Phoebe DeCook

Today’s topic is: “What’s your favorite television comedy with an ensemble cast?”

Strength in numbers! There have been so many hilarious ensemble casts over the years, how can I pick just one?

In my world, the first was Friends and it set the bar very, very high. I was in college when the show made living in New York City, drinking coffee, and hanging out with your five favorite people in the world look like the right way to be an adult. I also loved that it was the first popular television program featuring a character named Phoebe, although she wasn’t exactly the role model I was hoping for. After Friends, people at least started to identify Phoebe as being a real name, yet most still couldn’t figure out how to spell it.

More recently, I loved the quirky high-school antics of the gang on That 70s Show. It was wildly different from my goody-two-shoes high school experience in the early 90s, yet there was a timelessness about their desire to hang out with friends, the uncertainties that accompany those early romantic relationships, and the harsh reality of when parents get divorced. To be honest, I lost interest when Kelso knocked up the hot librarian and Donna bleached her hair, but the early episodes were solid gold.

In 2008, my inner-geek fell in love with The Big Bang Theory. The real-life scientist cameos and fast-talking witty banter made being smart seem cool. I stuck with them through season 4, but when I moved in with my non-geek husband, I couldn’t keep up. And like everyone else, I was shocked and disappointed when Penny cut her hair in season 8. (Reminds me of the trauma/drama that surrounded the Felicity haircut of 1999.)

Did any of you binge watch all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother (or was that just me)? With laugh out loud scenes, quotable lines, and tons of false starts and dead ends (just like real relationships in your 20s), I often wondered if we would actually meet the mother. I have mixed feelings about the series finale, but for the other 207 episodes, I was hooked.

Honorable mentions must include Seinfeld, Arrested Development, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, and Scrubs. And don’t get me started on amazing casts in drama TV series!

Did I forget to mention your favorite comedy cast? Tell me about it in the comments and I’ll add it to my watchlist.

~ Phoebe DeCook