With all the classic comedy shows of my childhood gone (I’m talking “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” “Community,” “Drake & Josh,” “Friends”), I have been on the lookout for new comedies to catch my eye.
For me, a comedy has to be smart with minimal cringe, present likeable characters, and preferably include a couple to ship. (Ship, reader, means to root for two characters on a show to get together and be a couple.) The show also must be available on Netflix or Hulu, for logistical reasons.
In my vast searches for my new go-to comedies I’ve come across three shows that have those things. They’re all relatively new. You’ve probably heard of these comedies, but I’d like to give you a good reason to actually invest in watching them.
First off is “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” (We’ll call it “B99” from now on.) “B99” airs on Fox and first came to the scene in 2013. It’s about a New York City police precinct, featuring the gung-ho and slightly immature detective Jake Peralta (played by Andy Samberg) and a cast of other fantastic characters. My personal favorite is Gina Linetti (played by Chelsea Peretti), a sharp, self-confident woman who spouts golden lines of dialogue — “My mother cried the day I was born because she knew she would never be better than me”; “I feel like the Paris of people”; “Gina Linetti: the human form of the 100 emoji.” The show takes a sincere and light-hearted look at the long hours and absurd situations police detectives are put in. The show also portrays some fantastic friendships not often seen on television.
Another great comedy is “The Good Place” on NBC. This show premiered in 2016 and has an all-star cast, including Kristen Bell and Ted Danson. It’s about a woman named Eleanor (Bell) who ends up in heaven (called the Good Place). But she isn’t actually supposed to be there — she’s there due to a clerical error and is actually quite an awful person. The show is centered around her trying to fit into this new world filled with goody-goodies. This show’s premise is great and makes for some unique humour. It also deals with questions of morality, what makes us good, and if people can truly change their nature.
My final show is “Superstore,” also on NBC. It started in 2015 and is a workplace comedy about the employees of a Walmart-esque store. Their dealings with the scourge that is corporate America and all that comes with it (low income and lack of adequate health insurance) is hilarious. The characters are zany but all have real depth to them. Out of the three shows I’ve listed today, I think “Superstore” is the most slept-on, despite its hilarity. It also contains a wonderful ship (#JonahandAmy4eva).
Whenever you get a break in your hectic life, reader, take a look at these shows. If you tell me you didn’t laugh, I won’t believe you.
