People have a lot of opinions on sitcoms, and the more popular, the more opinions there are. So, for this, our list of the best episodes of the best sitcoms, we combed through sites like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes to see if we could find a consensus. It's probably not perfect, and opinions will vary, but at the very least, it's as close as a list can get to all the best episodes of these classic sitcoms from every era of television.
Seinfeld - The Contest
There is no question that "The Contest" in Season 4 ranks among the best episodes of Seinfeld ever. There may be one or two episodes that compete for that top spot, as would be expected from a show as beloved as Seinfeld, but just hearing Kramer yell "I'm out!" is enough for us to include it on this list.
Modern Family - Caught In The Act
Everyone fears walking in on their parents doing the deed, and that's the aptly titled "Caught In The Act" in Season 2 of Modern Family. The episode hilariously explores that one thing that everyone can relate to.
The Golden Girls - One Flew Out Out Of Cuckoo's Nest
Over the many years it ran, The Golden Girls just kept getting better. In fact, it's rare to see a series finale be ranked among the best ever, but that is the case with "One Flew Out Out Of Cuckoo's Nest." The classic NBC came to a wonderful conclusion with a couple of marriages and a move out of Florida. It does have some of those classic Golden Girls insults, though! What a way to end!
Good Times - The Evans Get Involved: Part 1
Sometimes the best episodes are not necessarily the funniest. Take, for example, "The Evans Get Involved: Part 1" from Season 5 of Good Times. Not only does it introduce Penny, played by a young Janet Jackson, who would become a major character going forward, but it also addresses the deadly serious subject of abuse. So, it's not the funniest, but it is great TV.
The Brady Bunch - The Subject Was Noses
Multiple generations grew up watching The Brady Bunch, and when asked about episodes, it's inevitable that many will immediately cite Marcia's broken nose episode as one of their favorites and certainly one of the most memorable. The episode, from Season 4, is a classic, and the ridiculousness of the football hitting Marcia in the face is one of the best moments in TV history.
Scrubs - My Best Friend's Baby's Baby and My Baby's Baby
The second episode of Season 4 of Scrubs, "My Best Friend's Baby's Baby and My Baby's Baby," takes the top spot for the medical comedy. Honestly, just the title is perfect for the show's over-the-top nature and earns it this spot on the list.
All In The Family - Too Good Edith
All In The Family was never afraid to blur the lines between drama and comedy and take on heavy subjects. The series finale, after nine incredible seasons, takes the top spot here. Titled "Too Good Edith," the show explores the love Archie has for Edith and his fear of her death. The death comes off-screen, after the show concluded, and is dealt with the the show's sequel series, Archie's Place. A fitting end to the classic show.
The Simpsons - Homer's Enemy
Ask 100 fans of The Simpsons what the best episode is, and you'll probably get 100 different answers (though anyone who says anything after Season 10 is wrong). The most popular answer on the internet seems to be "Homer's Enemy" from Season 8, which tells the story of Homer's hapless co-worker Frank Grimes, aka "Grimsy," may he rest in peace.
Community - Modern Warfare
Ah, the famous paintball episode of Community. It feels like all we really need to say here is, "If you know, you know."
Family Guy - Road To The Multiverse
Years before the MCU movies took us into the multiverse, The Family Guy offered us a "Road to the Multiverse" in Season 8. It's a little surprising that this one is so loved by fans. It's a great episode, but it's also very different from a standard episode. Sometimes going this far astray doesn't work, but Seth McFarlane and his crack crew nailed it here.
Cheers - One For The Road
It turns out that fans actually kind of love series finales. "One for the Road" was the last episode of the classic sitcom Cheers, and while it's a great ending to the show, there are funnier episodes, for sure. Still, these episodes clearly rank highly for many shows. The same probably can't be said for dramas like Game of Thrones and Lost.
Gilligan's Island - Don't Bug The Mosquitoes
It's become cliche to joke about all the visitors who came to the castaways' island in Gilligan's Island, only to leave without the poor stranded folks on the island. So that's not what we'll do here, but "Don't Bug The Mosquitoes" from Season 2 is a prime example of just how ridiculous (and great) the show was. The Mosquitoes are pretty much a parody of mid-'60s rock stars, just as cheesy as you'd expect from the show.
The Odd Couple - Password
There really isn't a funnier premise than Felix and Oscar from The Odd Couple trying to work together on a game show like Password, as they did on this episode from Season 3 of the classic sitcom. Hijinks ensue!
Friends - The One Where Everybody Finds Out
Like a lot of really popular shows on this–and few shows ever have been as popular as Friends–there are sure to be people who disagree that the Season 7 episode "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" is the best. But c'mon, Phoebe yelling "My eyes!" is classic Friends!
Abbott Elementary - Volunteers
Abbott Elementary seems to be an unstoppable force. The multiple Emmy-winning show is probably the best sitcom of the 2020s, and it's because of episodes like "Volunteers." Though there is likely some recency bias baked in the reviews here, as it's a relatively new episode, coming from Season 4.
WKRP In Cincinnati - Turkeys Away
WKRP In Cincinnati is an all-time great sitcom, and this episode, the Thanksgiving episode from Season 1 titled "Turkeys Away" is almost certainly considered by all of the show's fans to be the best–or at the least in the top two or three. It's a show where clips still get shared every Thanksgiving, even decades after the show aired. And no, Les, turkeys can't fly.
I Love Lucy - L.A. At Last!
What would sitcoms be without I Love Lucy? The pioneering show starring the legendary Lucille Ball broke ground in more ways than we could ever talk about on this list. Books have been written about it. The Season 4 episode, "L.A. At Last!" is a classic episode, as Lucy and Desi go to Los Angeles and rub shoulders with the stars... with predictably disastrous results.
Arrested Development - Development Arrested
Season 3 of Arrested Development was supposed to be the series finale for the show that always seemed in danger of imminent cancellation. The episode, called "Development Arrested," does a great job of tying a bow on the series and, like pretty much every episode from those first three years, is absolutely hilarious.
Schitt's Creek - Happy Ending
Yet another series finale of a classic sitcom that tops the list of best episodes is "Happy Ending" from Schitt's Creek. It's a mostly happy ending for everyone, especially David and Patrick, as they finally get married after a lot of hassle!
Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Doll
There is nothing unique about "The Doll" from Curb Your Enthusiasm; it's just classic Curb, with Larry getting angry over mundane things, like how to act in a movie theater and locks on bathrooms (or the lack thereof). There are so many great episodes of the cringy classic that picking one is impossible, but this one is as good as any, and definitely one of the best.
Full House - Secret Admirer
For a certain generation, Full House will forever be an important part of their childhood. That makes "Secret Admirer" from Season 4 the perfect choice here. Everyone has had, or wishes they've had, a secret admirer, and in this episode, every member of the family finds that wish coming true, even though it was true for any of them. It really should be ranked number one.
Designing Women - Killing All The Right People
For whatever reason, Designing Women doesn't seem to have stood the test of time as other sitcoms from the era have. It's odd because in its day, it was wildly popular and a real cultural phenomenon. It was also a show that didn't shy away from commenting on the most controversial issues of the day, as it did in "Killing All The Right People" when it addressed the AIDS epidemic in a time when few were paying as much attention as they should have been.
The Jeffersons - Sorry, Wrong Meeting
Few spinoffs in television history have been as popular as The Jeffersons, which was one of the spinoffs from All In The Family. Like the show it came from, The Jeffersons loved to poke fun at series issues, like George accidentally attending a meeting for the KKK in "Sorry, Wrong Meeting."
Roseanne - War And Peace
"War and Peace," from Season 5 of Roseanne, is all about rumors and family squabbles. That might sound like most episodes of the sitcom, but this one is actually one of the best, as is evident by its ranking at the top. It's a classic Dan episode, which, if we're honest, is the best kind of episode.
Futurama - Jurassic Bark
Any show as beloved as Futurama is going to have a lot of opinions about the best episode. Season 3's "Jurassic Bark" is surprisingly agreed upon by many, though. It's one of the rare times the show got somewhat serious, and that always bumps a show up, it seems.
Diff'rent Strokes - First Love
We have to admit, this one surprised us. Diff'rent Strokes had its fair share of episodes that tackled controversial subjects, but this episode, "First Love," is a pretty straightforward sitcom episode centered around Willis and his new girlfriend, Charlene. Willis isn't allowed to see her, but he finds a way anyway, much to Mr. Drummond's ire.
Murphy Brown - Frank's Appendectomy
Putting this list together, it seemed certain that the most popular episode of Murphy Brown would be "You Say Potatoe, I Say Potato" about Murphy raising her child as a single mother. Instead, a relatively normal, but very funny episode from Season 2, "Frank's Appendectomy," won out.
Sanford And Son - A Guest In The Yard
One of the classic re-occurring bits on Sanford and Son had Fred berating Lamont for being a "big dummy." In the classic episode "A Guest In The Yard," it's pretty much a whole episode of just that. A homeless man tries to scam Fred and Lamont, and they can't figure out how to get rid of him. Lamont wises up, but it's no use; the man still manages to have them get him drunk.
Will & Grace - Grandpa Jack
Jack McFarland on Will & Grace is one of the best supporting characters in sitcom history, and many of the shows that focus on him are among the best in the show's history. Grandpa Jack...wait, Jack is a grandpa?... is no exception, and it's no surprise that it's ranked at the top.
Frasier - Ham Radio
It's incredible that Kelsey Grammer has been playing Frasier Crane for as many decades as he has. It's one of the most enduring characters in TV history, and "Ham Radio" from the fourth season of Frasier embodies everything we love to hate about the character when he tries to create an old-timey radio drama on his station. Of course, he's controlling and bossy, and everything falls apart...
The Big Bang Theory · The Stockholm Syndrome
The series finale of The Big Bang Theory, called "The Stockholm Syndrome," is, in a lot of ways, just another episode of the popular show. The gang of nerds gets into trouble on a flight to Sweden. But it definitely feels like a finale in many ways, most notably with the revelation that Penny is pregnant. The show's enduring popularity has led to multiple spinoffs, but the original is still the best for episodes like this.
Night Court - A Day In The Life
There is no question that "A Day In The Life" from Season 4 of Night Court is the best episode. The courtroom gang has to work at warp speed to get through hundreds of cases before midnight, and the frantic pace of the episode is hilarious and wonderful.
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