Family sitcoms came into vogue in the 1950s, with shows likeLeave It To Beavershowcasing family life in black and white glory. The family sitcom would evolve over the years, with the 1970s bringing more realism to the genre, the 1980s bringing back the vanilla-flavored formula for a modern age, and the 1990s introducing a more diverse set of families to watch on the small screen.
RELATED:10 of the Best ’80s Sitcom Families, Ranked
Those styles seemed to have all meshed in the 2000s, which offered viewers a more diverse set of families that didn’t always solve their problems in the nice-and-tidy 30-minute block it had.
Even Stevens(2000-2003)
At the turn of the 21st Century, it was clear that the Disney Channel needed a groundbreaking live-action comedy. Around the time ofsome of Disney’s best animations, they landed a hit withEven Stevens, a family sitcom that paved the way for the network’s bigger comedy shows.
StarringShia LaBeoufandChristy Carlson Romano, the show focused on the everyday misadventures of the Stevens family, especially the two kids whose personalities are opposites. LeBeouf, especially, would go on to bigger Hollywood titlesafter his run on the series, and while it isn’t nearly mentioned as a Disney Channel great, it’s a great timepiece to look back at what life was like as a kid in the early 2000s.
George Lopez(2002-2007)
It’s 3 AM, and your eyes are just blurring open to grab a sip of water. All of a sudden, you hear War’s ‘Lowrider,’ and your brain instantly picks up on what show is about to come on.
George Lopezis more than just a late-night treat, however. The sitcom, which focused on the Lopez family in suburban Los Angeles, was a clear-cut star onABC’s comedy lineup in the early 2000s, a time when the network was having trouble putting hit shows on the air. Ever sinceGeorge Lopezhas become a cult classic, and demands for the show to be available on streaming services continue to be chanted to this very day.
Modern Family(2009-2020)
Around the timeModern Familypremiered on ABC in 2009, George Lopez was off the air, and the network was desperately looking for a hit sitcom that would raise its declining ratings. Enter this transformative series, which followed a documentary style storyline which tells the story of a diverse family from three different points of view, all coming together at the end of each episode.
RELATED:Ranking the 10 Best ’90s Sitcom Families
Words can’t explain how monumentalModern Familyhas been on the television landscape, with the series pointing the way for family sitcoms with more diversity being shown on the small-screen than ever before. Fans can enjoy the show at anytime now thatModern Familyhas come to multiple streaming services.
My Wife and Kids(2001-2005)
People tend to forget just how hilarious this sitcom was. StarringDamon Waynes, the comedy focused on the Kyle family, an upper-middle-class family with a touch of dysfunction similar to other famous sitcom families of that era.
Running for five seasons,My Wife and Kidswas a much-needed hit for ABC, which was struggling for ratings at the time; and while it hasn’t received the universal praise that it deserves,My Wife and Kidshas since become a cult classic among sitcom lovers.
Grounded For Life(2001-2005)
This feels like a forgotten relic of the sitcom landscape of the 2000s, but it shouldn’t.Grounded For Life, which ran for five seasons onFox(andThe WBin Seasons 3-5), was the little family sitcom that could. Starting as a mid-season replacement in 2001, this family sitcom starredDonal LogueandMegyn Priceas Sean and Claudia Finnerty, raising their three kids in Staten Island.
RELATED:7 Comedies That Should Be TV Sitcoms
Grounded for Lifeis famous for its unusual way of telling the story of an episode, starting at what would be the end of an episode and filling in the storyline gaps with flashbacks. Despite being bounced between networks,Grounded For Lifechanged on and has now obtained cult classic status.
Family Guy(1999-Present)
AlthoughFamily Guyhas run into the “Simpsonsproblem” of being on the air long before its sell-by date, there is no denying thatFamily Guyis one of the best family sitcoms of the 2000s. Yes, this isn’t a family sitcom in the traditional sense, as most of its humor is born from jokes that are meant for adults.
However,Family Guyrevitalized the family sitcom at the dawn of the 2000s and gave birth to a brand new sub-genre: animated sitcoms. Shows such asAmerican Dad,The Cleveland Show(itself a spinoff ofFamily Guy), and evenNetflix’sF is for Familyprobably wouldn’t have existed if it wasn’t for the Griffins.
Arrested Development(2003-2019)
A show that wasn’t well-appreciated by audiences during its initial run onFox,Arrested Developmentis now getting the accolades from viewers that critics long had for this hilarious family sitcom.
Arrested Developmentfollows the Bluths, a once-wealthy family who still have a life of materialism despite being, you know, broke.Jeffory Tambore, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera,andthe lateJessica Walterswere just a piece of the all-star cast involved in this rare comedy. It was nearly criminal that this series wasn’t loved by viewers during its original run, leading to its cancellation in 2006; butArrested Developmentserved as a launching pad for numerous sitcoms such asModern Family, especially in the way it told its stories.
