Some of the best sitcoms often toe the line between emotional and hilarious, with sitcoms like Friends and Scrubs using humour to tell difficult stories.

Sitcoms have always been popular amongst audiences, and with so many to choose from, it’s hard to whittle down the most iconic moments. But we’ve rounded up the moments that everyone thinks of when they think of these shows, as well as some tear-jerking and heartwarming scenes, from the trivia episode of Friends to sweet Simpsons moments.

Ross and Rachel’s first kiss in Friends

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Ross and Rachel typified the classic “will they, won’t they’?” trope throughout all ten seasons of 90s sitcom Friends, so their first kiss was a big moment for the show. In the season two episode “The One Where Ross Finds Out”, a newly coupled-up Ross discovers Rachel has been hiding a crush on him, and after a tearful argument, the two kiss for the first time in the rain. There would be many more ups and downs in their relationship, but this was one of their most memorable moments.

Sammy Davis Jr on All in the Family

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The Rob Reiner-starring sitcom All in the Family is one of iconic screenwriter Norman Lear’s most well-known sitcoms, and explores a typical American family’s everyday life, going on to inspire and be referenced in shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy. One of its most memorable episodes, “Sammy’s Visit”, featured a guest appearance from jazz performer Sammy Davis Jr, and the ending scene, which had Davis plant a kiss on the bigoted patriarch Archie Bunker’s cheek, led to the longest audience laughter in the history of the show (so much so that some of it had to be edited out of the final cut).

Monica and Chandler get together in Friends

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Reportedly, the relationship between Monica and Chandler in Friends wasn’t supposed to be a long-term one, but audiences loved the pairing so much that the couple ended up getting married and later adopting twins. In London for Ross’s wedding, Monica and Chandler began their relationship and shocked both the studio audience and those watching at home when Monica appeared next to Chandler in bed.

Del Boy falling in Only Fools and Horses

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Voted as the funniest sitcom moment by GOLD, as well as the most memorable moment in British TV by a Sky survey, and almost always chosen as the top moment of the show by fans and critics alike: Del Boy falling through the bar in Only Fools and Horses. Though a simple setup, the slapstick scene and comedic acting from David Jason makes for a top-tier example of the show’s aptitude for physical comedy. In a 1999 Channel Four poll, the moment was voted the seventh greatest television moment, beating the Queen’s coronation.

Mambo No 5 in The Royle Family

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The ‘Mambo No. 5’ scene from The Royle Family is one of the most beloved and iconic moments from the British sitcom. Usually seen exclusively in his seat on the armchair, Royle patriarch Jim suddenly starts dancing to Lou Bega’s ‘Mambo No. 5’, prompting shock from the rest of his family, before they join in, too. The moment became a favourite scene amongst plenty of fans.

Tobias is Blue in Arrested Development

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Arrested Development had plenty of iconic moments, but perhaps the most quotable ones come from the episode “The One Where Michael Leaves”. After becoming obsessed with joining the Blue Man Group, believing it to be his big break in the entertainment industry, Tobias decides to paint himself entirely blue, not realising that the Blue Man Group are only painted this way for performances and not for everyday life; the absurd episode makes for plenty of hilarious quotes. 

“Who Shot Mr Burns?” – The Simpsons

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The two-part Simpsons episodes which revolve around the mystery shooting of series antagonist Mr Burns are fan favourites and were partly based around the “Who Shot J. R.?” episode of another hit TV show, Dallas. That the two episodes were filled with various clues and a few red herrings, as well as the fact that the culprit of the crime was not an obvious choice, may be why the episode is held in such high regard by critics and fans.

Cece and Schmidt’s pregnancy in New Girl

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While Nick and Jess’s on-off relationship took up much of the focus of New Girl, Schmidt and Cece’s enemies-to-lovers journey was another fan-favourite element of the show. In the season six finale, before the time jump that took place between seasons six and seven, Schmidt finds out that Cece is pregnant from her gynaecologist. Wanting to surprise Cece, Schmidt covers the apartment in flowers and gives her the news in an emotional moment.

Mark’s Wedding – Peep Show

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“Mark’s Wedding” is frequently cited as one of the best episodes of Peep Show, the often painfully awkward British sitcom penned and led by David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The episode follows Mark’s ill-fated wedding to his colleague Sophie, with just about everything that could possibly go wrong, going wrong. The ethos of the episode – and the entire show – can be summed up with the memorable line, “This has got to be a dream, nothing this bad would ever happen in reality.”

Falling into a puddle – The Vicar of Dibley

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Ranked second-funniest sitcom moment by comedy channel GOLD is the famous scene where Vicar Geraldine falls into a comically deep puddle in The Vicar of Dibley. While out in the countryside, Geraldine playfully jumps into a puddle, which submerges her up to her chest. Though one of audiences’ favourite moments from the sitcom, actress Dawn French later revealed that the stunt caused her pain for years afterwards.

The Nightman Cometh – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

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Running for almost 25 years, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of the longest-running sitcoms on the small screen, and “The Nightman Cometh” is the second highest-rated episode of the show. The bizarre comedy of the sitcom is at its best in this episode, with the gang performing a disastrous musical, written by Charlie. 

The Waldorf salad in Fawlty Towers

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While “The Germans” is the highest-rated episode of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, and is often cited as the very best of the twelve-episode show, “Waldorf Salad” is another classic episode that highlights the slapstick quality and clever wit of the series. When an American couple arrives to stay in the hotel, Basil ends up being the chef for the evening and struggles with the Americans’ demands, such as ordering a Waldorf salad. In 2022, the camera script of the episode sold for £12,000.

Jim proposes to Pam in The Office

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Pam and Jim were a long-time fan-favourite couple in The Office, and Jim’s unexpected but sweet proposal is one of the most heartwarming moments of the sitcom. Though a relatively short and seemingly simple scene, Jenna Fischer (who played Pam) revealed on The Office Ladies podcast that the scene was the most expensive they ever shot, costing around $250,000; the production crew had to build a custom set to look like a gas station, as well as surrounding the couple with huge fake rain machines.

Nick and Jess’s first kiss in New Girl

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While the chemistry between Nick and Jess had been clear throughout the first two seasons, their relationship remained platonic until the season two episode “Cooler”. The episode ends with the first kiss between the two, instigated by Nick, and became a fan-favourite moment that started the on-again-off-again relationship between the unlikely couple. 

“The Ski Lodge” – Frasier

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“The Ski Lodge” is widely regarded as one of the best episodes of Frasier, due to its fast-paced farce, sharp writing, and the perfect execution of situational comedy. After an episode full of cross wires and misunderstandings, the most iconic moment comes from Guy’s admission of love for Niles, a classic example of the farcical nature and comedic disaster of the episode.

Phoebe seeing Chandler and Monica in Friends

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After months of hiding their relationship, only for Joey and Rachel to both inadvertently find out in different ways, Monica and Chandler’s secret is finally revealed when Phoebe sees them from the window of the apartment opposite. Her incredulous reaction, along with Rachel’s desperate attempts to ensure Ross doesn’t hear and find out, make this one of the most iconic sitcom moments, and the drama involved in everyone in the group knowing about the relationship (apart from Ross) would continue into the next episode.

Ted finally meets the mother in How I Met Your Mother

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The story of how protagonist Ted Mosby met his future wife and mother of his children is the plot device that leads almost all nine seasons of the iconic sitcom, so the first meeting between the two is unsurprisingly one of the most memorable moments. After years of nearly crossing paths, and ‘the mother’ (Tracy) meeting all of Ted’s friends before she meets Ted, the two finally have a sweet first encounter under a yellow umbrella at the train station where Ted goes after Robin and Barney’s wedding.