Keeping Up Appearances (1990)

The most traditional show on this list, and proof of how far one performance can carry a sitcom. Roy Clarke wrote it, and Patricia Routledge made suburban snob Hyacinth Bucket, forever chasing influential people while hiding her working-class relatives, into one of the best-known characters in British comedy. The format barely changes from week to week, so the pleasure is in precision: Routledge's timing on a phone call or a dinner invitation is close to perfect. Watch it for comfort, not surprise.