▁Van ▁Dy ke ▁Show , ▁The ▁Mary ▁Ty ler ▁Moore ▁Show , ▁All ▁in ▁the ▁Family , ▁Happy ▁Days , ▁Family ▁T ies , ▁Cheers , ▁The ▁Cos by ▁Show , ▁Se inf eld , ▁Fri ends , ▁F ras ier , ▁Every body ▁Lov es ▁Raymond , ▁The ▁King ▁of ▁Queens , ▁How ▁I ▁Met ▁Your ▁Mother , ▁The ▁Big ▁Bang ▁Theory ▁and ▁Modern ▁Family . ▁However , ▁there ▁have ▁also ▁existed ▁sketch ▁comedy / vari ety ▁series ▁during ▁prime ▁time ▁such ▁as ▁Tex aco ▁Star ▁Theatre , ▁The ▁Carol ▁Burn ett ▁Show ▁and ▁Row an ▁and ▁Martin ' s ▁L augh - In . ▁The ▁most ▁prominent ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁longest - running ▁sketch ▁comedy ▁program ▁is ▁Saturday ▁Night ▁Live , ▁a ▁late - night ▁series ▁which ▁deb uted ▁on ▁N BC ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁and ▁has ▁spawn ed ▁the ▁care ers ▁of ▁many ▁popular ▁com edic ▁actors ▁( such ▁as ▁Che vy ▁Ch ase , ▁Edd ie ▁Mur phy , ▁Dennis ▁Miller ▁and ▁Will ▁Fer rell ). ▁ ▁D ram atic ▁series ▁have ▁taken ▁many ▁forms ▁over ▁the ▁years . ▁Western s ▁such ▁as ▁Gun sm oke ▁( the ▁longest - running ▁prime ▁time ▁script ed ▁drama ▁series ▁in ▁U . S . ▁television ▁history , ▁having ▁a ired ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 5 ) ▁and ▁Bon anza ▁had ▁experienced ▁their ▁greatest ▁popular ity ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 6