Best comedies to watch on Netflix right now

At the end of a year in which comedian and presenter Romesh Ranganathan somehow became even more ubiquitous, in light entertainment (Rob & Romesh Vs and A League of Their Own on NOW), travel (The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan, iPlayer) and scripted comedy (Avoidance, iPlayer), he now returns to stand-up with a special filmed on his own stomping ground of Crawley in West Sussex. Topics covered include veganism, parenthood, and why the Academy Awards organisers seemed to think it was fine to let Will Smith return to his seat after slapping Chris Rock.

Jack Seale

Beloved American comic Norm Macdonald sadly passed away in 2021 at the age of 61, and if you want to pay tribute by checking out some of his work you can find his 2018 talk show Norm Macdonald Has a Show on Netflix. The series saw the former Saturday Night Live comedian interview a whole host of guests – from David Letterman to Jane Fonda – in his typically offbeat style, and makes for thoroughly entertaining viewing for all fans of his work, complete with all sorts of running jokes.

And if you enjoyed that, Macdonald’s 2017 comedy special Hitler’s Dog, Gossip, and Trickery is also available on the streamer, featuring more of his hilarious observations delivered in a trademark deadpan manner. – Patrick Cremona

Grief counselling doesn’t exactly sound like a barrel of laughs – but this eccentric dark comedy excels in finding humour in the strangest of places. Dead to Me follows sardonic widow Jen (Christina Applegate) as she meets the forever optimistic Judy (Linda Cardellini) at grief counselling, eventually striking up an unlikely close friendship with her despite polar opposite personalities. Queue several sarcastic quips, foul-mouthed insults and bottles of wine as the two women bond over shared loss – which could all be destroyed by a dark secret Judy is hiding…

In lesser hands this could have ended up as an abrasive misery fest, but it the assured performances and electric chemistry between leads Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini that make this a must-watch, with the two switching between gallows humour and genuine heartbreak with ease. It’s no wonder both have been nominated for Emmys for their performances – here’s hoping they’ll get the win next season.

For those who enjoyed WandaVision but are after a darker and more realistic exploration of grief through a comedic lens, then Dead to Me is the show for you. Two seasons are available, with a third and final instalment on the way. – Daniel Furn

With Tim Robinson’s absurd sketch show returning to Netflix for a third season, there couldn’t be a better time to immerse yourself in possibly the strangest hours of television available on the streamer.

From the overactive imagination of Saturday Night Live and Detroiters star Robinson, this skit-fest takes viewers on a rollercoaster of bizarre sketches, ranging from pure silliness to grotesque surrealism. With the likes of Sam Richardson, Vanessa Bayer, Steven Yeun, Will Forte, the late Fred Willard, Cecily Strong and Andy Samberg appearing throughout the series, the memeworthy episodes will leave you wondering what exactly it is you’ve just watched – but in such a good way. – Lauren Morris

Big Mouth has been a smash hit for Netflix across its five seasons, so it’s no surprise that they’ve now brought out this spin-off focused on the world of the monsters which has been lightly touched upon in previous episodes. Thankfully, Human Resources lives up to that original brand, and while it may have initially seemed unnecessary, it more than proves its worth within the first few episodes.

It features a stacked cast including Nick Kroll, Thandiwe Newton and Hugh Jackman and like the original series matches its gross-out comedy and quirky storylines with a huge dollop of heart and a timely exploration of meaningful themes. A second season has already been confirmed so now is the perfect time to catch up with all the action. – James Hibbs

Adam McKay’s latest film Don’t Look Up was nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, and it focuses on an extremely timely theme. The star-studded film features Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two astronomers who discover a comet which is set to collide with Earth, and focuses on their media tour to convince the world of its impending doom, often to little success.

As metaphors for climate change go, it’s thinly veiled, and the satire is blunt, broad and to the point. However, given the nature of the emergency and the exact attention issues the movie satirises, it seems only right that it should be so. The jokes may be broad but they still largely land and the cast, which also includes Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill and more, are extremely game. It also knows exactly when to lay off the comedy and lean into the horror, with a final act that will stay with you long after the credits roll. – James Hibbs

Call My Agent! (or Dix pour cent in France) is the French comedy everybody’s talking about – a witty, unforgiving satire centred around a talent agency in Paris. Starring Camille Cottin (Killing Eve, Allied) as Andréa, a cut-throat agent with a passion for cinema, the series follows the ASK employees after the death of their boss as they try to keep the agency afloat.

With French stars guest-starring as exaggerated version of themselves, including Line Renaud, Isabelle Huppert, Julien Doré and Monica Bellucci, as well as Alien star Sigourney Weaver, this French sitcom makes you laugh, but also gives you enough drama to keep your interest piqued – from illegitimate children and office romances, to decades-old affairs and surprise pregnancies. With a UK remake available now on Amazon Prime Video, the time is perfect to dive into Call My Agent!, a comedy worth reading the subtitles for – Lauren Morris

The teen comedy-drama is hardly a new invention, but On My Block manages to keep things fresh and exciting with its talented diverse cast, unbridled enthusiasm and timely exploration of societal issues. On My Block follows Monse, Ruby, Jamal and Cesar as they find their lifelong friendship tested when they start high school in the gritty Los Angeles neighbourhood of Freeridge, following the highs, lows and emotions that come with adolescence in the inner city.

On My Block has been praised for its realistic portrayal of inner-city life, depicting all-too-real issues such as gang culture, crime and violence and how they adversely affect underrepresented communities in particular. However the show is far from all doom and gloom, with the show determined to showcase how fun adolescence can be, complete with zany comedy and spot-on performances from the cast who bring infectious energy to every episode. Mostly, however, On My Block will be remembered for its striking portrayal of teenage friendship – how it can be tested by real-life issues, how people can sometimes drift apart, and just how precious good times with your school friends can be. – Daniel Furn

A ratings juggernaut and one of the most influential sitcoms of all time, Seinfeld’s arrival on Netflix caused quite the commotion despite the show ending well over twenty years ago. Seinfeld is famously “a show about nothing” focusing on the minutiae of daily life, created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David starring Seinfeld as a fictionalised version of himself. Together with his friend George, ex-girlfriend Elaine and neighbour Cosmo, the character of Jerry deals with the absurdities and trivial questions of daily life while living in New York City.

Lasting for a whopping nine seasons and 180 episodes – including one of the most-watched finales in history – Seinfeld has gone beyond being simply a TV show and is now a pop culture icon, with many of the show’s catchphrases seeping into common use. Rightfully so – Seinfeld pushed several boundaries during its run, eschewing a predictable romance storyline and instead refusing to let the characters grow or evoke sympathy, ensuring that the painfully awkward humour could continue. The show was also ground-breakingly meta before it was all the rage, with a memorable season four storyline seeing Jerry pitch a sitcom series about himself.

There’s a reason why Seinfeld’s arrival on Netflix is making headlines all these years later – if you want to see the inspiration behind much of modern comedy, look no further than Seinfeld. – Daniel Furn

Armando Iannucci trains his satirical gaze on the “special relationship” between England and the United States in this feature-length spin-off of his brilliantly barbed political comedy The Thick of It.

Cabinet minister Simon Foster (Tom Hollander) keeps putting his foot in it when asked to prognosticate on the likelihood of war, earning the ire of foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker (the brilliant Peter Capaldi). When the Americans catch wind of some of Foster’s soundbites, he’s invited to Washington, where politicians and military figures are squabbling over their next move.

As well as appearances from Thick of It favourites like Chris Addison and Joanna Scanlan, the film features an array of appearances from the likes of Gina McKee, Steve Coogan and James Gandolfini. The Sopranos star plays a US general, and the scene in which he attempts to crunch the numbers for a future military conflict on a child’s pink toy calculator (couple with sound effects) is surely among the funniest in Iannucci’s oeuvre. – Katie Rosseinsky

Criminally under-appreciated, Good Girls has only recently started getting the acclaim it deserves after years of struggling in the ratings in the US. The show follows three suburban mothers struggling to make ends meet, who get tired of playing by the rules and decide to rob the local supermarket. However the successful robbery attracts attention from not just the police – and soon the women are pulled deep into the world of crime and will need each other to get out.

A mix of Desperate Housewives and Widows, Good Girls isn’t exactly known for having the most believable plot – but this is more than made up for by strong performances from the three leading ladies: Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, Park and Rec’s Retta and Arrested Development’s Mae Whitman. Plucking the very best from family sitcoms and crime capers, no matter how extraordinary or hilarious a situation the women end up in the show never loses sight of who the characters truly are – frazzled mums trying to do their best to get by. The fourth and final season is available on Netflix now – and the show is addictive enough that you might just get there in one sitting.– Daniel Furn

Hollywood icons Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are still making us laugh well into their 80s in Grace & Frankie – the feel-good Netflix comedy created by Friends producer Marta Kauffman.

The award-winning duo star as the titular Grace and Frankie, two women who are blindsided when their husbands, played by Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen, announce they’re in love with one another and are leaving them to get married. While Grace (Fonda) is an uptight, martini-drinking cosmetics mogul and Frankie (Tomlin) is a free-spirited artist, the two become unlikely friends when they’re forced to stay in their families’ jointly owned beach house.

Featuring a star-studded cast (Brooklyn Decker, June Diane Raphael, Ethan Embry, Baron Vaughn) and fantastic chemistry between Fonda and Tomlin, Grace & Frankie is a fun, heartwarming caper-filled comedy that proved so popular, it inspired its very own SNL tribute. – Daniel Furn

With the fourth – and final – season of the beloved comedy-drama having landed this summer, now is the perfect time to catch up with the Gardner family’s journey so far. Atypical follows Sam, a teenager on the autism spectrum, who decides he’s ready for a romantic relationship – a decision that will take him on a life-changing path that eventually leads to college, moving out and full-blown independence. However, the show follows other characters too, including those closest to Sam. Mum Elsa, dad Doug and sister Casey help the teen on his journey of self-discovery while dealing with their own tumultuous personal lives.

Atypical has been seen as a landmark series for representation, especially from season two onwards when the show incorporated several autistic actors and writers into the production. Always looking for the humour in every situation but also unafraid to switch to more serious and emotional tones, Atypical has evolved into a show that is feel-good, funny, and deeply human. Keir Gilchrist (It Follows) incorporates aspects of the autistic experience that are often overlooked in TV as Sam, while the show pays equal attention to his relationship with those around him – notably his family played by Jennifer Jason-Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Brigette Lundy-Paine (Bill & Ted Face the Music) and Michael Rapaport (Deep Blue Sea). – Daniel Furn

With season two of Special now on Netflix, it couldn’t be a better time to check out this sitcom starring and created by comedian Ryan O’Connell. Based on his memoir, I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, the series follows Ryan Hayes (O’Connell), a young gay man with cerebral palsy working as an intern at a website called Eggwoke.

As he heads out into adult life, stepping away from his mother and throwing himself into his career, Ryan initially tells his colleagues that his disability was caused by a car accident, but slowly begins to embrace his cerebral palsy throughout these 15 minute episodes. A funny, enlightening, heart-warming and unfiltered adaptation of O’Connell’s memoir, Special effectively paints Ryan as an intriguing complex character despite the short episode lengths. – Lauren Morris

Much like series lead Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristin Bell), we too spent much of 2020 wondering if we’d ended up in the Bad Place – luckily, however, breezy afterlife sitcom The Good Place is the perfect remedy for tough times. The show sees saleswoman Eleanor ascend to the Good Place, a heaven-esque utopia designed to be the perfect afterlife for righteous people. There’s just one problem – morally corrupt Eleanor is far from righteous, and must hide her past and learn to become a better person if the other residents are to believe this case of mistaken identity.

While the series started as a heavenly fish-out-of-water comedy, several twists along the way have led the show to creative explorations of philosophy, ethics and what it really means to be good. It’s the perfect show for those looking for a deeper message underneath a light, carefree layer of wholesome comedy, a formula that earned the show a whopping 14 Emmy nominations.

Frozen’s Kristin Bell stars as protagonist Eleanor, with William Jackson-Harper (Midsommar) as Chidi Anagonye, the former professor who attempts to teach Eleanor ethics. Former BBC radio presenter Jameela Jamil plays wealthy philanthropist and Eleanor’s eventual friend Tahani Al-Jamil, while Ted Danson turns in a critically praised performance as afterlife “architect” Michael. – Daniel Furn

The first thing to know about BoJack Horseman is that its lead character is an alcoholic horse voiced by Will Arnett. The second thing to know about BoJack Horseman is that it is absolutely not what you might expect it to be.

BoJack is the washed-up star of ’90s sitcom Horsin’ Around. He now lives a quiet life in his lavish Hollywood Hills home but is planning a comeback with a tell-all autobiography written by ghostwriter Diane. However, he is reckless and difficult to get along with as he battles drug and alcohol addiction.

Though it arguably took a little while to find its feet (or should that be hooves?), the series grew and blossomed and from midway through season one onwards, it became of the best TV shows out there, mocking the emptiness of celebrity and fast fame delivering a truly poignant examination of issues like depression and mental health. Smart, multi-layered, brutal and hilarious, if you’re missing out on BoJack Horseman, you’re just plain missing out. – Morgan Jeffery

Full of heart and humour, The Kominsky Method marks quite possibly a career high for its creator, sitcom veteran Chuck Lorre. The series follows Sandy Kominsky (Michael Douglas), an aging actor and acting coach who has grown old alongside his friend Norman (Alan Arkin), but has to go on without him as he deals with money, death, love, murder and dreams coming true – it premiered in November 2018 on Netflix and immediately won a following with its funny, poignant stylings and sensitive portrait of life, loss and aging.

It might not sound like a groundbreaking premise, but two top-notch lead performances from Douglas and Arkin help elevate the series into something really quite special. Douglas won the Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy for his performance, while the show itself won the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy in 2019. – Owen Tonks

Netflix’s Ginny and Georgia has drawn comparisons to this classic series, but there really is nothing quite like Gilmore Girls. The go-to show when looking for single-parent families on TV, Gilmore Girls follows 30-something Lorelai Gilmore and the close bond she has with her teenage daughter Rory. We then see the two protagonists deal with love and life in the sleepy town of Stars Hollow, with a particular focus on family – including Lorelai’s strained relationship with her own parents – using an effective mix of cross-generational humour and drama.

Known for its quippy fast-paced dialogue and pop culture references, Gilmore Girls drew modest ratings during its initial run, with its later cult classic status prompting Netflix to order a revival in 2016. The show then wrapped up with four-part special Gilmore Girls: a Year in the Life, which is available on Netflix along with the original seven seasons.

The titular mother-daughter duo is portrayed by Lauren Graham as independent single mum Lorelai, with precocious Rory played by Alexis Bledel, now better known as fierce resistance member Emily in The Handmaid’s Tale. However it was a young Melissa McCarthy who became the breakout star of the show, who would go on to star in other Netflix comedies such as Thunder Force. – Daniel Furn

One of the funniest films of all time (fans will debate whether it’s better than Life of Brian), 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail is set in in 932AD and follows King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his servant Patsy (Terry Gilliam) as they recruit Sir Bedevere the Wise (Terry Jones), Sir Lancelot the Brave (John Cleese), Sir Galahad the Pure (Michael Palin) and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot (Eric Idle) to join the Knights of the Round Table.

Superbly silly, Holy Grail – which was shot mainly on location in Scotland – transplants what worked so well about the Pythons’ TV work and translates it seamlessly to the big-screen. There’s not much of a narrative at work here, but that’s part of the fun – what we get instead is 92 minutes packed with iconic, surreal Monty Python humour, from coconuts shells in place of actual horses to the ballad of Camelot. – Owen Tonks

Now over 20 years old, this animated classic still holds up and is widely popular all these years later. A loose parody of The Great Escape, Chicken Run switches the action from Nazi Germany to Mrs. Tweedy’s chicken farm, where she is planning to transform her egg farm into an automated meat pie factory. The only hope for the chickens is a Mel Gibson voiced rooster who can seemingly fly – will the fleeing fowl be able to fly the nest?

One of the very first animated films from Dreamworks – and the first feature-length project from Aardman – Chicken Run still holds the record for the highest-grossing stop-motion animation of all time. Featuring plenty of slapstick action for the children and clever references for the adults, critical acclaim was so unanimous there was an unsuccessful attempt to get the film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar – prompting the introduction of the Best Animated Feature Award. The classic characters will return in the belated Chicken Run sequel, which funnily enough is being made in collaboration with Netflix. – Daniel Furn

A recent international addition to Netflix, Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House 0f Fun features Australian comedy group Aunty Donna take us on absurd adventure through their day-to-day lives in this sketch show. Aunty Donna is, confusingly, a group made up of men, namely performers Mark Samual Bonanno, Broden Kelly, and Zachary Ruane, director Sam Lingham, filmmaker Max Miller; and composer Tom Armstrong. The group originally formed in 2011 intending to exclusively perform live comedy shows, before expanding into podcasts, a YouTube channel and now TV.

Receiving rave reviews from critics and even comparisons to the legendary Monty Python, Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun features the group as fictionalised versions of themselves – as well as several other characters – in a heightened version of their daily lives through satire, parody, wordplay, and breakout musical numbers. Look out for the impressive celebrity cameos – including The Office’s Ed Helms (who also produces), singer “Weird Al” Yankovic, Bob’s Burgers’ Kristen Schaal, and Homelander himself Antony Starr.

If you’re into absurdist comedy then this is for you – storylines include the group’s dishwasher becoming sentient, a search for billion year old pirate “booty” and a challenge to win the most medals at the 2000 Olympics. – Daniel Furn

Playground politics come into the comedy spotlight in this very British sitcom that will be hugely relatable to mothers, fathers and anyone who has had to regularly do the school run. Middle-class Julia Johnson is forced to take a more hands-on approach to her children’s schooling when her mother decides to stop babysitting, and is soon thrust into the mum-eat-mum world of the school’s “Alpha Mums” and the competitiveness that arises.

The unromantic side of motherhood is on full show here, with any glamorous depictions eschewed in favour of far more realistic scenarios such as the PTA’s reign of terror, being blamed for a nit pandemic and the true chaos that arises from trying to host a children’s party. A consistent critical hit – we gave season three five stars out of five in our Motherland review – it’s not surprising when you consider the talent in the writing room: Catastrophe’s Sharon Horgan and comedian Holly Walsh are among those penning the trials and traumas of middle-class motherhood.

Line of Duty‘s Anna Maxwell Martin takes on a very different role as the unorganised Julia newly introduced to the Alpha Mums, while After Life’s Diane Morgan stars as the straight-talking Diane. The Terror‘s Paul Ready is the stay-at-home dad trying – and failing – to integrate into the Alpha Mums, while Hot Fuzz’s Lucy Punch plays the group’s superficially polite leader. – Daniel Furn

Loosely inspired by Doc Brown and Marty McFly from Back to the Future, wacky animated sitcom Rick and Morty delves headfirst into concepts such as alternate realities, microverses and simulations to mine fresh comedy material. The show follows grumpy genius Rick Sanchez as he goes on all sorts of intergalactic adventures with his timid grandson Morty, much to the chagrin of his devoted daughter Beth, her insecure husband Jerry and their teenage daughter Summer. Though the series is mostly episodic in nature, there are some ongoing storylines – with a fan favourite following the Council of Ricks, a group of Ricks from several different dimensions.

This wonderfully inventive series is known for dabbling with scientific theories rarely seen in a comedy, some somewhat realistic (parallel dimensions play a big part) and some completely out there (we’re sure you’ve all heard of Pickle Rick). However, just as clever are some of the narrative twists and character beats – amid all the cosmic chaos, the series can knock an emotional blow out of nowhere.

Co-creator Justin Roiland does the heavy lifting, voicing both Rick and Morty, though he is joined by Sarah Chalke (Scrubs) as Beth, Chris Parnell (30 Rock) as Jerry and Spencer Grammer (Greek) as Summer. – Daniel Furn