You’d be forgiven for thinking eight hourlong episodes about sitcoms, of all things, is too long. I thought about that too after watching the pilot. It covered everything from I Love Lucy to The Cosby Show to Modern Family--what more could it possibly bring up? A lot, as it turns out, and every bit of it is as enlightening and entertaining as that first episode. It moves chronologically, but each episode is a standalone that covers subgenres of the sitcom: workplace, family, sex, race, class, etc. Stars of those shows (a stacked list that includes Tim Allen, Helen Hunt, Zooey Deschanel, Tracey Morgan, and Constance Wu to name a few) reminisce about them, which adds to the charm, while TV experts analyze their importance and impact on American culture, which adds to its importance. The docuseries celebrates the genre but it critiques it too. It doesn’t shy away from the controversy important figures like Bill Cosby and Jeffrey Tambor were involved in, and it points out the dangers of perpetuating stereotypes and simplifying issues, which some sitcoms are wont to do. The hours fly by when you watch this eight-parter, which is exactly what you’d want from a sitcom too.

Love the commentary from the stars, especially when they (understandably) get defensive about their shows.