60 best sitcoms of all time

38. Titus

Christopher Titus has one of the most unique voices in stand-up comedy, so it was no surprise that when someone gave him a TV show, he turned it into the anti-family sitcom. Titus was like a modern All in the Family on speed. And yet, in being everything that a sitcom shouldn’t have been, it was everything that we wanted it to be.

Titus was unapologetic in telling stories from Titus’s own family life, warts and all. His father Ken was portrayed brilliantly by Stacy Keach, who went for the role with gusto, crushing dreams and smashing self-esteem from his armchair. As Titus pointed out, this was also the same father who never missed a bill payment or a day of work to keep a roof over their heads. Meanwhile, Titus’s mother was literally crazy (she spent time in a mental hospital), but that was still his mom. Titus freaked out a bunch of people — including the network it was on — but it also struck a chord with audiences who knew that real life wasn’t like the happy sitcom world anymore.

It’s probably good that the show ended when it did, because fans know that Fox had already censored parts of the series and reportedly wanted even bigger changes. Better no Titus at all than one that was neutered. But for those two seasons, it was the best modern look at family that we had, and it’s still completely hilarious.

Next: 37. Sex and the City