What to Binge When You're Stuck at Home: Quirky Comedies
03.17.2020
When a shelter-in-place order is just around the corner, an irrelevant and likely British comedy is just the thing to get your mind off the state of the world.
Good thing today's sheer tonnage of television has allowed many unique comedy voices to offer their take on things. The world views of people like Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Sharon Horgan aren't always the perkiest, but their dark humor will likely be a perfect match for your own during what sure feels like a dark time.
Below we give the show's primary subscription streaming service but most shows are also available for purchase by episode or by season on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Prime or YouTube.
FX's Better Things
Auteur Pamela Adlon plays single mom and working actor Sam Fox who is raising three daughters in sunny, funny Los Angeles while looking after her somewhat addled mother, Phil (Celia Imrie) who lives (conveniently?) across the street.
Available on FX on Hulu.
Hulu's Casual
Newly divorced Valerie (Michaela Watkins) is trying to explore her new single life and she's doing it alongside her brother, Alex (Tommy Dewey) while they both help her daughter, Laura (Tara Lynne Barr), as she experiences the pain of adolescence. The show is created by Zander Lehman and directed by Jason Reitman.
All four seasons, composed of eight episodes each, are available on Hulu.
Amazon Prime's Catastrophe
One person's catastrophe is another's opportunity to get married and start a family? That's the premise of this Brit-com from Sharon Horgan, who stars with Rob Delaney as an Irish lass who has a fling with a traveling American only to discover that she's pregnant.
All four seasons of six episodes each are available on Amazon Prime.
Netflix's Dead To Me
Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini play two women, Jen and Judy, who become besties after Jen's husband suddenly dies. In her grief, Jen finds herself turning to Judy, but neither knows the secrets the other is concealing.
Dead to Me is streaming on Netflix with season two expected out this year.
Amazon's Fleabag
No show was more decorated in the 2019-20 TV season than Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag. The show absolutely blew everyone out of the holy water with her tales of the Hot Priest (Andrew Scott) and Fleabag's continued struggle to make herself into a better person, despite her dysfunctional family's best, if unintentional, efforts to thwart her.
Both seasons of Fleabag are available on Amazon Prime and they are the fastest and most fabulous binge to which you may ever treat yourself.
FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
With 14 seasons under its belt, this may be the only show you need (or will have time) to binge during the next few weeks of downtime. Always Sunny stars Rob McElhenney, who also created and executive produces the show, along with Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton, who also executive produce. Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito also star and all five of them comprise "the gang."
Follow along with the gang's wacky and mundane adventures on FX on Hulu or buy episodes on Amazon Prime, iTunes, YouTube or Google Play.
Hulu's Shrill
Starring Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant as Annie, a woman of a certain size who is sick of feeling shamed and is taking her life into her own hands with varying results.
Shrill-which also stars Luka Jones as Annie's less-than-focused-but-sweet boyfriend Ryan, Lolly Adefope as her best friend and roommate Fran and Julia Sweeney as her over-critical mom-is based on the best-seller by Lindy West.
Both seasons of Shrill are available to stream on Hulu.
Pop's Schitt's Creek
Everyone's favorite show is the little-series-that-could, Schitt's Creek, from Dan Levy, son of Eugene, who also stars in the series along with Catherine O'Hara and Annie Murphy.
In the series, a down-on-their-luck rich family is forced to move to the podunk town they own and let's just say they never really fully adjust.
Dunk yourself in Schitt's Creek on Netflix.
Netflix's Sex Education
Just because your mum is a gorgeous sex therapist doesn't mean you know the first thing about sex. But you probably know a fair amount more than your very confused peers.
Asa Butterfield stars as Otis, who is just trying to get through high school without being seen until his talent is discovered by the brilliant and beautiful Maeve (Emma Mackey) who's got some problems of her own.
Get some Sex Education on Netflix where season two just premiered in January.
FX's What We Do in the Shadows
Based on the vampire movie of the same name from Jemaine Clement and Oscar winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), FX moves the TV version of this vampire coven from Australia to Staten Island, where they are tasked with ruling all of North America but are having trouble just presiding over their neighborhood. And forget it when they go into Manhattan.
This subtly hilarious show stars Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Matt Berry and Mark Proksch as the vampires and Harvey Guillén as their human familiar, Guillermo.
What We Do in the Shadows is available to stream on FX on Hulu.