I gravitate toward shows that balance humor with discomfort–where the laughs are sharp, the drama hits hard, and the characters are gloriously flawed.
10. Doctor Who – A show that proves with enough charisma and cardboard sets, time travel can solve literally any problem except consistent writing.
9. MASH – The only sitcom that could make you laugh, cry, and question the meaning of war all in one scene.
8. Seinfeld – The namesake is the least interesting character on the show but I’d definitely get some soup nazi soup with him.
7. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – A masterclass in how low humanity can go while still being hilarious.
6. Breaking Bad – A chemistry teacher proves that with enough ambition and poor moral judgment, you can turn domestic crises into a drug empire and still make it binge-worthy.
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm – Every social anxiety you’ve ever had, weaponized by Larry David.
4. Succession – Shakespeare, if it was about billionaires too emotionally stunted to say “I love you.”
3. Deadwood – Poetry, profanity, and power struggles in the muddiest town ever televised. This way my Game of Thrones.
2. Mad Men – A show so slick it made chain-smoking and lying look like career goals.
1. House M.D. – It’s never lupus, but it’s always an entertaining thrill with the best characters.
Honorable Mentions: Law & Order (all versions), The X-Files, Peep Show, The Office, Six Feet Under, The Wire, The Sopranos, Justified, Righteous Gemstones, Parks & Rec, Sons of Anarchy, The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Bob’s Burgers, Arrested Development, VEEP, Dexter, Mr. Robot, Task, Shameless, Royal Pains, Wings, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, The IT Crowd, Saved by the Bell, Trailer Park Boys, In Living Color, MAD TV, Reno 911, Rescue Me, The Mandalorian, and so many more.
