1.cheers
? ?The great thing about “Cheers” is that it’s only filmed in one location and you don’t get distracted by different sets. Therefore it’s easier to focus on what’s going on. It’s funny and the humor is easy to understand. You’ll learn how to use it at the appropriate time which will make communication with your friends a lot easier and funnier too.
2.Frasier
Frasier, Niles and Martin all have clean accents which are really easy to understand. There is a lot of intelligent humor used in “Frasier” and after watching a few episodes, you’ll begin to understand what it means to be witty (intelligent and funny at the same time).
3.The Simpsons
Although this is an animated show, the conversations that take place between the characters are very real, and often touch on family topics that we can relate to. “The Simpsons” is the perfect way to learn real-life phrases that are more natural than any phrase you’ll learn from your course books or CDs.
4.The Wonder Years
Because we’ve all been through the same problems as Kevin and his friends, we can automatically relate to the storylines which will help you understand what’s going on more. It’s a great way to learn how young people communicate in English. You’ll also learn how to resolve conflicts in English from the interactions with Kevin and all the other characters.
5.The Fresh Prince of Bel-air
First of all you’ll fall in love with all the characters of the show and Will Smith’s character will be your favorite. He’s funny and comical, but his jokes are obvious and easy to understand. Also, it’s a great way to learn street English and recognize how Americans of different social classes speak English.
6.Married With Children
The acting is very over-the-top and what you don’t understand in words will be made up through the acting. It’s a comedy and you’ll really enjoy the funny one-liners (short jokes) and Al’s very dry sense of humor.
7.Ren & Stimpy
The animation is simple and the storyline is funny and witty. But because it’s aimed at younger audiences, it’s really easy to understand. The creators filled the dialogues with obvious pictures, which gives the humor away and allows you to enjoy it too.
8.Family Matters
Why “Family Matters” is a great sitcom to learn English from: Despite his nerdiness, you’ll fall in love with the character of Stephen Urkell. He’s hilarious and he is very over-the-top with his actions, which will have you laughing. And of course, you’ll be able to understand what’s going on easier. The acting is great, and there is a lot of expression and gesture used, which makes it perfect for any English language learner. The accents are clean and comprehensible (apart from Urkell’s) and the actors use everyday English idioms and expressions related to the family. For example, you’ll hear phrases like, “being grounded” (punishment from parents when the kids can’t leave the home) and “I don’t want to hear a peep out of you.” (A warning meaning I want you to stay completely quiet and say nothing).
9.Hanging with Mr. Cooper
The language is simple and is typical of a normal American high school student. Therefore you’ll be able to learn the everyday language that high school kids use with each other, and also the appropriate language to use when communicating with teachers.
10.The Nanny
Firstly, you’ll see and hear different accents which help you become more accustomed to the variety of accents. It’s also a great show to learn English because the language is natural. You’ll also get more of an understanding of how the rich people speak in comparison to the average person.Just because these sitcoms are “older” doesn’t mean they’re not worth watching. They are perhaps more real than the shows we see on TV today, and the storylines are more believable.
