The medium of television has evolved in tremendous ways over the past few decades, which has allowed for excellent programming like Brooklyn Nine-Nine to go into production. Brooklyn Nine-Nine applies a comedic sitcom slant to police procedure, and the show has been able to cultivate an impressive audience over the course of seven seasons and a move across networks.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s modern humor and sensibilities make it emblematic of the television that’s gone on to define this decade. Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s satisfying run is about to come to a close, but there are a wealth of other sitcoms that conjure a similar energy and exist within comparable worlds.
10 Police Squad! Is Police Parody At Its Absolute Funniest
There are plenty of reasons to appreciate Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but those who are particularly drawn to its humorous take on police work will absolutely adore Police Squad!. The absurdist sitcom stars Leslie Nielsen and operates as the precursor to the excellent Naked Gun parody film series. There are only six episodes of Police Squad!, but each one is perfection, and it’s extremely hard to believe that this surreal series aired in the 1980s. Police Squad! represents a broader sense of humor than Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but it’s just as uproarious.
9 Reno 911! Highlights The Incompetence Of Cops With A Low-Fi Presentation
Reno 911! is another hilarious sitcom that’s set within the world of police officers. Reno 911! draws from COPS for its inspiration, and it delivers a semi-unscripted and largely improvisational look into those who serve and protect. Reno 911! excels through the exceptional comedic talent that’s present in its cast, all of which are able to turn basic ideas into comedy gold. Reno 911! has recently been revived, so there’s never been a better time to check out the comedy. Plus, it also features Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Joe Lo Truglio in its cast.
8 Parks And Recreation Celebrates Positivity In Its Weird World Of Public Service
Parks and Recreation is one of the most celebrated modern sitcoms, and while it initially may seem quite different to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, there’s a lot of shared DNA between the series. Parks and Recreation is also a workplace sitcom that knits together a close family out of the individuals who work together.
Parks and Recreation’s style of comedy felt comparable to Brooklyn because Dan Goor wrote for the sitcom before setting up the police comedy. There’s a lot of crossover in the creative staff of these two shows, and both sitcoms have the same love and respect for their characters.
7 Taxi Trades Police Officers For Taxi Drivers But Finds The Same Comedic Energy
Taxi ran for five seasons during the late 1970s and early ’80s, and for over 100 episodes, it was one of the smartest and funniest sitcoms on TV. Taxi centers around the employees at a New York City cab company, and it’s a pristine example of a workplace comedy at its best. Taxi’s cast is on a whole other level and features talent like Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Tony Danza, and Andy Kaufman. Just watching these legends bounce off of each other is satisfying, but the affable energy in this quaint cab company is very reminiscent of Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s vibe.
6 The Office Is The Ultimate Workplace Sitcom & Establishes The Mold For Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Most sitcom fans don’t need a primer on the comedic merits of The Office. However, television can become so cyclical that it’s possible that some people missed the comedy when it originally aired, or its awkward “cringe humor” was too much for them to take. The Office provides a more slice-of-life style of comedy than Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but both sitcoms make their characters the priority. There’s a lot of crossover between both the cast and creative staff of The Office and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which makes it very easy to flip back and forth between them.
5 Mythic Quest Is A Workplace Sitcom That Contextualizes The World Through A Different Comedic Lens
Apple TV+ is one of the newest players in the streaming wars, yet they’ve already assembled an impressive library of content, including sitcoms. Mythic Quest comes from some of the creative team members behind It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Mythic Quest is set within a video game development company, and while it can often contain the harsh bite that’s present in Always Sunny, it also displays a deeper affection for its characters and a desire to improve the world. They’re incredibly different workplace environments, but there’s still a surprising amount in common between these two sitcoms.
4 Better Off Ted Applies Extreme Solutions To Its Comedic Problems
Victor Fresco is an ambitious name in TV comedy, and all of his projects take some big swings, either in terms of concept or tone. Better Off Ted is another workplace comedy, but Veridian Dynamics is such a nebulous mega-corporation that its goals often seem counterintuitive to progress or almost nonsensical. Better Off Ted creates more ridiculous comedic situations than Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but there’s a level of thoughtfulness in its commentary that’s meant to inspire change. Portia De Rossi has also never been funnier, and her work in Better Off Ted even puts her Arrested Development performance to shame.
3 Scrubs Is For Doctors What Brooklyn Nine-Nine Is For Police Officers
Brooklyn Nine-Nine has become one of the most popular and successful sitcoms that focuses on the police, but a similar honor is extended for Scrubs and what it did for the medical profession. Doctor and cop sitcoms can both seem controversial when it comes to specific areas, but the nuance that’s present in Scrubs likely helps pave the way for some of the more thoughtful and issue-focused entries of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The characters and relationships in Scrubs evolve just like in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and the audience really gets to feel like they know these casts.
2 Tacoma FD Swaps The Police Work For Firefighting & Still Delivers
Season three of Tacoma FD is about to premiere on TBS, and for the past few years, it’s been one of the more reliable comedic performers on the cable network. Tacoma FD comes from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe who are responsible for Super Troopers. Tacoma FD moves from state troopers to firefighters, but it maintains the same madcap energy. Tacoma FD doesn’t feel very removed from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and there’s the same makeshift workplace family that’s cobbled together in both shows. It’s also not uncommon for firefighters to show up in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and vice versa with Tacoma FD.
1 Angie Tribeca Is An Absurdist Cop Comedy That Demands To Be Seen
Angie Tribeca had four excellent and consistent seasons, but it was a sitcom that largely fell through the cracks due to how it lived at TBS. Angie Tribeca is basically a modern Police Squad! and it strives for absurdist gags and exaggerated visual parodies that defy logic. The series’ hilarious cast is headlined by Rashida Jones, and it has an endless amount of commentary to make on the police procedural genre. Every episode of Angie Tribeca packs in dozens, if not hundreds, of fast-paced jokes. In some ways, it even surpasses Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
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