credit to Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton for owning those roles so well the show never actively sought out to create drama between them.

Runner-Up: Karen Roe - One Tree Hill

Out of a sea of teen drama parents who are incompetent sticks in the mud, Karen is kind of a boss. That said she almost had just as much drama as the teen characters in One Tree Hill, and the ideal teen drama parent rises above that kind of stuff. Had Karen known of the motto "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose," perhaps things may have been different.

The Douchebag Villain: Dan Scott - One Tree Hill

No villain in teen drama history will ever be able to measure up to the diabolical Dan Scott of One Tree Hill. In addition to pitting his son against his illegitimate son, murdering his brother, and being a jerk literally each and every chance he got, he also had an incredibly punchable face. No disrespect to Paul Johansson of course, and if anything, it's more of a testament as to how well he played a truly miserable and self-entitled human being. In short, he was a character people loved to hate, and so effective the series rarely had to switch focus to a new villain throughout a bulk of its run.

Runner-Up: Cliff Blossom - Riverdale

Cliff Blossom is one of the big reasons Riverdale is rife with crime in the first place. Sure Hiram Lodge ran with things once he got out of prison, but with the Blossom family's deep crime links it wasn't hard for him to flip the town into some corrupt criminal underworld in the course of months. He also killed his son, so there's that.

The Teacher: Will Schuester - Glee

Who better to be the hypothetical teacher of the best teen drama than the teacher who started a nationwide phenomenon? While glee clubs existed to sing their hearts out well before the show Glee, certainly not in the way that Will Schuester and his singing students would inspire other schools to do. Aside from that, Will was always ready to go to bat for his students when it came to the club and was a strong mentor to the students throughout the series. We may never forgive him for playing part of the show's various butchering of classic songs, but as a teacher, he was pretty solid.

Runner-Up: Tami Taylor - Friday Night Lights

Tami was never technically a teacher, but she worked for the school and inspired a whole lot of kids without a football team. The fact that she could snag this role without technically meeting the requirements is just a bigger testament to how awesome her character is, although most folks probably don't need that reminder.

Best Kid Sibling - Sam Weir: Freaks and Geeks

Kid siblings in teen dramas are rarely relevant, and almost always the worst. Sam Weir is one of the sole exceptions to this rule, which is likely due to the fact Freaks and Geeks split the story between him and his older sister Lindsay. Regardless, Sam was able to be a part of the Freaks and Geeks storyline without falling into the stereotype of always meddling and being a general nuisance. He also had that ridiculous and infectious laugh that made every funny moment he was in that much better, but that's ultimately just icing on the cake.

Runner-Up: N/A

There really is no one second to Sam Weir. Most if not all younger siblings in teen dramas are annoying and unremarkable.

Are there any characters you think got left out or teen drama stereotypes we missed? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to keep tabs on all upcoming current television with our summer premiere guide.

One of television's greatest coming-of-age stories was that of Fred Savage's Kevin Arnold, the wide-eyed and enthusiastic lead on The Wonder Years. After six highly acclaimed seasons, The Wonder Years was somewhat surprisingly cancelled at ABC, with a variety of traditional reasons offered then and later. But now, the show's matriarch Alley Mills has revealed it was allegedly a bogus sexual harassment lawsuit against young stars Fred Savage and Jason Hervey that actually sealed the show's fate at the network. In Mills' words:

If all this is true, Alley Mills' wild explanation for why The Wonder Years really got cancelled is something of a game-changer. Not in the sense that we can go back and change time so that the comedy could produce a seventh season, but in the sense that the stain of a harassment lawsuit (legitimate or unproven) is a believable impetus for why ABC would have cancelled The Wonder Years back in 1993.

At the time, there were rumored disputes happening between The Wonder Years' creative team and the network over how adult and mature Kevin's story was allowed to get as he reached his later teen years. As well, there were rumored disputes over the cast's contracts and episode budgets amounting to more than what the network wanted to spend, especially when the drooping ratings were considered. And, of course, it's certainly possible that those elements played sizable roles in The Wonder Years getting axed, but an employee-centered sexual harassment lawsuit against two of the show's young stars would almost definitely also be a red supergiant of a contributing factor.

Bringing up this long-forgotten lawsuit story to Yahoo, Alley Mills pointed her finger at her ex-costume designer Monique Long, who was 31 years old when the lawsuit was filed back in 1993. In the suit, Long claimed that Fred Savage and Jason Hervey physically and verbally abused her on a daily basis, to the point where doing her job became difficult. She was fired the previous year, and it was purported that she was let go because she had complained to employers about the harassment. At the time, the allegations were denied by those connected with the show, but Mills stated that ABC reportedly still ended up settling with Long out of court.

Alley Mills' words were inspired by the current allegations-heavy climate in the entertainment industry, where quite a few sexual harassment lawsuits are in motion. The Wonder Years actress wholeheartedly dismissed the possibility that Monique Long's harassment lawsuit was real, arguably setting this story in particular on a parallel with the accusations made against Aziz Ansari, which were almost immediately put under as much public scrutiny as those against Woody Allen and others. And if true, Mills' story sets an early precedent for other projects that got dismantled or restructured in the wake of such scandals, and it would also point out an early example of execs allegedly squashing damaging lawsuits with financial settlements.

Interestingly enough for those who didn't know, the series finale wasn't filmed as the finale at all, since Alley Mills was correct in saying no one knew if they were getting renewed or cancelled. So thank goodness the show already utilized Daniel Stern's voiceover as Adult Kevin, since that was how the show actually had to wrap up its various narratives. Much to the chagrin of anyone hoping Kevin and Winnie were in a lifelong romance.

Sadly, we're likely never going to get a proper Wonder Years reunion on TV, so we'll never know if Kevin was meant for a different future. While pondering that and other television mysteries, head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows will be airing soon.

Nowadays, there are a lot of TV shows that people fondly look back on and remember. Every once in a blue moon, people from those shows get to reunite and catch up... and sometimes even do it in public. None of these might be quite as cute as the reunion between The Wonder Years cast members Josh Saviano and Fred Savage, which happened at a Rangers hockey game. Who doesn't love two best buds just hanging out under a hockey net? Check it out.

It's been more than 20 years since The Wonder Years ended its original run on ABC. In the time since, the cast has gotten into a slew of other projects. Fred Savage is now an avid TV director who also starred in the short-lived but much-missed Fox comedy The Grinder last year. Danica McKellar wrote a bunch of books about math and has starred in some Hallmark Channel Original Movies in recent years. Josh Saviano is mostly out of the acting game these days, and is actually a lawyer, now (he also played a lawyer on Law & Order: SVU). He and Fred Savage may have gone in different directions in their adult careers, but it still seems like they had a great time at the Rangers game on Sunday night.

The Rangers weren't about to let the celebrity reunion pass by without notice, either. Reports from the game indicate that the team played clips from The Wonder Years on the Jumbotron and that the crowd was pretty pumped to see the two former child actors spending time together. It probably helps that both Fred Savage and Josh Saviano were really invested in the game. I mean, look at this infectious enthusiasm:

It's pretty amazing that the two leads from The Wonder Years are only 40-years-old at this point. The hit drama started airing in 1988, which is more than 25 years ago. They were really young when they got famous, and it's nice to see they've both managed to stay pretty grounded and become successful in other ways in the time since.

This isn't the first time the cast of The Wonder Years has reunited. Back in 2014, members of the cast popped up on Good Morning America to talk about their time on the iconic series. Who wants a real interview when you can see your childhood heroes having a whole lot of fun, amiright?

We'll let you know when either actor takes another big gig. In the meantime, you can stream old episodes of The Wonder Years on Netflix and find out what Fred Savage thinks of a full Wonder Years revival, here.

Summer can be a rough time for TV fans. Most of the big network shows are on hiatus, and fall premiere season can feel unbearably far off. Shows that debut in the summer months just aren't always enough to make up for all the series that are suddenly gone from the airwaves. Luckily, Netflix has a vast library of television series available streaming, and there's nothing like binge-watching to pass the time. The best shows for summer viewing are often shows that have already concluded and can be binge-watched from beginning to end. The pain of binge-watching five seasons of a show and then discovering that it's still in progress but on hiatus is a pain that none of us need over the summer.

So, as TV drought really begins to kick in, here is a look a ten shows that are perfect to stream over the summer. Don't worry - we've left shows with agonizing finale cliffhangers off the list.

Sons Of Anarchy

Sons of Anarchy was a crime drama on FX that followed the outlaw adventures of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. Each season was divided into multiple plot lines that intersected at key moments to combine the personal lives of Jax Teller and his leather-clad nearest and dearest with the criminal activities of the gang as a whole. There are heartbreaking tragedies, fist-pumping triumphs, and plenty of guys blowing stuff up and punching each other's lights out. It was a show that was difficult to watch live because it sometimes meant waiting weeks between episodes, but it's perfect for binge-watching now that the engines have been cut.

How Many Seasons Are Available: 7

Chuck

Chuck was a series that combined an action-adventure comedy with a spy thriller and revolved around a lovable computer nerd named Chuck Baratowski. Chuck was a guy who was too smart for his menial job but didn't have the confidence to seek more out of life. When he accidentally embedded U.S. spy secrets into his brain, Chuck had to team up with CIA Agent Sarah Walker and NSA Major John Casey to take down bad guys, among other missions. Zachary Levi was fantastic at bringing both comedy and drama over the years as Chuck, and the rest of the cast formed a bizarre family unit that grounded the series for the whole run on NBC.

How Many Seasons Are Available: 5

Leverage

Leverage was a TNT drama in which the heroes were criminals and the cases were crimes. It followed the story of former insurance investigator Nate Ford after he turned from the law and started masterminding elaborate schemes to use extralegal means to help folks get vengeance for bad guys hiding behind loopholes. Nate led a five-person team that saw him as the mastermind and also included a thief, a grifter, a hacker, and a retrieval specialist. Timothy Hunter led the ensemble well, and the entire crew shared an exciting chemistry that kept the formula fresh.

How Many Seasons Are Available: 5

Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights was an NBC drama that centered on the high school football team in the small town of Dillon, Texas. The show split focus largely between the coach and his team of troubled young players. Coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tami's livelihoods in Dillon were directly connected to the success or failure of the football team, and the players turned out to have problems of their own that extended far beyond sacks and touchdowns. Topics tackled by Friday Night Lights ranged from drugs to family values to learning to live with disability. If you love character development and nuanced relationships, Friday Night Lights could be perfect for you.

How Many Seasons Are Available: 5

Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad was a fabulous AMC series that followed master chemist Walter White as he transformed from a mild-mannered high school teacher to a meth kingpin whose terrifying reach extended into all corners of the New Mexico underworld. Bryan Cranston was electrifying as Walt, and Aaron Paul as meth-addict-with-a-heart-of-gold Jesse Pinkman was the perfect scene partner for Cranston in driving the series through gripping highs and lows. Seasons were carefully mapped out to steadily build suspense from premiere to finale, and the writing worked whether an episode was a standalone bottle installment or an action-packed serialized gamechanger. Even if you've already seen Breaking Bad in its entirety, it's definitely a show worth streaming a second or third or fourth time.

How Many Seasons Are Available: 5

The Wonder Years

The Wonder Years was a delightful ABC sitcom that told the story of a middle-class suburban family in the late 1960s. Young Fred Savage starred as the emotionally driven Kevin Arnold, and episodes tackled everything from the Vietnam War to the shifting of 1960's family dynamics to Kevin's perpetual crush on Winnie Cooper. Kevin's point-of-view through his adolescence added an innocent charm to even the most dramatic moments, and there were plenty of laughs to be had along the way as Kevin came of age. Winnie Cooper's theme may get stuck in your head, and you may want to sing along with the opening credits for every episode, but you won't regret watching The Wonder Years on Netflix

How Many Seasons Are Available: 6

Lost

Lost was a supernatural drama on ABC that took so many twists and turns over the years that fans still debate what happened when and where, and just what that ending really meant. The main action occurred on a mysterious island that forced the survivors of the Oceanic Flight 815 crash to go to impossible lengths to survive. There were flashes back and flashes forward in addition to the island's bizarre shenanigans, and the crew of characters over the years was compelling enough that it was often easy to suspend disbelief concerning even the craziest of plots. You'll probably cry about as often as you'll laugh and scratch your head as the trials that face the characters get more serious, but it's an easy show to marathon and is well worth streaming.

How Many Seasons Are Available: 6

Nurse Jackie

Nurse Jackie was a Showtime drama that delved into some darkly humanist comedy as it explored the life of Jackie Peyton, who was an emergency department nurse who had to find ways to juggle her work as a nurse with her relationships with the other nurses and doctors at All Saints' Hospital in New York. As it happens, Jackie's preferred way of juggling her work involved pilfering prescription drugs to get her through her days. Edie Falco was phenomenal as the often-unlikable but always compelling addict Jackie, and the rest of the characters worked well enough to keep the show enjoyable even when Jackie herself was not. Nurse Jackie is definitely not your typical medical drama for streaming this summer.

How Many Seasons Are Available: 7

Psych

Psych was a TNT series that combined comedy with drama as two best friends teamed up to help the Santa Barbara Police Department solve crimes. Shawn Spencer used his unique observational skills to convince others that he could channel psychic powers to solve crimes, and his best buddy Gus did his best to keep Shawn in line as much as possible. They were a great comedy duo with wacky Shawn bouncing off of straight man Gus, and James Roday and Dulé Hill nailed the BFF dynamic that powered the series for the better part of a decade. Timothy Omundson was hilarious as Detective Lassiter, and Maggie Lawson was a charming female lead who never took Shawn and Gus too seriously. Psych is a show that's easy to get sucked into for multiple episodes at a time.

How Many Seasons Are Available: 8

The X-Files

The X-Files was a paranormal drama that followed FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they tried to prove the impossible while in the thick of conspiracies and aliens and monsters. Mulder was a believer whose enthusiasm for investigating the impossible put him at odds with his superiors, and Scully was the skeptic scientist assigned to debunk him. They bonded over their mutual pursuit of justice and formed a partnership that has become legendary. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson had enough crackling chemistry to keep The X-Files worth watching even when the stories got overly complicated. The show came back for a tenth season in 2016, but the original run from 1993 - 2002 stands on its own, though not as much when Duchovny left. Starting The X-Files is admittedly a massive undertaking, but there's a reason why fans are so loyal to all things Mulder and Scully.

How Many Seasons Are Available: 9

Few things are as guaranteed as death and taxes are, but you can be damned sure that TV networks are going to cancel some pretty amazing shows, usually on a yearly basis. Some are new dramas that are ended before they have a chance to build an audience, while others are comedies seemingly destined for cult status. Whatever the reason is from the network, the viewer’s anger is all the same when a great show is taken off the air.

Here are 12 shows from ABC’s broadcast history that were downright great, but didn’t last nearly as long as they should have, and so the network should always be criticized for canceling them. Let’s get our logs whittled down to a nice and pointy spear as we dive into the surreal world of David Lynch.

Twin Peaks

Am I saying that the second half of Twin Peaks Season 2 was so damned amazing that there is no other rational choice for ABC to have made than renew it for Season 3? No, although I found the final batch of episodes far more enjoyably ridiculous than many others have. But it was ABC that forced the hands of co-creators David Lynch and Mark Frost to reveal Laura Palmer’s killer, something that they’d intended to keep a mystery throughout the series’ run. And although the network wanted the resolution at the end of Season 1, Lynch and Frost held off until the middle of the next season, and viewers just stopped giving a shit after that. A good lesson for the network that didn’t stick. Thankfully, Showtime is behind the upcoming revival series, so we don’t have to worry about ABC giving us a lukewarm cup of coffee again.

Police Squad!

David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker are beloved by comedy fanatics for their many fabulous entries in the genre. Back in 1982, they were only known for Airplane! and for writing The Kentucky Fried Movie, both pillars of excellence, but not exactly calling cards at the time. So their first small screen effort, Police Squad!, didn’t have the credential legs to carry it through ABC’s boneheaded decision to trash the well-received show after just four of six episodes aired, all because it required too much attention to appreciate the humor. That definitely wasn’t the norm for TV at the time, but it wasn’t a fault. It was a plus, just like Leslie Nielsen was, and the fanbase for the shortlived comedy grew enough to warrant an eventual three feature films that people paid attention to with ease.

Forever

The most recent entry on this list, Forever’s cancellation is still fresh, so this is like ripping off a Band-Aid that’s been there for 200 years. Though some gimmick-based shows implode under their own premises, Forever’s lone season rose above thanks to solid performances from Ioan Gruffudd as the immortal medical examiner Henry Morgan and Alana de la Garza as the straightforward Detective Jo Martinez, as well as an often intriguing look at life and death all tied together with procedural elements. Though the ratings took a nosedive in the episodes immediately following the premiere, the audience quickly leveled off and stayed within the 4-5 million range for the remainder of the season. And even though the network suits were reportedly pleased with creator Mark Miller’s vision for Season 2, those execs were the ones who actually killed Henry Morgan for good.

Better Off Ted

It’s bizarre to think that of the multiple series created by TV vet Victor Fresco – including Sean Saves the World, Life on a Stick and Andy Richter Controls the Universe – somehow Better Off Ted lasted the longest, with 26 hilariously satirical episodes. A comedy with its finger on the pulsing forehead vein of corporations and the people who work in them, Better Off Ted is one that packed in jokes of all flavors and sizes – the unwittingly racist light sensors plot was executed almost too perfectly – and boasted a pitch-perfect cast that included Jay Harrington, Portia de Rossi, and Adrea Anders, with Jonathan Slavin and Malcolm Barrett as the bumblingly brilliant spinoff-ready lab scientists. It wasn’t the most promotion-accessible premise, so maybe that’s why ABC didn’t know how to advertise it and thus couldn’t build up an audience properly. Or maybe it took the corporation jabs personally.

The Wonder Years

Is there any other series that captures a time and place, as well as a state of mind, as beautifully and effectively as The Wonder Years? The sharply realized dramedy got six seasons, and it’s impossible to complain about that, but the show’s cancellation was in part due to network execs not wanting to get into mature subject matter as Kevin got older, combined with not wanting to pony up the rising costs that would come with following a teenage boy with a car around. And while I’m not that into seeing a modern day Wonder Years reunion special, I would have liked – like-liked, even – to have seen Kevin Arnold finish high school before the show got shitcanned and we found out that Kevin and Winnie didn’t stay together. So much wasted potential there.

The Addams Family

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and canceled well before they should have been. I’m talking, of course, about The Addams Family, arguably the only black-and-white macabre comedy with a talking ball of hair that is based on New Yorker cartoons. Inexplicably airing in the same fall season as that other horror-driven comedy The Munsters, The Addams Family was less goofy and drew its humor from more absurd and off-putting places. (Though it’s obviously child’s play by today’s standards.) The comedy lasted just two seasons, though the 64-episode span therein is commendable, and the show’s cancellation came largely without a lot of reasoning. It’s possible ABC didn’t want to justify making the transition to color, which was becoming the norm, but few shows in TV history are better suited for an all black-and-white look than The Addams Family. The movies were fine, but the TV show is where my heart lies, Cara Mia.

My So-Called Life

In the halls of “Best Possible ‘90s Teen: Television Edition – Female,” the Daria statue is neighbored by that of My So-Called Life’s Angela Chase, because duh. One has to assume no one at ABC knew the decades-long effect My So-Called Life would have on youngsters hitting that angst-ridden and issue-splattered time of adolescence. The adult world has tons of “canceled too soon” shows, but this remains a personal shot to the heart for love-stricken teens who were far from finished understanding just how deep Jordan Catalano could get, and how many Real World seasons Rickie would end up on. By today’s standards, the ratings would be just fine, but they weren’t back then, and ABC chose not to move on. Star Claire Danes reportedly didn’t want to continue anyway, so who knows where it would have gone? No one. Because it was canceled.

Happy Endings

One of the few worthy successors to Friends as far as “comedies about friends hanging out together with mild consequences” goes, Happy Endings housed a ton of comedic talent in both its central cast as well as the recurring and guest stars, and it seemed destined for a long shelf life on the network. Unfortunately, ABC had no fucking clue how to air this like a normal show over its three seasons, and Happy Endings went through a series of changes both in timeslots and nights which it aired, eventually ending its run on Friday nights. Just insult to injury to insult, really. Creator David Caspe had even less luck with Marry Me on NBC, which featured several actors from this ensemble, and though reunion and comeback talks have continued, there still aren’t any happy re-beginnings on the horizon.

Pushing Daisies

Drink every time you see Bryan Fuller’s name on a list about canceled shows, and you’ll spend your life in a liquor-infused haze. But at least you’d have good tunes if you were watching the 22 episodes that Pushing Daisies was able to get on the air. Pushing Daises was about a guy who could bring the dead back to life (and then the alive back to death) just by touching them, and how he falls in love with a childhood friend he reanimated but can’t ever touch, and also about him running a pie company and helping a private detective solve crimes. Oh, and Kristin Chenoweth’s voice. Few shows on television have ever been as precious and shirtsleeve-hearted as Pushing Daisies, and its fanbase has let its pie-hole give ABC the business over the years. Hope remains that more will come, but Fuller is a busy guy, maybe even with shows that air for too many years rather than too few.

Batman

For all of Batman’s dark and brooding adventures over the years – in universes Burton-ish, Nolan-ary, and Miller-esque – it’s impossible to think about the cowled vigilante without mentally landing on Adam West’s earnestly iconic take on the character during the campy TV series of the 1960s. You won’t find me bitching about ABC’s decision to give Batman 120 often multi-part episodes in just three seasons, but my tone stiffens when it comes to the show getting booted from the air after its ratings drooped in Season 3. Considering this was the era of Yvonne Craig’s Batgirl and Eartha Kitt’s Catwoman, it is shameworthy. This show still has some of the best villains in live-action superhero media, from the core squad of rogues played by Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Julie Newmar and Frank Gorshin to the slew of lesser-seen baddies, with standouts including Vincent Price, Milton Berle and even Liberace.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

Every Christmas, TV viewers get tons of chances to see Darren McGavin as the father in A Christmas Story, but I’d much rather see networks annually embracing the actor’s earlier work on the horrorish crime drama Kolchak: The Night Stalker. First entering the world through a pair of TV movies, Carl Kolchak fronted the ultra-rare genre-based procedural as he solved crimes caused by vampires, werewolves, Satan, and a ton of other evil entities. And not in a corny way, but in the way that continues to make the show a cult classic and the inspiration for all kinds of TV shows and movies in the past 40 years, most notably The X-Files. ABC canceled it before its first season had even finished, and one could only laugh heartily when they ate crow unsuccessfully trying to reboot the series in 2005.

Sports Night

Aaron Sorkin’s career is often summed up in a series of hallway-traversing conversations and Jack Nicholson denying someone the truth, and it’s inarguable that the two-season brilliance of Sports Night showcases all the hallmarks of the writer’s bag of tricks, minus the Jack. The rare half-hour series to tip the balance to drama over comedy, this behind-the-scenes look at a cable sports show was far more about intra-personal relationships than athletes, and the talent-oozing cast did a stellar job in reminding viewers that these jobs are filled by people with all kinds of problems. (Maybe not the show’s intention.) Despite enormous critical acclaim, ABC canceled the show because its average ratings of over 10 million people just weren’t cutting it in 1998-2000. Monsters.

Check out our other lists about canceled Fox shows, shows that NBC should have kept on and shows that CBS screwed.

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TV spinoffs are strange beasts, as they can center on anything from different cities’ crime scene investigation units to one-off characters branching out in a new setting through a backdoor pilot. But since we’d prefer to stick with established characters over new ones, our favorite spinoffs tend to revolve around beloved people doing the things that made us like them in the first place. (Sorry, Joey, but you don’t count.)

With news that the Bud Bundy-centered Married…With Children spinoff is rolling along ever so slowly, we decided to look back at 11 other TV standouts whose lives we’d love to catch up with, mostly with the original actors taking on the roles of course. Better Call Saul proved that quality doesn’t have to suffer from one iteration to the next, and we’re pretty sure every one of these would make the fall TV season a better one.

Cristina Yang (Grey’s Anatomy)

As one of the Grey’s Anatomy characters who remained interesting and non-forced throughout the ten years that she was on the show, Cristina Yang killed some series momentum when she decided to move to Zurich to head a hospital there. It would be interesting to have an entire series dedicated to her that also shined some kind of light on how the medical profession works in Switzerland. And if she still has Gaius Charles’ Dr. Shane Ross working under her, it’s all the better. Of course, Sandra Oh is the one who decided to leave the show, so she might not be up for a spinoff, but we’ll remain Oh-peful.

Phyllis Lapin-Vance (The Office)

Even though The Office as a whole got long in the paper tooth after nine seasons on NBC, the killer ensemble of actors managed to keep their characters both relevant and enjoyable. Phyllis Smith’s kind-hearted and slightly sassy Phyllis Lapin-Vance is just such a character, and her overall arc is a perfect fit for a follow-up. She got married to Bob Vance (of Vance Refrigeration), which created what will forever be one of TV’s most lovable couples, and she’s one of the characters who didn’t get very many side stories within the show beyond mentions of a long-lost daughter. Let’s see what kinds of non-havoc Phyllis and Bob are causing these days, perhaps far away from cubicled settings.

Claire Fisher (Six Feet Under)

It’s not all that often a TV show will host a spinoff for a character whom audiences watched die within the flagship series, but since Six Feet Under famously depicted everyone’s deaths in its heartbreaking finale, this can be an easy exception. Claire lived to the ripe old age of 101 and spent her life as an award-winning photographer and photography teacher in New York. As the youngest of the Fisher siblings, Claire had the most growing and maturing to do, which seemed to kick off when she started dating lawyer Ted. I would love to see how adult Claire balances her emotion-fueled idealism with the drive to become successful doing what she loves. Cameos from Michael C. Hall and Matthew St. Patrick wouldn’t hurt, either.

Woody Boyd (Cheers)

Rarely does a major TV character get replaced by someone just as engaging and memorable, but that definitely happened when Woody Harrelson joined the cast of Cheers following Nicholas “Coach” Calasanto passed away. Woody seemed like the biggest goofball in the bar, but he was interestingly as mentally competent (if not more so) than everyone around him. By the end of the series, he was on the Boston City Council and was expecting a kid with his wife Kelly. I can’t imagine where Woody would be 23 years later, or how much fatherhood and his career would have changed him, but I will watch literally anything with Harrelson in it. Maybe he opened up his own bar…

Sookie St. James (Gilmore Girls)

Everybody likes to talk about how much they want a Gilmore Girls reunion to happen, but I’m personally not that invested in Rory and Lorelai’s stories anymore. What my life needs is more Sookie, the culinary queen played by Melissa McCarthy, an actress whose level of fame has eclipsed her Gilmore Girls years several times over, making this spinoff idea arguably the biggest longshot on this list. A standard sitcom with Sookie, Jackson and their three kids would probably be a little too much like her current show Mike and Molly, so my hopes would be that Amy Sherman-Palladino would bring her and Jackson back in a food-related scenario. Bandanas included.

Leon Black (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

It’s no small feat to enter a comedian-filled show like Curb your Enthusiasm and immediately become one of the most engaging characters onscreen. But that’s exactly what J.B. Smoove did when he entered the show during Season 6 as Hurricane Edna refugee Leon Black, who moved in with Larry and kind of changed the curmudgeon’s life forever with his signature outlook on life and the world around him. We may never get Larry David back for Season 9 of Curb, but spending more time with Leon (and possibly the rest of the Black family) would be a perfect kind of silver lining. HBO needs to get in that ass for a Leon spinoff.

Vince Masuka (Dexter)

Now that everyone has largely stopped giving a shit about Dexter Morgan’s fate following Dexter’s dreadful finale, we can focus all of our attention to C.S. Lee’s sex-adoring forensic science investigator Vince Masuka. As one of the main forms of comic relief on a series that dealt with death and serial killers, Masuka also managed to imbue a certain amount of heart and kindness that doesn’t often come from characters who speak predominantly in double entendres. I would totally be down for a Hello Ladies-ish series where audiences follow the sexual foibles of the brainy tech as he develops his relationship with his daughter.

Paul Pfeiffer (The Wonder Years)

We’re never going to get a proper Wonder Years reunion, which is fine, since that show’s approach and impact was largely tied to the time period, the Arnold family and the voiceover work. However, there’s nothing wrong with a show dedicated entirely to best friend Paul and where his life is now – and I’m assuming “now” would be in the 1990s. Of course, Josh Saviano quit acting after The Wonder Years ended and focused on a law career, returning for guest spots on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2014 and 2015. But I’m perfectly fine with Paul being a lawyer in this fictional future, perhaps starting up a firm with the “real” Josh Saviano. Double up!

Paulie Walnuts (The Sopranos)

While we usually want to see where characters end up after a series is over, nothing sounds better than a prequelized spinoff centered on The Sopranos’ Paulie Gualtieri, better known as Paulie Walnuts. We want to see Paulie’s early years in the criminal underworld as a vicious debt collector, where he and a crew of low-level mobsters spend each week using their verbal and physical skills to try and collect arrears from different people from a variety of backgrounds. We realize that it’s near-blasphemy to get someone besides Tony Sirico to play Paulie, but maybe the show could have a wraparound where present-day Paulie is telling someone else about the old days. We’ll leave the specifics to David Chase.

Bill Haverchuck (Freaks and Geeks)

Even though it could be assumed that Martin Starr’s character on Silicon Valley is a grown-up version of his Freaks and Geeks character Bill Haverchuck, I like to think that Bill wouldn’t have become such an angst-mongering tool later in life. Arguably the biggest geek in the show, Bill also felt the most genuine, balancing his wide-eyed semi-innocence with a sense of humor that was beyond his years, and I would hope that his ascent to adulthood would find him in a similar state of mind. Maybe he’s roommates with Samm Levine’s Neal Schweiber as the duo try to market a role-playing board game that they created.

Zapp Brannigan (Futurama)

I would gladly take a spinoff series from any Futurama character, as well as several new seasons of the show itself. But I’ve always been interested in seeing the intergalactic trials and tribulations of the womanizing Zapp Brannigan, and I would love to either watch the character’s rise up the military ranks to becoming a 25-star General, or just catching up with him in the modern day for a non-serialized series of over-the-top space missions, during which he is shunned by the female sex and eventually saved from his own stupidity by his right-hand alien Kif. The only necessities here are voice actor Billy West and really short costumes.

Head to the next page and let us know which of these spinoffs you’d want the most.

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While some of us are gluttons for the current era of TV, where new series are plentiful and the wait between episodes feels like mental surgery without anesthesia, others prefer to kick back and enjoy the shows of yesteryear that have already come to completion. And Netflix is the perfect place to do such a thing, as their library expands and contracts with all manner of comedies, dramas and genre series.

Here are 10 classic shows that are worth all of your attention, regardless of whether you enjoy binge-watching or spreading things out. These aren’t the only ones out there, of course, but they should tide you over until the fall TV season. And if you’ve seen them all already, introduce them to someone who hasn’t.

Futurama

I don’t trust anyone who loves comedy and doesn’t like Futurama, easily one of the smartest and wildest animated series ever created, as well as one of the best sci-fi series out there. Every single member of the Planet Express crew is memorable in their own way – particularly the main trio of Fry, Bender and Leela – and a large percentage of the plotlines are extremely interesting and imaginative, especially when concepts like time travel and parallel dimensions come into it. Like that other Matt Groening show – The Sumpsans, is it? – Futurama peaked in its early years and lost some steam when it shifted to Comedy Central after Fox canceled it, but the good news for everyone is that it never came close to being terrible, and the crossover episode. last year just made us want more.

How Much Is Available: All 7 official seasons are here (even though they’re split up), as well as the four direct-to-DVD movies.

Twin Peaks

One of the defining shows of the 1990s that didn’t have a laugh track, Twin Peaks probably wouldn’t have felt any stranger had canned laughter been added in. This tour de force from David Lynch and Mark Frost was first and foremost a mystery drama about the circumstances behind the death of teenager Laura Palmer, which is being investigated by FBI agent Dale Cooper, played with an unquivering optimism by Kyle MacLachlan. Beyond the murder, though, Twin Peaks offered a no-quirks-barred look at a small northern town where secrets and disturbing fantasies flow like tap water. And although the show loses some of its narrative thrust in the middle of Season 2 – which is basically why it never made it to a Season 3 – those in it for the oddities more than the mystery won’t be disappointed.

How Much Is Available: Both seasons of Twin Peaks are there for your viewing pleasure and confusion to get you set for Showtime’s revival next year.

House of Cards

No, we’re not talking about the Netflix remake of the same name with Kevin Spacey. We’re talking about the original U.K. drama trilogy, which was itself based on the Michael Dobbs novels. The series follows the Conservative Party’s Chief Whip Francis Urquhart, played to perfection by Ian Richardson, as he schemes his way up the political ladder in an attempt to eventually become the Prime Minister. Because these seasons featured limited episode counts, the narrative is consistently intelligent, razor sharp and paints a damning picture of a political playing field where one might not need to be anything other than insistently amoral in order to get things done. It makes one wish the U.S. version of House of Cards wasn’t allowed to hem and haw as often as it does.

How Much Is Available: All 3 seasons of 4 episodes each are there to make you realize how frighteningly little politics change.

Cheers

When it comes to TV comedies, it’s almost impossible to do anything better than Cheers, which is perfect in nearly every single way. It’s got a brilliant ensemble cast that saw some major changes – the Diane/Rebecca switch and Woody Harrelson coming in once Nicholas “Coach” Colasanto passed away – and it barely missed a step. It was one of the rare shows where the writing was so brilliant that you hardly realized that these bartenders and barflies rarely had storylines that took place outside of the titular location, and you barely judged them for their booze-fueled lifestyles. Sam and Carla were the ideal professional yin and yang, and the supporting cast featuring George Wendt and John Ratzenberger never missed. Plus, some of us preferred this show’s version of Frasier Crane to the erudite version in the hit spinoff.

How Much Is Available: All 11 seasons of sudsy hilarity are there. The bar stool seating is optional.

The Rockford Files

If only every TV detective and private investigator had the rugged suaveness of Jim Rockford, played to perfection by the legendary James Garner. If you’ve got a case and $200 (plus expense funds), then look no further than the wrongfully accused ex-con whose only partners are his modest mobile home that he uses as an office and his gold Pontiac Firebird. There’s no case too big or too small for Rockford, and there’s also no woman too blonde or too brunette for him to woo for a night or two. In a present-day procedural TV landscape where the leading men are often too serious to be taken seriously, there’s a glaring absence of someone as charismatic as Jim Rockford. (And let’s not even talk about that once-planned remake with Dermot Mulroney, because no.)

How Much Is Available: Take your tie off and pop that top button open, because all 6 seasons of The Rockford Files are there for your viewing pleasure.

Star Trek

It’s hard to imagine a science fiction fan who doesn’t have some kind of a personal connection with the Star Trek franchise, and Netflix wants to make sure that link doesn’t weaken. If you’re an old school fan who can’t get enough of Leonard Nimoy’s emotionally resistant Vulcan, a mid-era fan who loves Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard, or more modern fan who favors Scott Bakula’s Captain Archer, it’s all here, and you don’t need a holodeck to watch. Those who loved the animated version are in luck as well. (Almost all of the feature films are there, too, but we’re more focused on the small screen efforts here.) A dedicated and not-particularly-busy person could spend the next few months doing very little beyond catching up on the many intergalactic adventures from this franchise’s multi-faceted crews.

How Much Is Available: All 3 seasons of the original series are there, as are All 7 seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, all 7 seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, all 7 seasons of Star Trek: Voyager, and all 4 seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise. And both seasons of Star Trek: The Animated Series are here, too.

The IT Crowd

Though some might argue that The IT Crowd doesn’t quite fit into the classic description, it was created by Graham Linehan, whose career is peppered with modern classics like Father Ted and Black Books. The IT Crowd, with a timeless set-up and geek-tastic jokes, centers on three IT support employees – the equally astute Richard Ayoade, Chris O’Dowd and Katherine Parkinson – who use the workplace to deal with all sorts of personal problems and situations such as stolen mugs and bad bras. Making things worse/hysterical are the eccentric bosses Denholm Reynholm and his son Douglas, respectively played by Chris Morris and Matt Berry. (The Might Boosh’s always hilarious Noel Fielding plays a goth IT tech throughout the first two seasons.) Though it has a modern sensibility, The IT Crowd could easily fit in with any era of comedic television.

How Much Is Available: All 4 seasons of the tech-savvy-ish comedy are here, assuming your computer or TV is definitely plugged in. We’re hoping the reunion episode from 2013 gets added at some point.

The Wonder Years

Rarely do TV shows capture a time, a place, and an age group as well as Neal Marlens and Carol Black’s The Wonder Years, which manages to make everyone who watches it feel like a pubescent boy going through an occasionally strained family life during the late 1960s and early 1970s, as the world was consumed with war and hippie love. With wise and witty narration from Daniel Stern, Fred Savage’s Kevin Arnold experiences unrequited love for Winnie Cooper, sibling rivalry with brother Wayne, a constant fear of father Jack, and a hilarity-filled friendship with Paul. In its not-too-long, not-too-short six years on the air in the 1980s and 1990s, The Wonder Years provided a deft mix of humor, family drama, tear-stained nostalgia and teenage hormones, and though many shows have tried, none have been able to perfectly match its particular charms.

How Much Is Available: All 6 seasons are available, but you might have a tough time getting over the fact that the Netflix episodes don’t contain the original music or theme song.

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Getting his major TV start assisting Doc Brown on Back to the Future: The Animated Series, Bill Nye soon became the spiritual successor of Mr. Wizard as a TV educator focused on teaching children science in a fun way. Bill Nye the Science Guy ran from 1993 to 1998, with each episode using a handful of experiments, sketches and songs to teach about a specific concept, such as mammals, inventions, the planets and evolution. (It’s kind of amazing to go back and watch the episode about evolution, considering his debate last year against creationist Ken Ham.) While the show certainly looks like the 1990s and a few of its concepts are dated, this is still an enjoyably wacky show that kids of all ages can learn something from.

How Much Is Available: Unfortunately, only 30 of the 100 produced episodes are currently available as part of a “collection,” rather than a season by season release. Here’s hoping more get added soon.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

One of the more successful movie-to-TV transitions in entertainment history, Buffy the Vampire Slayer saw creator (and the film’s screenwriter) Joss Whedon dropping the goofy humor and the Luke Perry and forming a dense mythology that followed Sarah Michelle Gellar’s titular Slayer as she balances her life at Sunnydale High (in early seasons) with a world full of vampires and demons. Many a teenager would have killed to have been a part of the central Scooby Gang, as they made the storylines feel fun and exciting, no matter how dark and disturbing they got. While your mileage may vary on the spinoff series Angel, Netflix also has all 5 seasons of that show available, and the two work together in tandem extremely well. Buffy may be dead, but it’s still pretty.

How Much Is Available: All 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are currently available, so plan your Buffy/Angel cross-viewing accordingly.

In the era of reboots, remakes and sequels, you should never be surprised to see a classic property brought back for another try. Even TV shows are getting their own prequels and sequels these days. Fred Savage starred in the much-loved The Wonder Years in the late 80s and early 90s and was recently asked if we might one day see Kevin and Winnie all grown up on TV. While many would equivocate, because anything is possible, Savage did not. In a word: “Never.”

Savage was speaking to People at the ATX Festival to promote his upcoming show with Rob Lowe, The Grinder, when he was asked the chances of a follow-up project ever happening.

It’s an obvious question to ask, since his brother Ben is currently reprising the role that put him on TV, Cory Matthews, in Girl Meets World for The Disney Channel. Savage says that what made the show special was that it captured a unique time in people’s lives, being young and finding first love that you can’t return to, so there’s no point in bringing it back.

The Wonder Years starred Savage as Kevin Arnold, a kid growing up in the 1960s that was primarily focused on his love for his neighbor Winnie Cooper, played by Danica McKeller. Each episode was told as a flashback with the narrator (Daniel Stern) looking back on his childhood.

It’s that last part that would make any sort of return a hard sell. As Savage says, the period the show deals with is special, which is why the narrator “remembering” each episode works. In addition, the era the show took place in was a unique time in American history, and the upheaval in society matched well with the upheaval in Kevin’s life. Any return would have to be set in the 1980s. Do fans really want to see a 35-year-old Kevin Arnold navigating the Reagan years? What elderly narrator is going to look back on that fondly? Besides, a grown-up Fred Savage sounds nothing like Daniel Stern, so the continuity would be a mess.

However, with the return of the Nintendo World Championships, a sequel to Savage's The Wizard is an entirely different story. That one needs to happen.

Most great TV series are designed to be memorable from the ground up, from the cast to the clothing to the locations used. The same goes for the vehicles that the characters use to get around. Some series avoid issues of transportation altogether, which inevitably strengthens the bonds that viewers have with the shows that do give their cars an ample amount of focus. And so we’ve rounded up ten vehicles from shows of all eras, to see if you dear readers can figure out what shows they came from. Hope it doesn’t…drive…you crazy.

Let's kick things off with a no-brainer.

ROUND ONE

Kind of Vehicle: 1969 Dodge Charger. The kind of car that spends just as much time in the air as it does on the road.

The Dukes of Hazzard

ROUND TWO

Kind of Vehicle: 2004 Pontiac Aztek. The kind of car you don’t mind driving around in until you earn enough money to buy something flashier.

Breaking Bad

ROUND THREE

Kind of Vehicle: 1957 Chevrolet Series 6800 Superior bus. The kind of vehicle you wouldn’t mind traveling the country in and delighting people with joy-inspiring ditties.

The Partridge Family

ROUND FOUR

Kind of Vehicle: 1971 Cadillac Funeral Coach S&S Victoria. The kind of car that can be used to unintentionally promote the family business.

Six Feet Under

ROUND FIVE

Kind of Vehicle: 1989 Chrysler LeBaron. The kind of car that a movie star would drive, or at least a dentist that could be mistaken for a movie star.

Seinfeld

ROUND SIX

Kind of Vehicle: 1981 Ferrari 308 GTS. The kind of car that gets you from one gorgeous and dangerous location to the next.

Magnum P.I.

ROUND SEVEN

Kind of Vehicle: 1968 Dodge Polara. The kind of car that the entire family can fit in, although you might want to put one of the kids in the trunk.

The Wonder Years

ROUND EIGHT

Kind of Vehicle: 1966 Imperial Crown Black Beauty. The kind of car that can fit not only passengers, but also some explosives and other weapons.

The Green Hornet

ROUND NINE

Kind of Vehicle: 1985 Pontiac Fiero. The kind of car you can have a ton of memories in with the guarantee that it’ll last a long time.

How I Met Your Mother

ROUND TEN

Kind of Vehicle: A one-of-a-kind ride created from three different Ford Model T bodies. The kind of car you’d love to be caught dead driving in public.

The Munsters

Let us know how well you did.

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Following a battle with cancer, singer Joe Cocker passed away this week at the age of 70. He’ll be remembered by his legion of fans for a wide variety of epic performances and hit songs. To the general public, however, he’ll always be remembered for singing the theme song (“With A Little Help From My Friends”) over the opening credits for one of the greatest shows in the history of network television: The Wonder Years. Relive the greatness below…

The key with The Wonder Years was how well everything flowed together. Between Daniel Stern’s touching, influential narration, the costumes, the language, the brilliant acting and Joe Cocker’s tonally perfect theme song, it all just worked. It transported the viewer to a time and place that was simpler, in some ways, but also incredibly familiar. The world was changing in 1968, and while many family units looked a little different and the pace of life was slower, the consequences were every bit as real. The characters didn’t consider their lives cute or old-fashioned. They were living in the moment, and that’s all they knew.

The show treated childhood the same way as the time period too. Just because Kevin and Paul and Winnie weren’t adults didn’t mean their feelings weren’t intense. First kisses and mean teachers were what they knew, and the show never looked down on that. It let them try their hand at life, without mocking or belittling.

Joe Cocker never had enough hits to turn himself into one of his generation’s biggest stars, but he had enough to guarantee himself a lasting career, a permanent place on radio and a nice little following. In fact, he toured for basically the rest of his life and generated three songs that still get tons of airplay, the aforementioned “With A Little Help From My Friends”, “You Are So Beautiful” and “Up Where We Belong”. He also inspired one of John Belushi’s greatest impressions too.

We’ll miss you, Joe Cocker. Thanks for all the memories.

Here at Cinema Blend, we hope you’re having the best Thanksgiving of your life, because the holidays are about spending time with those you love. (Among other gravy-covered things.) But we’re not so naïve to think that happiness is the only emotion prevalent any time a big group of family members gets together. The terror of skeletons coming out of closets (that are then ripped down to splinters) is enough to make one lose faith in Thanksgiving’s pigskin on TV and skinned pig in the oven. But it could be worse.

You could have to spend this traditionally joyous occasion with some of television’s most insipid, awkward, lame, hateful or standoffish characters sitting around you at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Here are 12 of the worst TV family members you will thankfully never find yourself asking to “pass the pecan pie and 180-proof eggnog.” Enjoy your families, guys.

Father: Friends’ Charles Bing

One of Chandler Bing’s more steadfast character traits through much of Friends’ run is his dismissal of Thanksgiving. That was the day his parents announced their divorce, brought on by his father Charles banging the pool boy, and the memory has scarred Chandler for life. Nobody needs this guy hanging around for a while and then destroying futures before changing sexes and becoming Kathleen Turner. Although the Kathleen Turner version is certainly welcome to stop by and say hello.

Mother: The Soprano’s Livia Soprano

Livia Soprano is a woman for whom it’s safe to assume love, family and togetherness were all deathly poisonous. She is heinously hateful to all of her children, and has a tolerance for other people’s bullshit that is of a similar size to a mosquito’s bladder. This miserable waste of space – much respect – would probably spend the entire Thanksgiving dinner complaining about how the food tastes and how her dish is chipped, and she’d probably use the dessert time having a regret-free conversation with your uncle about murdering you. Conversely, a good reason to have the Soprano matriarch over for dinner is to slip some strychnine in her food.

Grandfather: Abraham Simpson

Are you interested in hearing stories about the war that you've probably already heard a thousand times before? Do you feel like spending part of your meal and evening hunting around the city trying to find one of your guests? Grandpa Simpson is one of the most mentally deficient characters on TV, although it's pretty sporadic. He's good for a few laughs, usually involving his dentures, but then someone would have to bring him back to the retirement home or figure out a place for him to stay. Is it wrong that I would allow Abe to come over if he brings Hans Moleman?

Grandmother: The Gilmore Girls' Emily Gilmore

You'd need to spend at least an entire year planning a dinner that Emily Gilmore is attending, for you'll probably spend the rest of your life hearing about where you messed up on the meal and decorations, as well as other thoughts from her high society throne. A character that has found herself estranged from each person in her family at times, Emily is generally unable to experience things as a regular person and she'd rather figure out a way to backstab someone with the carving fork. And even if she was perfectly accepting of the food and atmosphere, she'd just talk about your guests and the clothes they're wearing. My blood pressure is starting to rise already.

Uncle: Arrested Development’s Tobias Fünke

Don’t get me wrong. David Cross’ Tobias Fünke is one of my favorite characters in TV history. A lot of why I like him so much is firmly invested in not having to be the guy that has to deal with him on a daily basis. Michael is one of the most tolerant people in the series and even he is in a state of unswaying befuddlement anytime Tobias is attempting something. From his sing-song conversational style to his stories about failed auditions to the potential of getting blue paint all over everything, having this guy around just wouldn’t pay off in the long run. Let’s not even talk about how his behavioral patterns are the type that get him mistaken for a child predator. He’s not the worst uncle stereotype…and that’s it.

Aunt: The Killing's Terry Marek

If you're looking to have a good and loose time for Thanksgiving dinner, with lots of alcohol on the table, then there's a good chance that Terry Marek would be welcome in your house. She's a nice lady, and driven by loving emotions most of the time. Of course, by having her around, you're also running the risk that she might up and kill someone at the table without giving it a second thought, and then you'll have to spend the next two years sluggishly trying to figure out who the murderer is. You don't want to have that kind of thing hanging over your head next to the mistletoe at Christmas.

Cousin: The Addams Family’s Cousin Itt

If Gomez and Morticia were around and the whole family was hanging out, Cousin Itt’s presence at the dinner table wouldn’t be a bother. But, and I’m playing the dimwitted prejudice card here, I have absolutely zero interest in having Cousin Itt over if he’s by himself. Sorry. Nobody besides the fam can understand his weird little voice, and there aren’t even any voice apps that can do translations. Plus, he’s going to get hair in every goddamned dish. I’m not saying cran-hairy sauce isn’t going to be a Thanksgiving dish of the future, but until it is, let’s just keep Cousin Itt’s invitation safely deposited behind the fridge. Heck of a guy though.

Older Brother: The Wonder Years’ Wayne Arnold

And now we head to the kid's table.

As if getting bullied by complete strangers wouldn’t be bad enough, the jerk antichrist Wayne Arnold did that kind of terrible shit to his own brother. (Though the public persona he put on for girls and his “friends” is too cool for (clown) school.) I can imagine him just shoveling mashed potatoes down the back of someone’s shirt at the table, while bragging falsely about some girl whose boob he got to feel up. I admit that I would be more understanding of Wayne’s constant harassment of Kevin and Paul if actor Jason Hervey didn’t have such a smug face tailor-made for being suffocated inside of a plastic bag. The only pleasure dinner with Wayne would bring would be laughing at whatever the collar of his shirt looked like.

Older Sister: Doug's Judy Funnie

Assuming you're not eschewing Thanksgiving dinner for an interpretive dance that is meant to represent the hardships brought about by the pilgrims, then there's probably no reason to call the exercise-in-pretentiousness that is Judy Funnie. She's the kind of girl who won't cause a scene by refusing to eat her food, but she'd make a dramatic demonstration over every single bite, using Shakespearean quotes to talk about how the turkey sucks. Even though Doug didn't continue into the Era of Smartphones, Judy is exactly the type of person who would spend an entire meal texting and laughing about some Harold Pinter joke that one of her shitty friends made. it's also assumable that those same shitty friends would come over and play ukulele-and-triangles covers of pop songs.

Younger Brother: Clarissa Explains It All’s Ferguson Darling

Clarissa would have been a really cool friend to have as a kid, and her presence in my family environment would have made sense. But I’d rather snort a bowl of jalapeno cornbread stuffing than sit near a kids’ table where Jason Zimbler’s Ferguson Darling is sharing the most awful insights into life. If the post-precocious tween Shirley Temple had already taken on the conservative values she did as an adult, that would be the Fergwad, only written for a Snick-aged audience. Shirley Temple at any age would be way more preferable. Getting set on fire by Shirley Temple would have been more preferable, and still is.

Younger Sister: Parenthood’s Sydney Graham

Unless you have a medicine cabinet full of Valium and other assorted fun-time prescriptions, you're going to want to keep Sydney Graham the hell away from your Thanksgiving festivities. She wasn't much more than a bothersome distraction before her family grew by one with her new adopted brother Victor, but that's when she became even more irritably bad-tempered and grating on the nerves. There's a good chance she would just take her food and cantankerously storm off to eat somewhere by herself in total tantrum mode, but you don't want to run that kind of risk with a once-a-year dinner. Can we just call Aunt Terry to hang out with Sydney for a little while in a car near a body of water?

Family Friend: Full House's Kimmy Gibbler

Nobody ever wants to open the door and see Kimmy Gibbler standing on the other side. I'm fairly certain D.J. Tanner was just extremely sympathetic and hung out with Kimmy since no one else in the world should ever choose to do such a thing. She's never funny or particularly sincere in anything she says, and she'd probably spend the whole meal trying to hit on a man over twice her age anyway, despite being shunned to the kids' table. And if she would happen to bring over her doofus boyfriend Duane, that would be grounds to go and find a Denny's to eat at.

Lead characters might get the television commercials and the headlines, but it’s often the supporting characters who are the difference between a TV program being a lot of fun and stinking to high heaven. From annoying best friends to sassy love interests to school bullies, these lesser used players become fan favorites over the long haul, and they interject much needed emotions that add levity and depth. So, let’s take a look back and celebrate some of those great 90s supporting characters.

Below, you will find 10 TV sidekicks from the 1990s. I’ve gone ahead and included the name of the show, the years it was on the air, the actor or actress and some memorable traits. Examine the pictures and try to come up with a name.

Are you ready? Then let’s roll…

Round #1

TV Show: Full House

Years On The Air: 1987-1995

Played By: Andrea Barber

Best Known For: Being impulsive, annoying everyone all the time, lacking common sense, shopping without money, having offensive foot odor and hanging out with DJ Tanner.

She’s pretty much loathed by everyone in the Tanner Household that isn’t DJ.

Kimmy Gibbler

Round #2

TV Show: The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Years On The Air: 1990-1996

Played By: Alfonso Ribeiro

Best Known For: Leaning hard to the right, dancing like it’s the first time ever moving his body, obsessing over Princeton, lacking social awareness and being involved in a familiar rivalry with Will Smith.

He started out as basically a punchline and counterpoint to Will Smith, but eventually, he became a pretty interesting, more developed character.

Carlton Banks

Round #3

TV Show: Seinfeld

Years On The Air: 1989-1998

Played By: Danny Woodburn

Best Known For: Having an army of ex-wives, fighting at the drop of a hat, impersonating little children, working as an elf, lacking height and doing everything with Kramer.

He doesn’t appear in a ton of episodes, but when he does, he steals scene after scene.

Mickey Abbott

Round #4

TV Show: Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Years On The Air: 1997-2003

Played By: Alyson Hannigan

Best Known For: her shyness, tech-savviness, her crush on Xander. Later known for her skills with magic, her dark (and veiny) side, and her romance with Tara. Always known for being Buffy's best friend and trusted ally... except for that time she went evil.

She’s the second most important character on the show, and she really the perfect balance.

Willow Rosenberg

Round #5

TV Show: Saved By The Bell

Years On The Air: 1989-1993

Played By: Dustin Diamond

Best Known For: his high-pitched voice, extreme intelligence, creepy obsession with Lisa Turtle and complete idiocy. Also, in early seasons, his one of a kind robot and in later seasons, his girlfriend Violet Ann Bickerstaff. At all points, he’s Zack Morris’ best friend.

Because of the later incarnations he appeared on, as well, this character is probably more closely identified with Saved By The Bell than any other.

Screech Powers

Round #6

TV Show: Home Improvement

Years On The Air: 1991-1999

Played By: Richard Karn

Best Known For: Being good with his hands, lacking confidence with women, growing a thick beard, having an overbearing mother and being Tim Taylor’s best friend and almost constant adversary.

Look at that beard. It’s a thing of beauty.

Al Borland

Round #7

TV Show: The Wonder Years

Years On The Air: 1988-1993

Played By: Josh Saviano

Best Known For: Rocking terrible glasses, being a genius, attending a high class private school (briefly), sneezing like it’s his job, stabbing Kevin in the back by dating Winnie Cooper (briefly) and being Kevin’s best friend.

Like any friendship, this character and Kevin drift together and apart quite a bit, but in the end, they’ll always be joined at the hip in the minds of viewers.

Paul Pfeiffer

Round #8

TV Show: Doug

Years On The Air: 1991-1994, 1996-1999

Played By: Fred Newman

Best Known For: Having blue skin, making honking sounds, slicking his hair straight up, dropping damn near everything he’s asked to carry and hanging out with Doug Funnie almost constantly.

Let’s just be honest. Doug himself had a woefully underdeveloped personality. Luckily, his buddy here didn’t.

Skeeter Valentine

Round #9

TV Show: Beverly Hills, 90210

Years On The Air: 1990-2000

Played By: Ian Ziering

Best Known For: Having access to his dad’s money, partying on a regular basis, driving a Corvette, sometimes having an F- haircut, sometimes having a C+ haircut, being kind of a dumbass, eventually trying his hand at the newspaper business and generally being the random wingman on 90210 that Brandon needs.

If the average Beverly Hills, 90210 fan was asked to make a list of the show’s most important characters, this dude would not make anyone’s top five. That being said, he did bring a certain light-heartedness to the show.

Steve Sanders

Round #10

TV Show: The Drew Carey Show

Years On The Air: 1995-2004

Played By: Ryan Stiles

Best Known For: Creeping everyone out, saying bizarre things, having a genius level IQ, underachieving at life, being joined at the hip with Oswald and hanging out with Drew Carey on the regular.

The Drew Carey Show never really gave this character as much backstory as he deserved. There was clearly something weird going on there, but alas, now all we can do is speculate.

Lewis Kiniski

This poll is no longer available.

The Wonder Years DVDs are coming soon! Of course, anyone with a real hankering for the Arnold family can find all six seasons of the 80s series on Netflix, but Netflix users won't find the bonus features that are being teased online right now, courtesy of a handful of fantastic pictures being shared by the cast. Photos of the Wonder Years stars reunited for the upcoming DVD release include the excellent one above, which shows off Fred Savage, Jason Hervey, Danica McKellar and other cast members huddled together selfie-style.

Though Dan Lauria's not in the above photo, E! says he was among the cast members who assembled for this reunion, along with Fred Savage, Alley Mills, Olivia d'Abo, Jason Hervey, Danica McKellar and Josh Saviano. Fred Savage also tweeted this little tease...

While Danica McKellar shared this glimpse of the cast all sitting around the table. And it looks like Lauria made it into this one!

As Danica McKellar says in the caption for this shot of the group seated together on directors chairs, it's been sixteen years since they've all been in the same room together...

Post by Danica McKellar.

But it's been longer since The Wonder Years was on the air. The period dramedy aired from 1988 to 1993 and focused on a family living in the suburbs in the late sixties. The focus of the story was on Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) coming of age. Jason Hervey played Kevin's older brother Wayne. Check him out posing next to his photo:

It's so great that they're teasing the reunion bonus feature(s) with all of these photos. It doesn't look like there's an official release date for the DVD set, but according to the official site, it looks like it's coming sometime this year.

There haven't been many shows like The Wonder Years since the series wrapped up nearly two decades ago. The family dramedy premiered in the late 80s, but was set in the late 60s, and followed a typical American suburban kid named Kevin Arnold and his family. Freaks and Geeks is probably the closest thing we've seen to that premise, but unfortunately the Paul Feig-created dramedy didn't last beyond a season. Perhaps Adam F. Goldberg's 80s-set family comedy will have better luck.

Last year, Adam F. Goldberg pitched a project, titled How The F--- Am I Normal, which is described as "as a dysfunctional Wonder Years set in simpler times." It landed at Fox, but with Goldberg busy retooling his comedy Breaking In for the network, the 80s comedy was shelved. According to Deadline, the comedy was released by Fox and ABC has since it a production commitment.

ABC sounds like a great fit for a comedy like this, and I can see How The F--- Am I Normal fitting in nicely among the other family-focused comedies on Wednesday nights. But that's thinking far ahead. On the subject of the Wonder Years mention, and the title of the show, I'm wondering if the concept involves a retrospective narrator - assuming the title refers to a character looking back on their life and wondering how on earth they turned out ok, based on what they went through growing up.

I was a kid in the 80s (and more recently, a fan of Breaking In), so this one ranks high on my list of projects I'd love to see make it to series. I remember the adults who enjoyed The Wonder Years for nostalgic reasons. Regardless of whether or not the idea of a Wonder Years-like show set in the 80s makes feel old, I'd still love to see it happen.

Get ready to re-live the fashions, the drama, the cringe-worthy moments and the laughs as Kevin Arnold lives through his teen years in the 1960s. The Wonder Years is finally available through Netflix streaming; the deal with Fox that was signed back in April has come to sweet angst-ridden fruition.

All 115 episodes of the classic series are now part of the Netflix streaming library thanks to that springtime deal that also brought Glee to the Netflix catalog. Among the subscribers remaining to Netflix are many who remember the sweet pain of watching Kevin attempt to gain a foothold in the heart of the dark-haired Winnie Cooper, and nostalgia is a powerful thing. Especially when you are talking about the nostalgia of watching a series which in itself is filled with nostalgia for a different era. Yes, that’s an awful lot of nostalgia.

The six seasons of The Wonder Years, which ran from 1988 through 1992, take Kevin, his best friend Paul and of course Winnie from the first days of junior high in the late 1960s through to their early adulthood. The backdrop of the changing world, the narration provided by Kevin himself that gives insight into his thoughts, and the fabulous cast of characters all made The Wonder Years a memorable and much-loved series.

Many of us have been waiting anxiously for Fred Savage and his cast-mates to become available to us at the touch of a button, and the day is finally here. Time to settle in for some chilly fall nights of wistfulness and fabulous 60s fashion.

A few days ago, Deadline announced Netflix is set to expand its streaming library by adding more titles from Fox and its offspring. This is great news for those who enjoy current shows like Glee and Sons of Anarchy, which are now available [See this week's upcoming FlixWorthy - Ed.]. Deadline also mentioned, but didn’t expand on, the fact that some older titles, such as The Wonder Years, will also be available via streaming.

Though it was glossed over, The Wonder Years thing is an interesting development, especially if it includes full seasons of the program. Currently, there are only a couple of options available to buy episodes of the series, and this only includes a “Best of” DVD and “Volume 1” and “Volume 2” sets on VHS. Yes, I just said VHS. Certain sites will even tell you to resort to tape trading with private collectors. I’ve been waiting on my laurels for something better for years, and it seems (hopefully) Fox might be finally getting its shit together regarding the series.

I’ve always presumed the show wasn’t on DVD due to conflicts with musical rights, but perhaps Twentieth Century Fox was more worried there would be a lack of interest. Either way, if streaming means a wider release of The Wonder Years, this is a BIG DEAL.