The 8 Best Satire Shows of the Last 25 Years, Ranked
Jessica is a young writer from Brisbane, Australia. An avid consumer and lover of all things Film and TV, you will never tear her away from a screen. A tendency rooted from childhood, she once had dreams of becoming a member of the famed kids-band 'Hi-5'. Perhaps that's what pushed her to secure an education with a theater background. But now, as dreams evolved, her passions have turned to admiring performances from afar. Frankly, she's just grateful that she can put her binging skills to good use. Outside of work, Jessica recently completed her undergraduate double degree in Arts/Communications. Other than that, she spends most of her free time with family and friends, probably never forgetting to talk about the new movie or show she watched the day prior.
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Satire has a funny way of making us laugh at things that probably shouldn't be quite as funny. Of course, the best ones usually take aim at politics, pop culture, power, and all the strange little ways people behave. They are, after all, exaggerating them just enough to reveal what's ridiculous underneath. Sometimes the target is obvious, while others will have you analyzing its nuances.
That's the beauty of television. Over 25 years, its episodic storytelling has become the perfect conduit for social commentary. It's just long enough to let the message sink in while also having so much fun along the way. So, from dysfunctional families to corrupt politicians and manic superheroes to odd TV hosts, these are the shows that have found the best way to hold a mirror up to the world.
8 'The Boys' (2019–2026)
When Hughie Campbell's (Jack Quaid) girlfriend is killed by the reckless actions of a superhero, he is recruited by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) to help expose the corruption behind the main (and seemingly perfectly) hero group known as the Seven. But what begins as a mission to take down a few dangerous superheroes gradually becomes a much bigger battle against the corporations, institutions, and personalities that have turned heroism into a business.
The Boys has plenty of outrageous violence, comedy, and superhero spectacle, but its satire is at its sharpest when the characters aren't punching each other. In many ways, the show takes aim at celebrity culture, corporate branding, political propaganda, and the way outrage can be turned into a highly profitable product. The result? A superhero show that understands how ridiculous the genre can become when its larger-than-life characters are given the same incentives, egos, and PR problems as everyone else. To think reality has practically replicated the events of the show.
7 'Cunk on Earth' (2022)
Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) sets out to explain the entire history of human civilization, traveling around the world while interviewing real historians, academics, and experts along the way. The only problem: Cunk has absolutely no idea what she's talking about, as seen by the increasingly absurd questions she poses to her subjects—all of which have to maintain their composure.
Everyone loves a good mockumentary, and there's no better host than Philomena Cunk. For one, Morgan's completely straight-faced performance allows the show to poke fun at the ways documentaries and educational television often present complicated ideas. Plus, the bizarre questions also force genuinely knowledgeable people to explain their subjects from unexpectedly ridiculous angles, making Cunk on Earth surprisingly good at revealing how strange human history actually is. Luckily, there's more to see when it comes to Cunk's antics.
6 'Rick & Morty' (2013–Present)
Anxious teenager Morty Smith (Justin Roiland) is dragged into increasingly dangerous adventures by his alcoholic, nihilistic genius of a grandfather, Rick Sanchez (Roiland). Armed with technology that allows them to travel between dimensions, the pair encounters alien civilizations, alternate versions of themselves, bizarre creatures, and problems that are usually far bigger than anything happening in the Smith family's suburban home.
As one of the great modern animations, Rick & Morty's satire shines as it can turn almost anything into a target, whether that be mocking sci-fi, toxic masculinity, internet culture, or even the increasingly convoluted mythology of its own show. The constant dimension-hopping gives the writers almost unlimited freedom to take familiar ideas and push them into completely absurd territory, while Rick's cynical worldview provides an easy target for the show's dark humor. Yet, for all its nihilism, Rick & Morty makes sure to anchor their adventures with the messy reality of family and relationships. It's really the best of both worlds.
5 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (2005–Present)
Five deeply dysfunctional and codependent friends run Paddy's Pub in Philadelphia. Most of the time, they spend their days coming up with increasingly terrible schemes to make money, gain social status, settle petty arguments, or simply prove that one of them is better than everyone else. The only issue? Their plans routinely spiral into complete diasters.
What makes It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia such a brilliant satire is its willingness to let its characters be genuinely awful without turning them into lovable rogues. The Gang's selfishness, vanity, and complete inability to learn from their mistakes are the engine of comedy, allowing the show to take aim at everything from American politics and class division to masculinity, celebrity culture, and social hypocrisy. Frankly, it's impressive that even after two decades, the joke remains that these people never become better—they simply find new and increasingly elaborate ways to make the same terrible decisions.
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.
4 'The Office' (2005–2013)
In Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch, selling paper is considerably less interesting than whatever ridiculous drama is happening around the office. At the center of it all is regional manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell), a well-meaning but painfully inappropriate boss who desperately wants to be loved by his employees.
As one of the best comedies of all time, The Office's satire stems from recognizing the oddities of the modern workplace. From Michael's desperate need for attention, Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) obsession with authority, Jim's (John Krasinski) boredom, and the endless cycle of corporate bureaucracy—everything is an exaggerated (but familiar) office behavior. Add in the mockumentary-style format that adds a wonderfully dry perspective, and this is a show that loves to sit in the ridiculous, even if it comes through the most mundane situations.
3 'Kath & Kim' (2002–2007)
In the fictional suburbs of Fountain Lakes, Kath & Kim follows the daily lives of Kath Day-Knight (Jane Turner) and her daughter Kim Craig née Day (Gina Riley) as they navigate relationships, fashion, social status, and their very different ideas about what constitutes a glamorous life. Alongside their husbands and Kim's best-friend Sharon (Magda Szubanski), the two stumble through life while remaining blissfully unaware of how ridiculous they often appear.
Yes, there are several shows that turn ordinary suburban aspirations into comedy, but none have been as culturally iconic for a nation than Kath & Kim. In this Australian staple, the show takes aim at class, consumerism, beauty standards, and social climbing. However, it does so through characters who are far too recognizable to dismiss as simple caricatures. Sure, this mother-daughter duo are ridiculous, but let's appreciate how Tuner and Riley are utter perfection as they give performances that are endlessly quotable and deliciously camp.
2 'Succession' (2018–2023)
As owners of the global media conglomerate Waystar Royco, the Roy family find themselves caught in a battle for control as aging patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) considers what will happen to his company when he eventually steps aside. His children—Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin)—all position themselves as potential successors, all while navigating betrayals, corporate warfare, and an almost endless series of humiliating attempts to win Logan's approval.
This may be an intense drama, but let's not ignore how effective Succession's satire was, as it rarely needed to tell the audience that the Roys were utterly ridiculous. All you had to do was witness how their wealth and power completely eroded their morals. Throughout its four seasons, the show made sure to skewer the ultra-rich, the media empires, political influences, and the idea that money could somehow produce people capable of making sensible decisions. Better still, its greatest joke remained that despite having all the resources to buy their desires, the family still spent their lives desperately trying to one-up the other—even if all they needed was genuine love.
1 'Veep' (2012–2019)
As former senator Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) becomes Vice President of the United States, she quickly realizes that occupying one of the most powerful positions in the country doesn't always mean she actually gets to make any decisions. To make matters more complicated, around her is an equally dysfunctional team of advisers who spend most of their time trying to fix problems they have frequently helped create.
What makes Veep such a stellar satire is how it completely strips the glamour from politics. There are no grand speeches about public service or noble leaders trying to change the world. Instead, politicians obsess over polls, headlines, personal rivalries, petty insults, and how every decision will affect their careers. Just look at how the show's famously vicious dialogue turns political spin into a competitive sport, with characters constantly trying to manipulate one another. In the end, Veep is at its funniest when enormous political consequences are treated like workplace annoyances, making the White House feel less like the center of global power and more like the world's most dysfunctional office. Interesting how this show has aged.
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