The 90s were a time of scrunchies, pizza rolls, and captivating sitcoms — but no show came close to the success of Seinfeld. The show, created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, ran from 1989 to 1998, so it's been off the air for a long time. Yet, it’s still highly regarded as the best situational comedy of all time, leading many other TV shows to fall to the wayside in comparison.
There have since been many shows that have given it a run for its money, like Arrested Development or Friends (which Jerry Seinfeld has said was copied from his show), but many attribute Seinfeld to being the trailblazer of the American sitcom formula as we see it today. It's captured such a broad audience, that many fans of the show today weren't even alive when it was originally on. Shows that aired around the same time were overshadowed, as more viewers tuned in to watch the classic NBC series that was essentially about... “nothing”.
8 Cheers
Airing from 1982 to 1993, Cheers indeed preceded Seinfeld by about seven years, but it hasn’t maintained its relevance. The lighthearted sitcom centered around the quirky patrons of “Cheers” bar, where everybody knows your name. The show launched several stars into the spotlight and featured more heartwarming, emotionally-driven plots than laugh-out-loud situations. Although Cheers had more viewers in its time, it’s ultimately Seinfeld’s timeless humor that has viewers still streaming and laughing along today.
7 3rd Rock from the Sun
This beloved sitcom that brought Joseph Gordon-Levitt to fame was another NBC favorite. While fans loved the eccentricity and ridiculousness of four aliens posing as human beings, the ridiculous plots didn’t have that relatable factor that Seinfeld offered its audience. At this time, Seinfeld had already challenged viewers to accept and laugh at the awfulness of its characters, so series that aired on the side of sentimentalism took a back seat, or led to cancellations.
6 Three’s Company
Many of the shows that were washed over by Seinfeld aired in the late 80s to mid-90s. Three’s Company, however, had ended five years before Seinfeld even came into the picture. Three’s Company became quickly outdated (mainly due to jokes around John Ritter’s character pretending to be gay). Seinfeld differed from this naive sense of humor, bringing a more self-aware, modern style of comedy that quickly overshadowed older sitcoms’ comedic formulas.
5 Roseanne
Roseanne was another well-loved classic, airing on NBC’s competing network, ABC, from 1988 to 1997 (the same time period as Seinfeld). Roseanne focused on an American working middle-class family, which many viewers related to. Roseanne Barr did extremely well for herself as the title character, and it became one of the most watched shows — until the plot took a few turns that the audience couldn’t keep up with, stunting that timeless quality that Seinfeld maintained.
4 Wings
Wings was an NBC sitcom that ran for eight seasons, starting in 1990. It had a moderate reception and had similar elements to Cheers or Frasier — because it took place in “The Frasierverse” and was created by the same trio who launched Cheers. Another workplace comedy, Wings was about two brothers trying to run an airline with their offbeat friends, but it never quite caught up to the renowned graft Seinfeld had (and still has).
3 The Golden Girls
One of the most influential and ahead-of-its-time shows, The Golden Girls starred four older women, all divorced or widowed, who have become roommates in Miami. This “roommates just trying to get along” trope has been a winning formula for a long time, but The Golden Girls spin on it was actually deemed edgy for the time. While it struck a chord with certain demographics, Seinfeld maintained more of a universal pull out of the two.
2 The Cosby Show
The obvious reasons The Cosby Show isn’t popular today, or the string of other controversies around the show, are only some of the factors why it was overshadowed by Seinfeld. Back when it aired, The Cosby Show was one of the most watched shows on television, and it helped open up representation for black middle-class families. Apparently Jerry Seinfeld's antics proved more entertaining, as Seinfeld received almost double the season finale views The Cosby Show did, despite its lack of representation.
1 Frasier
One of the most loved sitcoms of all time, Frasier ran on NBC from 1993 to 2004 for a whopping 11 seasons. Immediately after Cheers ended, Kelsey Grammer was awarded the title role of the spinoff, playing Dr. Frasier Crane. While Seinfeld and Frasier are both critically acclaimed, had their fair share of controversial episodes, and attracted a huge audience, many more viewers tuned in to watch Seinfeld’s finale than they did Frasier’s finale.
