60 best sitcoms of all time

49. Cybill

Before Chuck Lorre gave us Mom, The Big Bang Theory or Two and a Half Men, there was Cybill. A star vehicle for Cybill Shepherd, it cast her as twice-divorced struggling actress Cybill Sheridan and turned her loose. Shepherd delivered in what’s probably her best comedic performance (it’s a toss-up between this and Moonlighting) and got a Golden Globe Award out of it.

But Cybill makes this list because of how the supporting cast delivered as well. Playing Cybill’s best friend Marianne was the TV big break of Christine Baranski, who got an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an American Comedy Award before she became known for her work on The Good Wife. Shepherd was great, but it was the pairing with Baranski that really made the show click, because it gave her someone equally talented to play off of. For four seasons, they were a fantastic double act.

Cybill’s daughters Rachel and Zoey were played by Dedee Pfeiffer and Alicia Witt, respectively, who did a fine job of balancing out the cast. This, too, was a showcase for Witt before she landed arcs on bigger shows like Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Friday Night Lights and Justified. Rachel’s husband Kevin was played by an up and coming Peter Krause. Cybill will be remembered for Cybill, but also for how it was a launching pad for so many great talents that we’d come to know and love for years afterward.

Next: 48. The Drew Carey Show