My Picks for the 10 Most Overrated Sitcoms of All Time

[icecream]

1. Friends. 6 hours a day on TBS, yet its spoiled rotten fans complained when Young Sheldon came to Nick at Nite and slightly scaled back Friends there. And a big deal was made about this mediocre show leaving Netflix. The under the radar sitcom Friends was spun off from, Mad About You, is 100 times better.
2. The Office. Single camera mockumentary crap like this becoming popular is what forever ruined NBC's comedies, also paving the way for other horribly unfunny shows like 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family which is further down on this list. All the characters are annoying, especially Dwight. And the shaky camera job is terrible. That type of shooting is understandable for someone like Michael J. Fox who can't help his condition. But not for the whole show of The Office. And like Friends, a way too big of deal was made out of this dreck leaving Netflix. Peacock has advertised its exclusivity a lot knowing this show's popularity won't die, even though it deserves to. Also, the TNT era of Leverage starring Timothy Hutton is one of the best shows ever made, with the quality usually being top notch. But Leverage's episode spoofing The Office was awful, terribly boring and not worth continued viewing like most of the show.
3. The Golden Girls- While the acting on this is better than Friends and The Office, The Golden Tramps is easily the most overrated pre-90s show. Betty White is placed way too high on a pedestal by her fans, she is nothing special. And Bea Arthur is so repulsive.
4. All in the Family- what a nasty, mean-spirited show. Archie Bunker and Meathead are both horrible, unlikable characters. The constant politics is a turn-off too.
5. Three's Company- easily the most overrated 70s sitcom that didn't come from Norman Lear. While John Ritter is a very good actor, the writing on this is horribly sleazy.
6. Married with Children- total garbage that signifies the lowest common denominator crude humor FOX has been known for.
7. The Simpsons- While garbage like Family Guy that started the Seth McFarlane empire is worse, its success would not have been possible without The Simpsons becoming a pop culture explosion in the 90s. Even many Simpsons fans who really liked the 90s era would agree it has long overstayed its welcome and is well past its prime, needing put out of its misery.
8. Modern Family- easily the most overrated sitcom from the 2010s decade. Unlike Frasier, MF did not deserve both its popularity and Emmy success at all. The Middle which premiered the same year and also had a long run is 1000 times better a show than Modern Family. Yet the snobbish, stuck-up critics refused to recognize The Middle's brilliance at all.
9. Two and a Half Men- Chuck Lorre is very hit and miss. Shows like Young Sheldon and Grace Under Fire can be really good. The Big Bang Theory has some good moments but is really inconsistent. But Two and a Half Men is total garbage, the CBS version of Married with Children but you would expect better from CBS.
10. The King of Queens- This show is average at best to mediocre. Kevin James and Leah Remini are so-so actors. It is sad KOQ has been consistently popular in syndication. But DAG, the best one season sitcom of all time that kicked off the 2000s decade, was cut short way too soon. And the much superior Corner Gas to KOQ from the same time period was a big hit in Canada, but sadly most US residents don't know about it. WGN treated Corner Gas like crap and no other cable network will even touch it.

Dishonorable mentions go to Roseanne, Good Times and The Honeymooners. I thought Roseanne was a despicable person and unlikable character on her 90s hit long before it became popular to think that way a few years ago. Dinobarf! Maybe Good Times would have been watchable without JJ. But as it is, only good part of Good Times was the theme song. While The Honeymooners is better than a lot of modern sitcoms, it is very overrated by pre-70s standards. Ralph Kramden is a horrible person who was awful to his wife.

[dee2364]

These shows are not overrated; they're just shows you didn't personally like.

[Svenfan1234]

Originally Posted by dee2364

These shows are not overrated; they're just shows you didn't personally like.

Personal opinions do not equal how everybody else views things.

[icecream]

Yes they are overrated. Anything that is popular or critically acclaimed can qualify for it. Duh, it's my personal opinion. But everyone will have opinions on what they think is overrated. Snarky responses like yours are not necessary.

[cnnbcbs]

1-9 The Office
10. Seinfeld

I used to like The Office but between all of the michael scott memes and everyone deciding to binge watch the office in 2020 and now, the hype's a bit much.

[stevea]

If anything stands out to me (yes, personal opinions) as overrated, it's The Office. And the ratings on the original run prove it. Overrated by NBC and the elite critics, evidently, bu not by Nielsen.

Its first season (6 episodes) was #102 in overall, and #82 in 18-49. OK, somebody at NBC liked it. So the second season saw an improvement in 18-49, to #34, but overall was the pits at #67.

So, somebody or somebodies at NBC REALLY liked it. Third season, #68 overall, and #28 in 18-49. Now they have something to go on, it's on a definite upward trend in 18-49. Fourth season, #77 overall AND in 18-49. No excuse, it needs to be cancelled, but no. #52 in both in the next season. Egad. Well, eventually in seasons 6 and 7 it goes to #11 in 18-49, the ONLY good ratings. For the final 2 seasons it plunged again.

IIRC it was on TBS for awhile, but quietly withdrawn.

Overrated, with proof. Had I been an NBC stockholder I would have wanted answers. Also, you mentioned 30 Rock and Parks and Rec. Both were rating disasters--by comparison, The Office looks good.
------
With regard to Two and a Half Men, it started out to be quite viewable and funny for the first four or five seasons--particularly the first 3 seasons were very funny. Then they really took it into the gutter, and it got worse in the Kutcher years.

[stevea]

Modern Family did well in ratings in its 3rd thru 6th seasons (better in 18-49 earlier), and plunged into the gutter in seasons 9 thru 11. In fairness by then some of that could be due to cord-cutting and streaming. It came from the creators of Back to You, a Patricia Heaton/Kelsey Grammar sitcom that got a raw deal from Fox (it really didn't belong on Fox because it wasn't the normal Fox garbage). I can't criticize MF too much because I never tried it, but I do agree that The Middle was a great show that was underrated, and kudos to ABC for keeping it 9 seasons.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by stevea

It came from the creators of Back to You, a Patricia Heaton/Kelsey Grammar sitcom that got a raw deal from Fox (it really didn't belong on Fox because it wasn't the normal Fox garbage).

Back to You was definitely better than the normal FOX garbage, maybe the best sitcom they ever aired. At the time I was not happy with its premature cancellation. However, that ended up being a good thing. Otherwise The Middle wouldn't have existed at all, or if it did with a lesser actress playing Frankie Heck and a lot shorter run.

[GentlemanJim]

FWIW, I agree with you completely, except for the following changes:

Originally Posted by catsrule

1. Friends. 6 hours a day on TBS, yet its spoiled rotten fans complained when Young Sheldon came to Nick at Nite and slightly scaled back Friends there. And a big deal was made about this mediocre show leaving Netflix. The under the radar sitcom Friends was spun off from, Mad About You, is 100 times better.
2. The Office. Single camera mockumentary crap like this becoming popular is what forever ruined NBC's comedies, also paving the way for other horribly unfunny shows like 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family which is further down on this list. All the characters are annoying, especially Dwight. And the shaky camera job is terrible. That type of shooting is understandable for someone like Michael J. Fox who can't help his condition. But not for the whole show of The Office. And like Friends, a way too big of deal was made out of this dreck leaving Netflix. Peacock has advertised its exclusivity a lot knowing this show's popularity won't die, even though it deserves to. Also, the TNT era of Leverage starring Timothy Hutton is one of the best shows ever made, with the quality usually being top notch. But Leverage's episode spoofing The Office was awful, terribly boring and not worth continued viewing like most of the show.
3. The Golden Girls- While the acting on this is better than Friends and The Office, The Golden Tramps is easily the most overrated pre-90s show. Betty White is placed way too high on a pedestal by her fans, she is nothing special. And Bea Arthur is so repulsive.
4. All in the Family- what a nasty, mean-spirited show. Archie Bunker and Meathead are both horrible, unlikable characters. The constant politics is a turn-off too.
5. Three's Company- easily the most overrated 70s sitcom that didn't come from Norman Lear. While John Ritter is a very good actor, the writing on this is horribly ditzy.
6. Roseanne- Roseanne was a despicable person and unlikable character on her 90s hit long before it became popular to think that way a few years ago.She reminds me of every obnoxious, fat, drunken woman I've ever met in a bar.
7. Modern Family- easily the most overrated sitcom from the 2010s decade. Unlike Frasier, MF did not deserve both its popularity and Emmy success at all. I can't believe that Ed O'neill has sold out like this
8. Good Times-Maybe Good Times would have been watchable without JJ. But as it is, only good part of Good Times was..???
9. Two and a Half Men- Chuck Lorre is very hit and miss. Shows like Young Sheldon and Grace Under Fire can be really good. The Big Bang Theory has some good moments but is really inconsistent. But Two and a Half Men is total garbage.
10. The King of Queens- This show is average at best to mediocre. Kevin James and Leah Remini are so-so actors. It is sad KOQ has been consistently popular in syndication. But DAG, the best one season sitcom of all time that kicked off the 2000s decade, was cut short way too soon. And the much superior Corner Gas to KOQ from the same time period was a big hit in Canada, but sadly most US residents don't know about it. WGN treated Corner Gas like crap and no other cable network will even touch it.

.

Sorry, but I can't agree with you about MWC or The Simpsons, those two shows, IMO, hold parts of American Culture up for scrutiny that very much deserve to be scrutinized in a light different from the status quo

[Theda Bara]

I agree with you, except for All in the Family; one of the best sitcoms of the 1970s, The show is entertaining today.

Three's Company is another great sitcom.

[stevea]

MWC is a standout example of total gutter garbage, IMO. It certainly fit right in on Fox.

[stevea]

Re the Simpsons, check the ratings over the later years. Nothing warrants its continuation, other than that it's gotta be cheap to produce. Major cost would probably be the voice actors, certainly not the animation.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by catsrule

3. The Golden Girls- While the acting on this is better than Friends and The Office, The Golden Tramps is easily the most overrated pre-90s show. Betty White is placed way too high on a pedestal by her fans, she is nothing special. And Bea Arthur is so repulsive.

I agree so much with this. The Golden Girls did nothing but rip off other shows. They took the premise of The Facts of Life and altered their core 4 to be older using the same character attributes. Not only that but they also use the business angle The Facts of Life introduced in 1983 in their spin off for The Golden Palace. They also use the same score music that Soap uses in the episodes. Was there supposed to be anything original about this show or was it to focus on the big name actresses of Bea and Betty? I love Bea as Maude but I can't stand her as Dorothy. I try but I can't rewatch The Golden Girls like I can with other shows. I don't understand the appeal of it.

[stevea]

^I forgot to vent on GG too. Agree totally with the above!

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by catsrule

1. Friends. 6 hours a day on TBS, yet its spoiled rotten fans complained when Young Sheldon came to Nick at Nite and slightly scaled back Friends there. And a big deal was made about this mediocre show leaving Netflix. The under the radar sitcom Friends was spun off from, Mad About You, is 100 times better.
2. The Office. Single camera mockumentary crap like this becoming popular is what forever ruined NBC's comedies, also paving the way for other horribly unfunny shows like 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and Modern Family which is further down on this list. All the characters are annoying, especially Dwight. And the shaky camera job is terrible. That type of shooting is understandable for someone like Michael J. Fox who can't help his condition. But not for the whole show of The Office. And like Friends, a way too big of deal was made out of this dreck leaving Netflix. Peacock has advertised its exclusivity a lot knowing this show's popularity won't die, even though it deserves to. Also, the TNT era of Leverage starring Timothy Hutton is one of the best shows ever made, with the quality usually being top notch. But Leverage's episode spoofing The Office was awful, terribly boring and not worth continued viewing like most of the show.
3. The Golden Girls- While the acting on this is better than Friends and The Office, The Golden Tramps is easily the most overrated pre-90s show. Betty White is placed way too high on a pedestal by her fans, she is nothing special. And Bea Arthur is so repulsive.
4. All in the Family- what a nasty, mean-spirited show. Archie Bunker and Meathead are both horrible, unlikable characters. The constant politics is a turn-off too.
5. Three's Company- easily the most overrated 70s sitcom that didn't come from Norman Lear. While John Ritter is a very good actor, the writing on this is horribly sleazy.
6. Married with Children- total garbage that signifies the lowest common denominator crude humor FOX has been known for.
7. The Simpsons- While garbage like Family Guy that started the Seth McFarlane empire is worse, its success would not have been possible without The Simpsons becoming a pop culture explosion in the 90s. Even many Simpsons fans who really liked the 90s era would agree it has long overstayed its welcome and is well past its prime, needing put out of its misery.
8. Modern Family- easily the most overrated sitcom from the 2010s decade. Unlike Frasier, MF did not deserve both its popularity and Emmy success at all. The Middle which premiered the same year and also had a long run is 1000 times better a show than Modern Family. Yet the snobbish, stuck-up critics refused to recognize The Middle's brilliance at all.
9. Two and a Half Men- Chuck Lorre is very hit and miss. Shows like Young Sheldon and Grace Under Fire can be really good. The Big Bang Theory has some good moments but is really inconsistent. But Two and a Half Men is total garbage, the CBS version of Married with Children but you would expect better from CBS.
10. The King of Queens- This show is average at best to mediocre. Kevin James and Leah Remini are so-so actors. It is sad KOQ has been consistently popular in syndication. But DAG, the best one season sitcom of all time that kicked off the 2000s decade, was cut short way too soon. And the much superior Corner Gas to KOQ from the same time period was a big hit in Canada, but sadly most US residents don't know about it. WGN treated Corner Gas like crap and no other cable network will even touch it.

Dishonorable mentions go to Roseanne, Good Times and The Honeymooners. I thought Roseanne was a despicable person and unlikable character on her 90s hit long before it became popular to think that way a few years ago. Dinobarf! Maybe Good Times would have been watchable without JJ. But as it is, only good part of Good Times was the theme song. While The Honeymooners is better than a lot of modern sitcoms, it is very overrated by pre-70s standards. Ralph Kramden is a horrible person who was awful to his wife.

The only shows I agree with are

Friends
The Office
Modern Family
Two and A Half Men