The 11 Best And 11 Worst Sitcoms On TV Right Now

Partly because they're comparatively cheap and easy for studios to crank out, and partly because laughter, by definition, is universally enjoyed, sitcoms are a cornerstone of both the genre and institution of television. Sitcoms tend to ebb and flow in cultural relevance, but every generation seems to have at least one staple, era-defining half-hour show. The 1950s had "I Love Lucy" much in the way the 2000s and early 2010s had "The Office." The 1990s had "Seinfeld" and "Friends." Some folks today will tell you "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" is their generation's definitive comedy, although that's an extra-subjective statement. 

If we take a look at television's current crop of live action comedies, we see an enhanced scope of representation and a broader diversity of ideas relative to prior decades. Not one of the programs listed below is about a middle-class, nuclear American white family with 2.3 children and a wacky neighbor. The television industrial complex has mercifully given that cliché a vacation. 

Let's note that these rankings are determined via Metacritic scores of shows that are not canceled as of this writing. So what we call the "worst" for the purposes of this article is still considered superior to CBS's "Broke," NBC's "Indebted," or Fox's "Outmatched," and a bunch of others that premiered in 2020, were promptly canceled, and got lower Metacritic marks than anything you'll see here. 

So, what are the best and worst sitcoms on TV today? Let's get down to business... 

Like innumerable other TV stars, Mindy Kaling is going to be known for one thing forever. She's created and/or starred in other successful shows since "The Office" ended in 2013. But just as David Duchovny's always going to be Fox Mulder in the minds of the masses, we'll never mentally disconnect Kaling from Kelly Kapoor. Frankly, we're not sure if we want to. 

Nevertheless, co-creator Kaling did not cast herself in any capacity for the raunchy Netflix teen romp "Never Have I Ever." Her lack of a physical presence helps prevent us from thinking about "The Office" and focusing on this largely-unrelated program starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as high schooler Devi Vishwakumar. Her sophomore year hijinks include attempting to lose her virginity, enhancing her social standing, and coping with the death of her father. Oddly, there's no mention of her dad's passing in the trailer.    

The first season of "Never Have I Ever" made an impressive impact on Netflix during its May 2020 premiere, locked in a respectable 80 Metascore, and hopes to repeat these accolades when the streaming service unleashes its 2nd season in July.

Meanwhile, Tina Fey also executive produces a program with a favorable Metascore that manages to comment on the same nostalgia for turn of the millennium, TRL-propagated bubblegum pop that it uses to hook its audience. Pretty clever, right? 

In the first season of "Girls5eva," rapper Lil Stinker samples the show's eponymous pop group in a hit song, prompting a resurgence of interest in the long-disbanded outfit. This puts the surviving four members in a potentially lucrative but awkward position — they must revisit their oblivious teenage stardom, but thanks to their advanced years and self-awareness, they notice exactly how badly their old bangers have aged. As we can see in the trailer, a tune expressing a generally ambivalent attitude about statutory rape causes particular concern.

"Girls5eva" stars Busy Philipps and real world '90s pop star Sarah Bareilles, and — what are the odds? — its 1st season is not quite the most lauded sitcom about an all-female musical combo on Peacock. 

On the cusp of its 5th and evidently final season on HBO, "Insecure" has established a legacy as the show that made Issa Rae a celebrity, garnered lots of passionate fans, and inspired plenty of other folks to know "Insecure" exists because their significant others watch it.

Rae plays Issa Dee, who copes with normal late 20something/early 30something coming of age-type issues alongside her circle of pals in Los Angeles. Obviously, "Insecure" is thoroughly informed by the Black American experience, which is pretty great for HBO: the last show they produced about young women coming of age in a big city, a black person only appears in a few episodes out of six seasons, and Lena Dunham's character breaks up with him so he gets back at her by making "Atlanta." 

Season 4 of "Insecure" locks in an 80 on Metacritic, which is technically a step down from its height of a 90 Metascore for its 2nd season; meanwhile, the Rotten Tomatoes reviews speak even more warmly about both sets of episodes.  

In the modern tradition of city-based, slice-of-life surrealist comedies starring stand-up comics, "Ramy" stands out by fully embracing the heritage and humanity of its titular lead. Ramy — played by Ramy Youssef — is a Muslim, a porn addict, a candy addict, and struggles with a sexual attraction to his cousin. Chances are good that you can relate directly to at least one of those aspects of Ramy's life that we just mentioned, although which one is none of our business. 

Mahershala Ali swings into Season 2 as Sheikh Ali Malik, who Ramy hopes can add some direction and meaning to an existence otherwise consumed by low-stakes depravity. Hulu's already given the go-ahead for a 3rd season, and Youssef's efforts on "Ramy" have already earned him a Best Actor Golden Globe. Metacritic supports the positive "Ramy"-related vibes with an 83 score.  

Side note: An acquaintance with no prior familiarity with "Ramy" just finished watching the 1st episode of Season 2, and could be overheard saying, "How is it possible that I've been watching the 4th season of 'Handmaid's Tale' but I didn't even know this existed?" 

One of the highlights in the post-Scully phase of Gillian Anderson's career, Netflix's "Sex Education" takes a maximalist approach to the all-too familiar concept of horny, awkward teenagers. Anyone who is currently or once was a teenager certainly recalls some degree of horniness and awkwardness associated with that period in their lives. But at Moordale Secondary School, the kids are dangerous sex maniacs who fumble and stammer and cause a commotion that makes everyone around them uncomfortable at all times. Luckily, they have classmate Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) around to offer reasonably-priced guidance. Otis is a virgin, but has absorbed significant emotional intelligence from his globally-famous sex therapist mother Jean (Anderson). 

Let's say "Sex Education" is kind of like 1999's "American Pie," except it's British, and does not include any of the most cringe-inducing material ever filmed.

The 2nd season appears to improve on the 1st, as they score a respective 83 and 79 on Metacritic. As is the natural progression for an improving show, "Sex Education" is heading into its 3rd season, slated for a 2021 premiere. 

In the tradition of 2013's "We Are The Best!" and multiple iterations of "Josie and the Pussycats," Channel 4 and Peacock's "We Are Lady Parts" chronicles scrappy young female musicians and their rock 'n' roll-oriented goings-on. 

Lady Parts is an all-Muslim band, and non-traditional creative sensibilities inevitably clash with traditional community expectations; as do the scheduling and priority conflicts, plus stage fright meltdowns that go part and parcel with any musical aspirations. "We Are Lady Parts" pulls in a very solid 84 on Metacritic and a literally solid 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

We can't think of any other TV shows with Muslim women in the cast majority, and frankly, it's high time television gave us a new hit comedy about a rock band. The last one we recall offhand is "Metalocalypse," which was canceled in 2013 (but is coming back as a movie). It might be the case that "We Are Lady Parts" is filling two glaring voids in the television landscape.   

Unusual or uncomfortable family dynamics provide a basis for entirely too many sitcoms, but "Back" puts a groovy spin on the tried and true trope. What happens when your family is not, in any emotional or biological sense, your family at all? 

If we understand the premise of "Back" from the trailers to Season 1 and Season 2, a man named Stephen (David Mitchell) is about to inherit a bar from his newly-deceased father. This expected chain of events faces complications when long-lost foster brother Andrew (Robert Webb) re-enters the picture with vague, possibly sinister motivations. That's a drag for Stephen, but it's worked out pretty well for the pile of critics who've enjoyed "Back" enough to grant it an 85 on Metacritic. 

Fans of British comedy are likely aware that "Back" is hardly Webb and Mitchell's first project together. They also co-starred in "Peep Show" from 2003 to 2015, which notably provided Olivia Colman a place to work before she was later crowned Queen in both "The Favourite" and "The Crown."  

As a major turn-of-the-millennium singing sensation who would later play Rose Tyler, the foundational sidekick of modern-era "Doctor Who," Billie Piper is the only entertainer we can think of who's a legitimate pop star and a certified icon of sci-fi/fantasy television. We wonder if that's why she looks kind of stressed out in the promotional material for her critically lauded Sky Atlantic/HBO Max show, "I Hate Suzie." 

Popstardom is stressful. Dealing with "Doctor Who" nerds in some capacity virtually every day is stressful. Decades without a meaningful "off" switch for the constant attention would drive any person loony. 

However, Suzie Pickles is an imaginary character created by Piper and "Succession" executive producer Lucy Prebble — so any connection to Piper's real life is at least somewhat coincidental. In "I Hate Suzie," some slimy ne'er-do-well hacks Pickles's phone, and she spends the first season of the program navigating the fallout. Metacritic grants these goings-on an encouraging score of 85, and Sky's locked it in for a second batch of episodes.

With all due respect to "Orange is the New Black" and maybe even "Oz," it's refreshing to see a series about an ex-convict with a ordinary set of problems. The struggles of Miri Matteson (Daisy Haggard) mostly scan like the type of mundane rigmarole to which those of us who haven't been formally charged of any crimes can easily relate. She also contends with returning to normal life following not quite 20 years behind bars, which is a significant culture shock for everyone involved. (Although, if we're watching the trailer correctly, it kind of looks the same way social anxiety feels?) 

According to Metacritic's highly optimistic score of 87, folks who check out "Back To Life" tend to walk away feeling very positive about the experience. While the show's only got six episodes in the can and on the air thus far, the BBC's tagged it for a second season.  

It's been more than three years since the sensible portion of Hollywood collectively washed its hands of Louis C.K. The confirmation of several sexual misconduct allegations led to the demise of just about every project his problematic fingers had come into contact with...except for "Better Things." The program C.K. co-created with Pamela Adlon not only survived his cancellation, but carries on into its 5th season.

How could this be? Well, partly because "Better Things" was always a Adlon joint. The show's star has also been its primary director since the start of season 2. But the FX comedy is also bolstered by top-notch acting, emotional complexity, and a kind of low-key eccentricity, which probably would have kept it on the air even if Louis played the creepy next door neighbor or something along those lines.     

We can describe "Better Things" as what it would be like if an old school network sitcom about a single mom struggling to raise multiple children was written for intelligent adults, filmed in a cinematic manner that in no way resembled an old school network sitcom, and allowed its characters to curse. Metacritic gives season 4 a 90, indicating its superiority to almost every other program listed here. 

By necessity, children and teenagers on television generally don't behave very much like actual children and teenagers. If they did, the characters wouldn't be charming; they'd be unbearably awkward and disturbing. That's the real reason why "Freaks and Geeks" only lasted one season — it was too accurate. 

Fortunately for stars and co-creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, the major networks no longer wield total control over what does and doesn't stay on the air. This leaves them free to unleash their viscerally unsettling, only slightly nightmarish vision of 7th and 8th grade on the masses, who clap and bark like adorable baby seals in appreciation. 

Picture "Broad City," make all the characters 12 years old and living around the year 2000, then sprinkle in some "Twin Peaks"-esque ambivalence toward linear reality, and we think you get a general sense of "PEN15." The cast also includes Melora Walters of "Magnolia" fame, while Richard Karn, a.k.a. Al From "Home Improvement," also appears semi-regularly. 

Due to COVID-related logistical issues, Season 2 has yet to fully see the light of day. But the first seven episodes score a near-flawless 93 on Metacritic, granting it supreme status among current sitcoms.