by Nick Somoski

Created on: March 15, 2009   Last Updated: July 17, 2010

Television is 60 years old. Can you believe that? And for 60 years, we've been laughing at Lucy at the chocolate factory, Mary giving her respects at Chuckle's funeral, Archie calling Edith a dingbat, Dr. Huxtable giving Theo a talk on economics, Murphy fighting breast cancer, and Seinfeld being declined by the soup nazi. Even to this day, we watch Charlie Sheen and his ways with women, the Big Bang Theory geeks get through everyday life, and Christine Applegate fight amnesia - and you know what? We enjoy it. We always have, and we always will.

Through 60 years of countless comedy, it was just about impossible picking the best. So many successful comedies have been produced over the years. Others were blatantly terrible (wouldn't that be an easy list to make?). But, I have managed to choose the 3 best sitcoms on television history. What makes them the best? Read on . . .

1. Roseanne (ABC, 1988-1997) - This was an easy choice, it really was. It's a funny show, there's no denying it. If you haven't watched it before, I highly recommend it to anyone trying to get a good laugh, because this show will have you in stitches. After 5 minutes of watching it, you'll be laughing out loud, or even laughing to youself, thinking "Hey, this is pretty funny." I assure you it will happen, because it happened to me the first time I watched the show.

But why is it so funny? Why is it the best sitcom in television history? It was groundbreaking. It was funny. It was real. Before 1988, television audiences had never experienced something like this. Quite frankly, by this time, people were getting tired of watching the spot-clean house of the Huxtables, or the heartfelt moments found on shows like Growing Pains and Family Ties. People wanted real, raw television, and Roseanne provided.

When it hit the airwaves in October of 1988, television audiences responded immediately. They wanted to see a blue-collar, middle class family, with overweight parents, bratty kids, a dirty house, and people working hard every day of their lives just to pay the late bills. That's exactly what Roseanne offered.

Whether or not you're a fan of Roseanne Barr, there's no denying this show will have you laughing for hours. Pop in the DVDs, and your eyes will be glued to the TV set. It's funny. And it was so different from anything on television before. Proof can be seen in the ratings - in the top 5 rated shows for 6 seasons, reaching #1 in season 2, being a massive hit on cable and in syndication, and

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