10 Best Sitcom Casts Of The 21st Century (So Far)

We are now nearly two decades into the 21st century, and these two decades have seen a drastic shift in the television landscape. Whilst the shift from procedural network dramas to serialised anti-hero cable television has been heavily discussed, the shift in the comedy landscape has been equally as prominent.

The very start of the new century saw the old-school, multi-camera sitcom reigning supreme with shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Frasier dominating the ratings and the Emmys. As the 2000s progressed, several trailblazing shows ushered in a wave of single camera comedies with increasingly weird and specific humour. Recently, the comedy trend has been towards experimental cable comedies like Louie and Master of None, which blend laughter with social commentary and drama.

And through it all, the one thing that has remained consistent across all eras of television is the importance of a great cast. But which has been the best so far?

Whilst Community is usually lauded for its hilarious, referential dialogue and ambitious experimental episodes, just as much praise should be afforded to the cast who make all of that work so well. Without the chemistry of the ‘study group’, Community could easily have been too weird and alienating for viewers accustomed to more traditional network sitcoms. Crucially, they give the show the heart it needs to accompany its cynicism and meta humour.

The consistency of the cast meant that the show could do ambitious, format-breaking concept episodes such as Remedial Chaos Theory and Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas without sacrificing the core of the characters and their group dynamic. Furthermore, the performances and characters resonated intensely with the shows’ rabid fan base, with Britta’s pretentiousness and Troy and Abed’s charmingly child-like friendship being particular fan favourites.

The cast even managed to somewhat salvage a misguided fourth season without creator Dan Harmon, which could have turned out far worse had the cast not been so strong. Whilst the final two seasons improved following Harmon’s return, the show never quite recaptured its original glory with the departure of cast members Chevy Chase, Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover, which goes to show the importance of the cast and their chemistry in the success of Community.