American TV sitcoms to watch with friends: 'Friends', 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' and more

Some nights you just want to sink into the couch, put something familiar on the screen, and laugh until your sides hurt. American sitcoms have always been the go-to for exactly that kind of evening, the kind where nobody wants to think too hard, but everyone wants to feel something. Whether you're hosting a casual get-together or just roping a few friends into a spontaneous binge, these seven shows are the ones worth queuing up.

Six close friends, Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe, navigate love, careers, and relationships in New York City. From Ross's unforgettable "We were on a break!" to Joey's classic "How you doin'?", the series is packed with iconic moments and endlessly rewatchable humour. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer bring these characters to life in a show created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, with key episodes directed by James Burrows, Gary Halvorson, and Kevin S. Bright.

Set inside a New York police precinct, the show blends detective storylines with wonderfully chaotic humour, with the lovably immature Jake Peralta and the stone-faced Captain Holt forming an unbeatable comedy duo. Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, and Joe Lo Truglio lead the ensemble in this series created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur, directed across its run by Seth Gordon, Troy Miller, and Schur himself. A perfect pick for fans of workplace comedy with a wildly lovable cast.

A group of brilliant but socially awkward scientists have their lives turned upside down when free-spirited neighbour Penny moves in next door, creating a comedy built on nerdy humour, awkward social moments, and the genius-yet-insufferable Sheldon Cooper. Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, and Mayim Bialik star in this long-running series created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, with Mark Cendrowski serving as the primary director throughout its entire run. Geek culture meets everyday friendship chaos.

Ted Mosby narrates the long, winding story of how he met his children's mother, taking audiences through years of friendship, dating disasters, and unforgettable running gags, with Barney Stinson's legendary catchphrases adding endless comic energy along the way. Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, and Alyson Hannigan form the tight-knit core group in this series created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, with Pamela Fryman directing the vast majority of its episodes.

Using a mockumentary format, the show captures the hilariously awkward daily life inside Dunder Mifflin paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Michael Scott's cringe-worthy antics, Jim's elaborate pranks on Dwight, and the quietly blooming romance between Jim and Pam give the series its irresistible charm. Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, and Mindy Kaling star in this American adaptation created by Greg Daniels and primarily directed by Ken Kwapis.

Three interconnected families, the Pritchetts, the Dunphys, and the Tucker-Pritchetts, navigate everyday life with warmth, wit, and plenty of chaos in this Emmy-winning mockumentary that works equally well as a family watch or a friends' night in. Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Eric Stonestreet headline a large and lovable ensemble in a series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, directed primarily by Jason Winer and Gail Mancuso.