They're intrusive. They're perceptive. They're infuriating. And they've nearly vanished.
"Neighbors used to matter more than they do now — in real life (arguably) but certainly on TV, where they've largely vanished from the comedies they once supercharged with well-timed pop-ins, demands, complaints and schemes.
Sure, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" set the tone for how Americans ought to value the folks around them, but the sitcoms of yore provided an outlet for other, less worthy feelings. Those mild resentments and jealousies were, for decades, powerful engines for humor, capitalizing on how annoying and endearing and just plain nosy the guys and gals next door can be. Whether they're frenemies, advisers, rivals, chaos agents or pesky barnacles who won't let go (as we've dubbed them below), sitcom neighbors were inescapable; that was partly what made them so funny."
— Lili Loofbourow
