Is there a better feeling than stumbling upon a new TV series that has direct access to your funny bone? Whether you like your comedy animated, wacky, witty, sarcastic, silly, or even dark, the mountain of content now available means, there’s something for everyone. Between historical comedy shows and female-led comedy stories, there are unlimited choices.
Of course, not all comedy shows have a universal appeal. Some attract only niche audiences while others become globally renowned. Some of these shows are the best comedy series of all time and have steadily climbed the ranks to become the highest-rated comedy series on IMDb, alongside other great shows that fans of the genre may want to check out.
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‘Two and a Half Men’ (2003–2015)
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Created by the master of television comedy, Chuck Lorre (with Lee Aronsohn), Two and a Half Men follows Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), a freewheeling, washed-up jingle writer, who gives shelter to his recently divorced brother, Alan (Jon Cryer), and his young son, Jake (Angus T. Jones). Alan and Jake quickly become permanent fixtures at Charlie’s Malibu beach house, throwing off Charlie’s wildly self-indulgent lifestyle and privacy, made worse by the off-and-on interference of their mother, Evelyn (Holland Taylor).
Two and a Half Men is a deliciously dark comedy about a dysfunctional family characterized by sharp satire, bold dialogue, and twisted characters. During its run, it earned several awards and nominations, with critical praise for Jon Cryer’s brilliant performance as the caring father and a freeloading brother. While many of its gags have not aged well, several episodes of Two and a Half Men deserve recognition for good staging and incredible comedy delivery. —Maddie P
34
‘Bored to Death’ (2009–2011)
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis star in this dark comedy series created by author Jonathan Ames, featuring a fictionalized version of himself. In Bored to Death, Jonathan is a struggling writer in Brooklyn, who, bored of his life and writer’s block, starts living a double life as an unlicensed private detective, using methods he reads in classic detective novels. Joining him in his daily misadventures are Ray, his best friend and comic book artist, and George, a libertine magazine editor and his father figure.
Bored to Death is a brilliantly written comedy, brought to life by the acting genius of Jason Schwartzman and Ted Danson, leveraged by the compelling comedy delivery of Galifianakis. The series works as a wonderful take on the highs and lows of New York life, on a colorful canvas of distinctive characters. While there is not much mystery in the series, the narrative uses elements of classic mystery literature as motifs that make Bored to Death more of a neo-comedy-noir. —Maddie P
Bored to Death
- Release Date
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2009 – 2010
- Directors
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Michael Lehmann, Adam Bernstein
33
‘The Big Bang Theory’ (2007–2019)
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
The Big Bang Theory follows days in the lives of, Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), who navigate work and life while also juggling their relationship as coworkers, roommates, and best friends. The addition of their friends, Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg), Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar)., and their neighbor and Leonard’s love interest, Penny (Kaley Cuoco), not only makes their stories fun and interesting, but often silly.
Created by Chuck Lorre, The Big Bang Theory is a hilarious and nerdy comedy about two physicists, an engineer, an astrophysicist, a struggling actor, a microbiologist, and a neuroscientist, and how they deal with friendship, love, and career while discovering themselves beyond their professional skills. Marked by its vibrant ensemble cast and award-winning performances by Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory is a fun, youthful, and energetic show with well-written characters and punchy, if sometimes dorky, dialogue. —Maddie P
32
‘Monk’ (2002–2009)
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
An Emmy Award-winning comedy procedural series, Monk follows the titular protagonist (Tony Shalhoub), a former San Francisco police detective with an exhaustive list of phobias and obsessive-compulsive-disorder, who works as a consultant to the department following his wife’s mysterious death. While his afflictions make it debilitating for his friends, especially his assistant, to work with him, his trenchant observation skills and brilliant and unique crime-solving techniques always save the day.
Monk is simple, sweet, heartwarming, and hilarious in its narrative of the stereotypical “oddball sleuth,” making it a cozy detective show. While Adrian Monk shares some of his oddities with Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, he is also depicted as very flawed and human, making him more relatable and distinctive. What can be called one of the best comedy television shows of the 2000s, Monk wins over fans by balancing quirky comedy with serious conversations on psycho-social conditions. —Maddie P
Monk
- Release Date
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2002 – 2009-00-00
- Network
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USA
31
‘How I Met Your Mother’ (2005–2014)
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
What has now become a cult classic, How I Met Your Mother can easily be called one of the best sitcoms of the 21st century. Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, the story follows Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor), an architect, narrating his past to his teenage son and daughter, and how he met their mother. In his stories, Ted recounts his adventures and experiences with his friends, Marshall (Jason Segal), Lily (Alyson Hannigan), Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), and Robin (Cobie Smulders), exploring their individual lives.
How I Met Your Mother is a wonderful and hilarious showcase of friendship and romance surrounding five very distinctive characters and how they navigate life and living in New York City. Couched with comedy, the show’s narrative gradually unfolds a bittersweet journey of self-discovery for each character. Thanks to its wacky catchphrases, memorable music, and idiosyncratic characters, How I Met Your Mother became a popular comedy series of its time and a pop culture icon. —Maddie P
30
‘Silicon Valley’ (2014–2019)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Meshing a modernized sense of workplace comedy with hilarious criticisms of the current state of the tech industry—a focus only made all the more brilliant from co-creator Mike Judge’s familiarity with the field—Silicon Valley is a series that is as painfully relevant as it is ceaselessly hysterical. It focuses on Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleton), a programmer striving to find investors for his own app, Pied Piper. Through his struggles, he runs into several other programmers also fighting to make their mark on the industry.
Flaunting its sharp satirical lens and its comedic excellence from the very first season, the show stands as one of the more consistent comedy series to have graced the small screen, an impressive feat considering Silicon Valley spanned six seasons. Also imbued with a dramatic punch when necessary, and always eager to offer genuine indictments on elements of the tech world, Silicon Valley is a superb modern comedy that feels as though it will remain relevant for years to come.
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‘The IT Crowd’ (2006–2013)
IMDb Rating 8.5/10
One of the most hilarious workplace comedies to come from Britain this century, The IT Crowd excels as a witty, awkward, and utterly hilarious series. Set in the corporate offices of Reynholm Industries, it follows the misadventures of the company’s I.T. department, comprised of Jen (Katherine Parkinson), the technologically inept department manager, and the two technicians, Roy (Chris O’Dowd), a snarky and perverse Irishman, and Moss (Richard Ayoade), a painfully shy yet highly intelligent oddball.
With other lovable side characters like Matt Berry’s wildly inappropriate CEO, Douglas Reynholm, his colorful and corrupt predecessor/father, Denholm Reynholm (Chris Morris), and the I.T. department’s resident goth, Richmond (Noel Fielding). Running for four seasons from 2006 to 2010, and returning for a one-off special in 2013, The IT Crowd amassed a huge fan following throughout its tenure and has endured as one of the most consistently hilarious comedy series of the 21st century.
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‘Futurama’ (1999–)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
From the wonderful comedic mind of Matt Groening—the creator of The Simpsons—Futurama thrives as an innovative blending of sci-fi and comedy that makes the most of the possibilities inherent in animation. The series focuses on Fry (Billy West), a pizza delivery man who finds himself frozen in cryosleep and wakes up a millennium later in 2999. In the futuristic setting, he finds work for an interplanetary food delivery service alongside Leela (Katey Sagal), a one-eyed mutant, and Bender (John DiMaggio), a vulgar, vice-driven robot.
Mixing the absurd with the insightful, Futurama offers an astonishing bombardment of different styles of comedy, from the searing and satirical to the utterly ridiculous, and even to the disarming poignant. Across its 25-year tenure, Futurama has produced 12 seasons, starting its run with Fox before Comedy Central picked up the series and, for its two most recent seasons, Hulu has served as its host network.
Futurama
- Release Date
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March 28, 1999
- Network
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Comedy Central
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
One of many comedy phenomena from disgraced television creator Dan Harmon, Community ran for six seasons through the late 00s and early 2010s, garnering an impassioned cult fan base through its referential comedy and its sharp storytelling instincts. It follows Jeff Winger (Jock McHale), a former lawyer disbarred from his practice for not having a bachelor’s degree. He enrolls in community college to amend the situation and finds himself falling in with a study group made up of several quirky and colorful characters.
With its eagerness to tackle high-concept storylines in intriguing and experimental ways—including an entire episode realized with stop-motion animation—Community was always an enticing watch. Only enhanced by its array of striking oddball characters (and the wonderful performances behind them), the series sits comfortably among the most creatively adventurous comedies the small screen has seen, with some regarding it to be among the best shows of all time as well.
Community
- Release Date
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2009 – 2015-00-00
- Network
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NBC, Yahoo! Screen
26
‘Schitt’s Creek’ (2015–2020)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
A delightful creation of the father-son duo and series stars Eugene Levy and Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek manages to strike a deft balance between satirizing the rich and celebrating the dysfunctional yet beautiful bond between family members. It follows the Roses, a family whose cushy life of wealth and luxury is swept away from them when they are defrauded by their business manager. With Schitt’s Creek—a small town they once bought as a joke—their one remaining asset, the family relocate to the town’s run-down motel only to find themselves clashing with the locals.
While Season 1 has some teething issues, the series finds its grove in its sophomore outing and never looks back from there, presenting six seasons of hysterical absurdity that always sports a big beating heart of gold beneath the surface. Consistently funny, yet still finding time to engage with more loaded social issues of the current day, Schitt’s Creek is easy to love and stands as a perfect sitcom for modern audiences who appreciate laughs and tenderness in equal measure.