These days, it can be hard to keep up with television these days. For example, there are a lot of great dramas out there right now, but much of it tends to be too long (who has time for 70-minute episodes?) or way, way too serious (there’s only so much Handmaid’s Tale one can stomach in one sitting). Sometimes, you just need a break and a couple of laughs.
Thankfully, there’s still plenty of (relatively) light comedy television out there. With Netflix giving every other stand up comedian a special these days, comedians have more exposure, leading to their inevitable chances to make their own series. It’s been five years since The Office ended and three years since 30 Rock ended; television’s only gotten funnier, and a good amount of this quality comedy is available on Netflix. A lot of it is satisfyingly short, too, only running a tight 22 minutes without commercials.
Netflix, not usually known for having older titles, surprisingly has also added older comedies, possibly to keep up with Hulu’s own impressive backlog, including their recent addition of TGIF ABC sitcoms. This competition is all the better for us viewers, as it gives us a chance to enjoy the classic sitcoms our parents loved and enjoyed (even if modern audiences are a bit allergic to that dreaded studio laughter). Here are the best comedy TV shows streaming on Netflix.