Chelsea Handler Book: 5 Sitcoms Based in Real Life

Chelsea Handler's new sitcom Are You There, Chelsea? premieres Wednesday on NBC and is based on her three best-selling memoirs. The comedian plays the role of her older sister in the sitcom based on the 36-year-old's life. However, Handler isn't the first celebrity to turn fact into sitcom fiction. Below are five other sitcoms based in real life:

1. Seinfeld (1990-1998)

The popular TV show was based on the observations of a New York stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld, played by none other than Jerry Seinfeld himself. Through 172 episodes, Seinfeld along with his three friends -- Elaine Benes played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus; Kramer played by Michael Richards and George Costanza played by Jason Alexander - became the quirky quartet who made famous saving themselves, yada yada yada and the Soup Nazi.

2. 30 Rock (2006 - present)

The ongoing TV show follows Liz Lemon, played by Tina Fey, the head write for the television sitcom TGS with Tracy Jordan. The show is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live, also on NBC. The show is named after 30 Rockefeller where SNL is taped.

3. Whitney (2011 - present)

The critically panned sitcom is based on the real-life experiences of comedian Whitney Cummings, whose fictionalize version is a photographer who lives in Chicago with her boyfriend. Worried about relationship boredom after three years, Whitney tries to kindle the romantic flame using unconventional methods.

4. Roseanne (1988-1997)

Roseanne Conner, played by comedian Roseanne Barr, epitomized the working class mother and her struggles with money, family, parents and her own sanity. Over the span of a decade and 222 episodes, Roseanne worked at keeping the Connor family together including her husband, played by John Goodman, daughters Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Becky (Alicia Goranson and Sarah Chalke) and son D.J. (Michael Fishman) along with her ever-single sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf).

The show worked to tear down television sitcom taboos such as gay rights, abortion, teen pregnancy, infidelity and drug abuse.

5. Beautiful People (2008-2009)

This BBC sitcom was based on the childhood memoirs of window-dresser Simon Doonan and lasted 12 episodes from 2008 to 2009. Doonan, played by Luke Ward-Wilkinson, was an effeminate boy who longs to escape Reading for London in the 1990s.