Sitcoms are an excellent way to unwind after a long day at work, as they ensure that you end your busy day with a hearty laugh. But these shows do not necessarily have to be about comedy alone, as they can provide an outlet to study different characters. And by doing so, you not only acquaint ourselves with them but even find common similarities. This, in turn, acts as an assurance where you get to project yourself, or a trait of yours, on-screen.
HBO Max currently hosts a number of classic sitcoms as well as some underrated new gems. If you're wondering which ones to check out, look no further. Take a look at this list we've curated just for you. It comprises of the best shows streaming on HBO Max which we believe won't disappoint you.
Friends, The Office, and other sitcoms to watch on HBO Max
1) Friends
Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, this show aired from September 1994 to May 2004. The ten-season long series, featuring an ensemble cast of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer, is by far the most popular sitcom out there.
You can never go wrong with this show in case you decide to hang out with the Central Perk gang of Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing, and Ross Geller. This tight-knit group of friends will make you aspire to have such friendships in your life as well. Seeing the characters live out their 20s and 30s in Manhattan, New York, is a delight. Their effortless chemistry will charm your hearts as you watch them enter different relationships and try out various career options.
The time-tested show is still showered with a lot of love, with people ardently discussing Chandler's sense of humor, Phoebe's quirks, Joey's catchphrases, Monica's culinary skills, and Rachel's haircuts and fashion sense.
2) The Big Bang Theory
Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, this is another commercially successful sitcom that aired for 12 seasons from September 2007 to May 2019.
The show focuses on the lives of four nerdy friends - physicists Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), and astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), and Penny (Kaley Cuoco), an aspiring actress who lives opposite Sheldon's apartment.
The show achieved cult status with fans loving the shenanigans of the socially awkward geeks. Some of the academic subjects explored in the show include gaming, physics, engineering, and biology. The nerds often find themselves at the butt of jokes because of how different they are from other people, with Sheldon easily taking the cake due to his extreme peculiarities.
3) Young Sheldon
Created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro, the sitcom is a prequel to The Big Bang Theory and focuses on the journey of a nine-year-old Sheldon Cooper when he lived with his family in East Texas.
Starring Iain Armitage as the young Sheldon, the series is narrated by Jim Parsons, who portrays the adult Sheldon in the original series. The show follows Sheldon as he tries to fit into a world full of socially normal people with his social ineptitude persona, which prevents him from understanding the basic rules of human etiquette and behavior.
The series started back in 2016 and has been a hit ever since. The sixth season is officially slated for September 2022. Meanwhile, you can relax and enjoy young Sheldon's weirdly hilarious jokes by binge-watching the past seasons.
4) The Office
Developed by Greg Daniels, this mockumentary sitcom aired for nine seasons from March 2005 to May 2013. Starring Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and B.J. Novak, the series depicts the everyday work lives of office employees at the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.
The drama, daily pranks, and office romances that plague the 9-to-5 world of this workplace sitcom ensure that you'll be thoroughly entertained. This cringe comedy successfully evokes laughter as you figure out the varying dynamics of the employees.
5) Looney Tunes Cartoons
Although not a traditional sitcom, sometimes a familiar cartoon series is what you need to bring on those laughs and let go of all your worries. Developed by Peter Browngardt, this slapstick comedy series is based on characters from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. The series premiered on HBO Max in May 2020 and is currently in its fifth season.
The series brings back all the popular characters from Looney Tunes, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Sylvester, Porky Pig, and many more. While the series's style is reminiscent of the classic Looney Tunes shorts made by Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson and others, the characters have been designed by Jim Soper.
Don't forget to check out these sitcoms streaming on HBO Max to uplift your mood and relax at the end of the day.