To be clear, when I say sitcoms I can watch I repeat, I mean sitcoms that are available on streaming services that I could sit through from start to finish and then start all over again.

Sometimes these are shows that I’ll turn on for background noise when I’m finishing paperwork or when I’m cleaning house or doing laundry. They’re the kind of shows I don’t have to necessarily pay attention to or think about because I’ve seen them again and again, so it’s likely I have a good grasp on what’s going on without really focusing on what’s happening on the television. But when I hear a funny line, I can still get a good laugh.

So what are those sitcoms that I’m comfortable getting redundant with? I’m glad you asked. These are in no particular order…

How I Met Your Mother

For nine seasons, we came back week after week to find out exactly when Ted was going to admit he has always been in love with Robin finally meet the mother of his children. Honestly, though, for me the show about Ted was less important than the show about Marshall and Lily. I know I’m single for life, but if I were lucky enough to meet a Lily, then that fictional couple would be relationship goals.

New Girl

For this one, I particularly love the first three seasons. Not that I don’t like the final four years, but I’m just drawn to those earlier years for some reason. I really find myself identifying with Nick as a character. I think it’s that he’s basically an old man trapped in the body of a 30-something.

Community

Arguably the most brilliant comedy of the 21st century. The writing is incredibly clever and there are so many episodes that pay homage to various pockets of pop culture. There’s a Law & Order episode. There are several documentary episodes. There’s a G.I. Joe animated episode. I mean… what doesn’t this show have? And, really, how beautiful is the friendship between Troy and Abed?

The Office

Sure, the first season is a little cringeworthy, but this show really came into its own in the second season. I’m going to share an unpopular opinion here… While I do ultimately enjoy the Jim and Pam relationship and am, of course, glad that they got together and stayed together, I kind of think of early Pam as kind of the worst. I know she’s engaged to a guy who doesn’t appreciate her and she’s in denial about how poorly Roy treats her, but you can’t tell me she isn’t fully aware of Jim’s crush the entire time. You can’t tell me she doesn’t enjoy the attention and you can’t tell me she doesn’t lead him on while choosing to stay with Roy. I fully expect the torches and pitchforks in the comments. But as someone who has dealt with my share of crushes on women I’ve been friends with, there’s not a single one of them who didn’t know how I felt the whole time and revealed that they knew when I finally shared how I felt. Not that sharing how I felt ever did any good. But that’s a story for another time…

Parks & Recreation

Sure, the first season is a little cringeworthy, but this show really came into its own in the second season. And with this one, I know that Leslie and Ben are probably supposed to be the favorite couple to watch, but for me it’s Andy and April. But leaving those couplings aside, this show gave us the wit and wisdom of Ron Swanson, a true American hero.

Friends

Because of course Friends is the kind of show that can be watched over and over again. For nearly 30 years… and I’ll still laugh like it’s the first time.

Ted Lasso

And this one has a lot of really serious moments. I feel like I cried during season two almost as much as I laughed. If you have Apple TV+ and haven’t given Ted Lasso a chance, I encourage you to do so. It is brilliant and there are only 22 episodes to get through in two seasons. It’s the kind of show that almost makes a soulless cynic like me regain hope and faith in humanity.

So those are the shows that make my list. What shows could you watch repeatedly? Let me know what you think in the comments below! Even if you disagree with me about Pam being the worst, I’m up for the debate.

Feature Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash