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- Superstore
- NBC
14 Underrated Sitcoms That Deserve More Attention
Vote up the sitcoms more people should be watching.
Exploring the most underrated sitcoms of all time reveals a ton of comedic gems that have flown under the radar. These shows might not have the same level of hype or recognition as mainstream hits, but they bring their own unique flavor and laughter. While they may not have topped the ratings charts, their witty writing and memorable characters have earned them a dedicated fan following.
Consider Superstore, an offbeat comedy that dives into the lives of employees at a big-box store, blending humor with sharp social commentary. Then there's A.P. Bio, where a disgraced philosophy scholar ends up teaching high school biology, turning his classroom into a riot of misadventures. And who can overlook Raising Hope, a heartwarming yet hilariously chaotic series about a young single dad navigating parenthood with his eccentric family? These shows might not have gotten their due accolades, but they certainly deliver in the laughs department.
Now it's your chance to shine a light on these hidden treasures. Which underrated sitcom do you believe deserves a bigger spotlight? Your votes can help elevate these overlooked series to the recognition they deserve. Cast your vote and let’s see which sitcom rises to the top of the underrated heap.
- 1161 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: Set in an enormous Costco-like store in St. Louis, Superstore follows the daily lives and interactions of workers at Cloud 9. Of course, themes include the challenges of retail work, friendship, and romance among floor supervisor Amy, her will-they-won't-they romantic interest Jonah, teen-mom Cheyenne, and Mateo, an undocumented worker.
Why It Deserves More Love: Real-world issues are often not discussed or dealt with in sitcoms as the characters' lives go on in their own bubble. The world we live in basically doesn't exist, but this is not true with Superstore. It not only tackles the lighter topics mentioned above, it deals with much heavier issues, like immigration, workers' rights, corporate greed, and even COVID-19 (as you can imagine, the workers must contend with everything from social distancing to hoarding customers). And it still manages to do it all with humor.
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- 2110 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: Jimmy Chance has a one-night stand with a serial killer who gets pregnant. When she receives the death penalty, he's the only person to raise their daughter, Hope. He and his parents navigate the challenges of raising the little girl while living with their senile grandmother, Maw Maw, who becomes quite the handywoman in her few moments of clarity.
Why It Deserves More Love: Aside from the perpetually adorable Hope, we have to give Raising Hope props for such an original storyline. The Chances, while mostly uneducated, have hearts of gold. There's an innocence about them, and although they often talk about wanting more, they're happy in their own skin and raising a well-rounded kid despite everything.
More Raising Hope- #175 of 481 onThe 400+ Funniest TV Shows Ever, Ranked
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- 395 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: The Middle follows the lower-middle-class Heck family. Practical but perpetually busy parents Frankie and Mike raise their three very different children - Axel, who is the throws of teen rebellion, Sue, forever the optimist, and Brick, a nerdy kid who never met a book he didn't like - in the fictional blink-and-you-miss-town of Orson, Indiana.
Why It Deserves More Love: Between Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, Patricia Heaton takes over where Florence Henderson left off - she was born to be America's sitcom mom. Heaton shines as Frankie Heck, and the series is told from her POV. The show is genuinely funny and relatable. Who doesn't relate to making family dynamics work while trying to make ends meet?
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- 451 VOTES
A.P. Bio
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What The Sitcom’s About: Jack Griffin worked at Harvard but lost his job to a rival and is forced to go back to Toledo, Ohio where he takes a job teaching A.P. biology in high school. But he won't be teaching biology. Instead, he wants to use the kids to get revenge on the man who took his life away from him.
Why It Deserves More Love: While some say the show fell apart in its third season, the irreverent wit (think It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Community) of the first two seasons has earned A.P. Bio a big cult following. While the authority figures behave badly, it's the kids who want to learn biology and end up in a revenge plot that gets plenty of unexpected laughs. Patton Oswalt, who plays a principal trying to keep Griffin on the straight and narrow, was also an inspired casting choice.
- 577 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: Six 30-something friends living in Chicago with very different personalities try to make their often challenging relationships work. They include the successful husband-and-wife duo Brad and Jane, Alex and her ex-boyfriend Dave, Max, a gay man who seemingly never has a job, and Penny, who never quite has the right guy but is perpetually looking.
Why It Deserves More Love: Let's state the obvious first: it sounds very much like Friends, down to the trials and tribulations of six pals in the big city. That being said, Happy Endings is sharper, wittier, and darker than the former and goes places Friends would never dare to go. Unfortunately, it only lasted three seasons (there was some interest from other networks that never panned out). However, that cast has gotten together to do table reads for episodes that were never shot. It has a large cult following, and people are begging for its return to this day.
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- #338 of 481 onThe 400+ Funniest TV Shows Ever, Ranked
- #274 of 282 onThe Greatest Sitcoms In Television History
- 647 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: Recently divorced and neurotic 40-something Jules Cobb lives in Gulfhaven, Florida, a fictional town nicknamed “cougar town” because of the cougar mascot at the local high school. She learns to live the single life once again while navigating the challenges that arise with her ex-husband Bobby, teen son Travis, and the other people in her life, including her neighbors and friends.
Why It Deserves More Love: The show's creators have said they wish they hadn't called the show Cougar Town since viewers weren't fond of it. While Jules dated younger men in the first half of the first season, that plot point was left behind as the series continued. The show lasted six seasons, but its ratings steadily declined over that time, even though the solid writing and laughs never waned.
More Cougar Town- #380 of 481 onThe 400+ Funniest TV Shows Ever, Ranked
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- 749 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: Well-respected single father Ted Crisp works as head of research and development at Veridian Dynamics, a megacorp that does everything from swaying elections to weaponizing pumpkins. Ted walks a fine line between his work responsibilities, Veridian's endless pursuit of the almighty dollar, and his personal ethics. He clearly loves his job but not so much the confusing practices that mark his workday.
Why It Deserves More Love: This snarky sitcom never got past two seasons due to low ratings, but it has gained a cult following for its hilarious and dystopian look at corporate practices (Think Brazil meets Office Space). It was a little too before its time, but if it was released today, it might have a better shot with audiences.
More Better Off Ted- #375 of 481 onThe 400+ Funniest TV Shows Ever, Ranked
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- 838 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: This dark comedy follows the dysfunctional relationship between narcissistic writer Jimmy and self-destructive publicist Gretchen. Despite their mountain of issues, from mental to commitment challenges, they find solace in each other's quirks and bond.
Why It Deserves More Love: The show is equal parts funny, loving, and tragic, as relationships with unhealthy people can sometimes be. The two main characters are people you shouldn't like, but you find yourself rooting for them nonetheless. You're The Worst often veers between high comedy and deep depression but does it so well that you don't want the rollercoaster ride to end.
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- 957 VOTES
Bless This Mess
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What The Sitcom’s About: Trendy New Yorkers Mike and Rio move to Bucksnort, Nebraska, to tend a farm that Mike inherited from his great aunt. The farm needs a lot of love. Despite being severely inexperienced, they are determined to make it work while they get used to the quirky cast of characters that inhabit the small town.
Why It Deserves More Love: The fish out of water plot is one that we've seen almost too many times in sitcoms. In some shows, it's played as mean-spirited, but there's an innocence here that makes Bless This Mess one to watch. The ensemble cast is fun, particularly Pam Grier, who plays a hardware store owner/sheriff who has an awkward relationship with Ed Begley Jr.'s Rudy, an oddball who lives in Mike and Rio's barn. Unfortunately, it lasted only two seasons.
- 1038 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: Kate, a new mom and PR exec, and her psychiatrist pal Annie join “Mommy and Me” classes where they meet shy IT tech Jenny, and Frankie, a real estate agent. Set in Toronto, the women bond over the difficulties of juggling kids, marriage, and work, all while attempting to keep their identity intact.
Why It Deserves More Love: There's not a new mom who can't relate to the expectation that they must be able to balance it all. Workin' Moms shows things as they really can be - difficult. The characters aren't typical TV moms because they are not always likable, don't always have the answers, and aren't always content, but they keep on keeping on nonetheless. And the show is funny, too!
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- #460 of 823 onThe 700+ Best Netflix Original Series
- #27 of 94 onThe 80+ Funniest Netflix Series, Ranked
- 1135 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: How do two best friends survive a crisis? Rutherford Falls residents Nathan Rutherford and Reagan Wells are friends whose relationship is tested when the mayor decides to remove the statue of Nathan's ancestor (known for his attacks on Native Americans in the area) after drivers keep plowing into it. Reagan, an activist from the Minishonka Nation, wants to create a cultural center for her people in its place but also hopes to remain loyal to Nathan.
Why It Deserves More Love: Clever writing and a fun cast make Rutherford Falls a hilarious underdog, and it's one of the first-ever shows with a lead Native American character. No one is perfect in the way sitcoms often attempt to make them; everyone has flaws, but they do the best they can to get along and stay true to themselves.
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The Other Two
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What The Sitcom’s About: Two struggling siblings, Cary, a gay actor, and his sister Brooke, a former dancer, are thrown for a loop when their preteen brother becomes a Justin Bieber-like viral sensation known as ChaseDreams. The series explores their attempts to find their own paths while dealing with their brother's newfound fame. Despite their successes and failures, they love each other through it all.
Why It Deserves More Love: The show's take on Hollywood and child stars combined with a family dynamic where not all is equal among siblings is not the usual stuff of sitcoms, which makes The Other Two an unexpectedly funny watch. Molly Shannon is also a high point as a stage mom who tries to keep herself and her kids in check in the face of fame.
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- 1356 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: What if one your family members showed up at your workplace to do the same type job you do? That's what happens in to New York City news producer Katie Wendelson. Her life is turned upside down when her overbearing and overly involved mother, Carol, decides to intern for Katie's boss, an eccentric and demanding news anchor, Greg.
Why It Deserves More Love: If this show seems like it shares some traits with 30 Rock, well, it does. Tina Fey is a co-producer on Great News, and her witty footprint is clearly all over it. Comedy legend Andrea Martin plays Carol and continues to be hilarious in everything she does. We would have liked to see more of her co-dependent and complex relationship with her daughter a bit more, but despite the critical acclaim, Great News only lasted two seasons.
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- 1419 VOTES
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What The Sitcom’s About: Six friends in LA navigate friendships, romance, and life. This crew consists of a hopeless romantic Noah, his older sister Nicky, their vegan friend Anthony, the perpetually unemployed Sherm, the married Wyatt, and Faye, who works at the wine bar and is recently divorced.
Why It Deserves More Love: Another show that sounds like Friends wasn't given the chance to pick up a core audience the way that show was. That's a shame because viewers who did see Grand Crew's two seasons loved the realistic, warm dynamic between the group. It's light-hearted and joyous with corny, laugh-out-loud jokes. Sitcom soup for the soul, indeed.
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