The S1E1 Podcast

“Amen” is a sitcom that aired from 1986 to 1991 on NBC. The show stars Sherman Hemsley as Ernest Frye, the Deacon at the First Community Church, who also works as a personal injury lawyer. Ernest is known for his harebrained schemes and often finds himself in trouble due to his dishonesty. The dynamic at the Church starts to change after the hiring of the new pastor, Reverend Reuben Gregory (Clift...

30 Rock is a sitcom created by Tina Fey that aired on NBC from 2006-2013. Set behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show. The series follows Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey), the head writer of “TGS,” as she navigates the challenges of managing an eccentric cast and crew. This includes dealing with her arrogant boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), and the unpredictable star Tracy Jordan...

“Selfie” is a sitcom that aired in 2014. The show stars Karen Gillan as Eliza Dooley, a sales representative obsessed with achieving fame through social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. After an embarrassing viral video, she realizes that online “friending” is not a substitute for real friendships. She seeks help from her co-worker, Henry Higgs (played by John Cho), a marketing image gu...

“The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret” is a 2010 black comedy television series created by and starring David Cross that aired on IFC (US), & More4 (UK). The show follows Todd Margaret, an inept American office temp who, through a series of misunderstandings, is promoted to head the London sales team for an energy drink called Thunder Muscle. The series received mixed reviews, with...

“Bosom Buddies” is a sitcom that aired on ABC from 1980 to 1982. The show starred Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari as two single men who disguise themselves as women to be able to move into a cheap apartment at a women-only residence. The show often explored themes of gender stereotypes and male/female relationships, using the characters’ disguises to create comedic situations. Although “Bosom Buddies”...

“The King of Queens” is a sitcom that aired on CBS from 1998 to 2007. The idea for the show was inspired by the classic sitcom “The Honeymooners,” which also focused on a working-class couple dealing with everyday life. The show stars Kevin James, who had gained popularity through stand-up and his appearances on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” as a delivery driver named Doug. Standing at his side was h...

“Making History” is a sitcom that aired on FOX in 2017. The series stars Adam Pally as Dan Chambers, a janitor at a Massachusetts college who discovers a time machine made out of a gym bag. In his travels Dan takes a liking to colonial times where he meets and develops a relationship with Paul Revere's daughter, Deborah (played by Leighton Meester). This romance changes the course of American hist...

“The Tony Danza Show” was a 1997 sitcom starring Tony Danza ("Who's the Boss?", "Taxi") as Tony DiMeo, a single father and sportswriter who struggles with modern technology and raising his two daughters. The show also featured Shaun Weiss ("The Mighty Ducks", "Heavyweights") as Stuey, the apartment building's door man. Despite Danza winning “Favorite Male Performer In A New TV Series” at the 24th...

“Hudson Street” was an ABC sitcom that aired for one season in 1995. The show starred Tony Danza as a divorced detective in Hoboken, New Jersey. The series also featured Lori Loughlin as Melanie Clifford, an idealistic crime reporter with whom Tony starts a romance.   The show initially received good reviews and placed in the top ten (partly due to its placement between “Roseanne” and “Home Improv...

“Who’s the Boss?” is a sitcom that aired from 1984 to 1992 and became one of the most popular shows of the mid-to-late 1980s. The story revolves around Tony Micelli (Tony Danza), a former professional baseball player, who wants to leave Brooklyn to find a better environment for his daughter, Samantha (Alyssa Milano). He ends up taking a job as a live-in housekeeper for a divorced advertising execu...

“Taxi” is an iconic sitcom that aired from 1978 to 1983. It revolves around the lives of the staff at the fictional Sunshine Cab Company in New York City. The show primarily takes place in the company’s garage, where the drivers interact with each other and their cantankerous dispatcher. The series was a critical and commercial success, winning 18 Primetime Emmy Awards, including three consecutive...

“Tires” is a workplace comedy from creators Shane Gillis, John McKeever, and Steve Gerben. The show was self funded but was soon picked up by Netflix and aired May 2024. Tires centers around the employees of Valley Forge Tires, a struggling auto-repair chain. The series centers around Will, the son of the Valley Forge's owner who is currently running one of the chain's underperforming locations. W...

"Brews Brothers" is a Netflix sitcom that premiered on April 2020. The series follows the exploits of two estranged brothers, Wilhelm and Adam Rodman, who reunite to run a brewery. The central theme revolves around sibling rivalry and the challenges of running a business with family. The show also delves into the inner workings of craft beer culture, which over the last decade has been on a consta...

“Single Parents” is a sitcom that aired on ABC from 2018 - 2020. The series begins with Will Cooper, a single dad in his 30s who's become so engrossed in the world of parenting his daughter that he’s lost sight of his own identity. When a group of other single parents notice Will’s over-involvement at the school, they band together to help him re-enter the dating scene and regain his identity. The...

"Mom" is a sitcom that premiered on CBS and had an eight season run from 2013-2021. The show stars Anna Faris as Christy, a single mother who is a recovering alcoholic and a waitress. Another series from the mind of creator Chuck Lorre, but "Mom" drew a lot of its inspiration from co-creator Gemma Baker's experiences growing up with a mother in addiction recovery. As result the show tackles themes...

"Punky Brewster" is a sitcom that spanned four seasons from 1984 to 1988. The show is about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) with a vibrant personality and a knack for getting into misadventures being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes). Punky often faces all types of struggles throughout the series but her resilience, and infectious spirit always shine through, which inspired viewers of all...

"I Love Lucy" is a classic American television sitcom that aired from 1951-1957. The show starred Lucille Ball and her real-life husband Desi Arnaz. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential sitcoms in television history. The show follows the misadventures of Lucy Ricardo, a quirky housewife with aspirations of stardom, and her Cuban bandleader husband Ricky Ricardo, who of...

"The Trades" is a sitcom about refinery employees that first debut March 2024 on the Crave network in Canada. The show is a production of Trailer Park Boys Inc. and stars Rob Wells as Todd, a red seal welder working towards a promotion to site manager at his refinery plant. The Trades has a deep ensemble cast featuring the likes of Tom Green, Enrico Colantoni, and Jennifer Spence to name a few. Th...

"Bob Hearts Abishola" is a sitcom that aired on CBS from 2019-2024. Created by the legendary Chuck Lorre, the mastermind behind hit shows such as "Two and a Half Men", "The Big Bang Theory", & "Grace Under Fire" just to name a few. With this show, Lorre wanted to offer an interracial love story to a broad audience and by doing so gave us the first American sitcom to feature a Nigerian family....

"Herman's Head" was a sitcom that aired on the Fox network from 1991-1994. The show had unique concept, revolving around the inner thoughts and emotions of its protagonist, Herman Brooks (William Ragsdale), but here those thoughts and emotions were portrayed by 4 different characters that resided inside Herman's mind. Throughout its run, Herman navigated through various romantic relationships, fri...

"Extended Family" is a sitcom that premiered on NBC in 2023. The show is about Jim (Jon Cryer) and Julia (Abigail Spencer), a recently divorced couple that are trying to show the world that divorce doesn't need to have so much negativity attached to it. In the process they co-parent their two children and even take turns living in the house they once shared. The arrangement gets complicated when J...

"Undeclared" was a sitcom created by Judd Apatow that aired on the Fox network in 2001. It was the spiritual successor to "Freaks and Geeks," which had been critically acclaimed but canceled after just one season. The premise centered around a group of college freshmen as they navigate the challenges and adventures of college at the fictional University of Northeastern California. The show receive...

"The Wayans Bros." was a sitcom that aired on the WB network (now The CW) from 1995 to 1999. Its mix of slapstick comedy, witty banter, and the chemistry between the two real-life brothers helped the show build a strong and loyal fanbase. It offered a more diverse and inclusive representation of family dynamics and everyday experiences than most other shows did on mainstream television at the time...

"2gether" was a sitcom that aired on MTV in 2000 following the movie of the same name that released earlier that year. The show was a satirical take on the boy band phenomenon of the late '90s and early 2000s. The show followed the fictional boy band 2ge+her as they moved in with one another in a house provided by their new label "What-Ev Records". The series provided audiences with a humorous loo...

Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (Renamed "Two Guys and a Girl" in its third season) was a sitcom that aired on ABC from 1998 to 2001. The show is about three twenty-somethings who share a Boston apartment and hang around (and work) at a pizza place. A lot of the motivation from the show came from show creator Kenny Schwartz's experiences working at a Massachusetts pizza shop. Modern day this si...