Yahoo News 30 Comedies To Stream on Netflix When You Could Use a Good Laugh
Looking to start a new show, but not in the mood for some heavy drama? Netflix has you covered on the comedy front. When it comes to choosing your next great—and most importantly, funny—binge-watch, there are thousands of series to scroll through. From light-hearted sitcoms to darker satires, there’s a series to satisfy every comedy craving. But with so many options within the genre, it can be hard to choose the one that will bring you the most laughs.
That’s why it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for from the moment that you open the app. To help narrow down your must-watch list, we’ve rounded up 30 of the best comedy series on Netflix, from beloved originals like Dead to Me and Beef to cable classics that have (luckily) made their way to the platform for your viewing pleasure. The best part? They’re all available to stream right now.
Girls5eva
Produced by Tina Fey, this musical comedy follows a ’90s girl group staging a major comeback. After their one-hit wonder is sampled in a new rap song, the four members of Girls5eva—played by Paula Pell, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Phillips, and Sara Bareilles—attempt to recapture the magic of their early pop-star days, all while dealing with their own very middle-age problems. The first two seasons of Girls5eva aired on Peacock, but for its third outing, the delightfully nostalgic series made the move to Netflix—where all three seasons are now available to stream.
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Dead to Me
There’s nothing quite like a good black comedy—and Dead to Me is one of the best out there. The series follows newly widowed Jen (Christina Appelgate), who’s on an anger-fueled mission to solve the mystery of her husband’s hit-and-run death. When she meets the quirky, carefree Judy (Linda Cardellini) in a grief support group, the polar-opposite pair develops a strong bond. The only problem? Judy is harboring a major secret that threatens to ruin everything. Twists and turns abound throughout the show’s three seasons.
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Sex Education
An awkward high school student named Otis (Asa Butterfield) teams up with troubled teen Maeve (Emma Mackey) to launch a secret sex therapy clinic for his peers in this British comedy, which stars Gillian Anderson as Otis’ mom Jean, a renowned sex therapist. There are four refreshingly realistic seasons of the intimacy-focused, heartfelt comedy to enjoy—and hey, you just might even learn a thing or two yourself.
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Never Have I Ever
You can’t go wrong with a Mindy Kaling-created coming-of-age comedy like Never Have I Ever. The series’ breakout star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan plays Devi, a first-generation Indian-American teenager trying to navigate the hell of high school while grieving the loss of her father. Over the course of four seasons, Devi and her friends experience all of life’s (often hilarious) growing pains, from awkward sexual encounters and crushes to college acceptance letters.
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The Good Place
With a highly absurd but very original plot, The Good Place ran for four glorious seasons on NBC. The fantasy-fueled series takes place in the titular afterlife, a heaven-like setting where one resident is zanier than the next. Kristen Bell plays the recently deceased Eleanor, who, given her past moral discretions, believes that she was erroneously sent to the utopia (which is run by Ted Danson’s architect character, Michael). As she tries to make up for her sins on Earth to avoid eternal torture in The Bad Place, the show only gets wackier—in the best way possible.
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Atypical
Keir Gilchrist stars Sam, an 18 year old on the autism spectrum, in Atypical. The series follows the Antarctica-obsessed teen’s everyday highs and lows, from therapy sessions to shifts at Tech-tropolis, as he makes an effort to become more independent from his parents (Michael Rappaport and Jennifer Jason Leigh) and his sister ( Brigette Lundy-Paine) in order to get a girlfriend. Four funny yet endearing seasons explore how each family member grapples with their understanding of “normalcy.”
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Russian Doll
A surreal comedy unlike any other, Russian Doll brings the laughs—and a bit of stress—throughout its two seasons. Natasha Lyonne plays Nadia, a New York City woman who dies repeatedly on the night of her 36th birthday party. Stuck in a time loop that only she can find a way to break, Nadia relives the same events over and over again; and no matter what she does differently each time, the doomed software engineer continues to reawaken at the exact same moment.
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Wednesday
At first glance, Wednesday may not give off “comedy” vibes. But fear not: The supernatural series is, in fact, funny. In her role as the emotionless Wednesday Addams, Jenna Ortega delivers a sarcastic performance that is as cold as it is compelling, and her meme-worthy character is finally in her element as she begins classes at Nevermore Academy following a string of past expulsions. Whip-smart and twisted, season one follows the gothic teen as she leans into her psychic abilities and helps solve a 25-year-old murder mystery—one for which her father Gomez had been accused. Season 2 is already in the works.
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Insecure
All five seasons of Issa Rae’s HBO hit, Insecure, are available to stream on Netflix. Based on Rae’s web series, Awkward Black Girl, the comedy chronicles the Black female experience through the eyes of two twenty-something best friends—Issa Dee (Rae) and Molly Carter (Yvonne Orji)—as they awkwardly navigate life in Los Angeles. Insightful, frank, and downright hilarious, it’s a series that’s not to be missed.
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The Mindy Project
When it originally aired on Hulu, The Mindy Project was considered appointment-viewing TV. Now, all six seasons are available on Netflix—and a rewatch proves the series to be as sharp as ever. Mindy Kaling plays Mindy Lahiri, an OB/GYN struggling to balance work and romance. Surrounded by a true cast of characters that include her colleagues and college BFF, Mindy is as wonderfully relatable—and messy—as they come.
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Grace and Frankie
With a cast led by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, it would be hard not to laugh at Grace and Frankie. The pair portrays the titular frenemies—makeup mogul Grace (Fonda) and free-spirited artist Frankie (Tomlin)—who are all but forced to bond when they learn that their husbands are leaving them…for each other. With their lives upended, the women lean on one another to cope throughout seven seasons of the sitcom that reunited the beloved 9 to 5 costars.
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Kim’s Convenience
As its title suggests, Kim’s Convenience centers on a Korean-Canadian family of four that runs a convenience store in Toronto. The charming sitcom seamlessly touches on very real themes of immigration as it follows the trials and tribulations of parents Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and Umma (Jean Yoon) and their kids, Janet (Andrea Bang) and Jung (Simu Liu). Navigating their relationships with each other as well as their customers, the show has a sketch-comedy feel to it—and it works.
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Arrested Development
A quick-witted riches-to-rags story, Arrested Development centers on the family of corrupt real estate developer George Bluth St. (Jeffrey Tambor). After George is arrested for his crimes in the series premiere, his son Michael (Jason Bateman) does his best to keep the family business—and the spoiled, dysfunctional family itself—afloat. The first three seasons of the critically-acclaimed comedy aired on Fox from 2003 to 2006, and a 2013 Netflix revival delivered two additional seasons.
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Beef
One of the buzziest shows of 2023, Beef stars Ali Wong and Steven Yeun as a pair of strangers whose paths cross during a road rage incident. Their characters, Amy and Danny, can’t seem to let go of the situation, which evolves into an all-out feud that turns both of their lives upside down. Pettiness is off the charts in the limited series, which makes for an outrageously amusing—albeit intense—watch.
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Shameless
If you missed the Gallagher family’s original 11-season run on Showtime, now is the time to catch up. Set on Chicago’s South Side, Shameless stars William H. Macy as patriarch Frank, an absent alcoholic father who’s left his eldest daughter, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) to raise her five younger siblings in his stead. Although darker themes and scenes abound, the characters deliver biting comedic performances as they continue to find themselves in one ridiculous situation after the next. (Fans of The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White will especially enjoy his turn as Fiona’s scrappy street-smart brother, Lip).
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Seinfeld
Seinfeld, of course, needs no introduction. The iconic “show about nothing” stars Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards as the neurotic foursome best known as Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer. It’s hailed as one of the best sitcoms of all time for a reason—and with all nine seasons streaming on Netflix, it’s easier than ever to live out those rerun dreams.
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Good Girls
After they hold up a local supermarket to fix their financial problems, a trio of suburban Michigan moms quickly realize that they’re in over their heads. The successful heist leads Beth, Ruby, and Annie—played by Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman, respectively—deeper down the criminal path with only each other to turn to. Originally airing on NBC, the dramedy ran for four funny, action-packed seasons.
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Orange Is The New Black
Based on Piper Kerman’s 2010 memoir about her experiences at a minimum-security federal prison, Orange Is The New Black takes place at the fictional Litchfield Penitentiary in Upstate New York. When Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) is sentenced to 15 months for a drug-smuggling conviction, she encounters an unforgettable ensemble of inmates played by Laura Prepon, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, and Kate Mulgrew. Nuanced and unexpected, the series was Netflix’s second-ever original show—and it’ll definitely make you laugh (and cry, too).
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Derry Girls
Set in Derry, Northern Ireland, in the ’90s, Derry Girls is inspired by the real-life upbringing of its creator, Lisa McGee. The show follows five students at the fictional Catholic girls school Our Lady Immaculate College, with 16-year-old Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) and her pals—played by Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, and Dylan Llewellyn, whose character serves as the school’s first-ever male student—navigating teendom amid the rife political climate of The Troubles. Unpredictable and irreverent, the dark comedy’s three seasons first brought laughs to the U.K. when it initially aired on Channel 4.
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The Brothers Sun
Michelle Yeoh, Justin Chien, and Sam Song Li lead the cast of this action comedy, which was canceled after only one season but still deserves a watch. Chien stars as Charles Sun, a Taipei gangster who, after an assassination attempt on his Taiwanese crime boss father, moves to Los Angeles to protect his estranged mother Eileen (Yeoh) and younger brother Bruce (Song Li). As complicated as it is, each episode of the soapy family saga brings the jokes.
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American Vandal
True-crime fanatics and comedy buffs alike will enjoy American Vandal. A parody of the documentaries like Making a Murderer, the series follows high school documentarian Peter (Tyler Alvarez) and his pal Sam (Griffin Gluck) as they investigate teenage pranks—beginning with the vandalism of 27 faculty cars covered with phallic graffiti. As it pokes fun at the true-crime genre, the satire also raises questions about the disturbing real stories that society considers to be entertainment.
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GLOW
When unemployed actress Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) auditions for the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling—also known as the titular GLOW—in 1980s Los Angeles, her dreams of Hollywood stardom are finally coming true. The campy, spandex-filled comedy followed Ruth and her oddball crew of fellow female wrestlers both in and out of the ring, never failing to dazzle throughout its three seasons.
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The Upshaws
A classic sitcom for our modern world, The Upshaws is the kind of feel-good family comedy that we all need from time to time. The working-class Black family’s patriarch, Bennie Upshaw Sr. (Mike Epps), and his wife Regina (Kim fields) face everyday dilemmas (children out of wedlock, health scares, new jobs…you get the idea) in their efforts to maintain a happy home. Wanda Sykes co-stars as Regina’s sarcastic older sister in the Indianapolis-set series, which has already been greenlit for a sixth season.
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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
In Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, lawyer Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) leaves her dreamy New York City life behind in her attempt to find love in Los Angeles—ideally with her former summer camp boyfriend, Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III). After a chance run-in, she can’t stop thinking about the guy who broke up with her back when they were just teens; so, throwing caution to the wind, she follows him out West to get him back. Designated as a romantic musical dramedy, the show’s catchy musical numbers only add to its overall hilarity.
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Emily in Paris
With its fourth season just around the corner (it’s slated for August 2024), Emily in Paris continues to entertain—as does Emily (Lily Collins) herself with her over-the-top antics. The American-in-Paris tale centers on Collins’ character, a communications grad who jumps at the chance to work for the chic French marketing firm, Savoir. Often exaggerated in its borderline unbelievable storytelling—there’s simply no way that Emily would be getting those sky-high social media numbers—there’s no denying the genuine appeal of the show. It’s funny, sweet, and has the fashion touch of legendary costume designer Patricia Field, to boot.
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Brooklyn Nine-Nine
A cop comedy set in N.Y.C., Brooklyn Nine-Nine zeroes in on a squad of detectives getting acquainted with their new commanding officer—and the NYPD’s first Black gay captain—Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher). With their arrest records under sudden scrutiny, members of the fictional precinct figure out how to adjust to their new normal. Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, and Chelsea Peretti star.
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Reba
If Reba’s theme song isn’t still stuck in your head from the series’ heyday between 2001 and 2007, then that’s a clear sign that it’s time for a rewatch. All six seasons of country singer Reba McEntire’s beloved WB sitcom are now streaming on Netflix, which means it’s time to relive everything from the extramarital affair of her character’s ex-husband to their daughter’s teen pregnancy. No matter how messy things get, one thing’s for sure: She’s a survivor…okay?
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I Think You Should Leave
Created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, the sketch comedy series I Think You Should Leave is a cringe-worthy dream. With a knack for showcasing awkward encounters in both social and professional settings, the series takes a hard left turn in the sense that those responsible for each scenario’s misunderstanding often refuse to admit to their humiliation. Instead, they opt to convince everyone else that they’re in the right. Bizarre and downright silly at times, the show’s masterful skits—and impressive roster of guest stars—deserve all the acclaim, and then some.
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The Kominsky Method
Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin star in The Kominsky Method, a dramedy about a former actor who now works as successful acting coach (Michael Douglas, as the titular Sandy Kominsky). The aging Hollywood veteran and his BFF agent, Norman Newlander (Alan Arkin), bring on the laughs as they make their way through modern-day Los Angeles—and face their own mortality.
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Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
After being rescued from the Indiana doomsday cult where she spent 15 years, Ellie Kemper’s character Kimmy Schmidt finds herself living a surprisingly normal life in New York City. With the help of her landlord Titus (Titus Burgess), the 29-year-old begins to reclaim her story as she dips her toes back into the modern world—one that she was under the impression no longer existed, due to a nuclear apocalypse that she believed had taken place during her captivity. The Tina Fey-created sitcom lasted for four seasons, and was followed by one interactive special in 2020.
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