Arrested Development Reigns as Top Sitcom

Sitcom star will depart after upcoming season

(NEWSER) - Ending weeks of speculation , Steve Carell has confirmed that he'll leave The Office when his contract expires at the end of the 2010-2011 season. "I just think it's time," the sitcom star tells E! "When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go." More»

Joss Whedon, Judd Apatow, HBO prominently featured

(NEWSER) - From the standard (No. 16, Friday Night Lights) to the quirky (No. 29, Wonder Showzen), the long-running (No. 8, Lost) to the canceled-too-soon (No. 4, Freaks and Geeks), The Onion runs down the 30 best shows of the '00s:

• No. 1, The Wire: This drama “unfolded like a great American novel.”
• No. 2, The Sopranos: A brilliant cast served up “soap opera, mob intrigue, and surrealist digressions.”
• No. 3, Arrested Development: The cult sensation “not only makes viewers laugh, it makes them feel smart.”

Mad Men also rakes them in

(NEWSER) - The list of Emmy nominations, out today, is full of familiar names. One surprise: Family Guy is nominated for best comedy series—it's only the second animated show to get a nod in the category, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Fox stalwart is up against Entourage, 30 Rock, The Office, Flight of the Conchords, Weeds, and How I Met Your Mother. More»

Big Bang Theory succeeds where less brainy sitcoms fail

(NEWSER) - Why is a physics-quoting comedy one of network TV's only successful sitcoms? And with so many Americans turning to cable, the Internet, and reality programming, what does that mean for the future of prime time? The Wall Street Journal looks at The Big Bang Theory, an unlikely hit that actually includes accurate physics facts. More»

Michael Scott clocks out of Dunder Mifflin

(NEWSER) - "The world's best boss" has walked out of Dunder Mifflin for the last time. Steve Carell's inept Office character Michael Scott said farewell in a sentimental, hour-long episode of the sitcom, reports Reuters . Carell, who played Scott for seven seasons, is leaving the show to focus on his movie career. His alter ego, meanwhile, has left Scranton for Colorado. Will Ferrell has joined the cast as Scott's possible replacement. More»