Best tv shows like Benson
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Plot Summary:
Benson is an American television sitcom which aired from September 13, 1979, to April 19, 1986, on ABC. The series was a spin-off from the soap opera parody Soap; however, Benson discarded the soap opera format of its parent show in favor of a more conventional sitcom structure. The series was created by Susan Harris, and produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, political, humorous, realistic, witty, not serious
Best tv shows and movies like Benson (1979):
Similar in 88%
Mayberry R.F.D. (1968)
Plot Summary:
Mayberry R.F.D. is an American television series produced as a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show. When star Andy Griffith decided to leave his series, most of the supporting characters returned for the new program, which ran for three seasons on the CBS Television Network from 1968–1971. During the final season of The Andy Griffith Show, widower farmer Sam Jones and his young son Mike are introduced and gradually become the show's focus. Sheriff Andy Taylor takes a backseat in the storylines, establishing the sequel series. The show's first episode, "Andy and Helen's Wedding", had the highest ratings in recorded television history. Sheriff Taylor and newlywed wife Helen make guest appearances on RFD until late 1969, and then relocate with Opie. Mayberry R.F.D. was popular throughout its entire run, but was canceled after its third season in CBS's infamous "rural purge" of 1971. R.F.D. stands for "Rural Free Delivery", a quaint postal depiction of the rural Mayberry community.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 803
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 83%
Perfect Strangers (1986)
Plot Summary:
Perfect Strangers is an American sitcom that ran for eight seasons from March 25, 1986, to August 6, 1993, on the ABC television network. Created by Dale McRaven, the series chronicles the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous. Originally airing on Tuesdays for the short six-episode first season in the spring of 1986, it moved to Wednesdays in prime time in the fall of 1986. It remained on Wednesdays until March 1988, when it was moved to Fridays. The show found its niche there as the anchor for ABC's original TGIF Friday-night lineup, though it aired on Saturdays for a short time in 1992.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, game show, offbeat, feel good, realistic, not serious, slapstick, buddy comedy
Similar in 78%
Empty Nest (1988)
Plot Summary:
Empty Nest is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1988 to 1995. The series was created as a spin-off of The Golden Girls by creator and producer Susan Harris. For its first three seasons, Empty Nest was one of the year's top 10 most-watched programs. It was produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions in association with Touchstone Television. The show concept borrowed some elements from the British comedy series Father, Dear Father, also featuring a father living with his two daughters and large dog. However, unlike that series, the two daughters in Empty Nest are self-supporting adults, and the lead character is a widower. Empty Nest was part of NBC's Saturday night block of programming, and during its first four seasons it aired at 9:30pm ET, directly following The Golden Girls. Two of the cast were alumni from one of Susan Harris' earlier shows, Soap; Mulligan was Manoff's father-in-law in Soap.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, sentimental, realistic, touching, humorous, semi serious
Similar in 88%
Smart Guy (1997)
Plot Summary:
T.J. is a boy genius who gets bumped up from the fourth grade to high school. T.J. tries to adjust to his new life, but he shares some classes with his 14 year-old brother Marcus, the school jock, and his clueless and self-absorbed 16 year-old sister Yvette.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, touching, feel good, humorous, realistic, semi serious, nostalgic
Similar in 78%
Cousin Skeeter (1998)
Plot Summary:
Cousin Skeeter is an American children's television show, which ran on Nickelodeon from 1998 to 2001. It starred Robert Ri'chard as Bobby, a young boy whose life changed when his strange cousin Skeeter came to live with his family. With Skeeter's help, Bobby learns life lessons and tackles the ups and downs of growing up. The show also included Meagan Good as Bobby's friend Nina, Rondell Sheridan as Bobby's father Andre, and Angela Means as Bobby's mother Vanessa. Skeeter is portrayed by a hand puppet with Bill Bellamy providing his voice, and Drew Massey performing the puppetry, assisted by Alice Dinnean. Within the show, Skeeter is treated like a regular human and no mention of him being a puppet is made. Although the series was shot in a single-camera format, the show used a laugh track. No plans for a DVD release of the series or of the TV movie "New Kids On The Planet" have been announced. The show's theme song is an alternate version of 702's 1997 hit "Steelo", written by Missy Elliott.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, semi serious, family comedy
Similar in 75%
Sanford and Son (1972)
Plot Summary:
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. Known for its edgy racial humor, running gags and catch phrases, the series was adapted by Norman Lear and considered NBC's answer to Archie Bunker. Sanford and Son has long been hailed as the precursor to many other African American sitcoms. It was a ratings hit throughout its six season run. While the role of Fred G. Sanford was known for his bigotry and being cantankerous, the role of Lamont Sanford was usually a peacemaker and more conscientious. At times, both would involve themselves in schemes. Other colorful/unconventional characters were Aunt Esther, Grady Wilson, Bubba Bexley and Rollo Lawson. In 2007, Time magazine included the show on their list of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time".
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, not serious, sincere, talky, retro, hilarious, clever, realistic, witty
Similar in 86%
Cosby (1996)
Plot Summary:
Cosby is an American situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program stars Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashād, who previously worked with Cosby in the 1984–1992 NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Madeline Kahn portrayed their neighbor, Pauline, until her death in 1999.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, children's program, humorous, realistic, witty, semi serious
Similar in 85%
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992)
Plot Summary:
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 1992 to 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television, and also became produced by Bickley-Warren Productions by the third season. The show originally aired on Tuesdays in prime time after sister series Full House. The show found its niche as an addition to the already successful TGIF Friday night lineup on ABC, and was part of the lineup from September 1993 to May 1996, before moving to Saturdays for its fifth and final season.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Family, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, feel good, humorous, realistic, not serious, nostalgic
Similar in 77%
The Jeffersons (1975)
Plot Summary:
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982–1985. The Jeffersons is one of the longest-running sitcoms in the history of American television. The show focuses on George and Louise Jefferson, an affluent Black couple living in New York City. The show was launched as the second spin-off of All in the Family, on which the Jeffersons had been the neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker. The show was the creation of prolific television producer Norman Lear. However, it was less sharply political in tone than some of his shows. The Jeffersons evolved into more of a traditional sitcom, relying more on the characters' interactions with one another than on explicitly political dialogue or storylines. It did, however, tackle a few controversial topics, including racism, suicide, gun control and adult illiteracy. Also, the words "nigger" and "honky" were used occasionally, especially during the earlier seasons. The Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. The short-lived series was centered around the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence. Checking In only lasted four episodes, after which Florence returned to The Jeffersons.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, offbeat, humorous, realistic, witty, not serious, black cinema
Similar in 81%
All About the Andersons (2003)
Plot Summary:
As soon as single dad Anthony moves back into his parents' home to provide a stable environment for his 8-year-old son, he immediately remembers why he left in the first place. His mother Flo is always understanding and supportive, but his cantankerous father Joe wants Anthony to abandon his acting hopes and take a "real job" working in the family beauty salon/barber shop. To complicate things, Anthony's old room is being rented out to a medical student, George, leaving Anthony alone in the garage. Torn between teaching his son about determination and providing for him, Anthony is about to put his dreams on hold. It takes his son Tuga to remind him that, aside from each other, their dreams are all they have.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 110
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, feel good, light, captivating, touching, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 83%
Ruby & The Rockits (2009)
Plot Summary:
Patrick Callahan, a former teen idol who has chosen to lead a quiet life with his wife and two sons. But when his former Rockits band mate and brother, David, shows up unexpectedly with his new-found teenage daughter in tow, the Callahan family's life becomes anything but normal. David, who refuses to give up his past glory days, comes to Patrick for help raising Ruby while he continues to tour. Patrick must now put the past with David behind them in order to help raise Ruby and keep order within the rest of the Callahan clan.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 522
Genere: Comedy, Family, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, feel good, light, captivating, sincere, realistic, witty, not serious
Similar in 78%
Good Times (1974)
Plot Summary:
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer. Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons. The series is set in Chicago. The first two seasons were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to Metromedia Square, where Norman Lear's own production company was housed.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, sentimental, semi serious, retro, sitcom, vintage, black cinema
Similar in 83%
Gimme a Break! (1981)
Plot Summary:
Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC for six seasons, October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, semi serious, melancholic, suspenseful
Similar in 84%
The Mayor (2017)
Plot Summary:
A struggling hip-hop artist runs for mayor to promote his mix-tape and wins.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, light, humorous, entertaining, captivating, buddy comedy, teen comedy
Similar in 85%
Archie Bunker's Place (1979)
Plot Summary:
Archie Bunker's Place is an American sitcom originally broadcast on the CBS network, conceived in 1979 as a spin-off and continuation of All in the Family. While not as popular as its predecessor, the show maintained a large enough audience to last for four seasons, until its cancellation in 1983. In its first season, the show performed so well that it knocked Mork & Mindy out of its new Sunday night time slot.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, clever, humorous, realistic, witty, not serious
Similar in 76%
My Wife and Kids (2000)
Plot Summary:
My Wife and Kids is an American television family sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001 until May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television, it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin, and centers on the character of Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules his household with a unique and distinct parenting style. As he teaches his three children some of life's lessons, he does so with his own brand of humor. Wayans and veteran television writer/producer Don Reo co-created and executive produced the series.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, witty, not serious, feel good, sincere, funny, slapstick, hilarious, sensitive
Similar in 87%
The Beverly Hillbillies (1962)
Plot Summary:
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr. The series is about a poor backwoods family transplanted to Beverly Hills, California, after striking oil on their land. A Filmways production created by writer Paul Henning, it is the first in a genre of "fish out of water" themed television shows, and was followed by other Henning-inspired country-cousin series on CBS. In 1963, Henning introduced Petticoat Junction, and in 1965 he reversed the rags to riches model for Green Acres. The show paved the way for later culture-conflict programs such as The Jeffersons, McCloud, The Nanny, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Doc. Panned by many entertainment critics of its time, it quickly became a huge ratings success for most of its nine-year run on CBS. The Beverly Hillbillies ranked among the top twenty most watched programs on television for eight of its nine seasons, twice ranking as the number one series of the year, with a number of episodes that remain among the most watched television episodes of all time. The ongoing popularity of the series spawned a 1993 film remake by 20th Century Fox.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: sitcom, retro, hilarious, feel good, humorous, realistic, not serious, vintage, campy
Similar in 82%
The Tracy Morgan Show (2003)
Plot Summary:
The Tracy Morgan Show is an American sitcom that aired from December 2, 2003 to March 20, 2004 on NBC. The series stars Tracy Morgan and Tamala Jones. The show was canceled in its first season after 18 episodes.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 273
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, light, feel good, captivating, realistic, not serious
Similar in 76%
The Jeff Foxworthy Show (1995)
Plot Summary:
Air conditioning repair man Jeff finds himself a fish out of water living in Indiana with his Southern ways and humor. Eventually he takes his family back to Georgia and reconnects with his eccentric relations.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 756
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, not serious, nostalgic
Similar in 90%
Mr. Belvedere (1985)
Plot Summary:
Mr. Belvedere is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985, until July 8, 1990. The series is based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting Pretty. The sitcom stars Christopher Hewett in the title role, who takes a job as a housekeeper with an American family headed by George Owens, played by Bob Uecker.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, touching, humorous, realistic, witty, semi serious
Similar in 85%
My Two Dads (1987)
Plot Summary:
My Two Dads is an American sitcom that starred Staci Keanan, Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan. It aired on NBC from 1987 to 1990 and was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions in association with Tri-Star Television and distributed by TeleVentures.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, feel good, humorous, realistic, not serious
Similar in 90%
The Cosby Show (1984)
Plot Summary:
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on the Huxtable family, an upper middle-class African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York. According to TV Guide, the show "was TV's biggest hit in the 1980s, and almost single-handedly revived the sitcom genre and NBC's ratings fortunes". Originally, the show had been pitched to ABC, which rejected it. Entertainment Weekly stated that The Cosby Show helped to make possible a larger variety of shows based on people of African descent, from In Living Color to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The Cosby Show was based on comedy routines in Cosby's standup act, which were based on his family life. Other sitcoms, such as Home Improvement and Everybody Loves Raymond, would later follow that pattern. The show spawned the spin-off A Different World, which ran for six seasons from 1987 to 1993.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 36000
Genere: Comedy, Family, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: humorous, sitcom, feel good, realistic, sentimental, witty, semi serious, hood, telenovela, vintage
Similar in 81%
Silver Spoons (1982)
Plot Summary:
Silver Spoons is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982 to May 11, 1986 and in first-run syndication from September 15, 1986 to March 4, 1987. The series was produced by Embassy Television for the first four seasons, until Embassy Communications moved the series to syndication. Silver Spoons was created by Martin Cohan, Howard Leeds and Ben Starr. The show's title refers to family wealth and to the expression that rich children are born with "silver spoons" in their mouths—they are given only the very best and want for nothing.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, game show, sentimental, feel good, humorous, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 80%
Diff'rent Strokes (1978)
Plot Summary:
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white Park Avenue businessman named Phillip Drummond and his daughter Kimberly, for whom their deceased mother previously worked. During the first season and first half of the second season, Charlotte Rae also starred as the Drummonds' housekeeper, Mrs. Garrett. The series made stars out of child actors Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, and Dana Plato, and became known for the "very special episodes" in which serious issues such as racism, illegal drug use and child sexual abuse were dramatically explored. The lives of these stars were later plagued by legal troubles and drug addiction, as the stardom and success they achieved while on the show eluded them after the series was cancelled, with both Plato and Coleman having early deaths.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, sentimental, touching, realistic, humorous, semi serious, feel good, vintage
Similar in 83%
The Bill Engvall Show (2007)
Plot Summary:
The Bill Engvall Show is a sitcom which ran on TBS from July 17, 2007 to September 5, 2009. The series starred comedian Bill Engvall and was written and created by Engvall and Michael Leeson. The series was canceled on September 25, 2009. On June 9, 2008, the show had a one shot airing on CBS.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, light, captivating, feel good, entertaining, realistic, not serious, nostalgic
Similar in 79%
All of Us (2003)
Plot Summary:
All of Us is an American sitcom that premiered on the now-defunct UPN network in the United States on September 16, 2003, where it aired for its first three seasons. On October 1, 2006, the show moved to The CW, a new network formed by the merger of UPN and The WB, where it aired for one more season before being cancelled on May 14, 2007.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, touching, humorous, semi serious, realistic, black cinema
Similar in 90%
The Jamie Foxx Show (1996)
Plot Summary:
The Jamie Foxx Show is an American television sitcom that aired on the WB Network from August 28, 1996 to January 14, 2001. The series stars Jamie Foxx, Garcelle Beauvais, Christopher B. Duncan, Ellia English, and Garrett Morris.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, not serious, black cinema
Similar in 87%
A Different World (1987)
Plot Summary:
A Different World is an American television sitcom which aired for six seasons on NBC. It is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional mixed but historically black college in the state of Virginia. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert and mathematics whiz Dwayne Wayne. The series frequently depicted members of the major historically black fraternities and sororities. While it was a spin-off from The Cosby Show, A Different World would typically address issues that were avoided by The Cosby Show writers. One episode that aired in 1990 was one of the first American network television episodes to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sitcom, feel good, humorous, realistic, witty, semi serious, telenovela, black cinema
Similar in 75%
227 (1985)
Plot Summary:
227 is an American situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, until May 6, 1990. The series stars Marla Gibbs as a sharp-tongued, inner-city resident gossip and housewife, Mary Jenkins. It was produced by Embassy Television from 1985 to 1986 and by Embassy Communications from 1986 until 1988; then ELP Communications through Columbia Pictures Television produced the series in its final two seasons.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, semi serious, black cinema
Similar in 87%
Moesha (1996)
Plot Summary:
Moesha was an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles. It was originally ordered as a pilot for the CBS network's 1995-1996 television season, who rejected. It was then picked up by UPN, who aired it as a mid-season replacement. It went on to become the biggest success for the nascent network and one of the greatest hits over the course of the network's entire run.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, sweet, feel good, humorous, realistic, semi serious, multicultural, smart, clever, black cinema