It was an outstanding year for television comedies, as long as you didn't watch television's more popular sitcoms, like "Two and a Half Men" or "Mike and Molly." To achieve the level of success afforded the likes of the CBS comedies, the humor needs to be obvious, conservative, and typically in the area of lowest common denominator. The year's best comedies, on the other hand, were edgy, risky, weird, manic, and often offensive, which is probably why no more than 4.5 million people saw any of the year's ten funniest episodes (according to the sham that is the Nielsen Ratings).
I didn't want to duplicate any TV series on the list because I wanted to provide some depth and variety, which means that the ten funniest episodes of 2011 also fairly reflect the 10 funniest shows of 2011, though perhaps not in the same order. Picking a favorite among the episodes on many of these sitcoms is something of a fool's errand, but I think the selected episodes are at least representative of their respective shows.
10. 30 Rock, "TGS Hates Women" -- People that complain that "30 Rock" is not the show it once was clearly weren't paying attention to the show's fifth season, in which "30 Rock" managed to hang with the fresher NBC comedies, "Community" and "Parks and Recreation." "TGS Hates Women" was of particular note for the way it managed to skewer Jezebel.com's skewering of "The Daily Show," while also hilariously wallowing in its own feminist hypocrisy: “I’m Amelia Earhart. I’m almost across the Pacific. Oh no, my period!”
9. Cougar Town, " "You're Gonna Get It" -- Were it not for the shaft that NBC has been giving "Community" all season, its sister show on ABC, "Cougar Town" -- the show that names all of its episodes after Tom Petty songs -- might have gotten more attention. The spirit of "Scrubs" lives on in "Cougar Town," and this episode in particular was one of the big highlights of 2011 for introducing us to Wrongball Bobby, @TheLarmy, and Jule's brilliant screw-up of the "Pledge of Allegiance," including her incorrect belief that it was written by Richard Stands.
8. Happy Endings, "Dave of the Dead" -- "Happy Endings" debuted in the spring of this year, mostly to mixed reviews from critics. In the beginning, it was a fairly average show with better than average characters, but it was "Dave of the Dead" -- the episode where hipsters are conflated with zombies -- that elevated this series into one of the funniest on television.
7. Louie C.K., "Come on, God" -- "Louie" is a funny show, but it's rarely funny in the "ha ha" sense; its humor is deeper, more incisive and knowing, and is often mixed with a heavy dose of melancholia. It's a comedy, and there is a lot of humor, but it's not often the kind that will make you laugh so hard you p*ss your pants. But I wanted to include "Louie" because the show belongs on a list like this. "Oh, Louie/Tickets" (the Dane Cook ep) was probably my favorite episode of the year, while the hour-long "Duckling" was the most ambitious. But if I had to choose the funniest episode, I'd say it's "Come on, God," the episode in which Louis defends masturbation on Fox News and then attempts to sleep with the spokeswoman for Christians Against Masturbation, only to wind up at home at the end of the night masturbating while thinking about her.
6. South Park, "You're Getting Older" -- "South Park's" mid-season finale will most likely be remembered for its unusually poignant and downbeat ending, and for the way Matt Parker and Trey Stone used the episode to question the show's stasis. But in the midst of all that self-reflection, the episode also managed to be very funny, thanks in part to the fake trailers that sent up Adam Sandler's recent motion picture output: "“This November, Adam Sandler sh*ts in your eyes, ears, and mouth! Whatever. You'll pay to go see it. F*%k you!”
5. Archer, "El Secuestro" -- "Archer" doesn't mix the pathos with the comedy as well as some of the other shows on this list (or at all), but when it comes to pure comedy, it's on the same level as "It's Always Sunny" and "The League." It's tough to choose the funniest episode of 2011 because so many were so good, but "El Secuestro" gets the nod simply for the fact that it introduced the Lord Byron poem tattooed on Pam's back, because Brett managed to answer the phone even after he'd been shot, and for the geeky revelation that Archer knows Asimov's laws of robotics.
4. The League, "Thanksgiving" -- The "Thanksgiving" episode narrowly edged out several other fantastic season three episodes -- including "Bobbum Man" and "Ol Smokecrotch" -- for the simple reason that casting Jeff Goldblum as Ruxin's dad was a (vinegar) stroke of genius. And also because in the end, he ended up railing Sarah Silverman during Thanksgiving dinner. As Taco noted after walking in on Mr. Ruxin nailing Silverman's character from behind: "I can see into his soul. Not good."
3. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "Chardee MacDennis: The Game of Games" -- The seventh season was a huge bounce back year for "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," and the bottle episode "Chardee MacDennis" -- a made-up board game -- is the season's one true classic episode and one of the most memorable since the near perfect second season. The entire episode was weird and manic and insane, and the end result was something akin to comedy bliss. Question: “Dennis is a**hole. Why Charlie hate?” Answer: “Because Dennis is a bastard man.”
2. Community, "Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism" -- "Remedial Chaos Theory" was the best episode perhaps of any show in 2011, but it wasn't the funniest. And where "Community" is concerned, "Foosball" takes the yearly crown for the show's laugh out loudiest episode, thanks to Nick Kroll's hilarious douchebag, Abed's second turn at playing Batman, and the brilliant way in which foosball, of all games, brought out the worst in Shirley and Jeff. Oh, and Troy humming "Daybreak" took the effing cake.
1. Parks and Recreation, "Lil Sebastian" was probably the best episode of the season, "Flu Season" had the best line (Chris Traeger's "Stop Pooping"), but the title of funniest "P&R" episode (and funniest episode of the year) goes to "The Fight," the episode that introduced Tom Haverford's Snake Juice, featured Nick Kroll (who is all over this list) as the douchebag DJ, and gave us the indelible and gleeful image of Ron Swanson dancing in the year's most hysterically funny sequence.
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/4006/thumb)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/patton-oswalts-star-wars-filibuster-animated1-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/happy-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/got-sunny-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/abed-happy-college-show-650x365-150x150.jpg)
Whitney was robbed!
I have no argument with this list. Although for some reason I thought the Jersey Shore IASIP episode was funnier than A Game of Games. Jersey Shore episode had rum ham.
Why do you keep insisting The League is anywhere near Always Sunny or Archer its like you take crazy pills because you opinion differs from mine! RABBLE
dude, the show is called “Louie” not “Louis”
Thank you for recognizing ‘The League’. It had bigger and more consistent laughs this season than IASIP did. It’s really hit its stride and the Thanksgiving episode was genius on every level.
Pam FTMFW.
I’m partial to the “Ward 8″ episode of Childrens Hospital.
Cougar Town sucks, Parks and Rec has gone off the sentimental deep end, and Community is running on fumes.
Community not being good this season probably has to due with most of the writers joining new shows because they couldn’t deal with Dan Harmon.
Chaos theory was the best Community episode of the year.
I don’t watch P&R, but I could watch that Ron Swanson gif forever.
Yup, Childrens Hospital got effed in the A here. I’d argue the premiere was top 5 worthy.
and blah blah blah, you picked the wrong Community, Parks and Rec and Happy Endings episodes, rabble rabble rabble.
Pretty solid list, but what’s with including that Happy Endings episode? That wasn’t even the funniest episode of Happy Endings.
That, and Community > Parks & Rec. Always. The worst episode of Community (find it, I dare you) is still funnier than the best episode of P&R.
From a sheer laughs standpoint I think Archer is in a completely different zone than anything else but I can’t argue with much on this list. I think my best laugh of the season came from the always sunny shushing episode when Charlie and Dennis are talking to the detective- but overall I agree CharDeeMacDennis was overall funnier.
Oh and the shershow redemption was much funnier than dave of the dead for Happy Endings- but I’m psyched either way the show’s geting the recognition it deserves.
Also, “Daybreak” is the song on the radio during Abed’s Halloween story.
of”The Gang Gets Trapped” literally had me in tears. Though I will not fault the choice of “Chardee MacDennis: The Game of Games” as it was pretty hilarious in it’s own right.
Also, the “Office Campout” episode of Workaholics.
Maybe there aren’t 10 funny shows. Cougertown and happy endings woudn’t make my top 10, but i can only think of 1 show that was snubbed (Wilfred).
So by default one of them would still make the list…
I haven’t had a laugh session, where I can’t breathe, in a while until I saw the last 2 episodes of It’s always Sunny.
Where’s the episode for ‘The Big Bang Theory’? I mean, it keeps beating ‘Community’ in the ratings, has socially awkward characters, bright sets, and best of all a studio audience that laughs like crazy so you know when to find the show funny.
Please fix the list. America can’t be wrong can it?
I just don’t get your pumping the The League. It is like an improv comedy show, a few seconds of hilarity surrounded by a lot of forced situations that are unfunny. Children’s Hospital and Workaholics both deserved a nod. I demand my opinion be validated by internet list makers. Rabble, Rabble Rabble.
‘”Remedial Chaos Theory” was the best episode perhaps of any show in 2011′.
I agree! Great list.
Pretty good list. I’m not so big on “It’s Always Sunny” or “The League,” and wished that “Workaholics” got a nod in there somewhere, but overall thumbs up.
Am I the only person who thought “The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore” absolutely and totally lapped “Chardee McDennis” this season? And I LIKED Chardee. A lot.
DAMMIT, I should read the comments first, since UU agrees with me.
I suppose I should poke my nose in here and suggest that Beavis and Butt-head’s “Copy Machine” episode deserves at the very least an honorable mention.
Great list, and with a lot of these shows rankings it’s like splitting hairs because they are all so good.
Love that you have “The League” up there with the rest of them. I think the end of the episode with Will Forte where they all accidentally do cocaine was the most laugh out loud moment of that show this year. Great show.
Just about any episode of B&B should be somewhere on this list. It came back with a vengeance. I also have The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore SLIGHTLY ahead of Chardee McDennis but only by a tiny bit. RumHam and ecstasy Waitress was > eating the INGREDIENTS of a cake
seeing the homeless guys fucking under the pier was also a top-notch moment.
Wilfred – Pride is missing from your list.
Warming Glow’s editorial staff likes the 30 Rock episode with Chloe Moretz in it? Color me shocked.
Although, her presence did lead to Jack Donaghy declaring that “the ocean is for winners”.
whats next the ten best lists of 2011
Good list, not perfect. I would take issue with The League’s inclusion, of course, but that episode was pretty funny. Jeff Goldblum makes everything better, although Sarah Silverman was less funny than I’d hoped. And I haven’t managed to get into Cougar Town, but I don’t think I’ve given it as much of a chance as it deserves, so I won’t take issue with that either. But, regarding your Louie selection, my biggest laugh came from the bum attacking Louie and getting his head knocked off, in whatever episode that was. And I’m glad Happy Endings made the list, but I woulda gone with “Spooky Endings.”
@Zack, @King Dong Bundy: The new Beavis and Butthead has been awesome. I love the music videos, and it is actually hilarious.
@Danny: The mixology/cocaine episode is one of the best episodes of The League, if you ask me.
@Stretch: What’s next, bitching about people bitching? Those bastards.
Decent list. I would’ve thought Curb Your Enthusiasm – Palestinian Chicken or The Bi-sexual might have made it in there.
The League > Always Sunny. There, I said it.
STOP THROWING TOMATOES AT ME.
Bob’s Burgers. Spaghetti Western and Meatballs. Anal nitrate. I rest my case.
I would put almost any episode this season of “Sunny” as #1 on the list (“Frank’s Brother” was the only weak link in an otherwise perfect season) However, “The Gang gets Trapped” was the funniest episode of ANY show on any channel this season……. by a country mile
I just don’t understand the disdain for “The League.” Jesus, that show is the tits.
I also would’ve gone with the Rum Ham episode for “Always Sunny,” but the game was a great one too.
“Workaholics” has been mostly meh, but the “To Friend a Predator” episode (with the dude from “Whitney” as Bieberhole69) was outfuckingstanding.
No real qualm with the list (though I do take issue with the commenters – people like Don Turtuccio make the Internet nigh unbearable sometimes), but the Halloween episode of Happy Endings was one of the funniest things I saw all year, amazed that it got beat out by a different ep. I could spend an entire hour just watch them try to work that baby costume and be a happy, happy man.
Glad to see Cougar Town get a nod too. As with Scrubs, it is often a little too cutesy, but if you can look past that it really brings the funny.
Game of Games was clearly the best IASIP episode.
30 Rock had two good seasons and Community is terrible. NBC’s comedy demo is basically smug douche bags and hipsters.
@Zombie Erection: “NBC’s comedy demo is basically smug douche bags and hipsters.”
Hmmm. I am not a hipster, and hate myself, but I love both Community and 30 Rock. Your theory is nonsense.
Well there are exceptions to every rule. I said “basically” so there can beso aberations. Still, Community is awful.
Your mancrush for Nick Kroll is bordering on potentially hazardous to his well being.
This list needs some Workaholics on it.
Too bad this article was apparently done before last nights The League finale, as Raffi OWNED it..
“you’ve had a stroke bro, but don’t worry, your dick still works. i’ve been stockpiling your sperm”
“what? how?”
“I jerked you off like a dog, bro”
Raffi rules. Murder boner.
Jeff
[www.theflopallin.com]