Thinking back on a decade’s worth of television is a reminder that a lot can happen in ten years. Case in point: even though the 2000s are typically considered a low point in the history of televised comedy (Friends, which ended in 2004, was the last sitcom to routinely land near the top of the weekly Nielsens), it was a struggle narrowing my list of the best comedies of the decade down to just ten. This is the decade that really put the laugh track on life support for the first time, after series like The Wonder Years and Sports Night led the way in the ’90s. The top shows on my list don’t have a laugh track, nor are they missed. With no further ado, the list:
6. Gilmore Girls: Aside from finally giving a great role to Lauren Graham, who had been on my “Why won’t someone make this woman a star?” list for years, this program featured the best dialogue this side of Aaron Sorkin’s White House, and one of the great mother/daughter relationships in TV history. And in an era where TV teen role models consisted of the brats on The O.C. and everyone on MTV, Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) was an oasis of wit and charm. Source: Film.com