Amazon Freevee’s Jury Duty was one of this year’s most pleasant surprises, and we were thrilled to see the unscripted courtroom comedy nab an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Seri…
I miss things like Scrubs, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Community - they all struck a balance between being comfortable/wholesome and cool/intelligent.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine was close but ultimately got bored of itself and started to do weird novelty stuff before petering out. Big bang theory etc are way too sitcommy.
Derry Girls on Netflix (in the US) is very solid, and wisely wrapped it up after their post-Covid season was just a bit less dynamic, plus the cast was straining credulity as teens in S1, to say nothing of S3 four years later. It’s got heart and a bit of pathos, but it’s a legitimate comedy and sometimes in a guffawing broad sort of way.
The Good Place is the best Michael Schur show from beginning to end, and only bested by Parks and Rec seasons 2-5, IMHO. TGP was silly and high concept from the beginning, so there was more room to be weird without throwing the show off track, and it had a story to tell that wrapped up nicely.
Reservation Dogs on FX is not uproarious, but it’s very human and has some really funny coming of age stuff. I think it’s only got one more season, but honestly, that amount of notice should generally be enough to get a comedy or dramedy to a sufficiently satisfying resolution or at least pause point. The unexpected cliffhanger cancellations that come by surprise or via showrunners playing chicken with their bad ratings are the really frustrating ones.
Superstore is much more uneven, but it has a similar charm in how it explores the doldrums of a workplace, and a lot of the characters are like mix and match from character traits of the The Office (US) ensemble.
Better Off Ted was taken from us too soon. Imagine Arrested Development meets Catch 22, as a workplace comedy set in a modern conglomerate.
If you haven’t watched The Office’s NBC running mates, 30 Rock, Community, and Parks & Rec, they’re all good to great. 30 Rock is one of the best TV comedies of all time, imho, and I’ll die on that hill.
What We Do in the Shadows puts a hilarious horror twist on the “talk to the camera” mockumentary format.
Of course, whichever version of The Office you watched, US or UK, go watch the other one. The UK one commits to the cringe more thoroughly and is much darker. It’s not for everyone, but it also doesn’t run into the saccharine moments and pointless storylines that the US version had in its later seasons.
Finally, Ted Lasso for a show that dives headfirst into the wholesomeness and posits a world where “Michael Scott” actually was everything he believed himself to be.
Mr Mayor was the new Tina Fey show but it’s already cancelled. AP Bio reminds me a lot of Community, but that was also cancelled. Animal Control is similar to Brooklyn 99 but not nearly as good. Abbott Elementary is kinda like the office, and is pretty good, and is still on, so people should definitely watch it.
I miss things like Scrubs, 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Community - they all struck a balance between being comfortable/wholesome and cool/intelligent.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine was close but ultimately got bored of itself and started to do weird novelty stuff before petering out. Big bang theory etc are way too sitcommy.
Derry Girls on Netflix (in the US) is very solid, and wisely wrapped it up after their post-Covid season was just a bit less dynamic, plus the cast was straining credulity as teens in S1, to say nothing of S3 four years later. It’s got heart and a bit of pathos, but it’s a legitimate comedy and sometimes in a guffawing broad sort of way.
The Good Place is the best Michael Schur show from beginning to end, and only bested by Parks and Rec seasons 2-5, IMHO. TGP was silly and high concept from the beginning, so there was more room to be weird without throwing the show off track, and it had a story to tell that wrapped up nicely.
Reservation Dogs on FX is not uproarious, but it’s very human and has some really funny coming of age stuff. I think it’s only got one more season, but honestly, that amount of notice should generally be enough to get a comedy or dramedy to a sufficiently satisfying resolution or at least pause point. The unexpected cliffhanger cancellations that come by surprise or via showrunners playing chicken with their bad ratings are the really frustrating ones.
I have just finished The Office yesterday. And wow, do you have any recommended shows similar to it?
Superstore is much more uneven, but it has a similar charm in how it explores the doldrums of a workplace, and a lot of the characters are like mix and match from character traits of the The Office (US) ensemble.
Better Off Ted was taken from us too soon. Imagine Arrested Development meets Catch 22, as a workplace comedy set in a modern conglomerate.
If you haven’t watched The Office’s NBC running mates, 30 Rock, Community, and Parks & Rec, they’re all good to great. 30 Rock is one of the best TV comedies of all time, imho, and I’ll die on that hill.
What We Do in the Shadows puts a hilarious horror twist on the “talk to the camera” mockumentary format.
Of course, whichever version of The Office you watched, US or UK, go watch the other one. The UK one commits to the cringe more thoroughly and is much darker. It’s not for everyone, but it also doesn’t run into the saccharine moments and pointless storylines that the US version had in its later seasons.
Finally, Ted Lasso for a show that dives headfirst into the wholesomeness and posits a world where “Michael Scott” actually was everything he believed himself to be.
Thank you, definitely check out all the show above
Mr Mayor was the new Tina Fey show but it’s already cancelled. AP Bio reminds me a lot of Community, but that was also cancelled. Animal Control is similar to Brooklyn 99 but not nearly as good. Abbott Elementary is kinda like the office, and is pretty good, and is still on, so people should definitely watch it.