That’s why we decided to make a list of shows that you really have to watch. Among these options, there are both classic and recent shows, so there definitely is something here for every taste. Check out down below!
1. Seinfeld
Starting out our list, we just couldn’t resist picking Seinfeld. Not only considered the best comedy shows ever made, but also frequently shows up in best shows of all time lists, regardless of the genre. It was the sitcom that popularized the famous “group of friends living in the big city” format. It just so happens that it’s concept always was that it is a show about nothing. Instead of looking for absurd situations to place its characters, the show always tried to place them in day-to-day events that might happen to anyone. Needlessly to say, this worked out pretty well, considering the show has reached such heights.
2. Friends
Some years after Seinfeld starred and popularized its format, multiple other comedy shows tried to do the same. The one that broke out and draw the attention of everyone was Friends. It follows the same Seinfeld formula, but with a far lighter tone and and characters that are slightly more akin caricatures of people that you might know in real life. The show has 10 excellent seasons and left fans wanting for more. So much so that rumors regarding a possible reunion for another episode or movie are always floating around.
3. The Office (UK)
Even if you have never watched it, it is very possible that you already heard of The Office. The British show was so successful in what it set out to do that it was remade in 10 different versions around the world. The most famous adaptation is the American one, which you might know about too. In general, the idea is following the day-to-day shenanigans of the office workers of a small company, that try to turn their work environment into something slightly more interesting. Everything is recorded as if it was a documentary, something that makes the series far more interesting. We are recommending the original series for its cult status, but the American version is also pretty good and has a large following nowadays.
4. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Since we mentioned Seinfeld, we also couldn’t really forget the other comedy show of its creator: Curb Your Enthusiasm. Created and written by Larry David (cocreator of Seinfeld), the show follows a ficticious version of himself. It is as if we followed his everyday life after Seinfeld finished airing. Problem is, because Larry is a total nerve-wreck with everything and everyone, every situtation eventually scales to something bigger. The show itself is very funny and any comedy show fan should watch it. But something that makes it even better is that practically every dialogue is improvised by the actors, who only have an idea of what is supposed to happen in the scene.
5. Monty Python’s Flying Circus
If you like British humor, Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a must-watch. It aired from the ending of the 60s up to the middle of the 70s, and it still is a huge success and influence in modern day comedians from every corner of the world. It is basically a sketch series of the Monty Python comedy troupe. For those that don’t know, they are considered to be The Beatles of humor. The troupe has multiple movies of excellent quality that you can check out on Netflix if you are willing. We guarantee that not a lot of today’s comedians weren’t inspired by them.
6. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
If you don’t like the sitcom format, but still would like an interesting American comedy show, we may recommend Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It follows the day-to-day life of a police precint and its detectives. Everything is done in a humorous tone, sure, even during most crime scene investigations. The comedy show is moving to its eighth season and has no ending in sight.
7. Veep
Veep might not be very famous anywhere outside the US, but it is definitely a powerhouse in that country. It follows an ex-senator names Selina Meyer, who recently had the opportunity to become the vice president of the Unites States, hence the name “Veep”. With that, we follow the behind-the-scenes of her political career and the rest of her cabinet. Created by the same man who brought you The Thick of It and In the Loop, Armando Iannucci, it is easily one of the best and tightly written shows in this list.
9. 30 Rock
Another great American comedy show with a different format is Tina Fey’s 30 Rock. Here we follow Liz Lemon, the main writer for a sketch comedy show. She needs to deal with work load, her arrogant boss and plenty of eccentric celebrities. Everything is slightly based on the personal experiences of the actress, writer and director Tina Fey from back when she worked on Saturday Night Live.
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10. That ’70s Show
For those that like sitcoms, but are looking for one with a different setting, we are recommending That 70’s Show. As the name makes it obvious, it’s a show set around the 70’s decade. We follow a group of teenage friends from this era, while they grow up, graduate, find jobs and think about their future as a whole. The show is filled with old references, including that one time that Star Wars first came to theaters, for example.
11. The Good Place
Far more recent that many other entries in this list, The Good Place is one the best comedy shows of the past few years. The initial premise is the story of an egocentric woman that died and went to heaven by some sort of celestial bureaucratic mistake. In order to not be kicked from there, she starts doing everything she can to change her actions and way of thinking. It really is something checking out, especially if you are used to watching Netflix shows, since it’s only available there.
12. How I Met Your Mother
This is another pretty famous sitcom that managed to gather a large amount of fans through its 9 seasons. It starts out with a man named Ted trying to tell his teenage children the story about how he met their mother. With this, we go back to 2005 and go through multiple of Ted’s memories with his best friends. It just so happens that he takes a while to get to how he met their mother, as the number of seasons might indicate. The comedy show by itself is pretty funny and a must-watch for sitcom enthusiasts. It’s worth noting that the ending was decided from the beginning, since a lot of the scenes were recorded far before it came out due to the fact that Ted’s children might grow up a little too much if the series went on for a long time.
13. Louie
Louie has a similar structure to Curb Your Enthusiasm. It follows the life of famous comedian Louis C.K., who plays a fictional version of himself. Even though it is a comedy show, it can have some downer moments. The episodes rarely have a positive conclusion, so it’s good to take that in consideration when deciding if you are gonna watch it or not.
14. South Park
Naturally we couldn’t leave some animated shows out of this list. South Park is easily one of the most famous, controversial and overall consistent comedies ever written and beats many other live-action shows in this regard. It has over 20 seasons, with each exploring different themes from their time period. Believe it or not, every episode is made in 6 days, so it’s really easy for it to touch on the latest news. For those interested, there’s a movie and some excellent games based on the animation. The show’s creators even produced a very well received Broadway musical (The Book of Mormon), so the quality is definitely there.
15. The Simpsons
If we are talking animated comedy show, we couldn’t leave The Simpsons out of this. A little bit ahead of South Park, the shows has over 30 seasons and it is still slated to keep going with no stop in sight. They also tend to go for current events, even if it is not as fast as South Park due to the production time each episode takes. There are those who say the series has reached its peak many years ago, but even then its still a good and funny show that provides a decent amount of fun.
16. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
If you are a fan of Will Smith, it is very likely that you have already heard of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Even after 30 years of its debut, the show is still funny. It tells the story of a teenager named Will who is sent by his mother to live with his rich uncles in the privileged neighborhood of Bel-Air, California. As his life used to be not as lavish, him and his family go through some adaptation problems.
17. Extras
Much like The Office, Extras is a show created and starred by the comedian Ricky Gervais. This time around, he plays an actor who works as an extra in movies and shows, but dreams of becoming a successful actor and a writer. Every episode has a famous actor playing a very eccentric and exaggerated version of themselves. They usually interact with Gervais’ character, which eventually leads to cringe-worthy and overall funny situations. As with most British series, each season has a small number of episodes, but they are all excellent. One of the best in this list.
18. I Love Lucy
Without a doubt the oldest work on this list, it is still considered one of the best comedy shows of all time to this very day. I Love Lucy aired in the 50s and even being so distant to our current reality, it is still very funny. The episodes were focused on the life of a housewife that tried different jobs to get into showbusiness. It really is worth it if you are interested in a classic that set the course for multiple other comedy shows on American television.
19. Arrested Development
A great recommendation for those that like alternative styles of comedy would be Arrested Development.It is about the life of a family that used to be financially successful, until their patriarch got charged with fraud. They lose almost everything they have and it is up to the eldest son to try and keep some resemblance of sanity in the family. The show was always very well received by critics, but a weak audience reception led to its cancellation. Luckly, Netflix was able to not only acquire the rights to air the show, but also had more seasons being produced. A good moment to catch up on the show, we would say.
20. Community
Another great suggestion for those fans of American comedy shows is Community. Created by Dan Harmon, of Rick and Morty fame, it follows a group of adults who decided or had to enroll on a community college in the United States. A diverse cast of characters that expertly play off each other, Community is tightly written and tends to deconstruct normal aspects of sitcoms. It is funny, smart and absolutely a must-watch.
21. Mr. Bean
To top it off, we have a very famous show here. Mr. Bean tends to be successful overseas due to this British show having no dialogues, as this helps breaking down the language barrier. It follows the titular character in multiple situations that slowly become more and more absurd. Believe it or not, it is just 15 episodes that were aired throughout 5 years. Every single one of them were very successful and turned the character of Mr. Bean into one of the most known personalities of British television worldwide.
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Did you like these comedy shows?
Did you like our list for best comedy shows ever made? Did any of these catch your eye and you are willing to give it a shot? Don’t forget to leave a comment down below telling us what you thought, and don’t forget to tell us if there are any shows that we missed!
