Are the 2010s the decade of legacy sitcom properties being rebooted for a new generation? Or is there more to it than that? We actually think it’s both, and this makes for some great television. As time marches on, we’re reminded that Tim Allen is still going strong, and Sheldon Cooper was always an intellectual heavyweight. But it’s not just reboots, and retconning, is it? We don’t think so! The 2010s went hard, and even the spinoffs were unique and engaging.
Will the sitcoms of the 2010s have the same staying power as shows from preceding decades, or will they just fizzle out as we march further into the 2020s. It may be too early to tell, but we wanted to put a list together with the shows that we think are worth taking a look at, and we’ll let you decide.
11 Schitt’s Creek
Lionsgate Home Entertainmant
Dan and Eugene Levy portray father and son in Schitt’s Creek, and the chemistry couldn’t be better. When father and son portray father and son, well, it makes you wonder how much is actually scripted, and how much is based on years of experience. Can we call this method acting by happenstance?! The premise is simple enough: the Rose family loses their entire family fortune after their business partner is caught embezzling all of their money. They pivot by relocating to Schitt’s Creek, and moving into a rundown motel, so they can figure out their next moves. Most of the comedy comes from the fact that the Rose family doesn’t know how to live within their means, and the culture shock that comes from having to be humbled financially.
10 Last Man Standing
20th Television
If you thought Tim Allen finished his sitcom run in the ’90s with Home Improvement, think again, because we have to take a minute to talk about Last Man Standing. Mike Baxter (Tim Allen) is the executive director of marketing at Outdoor Man, a Bass Pro Shops kind of outdoors superstore, and unlike Home Improvement, he has three daughters instead of three sons. His oldest daughter Kristin is a young single mother; his middle daughter Mandy is a party animal with a keen sense for fashion, and his youngest daughter is into all things sports and guns, and he tends to bond with her the most. His business partner Ed Alzate is a Vietnam vet turned entrepreneur, whose idiosyncrasies resemble that of Buck Strickland from King of the Hill in the sense that he has volatile relationships, and is a bit eccentric.
Tim Allen is no stranger to the work/family dynamic in family sitcoms, and it’s one of the reasons Home Improvement was so successful. Speaking of Home Improvement, you’ll be surprised to see that Last Man Standing is full of run-ins and cameos from Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn, and even Jonathan Taylor Thomas!
9 Superstore
NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Workplace comedies are often unrealistic in the sense that nobody could get away with what they do on the clock, but in Superstore, it’s almost believable. Okay, maybe you’ll never find the skeleton remains of a transient in the walls of your store after a tornado levels the place, but aside from that, they’ve got the beats down pat. If you’ve ever worked in retail, especially at a big box store, you’ll instantly relate to Superstore. At the end of the day, everybody realizes they’re in this together, and they prove that you can have fun at work with a little help from your friends. Sure, you might not want to swap your remote for a pricing gun anytime soon, but you’ll love living vicariously through Amy, Jonah, and Glenn, and even Dina.
8 F is for Family
Netflix Streaming Services
If you’ve been slacking on your Netflix game, then you’ve definitely been sleeping on F is for Family, the cartoon family comedy that you didn’t know you were missing. If you’re familiar with the standup comedy of Bill Burr, then you already know how infectious his voice is. His delivery is even more engaging as he’s struggling to navigate family life as a father in the 70s. Sure, catchphrase like “I’ll put you through that [expletive] wall” aren’t exactly endearing, but we know that it’s an empty threat when coming from Frank Murphy (Bill Burr) because deep down he loves his family and will put himself through literally the worst situations to provide for them.
7 BoJack Horseman
Have you ever felt like your best days are behind you? Because BoJack Horseman definitely does. This animated Netflix comedy-drama follows BoJack’s downfall as he tries to reclaim his life after his fame has left. He battles with self-loathing that manifested early in his life; feels like he’s constantly on the verge of losing his relevance; drinks himself into blackouts on a daily basis, and just wants to feel loved. While BoJack Horseman takes many dark turns, its cynical humor is unmatched.
6 Workin’ Moms
Coldsprings Media LLC
Whether you’re a new mom, or just an overall fan of comedy dramas, Workin’ Moms is a satisfying watch that follows Kate, Anne, Frankie, Jenny, and Sloan through different phases of motherhood as they’re trying to navigate their personal relationships and professional lives. Workin’ Moms does a fantastic job in showing how hard it is to juggle every facet of life, especially as a new mother. When Kate’s not taking heroic doses of mushrooms in a misguided attempt to micro dose in the pitch room at her marketing job, and when Jenny’s getting not barged in on in the nursing room at the office, they’re carting their kids around to childcare, school, and more often than not have very colorful ways of describing the hellacious daily drudgery that is their lives.
5 Workaholics
Viacom Media Networks
What do you get when you combine Office Space and BASEketball? You get Workaholics, the stoner slacker comedy of the decade. Adam, Blake, and Anders appreciate the finer things in life, and surprisingly, working at TelAmeriCorp is not one of them. Smoking a fat one on the roof, or smuggling beers out of the convenience store in a 12-pack of cola is more their speed. Simply put, Workaholics is one of those workplace comedies where it really gets fun after they’re done at the office, and their jobs provide them with the funds they need to get into misdemeanor-level mischief week after week.
4 2 Broke Girls
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
2 Broke Girls captures the entrepreneurial spirit of the working class while following the usual sitcom beats. Max and Caroline are two down-on-their-luck diner waitresses trying to start their own cupcake business. When the coworkers become roommates, they start trying to realize this dream, but not without obstacles. However, the viewer is reminded of their goals to raise funds by showing a tally at the end of each episode. When the first iteration of their cupcake shop fails, they get smart and start moonlighting in the back of the diner, never giving up on their dreams. 2 Broke Girls also has unexpected guest stars such as Martha Stewart, Kim Kardashian, Andy Dick, and Cedrick the Entertainer. There’s something for everybody in two broke girls, and even Eric André does what he does best by living in a pimped out renovated dumpster behind the diner.
3 Fuller House
Warner Bros. Television Group
Fuller House takes place years after Full House, and even takes place in the same house that Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) owned. The script is flipped this time around, because D.J. Tanner-Fuller is a widowed mother of three trying to navigate through life while living with her father. While Fuller House has been subject to mixed reviews, and a lack of participation from the Olsen Twins, the show is self-aware enough to have its own charm, and does a fantastic job in bringing the Full House spirit to a new generation of viewers.
2 Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Fox
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is another one of those single camera ensemble comedies that deserves a look. Andy Samberg carries the show as if to carry the Archer archetype into live action. He’s charming, competent, and attractive, but is egregiously impulsive and acts immaturely, even in the face of severe danger. In light of recent scrutiny of police brutality in the public eye, Brooklyn Nine-Nine decided to conclude the series in a way that would allow them to respect the storytelling, characters, and viewers. The legacy Brooklyn Nine-Nine left behind is one with a lot of laughs. Think of all those great buddy cop movies from the ’80s we know and love, and mix it with the kind of humor you’d see in The Office, and there’s lots of room for heavy-hitting comedy.
1 Young Sheldon
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Young Sheldon picks up exactly where The Big Bang Theory left off… or should we say The Big Bang Theory picks up where Young Sheldon leaves off. This prequel series is voiced by Jim Parsons himself, and as the title suggests, dives into the world of a younger, yet no less intellectual Sheldon Cooper. The boy genius finds himself at odds with his family in rural Texas and does a delightful job retconning what will later take place in The Big Bang Theory.
