Most sitcoms are created to entertain a particular generation of audiences. They easily relate to the jokes, references, and fashion in those sitcoms. However, the moment these sitcoms stop airing, people tend to move on to the next new shiny project. Streaming has made it possible for some of these sitcoms to keep finding a fresh wave of fans who can relate.
Now, this isn’t just mere nostalgia; they’re genuine first-time discoveries, and it’s been happening on a scale that the original broadcast numbers never predicted. Shows like Friends and Modern Family feel like they have been around since forever but never get old. These five sitcoms aren’t just holding on; they’re actively building new audiences, one binge session at a time.
1. Friends
Friends is one sitcom that isn’t just surviving; it’s thriving. A recent YouGov study revealed it’s the top sitcom among Millennials (25% of the vote) and ties for first among Gen Z (13%) alongside Modern Family. What’s even more interesting about these stats is that Friends isn’t exactly flawless. For every “We were on a break” and “Pivot,” there are jokes that haven’t aged as gracefully. The cast is overwhelmingly white for a sitcom set in New York City, and the apartments? Absolutely no way an out-of-work actor and a barista could afford them in the economic climate.
Yet oddly, new viewers keep gravitating towards it like a moth to a flame. The hook isn’t the 90s fashion and questionable dating choices. It’s the fact that the chemistry among the core six cast members is genuinely hard to find, and new viewers can relate to that. They enjoy the low-stakes comfort of a group that fights, forgives, and never leaves. Before it moved to Max, Friends was one of Netflix’s biggest shows. A 30+ year-old show shouldn’t pull those numbers, but here we are.
2. The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory has had its fair share of critics who have jumped on everything, including the humor, which many called formulaic and predictable. But despite that backlash, it keeps attracting new viewers every week, making it one of the most-watched shows on Max, years after the 2019 finale.
The appeal is simple: it’s a show that knows exactly what it is, a bunch of weirdos who don’t exactly fit in anywhere else, finding each other, and it doesn’t even attempt to be anything more. What’s more, the cast, which includes Sheldon (Jim Parsons) being Sheldon, Howard (Simon Helberg) being creepy, and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) being the only one in the group (at least in the beginning) with actual social skills, is genuinely fun to spend time with.
3. Modern Family
Compared to the first two shows on this list, Modern Family is a quiet success story. It didn’t exactly get the same revival hype or elaborate think pieces like the others. But what it had going was a specific kind of staying power, largely influenced by the mockumentary format, which felt fresh in 2009 but has now become a staple of most comfort TV shows. Beyond the format, the Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan feels like a real American family that new viewers easily relate to. And to the show’s credit, it didn’t make it feel like a Very Special Episode every week.
4. How I Met Your Mother
There’s ample evidence to suggest that people weren’t on board with how How I Met Your Mother ended. But somehow, all that anger and frustration now serve as a prime marketing tool for the show. New viewers go in knowing exactly how the show ends, but that knowledge adds to the exhilarating watch experience, not detracts from it. And much like Friends, the cast of characters, including Ted, Lilly, and of course Barney, are fun to hang out with when what the viewer wants is comfort TV that doesn’t bug the mind as much as a prestige TV show like Industry would.
5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
This is arguably the most underrated show on this list because most new viewers don’t think much of it until someone strongly recommends they do. When they eventually get to it, they blow through all 8 seasons in record time and join the queue of the show’s biggest advocates.
So what’s so thrilling about Brooklyn Nine-Nine? Why does it keep getting that reaction from new viewers? First, the show looks like a run-of-the-mill TV police procedural on the surface, but it’s pure comedy with an actual heart. What’s more, the genuinely diverse cast feels natural rather than put together for optics. Jake (Andy Samberg) and Amy (Melissa Fumero) are one of the best couples in TV history, and the jokes still hold up. Of all the shows on this list, B99 probably still has the longest runway left because new audiences keep finding it and keep spreading the word.
Know of any other sitcom that keeps finding a new generation of fans? Let us know in the comments. In the meantime, pick one show from this list and give it a go.
Follow Us
