History of the Sitcom
History of the Sitcom
2021
1 Season
7.0
Documentary

This docuseries reunites audiences with the television friends, families, and co-workers they grew up with while introducing cutting-edge comedies that are sure to be your next binge-watch. Featuring over 180 original interviews with sitcom icons the series breaks down how sitcoms have helped generations of Americans navigate an ever-shifting cultural landscape.

Episodes

A Family Matter
E1Jul 11, 2021

A Family Matter

Moms, dads, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters — more than just a hilarious reflection of the people we grow up and old with, sitcoms have opened our hearts to a more inclusive visions of what “family” can mean.

Sex & the Sitcom
E2Jul 11, 2021

Sex & the Sitcom

Since America has long found it easier to laugh about sex than talk seriously about it, sitcom humor has had a critical role ushering in a new era of openness, not just towards sex, but toward women’s rights and gender identity.

Just Friends
E3Jul 18, 2021

Just Friends

When Americans look beyond family or work for their identity, the “hanging out with friends” sitcom hilariously redefines the genre while also revealing television’s challenging quest for inclusivity and authentic representation.

Working for Laughs
E4Jul 25, 2021

Working for Laughs

Work families can be even funnier than our biological ones, since the endless array of wacky sitcom characters on the job offers hilarious insights into the state of the American workplace.

Facing Race
E5Aug 1, 2021

Facing Race

In many homes, difficult conversations about race and diversity have first happened on the sitcom screen, helping pave the way for progress with hilarity and laughter.

Movin' On Up
E6Aug 8, 2021

Movin' On Up

Upward mobility, the American Dream, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps – sitcom laughs have helped generations of Americans come to grips with their place in a supposed “classless” society.

Freaks, Geeks & Outsiders
E7Aug 15, 2021

Freaks, Geeks & Outsiders

Aliens, geeks, monsters, immigrants, witches… the fresh perspective of sitcom fish-out-of-water give us funny new insights into the ever-changing face of America.

Escaping Reality
E8Aug 22, 2021

Escaping Reality

Sitcoms have long been the ultimate comedy comfort food, but what sitcoms offer escape from – and what they offer escape to – reveal a lot about the state of the American mind, and the state of sitcom form itself.

Top Cast

Jason Alexander

Jason Alexander

Self - Actor

Tracy Morgan

Tracy Morgan

Self - Actor

Robin Williams

Robin Williams

Self (archive footage) - Actor

Pam Dawber

Pam Dawber

Self - Actress

Henry Winkler

Henry Winkler

Self - Actor