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15 Sitcoms To Watch When You Need A Mental Vacation

NBC

The holiday season is winding down, but the news cycle never ends. And then there’s tax season right around the corner and resolutions you have to pretend to keep for at least a month — you deserve a break, even if it’s only a half-hour set aside to laugh until you cry (in a good way). Thankfully, sitcoms are the best mental vacations TV has to offer.

The best sitcoms to watch when you’re feeling burned out are both witty and wonderfully silly. From shows about nothing to classics from across the pond, the comedies on this list aim straight for your funny bone. In the process, they might just make you forget all your worries, at least for a little while.

1. Seinfeld

NBC

Even if you know every episode by heart, Seinfeld is that rare comedy that never stops being funny. The Soup Nazi, Festivus, the contest — they’re all iconic parts of Seinfeld, but even the lesser known episodes hold up. Whenever you need to hang out with four goofy cynics, Seinfeld is there for you.

2. 30 Rock

NBC

The world doesn’t deserve Liz Lemon, but she’s always there giving hot dogs to the good people anyway. 30 Rock is a masterpiece of absurdism. If you enjoy random muppet appearances and working on your night cheese, then take a break with Liz and the rest of the TGS team.

3. Fawlty Towers

BBC

Spend an evening at Fawlty Towers and lose yourself in the slapstick brilliance of one of Britain’s best sitcoms. The show is very much of its time, but that doesn’t stop it from being an essential comedy.

4. Happy Endings

ABC

Think Friends if Friends dared to get weird. Happy Endings spent every moment on air trying to stave off cancellation, but the uncertainty only made the show more creative. As a result, you couldn’t ask for a stranger or more entertaining group of friends to spend an evening with.

5. The I.T. Crowd

Channel 4

Roy, Moss, and Jen’s basement-dwelling job in the I.T. department leads to the best kind of shenanigans. Sometimes Jen breaks the entirety of the internet and other times Moss becomes trapped inside a claw machine. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with this trio?

6. Frasier

CBS

Spin-off series rarely live up to the greatness of the parent show, but Frasier is Cheers’ equal in every way. Relocating the snobbish Frasier Crane to Seattle to be with his family led to another decade’s worth of hilarious sitcom antics, and gave the world the gift of Niles Crane.

7. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt — Netflix

Netflix

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has a dark premise — Kimmy was kidnapped as a teenage and held underground in a bunker — but it somehow still manages to be one of TV’s most upbeat comedies. Irreverent, bright, and always good for a laugh, this show is TV comfort food with amazing guest stars.

8. Fresh Off the Boat

ABC

If you want a family comedy with bite, then Fresh Off the Boat is the show for you. The Huang family is witty, competitive, and anchored by Jessica, the coolest mom currently on TV.

9. Bob’s Burgers

Fox

The Belcher family’s animated antics are a pleasure to watch. No matter how foul your mood is, a couple of episodes of Bob’s Burgers is sure to cure what ails you.

10. Miranda

BBC

Miranda is a throwback to old school sitcoms that manages to be cheerful, delightfully silly, and a complete joy to watch. Give Miranda Hart a chance to charm you, and you may find yourself watching this show on repeat whenever a dark day descends.

11. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Fox

Workplace comedies can be the perfect escapist television when done right, and oh, is Brooklyn Nine-Nine done right. This show set at an NYPD precinct keeps the jokes flying fast, and the chemistry between the cast is unparalleled. Settle in for a marathon and let your real life worries slip away.

12. I Love Lucy

CBS

Lucille Ball’s reign as the queen of comedy will never come to an end, and if you need an explanation as to why that is then just sit down and watch any episode of I Love Lucy.

13. Parks & Recreation

NBC

There’s no place like Pawnee, Indiana. Leslie, Ben, Ann, Tom, and Ron’s weird little town is a great place to visit when you need a laugh.

14. Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp

Netflix

Thanks to an all-star cast of comedy heavyweights and a completely incomprehensible plot, First Day of Camp is the ideal show to zone out with at the end of a long day.

15. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

FX

Does your life need a little more debauchery? Then it’s time for a trip to Philadelphia.

Everyone deserves a mental vacation, and these sitcoms are the perfect getaway.

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