The 10 Best Netflix Original Comedy Shows, Ranked
Writing from the Chicagoland area in Illinois, Robert is an avid movie watcher and will take just about any excuse to find time to go to his local movie theaters. Robert graduated from Bradley University with degrees in Journalism and Game Design with a minor in Film Studies. Robert tries his best to keep up with all the latest movie releases, from those released in theaters to those released on streaming. While he doesn't always keep up with the latest TV shows, he makes it a goal to watch nearly every major new release possible. He has been honing his craft and following any and all movie news all his life, leading up to now, where he has a vast knowledge of film and film history. He also logs every movie that he watches on his Letterboxd page, and has hosted a weekly online movie night with his closest friends for over 6 years.
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Netflix has easily proven itself to be the titan of the streaming world, having completely revolutionized how television and film are consumed daily. While many other streaming services have come up in the wake of Netflix's massive success, few have been able to stand their ground with the original masters of streaming, thanks in part to Netflix's extensive catalog of original content. Of all the different types and genres of content that Netflix has released, its original comedy series have easily been some of its strongest work.
From massive cultural phenomena to underground hidden gems, there is a seemingly endless number of great comedy series that Netflix has created to cultivate its rich streaming catalog. The upper echelon of the comedy series offerings that the service has to offer has gone down in history as some of the greatest and most recognizable comedy series of the modern era of television as a whole. There's sure to be at least one Netflix comedy series that fits one's specific niche and brand of comedy, as there are frankly too many great choices to choose from.
10 'Grace and Frankie' (2015–2022)
One of the longest-running series on Netflix, Grace and Frankie follows the unlikely friendship between the sharp and quick-witted former mogul Grace and free spirit artist Frankie. While the duo had never gotten along with one another, their lives are completely changed when it's revealed that their husbands have been secretly in love with one another for years. The duo now find themselves finding more time together than ever before, forced to navigate this unexpected family drama with only each other by their sides.
While many Netflix shows have succeeded off of their strong narratives and serialized storylines, Grace and Frankie harkens back to the biggest comedies of cable in its simplicity and ability to be picked up whenever. While it took a while for the show to truly find its footing and comedic voice, it works spectacularly at exuding a comforting and wholesome energy that is quickly passed on to the audience. A great deal of the show's success can be attributed to the iconic comedic duo of Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, masters of their craft who are electrifying in every scene.
9 'Never Have I Ever' (2020–2023)
Never Have I Ever is a teen coming-of-age series that follows teenage girl Devi Cishwakumar, who, after a multitude of tragedies that have affected her life, is soon given the drive to power through the rest of her high school experience. Especially after her freshman year had her as a complete social outcast, she wants to do all that she can to leave behind the painful emotional baggage and make the most of her high school years, dealing with her own personal identity in the process.
Netflix has featured a multitude of iconic coming-of-age stories on the platform, from massively successful franchises like To All the Boys to hidden gems like American Vandal. However, Never Have I Ever easily stands out as one of Netflix's most personal and compelling coming-of-age stories, tying into a number of deep and mature themes and set pieces. This, however, doesn't stop the series from having a strong comedic core, as it's able to effectively balance drama, romance, and comedy into a highly compelling and engaging singular package.
8 'GLOW' (2017–2019)
GLOW follows the story of the wild and extravagant characters surrounding a 1980s women's professional wrestling circuit known as the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW). The series specifically focuses on Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), known as "Zoya the Destroya" in the ring, in her attempts to audition and make it big in the ring. She finds herself clashing with executives and fellow wrestlers on her road to the top, but nothing will stop her from achieving her dreams.
GLOW is the definitive peak when it comes to sports shows on Netflix, finding the perfect balance between the electricity and excitement from competition and a great cast of comedic characters to balance it all out. The setup of a wild '80s wrestling federation lends itself to a great deal of memorable and hilarious characters, creating a perfect ensemble cast that builds the foundation for a genuinely compelling storyline.
7 'Wednesday' (2022–Present)
One of the most-watched series in Netflix history, Wednesday is a modern coming-of-age adaptation of the classic Addams Family story and characters, focusing specifically on eldest daughter Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega). The film sees Wednesday having to deal with the difficulties and changes of going to a new school, while at the same time attempting to solve an unexpected murder mystery that is impacting the entire student body.
Modern Addams Family adaptations have been incredibly hit or miss, yet Wednesday perfectly understands the right balance between horror, comedy, and charm to make the entire experience a blast to watch. It comes across as the perfect modern evolution of these characters and storylines, feeling endlessly timeless yet as relevant as ever as it provides a brilliant new twist on the classic characters. With multiple seasons expanding Wednesday’s story at Nevermore, the series has firmly established itself as one of Netflix's defining modern hits.
6 'Beef' (2023–Present)
One of the biggest surprises and comedic smash hits of recent memory from Netflix, Beef takes the simple premise of road rage gone wrong and takes it to its absolute dramatic and comedic extremes. The series sees two strangers, Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong), who get involved in a road rage incident in a parking lot. This soon spirals out of control into a massive, prolonged feud that ends up having massive unforeseen consequences for both of them. Season 2 shifts the focus to a new group of characters whose personal and professional tensions collide within the wealthy world of an elite country club, setting off another escalating cycle of self-destruction.
Few comedy series have the perfect pacing, structure, and pinpoint execution that Beef provides, excelling greatly both narratively and comedically across the board. Yeun and Wong are a perfect comedic duo, with their characters elevating the material and making each scene that they are a part of highly exhilarating as well as hilarious. Its first season remains one of Netflix's strongest self-contained comedy-drama stories, while the anthology format allows later installments to explore completely different characters and conflicts.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Netflix Character Would Be Your Best Friend? Dustin · Emily · Wednesday · Gi-hun
Some friends drag you out of the house. Some sit with you on the worst night of your life. Netflix has written both, plus the one who tells you the truth you have been avoiding all week. Answer eight quick questions about how you actually do friendship, and find out which of them was always going to end up in your corner.
🧢Dustin(Stranger Things)
🗼Emily(Emily in Paris)
🕷️Wednesday(Wednesday)
🟢Gi-hun(Squid Game)
01
How do you usually end up making a new friend? The origin story says a lot about the friendship that follows it.
02
What is a perfect Saturday with your best friend? Friendship is mostly built out of very ordinary hours.
03
You call them at two in the morning. What happens? This is the real test of a friendship, and everybody knows it.
04
What do you want from them when you are clearly wrong? The best friendships are the ones that survive being corrected.
05
What do your friends actually value about you? The friend you attract says something about the friend you are.
06
You have a falling out. How does it go? How a friendship repairs itself matters more than how it breaks.
07
What do you actually need a best friend for? Everybody is missing something. The right friend fills that gap.
08
Ten years from now, what keeps the two of you close? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides who you get.
The Group Chat Has Spoken Your Best Friend Is…
Four Netflix characters, four completely different ways of showing up for somebody. This is the one who fits how you actually do friendship, and what having them in your life would be like.
Dustin Henderson
You do not do friendship at half volume, and neither does he. What you want is somebody who says yes to the plan before you have finished describing the plan.
- Dustin is the friend the entire show runs on: loyal past the point of sense, enthusiastic about everything, and incapable of leaving anybody behind.
- You have the same instinct. Your friendships are loud, specific and slightly ridiculous, and they last for decades because of it.
- He is also the one person who would take your strangest interest completely seriously, which is far rarer than it sounds.
- You would have a group chat. It would never once be quiet.
Emily Cooper
You are the friend who makes things happen, and so is she. Together you would be mildly exhausting to everyone around you and completely delighted with yourselves.
- Emily treats an ordinary Tuesday as something that could be turned into an occasion, which is either the best or the worst quality in a friend depending on your energy levels.
- You share her refusal to sit still. Neither of you has ever accepted a night in when something was happening somewhere else.
- She is far more loyal than people give her credit for. She defends her friends loudly, publicly, and occasionally before checking the facts.
- She would post the photo without asking. You would forgive her, because it is a very good photo.
Wednesday Addams
You have no patience for pleasant lies, and she has no ability to tell them. What looks like coldness from the outside is the most reliable friendship on this list.
- Wednesday never says a kind thing she does not mean, which makes the rare ones count for an enormous amount.
- You would rather be told the truth than be made comfortable. She is constitutionally incapable of offering you anything else.
- Underneath all of it she is ferociously protective. She simply refuses to make a performance out of caring.
- Do not expect a birthday message. Do expect her to ruin anyone who wrongs you.
Seong Gi-hun
You look after whoever is having the worst day. So does he. It is the least strategic way to move through the world and the best possible quality in a friend.
- Gi-hun is not the strongest player in Squid Game, or the cleverest. He is the one who keeps choosing to protect somebody else, over and over, at genuine cost to himself.
- You have the same instinct. You notice who is struggling and you stay with them, long after anybody would blame you for leaving.
- He is a flawed friend, and that is part of why it lands. He lets people down, then comes back and tries again, which is more than most manage.
- He would give you his last chance and never once mention that he had done it.
5 'Sex Education' (2019–2023)
Sex Education is a British teen sex comedy series that follows the various lives and misadventures of teenagers and adults in the fictional town of Moordale. Each member of the cast has their own personal issues and dilemmas, more often than not dealing with sexual intimacy and identity. Throughout the series, each character takes a deeper look within themselves to resolve and come to a greater understanding of their sense of self in their own comedic and awkward way.
The methodology that Sex Education tackles and explores such normally taboo and previously taboo topics of a sexual nature and creates genuine comedy out of otherwise awkward topics is highly commendable. It comes down to just how likable and relatable Sex Education's brilliant cast of characters is, making it easy to root for them as well as laugh alongside them in their awkward moments. It's one of the most unique and original comedic series out there, with it having continued to raise its own bar for what was possible into an exciting, hilarious, and heartfelt conclusion.
4 'Dear White People' (2017–2021)
Acting as a television series continuation of the 2014 film of the same name, Dear White People follows the stories of several black college students attending the fictional Ivy League college, Winchester University. Each of their stories finds a way to tackle the issues and struggles surrounding modern American race relations through its progressive lens, and continues upon the talking points and storylines established in the original film.
While the original Dear White People film certainly had its fans, the story and characters truly hit their stride when it took the jump into a full series format. It allowed for greater dramatic and comedic exploration of its broad and dynamic supporting cast of characters while having the time and individualized focus to truly elevate its material. The original film was already a collection of four different stories, so the expansion into a full-on series only made everything about the premise that much better, creating one of the most dynamic and effective series Netflix has put out.
3 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' (2015–2019)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt follows the story of the titular Kimmy Schmidt, a 29-year-old who spent the last 15 years of her life held captive alongside three other women by the Reverend Richard Wayne. Having now been freed from the cult, Kimmy wants to do everything that she can to make sure that this terrifying time in her life doesn't define her, and sets out to do great things with her relentless optimism.
With its signature dark humor and top-notch characters, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was the show that first proved to many people that a comedic sitcom could work on a streaming service. The show truly epitomizes the strengths of the streaming era of comedy shows as a whole, acting as the trailblazer for the majority of great comedies that would follow in its footsteps. Years after the show's powerful finale, it still holds strong as one of the most legendary and iconic shows that Netflix has ever released.
2 'I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson' (2019–2023)
I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson is a sketch comedy show run by and primarily starring former Saturday Night Live star Tim Robinson. The sketches used throughout the series employ a signature style of comedy that combines surrealism, cringe comedy, and a cavalcade of hilarious embarrassing moments. The series has created a multitude of iconic sketches and internet memes, creating a situation where even if you haven't even heard of or watched the show, you would probably recognize one of the sketches.
It's difficult for any sketch comedy show to stand out with competition like Saturday Night Live seemingly dominating the sketch comedy marketplace for decades. However, I Think You Should Leave taps brilliantly into the exact style of wild, in-your-face yet painfully cringe style of humor that thrives on the modern, irony-jaded internet spaces and social media. Its willingness to throw increasingly bizarre concepts at audiences has helped the three-season series build an unusually devoted following and a lasting presence in online comedy culture.
1 'Bojack Horseman' (2014–2020)
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BoJack Horseman is an adult animated series that follows the misadventures and chaotic life of washed-up Hollywood star BoJack Horseman, living in a world comprised of both humans and anthropomorphic animals. In the many years since his stardom on the hit 90s sitcom 'Horsin' Around', Bojack has become an alcoholic mess of himself, failing to find fulfilling work and wallowing with his close friends. He soon finds a way to possibly end up back in the limelight when an offer comes along to help catalog and write an autobiography about his life.
BoJack Horseman has earned itself a powerful reputation over the years for being one of the strongest and most emotionally powerful animated series of all time, with a great mixture of drama, twists, and incredibly memorable characters. While a majority of the show's massive reputation comes from the back of its heart-wrenching story and emotional core, this isn't to ignore the brilliant comedic chops that are baked into its very DNA. From constant background gags to satirical jabs at Hollywood culture to some of the best dialogue in the business, the show never loses its footing as a comedy, even when it delves into deeply heavy subject matter.
BoJack Horseman
- Release Date
- 2014 - 2020-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Raphael Bob-Waksberg
- Directors
- Amy Winfrey, JC Gonzalez, Adam Parton, Joel Moser, Martin Cendreda, Peter Merryman, Matt Mariska, Mike Roberts, Mollie Helms, Tim Rauch
-
BoJack Horseman / BoBo the Angsty Zebra (voice)
-
Todd Chavez / Emperor Fingerface (voice)
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