March 12, 2025
Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
It seems like wherever I look on social media, there is always some sort of clip from a sitcom that once ruled the airwaves. Seeing this had me wondering why my algorithm was pushing them to so many people’s feeds, I mean, most of them had thousands upon thousands of likes.
While popular new sitcoms are few and far between, it seems that those that have stuck with people are ones that were likely watched growing up — “Friends,” “The Office” and “New Girl” are some current fan favorites.
Part of understanding why these shows have seen such a resurgence in popularity means understanding the history of sitcoms and why they were so beloved in the first place.
The word “sitcom” itself is short for “situational comedy.” They typically features recurring casts of characters to allow for continuity in the story. A majority are filmed in front of a live studio audience, while others opt for canned laughter. Sitcoms were also popularly animated as soon as the ‘90s, with shows like “The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill” and “Family Guy” making their debut and taking TVs by storm.
While they got their start on the radio during the 1920s, sitcoms didn’t really take off until the 1950s when “I Love Lucy” first aired, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. The show ran for six years, and is still considered one of the most influential shows of all time. Many popular tropes and plotlines were born on “I Love Lucy,” and jokes surrounding the wildly mismatched couple are still made in shows today.
Part of what worked so well for the sitcom was the fact that it followed the characters’ day-to-day lives and took place mostly in the home. This created a familiar atmosphere that made fans feel as if they personally knew the Ricardo family.
As sitcoms advanced through the years, scenes began to take place in other familiar settings — school, work, even bars became a subject, as seen in the 1982 show “Cheers.” Viewers were able to watch the shows and feel seen in the characters, going as far as being able to commiserate the stress of work and family that was always at the forefront of problems.
The ‘90s and early 2000s meant that friend groups began to take precedence as the center of sitcoms rather than family. Programs like “Friends” and “How I Met Your Mother” showed that a found family is just as strong and important as one’s biological family. Not long afterwards, “The Big Bang Theory” and “New Girl” would also share this premise.
Of course, family centered sitcoms were still just as popular during this period and had many viewers sitting to watch them, as most shows aired on the same network and premiered back to back. Streaming services have made accessing and watching these shows much easier than ever before.
So what does this all have to do with the resurging popularity of older sitcoms? After all, it seems like it’s millennials and Generation Z watching them the most.
Believe it or not, it’s for the same reason that sitcoms became popular in the first place: the familiar atmosphere and ability to relate to characters. I mean, my partner tells me every time we watch “How I Met Your Mother” that we’re Marshall and Lily. If that’s not an indicator of how relatable these shows are, then I don’t know what is.
The recent uptick in popularity of these shows started back in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. With people stuck in quarantine for months on end and unable to see their friends and family in person, they turned to sitcoms for that feeling of being with their loved ones. It reminded them of good times and the social interactions that made us human.
This continued through 2021 and 2022, with “The Office” especially picking up some of its highest streaming numbers in the period between February 2021 and March 2022.
After the pandemic, however, social interactions began to shift and had vastly changed from before. More and more people began to find themselves disconnected from their loved ones, finding that using a screen to communicate had made things sorely different.
Consequently, people fell back on sitcoms for that sense of belonging and familiarity.
It seems now, however, that Hollywood is back into the push for superhero movies and first responder shows that took the 2010s by storm. After all, when I looked at a list of the best sitcoms of 2024 and 2025 so far, I found that I hadn’t even heard of more than half of said list. Whether they’re being promoted or swept under the rug is the real question.
But, regardless of what’s happening with the newer sitcoms, people still find themselves turning to the classics that they grew up with. In a way, it reminds me of the way my memaw always rewatches “M*A*S*H” and “Little House on the Prairie,” reminding viewers of what they consider to be the “good old days” of television, childhood and teenage years.
Besides, whether one is entertained by the antics of Sheldon Cooper or Dwight Schrute, the popularity of these shows seems steady and likely won’t change for years to come.
Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu
