Netflix is a treasure trove of great comedies, from classics like Seinfeld to genre-bending shows like The Good Place.
And sometimes, a sitcom is the only thing that can bring a smile to your face after a long, hard day.
Between kooky miscommunication, relationship drama and snappy jokes, these comedy series are guaranteed to make you laugh — but be warned, some of them might bring a joyful tear to your eye as well.
These are the best sitcoms streaming on Netflix right now.
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Sex and the City set the tone for sitcoms about single women in their thirties for decades to come. It’s no wonder that the story of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) spawned two movies and a sequel series, HBO’s And Just Like That. (One could even argue that the movie He’s Just Not That Into You is an SATC spinoff of sorts.) This is the series that paved the way for shows like Insecure, The Mindy Project, Girls and so many more.
As these four women navigate constantly changing careers, boyfriends, fashion and all of life’s other ups and downs, the one constant is their friendship. The relationships between these four very different women are what will keep you coming back to the iconic show. As Charlotte believes, they are each other’s soulmates. And who could ask for more?
One of the newest and most charming sitcoms in the Netflix lineup, North of North is a sweet and funny show about a young Inuk woman living in the Arctic. Siaja (Anna Lambe) married the town golden boy right out of high school and quickly became a wife and mother. An accident makes Siaja realize how stuck she feels in her life, leading her to break up with her husband and strike out on her own. Lambe is effervescent and funny as she navigates the ups and downs of small-town life and single motherhood.
In a tiny town where everyone knows everything about everyone, is it possible to reinvent yourself? Siaja will try to find out in this funny and heartwarming series that showcases a community that’s rarely been seen on screen before.
Michael Schur, the creator of Parks and Recreation, turns the sitcom format on its head in this high-concept series that explores what it means to be a good person. When Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) dies, she quickly realizes that the powers that be have made a mistake — she is not the selfless humanitarian that they meant to put in “The Good Place.”
Eleanor enlists the help of moral philosophy professor Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper) to teach her how to be a better person, so she can avoid being discovered by “afterlife architect” Michael (Ted Danson) and sent to “The Bad Place.” But there’s far more to the afterlife than meets the eye.
Watch The Good Place on Netflix.
A modern twist on a Norman Lear classic, One Day at a Time follows single mom and ex-army nurse Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) as she raises her two kids (Isabella Gomez and Marcel Ruiz). With help from her wacky landlord Schneider (Todd Grinnell) and her dramatic and glamorous mother, Lydia (Rita Moreno), the Alvarez family will “muddle through one day at a time.”
Moreno shines like the diva she is in this sitcom, which manages to deftly tackle social issues and still produce real laughs. Don’t skip the theme song, which is sung by Gloria Estefan – it will have you dancing around your living room every episode.
Watch One Day at a Time on Netflix.
This new Netflix comedy was created by The Office star Mindy Kaling, who has a proven track record of producing hilarious series like The Sex Lives of College Girls, Never Have I Ever, and The Mindy Project. Running Point definitely lives up to its comedy pedigree. It stars Kate Hudson as Isla, a reformed party girl who gets the chance to prove herself as she’s left in charge of her family’s pro basketball team. Other notable stars include Brenda Song (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody), Drew Tarver (The Other Two), and Max Greenfield (New Girl). With its fun sports setting and its stellar cast, Running Point is a charming new addition to Netflix’s comedy library.
Watch Running Point on Netflix.
Go back in time to the mid-’90s, when “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland were finally coming to an end, and join the misadventures of Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) and her best friends as they try to raise their social capital at their private Catholic school.
This Channel 4 comedy was a breakout role for Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlin, who plays Erin’s anxious friend Claire. Siobhán McSweeney is particularly funny as Sister George Michael, the strict and sarcastic nun who rules the school with an iron fist. If you enjoy ‘90s fashion, awkward coming-of-age stories, and joke-heavy dialogue delivered in Irish accents, you’ll love Derry Girls.
Watch Derry Girls on Netflix.
The “show about nothing” made Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David household names for a reason. The misadventures of comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his friends Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George (Jason Alexander), and Kramer (Michael Richards) have had a profound influence on American culture, and if you’ve never binged it, you’re missing out.
Learn the origins of “No soup for you,” “Yadda yadda yadda,” and “close talkers,” or revisit them for the millionth time.
You can watch Seinfeld on Netflix.
Who knew an animated show about an anthropomorphic horse could make you cry as hard as it makes you laugh? In a world where humans and humanoid animals live together, BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett) is a washed-up actor who once starred in a beloved ‘90s sitcom. He tries to get his life and career back on track with help from his agent Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), his roommate Todd (Aaron Paul), his memoirist Diane (Alison Brie), and his former sitcom rival Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins).
Unfortunately, BoJack’s propensity for alcohol, drugs and general selfishness keeps getting in the way. Every second of this Hollywood satire is packed full of more jokes than you can notice in a single viewing. Rewatching isn’t just recommended, it’s practically mandatory.
Watch BoJack Horseman on Netflix.
Issa (Issa Rae) and her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji) have each other’s backs through relationship drama and career hurdles in this hilarious, raunchy and surprisingly moving HBO show. Insecure sometimes feels like a cooler, Los Angeles-based interpretation of Sex and the City, which is definitely a compliment. But it’s also unapologetically its own thing.
Issa’s love interests Lawrence (Jay Ellis), Daniel (Y’lan Noel), and Nathan (Kendrick Samson) keep her on her toes, while her friends Kelly (Natasha Rothwell of The White Lotus) and Tiffany (Amanda Seales) keep her laughing. If you loved SATC or Girls but haven’t seen Insecure, now’s the time to add it to your queue.
Watch Insecure on Netflix.
Jason Bateman plays the put-upon Michael Bluth in the story “of a wealthy family that lost everything, and the son who had no choice but to keep them all together.” Fans love Arrested Development for its insanely quotable humor (“There’s always money in the banana stand!”), its convoluted plots and its multi-talented cast. The members of the Bluth family are as self-centered as they are foolish, yet you can’t help but love them.
The show, which originally aired on Fox for three seasons and was revived by Netflix for two more, stars Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, David Cross, and Alia Shawkat. It’s narrated by Ron Howard and has a seemingly never-ending list of A-list cameos from Charlize Theron to Ben Stiller. Once you watch it, you’ll realize you “blue yourself” by not watching it sooner.
Watch Arrested Development on Netflix.
Another Mindy Kaling sitcom, Never Have I Ever follows Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a high school sophomore who is recovering from the sudden and unexpected death of her beloved dad. To represent Devi’s hot-headed nature, the show is narrated by infamously furious tennis player John McEnroe.
In an attempt to become popular, Devi makes a bold move by asking the hottest guy in school, Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet) to take her virginity. Full of comedic misunderstandings, love triangles, and on-point pop culture references, Never Have I Ever also does an excellent job of portraying grief and the pains of growing up.
Watch Never Have I Ever on Netflix.
Saturday Night Live alum Andy Samberg stars in this police procedural sitcom about the fearless, talented, and delightfully kooky detectives of Brooklyn’s 99th Precinct. The show is funny without being mean-spirited, smart without being preachy and does “case-of-the-week” without feeling repetitive.
It also features a fantastic sitcom “will they/won’t they” couple with Jake Peralta (Samberg) and Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero). Fans of The Office and Parks and Recreation will love Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which also stars Stephanie Beatriz (Encanto), Terry Crews (Everybody Hates Chris), and Joe Lo Truglio (Superbad). The late Andre Braugher shines as the hilariously deadpan Captain Raymond Holt. Seasons 3-6 of the sitcom are available on Netflix.
Watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix.
