Sitcoms have long been one of the cornerstones of the television medium. While some have suggested the new era of television has seen the beginning of the end to traditional sitcoms, there have still been plenty of great examples in the 21st century that have delivered some iconic television characters.
While some comedy series, like Atlanta and Fleabag, received huge acclaim by delivering laughs and playing around with tone and structure, these recent sitcoms have proven the simple approach can still work, as long as there are some truly great characters for the audience to fall in love with.
10 Tracy Jordan - 30 Rock
From creator Tina Fey, 30 Rock is a sitcom that explores the behind-the-scenes action of a sketch show similar to Saturday Night Live. It makes sense then that SNL vet Tracy Morgan was cast as the wild star, Tracy Jordan.
Tracy is the wildcard of the series, an impulsive and childish celebrity whose lifestyle added a real energy to the show. He is such an outrageous character that he allows the show to be completely absurd because that's the only way someone like Tracy would make sense in this world.
9 Charlie Kelly – It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Though it took a while to find a solid audience, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has become one of the longest-running sitcoms on television. As its success has grown, so has the love for the show's character, Charlie Kelly.
Charlie is the janitor of Paddy's Pub. He is repulsive in his eating and general lifestyle habits, but there is also a childish naivety to him that is somehow charming. And given the people he hangs around with, the fact that he is somewhat likable is an accomplishment.
8 Sheldon Cooper – The Big Bang Theory
There are some that see The Big Bang Theory as the kind of show that gives sitcoms a bad name. Despite what one might think of the overall series, it's impossible to argue against its success and the impact of the character of Sheldon Cooper.
The socially awkward and abrasive Sheldon is a character who could have gotten very annoying very quickly. Yet, the show manages to make him an entertaining character who feels unlike any other character on television. His success has even grown beyond the series and into the prequel, Young Sheldon.
7 Gloria Pritchett – Modern Family
Given the ensemble nature of Modern Family, it's hard for one character to stand out among the rest. But quite quickly it became clear that Gloria Pritchett was going to steal the show. Though she is seen as the trophy wife to Jay, Gloria revealed herself to be a much more interesting character than that.
She is a strong and independent woman with an interesting background and her relationship with Jay is very sweet. The great chemistry and storylines she has with the other characters as well make her hilarious and entertaining to watch.
6 Captain Raymond Holt – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Throughout its run, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has become one of the best feel-good shows on television thanks to its lovable characters. But with all the wacky characters involved in the show, it is the grounded and serious Captain Holt (who is the MVP).
Holt earns the biggest laughs in the show largely due to his perfectly deadpan performance. His lack of emotion makes every line hilarious and it makes it even funnier when he does have those rare outbursts.
5 Eleanor Shellstrop – The Good Place
The Good Place is one of the cleverest sitcoms of the 21st century as it deals with the afterlife. While that is a brilliant setup for a comedy series, it is really about discovering how to be a good person, as seen through the journey of the show's main character, Eleanor Shellstrop.
Eleanor is a rude and self-centered person and her horrible personality is partially why she is so funny. But it is very impressive how the show is able to gradually have her grow and become a better person without the audience losing interest in her.
4 Larry David – Curb Your Enthusiasm
After being behind-the-scenes of the ground-breaking sitcom Seinfeld, Larry David stepped in front of the camera for Curb Your Enthusiasm, which very much feels like a successor to his previous series.
David plays a (slightly) exaggerated version of himself, living in Hollywood and making enemies with everyone he meets, thanks to his brutally honest observations. What makes Larry such a great character is the freedom of not caring that the lead of a sitcom is a completely unlikeable person.
3 Moira Rose – Schitt's Creek
One of the greatest television success stories in recent memory has been Schitt's Creek. The Canadian comedy gradually built its audience over its run and made Emmy history in its final season.
Among the many awards it has won, Catherine O'Hara has been rightly showered with praise for her performance as Moira Rose. It's hard to describe what O'Hara is doing with this character and it might even take a couple of episodes to get used to, but she is hilarious and captivating with every line of dialogue. This will go down as an iconic television performance.
2 Ron Swanson – Parks And Recreation
Though Parks and Recreation was initially seen as a knock-off of The Office, at first, it soon established its own identity as a great sitcom. While the character of Leslie Knope deserves recognition, Ron Swanson has become one of the greatest television creations in recent memory.
Ron's serious and anti-social demeanor might seem hard to love, but the more he leaned into that persona, the more endearing he became. From his meat-centric eating habits to his lifestyle to his disdain for the government, Ron was a joy to watch and could even be quite sweet at times.
1 Michael Scott – The Office
With the acclaim of the original The Office, the American version had the daunting task of making it a worthwhile remake. Luckily, the show had a secret weapon in the form of Michael Scott. While David Brent was hilarious himself, Michael nailed the awkward boss position with a good amount of heart.
Michael's endless faux pas and failure to understand social boundaries made for countless hilarious moments. He is one of the reasons the show remains so rewatchable and it explains the drastic dip in quality when he left.
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