While there’s plenty of TV out there, occasionally, it can get stale, but these 10 hilarious and under-appreciated TV shows are perfect for anyone who has run out of great comedy shows to watch. Finding a new show can seem like a hassle, but finding something new to binge can often lead to a new favorite. After all, some of the best TV comedies to come out of the last two decades are one that have flown under the radar.
If one has seen Friends or The Office a few too many times, it may be time to branch out and try something new. Some of the best comedy shows since 2000 never entered into the cultural zeitgeist in the way that they deserved, and it’s a shame because they’re well worth a watch. These 10 hilarious and underseen shows are sure to provide endless laughs for comedy fans.
10 The Mick
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The Mick stars Kaitlin Olson of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame as a foul-mouthed hustler. When her uber-rich sister and brother-in-law are forced to go on the run from the FBI, she is left in charge of her colorful, spoiled nieces and nephews. The show is filled with distinct characters with questionable morals, including her brainless but sweet youngest nephew, stand-offish teenage niece, and washed-up boyfriend Jimmy. The central character sees the opportunity less as one to take care of her nieces and nephews, but more as one to reap the benefits of living in the lap of luxury. The Mick is a hilarious and risqué romp filled with great characters and two seasons that fly by.
9 Happy Endings
Like a more absurd version of Friends, Happy Endings follows the dysfunctional lives of a group of friends in Chicago as they navigate their careers and relationships. While their inane schemes and the show’s tone teeter from realism, the characters with their big hearts and sweet friendships are endlessly charming. Happy Endings was canceled after season 4, much to the chagrin of viewers. However, with its three perfect-for-binging fast-paced seasons, it’s designed to get new audiences cackling.
8 Stath Lets Flats
Stath Lets Flats is a hilarious English TV show created by and starring Jamie Demtriou as a socially and professionally inept young man who works for his father’s letting agent in London. His consistent failure to sell potential customers on his listings, and his fragile ego around it, make for a hilariously cringe-inducing show. Demetriou’s real-life sister, Natasia Demetriou (of What We Do in the Shadows fame) also stars. Unfortunately, his sister has ambitions of becoming a singer, but none of the talent required.
7 I’m Sorry
Andrea Savage wrote, directed, and starred in this raunchy and relatable series about an immature comedy writer. As she navigates motherhood and her career, the lead of I’m Sorry constantly finds her intentions (often comedic) misinterpreted by those around her, particularly the other moms at her daughter’s preschool. Lasting only two seasons before the Covid-19 pandemic ended the series, I’m Sorry with its coarse main character and comedy of misunderstandings is constantly surprising, often painfully awkward, and always sidesplitting.
6 Chewing Gum
Before Michaela Coel won critical acclaim for her miniseries I May Destroy You, she created and starred in Chewing Gum, a very different show with a candy-coated tone. Chewing Gum follows Tracey, a sheltered young Londoner as she makes ill-advised attempts to lose her virginity. The show’s many broad characters are hysterical, especially the awkward Tracey. The show manages to deal with real-life issues, but always with a sense of absurdity. It’s risky, clever, and totally ridiculous.
5 The Other Two
The Other Two parodies celebrity culture with a directness and a unique tone unlike other shows. It follows the two jaded older siblings of a teenage pop star as they try to come to terms with where their lives are compared to their brother’s success. It’s insanely clever and only gets more deliciously unhinged with each episode. Plus, it boasts an incredible cast of regular and guest actors, including familiar faces in Molly Shannon and Ken Marino.
4 Episodes
Episodes follows two married English television writers when they are asked to adapt their show for an American TV station. Their battle for creative control within the system as the American station completely butchers their original concept, makes for a hilariously tense show. It’s got a host of side characters with massive personalities, including Matt LeBlanc in his best post-Friends role as a stuck-up womanizing version of himself. A satire of the dog-eat-dog world of Hollywood hiding behind the glamorous facade, Episodes is as smart as it is insane. Plus, it’s ever-shifting plot is entirely impossible to predict.
3 Better Off Ted
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Centering around the title character, the head of research and development at a morally questionable company that invents bizarre products, Better Off Ted is a hilarious satire of corporations and workplace environments. As Ted struggles to maintain his morals, especially for his young but wise-beyond-her-years daughter, he must deal with the many intense and weird co-workers at his company. It’s one of the most unique comedy series, has a new hilarious invention every episode, and relishes in joyous absurdity.
2 The Detour
The Detour follows a family whose family dynamic is tested in every possible way on a road trip they take under mysterious circumstances across America. Along the way they run into all kinds of eccentric characters, and get into plenty of trouble with the law. The four are unable to catch a break on the road trip straight from every family’s worst nightmare, but still has relatable moments amidst the hijinks. It’s a completely unpredictable show that always finds a way to top itself, making it well worth a watch.
1 Trial and Error
Eager young New York lawyer Josh finds himself way over his head, and with a less-than-ideal team, when he is sent to a small South Carolina town to prepare a murder trial for his boss. Filmed in a mockumentary style, the show features a completely ridiculous cast of characters, including his client, played by John Lithgow, a man who seems to incriminate himself with every word. The second season only gets sillier, following a completely new murder case centered around the wonderful as always Kristin Chenoweth. It’s a hilarious take on the legal system, filled with clueless characters and unexpected scenarios.
