Sitcoms have been a TV staple for decades, but not all laughter comes neatly packaged in front of a live audience. While traditional sitcoms often use a multi-camera format (think Friends or The Big Bang Theory), single-camera shows take a more cinematic approach, ditching the laugh tracks and studio audiences.
The result? A fresh, often unconventional flavor of comedy that feels raw and real. Here are four single-camera sitcoms that didn’t just make us laugh—they redefined the rules completely.
Arrested Development: The Pioneer of Chaos
With its razor-sharp humor and intricate storytelling, Arrested Development proved you could pack cleverness into every frame. This absurd yet brilliant story of the dysfunctional Bluth family leaned into its single-camera format, treating us to meta-humor, quick-cut flashbacks, and running gags galore.
Whether it was Tobias waiting for the Blue Man Group to call or Gob fumbling through illusions (not tricks!), the show made chaos look like an art form. It wasn’t for everyone—Fox canceled it too soon—but it became a cult hit for the comedy elite.
Scrubs: The Sitcom with a Heartbeat
Who knew a sitcom could make you laugh one minute and cry the next? Scrubs managed this balancing act with ease, setting itself apart with imaginative cutaway scenes and heartfelt moments. Following the lives of quirky med students-turned-doctors at Sacred Heart Hospital, the show wasn’t afraid to tackle tough topics like grief and loss.
The single camera gave it the freedom to jump between surreal daydreams and emotional gut punches. You never knew what was coming, and that’s what made it magic.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Comedy Without a Soul
If sitcoms usually have lovable characters and tidy resolutions, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crumpled that rulebook like a beer can and threw it across the bar. This show follows the Gang—a collection of hilariously dysfunctional people running an Irish pub in South Philly—and wallows in their selfishness, stupidity, and schemes.
Its single-camera style keeps things raw and gritty, much like the show’s moral compass (or lack thereof). And yet fans can’t stop watching. Why? Because watching this train wreck is just too much fun. Raise your rum hams high!
Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Improvised Masterpiece
What do you get when you mix a single camera, no script, and Larry David? Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show puts the “awkward” in awkward comedy, following Larry as he stumbles through social situations with a blend of pettiness and cluelessness.
The single-camera style, highly different from the multi-cam approach in its versatility, captures his cringe-worthy encounters in their purest, most uncomfortable form. Watching Larry argue about minor inconveniences feels almost cathartic—like we’re all a little better at life by comparison.
Final Thoughts
These shows didn’t just rely on single-camera setups—they redefined what sitcoms could do with that freedom. From dismantling traditional storytelling (Arrested Development) to throwing moral decency out the window (hello, It’s Always Sunny), they pushed boundaries and gave us new ways to laugh. They proved sitcoms don’t need laugh tracks to be funny. Sometimes, all you need is a smart script, compelling characters, and a camera to capture the madness.
