A bad television show will built itself around catch phrases. A good television show will deliver so many great lines week after week that few will stick long enough before the another round of one liners come along and supplant them. But the best television sitcoms have a knack for infectious dance sequences so memorable that the characters can be identified by their signature moves.
I'll be honest with you: I love a good dance sequence. Nothing brings me more pleasure than a sitcom character unafraid to act a fool for the entertainment bliss of others. Here are television's signature dance moves, the ones that -- good or bad -- get inside your bones and make you wanna go Sam Rockwell up in this joint.
10. "Friends" -- The Ross and Monica Routine
9. Community -- The Britta Dance
8. How I Met Your Mother -- The Robin Sparkles
7. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia -- The Mac Elbow Dance
6. The Elaine Dance
5. Perfect Strangers -- The Dance of Joy
4. Parks and Recreation -- The Ron Swanson
3. Arrested Development -- The Chicken Dance
2. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air -- The Carlton Dance
1. Scrubs -- The Turk Dance
Non-Sitcom Honorable Mentions
Psych -- The Sean and Gus Peanuts Dance
Ally McBeal -- The Barry White Dance
Bonus -- My Two Favorite YouTube Videos of All Time
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Carlton is still number one in my heart.
The Ron Swanson hat wabble dance just warms my heart.
That Club Can’t Handle Me vid makes me miss Outsourced… whatever happened to that show? It was great!
If 1-2 wasn’t Turk and Carlton, I would have been very disappointed in you.
Mac was robbed. The elbow dance is top 5 material.
So, so, so much respect for inclusion of The Dance of Joy.
Over the years, I grew to loathe “Scrubs,” but even I can’t hate the Turk Dance.
I think the best, most overlooked part of that scene is that he had a cassette of Bel Biv Davoe’s Poison stashed somewhere in his scrubs, and I’m pretty sure those are mostly pocketless.
David Brent, The Office, robbed.
[www.youtube.com]
You’re absolutely right. Egregious oversight on my part.
Beat me to it, Critical. Its Flashdance mixed with MC Hammer shit!
Needs more David Brent dance.
No love for the “Jump On It” Dance from Fresh Prince?
[www.youtube.com]
No dance party from The Andy Griffith Show??! THIEVERY!
Close enough to a dance to count.
One of the all time greatest Simpsons moments.
Agreed.
haha i love this one…did i say stop?
It’s not a sitcom, but I could watch Jason Sudekis do his “What’s Up With That?” routine forever.
And as much as I love Ron Swanson, I think we should also acknowledge Rob Lowe’s adorably enthusiastic dancing and/or air banjo’ing.
Yup.
Yay!!!
I could watch the GIFs of Chris Traeger on a nonstop loop.
Where’s the David Brent, and how does anything beat GOB’s Chicken Dance? The Carlton I will forgive, though.
David Brent is a massive omission.
What, no Boyd Crowder ho-down?! I thought this was a Justified blog!!
Oh, Britta’s in this?
Perfect Strangers in February 2012.
This was all just an excuse to post the Turk dance wasn’t it?
Is there ever an inappropriate time to post the Turk dance?
No comment.
no charlie kelly butt dance love?
[www.youtube.com]
a chicken?
There were two correct answers here; the chicken dance and David Brent. No Brent is a sinful omission.
i figured there’s no way carlton wouldn’t be #1. then i remembered the turk dance
The Mac elbow dance is something I break out on special occasions to please the masses.
Dustin, can you start actually writing about the elements of these lists instead of just putting together a collection of ten youtube videos? A little context for why each dance made your list would be nice.
POISON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you missed Bill Haverchuck doing the Rerun
old school. but come on the jeffersons
michael scarn?
this list is BS…the turk? clownery…the Carlton is obviously number 1..