Family sitcoms get a lot of attention, but some of television’s funniest and most quotable comedies happen at the office, the hospital, the police precinct or the shop floor. A workplace gives writers a built-in cast of characters who didn’t choose each other, and that friction produces plenty of jokes. It also gives them a steady supply of story ideas, from new bosses to budget cuts.
The eight shows below all center on a place of work. I’ve stuck to details that are well established about each series, such as its setting, its network and its basic premise. They’re arranged loosely from older classics to more recent favorites.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
This series ran on CBS from 1970 to 1977. It follows Mary Richards, a associate producer at a Minneapolis television newsroom, WJM. The show treats the newsroom as a kind of second family, but the setting is firmly professional.
It’s often credited as an influential sitcom about a single working woman, and it helped shape the workplace comedy format that followed. Its newsroom staff, including gruff editor Lou Grant, set a template of colleagues who bicker but care about each other. If you want to see where the genre’s roots lie, this is a smart place to begin.
Cheers
Cheers ran on NBC from 1982 to 1993 and takes place in a Boston bar. The characters are staff and regulars, and the bar is the workplace for the people behind the counter. Sam Malone, a former baseball pitcher turned bar owner, anchors the cast.
The show is one of the best known American sitcoms, and it spawned the spinoff Frasier. Its structure is simple: a single main location and a rotating mix of customers and employees. That limited setting proves how much comedy can come from people who spend their days together.
Taxi
Taxi aired from 1978 to 1983, first on ABC and later on NBC. It’s set in a New York City taxi garage, where the drivers treat the job as a stopgap on the way to something else. Many of them dream of being actors, boxers or something more glamorous.
The garage dispatcher’s booth and the break room serve as the main stages for the comedy. The series is remembered for its ensemble cast, including Danny DeVito as dispatcher Louie De Palma. It’s a good example of a workplace comedy driven by tired employees and a difficult boss.
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation aired on NBC from 2009 to 2015. It’s set in the parks department of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, and follows deputy director Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler. Like The Office, it uses a mockumentary style with characters talking directly to the camera.
The show turns small-town bureaucracy into a source of warmth and absurdity. Meetings, public forums and budget fights drive many of the plots. Leslie’s devotion to public service gives the series an optimistic spine that sets it apart from more cynical office comedies.
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The Office (U.S.)
The U.S. version of The Office ran on NBC from 2005 to 2013 and is based on the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It’s set at the Scranton branch of the paper company Dunder Mifflin. Steve Carell played regional manager Michael Scott for most of the run.
The mockumentary format lets characters glance at the camera, which made awkward moments funnier. The show has found a large new audience through streaming over the years, which keeps it in conversations about the best workplace comedies. Its cubicles, conference room and warehouse are instantly recognizable settings.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Brooklyn Nine-Nine began on Fox in 2013 and later moved to NBC, ending in 2021 after eight seasons. It’s set in a fictional New York Police Department precinct, the 99th. Andy Samberg plays detective Jake Peralta, and Andre Braugher plays his deadpan captain, Raymond Holt.
The series mixes case-of-the-week plots with running gags and strong character comedy. Its precinct setting gives it a workplace feel despite the police subject matter. It also shows how a comedy can build affection for a team without leaving the office.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary premiered on ABC in 2021 and was created by Quinta Brunson, who also stars as teacher Janine Teagues. It’s set in a underfunded public elementary school in Philadelphia. The mockumentary style follows teachers who try to make the best of limited resources.
The show has been widely praised and has won major awards, including Emmy recognition for Brunson. It’s a rare recent network hit built on a traditional workplace ensemble. The school setting lets it explore real-world issues, while still keeping the tone light.
Superstore
Superstore ran on NBC from 2015 to 2021. It’s set in Cloud 9, a big-box retail store in St. Louis, Missouri, and stars America Ferrera and Ben Feldman. The show follows floor staff, managers and the customers who test their patience.
It’s notable for treating retail workers as the center of the story, with plots touching on issues such as wages, schedules and job security. The store’s aisles, break room and loudspeaker announcements give the series its own comic rhythm. It’s a fine pick if you want a workplace comedy grounded in everyday working life.
Taken together, these eight series show how flexible the workplace sitcom is. An office, a bar, a garage, a precinct or a school can all supply the same raw material: people thrown together and forced to get along.
If you’re picking one to start with, choose the setting that matches your own daily grind. Chances are you’ll recognize a coworker or two.
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