From fresh starts to friend groups, we're diving into what made sitcoms great across two iconic decades! Join us as we compare the best qualities of 90s and 2000s sitcoms to determine which era reigns supreme. Whether you're team "Friends" and "Full House" or prefer "Modern Family" and "Parks and Recreation," this nostalgic showdown will have you picking sides!
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00:00How would you like to come to Hollywood and be on television?
00:03Me! In the TV!
00:04Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're looking at what makes the sitcoms of the 90s and 2000s so great,
00:11and comparing their best qualities to see which decade reigns supreme.
00:15We're being a bit lenient on the start dates here,
00:17and categorizing the sitcoms with the decades with which they're mostly associated,
00:22even if it's at the end of the 1990s or the noughties.
00:25Way to be, Ron! You're really getting it done, man!
00:30He can't hear me.
00:33Round 1. New Beginnings
00:35Don't you people have a home?
00:38No, we don't, but thank you for the idea.
00:43See? She called us people.
00:46A lot of classic sitcoms have kicked off in the same way over the years.
00:50Someone new comes to town, someone new moves in with an established group,
00:54or someone starts out on a new adventure.
00:56It's the catalyst for stories that would last for many seasons in both the 90s and 2000s,
01:02as well as decades before and since.
01:04Okay, everybody, this is Rachel and another Lincoln High survivor.
01:09This is everybody. This is Chandler and Phoebe and Joey.
01:12And you remember my brother Ross?
01:14Sure!
01:15Hey!
01:16We saw it with Rachel Green joining the Friends group and moving in with Monica,
01:20and we saw it with Fran Fine moving in with the Sheffields as the titular nanny, to name a few.
01:26This trope has kicked off some of the greatest sitcoms of the 90s,
01:29and they sure do it well.
01:31I didn't realize you're a man of such strong conviction.
01:35I've such deeply felt moral tenacity, of such a remarkable sentiment.
01:39All right, Bill, I'm not going to be sucked up to either.
01:42While this was something that we saw in some of our favorite sitcoms of the 2000s,
01:46like Community and The Big Bang Theory,
01:48it's not something that comes to our minds when we think of shows from this era.
01:52Britt invited me, is that cool?
01:53Oh, I can't think of a single logical reason why not.
01:56These sitcoms don't feel as much like a fresh start as they do in addition.
02:01Jeff sees his life expand with the study group,
02:04as do Leonard and Sheldon when Penny moves into their building.
02:07You're not done with her, are you?
02:10Our babies will be smart and beautiful.
02:13Some of the most popular series from this decade have nothing to do with fresh starts.
02:17Instead, they kick off with an already established story,
02:21which is the case for Modern Family, for example.
02:23You can shoot him afterwards, he'll be home at 2.
02:25I can't shoot him at 2, I'm showing a house at 2.
02:27What about 3?
02:28No, he's going to soccer game at 3, and then, oh, we've got to leave for that dinner thing at 5.
02:344.15, you can shoot him at 4.15.
02:36Yeah, I guess that works for me.
02:37With all of this in mind, we've got to give this round to the 90s.
02:41Winner, 90s.
02:4390s won, 2000, 0.
02:45Ma, pack my things, he wants me back!
02:48Smile!
02:48Round 2, Relatable Humor
02:54At their core, sitcoms are about funny situations that the audience can relate to.
02:59So, which decade resonated with their audience the most?
03:02I remember the elevator.
03:03There's elevators all over!
03:05Everything looks the same!
03:07But like rats and some experiment!
03:10Sitcoms like Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond will never completely go out of style.
03:15While some of the jokes are dated, the general themes of everyday life that are portrayed in these shows will always be relevant.
03:22Perfect Deborah sitting in the tree.
03:25P-E-R-F-E-C-T.
03:28Hey, that rhymes!
03:30Whether it be marital problems, dealing with in-laws, struggling to remember where you parked your car, or faking it,
03:36it's safe to say we've all been there at some time or another.
03:39These shows are always good for a re-watch, and their relatability definitely plays a big part in that.
03:45Watch me.
03:52Voila!
03:53The 2000s had their fair share of funny comedies, but were they relevant to their audience members?
03:59We say yes.
04:00Oh, how fun!
04:01Yay!
04:02Why don't you take as many as you can, and I'll cover the rest.
04:05I have a better idea.
04:06Why don't I try to rustle up seven more meanings, because I think it would be cooler if they were an even hundred.
04:11Why don't we just stick to these 93 and see how it goes?
04:13Shows like Parks and Recreation felt all too familiar to those in the workforce.
04:18But shows about friendship, romance, and all of the funny mishaps in between are pertinent to viewers as well.
04:24That's why sitcoms like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ring true to so many.
04:28We see hilarious situations, like the guys trying to help Charlie create a dating profile,
04:45but also meaningful ones like Mac coming out to his father.
04:48These shows are as relevant today as they were when they aired, and we can thank their relatability for that.
04:54Hey, Dad!
04:55Yeah, Dad!
04:56Oh, no, he had to go.
04:57The guards called him back.
04:58The guards called him back.
05:00Oh, that went well.
05:02We couldn't possibly pick, so both sides win this round.
05:05Winner, tie.
05:0792, 2001.
05:09In the event of a tie, a winner must be chosen.
05:13There can be only one.
05:15Round three, family values.
05:17At the center of so many people's lives is their families, and the importance of families certainly never gets stale.
05:24So it stands to reason that family dynamics play a large role in many of our favorite sitcoms from the 90s.
05:30Aw, is this working out great or what?
05:34These girls are crazy about you.
05:36Oh, sure, I'd dance around and give them money.
05:37From wholesome families like the Tanners in Full House to more typical ones like the Taylors in Home Improvement,
05:44it's fun watching these relatable and hilarious households on our screen.
05:48Exploring the family unit gave these shows a chance to talk about things that only families could.
05:54My own flesh and blood.
05:57Um, technically, Uncle Phil, I'm not really your flesh and blood.
06:03My mom and Aunt Viv, they, I see where you're going with this, though.
06:09While some of the topics they delve into are serious, these shows manage to give them a funny spin,
06:15and that's the magic of this type of show format.
06:18How could you do this to me?
06:19Settle down, Cora. You're acting like this is the first time.
06:22Well, it's the last time, bub.
06:23Hey, little bro, life's tough. Get a helmet.
06:26The 2000s played host to many family sitcoms, from Modern Family to Arrested Development,
06:32all the way to Malcolm in the Middle.
06:34The difference between these sitcoms and those of the 90s is that the families we see are not always nuclear.
06:40You said my father was my father, but my uncle is my father.
06:43My father is my uncle!
06:45These shows prove that there are all types of families, and all of them are worthy and fun.
06:50The complexities of the families in the sitcoms we mentioned paved the way for family-centered sitcoms
06:56that followed in the 2010s and beyond, like Black-ish, Mom, and Raising Hope, just to name a few.
07:02We don't know what we're doing either.
07:05Well, it sure looked like you knew what you were doing in there.
07:07We sang a song. Anybody can sing a song. Charles Manson can sing a song.
07:12He's actually pretty darn good. Mike has his album.
07:15He is good. But that doesn't mean you want him helping you raise your child.
07:19Considering the influence of the 2000s family sitcoms and the enduring qualities of the 1990s family sitcoms,
07:26we have to end this round in a tie. Winner, tie. 90s 3, 2000s 2.
07:32The other team wanted to settle with the coin slip. We said rock, paper, scissors.
07:36And that's when talks broke down.
07:38Round 4. Friend Groups.
07:40One of the first things that comes to mind when we think of sitcoms is friend groups.
07:45While family is super important, the beauty of friends is that they often become surrogate family,
07:50which makes for interesting dynamics and entertaining TV.
07:54No, my game was up tonight.
07:58Yes, you tore it up, girl.
07:59I haven't had this much fun since Jeremy James' 80th birthday, okay?
08:04On television in the 90s, friendships were at the forefront.
08:08On shows like Boy Meets World, we got to see childhood friendships grow and mature into adolescence and eventually adulthood,
08:15making this show accessible for a wide array of viewers.
08:18You guys got room for me?
08:19Yep, we have the perfect spot.
08:21Right between me and the wife.
08:23Hey!
08:24Hey!
08:25Hey!
08:27All right, how are you?
08:28Mr. Feeney?
08:29You're up.
08:30Feeney!
08:31Feeney!
08:33Feeney!
08:34We're on!
08:35That's dismissed!
08:36And we can't talk about friends without talking about friends.
08:39It's iconic, it's nearly as popular today as it was when it first premiered,
08:44and the characters on the show will always be friend goals.
08:47That's a tough hand to beat.
08:48I thought we had them!
08:49Yeah, well, when you don't have the cards, you don't have the cards, you know?
08:51But, uh, look how happy she is.
08:54Friendships were relevant in the television world in the new millennium, too.
08:58Shows like How I Met Your Mother and Rules of Engagement are hilarious and relatable to
09:03any viewers who've been through fun times with their friends in their 20s and 30s.
09:07We have a cake plate 12 years.
09:09We have a cake plate 12 years.
09:10No cake.
09:11How can that be?
09:12I don't know, we've also got a juicer, no juice, a waffle maker, no waffles, quesadilla maker.
09:18Uh, yeah.
09:19No, senor.
09:24Well, that doesn't make any sense.
09:27I know, welcome forward.
09:27That said, friend shows didn't make a huge impact or reappearance until the 2010s.
09:33That's when we got shows like New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine that had a larger focus in that area.
09:392000s sitcoms tackled themes like workplace situations, marriage and relationships, and family values.
09:45But it wasn't a decade for the friends.
09:47So screw both of you, and screw everybody out here!
09:51Liz Lemon is having a party!
09:53And there ain't no party like a Liz Lemon party, cause a Liz Lemon party is mandatory!
09:57That being said, this round goes to the 90s.
10:01Winner 90s.
10:0290s 4, 2002.
10:05Hey, hey, hey!
10:06Hey, you had enough now that you know who you're dealing with?
10:09Ready to discuss terms of surrender?
10:11Can you bear to continue?
10:14Round 5, Workplace Comedies
10:17While we love shows that delve into the complexities of home life, friend groups, and relationships,
10:23we spend so much of our lives at work that that aspect of life deserves some time in the spotlight.
10:29That said, workplaces weren't at the forefront of situation comedies in the 1990s, as most kept their storylines at home.
10:36Oh, where do I sit?
10:38The previous nanny sat in the kitchen.
10:40Oh, how anti-social.
10:43So, kids, what should we do today? Should we take a walk in the park, or maybe just kick back, hang around the mansion?
10:52For pleasure, the titular therapist's radio show was integral to his character.
10:55However, plotline's mainly focused on family dynamics, which follows the trend of the decade.
11:01I suspect your son already knows how you feel.
11:05Is that all?
11:10Yeah, I guess that's it.
11:12Thank you, Dr. Crane.
11:13My pleasure, Martin.
11:15Yeah, what I said, I said thank you.
11:17Yes, I heard.
11:18Meanwhile, Spin City is about day-to-day life in the assistant mayor of New York's office, but it's not exactly a sitcom that is top of mind when you think of the 90s.
11:28I can't take it.
11:29I don't know what's real and what's not.
11:31I don't know day from night, good from evil, I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost.
11:35From shows like Scrubs that took place in the medical world to Parks and Recreation in the political seas, everyone in the 2000s could find a sitcom that compared to their own workplace.
11:45The brilliance of these shows is their ability to balance the funny, mundane, and serious parts of work while making them relatable and timeless.
11:53Somebody say my name.
11:54Chris.
11:55Swivel!
11:56What is it, Jerry?
11:57You told me to say your name.
11:59And you did a great job, Superstar.
12:00These shows paved the way for the more unconventional workplace comedies that have followed in recent years, like Ted Lasso, Superstore, and Shrinking.
12:09But we still find their 2000s counterparts are as accessible and relevant today as they were in their prime.
12:15Lemon, embrace your elitism.
12:16What do we elites do when we screw up?
12:18We pretend it never happened and give ourselves a giant bonus.
12:21This round has got to go to the 2000s.
12:24Winner 2000s.
12:2690s for 2003.
12:29I told you so, I told you so, I told you so, I told you so, I told you so, I told you so.
12:35Round six, romantic relationships.
12:39When it comes to 90s sitcoms, we've seen it all.
12:42From Paul and Jamie's marriage dynamic and ups and downs on Mad About You,
12:46to Ross and Rachel's on-again, off-again romance on Friends.
12:50You're welcome.
12:51Oh, I'm sorry.
12:52Were you speaking to me or sleeping with someone else?
12:56We were on a break.
12:57Okay.
12:58You know, Ross, why don't you just put that on your answering machine?
13:01The thing with the romances in 1990s sitcoms is that many of them are iconic and still referenced in the zeitgeist today.
13:08One couple that comes to mind is Cory and Topanga from Boy Meets World.
13:12We are real and you always understood that.
13:19I love you.
13:20And I will always love you.
13:22All these years later, and they're still revered and held in high regard from fans of the series.
13:27We also can't help but think of Jesse and Becky from Full House, as we loved seeing their unlikely relationship play out.
13:34There you go, shooting off your mouth.
13:35I do know what I'm talking about.
13:36No, you don't know what you're talking about.
13:37You're such a hot man.
13:38You walk up on that stage and start screaming at me for no reason.
13:40Some time coming in time and you go to dinner with them?
13:41I mean, come on.
13:42Yes, you were.
13:43No, I wasn't.
13:44Yes, you were.
13:45No, I wasn't.
13:46Let me tell you something.
13:47There were plenty of memorable couples and situation comedies at the turn of the century.
13:54Some standouts include Marshall and Lily from How I Met Your Mother and Penny and Leonard from The Big Bang Theory.
14:00Oh my god, that is the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me.
14:03Yeah?
14:04That's because you're beautiful.
14:07And your beauty fills my heart with love and song.
14:11Getting kinda cheesy, Leonard.
14:16As wonderful as these couples are, they're not as timeless as those from the 90s.
14:21These sitcoms and couples are great, but somehow they don't quite hit the same.
14:25Sometimes you just have to set your ego aside.
14:28Yeah, and remember that the love that you have for that other person is way more important than winning.
14:35Although they were part of the series plot, they don't have the same way of making an audience feel totally emotionally invested in the outcome.
14:51We have nothing against these characters, but we don't think that they topped the couples from the 1990s.
14:56Will they?
14:57Won't they?
14:58Looks like they're going to.
14:59Ooh, the last second symptom.
15:00Whoa, whoa, whoa.
15:01Come on.
15:02Enough already.
15:03You guys aren't exactly Ross and Rachel.
15:04Who?
15:05Dr. Ross and Rachel from Bookkeeping.
15:08We've got no choice but to give this round to the 90s.
15:12Winner 90s.
15:1395, 2003.
15:15It's you and me, alright?
15:16This is it.
15:17This is it.
15:18Unless we're on a break.
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15:36Round 7.
15:37Dealing with Serious Topics
15:39As much as sitcoms are about fun and hilarity, they're also about serious matters that cut through the noise.
15:46Some shows are great at addressing important topics and some are not.
15:50But we think what's important is the genuine attempt.
15:53I'ma get through college without him.
15:55I'ma get a great job without him.
15:57I'ma marry me a beautiful honey.
15:58And I'ma have me a whole bunch of kids.
16:00I'ma be a better father than he ever was.
16:02And I sure as hell don't need him for that.
16:04Cause ain't a damn thing he could ever teach me about how to love my kids.
16:07In Fresh Pints of Bel Air, we saw the main character deal with parental issues as his father walks out of his life again.
16:14In Home Improvement, we see the family deal with everything from cancer scares to drugs with their teenagers.
16:20These shows and others manage to portray heavy issues in a way that is not only authentic, but is resonant with the audiences of all ages in any decade.
16:30I've been there.
16:31But there are two ways to deal with anger.
16:34You can hold on to it and let it eat your way inside or you can give that anger a voice and try to make a difference.
16:40In the 21st century, it's just as important for shows to be funny as it is for them to be topical.
16:46Sitcoms like Eight Simple Rules didn't shy away from important topics like dealing with the death of a loved one.
16:52Dad, thank you.
16:55That's all he wrote.
16:58That was enough.
16:59Even teen-centered shows like That's a Raven tackled issues like body image and racism head on.
17:05However, we remember the sitcoms of the 2000s for being more familial as they dealt with humorous situations in the home, between friends and at work.
17:15When it comes to tackling difficult things, the sitcoms from this decade fall a bit short, as it seems like this isn't something we see as frequently in the 2000s as we do in the 1990s.
17:26I'm going home, Rita.
17:28I know, Shirley, I know.
17:30No, seriously, I'm going home.
17:32Can you help me out?
17:33For that reason, we have to give this round to the 90s.
17:36Winner 90s, 96-2003.
17:40Nobody believes or cares in you as much as we do.
17:45Which decade are your favorite sitcoms from?
17:47Let us know in the comments.
17:49Bravo.
17:50You win.
17:53Every dog has her day.
17:55Do you agree with our picks?
17:58Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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