Entertainment
10 Near-Perfect Sitcoms Nobody Remembers
Sitcoms arguably aren’t what they used to be. While there are some great new ones, many sitcoms today rely on inspiration from ones that came before them. Some of them are even outright copies, spinoffs, or sequels. There have been some near-perfect sitcoms that changed the game and inspired others, like Friends and Seinfeld. But there are also forgotten ones that, rather than make a mark, have fallen into obscurity despite being so good, and likely used as references for shows we see today.
Fans have either forgotten about them entirely, forgotten how good they were, or simply stopped talking about them. With many of these shows still available to stream, they’re worth a second look. Whether you’re watching again decades later or for the first time, you might be surprised at how much you love them.
10
‘Small Wonder’ (1985–1989)
If there was ever a sitcom from the ’80s that is ripe for being remade today, it’s Small Wonder. The show was so far ahead of its time that the premise might seem more believable today than it did back then. Ted Lawson (Dick Christie) is a robotics engineer working on a humanoid robot designed to work as a domestic servant in homes with disabled children. Before pushing it to market, however, he brings the Voice Input Child Identicant (V.I.C.I), played by Tiffany Brissette, home with him. He calls her Vicki and integrates her into his family as a testing ground. The idea is to pass her off as a real girl.
The humor comes in Small Wonder when guests stop by, including the nosy neighbors who always pop in unexpectedly, and Vicki’s robotic nature draws suspicion. She does not express emotion, of course, and takes things literally. Sometimes, she even malfunctions. Small Wonder is one of the greatest ’80s shows nobody remembers. It’s downright hilarious, and a premise that could totally work today with a humanoid AI robot character, if a network were so inclined to bring it back. Even though the show aired 96 episodes across four seasons, Small Wonder has just become a blip in memories.
9
‘Raising Hope’ (2010–2014)
Back in the early 2010s, Raising Hope was a witty sitcom with an unbelievable premise. James “Jimmy” Chance (Lucas Neff) has a one-night stand with a woman who turns out to be a serial killer. When she is later sentenced to death, Jimmy learns that she is pregnant and gave birth to his daughter. Now, he has sole custody of Hope (Bayley and Rylie Cregut). At just 23 years old, Jimmy knows nothing about raising a child, so he seeks the help of his family, including his mother, Virginia (Martha Plimpton), and father, Burt (Garret Dillahunt).
The family is working class, Virginia holding down a job as a maid, and Burt running a lawn care/pool cleaning business. But they do the best they can. Airing for four seasons, Raising Hope leans into absurdist humor that combines laughs with sweetness. It has often been compared to Malcolm in the Middle in its tone. It’s one of those classic 21st-century sitcoms that is worth revisiting, helping define what would become a new generation of the genre.
8
‘Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23’ (2012–2014)
There are still some die-hard fans who continue to express their anger for Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23 ending so soon, naming it among the great sitcoms that were canceled too soon. There was some chatter recently about the show following the death of James Van Der Beek, who plays a fictional version of himself in the series. The story centers around Chloe (Krysten Ritter), an irresponsible young woman who cons others into sharing rent. She takes their money up front, then terrorizes them until they leave, declaring the deposit non-refundable. But when she meets small-town, naïve June (Dreama Walker), she can’t seem to get this woman to leave. June is so dejected about her situation, so starved for meaning in her life, that she’ll put up with just about anything.
So begins an unlikely friendship between two very different ladies, like a gender-swapped odd couple pairing. Praised for the acting and snappy dialogue, even called one of the most exciting new series in the year of its debut, Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23 received rave reviews, but got cut from the primetime lineup before it really had the chance to shine. It’s one of those shows that would probably have done better on a streaming platform.
7
‘Get a Life’ (1990–1992)
You have probably long forgotten about this short-lived Fox sitcom that stars Chris Elliott as Chris Peterson, a 30-year-old man-child who delivers newspapers and lives above his parents’ garage. He gets in lots of trouble, a man of his age shouldn’t, much to the chagrin of his parents. This includes his father, who is played by his real-life father and comedian Bob Elliott.
The show was far more disturbing than your cookie-cutter sitcom, plotlines often involving Chris dying, only to be resurrected in the next episode, much like Kenny in South Park. Elliott has a way about him, his comedic styling absurd and spastic, which was challenging for viewers (and network executives) to wrap their heads around compared to other, more wholesome sitcoms on the air at the time. But some who look back now think Get a Life was one of the most clever, underrated sitcoms made because it completely went against the grain.
6
‘Smart Guy’ (1997–1999)
While Young Sheldon is a prequel series to The Big Bang Theory, there’s no denying that it, and other shows like Malcolm in the Middle, drew at least some inspiration from the success of shows like Smart Guy. In this late ’90s sitcom, Tahj Mowry plays T.J. Henderson, a child prodigy who is pulled from fourth grade and placed into high school because of his genius-level IQ. This doesn’t necessarily sit well with his two older siblings, including his underachieving older brother Marcus (Jason Weaver). T.J. has a rough time adjusting to being among pubescent kids much older than him.
Airing for three seasons, Smart Guy isn’t just about a smart kid; it’s also a story about fitting in when you’re different. With the kids raised by their widowed single father, the sitcom has lots of heart. It was one of the few at the time centered around a middle-class Black family as well.
5
‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’ (2006–2010)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus gets so much attention for her roles in Seinfeld and Veep that her work in The New Adventures of Old Christine is overshadowed by these career-defining roles. But the CBS sitcom aired for five seasons and was arguably just as good in its own charming way. In it, she plays Christine, a single mother trying to balance her career with raising her son. She also has to deal with the complicated, albeit friendly, relationship with her ex-husband Richard (Clark Gregg), who has a new, younger girlfriend also named Christine (Emily Rutherford), hence the name of the show.
The sitcom also stars Hamish Linklater as Christine’s brother Matthew and Wanda Sykes as her best friend Barb. It’s a relatable story of a single mother trying to keep up with it all, from the seemingly perfect other moms at her son’s private school to her ex’s younger girlfriend. Adding to the humor, however, is Christine’s self-absorbed nature and insecurities. Funny, witty, and beautifully written and acted, given the high-profile talent at the center of the show, it’s a wonder why The New Adventures of Old Christine was canceled.
4
‘My Wife and Kids’ (2001–2005)
Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin star in this sitcom about a wealthy Black family led by Michael (Wayans). But his wife Janet (Campbell-Martin), son Michael Jr. (George O. Gore II), and daughters Claire (Jazz Raycole, Jennifer Nicole Freeman) and Kady (Parker McKenna Posey) really rule the roost over him. That dynamic leads to much of the comedy on the show.
The ABC sitcom, which aired for five seasons and came after Wayans’ forgotten ’90s sitcom Damon, is wholesome, comedic fun. While the show got a lot of attention when it was on the air, in the two-plus decades since it ended, it has been largely forgotten. Wayans has tried his hand at sitcoms again, including in Poppa’s House, in which he starred with his real-life son Damon Wayans Jr. But My Wife and Kids is the sitcom that really put him on the map in the genre, and showed how he could translate his sketch comedy experience from shows like Saturday Night Live and In Living Color into a 30-minute weekly comedy.
3
‘Better Off Ted’ (2009–2010)
This short-lived satirical sitcom features Ted (Jay Harrington), a head of research and development at a fictional company, often breaking the fourth wall to address the audience about the ridiculous things going on at his work. A workplace comedy like no other, Better Off Ted stars Portia de Rossi as Ted’s supervisor and Andrea Anders as his co-worker and love interest, Linda.
Despite being praised for its witty and satirical humor and being counted among the best 2000s sitcoms, Better Off Ted only lasted two seasons, after which it completely fell off the map. The victim of low ratings, it’s the type of sitcom that might have done better on a streaming service. Aside from the daily antics, it’s also a powerful message about evil corporations, how they can do things like sway politics, and the lengths they’ll go to manipulate people and make money.
2
‘Head of the Class’ (1986–1991)
Head of the Class is about history teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman) and his class of gifted high school students. The show changed for its final two seasons with Billy Connolly taking on the role following Hesseman’s departure. Revived for HBO Max in 2021, the new version only lasted a single season before it was canceled and outright removed from the streamer.
That short-lived revival was the last time anyone heard about Head of the Class beyond mention is the Investigation Discovery docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. That’s because Dan Schneider, who went to create and produce several Nickelodeon kids’ shows, starred in the series. Beyond that, however, Head of the Class is worth remembering as a lovely glimpse into high school life for students who aren’t exposed to the mainstream curriculum and have their own unique experience.
1
‘Herman’s Head’ (1991–1994)
Often credited with being a precursor to the animated movie Inside Out, Herman’s Head is a hilarious sitcom about Herman Brooks (William Ragsdale), a research assistant working for a magazine publisher. Viewers get to see what’s going on in Herman’s thought process through actors who represent his most dominant personality traits: sensitivity, lust and hunger, anxiety, and intellect and logic. They are constantly at odds with one another while Herman tries to make pivotal decisions. A few others pop up when the situation calls for them, like jealousy and even once God, played by the late Leslie Nielsen.
A clever way to show how much processing goes on in our brains before we do or say anything, Herman’s Head was cancelled due to low ratings. But it deserved more attention and remains one of the best ’90s shows you probably haven’t seen. The show did come up in recent pop culture when an episode of Only Murders in the Building opens with a character watching an episode of the show.
Herman’s Head
- Release Date
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1991 – 1994-00-00
- Network
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FOX
- Directors
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J.D. Lobue, Andy Cadiff, Gail Mancuso
- Writers
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Michael B. Kaplan, Adam Markowitz, Karl Fink, Roberto Benabib, David Landsberg, Bill Freiberger, David Babcock, Cheryl Holliday, Diane Wilk, Andy Guerdat, Don Demaio, Rich Singer, Tim Maile, Barry Stringfellow, Steve Kreinberg, Graham Yost, Douglas Tuber
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Amber Van Lent
Woman at Bar
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Barbara Alyn Woods
Danielle
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