20 Best TV Comedy Shows Of The 21st Century

Easily the most densely written comedy on this list (to the point that its divisive fourth season reboot was recut to make more sense after its release), this acerbic sitcom used its huge dysfunctional central family to satirize everything from corporate greed to mindless contemporary culture to the then-current Iraq war, and its uncompromising wit meant even its "good" (read: less awful) characters weren’t free from constant humiliation and vicious barbs being lobbed their way.

Dark, endlessly inventive, and both silly and sharp at once, this series launched the careers of stars ranging from Michael Cera to Alia Shawkat to Will Arnett, and there are few characters in their CVs funnier than the nebbish Georg Michael, his opportunistic cousin Maebe, and the tragically earnest failed magician Gob.