The article discusses the decline of half-hour comedies on network TV, citing the loss of shows like DMV, Stumble, and Going Dutch in the 2025-2026 schedule. It also mentions the success of CBS' Ghosts and the occasional fresh twists to keep the comedy fresh.
Network TV sitcoms with long runs have been harder to find in recent years, with the 2025-2026 schedule losing DMV, Stumble, and Going Dutch. Half-hour comedies just don't seem to have the same draw that they once did, with a few notable exceptions.
The most successful current comedy at this point is CBS' Ghosts, standing at five seasons and counting. The format of the longest-running current sitcom on CBS was new for American audiences when the show premiered in 2021, with Sam gaining the ability to see the ghosts inhabiting Woodstone Mansion after a head injury.
The hijinks that ensued were fun, but there was the question of how long the format could last when relying on a main character's big secret about seeing ghosts. As of 2026, twists like Young Sheldon's Iain Armitage guest-starring as himself and Jay facing challenges at his restaurant keep the comedy fresh.
CBS granting Ghosts a double renewal in 2025 was a big show of faith, and even the delay for season 6 came with good news for fans of network television's spookiest sitcom. ScreenRant.com | Laugh Track Interactive Quiz ScreenRant/ TV/ Sitcoms/ Trivia Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience American Sitcom Trivia Challenge ☕FriendsI’ll be there for you 💼The OfficeThat’s what she said 🥣SeinfeldNo soup for you!
🏠Modern FamilyWe’re a family 🎥ClassicsGolden era CUE THE LAUGH TRACK → QUESTION 1 / 8FRIENDS 01 For ten seasons, six friends gathered at a Manhattan coffee shop with a famously orange couch. The group — Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe — made this spot their second living room. What is the name of this iconic café? AThe Coffee Bean BMacLaren’s Pub CMonk’s Café DCentral Perk ✓ Correct!
Central Perk is the coffee shop where the Friends gang spent most of their free time. With its iconic orange couch and Gunther behind the counter pining for Rachel, it became one of the most recognizable fictional locations in TV history. ✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Central Perk.
MacLaren’s Pub is from How I Met Your Mother, Monk’s Café is from Seinfeld, and The Coffee Bean is a real chain. Central Perk is where Phoebe played “Smelly Cat” and six friends became family.
NEXT → QUESTION 2 / 8THE OFFICE 02 The American version of The Office follows the employees of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch, led by their well-meaning but painfully awkward regional manager. Which actor played the beloved Michael Scott? ASteve Carell BRainn Wilson CEd Helms DRicky Gervais ✓ Correct! Steve Carell turned Michael Scott into one of the most iconic sitcom characters ever.
His mix of cringe-worthy humor and surprising heart anchored The Office for seven seasons.
“That’s what she said” became an inescapable pop culture catchphrase. ✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Steve Carell. Rainn Wilson played Dwight Schrute, Ed Helms was Andy Bernard, and Ricky Gervais created the original British version and played David Brent.
Carell’s Michael Scott is the heart and soul of the American Office. NEXT → QUESTION 3 / 8SEINFELD 03 Often called “the show about nothing,” this groundbreaking 1990s sitcom followed a fictionalized version of a stand-up comedian and his three friends in New York City as they obsessed over life’s minor annoyances. Which show is it? AFrasier BEverybody Loves Raymond CSeinfeld DCurb Your Enthusiasm ✓ Correct!
Seinfeld , created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, revolutionized the sitcom with its observational humor about everyday life. From “The Contest” to “No soup for you! ”, it produced some of the most quoted moments in TV history. ✗ Cue the sad trombone!
The answer is Seinfeld. Frasier was a Cheers spin-off, Everybody Loves Raymond focused on family dynamics, and Curb Your Enthusiasm is Larry David’s later show . Seinfeld is the original “show about nothing. ” NEXT → QUESTION 4 / 8HIMYM 04 In this CBS sitcom, a father in the year 2030 tells his children the winding, years-long story of how he met their mother.
Along the way, audiences meet Barney Stinson, whose catchphrase “Legen — wait for it — dary! ” became iconic. Which show is this? ANew Girl BHow I Met Your Mother CHappy Endings DThe Big Bang Theory ✓ Correct!
How I Met Your Mother starred Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby and Neil Patrick Harris as the suit-obsessed Barney Stinson. The show’s creative framing device and running gags made it a 2000s staple — though its controversial finale still divides fans. ✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is How I Met Your Mother.
New Girl featured Jess and the loft gang, Happy Endings was a short-lived cult favorite, and The Big Bang Theory focused on Pasadena physicists. Only HIMYM gave us Barney’s Playbook and the blue French horn.
NEXT → QUESTION 5 / 8MODERN FAMILY 05 Modern Family ran for 11 seasons on ABC, following three interconnected families. One fan-favorite character is a goofy, magic-loving real estate agent married to Claire Pritchett, played by Ty Burrell. What is this character’s name? AJay Pritchett BCameron Tucker CManny Delgado DPhil Dunphy ✓ Correct!
Phil Dunphy, the self-proclaimed “cool dad,” is Modern Family’s lovable goofball. Ty Burrell won two Emmy Awards for the role. Phil’s terrible magic tricks, his book of “Phil’s-osophy” wisdom, and his devotion to Claire made him a modern sitcom icon. ✗ Cue the sad trombone!
The answer is Phil Dunphy. Jay Pritchett is the family patriarch played by Ed O’Neill, Cameron Tucker is Mitchell’s partner played by Eric Stonestreet, and Manny Delgado is Gloria’s son. Phil is the magic-loving, “cool dad” real estate agent.
NEXT → QUESTION 6 / 8CLASSICS 06 This 1980s sitcom is set in a Boston bar “where everybody knows your name. ” It starred Ted Danson as an ex-baseball player turned bartender and ran for 11 seasons, spawning the spin-off Frasier. Which classic sitcom is this? ACheers BTaxi CNight Court DWings ✓ Correct!
Cheers is one of the most beloved sitcoms ever made. Ted Danson’s Sam Malone, Shelley Long and Kirstie Alley as his love interests, and a legendary ensemble made it a ratings juggernaut. Its finale was watched by over 80 million viewers. ✗ Cue the sad trombone!
The answer is Cheers. Taxi was a late-70s/early-80s sitcom, Night Court was set in a courtroom, and Wings was actually created by Cheers writers but set at an airport. Only Cheers gave us Sam and Diane, Norm’s barstool, and one of TV’s all-time great theme songs.
NEXT → QUESTION 7 / 82010s SITCOMS 07 Andy Samberg stars as a childish but brilliant detective in this comedy set in a New York City police precinct. The show was saved by NBC after Fox cancelled it, thanks to a massive fan campaign. Which sitcom is this? AParks and Recreation BScrubs CBrooklyn Nine-Nine DSuperstore ✓ Correct!
Brooklyn Nine-Nine starred Andy Samberg as Detective Jake Peralta alongside Andre Braugher’s scene-stealing Captain Holt. When Fox cancelled it in 2018, fan outrage was so loud that NBC picked it up within 24 hours for three more seasons. ✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Parks and Recreation was set in Pawnee’s government offices, Scrubs took place in a hospital, and Superstore was set in a big-box retailer. Only B99 featured the 99th Precinct and the legendary Jake-Holt dynamic.
NEXT → QUESTION 8 / 890s CLASSICS 08 In this beloved 1990s NBC sitcom, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia is sent to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in Bel-Air. The show launched its star into global superstardom. Who played the titular Fresh Prince? AMartin Lawrence BWill Smith CEddie Murphy DJamie Foxx ✓ Correct!
Will Smith played a fictionalized version of himself in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air . The show’s theme song is one of the most recognizable in TV history, and the series launched Smith’s career from rapper to one of the biggest movie stars in the world. ✗ Cue the sad trombone! The answer is Will Smith.
Martin Lawrence had his own show Martin, Eddie Murphy was already a film star, and Jamie Foxx had The Jamie Foxx Show. Only Will Smith flipped his life upside down and moved to Bel-Air to become the Fresh Prince. REVEAL MY SCORE → Season Finale Your Laugh Track Record / 8 Are you a showrunner — or still binge-watching reruns on the couch?
↻ RERUN Part of what has allowed the show to keep fresh and spooky goes down to characters finding out about Sam's ability to see the ghosts since there were only so many laughs that could be mined out of her seemingly one-sided conversations without any other living humans – a.k.a.
"livings" – knowing what was happening. Ghosts has had to strike a balance as it approaches the 100-episode milestone, and expanding the lore has certainly helped. With that said, there's a growing number of characters who know about Sam's special ability. Jay Ghosts wasted no time in bringing Jay in on Sam's secret in season 1, once he and Sam ruled out the possibility that she was hallucinating.
After he confirmed that his wife seeing ghosts fell under the"in sickness and in health" part of their vows, Jay became the first person to accept Sam's new status quo. With that, the CBS sitcom established one of the funniest elements of the show that's still going strong at five seasons and counting.
While the cringe humor of Jay having to explain away some of Sam's ghost-related faux pas in front of their guests can be a lot at times, his recurring problem with talking to empty rooms is always worth a laugh. In fact, without Jay remaining not-so-blissfully ignorant of when he has ghost company, viewers wouldn't get to enjoy the running joke of his secret Sonic runs, nor Utkarsh Ambudkar's excellent impersonation of Rebecca Wisocky as Hetty when she possessed his body.
Jay is the straight man in a household of goofy characters while having plenty of goofiness himself. Plus, Ghosts took a big step in giving him his own well-deserved plotline with the opening of Mahesh, a restaurant on the grounds of Woodstone that gave him more to do than cook dishes for the ghosts to smell. Bela Bela's arrival in season 1 was the first time that Sam risked ruining a family relationship with the secret.
Trevor had used his ghost power to start a dating profile and catfish Jay's sister, and she was ready for love when she arrived at Woodstone. The only way to convince Bela that Sam wasn't crazy was to tell the truth. Convincing Bela set the precedent for how Sam would try to convince the occasional living that she could see ghosts.
This entailed Thor messing with the lights, Alberta humming a tune, Isaac using his unfortunate dysentery power, and one of the ghosts looking inside a bag to name the contents. That was enough to convince Bela, and she has returned several times over the years, including with a new love interest. Ghosts eventually found a way to keep her at Woodstone long-term by adding her to Jay's restaurant staff, despite his misgivings.
A romance with Sass in her dreams didn't work out any more than her romance with Trevor, however. Punam Patel hasn't appeared in every episode since Bela joined the staff of Mahesh, but Ghosts has made it far easier for her to recur on the show without contriving reason after reason for Jay's sister to drop by Woodstone. She remains unlucky in love, but perhaps trying her luck with a living will pan out in a future season.
Kyle Ghosts season 4 expanded its in-universe lore with the introduction of Kyle, which brought former Superstore star Ben Feldman back to network TV. Unlike Sam, his origin story for why he could see ghosts was pretty silly. According to Kyle,"a giant bird hit me in the face" on a roller coaster, or as Jay put it, he"got Fabio'd.
" To Jay's dismay, Sam was thrilled to have another person who could communicate with ghosts, but Ghosts wasn't setting up a new regular. Sam learned that her husband's jealousy was valid when Kyle tried to kiss her, but that hasn't prevented him from turning up several times since, and his arrival established that Sam isn't totally alone in seeing spirits. Kyle did have a chance at love in season 5 when he connected with Jay's sister.
Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be, and Kyle, with his Fabio-esque backstory, doesn't have a reason to stick around long-term. Still, Feldman has brought plenty of sitcom experience to Ghosts, so Kyle regularly delivers laughs. Eric Eric holds a unique position on Ghosts as somebody who died, came back as a ghost, and then was resurrected back into his body as a"living" in season 2.
He was dead long enough to meet some of the others, including Trevor, who he'd been attempting to allow to possess his body so that Bela could romance him. It was just twisted enough that Bela decided to give him a shot, but Eric blew it when he came to Woodstone and claimed that he could see ghosts while Sam was temporarily absent.
The lie came to light as soon as Sam returned, and his plan to propose to Bela in Season 5 fell apart. Andrew Leeds' role brought him back to network TV comedy after recurring on HBO's Barry opposite Bill Hader, and debuting in one of Ghosts' classic Christmas capers guaranteed that he'd be memorable.
His ruse about seeing ghosts after near-death also introduced that concept more than a season before Kyle would be introduced as somebody who did indeed gain that ability. The failure of his plan to propose to Bela may mean that one of the only people who know Sam's secret is gone for good, but Eric has made unlikely returns before. Abby The arrival of Abby in season 4 revealed that Trevor fathered a daughter before dying.
She arrived at Woodstone with Pinkus, Trevor's old friend who had raised Abby as his own. Due to Trevor misusing his ghost power, Sam got in trouble with Abby when it looked like she'd way overstepped her boundaries. Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Ghosts coverage Explore how Ghosts' characters, cast changes, and lore evolve — subscribe to the newsletter for focused coverage of the show, including character arcs, casting updates, lore threads, and episode analysis to fuel your conversations.
Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Their second encounter initially didn't go much better, when it once again seemed that Sam was overstepping, leading Sam to drop the big secret. Trevor had to move Abby's huge water bottle to prove it to her, and she finally accepted the truth.
Related Ghosts Season 5 Proves A Harsh Reality About Woodstone's Spirits Throughout Ghosts season 5, a harsh reality about Woodstone's spirits has become even more clear, as they continue to interact with Sam and Jay. Posts By Lorianne Palinkas As of early season 5, Abby was headed off to France to study poetry, so the odds of her having a regular presence are likely slim.
Trevor's tax problems could theoretically cause problems with his plan to fund her trip, but that seems to be a much bigger problem for Jay and Sam than his long-lost daughter. Gideon Adlon was also a notable casting choice, as she is the older sister of Odessa A'zion, who plays teen ghost Stephanie with a big crush on Trevor.
Mark Mark has been present on the Woodstone estate from almost the beginning, but Sam and Jay didn't bring him into the secret until the second half of Ghosts season 5. The only way to convince Mark that he had to apologize for something was to use the word of a ghost, and he needed some convincing. His initial response was that he couldn't believe it, but then added that"on the other hand, it explains so much.
" Neither Sam nor Jay looked surprised when Mark pointed out that Sam's"behavior has been deeply weird for years," and they acknowledged that they probably should have told him sooner. Their lives really would likely have been much easier over their first five years of turning Woodstone into a B&B if they'd told him sooner. Nobody from the outside has experienced more of Sam's "deeply weird" behavior than Mark, and his friendship with Jay was strained because of it.
It remains to be seen how long Mark will take to get used to having ghosts around when he has no idea that they're watching, but Sam and Jay's lives could be a lot more straightforward in Ghosts now that there's one less secret to hide in Woodstone Mansion. 315 9.4/10 8/10 Ghosts 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Comedy Supernatural Release Date October 7, 2021 Network CBS Directors Christine Gernon, Jaime Eliezer Karas, Katie Locke O'Brien, Nick Wong, Jude Weng, Pete Chatmon, Richie Keen, Alex Hardcastle, Kimmy Gatewood, Matthew A. Cherry, Cortney Carrillo Writers Emily Schmidt, John Timothy, Lauren Bridges, Sophia Lear, Guy Endore-Kaiser, Rishi Chitkara, Julia Harter, Skander Halim, Zora Bikangaga Cast See All Powered by Expand Collapse
Network TV Sitcoms Half-Hour Comedies Decline Loss Ghosts Twists CBS Woodstone Mansion Sam Rose Mciver Iain Armitage Utkarsh Ambudkar Jay Restaurant Modern Family ABC Interconnected Families
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