TVSquad

Recently, the AOL list of the 50 Best Sitcoms of all time got me thinking about ten all time great sitcom sidekicks. Working on that list inspired me to look at the best in sitcom siblings -- ADULTS ONLY. The brother/sister relationship, brothers, sisters, family dynamics are great fodder for comedy. For my collection of the best, I've limited it to grown-up siblings only because there are some truly funny things that happen only among adults brothers and sisters that are unique and universal at the same time. After all, unlike the childhood years when kids are controlled by parents, adult siblings remain close and in each other's lives by choice -- and that has made for some wonderful situation comedy.

Niles & Frasier Crane, Frasier
Two brothers, both psychiatrists, both opera buffs, both wine connoisseurs, both heterosexual despite evidence to the contrary. The Crane brothers were like two peas in a very funny pod, sparking each other in comedy, competitive and supportive at the same time. Making their brotherly friendship even funnier was the fact that their Dad, Martin, who was nothing like either one of them. What's even funnier is the fact that when Frasier was originally spun-off from Cheers, the writers didn't include the character of Niles. It was only after seeing an 8x10 of David Hyde Pierce, and how much he looked like Kelsey Grammer's brother, that they put him in the pilot. Frasier would not have been nearly the hit comedy it was without the brother angle.

Having a terrific brother myself, I have a great affection for brother-sister teams. Together, they work past the boring notion of sibling rivalry to achieve greatness. Amy and David Sedaris on the New York Theater Workshop stage. Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Donnie Darko. John and Joan Cusack in just about every film either one of them has made. Now, another team is looking to make the list of great brother-sister working relationships. David Arquette will be directing big sis Patricia in an upcoming episode of Medium.

Patricia had this to say about the collaboration: "I was always a bossy little girl and being David's older sister I've bossed him around quite a bit. Now that he'll be directing me it will be payback time...I feel so safe with him. I think I'll be able to go to some of my darkest places." That's kinda creepy, but whatever, you work out those family neuroses. When you're done, maybe you could straighten those Baldwins out.

(S03E06) Ok... Meredith? Rodney's first name is Meredith? What did he do to anger the writers and how can we make it happen again? McKay is so energetic and blatantly emotional that he's become one of my favorites to watch on screen. The combination of plot devices - two Rodneys Meredith's and an estranged sister made for an entertaining Atlantis.

Watch out for the intro - whatever you do don't take a sip of wine. You'll end up snorting it up your nose. It burns, trust me.