A good sitcom is like comfort food: it doesn't have to be fancy, grand, or avant-garde to be enjoyable. Sometimes it's nice to just sit back, tune out, and wipe tears from your eyes while laughing maniacally.

If you're feeling down, a dose of hearty laughter could truly be the best medicine to help lift your mood. With Netflix's strong selection of funny sitcoms, that laughter is available on demand.

With that in mind, here are the best sitcoms on Netflix we think everyone should watch.

1. The Good Place

The Good Place is a sitcom created by Michael Schur, the man behind other beloved shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation.

It stars Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop. She dies and is sent to the afterlife, known as "the Good Place," where Michael (played by a wonderful Ted Danson) greets her. As a reward for living well on Earth, she gets to spend the rest of eternity in this Utopia.

However, Eleanor doesn't think she should be there, believing there must have been an administration error. What follows is a heartwarming and surprising story, full of laughter and unexpected moments.

2. Arrested Development

Like many of Fox’s best shows, Arrested Development was cancelled too early in its run. Thankfully, Netflix saw the cult following that had grown around this show and renewed it for more seasons. While the Netflix-made seasons are less accomplished than the originals, the entire show is still worth watching.

Often described as a "smart comedy about stupid people," Arrested Development is a very clever show. It’s extremely layered, so much so that you’ll regularly discover missed jokes on repeat viewings. This isn’t the kind of show you put on in the background. It deserves your full attention, and that attention is well-rewarded.

3. The Office

The best way to describe The Office? Highly-relatable cringe comedy. The early seasons do a great job capturing the essence of an office environment while exaggerating certain bits and characters for comedic effect---and boy is it funny, as long as you don't cringe too hard. ("Scott's Tots," anyone?)

While the second half of the show doesn't quite live up to the first, especially as Steve Carell drops out, it remains highly watchable. It's funny through and through, and more importantly, it evolves from start to finish. No two seasons are alike, with new characters popping in and out, and that's what makes the journey so fun.

4. Parks and Recreation

Season one of Parks and Recreation is certainly the weakest, but get through that and you can enjoy one of the best sitcoms ever made. Parks and Recreation doesn't find its footing until somewhere in its second season, at which point it understands the characters and focuses on their friendship and positivity.

To describe Parks and Recreation in a word; it's "uplifting." This show is warm, charming, and endearing---and that's why it has such a huge fanbase. Parks and Recreation isn't just humorous. It's happy. It's bright. Its humor ultimately derives from characters who, deep down, want to help each other and see each other succeed.

5. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, stars the wonderfully watchable Ellie Kemper who emerges into the real world after being rescued from a doomsday cult after 15 years.

Kimmy's endlessly positive attitude is infectious, as she moves to New York City to try to adjust to her new life. As you might imagine, the show is a bit odd, but it leans into that and has a unique style of comedy. It's also crammed full of jokes that make it perfect for multiple uplifting rewatches.

6. Disenchantment

Disenchantment is an animated sitcom from Matt Groening, responsible for two of the greatest shows ever made: The Simpsons and Futurama.

Disenchantment is a Netflix exclusive and is set in a medieval kingdom called Dreamland. It revolves around a young princess called Bean and her two friends, the demon Luci and the elf Elfo, as they battle with all the weirdness that surrounds them.

The show takes a while to get going, but the story is continuous, so it's enjoyable to get to know the characters and the world they inhabit.

7. The IT Crowd

The IT Crowd offers a peek at what really goes on in an IT department. Probably. Roy and Moss are, in the words of their crazy boss, "standard nerds" who work their days in the dark and messy basement of Reynholm Industries.

They are joined by Jen, who becomes their manager despite not knowing anything about IT. Jen makes it her aim to bridge the gap between IT and the rest of the business, but she's more effective at getting them all into ludicrous situations.

You don't have to be a nerd to enjoy The IT Crowd, though you might enjoy it on another level if you are.

If you like The IT Crowd, you should check out Silicon Valley and other shows like it.

8. Episodes

Episodes stars Matt LeBlanc as... well, Matt LeBlanc. He plays a satirical version of himself; a self-obsessed actor who enjoys flashy cars.

In the show, when couple Sean and Beverly win an award for their British sitcom, they are sent to Hollywood to remake it. Against their wishes, they are forced to cast Matt LeBlanc in the lead.

As you might expect, Episodes has great fun with the premise and offers a funny look into the process of making a sitcom.

9. That 70s Show

It's sad that That 70s Show isn't as fondly remembered as other 90s-era sitcoms like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or Boy Meets World. Not only did it launch the careers of recognizable names like Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher, and Mila Kunis, but the show itself is just plain hilarious.

Even though it's a spoof on the 1970s, it's funny even if you were born in a different decade. With characters like hardass-but-loving father and traditional-yet-untraditional mother Red and Kitty Foreman, That 70s Show proved it could be as subversive as the rest of the sitcoms of the day.

10. Cheers [Broken URL Removed]

Cheers embodies the kind of show you can plop down to watch after a long, hard day at work. When you're feeling sour, Cheers puts a smile on your face. When you're feeling down, Cheers comforts you like a warm blanket. And when you're in the mood for drama, there's always Sam and Diane.

Cheers has aged surprisingly well, considering it started in the early 1980s. It's just as relatable now as it was back then, and that's why it has stood the test of time. Don't be put off by it being an "old" show---after a few episodes, you'll see why so many have a fond place in their heart for Cheers.

11. Lovesick

Lovesick was originally known as Scrotal Recall, which is an awful name for a delightfully tender and funny show.

It revolves around a group of friends who live together and deals with their relationships inside and outside their circle. When central character Dylan is diagnosed with chlamydia, he contacts all his previous partners to let them know---and this is the jumping off point for each episode.

Lovesick feels realistic thanks to its grounded acting and writing. It's a pleasure to spend time with all the characters and you'll be rooting for them every step of the way.

12. New Girl

New Girl is sorely underrated. Part of that likely has to do with Zooey Deschanel starring as Jess, but if you can get past that, you'll see that the rest of the cast is comedically gifted---especially Jake Johnson as Nick and Max Greenfield as Schmidt. This is one of the few Friends-esque sitcoms that actually works and gets better with every season.

Be aware that New Girl relies on quirky characters and situations that would never happen in real life, but that's part of its charm. It's wacky, it's fun, and once you get to know the characters, it's often laugh-out-loud funny.

13. Extras

Ricky Gervais is perhaps best known for creating The Office, but his follow-up show with Stephen Merchant is equally good. Gervais plays a background performer struggling to make ends meet, before finally finding some fame as a sitcom star.

One of the biggest joys of Extras is all the famous faces who pop up and play completely against type. It's absolutely genius seeing people like Kate Winslet and Patrick Stewart saying crass things.

But Extras also has warmth and is equally capable of tugging at your heartstrings as it is making you howl with laughter.

If you enjoyed Extras, be sure to check out the best British comedies on Netflix.

14. The Inbetweeners

The Inbetweeners is a hilarious sitcom. The original British version is the only one worth watching---don't bother with the American remake, which is a shell of the original and was rightly cancelled due to poor reception.

The Inbetweeners follows four young boys as they navigate the tricky territory of school. This is a rude and cringe-inducing show, but that's where lots of the great humor comes from. The boys deal with weird teachers, the oh-so-scary opposite sex, and the trials and tribulations of growing up.

15. Santa Clarita Diet

Based on its premise, it's surprising that Santa Clarita Diet turned out as good as it is. A zombie-based family sitcom that takes place in the suburbs of Los Angeles? It sounds silly but is actually clever, subversive, and meta.

Give it at least two episodes to win you over. The first episode is a bit rough and rushed, but the rest of the season is spectacularly good. And if the show's acting feels over-the-top, keep in mind that that's intentional. It frequently plays against tropes and expectations, which may put off a lot of viewers, but it's one of the many reasons why the show is unique.

The Best Sitcoms on Netflix Will Keep You Laughing

There are lots of sitcoms on Netflix, and these are the best we could find. So, whatever else is going on in the world, you can at least carry on laughing.

Do you want even more laughs? Then we've got you covered with the best dark comedies to watch on Netflix.