NBC has been a staple of television from the very beginning, and like ABC it started as a radio station before television was invented. In fact, it's the oldest major broadcast network in the United States! Since its inception, NBC has been a home for thousands of amazing radio shows and eventually television shows. From sitcoms like Cheers in the 80s to some pretty dramatic soap operas, they've really covered it all.

NBC's true renaissance, though, has been going on for the last 30 years. With so much amazing content, there is no denying that NBC is a powerhouse in the broadcast TV world and is definitely willing to compete with Netflix & HBO.

While we can't wait to see what the future holds for America's oldest broadcast channel, for now, we're going to be looking back at NBC's best original programming for the last 30 years.

15 30 Rock Was Inspired By The Behind-The-Scenes Life At SNL

Tina Fey and the rest of the cast of NBC's 30 Rock sitcom
via NBC

After leaving Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey created the satirical workplace comedy 30 Rock that is closely inspired by her time on SNL. 30 Rock follows the cast of a fictional live sketch comedy as they work behind the seconds to get each episode of the show ready to air. The series won several awards during its time and is a fan favorite despite it not aging well over the years.

14 America's Got Talent Proved That People Have Some Pretty Crazy Talents

AGT Judges Celebrate the First Golden Buzzer of the series
via Trae Patton/NBC

As far as reality competition shows go, America's Got Talent is NBC's biggest and brightest. Instead of focusing on only singers, AGT allows its contestants to showcase their wildest and sometimes weirdest talents for a chance at headlining a nighttime show on the Last Vegas Strip. AGT dominates the ratings year after year.

13 Will And Grace Was Criticized When It Premiered

Original Cast of Will and Grace on set for the reboot series
via NBC

Will and Grace has had a different experience than most NBC shows. It originally aired from 1998-2006 before being revived in 2017 for another 4 years for a total of 11 seasons. While critics were initially skeptical of the series, especially since it stereotypes gay characters, it went on to become a staple at NBC, Since then the show has done wonders for helping the LGBT community find acceptance in their own communities.

Related: 10 Character Exits That Hurt NBC Shows (And 10 That Saved Them)

12 The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Never Failed To Make Us Laugh

Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
via SUN SQUARED MEDIA/ NBC

Will Smith won over the hearts of people everywhere when he played a fictionalized version of himself in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. For over 6 seasons fans watched as Will regularly clashed with his wealthy Uncle and Aunt who lived in a mansion in Bel-Air. The series was nominated for several awards over the years and there have been rumors of a possible spin-off or reboot for several years now.

11 ER Was The Best Medical Drama Of Its Time

ER, George Clooney, Eriq La Salle, Sherry Stringfield, Anthony Edwards,
via NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection

Medical dramas have long since been a staple in the television world, but none of them did it quite like NBC's ER. For 15 seasons, fans followed the lives of the fictional County General Hospital ER team as they dealt with various medical emergencies. Perhaps the greatest thing ER gave us, though, was George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross.

10 Superstore Makes Us Grateful For Retail Workers

The Cast of Superstore on set in the electronic department
via Tyler Golden/NBC

After the groundbreaking success of The Office, Justin Spitzer decided it was time to showcase the lives of retail workers in an American big-box store. Thus, he created the NBC hit sitcom, Superstore, which is going into its 6th season. The talented ensemble cast of Cloud Nine workers constantly find themselves in situations that keep viewers wondering "Is this what life is like at Target/Walmart?"

9 Parks And Recreation Gave Us Some Of The Best Characters Of All Time

Parks and Recreation Cast Huddled Around Andy's Laptop
via NBC

Arguably the best workplace comedy of our time, Parks and Recreation follows the lives of the Parks and Recreation Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Beyond making us laugh week to week, Parks and Recreation gave us one of the best characters in television history, Leslie Knope. Though writers have tried, no one can be as genuine, optimistic, and slightly insane as her.

Related: Parks And Rec: All The Easter Eggs You Didn't Notice The First Time Watching

8 Friday Night Lights Made Us Love Football

Coach Taylor On the Field On Friday Night Lights
via NBC

For five seasons NBC's sports drama Friday Night Lights was the little engine that could. While the show never pulled massive ratings, it did have the support of a tight-knit fan community as well as the praise from television critics. In fact, FNL won the Peabody Award for its superb writing and complex characters.

7 The Good Place Challenged Our Views On The After Life

Kristen Bell as Eleanor, D'Arcy Carden as Janet, Manny Jacinto as Jason, Jameela Jamil as Tahani, Ted Danson as Michael
via Colleen Hayes/NBC

Michael Schur is a comedy showrunner that definitely knows how to make people laugh. And while he's created several of our favorite comedies, nothing compares to what he did with The Good Place. The award-winning series follows the lives of "the Good Place," residents who don't understand why they've been sent there since they led bad lives while on Earth.

6 The Voice Ushered In A New Era Of Reality Singing Competition Shows

THE VOICE -- "Live Top 13 Results" Episode 1614B -- Pictured: (l-r) Adam Levine, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton
via Trae Patton/NBC

While American Idol may have dominated the singing competition genre for decades, The Voice entered and shook things up. With their innovative "blind auditions," the series was able to set itself apart from other talented based competition shows. That, mixed with the playful banter from the judges, was a recipe for success.

Related: We're Ranking All The Judges From The Voice, By Salary

5 Friends Continue To Be A Fan Favorite Decades Later

The Friends Cast In The Final Season
via NBC

It's hard to talk about NBC shows without talking about Friends. The series needs no introduction considering it ran for 10 seasons and continues to be a pop culture favorite nearly two decades after its finale. The series was a ratings success for NBC and earned the network a whopping 62 Primetime Emmy Awards over the years.

4 This Is Us Forever Changed The Drama Genre

via NBC

Broadcast network had been struggling to gain viewers for years but then This Is Us premiered and suddenly NBC was pulling numbers they hadn't seen in ages. The series follows The Pearson family through various stages of their life. The show is groundbreaking for its ability to jump between past, present, and future to keep viewers guessing on what's going to happen next.

3 The Office Gave Birth To The Mockumentary

The Office Cast
via NBC

Based on the British TV series of the same name, The Office followed the mundane lives of the employees at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The show, which helped pioneer the mockumentary style of television, had a rough start but quickly became a critic and fan favorite over subsequent seasons. Unfortunately, the show lost steam when Steve Carell left, but it still remains a favorite to this day.

2 Saturday Night Live Has Given Us So Many Of Our Favorite Comedians

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Hosting SNL
via NBC

One of NBC's most groundbreaking shows of all time is Saturday Night Live. Without this show, some of our favorite and best NBC shows wouldn't even exist since the stars and writers often started on the famous sketch-comedy show. Not only has the show helped launch the careers of hundreds of people, but it has also been making us laugh for decades.

1 Seinfeld Is The True Sitcom Master

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander Seinfeld
via NBC/Kobal/Shutterstock

It is impossible to discuss the success of NBC shows and sitcoms in general without mentioning Seinfeld. The series stars Jerry Seinfeld as a fictional version of himself as he and his friends wade through the unknowns of life in New York City. The "show about nothing" has been a massive hit from its inception and continues to be comedy gold to this day.

Next: Miss Seinfeld? Then You'll Love These Little-Known Facts