Still Standing follows a working class couple in Chicago and their three kids,
Brian, Lauren, and Tina.  Bill and Judy Miller are good parents, but their own
past experiences often conflict with the lessons they try to teach to their
children.  The entire ensemble cast is great, including all of the children who
receive a lot of air time.  Ever episode of this show is entertaining and it often
uses crude and sexual humor, as most shows that deal with adolescent growing
children do.  Still Standing was relatively popular for CBS in its first few
seasons, but gradually lost viewership and was canceled after 4 seasons.  It had
some serious competition in its time slot.  The show has been picked up for
syndication by various networks, including Lifetime in the U.S.

9. Saved by the Bell

Aired: 1989-1993

Saved by the Bell is a teenage sitcom that aired on NBC for 4 seasons.  It
dominated the lucrative Saturday morning children’s television market during
its run.  Saved by the Bell followed the exploits of several students along with
their principal at Bayside High School.  Zach, Kelly, Lisa, Screech, Jesse, and
Slater encounter many common high school scenarios.  The show often
incorporated dramatic elements into episodes by dealing with real teen social
issues, such as friendship, drug use, drinking and driving, homelessness,
financial issues, divorce, graduating, college, sibling rivalry, taking
responsibilities for one's actions, being bullied, death, and environmental
issues.  It teaches kids good lessons and is a bit different from modern
children’s shows.
   

It might appear corny to adults, but adolescents will enjoy it.  The show does
use stereotypical high school roles, including the prep, jock, nerd, and popular
girls.  It has spawned two lack luster spin-off series.  Today, the original Saved
by the Bell can be viewed on various television networks and the entire series
has been released on DVD.

8. Duckman

Aired: 1994-1997

Duckman is another animated sitcom to make the list.  It might be the least
known entry and was based on the characters developed by Everett Peck in his
Dark Horse comic.  The series consists of 70 episodes that aired on USA's Up
All Night on Saturday nights on the USA Network.  It is hard to get noticed in
this time slot, but the show made an impact on cartoon animation and writing.
It soon gained a cult following and is targeted to the older crowd.  The series
follows the adventures of a private detective duck that lives with his family and
sister-in-law Bernice (his late wife's identical twin).
   

The tagline of the show, seen in the opening credits, is Private
Dick/Family Man, Dick being sort for detective.  The show featured a long list
of guest stars, including Lisa Kudrow, Burt Reynolds, Brendan Fraser, and Ice
T.  It is one of the best animated series ever developed and helped pave the
way for the more edgy sitcoms we see today.  The show was one of the first
animated sitcoms to incorporate popular culture.  The entire series of Duckman
has been released on DVD, but can’t be seen on network television.              

7. Sports Night

Aired: 1998-2000

Sports Night was one of the best short lived sitcoms ever.  It followed a
fictional sports news show and the people who worked there.  The business
was similar to ESPN’s Sportscenter.  The characters of the show worked in
various positions at the studio, including anchor, managing editor, executive
producer, and associate producers.  The show has some star power, including
Robert Guillaume, Peter Krause, and Felicity Huffman.  The episodes followed
the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the workers faced while trying to
produce a good show under constant network pressure.
   

It was a funny show that had some in depth and interesting content.  Sports
Night entertained and taught the viewer a bit about running a successful sports
program.  The ensemble cast is great and the program is considered a comedy-
drama, as it does contain some serious issues.  Sports Night will appeal to those
interested in sports or business.  I was surprised when it was cancelled by
ABC.  The show has been purchased for syndication by various television
companies around the world.  It can be seen on Comedy Central in the U.S.
and it aired on ABC1 in the United Kingdom.  Sports Night has also been
shown in Latin America and on Australia’s Channel 7.  The complete series
can be purchased on DVD.        

6. Yes, Dear

Aired: 2000-2006

Yes, Dear is a show that follows Greg Warner, his wife Kim, and their two
children.  Kim's sister Christine Hughes and her husband Jimmy, along with
their two sons, Dominic and Logan live in the Warners' guest house.  Jimmy
has an easy going approach to life, while Greg is extremely uptight.  The acting
in this show is great and Anthony Clark’s portrayal of Greg is hilarious.  Mike
O'Malley is also good, but the best part of the show is the writing and usual
production.  It doesn’t rely on wave of bad sex jokes to get by.  It is noted for
representing the average American family.  During the shows run it received
surprisingly solid rating for CBS in spite of little to no promotion and a number
of timeslot changes.  Since the end of Yes, Dear it has been purchased for
syndication by various networks.  Today, it can be seen on TBS in America
and the complete series has been released on DVD. 

5. Entourage

Aired:  2004-Present

Entourage is an American comedy-drama program that airs on HBO.  It is a 30-
minute show that chronicles the rise of Vincent Chase, a young A-list movie
star, and his childhood friends from Queens, New York City, as they navigate
the unfamiliar terrain of Hollywood, California.  The series deals with life in
Hollywood, California.  It also follows movie agent Ari Gold.  Entourage is an
entertaining program targeted to adults.  The ensemble cast is great, including
Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, and Jeremy Piven.  The writing
is funny and the show often features celebrity guest appearances.  Entourage
does a great job giving the viewer an insight into the world of movies,
marketing, and a guy’s point of view.  The characters aren’t 50-years-old like
Sex and the City either.  The show has won numerous awards in the last
couple years and is one of HBO’s most successful programs.  However, it
does not gain as large a viewership as primetime television.  All of the seasons
have been released on DVD and are readily available on the internet.  

4. Fawlty Towers

Aired: 1975 & 1979

Fawlty Towers is a sitcom that was produced by BBC Television and first
broadcast on BBC2 in 1975, although only 12 episodes were ever produced,
the show has had a lasting impact in Great Britain.  The program is set in the
fictional hotel of Fawlty Towers located in the seaside town of Torquay on the
English Riviera.  The series focuses on the exploits and misadventures of short-
fused hotelier Basil Fawlty, his wife Sybil, and their employees, porter and
waiter Manuel, maid Polly, and (in the second series) chef Terry.  The
episodes typically revolve around Basil's efforts to succeed in raising the tone
of his hotel and his increasing frustration at the numerous complications and
mistakes.  It is really a funny and well written show.  Fawlty Towers helped
launch the career of English actor John Cleese, who wrote and acted in the
show.  It is rare when a show with so few episodes has such large cultural
impact.  You can purchase the complete series on DVD for a good price.  This
show is widely unknown in America and I had to purchase the series in order
to view it. 

3. Bill Nye the Science Guy

Aired: 1993-1997

Bill Nye the Science Guy is an educational program that aired on PBS.  While
not an official situational comedy, Bill Nye the Science Guy is a 30 minute
program.  The show was hosted by Bill Nye and each episode is designed to
teach a specific topic in science to a preteen audience.  The show does a great
job explaining each topic fully and has great learning visuals, charts,
experiments, and descriptions.  Bill Nye the Science Guy is one of the most
viewed educational videos in the U.S.  Thousands of teachers use the series to
explain various scientific topics to their classes.  Bill Nye recorded 100
episodes and covers one topic in each show.  Some examples include
Dinosaurs, Gravity, Digestion, The Moon, Cells, Heat, Brain, Reptiles, Water
Cycle, and many others.  The complete series of episodes has been released on
DVD, but it is expensive and costs a couple hundred dollars.  Bill Nye Videos
are always being sold on e-bay. 

2. Futurama

Aired: 1999-2003

Futurama is an animated sitcom that was created by Matt Groening, who also
developed The Simpsons.  The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-
century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who after being
"cryogenically" frozen for a thousand years, finds employment at Planet
Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the 31st century.  The episode
plots revolve around the Planet Express interplanetary delivery company and
its employees.  Futurama is set in New York at the turn of the 31st century, in
a time filled with technological wonders.  It is a funny show and the first
science fiction cartoon series.  Futurama has gained an extensive following over
the years and even has its own language, which appear in the background of
episodes.  The show received good ratings and managed 19 million viewers for
its premiere episode.  It can be seen on Comedy Central in the U.S. and was
revived in 2007 as four straight-to-DVD films; the last of the four was released
in early 2009.

1. The Wonder Years

Aired: 1988-1993

The Wonder Years is considered a sitcom, although it tackled more serious
issues.  The show is set from 1968-1973 and portrays many historic events
and social issues of that time through the eyes of main character Kevin Arnold
and his family.  Kevin also deals with many typical teenage social problems.
The great thing about this show is that it can be enjoyed by both children and
adults.  Kids enjoy the middle school life, but also learn about history.  The
Wonder Years did a great job showing a generation what it was like to grow up
in the late 1960’s.  The show launched the career of the lovable Fred Savage
(Kevin) and Danica McKellar (Winnie).  The voice over work of Kevin’s
thoughts was done by popular actor Daniel Stern.  The show was successful
and achieved a spot in the Nielsen Top Ten for two of its six seasons, but was
by no means a #1 hit.  The Wonder Years also won many awards during its six
year run and Fred Savage became the youngest actor ever nominated for
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. 

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