The other day I was approached by a friend bearing a sad face, hair covered in popcorn and wobbly legs that screamed “inactivity.” I could tell they’d been binge watching.
They tearfully informed me they’d realized that they’d already watched all the truly great comedies that television had left to offer. These ‘greats’ included 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and The Office, among others. While all these shows are indisputably golden, I shook my head at the omission of all the shows currently airing on TV that would easily fit in among this list of comedy champions.
The Good Place
This NBC comedy follows Eleanor Shellstrop, played by Kristen Bell, who’s shocked to find herself in the ‘good’ place — a.k.a. a fun type of heaven — considering she’s pretty much the worst person ever. After realizing that she has been mistaken for another — and much better — Eleanor Shellstrop, she embarks on a journey to become a better person worthy of her spot in this paradise, all while keeping her secret. The Good Place adeptly mixes effortless wit with jaw-dropping twists on the regular.
Superstore
A ragtag group of weirdos manage to come together and infuse happiness into their mundane work lives. Sound familiar? It should. This show is essentially The Office, complete with the same producer, but set in a Walmart. Yet, it comes off as less of a copy and more of a spiritual soul sister. If you still grieve for the absence of Dunder Mifflin from your television, let the absurdity of Superstore fill the void.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
On paper, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend shouldn’t work. It’s an hour-long, dark, romantic-dramedy musical about a woman who follows her old ex-boyfriend to California, leaving behind her lavish New York life. But somehow, it works better than most shows on television. The show is so much smarter than its premise and touches on serious issues like anxiety and depression, while making you laugh hysterically at the same time. If you like any one of this show’s five genres, give it a shot. It’ll win you over.
Search Party
You wouldn’t expect a show about a young girl’s mysterious disappearance to be a comedy. You also wouldn’t expect the detective to be a bored, inexperienced millennial who has next to no connection to the disappeared girl. Search Party handles its very random premise in such a smart way that you will be bowing down to the brilliant creators at the end of its recently concluded first season. If you wished that Girls and the middle of a Law & Order: SVU episode had a baby, then look no further than this underrated gem of a show.
The Last Man on Earth
A virus has wiped out all of society. Resources are dwindling. Humanity is on its last legs. And yet, relationship drama still takes precedence. Will Forte stars in this funny take on a post-apocalyptic world where a small group of people — I know, the title is misleading — try to survive against the elements and themselves. If you don’t mind the occasional fart joke, or find fart jokes funny, or want your heartstrings ripped out every now and then with no warning, watch this show.
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