1. Lois from Malcom in the Middle
Keeping 5 boys in line is not an easy task. Why we love her: Her hard nose attitude and unique punishments.

2. Roseanne from Roseanne
Roseanne was one of the traditional role breakers. Why we love her: She was the star of the show, instead of an afterthought.

3. Rochelle from Everyone Hates Chris
Rochelle’s tough attitude kept everyone in this family in line.Never heard of this before? Get up to speed here. Why we love her: Catchy lines like, “I’ll knock you into next week.”

4. Kitty Foreman from That 70′s Show
Kitty managed to hold it all together for her family and was often the bread winner. Why we love her: She recognized and accepted who her kids really were.

5. Thelma Harper from Mama’s Family
Thelma told it how it was. Why we love her: Her independent nature and great one-liners.

8. Estelle Costanza from Sienfield
Despite the fact that Estelle was only in a few episodes, she left quite an impression. Why we love her: She reminds us of someone we know.

9. Clair Huxtable the cosby show
The biggest overachiever on the list Clair was able to raise 5 children while obtaining an advanced degree. Why we love her: She was always there when her family needed her.

10. Marge Simpson from the Simpsons
With everything that Marge deals with from day to day, she still manages a smile and a positive attitude. Why we love her: Great hair and an unbreakable spirit.

Out of the chaotic sixties television producers brought shows like Andy Griffith, Leave it to Beaver, and Father Knows Best. The producers wanted to create the illusion that the public could go back to the quiet, calm, ‘stuff it under the carpet’ fifties, when inevitably the trend was going forward into the seventies.

Roseanne Conner, a product of the 90′s was one of those shows that allowed the reality of the times to shine through and to shine brilliantly. Roseanne hid nothing from the cameras and her faithful viewers. She was a mother that worked outside the home, which was totally forbidden in the previous family shows. Her house was a mess at times, she yelled at her husband and kids, and she was certainly the center of the household.
As a contrast, the fifties shows portrayed the exact opposite and were not relatable. The perfect father was the leader of the house and we know that that is never the case. The Conner family was realistic and a slice right out of American Pie.
The Conner family laughed, cried, addressed belligerent children, and had family arguments. This is what the public was living, and the viewers could relate to the Conner family on the screen. Stress came from parents who thought they had to be perfect in the changing world, but it is safe to safe that millions families watched the Conners and saw that it was OK to be more honest in their own lives.

I’ll tell you.

Simple answer: complex characters.

If you look at any sitcom nowadays there is really not a whole lot to the characters. They all run the gamut from stereotypical to insultingly predictable and you aren’t challenged. There are no psychiatrists with cheating wives or mailmen with borderline sociopathic tendencies. Characters aren’t given nearly enough time to develop and open up to the audience and the audience isn’t given a moment to think about these characters and decide for themselves if they are worth cheering for.

Cheers and Frasier had tremendous roots in realism but managed to entertain without being overly preachy or maudlin. Much of it has to do with the writing but a lot of it has to do with what networks think you want and what many couch critics have ordained and condemned the rest of the public to. That’s why the sophisticated sitcom is dead and you’ll never see anything like Cheers and Frasier again. Because challenging the audience doesn’t guarantee a profit or a following.

In contrast catch phrases from the sitcoms I watched as a child quickly became part of our everyday vernacular. I first heard the word “nerd” on Happy Days and still use the term today to describe a particularly studious individual. Happy Days also introduced the proclamation of extreme approval “Aaay!” and the insult “Sit on it!” Another often heard insult of the 1970′s was “Kiss my grits” voiced with the southern intonation of Flo from the sitcom Alice. Yet another sitcom inspired putdown came from Welcome Back Kotter’s group of sweathogs in “Up your nose with a rubber hose!” this time with an extremely thick New York accent.The information party rocks on: Reach Out & Touch Somebody’s Hand…

Friends holds a high place in the pantheon of pop culture, introducing catchphrases and hairstyles, and the idea of an effortless Manhattan lifestyle well before Carrie Bradshaw came along. Millions of women copied “The Rachel” from Aniston, and then millions of men tried to pick them up with Joey’s signature line: “How YOU doin’?”

Though sitcoms have attempted to make this point for years, Friends was one of the first to show your friends truly can be your family. For all those since the show debuted who have had to leave home and move to a new city, Friends helped them see that it doesn’t have to be a terrifying experience. As the theme song (which hit 1 on the US charts) goes, “I’ll be there for you, ’cause you’re there for me too.”

10. Melrose Place (1992 – 1999). This prime-time drama was a spin-off from 90210.

9. A Different World (1987 -1993). A Different world started out as a spin-off from The Cosby Show where the Huxtable’s second oldest daughter goes off to college. However, after one season the title character leaves the show. Many critics feel that after this happened the show found its footing and subsequent success.

8. The Facts of Life (1979 – 1988). Spun-off from the sitcom Diff’rent Strokes and detailed the life of Edna Garrett as she becomes the housemother of an all-female boarding school, Eastland School.

7. Laverne and Shirley (1976 – 1983). A spin-off from Happy Days.

6. The Jeffersons (1975 – 1985). A spin-off from All in the Family.

5. The Simpsons (1989- present). A spin-off from the Tracy Ulman Show. An animated sitcom that started out as animated shorts during the Tracy Ulman show but took on a life of its own.

4. Frasier (1993 – 2004). A spin-off from Cheers. Frasier details the neurotic life of Dr. Frasier Crane.

3. Family Matters (1989 – 1998). A spin-off from Perfect Strangers. The anchor character started out as Harriet Winslow but soon the pesky neighbor Steve Urkel became the star.

2. CSI: Miami/CSI: New York. A spin-off from CSI

1. Knots Landing (1979-1993). A spin-off from Dallas.

9 – All In The Family most accurately portrayed the differences in generations during a turbulent time.

8 – Cheers was able to cover serious issues, like Sam’s alcoholism, while still staying light and entertaining.

7 – Roseanne is one of few shows to feature a working-class family with focus on the mother. It tackled many controversial topics of its day.  Ever wonder how people felt when the show got cancelled?  Read about it here.

6 – The Cosby Show was the first show about the life of an African American family.

5 – The Simpsons is one of the longest running shows ever and continually reminds America that cartoons aren’t just for children.

4 – The Brady Bunch was the first show to feature the trials of a blended family.

3 – MASH took place in an unfunny setting, yet perfectly showcased the ironies of war.

2 – The Andy Griffith Show showed America the life of a single father while highlighting the eccentricities of small town life.

1 – Seinfeld premiered at a time when sit-coms were mostly family based. Billed as the show about nothing, it was able to explore issues untouched by its contemporaries.