Comfort rewatch vs. actual comedy craft
Sitcom rankings quietly measure two different things. The rewatch axis rewards shows you put on while doing dishes — The Office and Friends dominate here regardless of whether the jokes hold up. The craft axis rewards density and ambition, which is where 30 Rock, Community and Always Sunny climb past more popular shows. Endings matter more than people admit: several beloved series lost a full tier in their final seasons. And laugh-track era versus single-camera modern comedy is close to comparing different mediums.