What is the best comedic TV show ever?

[Thorpesaurous]

I was a huge Simpson syndication guy in college.

Seinfeld too. I almost consider Seinfeld and Curb to be a single entity.

The Office and South Park are the other two that immediately come to mind.

Those syndication days are just something that isn't coming back.

[Bimbo Coles]

The Newhart thing is a stretch and I don't see how it's a knock. People have been putting a twist on Abbot and Costello routines for decades and produced great comedy.

It's been a while since I did a season by season rewatch but this is what I remember: Seasons 2-5 are around a similar level and all great. Season 1 was good but the actors were still learning the characters and the show was entirely about George and Jerry's interactions which throughout the show's run was its core and best part. Elaine came in season 2 and her character didn't start great but once the big 4 were fleshed out, it allowed for the interweaving of plot lines which often bolstered or provided juxtaposition to the underlying theme of an episode. More intricate plots allowed the comedy to be less on the nose. This is when Seinfeld was at its best.

The show started grounded and became increasingly cartoonish as it went on. Which isn't a bad thing so much as a stylistic change. You can be cartoonish and still funny but since Seinfeld is so much about the absurdities of urban social mundane realities that it's hard to achieve. The latter 2 seasons lacked consistency but there were still great tidbits here and there. They ended at a great time. It's always been bizarre to me how such a quirky show became the biggest thing on TV. I suspect the commercial compromises in the latter seasons might have been a part of it. The core comedy(Jerry and George's interactions) isn't for everyone but in the late 90s it was cool to like Seinfeld and most of them probably followed along and enjoyed it on a surface level for Elaine's funny dance or Kramer's physical comedy.

I don't take your meaning. Michael's arc has nothing to do with Abbott and Costello. It's essentially "bottoming out" a character. I can't think of any instance that precedes it in a sitcom in quiet the same way. It's cruel, pathetic and humorous. If it weren't for Larry's nature of lifting everything, I'd think nothing of it. But there it is -- George's arc. "I don't want to be Cheers' little brother"? Well, it would help if you stopped ripping them off.

[Nanners]

all things considered I would say that the best comedic show ever is probably always sunny, or maybe Patriot

runner up shows include south park, trailer park boys, and psych (and probably several more im forgetting)