The 22 Best Sitcoms of the 1970s

Studio audiences, laugh tracks and a few sitcoms that said the quiet part out loud. Ratings giants share the stage with cult British imports.

1. 1
   M*A*S*H

   Korean War medical-unit comedy-drama that became one of TV's most-watched series.
   1000pts
2. 2
   All in the Family

   Norman Lear's groundbreaking CBS sitcom about bigoted Archie Bunker and his changing family.
   956pts
3. 3
   Fawlty Towers

   John Cleese's twelve-episode British farce about a disastrous seaside hotel.
   598pts
4. 4
   Dad's Army

   Beloved BBC comedy about the bumbling Home Guard platoon of Walmington-on-Sea.
   597pts
5. 5
   Three's Company

   Slapstick misunderstanding comedy starring John Ritter as a faux-gay roommate.
   597pts
6. 6
   The Odd Couple

   Neil Simon's mismatched roommates, slob Oscar and neat freak Felix, on TV.
   542pts
7. 7
   Mork & Mindy

   Robin Williams' breakout role as a zany alien living with a Boulder woman.
   542pts
8. 8
   The Mary Tyler Moore Show

   Single-woman newsroom comedy that redefined female leads on television.
   478pts
9. 9
   The Good Life

   British couple abandon the rat race to self-sufficiently farm their suburban garden.
   478pts
10. 10
    Porridge

    Ronnie Barker as wily inmate Fletcher in a beloved British prison sitcom.
    478pts
11. 11
    The Bob Newhart Show

    Deadpan Chicago psychologist comedy known for its ensemble and a classic finale gag.
    404pts
12. 12
    Maude

    Bea Arthur as a fiercely liberal woman in a politically bold All in the Family spin-off.
    404pts
13. 13
    Monty Python's Flying Circus

    Surreal British sketch show that rewrote the rules of television comedy.
    319pts
14. 14
    Barney Miller

    Dry, character-driven comedy set in a New York police squad room.
    319pts
15. 15
    Soap

    Daring soap-opera parody about two feuding families, ahead of its time.
    319pts
16. 16
    Happy Days

    Nostalgic 1950s-set sitcom that made The Fonz a pop-culture icon.
    319pts
17. 17
    Are You Being Served?

    Long-running British comedy set in the staff quarters of a department store.
    217pts
18. 18
    Rhoda

    Valerie Harper's Mary Tyler Moore spin-off about a wisecracking New Yorker.
    217pts
19. 19
    Sanford and Son

    Redd Foxx stars as a cranky Watts junk dealer in this hit NBC comedy.
    217pts
20. 20
    Taxi

    Offbeat New York cab-garage ensemble comedy that began in 1978.
    217pts
21. 21
    Good Times

    Chicago housing-project family comedy tackling poverty with warmth and humour.
    0pts
22. 22
    WKRP in Cincinnati

    Struggling radio-station comedy with a cult following and iconic episodes.
    0pts

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