Sitcoms: The 101 Greatest TV Comedies of All Time

by Ken Bloom, Frank Vlastnik, John Lithgow (Foreword)

The most beloved, most groundbreaking, and most entertaining TV comedies of all time are celebrated in words and pictures—many of them rare—by the award-winning authors of Broadway Musicals .

In 101 lively chapters and lots of special features, the authors of Broadway Musicals explore our favorite form of popular entertainment—the TV situation comedy. Of the many hundreds of shows that have debuted over TV's 60-year history, the authors have carefully selected the most influential, popular, and enduring ones, from Gilligan's Island to Seinfeld, I Love Lucy to Will and Grace , creating a history of the medium that goes beyond stats and trivia to reveal all that goes into the creation of classic television, from the writing and all-important casting to the directing and, of course, the acting.

Each chapter of Sitcoms features numerous photos, many rare and behind-the-scenes, along with cast lists, artists' biographies, "off-set" tidbits, critical commentary, and all of the relevant statistics. Special features cover such topics as famous unseen characters, sitcom pets, spin-offs, sitcoms made from movies, and many more. It's a visual and informative feast for TV lovers, from nostalgia buffs to the TV Land generation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Tv

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2007

Reviews

[MR SAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is mostly great compare to some others as it include many 60 sitcoms that are classics and great 70 sitcoms include the best Sitcom of the 80 Cheers and Married With Children and the great Perfect Strangers. The 90 greats in Seinfeld, Wings and Coach only missing Night Court strange. F Troop, Gomer Pyle USMC, Mchale's Navy also missed should be in it. Dear John, Just Shoot Me, Gimme A Break, Too Close For Comfort, King of Queens, Mike & Molly, Mork And Mindy, The John Larroquette Show, The Drew Carey Show, Step by Step, The Hogan Family Family Matters, Boy Meets World, Sledgehammer, Empty Nest, Charles in Charge, Unhappily Ever After, Dave's World, Dharma & Greg, Benson, Mama's Family and Welcome Back Kotter missed out. Their no Full House, Whose The Boss, Caroline in the City that were ok Sitcoms as well i wouldnt include with most list on their. The old sitcoms like Nanny and the Professor and The Ghost & Mrs. Muir didn't make it also The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. The Shows the last 2 decades have been poor minus a few like Titus, Grounded for Life, Sullivans And Sons, Undateable, Anger Management, The Last Man Standing, Rules Of Engagement and Hot in Cleveland.

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

101 sitcoms are spotlighted in this encyclopedia for the small screen enthusiasts. From television's early inception to around 2006 (so no streamers are featured here!), history is documented in alphabetical order and uncovered in beautiful photographs from the Library of Congress. Shows were included for their groundbreaking content or for their hard earned 'classic' status and ability to stay on the air in syndication. Yet my very favorite feature of the book is the inserts and 'special chapters' on character actors, sitcoms based on movies, and some well known (or rarely known!) flops that never quite landed. There's something for every viewer in Bloom's love letter to the television industry.

[Anne Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is for anyone who loves TV sitcoms, spanning from the 1950’s to 2000’s. The author picked 101 sitcoms and explained what each one was about, and wrote about the actors and actresses in the shows. Looking up many of the actors to see where they were now, unfortunately, most have passed on. But this trip down memory lane is worth it since sitcoms today don’t stand a chance against these shows of the past.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was okay- fun to look through. I didn't read it cover-to-cover, but there were lots of pictures.

There are a lot of author's opinions included, so it's not just a play-by-play of the shows.

I recommend this for anyone interested in TV history.

[Cyndy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book on a table at my local library and started leafing through it. Decided it would be a good read at the cabin. Great pictures and interesting side stories on some of the great character actors, directors, etc. There are some errors (Donna Douglas not Donna Dixon played Elly May on Beverly Hillbillies) and, of course, omissions of sitcoms I thought should have been included. All in all, a fun read and sure to provoke some great memories of sitting in front of the "boob tube" as a youth and an adult.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic way to reminisce about classics such as "Car 54: Where are You?", "M*A*S*H", "Make Room for Daddy", "Soap", "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet", "Addams Family", "Cosby Show", "Maude", "All in the Family", "Sanford & Son", "The Jeffersons" and many others!

There is a brief synopsis of what each show was about, along with a history of the show and interesting sidebars about specific actors, "Off the Set", a cast list and more!

[Don LaFountaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbled across the book at the local library, and checked it out as it caught my interest. It was a quick read, and I rediscovered a number of sitcoms that I had forgotten I liked. The pictures were great, and the book was well written. The rankings for these sitcoms can be argued over, but I believe the authors nailed the top 100 perfectly. If you like TV sitcoms and have the opportunity to read this book, do yourself a favor and do so.

[Giuseppe · Rating 2 out of 5]

The "Greatest Sitcoms of All Time" by Martin Gitlin, is a much more interesting, entertaining, and better written tome about sitcoms, but this was generally fun reading, despite the fact that the summaries left much to be desired (too many pictures, not enough analysis...analysis doesn't have to be dull!). Also, I would argue that a number of selections in the book didn't merit inclusion (Alf???????)

[Jennifer Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many shows I loved as a kid now seem hokey and lame. Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, even some I watched as a young adult like Coach & Cheers just seem awful when I see them now. The Brady Bunch however has stood the test of time!

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to just browse through and read about your favorite sitcoms. It was perfect for reading just a few minutes each night before bed.

[Philip Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some lovely photos and some great memories. The writing at times shoots off at tangents and it is only American sitcoms.
Enjoyable fluff.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book about our favourite sitcoms. I found myself saying, "Oh ya ... I forgot about that show! Oh ya ... I forgot about that show!"

[Joan Arbogast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun to reminisce with so many lighthearted, humorous shows.