Couldn't see a thread about this so made a list of what I think are the best comedies of all time. I've done two lists, one for the show overall and one for when the show was at it's peak. I only started watching shows in the 90s onwards and am not a heavy watcher of TV.

Overall
1) Seinfeld
2) Simpsons
3) Friends
4) South Park
5) 30 Rock

At it's peak
1) Simpsons
2) Seinfeld
3) Office
4) Friends
5) Who's line is it anyway

MH - Happy Days, Dexter Season 8 and Big Bang

Simpsons, Curb your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Chapelle Show, South Park

Young ppl itt. What about All In The Family, MASH and Cheers?

Cheers is my #1 comedy by default, though i always say Arrested Development. That's one of those best vs. favorite kind of things.

In terms of laugh out loud moments per episode I'd say impractical jokers is up there.

This is damn hard to pin down.

Mine might be something like:

Arrested Development
I am Alan Partridge/Knowing me knowing you (I'm counting this as one)
Chappelle Show
Seinfeld
Simpsons

Top 2 are probably my only ones that I think are cemented. Other 3 could be swapped with other shows potentially. Certainly simpsons only applies to certain seasons and it as a whole.

I would have to re-watch a lot of the shows from back in the day like Taxi and Cheers to re-evaluate as I haven't really watched them for a long time but they were great.

Lots of great Brit shows could make my list: Fawlty Towers, Python, IT Crowd, The Office, Spaced, Mighty Boosh are all very high on my list.

From the us: Mr Show, Daily Show, South Park.

HM: Larry Sander's show as I only ever watched a few of these and have been meaning to re-watch/watch them all, but it seems to be something I would be really into if I gave it more time.

1.) Soutpark
2.) Seinfeld
3.) King of the Hill
4.) Simpsons


5.) Everything else

Peak:

1. Community
2. Arrested Development
3. Workaholics
4. The League
5. The Office

Overall is too much of a hassle (Community S4 sucked, later Office seasons sucked, etc.)

And yes, I've seen Seinfeld, Friends, Simpsons, South Park and others mentioned ITT, but don't care for it enough to be in my top 5.

Archer is up there. Each season gets better and better

Married With Children
Big Bang (because of the blond, obv)

The Honeymooners
I Love Lucy
All in the Family
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Bob Newhart Show
Taxi
Soap
WKRP in Cincinnati
Arrested Development
Seinfeld
South Park
Archer

Top 5? Off the top of my head.

All in the Family
Get Smart
Sledge Hammer
Soap
Simpsons

Seinfeld is #1 the rest are pretty interchangeable
WKRP
Newhart
Friends
Simpsons
Night Court
Cheers
Curb

i feel like curb your enthusiasm is just seinfeld, but funnier

so a bit surprised on some peoples lists

have you guys seen curb?

No Always Sunny ITT?

Curb Your Enthusiasm is #1 in my opinion, if we're using how funny a show is as the primary rating "metric". It's a lot of Seinfeld humor, but with more cursing and adult situations that can't be shown on network TV. That is what separates it from Seinfeld and every other major network show that is/was censored.

Curb has been an elite comedy and extremely funny since its first episode, and has been fantastic for 8 seasons. The first season or two of Seinfeld were mediocre to downright bad; took a couple seasons for the show to hit its stride. Seinfeld was certainly perhaps the most influential comedy since the 80's (only other show that has a case is The Simpsons), but its simply not as funny as Curb.

The Simpsons also took about 2 seasons to hit it's peak (most shows do, but the disparity in quality between Season 1 and Seasons 3+4 is drastic), and for about 10+ years it has gone downhill, with five to eight+ seasons coming nowhere close to its creative peak of Seasons 3-8. The Simpsons is impressive in terms of its influence, longevity, and its excellence at its peak, but again, Curb's whole body of work can't be topped overall by any other show.

curb
peep show
the office (uk)
AD

not sure on the 5th

1) Seinfeld
2) The Office (I just pretend seasons 6+ didn't happen)
3) Arrested Development
4) 30 Rock
5) Parks & Rec

Young people in this thread? There were TWO posts before yours and the OP explained that he hasn't watched anything before the 90's. Rush to judgment much?

I'll say:

Seinfeld/Curb kinda share my top spot. Larry David is just such a comic genius.
Cheers.
Friends.
Golden Girls (I know ygos will be coming but this was a damn good show).
Modern Family
The Office
The family guy

My list would be..

Scrubs
Modern Family
Parks and Rec
Archer
30 Rock
Golden Girls
Family Guy

I'll take these 2 over Mash any day. Also I noticed your list didn't mention Cheers or Andy Griffith.

Peep Show is really good and probably unknown to most Americans.

Overall:
Curb
Seinfeld
Arrested Development

At it's peak:
It's Always Sunny
The Office (US)

I would say top 3 all time would be Seinfeld, Cheers and Friends simply for longevity, ratings and actual good remembered episodes. Who (born before 1985) doesn't know who Norm, Kramer, and Chandler are? I'd give an honorable mention to Married with Children because I loved it and Al Bundy as a character.

I don't count Simpsons/South Park only because I think as cartoons it is kind of cheating but in terms of funny cartoon shows they are my top 2 (at least for a few seasons).

Is there anyone under the age of 40(that might be too low) that finds All in the Family funny?

I think Seinfeld has aged pretty bad, I loved it back then, but it's pretty meh when I rewatch, Still has some absolutely great episodes.