My Top Ten Sitcoms of All Time

This treasure deserved better as there are fewer than 40 episodes but each one is a special nugget. The story of Alan Silver, an adolescent growing up in a Jewish family in Brooklyn circa 1950's was based on creator Gary David Goldberg's life. Favorite character: Sophie Berger (Marion Ross)

Fans of this series yearn for the dvd set to be released in their original form with the original music but almost alll of it was stripped and canned muzak was inserted instead. Still, quite a ride for Johnny Fever and friends. This is Les Nessman saying "May the Good News be yours." Favorite character: Les Nessman (Richard Sanders)

Led by the outrageous John Lithgow, this outstanding ensemble lampooned the human condition with reckless abandon. Favorite character: Tommy Solomon (Joseph Gordon-Leavitt)

Took a lot of guts to put on a show about war during the Viet Nam era but America is beholden to Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds for giving us Hawkeye, Trapper and of course Radar week in and week out for eleven seasons. CBS, forced the show to contain a laugh track and it does sound invasive but when you buy the dvd set, you can choose to turn that blasted thing off! Favorite character: Radar (Gary Burghoff)

Like most shows on this list, it took a season or so for Barney and the rest of the ole One Two to find themselves, to find the right tone and pace but once they did, they struck gold. A large part of the charm of this show was the parade of supporting characters who comprise the New York City citizenry. Favorite character: Sgt. Dietrich (Steve Landesberg)

A single woman making it on her own doesn't seem like much today in terms of being extraordinary but this was groundbreaking stuff in 1970. Perhaps the best ensemble ever assembled (an assembled ensemble?) we all joined in the group hug at the end and wept real tears along with Mary, Lou, Ted and the gang. Favorite character: Lou (Ed Asner)

Before the ministry I had aspirations to be a broadcast journalist so this show holds a special place in my heart. Just the right combination of character development, writing and directing made this contemporary program relevant and a pure joy. Favorite character: Miles (Grant Shaud)

As time progresses, this will probably rise in the ranks. Three related families driving each other crazy but loving each other anyway. I am so glad they present the family in such a way that says relationships in the 21st century differ from those 30 years earlier without getting too preachy about it a la M*A*S*H toward the end. Favorite character: Manny (Rico Rodriguez)

I could watch Joe Flynn and Tim Conway square off for the whole show and it would be worth it. But like Hogan's Heroes, the seriousness of war was overshadowed by hijinks by McHale and his band of merry men. Favorite character: Ensign Parker (Tim Conway)

So what if the mother washed dishes in pearls? The 50's were about projecting life as we wanted it to be, not the way it was. I guess I identified with this show because it was about two brothers and I have four myself. Favorite character: Theodore (Jerry Mathers)