Look, we can't argue that it's nice when things go our way. A warm day, a cool breeze and a nice walk on a beach? That's a perfect way to spend some time. But, here's the thing: Your best case scenario would make some particularly boring television. Like most media, TV thrives on conflict. There needs to be something driving our characters towards or away from some goal, so that we the viewers have something to follow, something to root for.

It's no surprise then that some of the best TV comes from some of the worst things that could ever happen. Look at that poor guy on The Fugitive! We wouldn't wish all that on our worst enemy, but it makes for an awfully compelling watch. Or Gilligan's Island? Sure, we hope the gang gets rescued from that island, but if it'd been a peaceful three-hour tour, then we'd have nothing to tune in for.

Obviously, the higher the stakes, the more intrigue there is for the audience. That's why Everybody Love Raymond is one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. If hell is other people, then we can't imagine what level of eternal punishment would equal living across the street from one's family. Oh, the humanity.

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Back in 2011, series creator Phil Rosenthal gave The Arizona Republic the inside scoop on what makes unfortunate events so funny:

"How often do we have horrible things happen? Our whole show was built that way, where we were just living our lives. We were just having terrible things happen to us at home, and then we would come in and luckily we had a vehicle to turn those real things into comedy— without much imagination, by the way."

Fortunately for fans, as the series grew and Rosenthal and his collaborators became more successful, the struggles in life never disappeared. Not even the heights of sitcom triumph could isolate Phil Rosenthal from life's hilariously horrible tribulations.

"If you're lucky enough to have a little money it doesn't really change life for you. You still have children, you still have parents, you still have a wife. None of that changes. You might have a nicer place to have these fights, but you still have the fights.