If there is one thing I am always going to do in life, it is make a joke. My comedic talents and timing are probably one-half genetics and the other half being a student of situational comedies, or sitcoms. I have watched them for as long as I can remember, and even before I do remember. My mom loved to tell me the grown-up shows I was into as a small child- apparently not every late 80’s toddler watched “This Old House” (while not a sitcom, still strange) and “227”? I also grew up on, and most importantly remember, the infamous NBC Thursday nights, TGIF, and Nick at Nite. I watched new AND classic TV sitcoms. 

For quite a while now, I have been rewatching sitcoms of years past, some that I have seen and others that are new to me. It all started with a need to have a “comfort show” to distract me from the horrors of 2017. At first, I decided I was going to watch “Parks & Rec” on an endless loop. During those years though I discovered other shows that quickly became some of my favorites to watch (and re-watch).

The shows that I re-watch at least once (sometimes twice) a year are:

• Parks & Rec
• The Good Place
• Brooklyn 99
• Schitt’s Creek

(And streaming services, you can move these all around to wherever you like, because this geriatric millennial has them all in print). ::mic drop::

Last year I watched a lot of sitcoms that I hadn’t seen in a while. I tried to always have a show I was in the middle of watching. Once I finished up one, I moved on to another. There was not a set plan, it was all based on vibes and what I was in the mood to watch. I knew though that whatever I decided on would make me laugh. And it did!

One of my all-time favorite sitcoms is “The Golden Girls.” I remember watching it when it first aired, and I still re-watch it to this day. It is almost as old as I am, and it still makes me laugh like it’s the first time I’m watching it. I think that is the test of a good comedy- is it still funny even though you already know the punchline? And do the jokes stand the test of time? Plus, those ladies are comedy queens. “The Golden Girls” is not the only sitcom on Betty White and Bea Arthur’s resumes! Legends.

My favorite still running sitcom is “Abbott Elementary.” I even like to re-watch the show during its summer vacation! It airs on ABC and Hulu, so if you are shopping for a new show to watch, I highly recommend it. Created by Quinta Brunson, it follows teachers at an elementary school based in Philly. The new season begins in October! If you start watching now, you can catch up and watch the new season live. 

What people find funny is personal, so you may not love sitcoms, or if you do, you might not like the same ones I do. Everyone is allowed to have different preferences on what makes them laugh. I am drawn to sitcoms because I thoroughly enjoy them. They take me away to an Indiana town called Pawnee. They introduce me to a family of Roses. They show the friendship between roommates and colleagues. Sitcoms let me forget what is going on in the world and in my life for a brief moment. Sometimes you just have to laugh or else you will cry or be angry or disappointed. I would rather laugh. 

I rarely turn off a sitcom feeling worse than when I started. And if I do, it’s probably because I was doomscrolling and not paying attention, which defeats the whole purpose of tuning in to a show that makes you laugh! Lately, I try to keep the phone down while I watch as much as possible. It definitely helps.

Whether you visit Pawnee, a New York coffeehouse, or a Philly elementary school, I hope you have a fun show to put on when you need a laugh! 

Let me know below- what is your favorite sitcom?