TOP 10: 21st Century Sitcoms

As the 90's transitioned to the 21st century, sitcoms went for the #1 genre to barely a blip on some networks schedules. There may have not been a lot of comedies this century, but there have been some really great ones. So what are the TOP 10 comedies since the 2000-2001 TV season?
Before we begin, here are my ground rules. (1) a sitcom must have aired a majority of its run since the 2000-01 season. This eliminates great comedies like FRIENDS and FRAISER. (2) a comedy must have three seasons, or currently in its third season, to be eldgible. No one season wonders here. (3) No animated comedies allowed. This is about the traditional sitcom format, not just comedies.

10) NEW GIRL
In my opinion, on of the best new shows of THIS decade. OK, it is only three years into the teens, but NEW GIRL is a hilarious comedy, with great characters and you cant beat Zooey Deschanel as a leading comedy lady.

9) THE BERNIE MAC SHOW
It is easy to forget this series. The great Bernie Mac at his best. It is also one of the first comedies to pull off a character directly addressing the TV audience. It was a hit, until FOX moved it to Friday nights, but don't get me started on that...

8) THE OFFICE
An Americanized version of the british TV series of the same name, THE OFFICE quickly became a cult hit. The mocumentary style of story telling was a first by an American comedy TV series. It has the best catchphrases produced by a TV series "That's what she said." This series could have rated much higher if not for the horrible last two seasons of the series. At the time of writing this list, we are just a few months past the series finale and THE OFFICE is already regulated to ultra-late night airings on TBS.

7) THE KING OF QUEENS
Underrated, but very funny, this traditional sitcom had a great lead characters, played by Kevin James and Leah Remini. It lasted nine seasons as a solid utility player for CBS. If Jackie Gleason were to do a series today, it would look very much like THE KING OF QUEENS.

6) TWO AND A HALF MEN
It is crass, pushes the envelope of good taste and Charlie Sheen is a mess, but TWO AND A HALF MEN hasn't lasted 11+ season for being "kind of funny." during a time of few sitcoms on TV, it was a sanctuary of humor. It only lost its edge, in my opinion, when it felt it had to keep pushing the envelope beyond what was needed.

5) MALCOM IN THE MIDDLE
In the 25+ years of FOX, this is one of the few live action sitcoms that worked for the network. It may have been the first of the quarry comedies that have littered the genre, here in the early 21st century. Its comedy still holds up, 13 years after its premiere. It had a great cast and just as good story telling. Its edge was lost only when the kids grew up to be young adults.

4) MODERN FAMILY
Now in its fifth season, MODERN FAMILY's first four seasons have had some of the best episodes in recent history. When it is funny, it is really funny. During its run, it was only second to THE BIG BANG THEORY in the ratings for sitcoms. The only thing I question is how much rewatchability will the series have after its run? Will it be another THE OFFICE or the next EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND?

3) HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Early in the series run, it looked like the sitcom would be cancelled, but once viewers embraced it, they never let go. For nine seasons we listened to Ted tell his kids how he and their mother first met. From Slap Bets to Robin Sparkles to "eating subs in college (wink-wink)," HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER may rival SEINFELD for its pop culture references. This comedy will forever be Legen... what for it... Dary!

2) EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND
Although it started in 1996 and lasted nine years, five of those years were during our timeframe requirements. This is the first 21st century sitcom to become a true classic. It is still airing in primetime on cable TV and is getting good time slots with local stations in syndication. It has what the old classic had, timeless comedy. It feels as fresh today as it did in the 90's

1) THE BIG BANG THEORY
No real surprise here. THE BIG BANG THEORY is easily the biggest and best sitcom since the fall of 2000. In fact, it may be one of the all-time top 10 comedies. It is one of the highest rated shows each week. TBS reruns regularly appear in the daily top 10 ratings, usually with multiple episodes. Sheldon may be one of the all-time great, likable, but goofy, character since Kramer (SEINFLED) and Barney Fife (THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW). Every episode is funny and many are ultra-funny. BIG BANG may be one of those "once in a generation" classic TV series. We will see in 2030 if it holds up like SEINFLED has held up today.