4 Sitcoms That Got Better Over Time
Redditor CamelProfessiona847 kept it simple with a question for r/Sitcoms this week: “Which sitcoms got better as they progressed?” A number of classics were nominated, including WKRP in Cincinnati, Cheers, A Different World, Seinfeld, Community and 30 Rock. But four others stood out above the rest, at least according to r/Sitcoms. (I’m using Redditors’ original spelling and punctuation, with the hope that they improve in future seasons.)
Night Court
A sleeper! “The first two seasons were decent, but the show really started to take off in Season Three,” argued texturedmystery.
What made the latter seasons funnier than the first? In the opinion of TommyLost2004, “Once Dan changed from stuffy and uptight to the sarcastic sex-crazed prosecutor it was off and running.”
Other characters evolved as well. “Bull wasn’t a dumb lunk in those early seasons, either,” offered texturedmystery. “He was intimidating with a hidden heart of gold from the start, but early on he had normal intelligence.”
Mom
This one definitely had an arc, with fans believing it started slow, found its groove and lost it again by show’s end. “Still love the early seasons, but I think when it became more of an ensemble cast with Marjorie, Jill and Wendy it really thrived,” wrote Hell_razors, “but the last season without Christy wasn’t the same.”
Other Redditors agreed that the show got better — that is, until Anna Faris’ departure with two seasons to go. “Probably should of moved granddaughter or idiot son-in-law back into house,” suggested Pete51256.
Parks and Recreation
Based on the number of times Parks and Rec was nominated and upvoted in the thread, it might be the actual winner of the “This Sitcom Got Better” sweepstakes. “Hard to think of any sitcom that improved as dramatically as Parks and Rec,” wrote WigglyFrog.
How bad was it at the beginning? “I’ve never even seen the first season based on how much people said it sucked,” claimed toxietoxietoxie.
“Yes, that first season is just awful,” noted 19_Deschain19. “First half of season two is painful also”
Some Redditors, however, were fans from the start. “This is the overwhelming opinion of just about everyone,” admitted Gamblor 14, “but I’m in the extreme minority that really enjoys the pre-Ben/Chris episodes.”
Schitt’s Creek
The Canadian sitcom that took a few years to catch on in America topped the list, with a continuous echo of “I’m so happy I stayed with it” posts. “I remember the preview constantly popping up on Netflix with the water dripping on them in bed, and I refused to give it the time of day,” said PerspectiveSilly4060. “Then someone convinced me to watch it and it’s great. Might be time for a rewatch.”
“I thought the first episode was terrible,” explained Comfortable_Force_20. “Made myself watch the second, and I’m glad I did.”
“I went through three episodes and stopped,” added u/Sassyza. “One day I was over at my niece’s house and she had it on and I thought it was so funny. She told me to give it another shot and I did. It’s in my top 10 shows, and I recommended it to everyone.”
