The 8 most influential TV family sitcoms
David "Rek" Lee
It might be too early to say, but I’m going to go ahead and say it anyway. Modern Family is going down as a classic. Aside from featuring man-hero Ed O’Neill (of Married… with Children fame) and Sofia Vergara’s marvelous tig ol’ biddies, the show is successful for redefining the American TV family. The show explores the stereotypes of three ‘modern’ families; the gay couple with an adopted child, the rich guy enjoying retirement with his younger trophy wife, and the dysfunctional nuclear family; leaving no stones left unturned.
In honor of this achievement, we decided to take a look back at eight other classic shows that shaped the TV family. So grab a beer, throw a frozen dinner in the microwave, and let the good times roll.
8 Leave It To Beaver (1957)
“Beaver, your mother and I are very disappointed in you.” – Ward Cleaver
Similar Shows: Malcolm in the Middle, Everybody Hates Chris
Leave it To Beaver wasn’t the first family sitcom but it was the first to revolve around a kid. The happy-go-lucky Beaver would find himself face to face with a moral dilemma, armed with nothing but naivety and a frown. Soon after, he would falter, earning himself a firm scolding followed by a pat on the head for positive reinforcement. Aw, all’s well that ends well. Due to the lack of heroin addiction and/or AIDs infections, the show may not reach today’s youth but solid writing and a hilarious title (don’t act like you’re above it) keep this show on air 50+ years later.
Trivia: Writers of the show would cut jokes that scored big laughs; they were aiming for chuckles.
7 The Addams Family (1964)
“Right now I have the most enviable collection of coroner’s reports in the neighborhood” – Gomez Addams
Similar Shows: Dinosaurs, 3rd Rock From the Sun
In the early 1960′s, fantasy elements on sitcoms were a rarity. But with a snap of the fingers, The Addams Family changed all that and made it okay for households to possess supernatural abilities, employ Frankenstein-Butlers and own a severed hand as a pet. Today, it’s not crazy to flip on the TV and find a superhero family on ABC (No Ordinary Family), trailer trash cephalopods on Cartoon Network (Squidbillies), and fist-pumping guidos on MTV (Jersey Shore); equally bizarre specimen that owe it to the Addams’ for keeping things out of the ordinary.
Trivia: Gomez and Morticia was the first TV couple that were implicitly sexually active.
6 All in the Family (1971)
“Archie’s Place. Fresh beer on tap. Family environment, we cater to straights.” – Archie Bunker
Similar Shows: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Chappelle Show
Comedy is at its best when it’s used to challenge people and their values. In the 70’s, there were a lot of sitcoms addressing social issues, but nobody did it quite like the Bunker family, or more specifically Archie Bunker. On any given episode, he would run his mouth about ‘spics’ and ‘coloreds’, and then accuse England of being a ‘fag country’. This guy would have made Bill O’Reilly sound like Taylor Swift. Abrasive as it was, the show made it clear Archie was the asshole for his opinions, and so whenever viewers heard him echo their own racist sentiments on screen, it helped them come to terms with hard truths: ‘aw darn, I’m that guy, aren’t I.’
Trivia: All in the Family also pioneered the usage of video for sitcoms. It also featured the first toilet flush heard on television. Which is more significant? You decide.
5 The Cosby Show (1984)
“Your mother asked me to come up here and kill you.” – Cliff Huxtable
Similar Shows: The French Prince of Bel Air, Family Matters
By the 80’s, sitcoms had fallen both in popularity and from its Pleasantville roots. So when successful comedian Bill Cosby was offered a show, he assumed a great deal of creative control and put together something for the family. In the process, he introduced television’s first affluent black family (at the suggestion of his wife) but made sure the show’s primary focus was family, not race; a shrewd choice lauded by critics for bringing American audiences together, by highlighting the common difficulty of raising children. Not only that, he laid down the blueprint for comedians receiving sitcom deals for bits based on their standup act. So you know Seinfeld, Raymond, and every other successful comedian with a show owe Mr. Cosby a drink, or at least a Jello shot.
Trivia: Cosby insisted they film the show in New York over Hollywood. Also, a grown up little Rudy was featured in a hip-hop video a few years ago and nobody really knows how to feel about that.
4 Married… with Children (1987)
“I work in a shoe store, I make less than minimum wage, and yet I’m not happy to be home.” – Al Bundy
Similar Shows: Unhappily Ever After, Roseanne
What do you get when you take a former high school football star, make him sell shoes to obese women, move him next to the most annoying neighbors, and give him an ungrateful family who have no respect for him? If you answered: a sad man in front of his TV with one hand in his pants, you are familiar with the premise of Married… with Children. It’s said that the creators of this show, Michael Moye and Ron Leavitt, were weary of wholesome family sitcoms (namely The Cosby Show) and longed to create something more real to life. Mission accomplished.
Trivia: Producers of the show were iffy about casting Ed O’Neill because of his drama background. But during the audition, he hung his shoulders and let out a sigh before he entered the house and they immediately knew he understood the character (and/or human anguish).
3 The Simpsons (1989)
“See, the thing about my family is there are five of ‘em: Marge, Bart, girl Bart, the one that doesn’t talk, and the fat guy. Oh, how I loathe him.” – Homer (Drunk)
Similar Shows: Family Guy, King of the Hill
The history of animated shows can be categorized kind of like the bible, B.S. (Before Simpsons) and A.S. (After Simpsons). The show premiered when people believed cartoons were exclusively for the kids. On top of that, the high cost of producing animation was unrealistic for a sitcom. With those two factors going against them, producers Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, convinced the world a cartoon family could be taken seriously with smart satirical writing, they solved the latter problem by delegating work to animation studios in Korea, establishing another industry norm. It wasn’t long before the Fox Network gave Homer and the fam its coveted Thursday night slot. By season two, the show’s catchphrases echoed through the streets and on millions of dollars worth of merchandise. Say what you will about its waning quality, with over 20 years in the game, The Simpsons is the longest running sitcom, and your favorite cartoon‘s favorite cartoon.
Trivia: The comic store guy’s catchphrase, “Worst ____ ever!” was created to make fun of a television critic who criticized an episode from the 90′s. The article’s title: “Worst Episode Ever!”
2 The Osbournes (2002)
“It’s like Dr. Doolittle in this f*cking house here.” – Ozzy Osbourne
Similar Shows: Run’s House, Hogan Knows Best
When the “Prince of Darkness” decided to open his doors for reality show cameras and clear the dark haze of rock star mystique, people didn’t know what to expect. Maybe bat heads for supper? Anything was possible. When the show finally premiered, audiences were surprised at how relatively normal family life was in the Osbourne household. Aside from the celebrity and endless mumbling/cussing, Ozzy’s family dealt with every day obstacles such as loud neighbors, pets leaving turd stains on furniture, and extreme difficulty setting up the television. The show became so popular it was instrumental in ushering in the massive wave of celebrity reality shows you see today.
Trivia: Ozzy told BBC Radio 2 that he was high throughout the entire series. No sh*t.
1 Arrested Development (2003)
“This is a Bluth family celebration. It’s no place for children.” – Michael Bluth
Similar Shows: Modern Family
The Bluths are just your average run-of-the-mill family busted for white-collar crime. With the patriarch of the family incarcerated, Michael, the middle son, struggles to keep the clan together as they transition from insanely wealthy to tragically upper-middle class. Unlike other shows on this list, Arrested Development never enjoyed success during its three seasons. Even with an Emmy award, and critics’ borderline begging the public to tune in, ratings only got worse. After cancellation, the show attracted a huge cult following due to word-of-mouth and its availability on DVDs and online streaming. Also, its then unique “mockumentary” style undeniably influences many of the comedies that have come after it. (Cue Gob’s magic theme The Final Countdown)
Trivia: Never-nude is a real condition. It’s called gymnophobia, the fear of naked bodies.
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