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Time Magazine
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
The Top 10 TV Comedies of All Time According to AI
This article is published by a partner of TIME. Laughter is a universal language, and television comedies have long been the perfect medium for delivering humor to audiences worldwide. From laugh-out-loud slapstick to biting satire, TV comedies have entertained viewers by reflecting everyday life, poking fun at societal norms, and creating larger-than-life characters. Great comedies do more than just make us laugh—they become cultural touchstones, shaping our sense of humor and providing comfort during tough times. The best TV comedies are timeless, often becoming staples of pop culture and sources of memorable catchphrases, iconic moments, and quotable one-liners. They resonate because of their ability to balance humor with relatable themes, and the greatest shows often tackle significant issues with wit and insight. Whether it's a workplace sitcom, a family comedy, or an ensemble show about friendships, these series remain etched in our collective memory. Using research assistance from ChatGPT, this list celebrates the top 10 TV comedies of all time, showcasing their brilliance, impact, and ability to make audiences laugh across generations. From groundbreaking classics to modern favorites, these shows have defined the genre and secured their place in television history. 1. Friends 'Friends' became a cultural phenomenon with its iconic portrayal of six friends navigating life, love, and careers in New York City. Its blend of humor, romance, and heartfelt moments captivated audiences and ensured its place as a beloved classic. 2. The Office (US) Adapted from the UK series, 'The Office' (US) found its unique voice with a mockumentary-style portrayal of office life at Dunder Mifflin. Its humor, driven by quirky characters and awkward situations, made it a standout comedy. 3. Seinfeld Often referred to as "a show about nothing," 'Seinfeld' perfected observational humor, turning mundane situations into comedic gold. Its sharp writing and memorable characters left an indelible mark on the comedy genre. 4. Parks and Recreation Set in the quirky town of Pawnee, Indiana, 'Parks and Recreation' captured hearts with its lovable characters and feel-good humor. Its mix of absurdity and sincerity made it a standout in the workplace comedy genre. 5. I Love Lucy One of the earliest and most influential sitcoms, 'I Love Lucy' broke ground with its slapstick humor, innovative storytelling, and Lucille Ball's brilliant comedic timing. 6. The Simpsons The longest-running animated sitcom, 'The Simpsons' has parodied every aspect of modern society while telling the story of the dysfunctional but lovable Simpson family. First Aired: 1989 Creators: Matt Groening Key Characters: Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson, Maggie Simpson Memorable Episodes: 'Marge vs. the Monorail,' 'Homer at the Bat,' 'Cape Feare' Cultural Impact: Influenced animation and satire, becoming a cultural touchstone Awards: Over 35 Emmy Awards Legacy: Continues to entertain audiences across generations 7. Cheers Set in a Boston bar where "everybody knows your name," 'Cheers' charmed audiences with its witty dialogue and endearing ensemble cast. Its balance of humor and heartfelt moments made it a classic. 8. Arrested Development 'Arrested Development' broke sitcom conventions with its clever writing, intricate storylines, and dysfunctional Bluth family. Despite initial ratings struggles, it gained a devoted fanbase and critical acclaim. 9. Modern Family 'Modern Family' redefined family sitcoms with its mockumentary format and diverse characters. Its heartfelt humor and relatable themes resonated with audiences of all ages. 10. 30 Rock A witty satire of the television industry, '30 Rock' dazzled audiences with its rapid-fire jokes, absurd humor, and unforgettable characters. Its mix of clever writing and stellar performances set it apart. Conclusion on Top 10 TV Comedies The top 10 TV comedies of all time reflect the evolution of humor, storytelling, and societal norms across decades. From the heartfelt friendships in 'Friends' to the satirical brilliance of '30 Rock,' these shows have captured audiences' hearts and left lasting impressions. They have endured beyond their original airings, continuing to entertain and inspire through reruns and on streaming platforms. Each of these shows not only brought laughter but also redefined what comedy could achieve, balancing humor with depth and relatability. As these comedies continue to find new audiences, their timelessness proves that great storytelling and humor will always stand the test of time. Related Articles: About the Authors: Richard D. Harroch is a Senior Advisor to CEOs, management teams, and Boards of Directors. He is an expert on M&A, venture capital, startups, and business contracts. He was the Managing Director and Global Head of M&A at VantagePoint Capital Partners, a venture capital fund in the San Francisco area. His focus is on internet, digital media, AI and technology companies. He was the founder of several Internet companies. His articles have appeared online in Forbes, Fortune, MSN, Yahoo, Fox Business and Richard is the author of several books on startups and entrepreneurship as well as the co-author of Poker for Dummies and a Wall Street Journal-bestselling book on small business. He is the co-author of a 1,500-page book published by Bloomberg on mergers and acquisitions of privately held companies. He was also a corporate and M&A partner at the international law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. He has been involved in over 200 M&A transactions and 250 startup financings. He can be reached through LinkedIn. Dominique Harroch is the Chief of Staff at She has acted as a Chief of Staff or Operations Leader for multiple companies where she leveraged her extensive experience in operations management, strategic planning, and team leadership to drive organizational success. With a background that spans over two decades in operations leadership, event planning at her own start-up and marketing at various financial and retail companies. Dominique is known for her ability to optimize processes, manage complex projects and lead high-performing teams. She holds a BA in English and Psychology from U.C. Berkeley and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. She can be reached via LinkedIn.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Book Review: Desi Arnaz biography highlights triumphs of Lucy's favorite foil
Once a second banana, always a second banana when in the shadow of a brighter star. For musician and actor Desi Arnaz, that shadow belonged to Lucille Ball, his wife and co-star on the ground-breaking 1950s sitcom 'I Love Lucy.' Etched in television history are the images of Lucy falling on her rear while stomping grapes at a winery, Lucy overwhelmed by a conveyor belt of chocolates, and Lucy acting nonchalant as movie star William Holden lights up her fake nose instead of her cigarette. Desi seems as important as the cone is to the ice cream. Not only was Arnaz his wife's straight man, he endured non-stop mocking of his Cuban heritage on screen and off. In fact, he was a rare Latino on American screens, big and small, and played a successful husband and father, not a gangster or peon. His character achieved some degree of immortality in the catchphrase, 'Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!' 'Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television,' Todd S. Purdum's deeply researched, insightful and enjoyable biography, gives Arnaz his due as an entertainer and a savvy businessman. With help, Arnaz envisioned, assembled and led the transformation that provided early television production its bedrock. Arnaz (1917-1986) was the only child of a prominent family in Santiago, his father the mayor and a member of the Cuban national assembly. The 1933 revolution forced the privileged family to flee to the United States — their home set on fire, their cattle herd slaughtered and the father jailed for months. Arnaz spoke little English when he began attending high school in Miami and took any kind of work to earn some money. Show business was an unlikely pursuit given that Arnaz couldn't read music, but the handsome and energetic young man could sing and play guitar and the conga drum. Soon he was working in New York with the popular band leader Xavier Cugat and turning the conga line into a dance craze. He was cast in a 1939 Broadway musical, 'Too Many Girls,' and sent to Hollywood for the film version. At RKO studios, he met his future wife and co-star, then a veteran of dozens of uncredited and supporting roles and struggling to break out. Had either Arnaz or Ball been more successful in films in the 1940s, they would not have turned to the newborn medium of television. Had their marriage not been rife with problems — mainly their separate careers plus his womanizing and drinking — Ball might not have demanded that Arnaz be cast when her radio show, 'My Favorite Husband,' was transferred to TV in 1951. In that sense 'I Love Lucy' was designed to save their marriage. The show turned out to be the innovative outlet Arnaz needed. The industry norm was a show broadcast live in New York sans audience and recorded with a film camera pointed at a TV monitor. Arnaz insisted that 'Lucy' episodes be filmed before an audience in Los Angeles. Film meant higher image quality and that episodes could be shown at any time and later repeated — the idea of a 'rerun' was new — and sold for syndication around the country and the world. Three cameras worked in sync and the show was presented like a play. An audience necessitated a redesigned studio placing seats in bleachers for an unobstructed view. All this became the new standard for a situation comedy and jump-started the move of television production from East Coast to West Coast. Arnaz didn't create the machinery, but he did oversee the operation, hire the right people and lead the charge. With 'I Love Lucy' a hit — it was the first TV show to reach 10 million homes, about two in three TV sets in the U.S. — their company Desilu expanded to produce other programs and rented space to even more. By the end of the 1950s Desilu was the biggest studio in the world in terms of hours of filmed entertainment. With sympathy but open eyes Purdum chronicles Arnaz's descent into alcoholism, which sapped his creative energy and the goodwill he had established over the years. Arnaz also could not control his sexual drive, especially his desire for prostitutes. The combination of booze, adultery and fiery outbursts finished his career and marriage, destroyed his health, and broke him financially. Ball, meanwhile, had career challenges of her own — she couldn't move beyond her Lucy persona — but she was wise enough when it came to handling her money. As the head of Desilu, having bought out her husband in 1962, she gave the greenlight for two television series that resonate today, 'Star Trek' and 'Mission: Impossible.' When she sold the studio in 1967, the on-screen ditzy redhead walked away with what today would be $100 million. America's favorite make-believe couple in the 1950s each married again. Yet they were never out of each other's life completely, due in large part to their two children and extended families, some business interests and a unique professional legacy. Their undying affection for each other needs no 'splainin' at all. ___ Douglass K. Daniel is the author of 'Anne Bancroft: A Life' (University Press of Kentucky) ___ AP book reviews:
Winnipeg Free Press
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Generating goodwill at the parking meter
Opinion Recent reports from the City of Winnipeg about plans to remove all the downtown parking meters left our household upset. We're among the 20 per cent who use the meters. We dig out change or use a credit card. On nice days, we can walk downtown, but when transporting kids or in bad weather, we rely on the meters. Based on anecdotal evidence, the meters sometimes failed. Apparently, so did the phone app that replaces it. The city's efforts to boost downtown visitor numbers should target that 20 per cent — the occasional visitors who haven't downloaded an app but rely on meters instead. This news story made me remember a better parking experience. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS There are better ways for the City of Winnipeg to handle getting rid of its parking pay stations, which will be removed between July 2 and Aug. 31. A pay station is pictured along Broadway Avenue on May 21. Our family was on summer vacation in Western New York. We took a highway exit to Jamestown. Parking on a hilltop, in the middle of downtown, we put our coins in the old-fashioned crank parking meter and walked, admiring the landscape, to a nice restaurant for lunch. The food was good. When we decided to have dessert, my husband sorted out more change for the meter. We had extra time to stroll downtown, see lake views, window shop and see a comedy centre, inspired by Lucille Ball, who was from Jamestown. We remembered this positive break from the road fondly. In comparison, we encountered numerous 'E-Z-Pass' incidents which left us frazzled. Many highways require tolls but no longer have a payment system without a physical device in the car. We tried to get around Chicago while I scrambled to figure out how to pay for our tolls online. I still don't know if we covered those tolls, though we honestly tried. If Winnipeg wants people to feel comfortable coming downtown, the city should provide alternatives to a reliance on a phone app. Ernie Nuytten suggests in a letter to the editor on May 24 that these parking booklets should be available wherever Winnipeg Transit tickets are sold. Ursula Delfing writes that parking near the downtown 'Parking Store' be free, to avoid getting tickets while trying to obtain a parking booklet. Like our troubles taking toll roads on vacation when we lacked the local 'passes,' Edwin Buettner suggests how difficult these systems would be for those who live outside the city but must come in on occasion for appointments downtown. City employees calculated the savings of removing the meters, but what are the costs of failing to provide access to downtown parking for those without cellphones, tourists, and out-of-town Manitobans who need medical care? The city must calculate costs to provide parking booklet sales elsewhere in the city, especially at hotels and convenience stores. When we discussed these parking issues, other solutions came up. Our household lives in a city neighbourhood. We must have parking permits for street parking. Yearly, we take photos of our driver's licences, car registration, and submit a form. Eventually someone calls us back and takes payment over the phone. What if, after the first registration, we received a 'renewal' email that said, 'According to city records, you live at the same address and have the same two cars as last year. Care to renew your permit? If so, click here. Pay online.' This would reduce costs and save time for the city and those who need street parking. A bigger revenue generator could follow. When tradespeople visit a city neighbourhood like ours with permit parking, they risk tickets if they park for too long. High school students parking on streets near private schools also risk tickets daily. Those who go downtown but fail to make the app or the meter work also hazard parking tickets. Imagine a 'super pass.' The city could set a flat fee, payable once a year, so that electricians, plumbers, realtors, students and theatre-goers could park legally in metered or permit areas without using an app or risking a ticket. The super pass would be available online, or at convenience stores and other locations where people might get parking booklets. Winnipeggers and tourists could choose options: download the app, buy single tickets for one trip to a downtown doctor's office or buy a whole year's pass and stop worrying about parking. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Of course, the yearly fee concept must be worked out, but $500 or more might result in more visitor traffic downtown and many fewer parking tickets. Reducing system inefficiencies, like creating an easy online renewal system that links up with our addresses and car registrations, would also reduce costs. This might boost interest in coming downtown to the Exchange, to theatre venues or festivals. Offering multiple options for parking payment might boost the city's coffers. Better yet, it could reduce citizens' anger over the difficulties in downtown parking and the parking tickets that follow. Jamestown, N.Y. is a long way away. Even so, I'd go right back to crank my change in the old-fashioned meters, check out the scenery, eat a good lunch, and wander its historic downtown. City officials should think about how coming downtown can generate goodwill as well as income. Ripping out the current parking meters may be necessary, but it's what follows that matters. Obstacles to parking will build or destroy Winnipeggers' interest in visiting downtown. Offering multiple approaches to future downtown parking creates a better, more inclusive outcome for all of us. Joanne Seiff, a Winnipeg author, has been contributing opinions and analysis to the Free Press since 2009.
New York Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
What Desi Arnaz Could Teach Hollywood Today
Seventy-five years ago, a fading redheaded movie star and her itinerant bandleader husband were searching desperately for a way to save their careers — and their marriage. She was starring in a network radio show in Hollywood and he was a musician on the road all the time, so they rarely saw each other. In their 10 years together, she'd already filed for divorce once, and was nearing her wits' end. The movie star was Lucille Ball and the bandleader, of course, was Desi Arnaz. In 1950, a glimmer of hope appeared for the couple: CBS intended to transfer Ball's radio show, 'My Favorite Husband,' to the untested new medium of television. But there was a problem: Ball wanted to make the move only if Arnaz — who'd helped start the conga dance craze in nightclubs in the 1930s and fueled America's demand for Latin music after World War II — could play that husband on TV. The network and prospective sponsors believed the public would never accept a thick-accented Latino as the spouse of an all-American girl. 'I was always the guy that didn't fit,' Arnaz would later tell Ed Sullivan. Arnaz, a Cuban immigrant and self-taught showman, had an idea: The couple would undertake an old-fashioned vaudeville tour of major cities around the country. He and Ball would demonstrate the real-life chemistry that he knew would click with Americans if they only had a chance to see the act. Racism was a fact of daily life even in Arnaz's adopted hometown, Los Angeles, where some restaurants still refused service to Latinos. The term D.E.I. did not yet exist, but Arnaz's gambit amounted to a bold push for diversity, equity and inclusion in the white-bread monoculture of a dawning mass medium that was sponsor-driven and cautious to a fault. Miracle of miracles, it worked. Critics and audiences from coast to coast raved at the couple's onstage antics, as Lucy clowned with a battered cello while Desi sang and drummed his heart out. A.H. Weiler of The Times pronounced the pair 'a couple who bid fair to become the busiest husband-and- wife team extant.' Soon enough, they were. Based on the success of Ball and Arnaz's tour, CBS executives agreed to film a test episode. The network had trouble finding a sponsor until a leading ad man, Milton Biow (as it happens, the grandfather of the actor Matthew Broderick) persuaded his client Philip Morris cigarettes to take a chance on the new show. 'I Love Lucy' was born, the rest is history, and it was Desi Arnaz who made much of that history possible. At a time when so many universities, cultural and business institutions are retreating from formal efforts to increase inclusion and the federal government is working to discourage and erase diversity efforts in all areas of life, Arnaz's tactics offer an instructive example for performers and institutions alike. Arnaz's differences — the very elements that made network chiefs hesitant to feature him — became his greatest strengths, as his charming portrayal of the solid, bread-winning paterfamilias of an intermarried family broke new ground in television and made Ricky Ricardo a beloved figure to the 30 million people who watched his show each week. He was the one TV star who did not look or sound like any other — he was forever telling Lucy she had some ''splainin' to do' — an immigrant who became the all-American man. The show's sponsor had been so skeptical about Arnaz's appeal that the contract with Desilu stipulated that Ricky could sing only if it was absolutely necessary to the plot. The audience's near-immediate embrace of Arnaz and his music made that a moot point and the clause was eventually dropped. Once the show became a cultural juggernaut, Arnaz rewrote the rules of stardom. When the network suits and advertising honchos balked at the idea of Ball, who was pregnant in real life, appearing that way on the show, it was Arnaz who went over their heads and straight to the top, to the chairman of Philip Morris, who responded with a blunt Anglo-Saxonism: Don't mess around with the Cuban! 'In real life or fiction, neither Desi nor Ricky ever betrayed his Latino identity,' the New York Daily News columnist Miguel Perez wrote on Arnaz's death in 1986, noting that when audiences remember him, 'they will see him as the head of an American family who, in spite of his accent and Cuban quirks, is realizing the Latino-American dream.' Arnaz heard 'no' a lot in his career but he never took it as a final answer. Before 'I Love Lucy,' television was largely a live medium in which programs ran once, then disappeared. Arnaz assembled a team that arranged to film their show in front of a live audience so that it could be preserved pristinely on 35-millimeter film. This production method was more costly, so the network insisted that Ball and Arnaz take a weekly pay cut. They agreed — if they could own the negatives of the show. The eventual multimillion-dollar value of the approximately 180 half-hours they produced provided the capital that made Desilu Productions the largest studio in Los Angeles, and the biggest producer of television content in the world. Arnaz's technical innovations also made it possible for the show to be repeated (thus giving birth to the rerun) and resold (thus creating the syndication market). His refusal to be shut out of television led to the birth of a business model that persisted for seven decades. Behind the scenes, Arnaz rose to become the most prominent Latino entertainment executive of his day and one of the most prominent Latino creative forces in the history of Hollywood. He remains the rarity that proves the necessity — indeed, the essential Americanness — of diversity. The fact that Latino stories are now part of the pop-cultural landscape, from a reimagined 'One Day at a Time' on Netflix to the current success of Broadway shows like 'Buena Vista Social Club,' can be traced directly to Arnaz's creativity, intelligence and courage. He looked and sounded nothing like the preconceived notion that the entertainment business had of a successful star. So he changed the way Hollywood did business, and whom we can imagine as stars. Anyone who can't understand that has some 'splainin' to do.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carol Burnett reveals special gift she received from Lucille Ball on day comedian died
It was a bittersweet birthday for Carol Burnett. The comedy icon has spoken about her special relationship with Lucille Ball – and the touching birthday gift she received from the late 'I Love Lucy' legend on the day of her death. Burnett, 92, discusses Ball's impact on her Hollywood career in the upcoming Shout TV! special 'The Carol Burnett Show: Mother of all Marathons,' which premieres May 10. 'The woman who influenced me probably the most was Lucille Ball,' the Golden Globe-winning actress says in a preview of the special obtained by People. 'She came to see me in 'Once Upon a Mattress,' which was my first Broadway break,' Burnett continues, 'and she was there the second night, and I was more nervous that she was in the audience than I was the night before, when all the critics were.' The pair hit it off after Ball gave Burnett some supportive advice backstage. 'We sat and we talked for about a half-hour and she was so supportive and she said, 'Kid…' – she called me kid, she was 22 years older than I was – and she said, 'Kid, whenever you need me, give me a call,' ' Burnett says in the clip. The 'Palm Royale' actress later called in that favor when she was offered 'The Carol Burnett Show' in 1967. 'Just a few short years later, I was lucky enough to be given a special if I could get a major guest star,' the Emmy winner explains. 'And I got up the nerve and called her, and she said, 'Hey kid, you're doing great. What's happening?' 'And I was so nervous and I kind of flustered,' Burnett continues, 'and she said, 'When do you need me?' 'She came on the show, and then later on, years later, I did her show after 'I Love Lucy,'' she adds, 'and she was a guest on my show when I got my variety show.' Their friendship continued until Ball's death at 77 on April 26, 1989, which was also Burnett's 56th birthday. Despite the 'Here's Lucy' icon's passing, her birthday gift to Burnett was still delivered. 'We were very close, and she always sent me flowers on my birthday,' Burnett says. 'So this one morning I got up, turned on the television set – it was my birthday – and she had died that morning, on my birthday. 'And that afternoon, I got the flowers that said, 'Happy birthday, kid.' ' Since 'The Carol Burnett Show' ended in 1978 after 11 seasons, Burnett has starred in 'Annie,' 'All My Children' and 'Better Call Saul.' However, after winning seven Emmys, six Golden Globes, a Grammy and a Kennedy Center Honor throughout her impressive career, Burnett has teased that her latest project, the Apple TV+ series 'Palm Royale,' will likely be her last. 'Probably,' she said when asked about retirement in October. 'Unless there's a cameo or something fun!'
