Entertainment
10 Comedy Shows That Will Keep You Hooked From Start to Finish
Everyone needs a good laugh in times of crisis. If therapy doesn’t quite cut it, comedy shows can be a cheaper way to get your daily dose of laughter. While comedy is often associated with sitcoms, it has evolved over the years, branching into various genres and subgenres — from obvious prank shows to more sardonic, self-deprecating, and dark humor.
Of course, everyone’s taste in comedy is different, but one thing’s for sure: some shows do it better than others, leaving you wanting more. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that everyone’s laughing while watching the shows below. Without further ado, here are comedy shows that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
10
‘The Boys’ (2019–Present)
With all the gore, blood, and brutal killings, The Boys might not be the most obvious choice for a comedy. But with its absurd lineup of morally declining Supes, the series flips the traditional superhero trope on its head, turning heroism into shallow hedonism. They’re the antithesis of idealized American values, with powers that could annihilate anyone in seconds.
Still, in between the chaos, the show delivers plenty of dark comedy that can make audiences laugh and cringe at the same time. The humor ranges from sharp satire—like A-Train’s (Jessie T. Usher) “charity” trip to Africa as a PR stunt—to outright absurdity, such as The Deep’s (Chace Crawford) borderline romantic relationship with an octopus. The constant twists and over-the-top moments make The Boys incredibly easy to binge.
9
‘Archer’ (2009–2023)
When audiences think of spies, they usually picture the suave James Bond or the rugged Ethan Hunt. But Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) is neither. Sure, he wears the suits and carries the guns in Archer, but he’s also everything a spy shouldn’t be—someone with alcoholism, a womanizer, and loaded with unresolved mommy issues.
The funniest part is that he has zero interest in fixing any of it. Still, despite his immaturity and complete lack of regard for other people’s feelings, he’s actually great at his job. With a new mission in almost every episode, Archer shows just how capable he can be—and how badly he can mess things up thanks to his childish temperament. Archer is a comedy show that stays so bingeable because every mission somehow spirals into an even bigger disaster thanks to the team’s ridiculous decisions.
8
‘The Eric Andre Show’ (2012–2023)
Forget The Late Show and The Tonight Show—these coveted staples have nothing on The Eric Andre Show. Using the traditional talk show format as a setup, Eric Andre’s run as a chaotic host gleefully shatters every rule, throwing his guests—ranging from real celebrities to obscure Z-listers—into bizarre and often uncomfortable situations.
There’s no predicting what might happen mid-conversation. One moment, they’re discussing terrorists; the next, Andre has his nips out, and while one of his co-hosts crashes through the wall. It’s anti-television at its finest, mixing the absurdity of MADtv with the inappropriateness of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The sheer unpredictability of The Eric Andre Show is what makes it so addictive, since every interview feels seconds away from complete chaos.
7
‘Schitt’s Creek’ (2015–2020)
When the ultra-wealthy Rose family suddenly loses everything, their fall from luxury becomes comedy gold. Johnny (Eugene Levy), Moira (Catherine O’Hara), David (Dan Levy), and Alexis (Annie Murphy) find themselves stuck in Schitt’s Creek—a town Johnny once bought as a joke. Completely out of their element, they’re useless without money, yet still cling to the idea that they’re somehow above everyone else.
It might sound like an exhausting premise, but Schitt’s Creek quickly softens their arrogance through the warmth of the townsfolk around them. To grow, the Roses are forced to adapt to “regular” life—whether that means figuring out how to “fold in the cheese” or holding down a basic receptionist job. This, of course, leads to hilarious shenanigans. Between the lovable townspeople and the family’s gradual growth, Schitt’s Creek is the kind of sitcom that only gets better as it goes.
6
‘Fleabag’ (2016–2019)
Across the years, audiences have encountered plenty of frazzled English woman archetypes, but Fleabag fully embraces the bad choices. Its titular heroine, Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), is all kinds of chaos: she runs a struggling guinea pig café, constantly butts heads with her tightly wound sister, and drifts through messy, guilt-ridden relationships.
One misstep leads to another, resulting in an avalanche of morbidly embarrassing situations—the kind where audiences can’t bear to watch but can’t help but stick around for the aftermath. However, for all of her dysfunction, Fleabag isn’t all that annoying. Her coping mechanism for grief is humor, even if it’s the painfully sardonic type. Even at its most uncomfortable, Fleabag has a sharp honesty that makes it hard to look away from.
5
‘Jury Duty’ (2023–Present)
Built on staged scenarios that play out in real time, Jury Duty is unlike any other prank show. Ronald Gladden believes he’s serving on an actual jury, unaware that everyone around him—from fellow jurors to the judge—is an actor. Its more corporate successor, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, takes it to another level, following a temp worker, Anthony Norman, at an outdoor retreat gone wrong.
Although each episode finds ways to mess with the main subject’s mind, the Jury Duty franchise has no intention of humiliating them. Gladden and Norman were specifically chosen because of their outstanding personality. Although their patience is constantly tested due to zany situations, the two are more than willing to face it, despite having no clue that it’s all fake. Every episode raises the absurdity even more, making it hard not to immediately jump to the next one.
4
‘Impractical Jokers’ (2011–Present)
When a group of high school best friends decides to make a prank show in their early 40s, you get Impractical Jokers. Instead of targeting strangers, the show flips the concept by having Joe Gatto, James Murray, Brian Quinn, and Sal Vulcano prank—and sabotage—each other in very public places, from supermarkets to Central Park.
In the beginning, the pranks seem fairly simple, ranging from the infamous “Strip High Five” to being controlled by your friends through an earpiece. But the punishments are a whole other story. Whether it’s searching for your phone in a trash yard or legally marrying a fellow member’s sister, the limits are practically nonexistent. Even after years on the air, the show still finds new ways to embarrass its cast in increasingly absurd fashion.
3
‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ (2005–Present)
When you bring together five of the worst human beings in a failing pub, you get the gang in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. There’s no overarching story—just a group of people constantly trying (and failing) to make money. When they’re not cooking up questionable marketing schemes or outright scams, they’re busy indulging their bizarre impulses. Part of the fun is watching the characters create problems that could have been avoided with even a tiny amount of common sense.
There’s really no limit to where the jokes go, and as a subversive take on more polished sitcom predecessors, IASIP at its peak delivered some of the nastiest humor on television—jokes that feel almost guilty to laugh at today. While the newer seasons have toned things down, the show still offers a glimpse into a time when comedy pushed boundaries with far less concern for social sensitivity.
2
‘Abbott Elementary’ (2021–Present)
SHERYL LEE RALPH, TYLER JAMES WILLIAMS, QUINTA BRUNSON, JANELLE JAMES, LISA ANN WALTER, CHRIS PERFETTI
Set in a cash-strapped public school in West Philadelphia, Abbott Elementary shows the hard work and the wild situations teachers have to face every day. Mainly told from the POV of Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson), the overly optimistic wholeheartedly believes that the school has so much potential. However, whether the other teachers want to be on board with her wild schemes is a different story.
From handling out-of-pocket attitudes from preschool kids to pushing back against the school district, Abbott Elementary reflects today’s troubled education system. It takes a huge amount of selflessness to give their all to these kids, and even if the teachers don’t always have the answers, they’ll always try. Beneath all the comedy, Abbott Elementary works because audiences genuinely care about the teachers and their students.
1
‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ (2013–2021)
The feds got nothing on the detectives from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. By day, they’re arresting bad guys. By night, they’re still catching bad guys. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and his motley crew are some of the most dedicated people in the field. But they also know how to have fun on the job—even if it’s highly inappropriate.
Whether it’s petty theft or murder, Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s police procedural premise keeps each episode exciting. At the same time, the show’s offbeat characters make you wonder how they’re even allowed to work in the precinct in the first place. Then again, the funniest people often turn out to be the best detectives.
- Release Date
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2013 – 2021-00-00
- Directors
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Michael McDonald, Claire Scanlon, Linda Mendoza, Dean Holland, Beth McCarthy-Miller, Victor Nelli Jr., Craig Zisk, Tristram Shapeero, Rebecca Asher, Eric Appel, Maggie Carey, Alex Reid, Giovani Lampassi, Nisha Ganatra, Ryan Case, Trent O’Donnell, Matt Nodella, Jamie Babbit, Ken Whittingham, Max Winkler, Akiva Schaffer, Fred Goss, Jaffar Mahmood, Julie Anne Robinson
- Writers
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Gabe Liedman, Phil Augusta Jackson, Tricia McAlpin, Justin Noble, Lakshmi Sundaram, Andrew Guest, Matt O’Brien, Jeff Topolski, Lang Fisher, Gil Ozeri, Brian Reich, Matt Murray, Andy Gosche, Brigitte Liebowitz, Alison Agosti, Nick Perdue, Beau Rawlins, Aeysha Carr, Andy Bobrow, David Quandt, Matt Lawton, Vanessa Ramos, Kylie Condon, Stephanie Amante-Ritter
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