A History of Must-See TV

A look at NBC's Thursday night comedy legacy
Loyal TV viewers know that certain networks own certain nights for specific types of programming. For decades, ABC dominated Monday nights with "Monday Night Football" before moving it to sister station ESPN. FOX has had a lock on Sunday night animation for years now, and NBC spent decades with a foothold on Thursday nights and their highly rated comedies. Though the peacock network has lost some ratings ground on Thursdays in recent years (thanks, "CSI"!), their midweek comedy lineup is as strong as any it's ever had thanks to veteran hits like "The Office" and "30 Rock," as well as critically praised newer comedies like "Community" and "Parks and Recreation." Here's a look at some of that Thursday night comedy magic, both on NBC and elsewhere.
"Diff'rent Strokes"
"The Cosby Show"
"Cheers"
"Friends"
"Seinfeld"
"Will & Grace"
"The Office"
"30 Rock"
"Community"
"The Big Bang Theory"
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
"Stark Raving Mad"