Funniest TV Families of All Time

They make us laugh, cry, and smile--America's TV families have captured the hearts of viewers since the inception of television. Whether it's their relatability or their antics that have us tuning in, one thing's for certain--these sitcom families take the cake.

The Cosby Show: The Huxtables

With a cast led by Bill Cosby, how could the Huxtable family not have viewers laughing? This one time Emmy winning sitcom for Outstanding Comedy Series featured everything from kids who move in and out and in again to Cliff's crazy dreams about sandwiches and submarines.

I Love Lucy: The Ricardos

From the moment that Lucy announced to Ricky that she was going to have a baby, the comedic antics of a pregnant Lucille Ball captivated audiences. Though many of the Ricardos situations seemed a bit outlandish, they were family friendly and regularly had viewers rolling with laugher, even in syndication.

Malcolm in the Middle: The Wilkersons

From a mathematical genius to a juvenile delinquent, the often surname-less family from Malcolm in the middle offers viewers a little bit of everything. Between parents who are still squeezing in time for one another whenever and whereever they can and children who can't seem to stay out of trouble, this family manages to have viewers laughing from the opening credits until the show ends.

The Simpsons

Though Springfield is fictional, the laughs brought on by the Simpson family are as real as they come. One of the funniest cartoon families around, viewers laugh at Bart's schoolyard antics, Homer's drinking follies, and Maggie's continuous pacifier sucking.

The Flintstones

These comedic and cartoon predecessors of The Simpsons deserve their spot among the funniest tv families of all time. Fred's bumbling about and getting into trouble always manage to get sorted by the end of the episode, but still give viewers a chuckle along the way.

Full House: The Tanners

The Tanner family was one of the most entertaining sitcom families in the 1990s. Comedian Joey and Uncle Jesse's experiences learning to parent were a laugh, as were some of the mischevious situations that Michelle, Stephanie, and DJ managed to get themselves into over the years.

Arrested Development: The Bluths

Arrested Development's Bluth family encountered some ridiculous situations in its short prime time life. They lived in a model home, had an uncle who switched places with a jailed father, and dealt with two cousins who had a crush on one another. We laughed at them through it all.

Roseanne: The Connors

Living in suburban Illinois, the Connor family dealt with real life problems and managed to laugh at themselves (and others) at the same time. Their storylines often bordered on the serious, but managed to bring a smile and a laugh to our faces.

Leave it to Beaver: The Cleavers

While the humor on Leave it to Beaver wasn't physical or outlandish, the mischief that Beaver seemed to encounter always gave viewers and family members a chunkle, all while teaching a lesson. This fifties family was, in it's time, both relatable and comical.

Family Matters: The Winslows

Ever present neighbor Stever Urkel helped make the Winslows one of the funniest sitcom families on television. Add in two tired working parents with teenage children and a live in aunt, nephew, and grandmother, and you can't help but experience some funny situations along the way.

From physical comedy to lighthearted humor, tv families have been keeping American audiences in stitches through the years.

Sources:

IMDB; http://www.imdb.com

AOL Television; http://television.aol.com/insidetv/2008/04/01/best-tv-comedies/

Wikipedia; Situation comedy; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situation_comedy