You probably have had the conversation of what television sitcoms are considered overrated with your best friend through a friendly chat or text or even through a discussion at the water cooler with your co-workers. There are plenty of reasons why a sitcom can be considered overrated: too much critical acclaim, overstaying its welcome, a lame catchphrase, or a combination of all three. I spent days researching what people have been asserting as the most overrated television shows of all time. Here are the top 15. Some of these shows I love, but the people have spoken.
Friends
Personally, Friends is my all-time favorite television show, but a lot of people do not agree with me. Friends was one of the hottest new shows when it premiered in 1994, but after ten seasons some people had just had enough. How many Joey is dumb jokes or Ross claiming to be on a break with Rachel lines can one take before they are ready to change the channel? Now that it is on in syndication, you can watch this show for hours on end, but do you really need to? We all know what happens in the end, Ross gets the girl. If this were real life Rachel wouldn’t have given Ross the time of day. At least there was Phoebe to make us laugh.
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Seinfeld
Another comedy I enjoy, that apparently others think is highly overrated, is Seinfeld. I get it. This sitcom isn’t for everyone. When I look back at the show, I have come to the realization that their really isn’t a likable character in the bunch. This was proven in the final episode when the gang is on trial for all the horrible things they had done to people over the years. This show has been dubbed the show about nothing, but when you really think about it aren’t all sitcoms technically about nothing just as much as Seinfeld was?
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Community
I gave Community a shot. I devoted two whole seasons to a show that spends 22 minutes a week discussing the most ridiculous events. There was one whole episode devoted to making a pillow fort, while another about a college paintball war. The show continuously pokes fun as itself, but what is the point of that if no one is watching these adults act like children? If I want to see grown men act like children, I will watch It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. That way I know I will be laughing at least once.
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The Simpsons
I cannot remember life without The Simpsons being on air and that is because I was 4 when the show premiered in December of 1989. Granted the show does have its funny moments, but how many years are we going to have to see Homer strangle Bart and think this is fresh and funny? Now in its 25th season, it appears the writers have run out of stories for these characters or they are just recycling old story lines and expecting us not to remember. The show has been renewed for a 26th season, so the Simpson crew will be here for at least one year.
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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
When it comes to 80’s/90s sitcoms, many think either Family Matters or Full House is overrated. Though this may be true, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is far more overrated. You would think since Will Smith is so talented this sitcom would be great, but you would be wrong. The rags to riches story has been used for decades and Smith isn’t necessarily the king of comedy. He really shines when playing dramatic characters. Even when it tried to be sentimental, the sitcom came off as cheesy.
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Two and a Half Men
It amazes me that a show like Two and a Half Men has managed to stay on the air for as long as it has. When Charlie Sheen was on, each episode involved Charlie being drunk and bedding one hot woman after another, while his leach of a brother Alan stuck around the beach house for free. Now the show centers around pot jokes, fart jokes, and Alan living in the house for free by someone he didn’t even know until the guy bought the house. Does that concept even make sense? Or make you laugh? And now a niece know one knew existed lives there too. Chuck Lorre must be running out of ideas that are logical.
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Family Guy
I love pop culture references more than anyone, but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Family Guy is a great example of this. In one episode, you may get to witness dozens of references to classic TV shows and movies of the past. However, the show is still missing something: A story line. The target audience for this show is college students, but college guys have to grow up sometime. And when they do, they don’t have time to watch Peter Griffin make a fool of himself for 22 minutes every week.
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Boy Meets World
I would watch TGIF every Friday when I was growing up. Though I enjoyed watching the antics of Corey, Shawn, and Topanga back then, that does not mean I feel the same way now. So many people my age exclaim how great this show is, but I do not think they have actually sat down and watched an episode recently. The stories are recycled from so many other shows and the characters tend to complain more than they joke. What makes matters worse is this show is getting a sequel entitled, Girl Meets World. It will air this Summer on The Disney Channel.
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That 70’s Show
I remember when this show came out I was in middle school. I knew it has become classified as overrated when even my mother knew what it was and worse than that, she watched it. That 70’s Show is one of those sitcoms that you gradually just start to forget to watch and over time just stop watching all together. I bet very few people could even tell me what happened in the last season after Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher jumped ship. At least we can thank this show for giving us the beauty and talent that is Mila Kunis.
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Everybody Loves Raymond
The title suggests that everyone loves Raymond, but how true is that? For nine seasons, viewers were treated to the same scenario in every episode. First, Debra gets mad at Ray for something he did or didn’t do. Second, Ray has no idea what he did wrong and tries to get on Debra’s good side. Next, Ray’s parents will stop by the house and annoy everyone. Finally, Robert will make a comment about how he is jealous of Raymond. So if you never have watched an episode of this sitcom, you only need to catch one and you’ll know what the other 209 were about.
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New Girl
This was the show everyone was talking about in 2011. They were calling it the funniest show on television, and though it is humorous at times claiming it is the best is just ridiculous. Most shows wait to the jump the shark circa season 5, but not New Girl. It took less than three seasons for Jess and Nick to get together and then break up. You might as well call them the Rachel and Ross of the 2010’s. And though the cast is great, the characters personalities give off the impression that they would never be friends if this show was a real life situation. They are too busy self-loathing to make any actual friends.
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The Big Bang Theory
Another Chuck Lorre comedy has made the list! This show has so much appeal because it has what a majority of viewers are looking for in a television show: a hot girl, simple one liner jokes, and popular catch phrases. Another thing this show has is predictable writing. Raise your hand if you thought Penny and Leonard would get together. Raise your hand if you thought something would break them apart. Now raise your hand if you figured they would still end up together later on. Run out of hands to raise? I thought so.
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Frasier
When Cheers ended its run in 1993, the worst character on the show got his own spin-off. We had to spend the next 11 seasons watching Frasier starring Kelsey Grammer. The critics love it and it received so many awards that Dr. Crane’s radio studio would not have been able to hold them all. But is a show about a radio personality offering advice even that funny? Had this show aired ten years later, I do not think it would have lasted an entire season let alone 11.
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Sex and the City
When I was in college, the girls across the hall loved Sex and the City. You may think that since I am guy I don’t “get” the show, but that would be like me saying you don’t “get” Entourage because you are a woman. The reason Sex and the City is overrated has a lot to do with the title character. Not only did Carrie Bradshaw dump Aiden, she also cheated on him and talked about shoes and clothes all day. Talk about deep conversation. This premise actually lasted six seasons and spawned two movies?!
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Glee
It is hard to classify what genre Glee falls into. IMDB.com calls this show a comedy, so I included it on this list. At first, Glee was new and refreshing, but now the show has just gotten repetitive. How many times must we watch Lea Michele and company sing Don’t Stop Believing before we realize that the episode we are watching isn’t the pilot. Now in its fifth season the show has jumped the shark with all of Lima moving to New York City. Hopefully season six will be the last. At least the singing is good.
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You think It’s Always Sunny is funnier than Community? You must have been dropped on your head as a child!
That being said, I agree with about half of this, but Fresh Prince, Boy Meets World, and That 70’s Show never fail to make me laugh out loud even now, years later.
Stopped reading at Community. Stick with your job in HR Tim…
ummm….. you just named the 15 biggest sitcoms of all times and added the word “overrated” to them. Is this somehow an article?
The Office. There were a few chuckles here and there, but very soon I realized that I had more than a casual dislike for every character.
Articles likes this always tend to stir up some controversy. Like I mentioned at the start of the article, these are not my opinions. They are based on research of what TV fans like yourselves felt were overrated shows. I am sure there are some you don’t agree with and others you were glad to see on the list. I thank you for taking the time to read the article.
You should change the name of the list to shows that stayed on the air too long.
“Dissing top ranked shows” would be a better and more correct title. Don’t quit your day job…
if all of those are overrated, what are the best sitcoms? there aren’t left any.
Frasier is not ‘about’ a radio psychologist who gives advice. It’s about his day to day issues with his friends and family. And it was witty and clever. Did you really watch the show?