14. Futurama
There was a meme recently that summed up Futurama perfectly: it’s supposed to be a comedy, but it makes you cry. It’s generally believed now, and not unjustly so, that Matt Groening’s second animated TV series got short shrift in its first life at FOX. Thankfully, Comedy Central eventually stepped in for a few more seasons, but Futurama has always been way better than the attention it received.
At its best, Futurama was just as funny and even more emotionally moving than The Simpsons. There are episodes of the show that will kill you inside (“Jurassic Bark,” we’re looking at you). But that ability to be so poignant is what secured Futurama its place on this list. One moment you were laughing too hard over the exploits of Bender or any one of the show’s many memorable recurring characters (see: Lrrr, ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8). The next you’d be bawling over the romance between Fry and Leela or some other plotline that was unexpectedly touching.
Futurama did have some clunkers now and again, and it never reached the heights success-wise or in terms of cultural impact that The Simpsons has. But it was a brilliant little show and one that has carved out its own special place in the hearts of comedy fans everywhere.
Next: 13. The Mary Tyler Moore Show