I had this post all written up for that spam forum game, and the thread closed right before I finished it. But can’t let this rambling go to waste! Someone mentioned Schitt’s Creek so I had to sing its praises, and then got into realizing all my favourite sitcoms lately have been non-American. Come in, let me know if you’ve seen these, tell me what else I should watch, weigh in on Hollywood vs Other! Anyway, the planned post:
Can’t recommend Schitt’s Creek highly enough. The pacing of the humour is really unique - some of the cuts away mid-joke remind me of vine almost? All the leads are hysterical, the costuming is brilliant and like it’s own joke, it’s really good at portraying family relationships (especially adult siblings, David and Alexis have one of the best dynamics I’ve seen on TV), and despite how silly it starts off it really has a ton of heart. So glad it got so much recognition at the Emmys this year - it had the same arc as Orphan Black that way lol, in that it spent a bunch of seasons with the academy going “that’s some Canadian show let’s not even watch it” and then a few years in they finally do, go “holy shit it’s brilliant”, and it suddenly wins everything
Also this puts me on two tangents of other recommendations - the quicker one is speaking of adult sibling relationships on TV, Grace & Frankie does that really well too. That one goes a bit beyond because it’s two families who grew up together, and the jokes between the sisters, between the brothers, and across both families are all super good. Idk why I like that humour so much, I guess it’s a kind of relationship you don’t see portrayed that often but it’s such a big part of a lot of our lives? And the balance of mature now but still petty haha.
The other point is all the sitcoms I’ve loved recently are from places other than Hollywood. Schitt’s Creek is one, I also loooove Derry Girls (Northern Ireland), Please Like Me (Australia), and Catastrophe (England). This has been coincidental not intentional, I’m not trying to like snub American shows, but idk these ones all feel less forced and more “real” than current Hollywood ones I’ve watched (some of which I also love - The Good Place is awesome).
Derry Girls is about teenagers in the 90s during the revolution in Northern Ireland, it doesn’t super get into the politics but it’s happening around the characters and the juxtaposition between it and their super normal lives makes a really interesting dynamic (and one that’s timely for North America right now frankly). The sets and costumes and jokes and everything all feel very real. At one point there’s a whole C plot about how one of the other moms lent the main character’s mom a big bowl and says she doesn’t need it back, and the mom with the bowl losing her MIND trying to figure out why, and it’s just so.. I mean I know I keep saying real, but that’s it. It’s such specific things that I’d never think to write about but love to see.
Please Like Me is about young adults just trying to live their lives and love themselves and each other in kind of a found family situation, but again, one that actually kind of looks like my life (unlike something like Friends, which I also loved at the time but really don’t see myself in). It really gets into mental health stuff, and gets dark and sad but stays loving and sweet. Trigger warning for this one - the pilot does come in following the main character’s mom’s suicide attempt, and we go from there. If you saw Hannah Gadsby’s special Nanette, she’s in this (and if you haven’t watched it but like stand up, you should!)
Catastrophe is about a couple that shouldn’t really be a couple, an American guy goes to London on a business trip, has a fling with an Irish woman there, and then they find out she’s pregnant so he moves to England and they give its a shot. And it’s just messy and real and sweet and angry, and a super thorough portrayal of a relationship. Both leads are writer/comedians and it’s FUNNY.
Anyway this has been my unprompted gushing about sitcoms lmao. I also just found out there’s a documentary about Schitt’s Creek on netflix so I will be watching that immediately.
I've been meaning to check out Derry Girls, but haven't heard of a lot of these!
I feel like I've only watched really popular stuff, so not sure how useful it'll be.
Broad City
I've watched through Broad City twice since lockdown started. Made me really homesick for New York even though my lifestyle wasn't anything like Abby's or Ilana's. It's ridiculous but so uplifting and the relationships between all of the characters in that show are something I'd strive to have.
Good Place
Everybody knows this show I feel like I don't need to pitch it, but I'll give an extra .02. Mike Schur says he was inspired by and did a lot of chatting with Damon Lindelof for this one. Not an official collaboration by any means, but you can feel it. The Leftovers is devastating and I love it, so completely different vibe from the uplifting Good Place, and I can't really put my finger on specifics that are similar to The Good Place, but the essence is there in a whole new flavor.
Russian Doll
Definitely crossing into the dark comedy territory, but this show is SO good. Stars Natasha Lyonne caught in a time loop, continuing to die and resetting at her birthday, and tries to unpack her life and what might be cuasing it. Another show where New York City is a character in itself, though differently from Broad City.
Now thinking about a bunch more shows I've been meaning to watch!
@(you need an account to see links) I love Broad City! It’s cool to see women being messy, unsuccessful, impolite, stoners, all the things they’re never allowed to be in media, and to see such a ride or die friendship. And it keeps that at the core as they do grow up. I should rewatch it actually. And I haven’t heard of Russian Doll but it sounds like I need to watch!
And yeah, that's really on the nose for Broad City. And just... they felt so much more real and human that some of the actual people I knew in their 20s in New York, lol.
Ahhhh I really love Schitt's Creek and Derry Girls, Grace and Frankie, and Orphan Black as well! I don't watch a lot of sitcoms, but I do find that recurring theme I like to see is optimistic television. Schitt's Creek hits that for me just like Parks and Rec did (only with better humor - sorry P&R!) and I find it hard to scope out media like that.
So I'll have my eyes on this thread for some good optimistic television!!!
I second your recommendation for Schitt’s Creek.
This show.
It made me feel so much emotion. I sobbed because I was devastated, I sobbed because I was so happy, I sobbed because I was laughing so hard. This is comedic genius. It’s so funny. It’s so emotional.
I’ve recently been watching Will and Grace on Prime. It’s aged very, very well. I find it very wild that something this OUT THERE was so popular when it aired. I find myself laughing out loud at some of the jokes and lines. I would definitely recommend watching it.
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