It was a sad day for The Office fans when the mockumentary series left Netflix, and an even sadder day when its next-in-line series Parks and Recreation departed the streaming service as well. But no fret for sitcom fans; there are still plenty of comedy series on Netflix that may be even better than The Office and Parks and Recreation.
Religion, hardship and broken family relationships may seem like tough subjects for the sake of comedy, but these shows put a unique spin on the topics. Here are the seven best comedy series that can be streamed on Netflix.
The Good Place Is a Heavenly Masterpiece
Kristen Bell leads a star-studded cast in this philosophical show that manages to take on the topic of religion in a non-controversial and universal way in comedy. The show’s plot has evolved over its four seasons, but maintains its initial storyline that revolves around ethics. Season 1 involves a devilish scheme when Eleanor Shellstrop is sent to a Heaven-like utopia, but soon realizes she doesn’t belong there when meeting her morally-righteous afterlife mates. In an attempt to remain in the Good Place, Eleanor must learn to become a better person that makes her deserving of her place.
The Good Place garnered high praise for its creativity, specifically for Season 1’s finale plot twist. While The Good Place sadly ends at just four seasons, it was done so for a good reason. If the show had progressed any further than its fourth season, it would’ve felt repetitive and tired, but the series ends on a high note.
Arrested Development Introduced a New Era of Comedy
Since its debut in 2003, Arrested Development has unfortunately never been able to find its footing for a continuous run. The series aired on Fox for three seasons between 2003 and 2006, and even though it had positive reviews, the low ratings forced Fox to cut the cord on the sitcom. Seven years later, Netflix revived the series with two seasons, which concluded on 2019.
Despite all the controversy surrounding its cancelation and revival, Arrested Development developed a cult following as a rare gem among more popular sitcoms such as The Office and Parks and Recreation. The show centers on the Bluth family who, after their company’s CEO is arrested for fraud, lose all their money but continue to live extravagant lifestyles. Jason Bateman leads as the only sensible member of the family who continuously works to get the company back on track, but his family’s crazy antics make it extremely difficult for him.
Head Up to Schitt’s Creek For Awkward Moments
When a wealthy family loses all of their money because of a fraud scandal within their company, they must learn to live what they believe to be a downgraded life while still maintaining their eccentric lifestyle. No, that wasn’t a repeated premise for Arrested Development. Coincidentally, it also happened to the Rose family in Schitt’s Creek, but only this time, Schitt’s Creek got more recognition for Arrested Development‘s blueprint.
For the sixth and final season of the show, Schitt’s Creek broke records by receiving all seven major comedy awards at the Primetime Emmys, being the first comedy or drama to do so. Admittedly, compared to Arrested Development, it’s a mass improvement to the dysfunctional wealthy family trope. The Rose family move to the only thing they left that they own, a town called Schitt’s Creek that they once bought as a joke, and must live in a motel while adjusting to a life without wealth. It also leaves out all the incestuous undertones that Arrested Development used, which is an added bonus.
Community Makes Study Groups Seem Fun
Community not only served great, underrated comedy for six seasons, but it also broke the stigma about the value of community colleges compared to four-year universities. Community college students proudly have a sitcom to watch now. The story centers around a study group and professors at Greendale Community College that include iconic guest stars, which brings more humor and individual stories to the table. Most of the episodes’ titles reminisce actual college courses, such as “Spanish 101” and “Critical Film Studies,” which adds to the aesthetic of the premise.
Despite struggling with ratings during its initial run, Community found more of a following when brought to Netflix and watched in a binge-able format. And Marvel fans also have Community to thank for some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best films. After directing episodes for Arrested Development, the Russo brothers found their footing with Community, directing multiple episodes in the series’ runtime.
It’s Not SNL… It’s 30 Rock
Regarded as a landmark series by many publications, 30 Rock certainly has a legacy among the comedy community. Tina Fey created the series based on her own experiences as a head writer for Saturday Night Live, which the show makes light of alongside NBC, the culture of comedy, and even satirizes Comcast’s acquisition of NBC as the company “Kabletown.” The series was nominated for 103 Primetime Emmy awards across its span, and won 16.
30 Rock features Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, a liberal head writer and showrunner of the NBC sketch comedy series “TGS with Tracy Jordan,” and Tracy Morgan as the loose-cannon star of the show. There are also storylines about stars of the show turning to acting, possible immortality among the crew, and political discourse between liberals and conservatives.
A Shameless Plug For Shameless
They’re provocative, they’re unfiltered, and they’re insanely hilarious. The South Side of Chicago-based Gallagher family is shameless. The Showtime series is actually an adaptation of the British show of the same name, but did significantly better with ratings due to its ability to stay grounded in its premise. Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy lead this dysfunctional family as the neglectful alcoholic father Frank and oldest sibling acting as caregiver, Fiona, who both deliver powerhouse performances in this series.
Even though the series is a comedy at its core, it also lends as a drama when dealing with the sad reality of the Gallaghers’ situation. The series often deals with themes of drug addiction, mental illness and poverty, among the siblings (unlike other comedies that forgot about its protagonist’s own siblings) which allows the show to become so heart-wrenchingly beautiful in its own way.
The Gilmore Girls Has Become a Bingeworthy Classic
Compared to these other comedy series, Gilmore Girls doesn’t exactly have a premise and its main intention isn’t for delivering the laughs, but its constant pop culture gags and running jokes make the show a comedy nonetheless. The series follows mother and daughter Lorelai and Rory Gilmore who are both so set in their own ways it almost destroys themselves and the people around them. Born as a silver spoon but departed from that lifestyle when becoming pregnant at 16, Lorelai is forced to reconcile with her overbearing mother and father when she needs tuition money for Rory’s new school.
By far the funniest parts of the series have to do with the quirky, little things in the town of Stars Hollow. The strict rule imposer, Taylor, constantly tries to make the town more attractive for tourists (which lent to some pretty weird schemes), Kirk always has a different job each episode (which added up to an astounding 62), Al’s Pancake House never actually makes pancakes and Luke’s obsession with hating phones in his diner makes him so out of touch with modern technology.
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