It was a good year for scriptedcomedy, with many different genres, from mystery to supernatural, bringing the funny.It’s also been a year of change, with comedy fixtures likeHBO’sCurb Your Enthusiasmheading to the exit, making room for the next great comedy to take its place.
With the year almost over, it’s time to look back and reviewwhich comedies made the biggest impressions, earned the biggest laughs, and caused the biggest sighs of disappointment when the season was over too soon. From supernatural documentaries to school-based shenanigans, these are the best comedies of 2024.
Created by Bill Lawrence
Based on the novel of the same name byCarl Hiaasen,Bad MonkeystarsVince Vaughnas charming and self-destructive detective Andrew Yancy. Yancy is on suspended leave for attacking the husband of the woman he’s sleeping with and now languishes in a job inspecting restaurants for health code violations. Things are looking bleak for Yancy,but the appearance of a severed appendagepulls the former detective into a complicated case of murder and fraud.
ScrubscreatorBill Lawrencedid an admirable job ofmixing comedy with an intriguing narrative full of double-crosses and colorful charactersto make it one of the stronger comedies of the year. Vaughn does well as the detective who’s consistently his own worst enemy but intelligent enough to crack the case anyway. A strong supporting cast, includingRob Delaneyand a wonderfulNatalie Martinez, flesh out the world audiences will hopefully see again soon.
Bad Monkey
9’Only Murders in the Building' (2021-)
Created by John Hoffman & Steve Martin
It may notbe safeto live in or visit the Arconiaapartment building, but for Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez), it’s a great way to make a podcast.Following the lives of three strangers who bond over their love of a true-crime podcast, theOnly Murders in the Buildinghas seen the unlikely trio solve or be accused of multiple murders in their Upper West Side home. Now in its fourth season, the mystery/comedy hybrid is still finding ways for the amateur sleuths to solve crimes while they document their findings for a podcast of their own.
The show has had a wide variety of high-profile guest stars, includingMeryl StreepandTina Fey, and the fourth season was no different.Kumail NanjianiandJane Lynchare among a few of the stars that stop by while the murder of a stunt double (Lynch) becomes the focus of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel’s newest investigation.Full of the twists, shocking reveals, and red herrings the series is known for,Only Murders in the Buildingcontinues to entertain as both a compelling mystery and an entertaining comedy.
Only Murders in the Building
8’Curb Your Enthusiasm' (2000-2024)
Created by Larry David
The final season ofCurb Your Enthusiasmmarks an end to an era of lowered expectationsvia the musings of comedy curmudgeon Larry David. The 12th and final season would seeLarry facing a possible year in prison for breaking a Georgia voting law. Referencing the end toSeinfeld’srun while also adding a meta twist, the finale to Larry’s time with HBO was very on brand, expectations curbed or not.
It’s strange to think that even though the time between seasons was increasingly longer, viewers' time with Larry David’s fictional exploits is over.First appearing during the boom of HBO’s relevance as prestige entertainment, David brought the same sensibilities from the sitcom hitSeinfeldtoCurb Your Enthusiasm,managing to double down on comedic cynicism. Each episode reveled in the cringe, the petty, and the comedy that came from both.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
7’Young Sheldon' (2017-2024)
Created by Chuck Lorre & Steven Molaro
The Big Bang Theoryprequel spinoffYoung Sheldonproved to be anexcellent comedy that stood on its own feet by telling surprisingly emotional storiesin a half-hour format. For seven seasons,Young Sheldonwatched Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) grow up in the small fictional town of Medford, Texas. The final season gracefully closed out storylines with a healthy dose of fan service and looked to the future with theYoung Sheldonspinoff,Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
Fans ofThe Big Bang Theoryknew certain events would be happening in the final season ofYoung Sheldon, most notably the death of Sheldon’s dad, George Sr. (Lance Barber), but that didn’t mean anyone was prepared for the emotions that would come with it. The series ended as strongly as it started, andby focusing on character growth over fast and easy jokes,Young Sheldonwill be remembered as one of the most well-rounded sitcom spin-offs of its time.
Young Sheldon
6’The Bear' (2022-)
Created by Christopher Storer
The third season ofThe Bearsaw stress levels rise (if that was possible) as the fledgling restaurant’s quest for a Michelin Star drives Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) to a dangerous emotional state. The events of season three leave a questionable future for the restaurant, but as long as staff members like Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) continue to show up for work, so will viewers.
The Bear has a unique way of making viewers feel connected to the world of the show. As orders are called out and the chaotic sounds of the kitchen rise to an echoing crescendo,Carmy’s stress becomes the audience’s stress.Although the pressure he feels is generated from within, it’s no less damaging to him or the staff he demands more from.Fast dialogue laced with darkly comic barbs punctuates a seriesthat, much like the restaurant itself, continues to outdo its own success.
5’Shrinking' (2023-)
Created by Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence & Jason Segal
A grieving therapist looks for a way to recover from his wife’s death while helping his clients using unorthodox methods in theApple TV+ comedy,Shrinking.Jason Segelstars as Jimmy, the father of a teenage daughter who’sputting the pieces of his life back together after the unexpected loss of his wife.His community of friends and co-workers are there to pick him up, call him out when he’s wrong, but most of all, make viewers laugh on the journey that is life after loss.
The second season ofShrinkingsaw the characters begin to gel more naturally after a somewhat shaky start in season one. Segal has been a consistent presence on television for a reason, with a likable everyman quality that makes him a pleasure to watch and relate to. Add to that a supporting cast of a hugely entertainingHarrison Fordas the grumpy but brilliant Paul and a star-making performance byJessica Williamsas Gaby and a binge-ably wonderful comedy is born.
4’Abbott Elementary' (2021-)
Created by Quinta Brunson
The lives of the faculty atAbbot Elementarycontinue to resonate with viewers in its fourth season on ABC. A long-teased romance threatens to upend previously established dynamics within the group,while budget constraints continue to exist just as they always did. With strong performances fromQuinta Brunsonas Janine and scene-stealerJanelle Jamesas principal Ava,Abbott Elementaryshows that it excels at writing to its characters' strengths.
One of the challenges for a sitcom is togrow the characters so they don’t stagnate in roles that become hollow tropes while also not disrupting the flow of a show that’s working,butAbbott Elementary nicely balances the two needs.An upcoming crossover withIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiademonstrates thatAbbott Elementaryis not afraid to take chances and is more than capable of finding ways to ensure the sitcom stays fresh.
Abbott Elementary
3’Ted' (2024-)
Created by Seth MacFarlane
A spinoff of the movies starringMark Wahlberg,Tedtakes viewers back to John’s (Max Burkholder) high school years when Ted (Seth MacFarlane), his stuffed bear come to life, returns home after a brief stint in Hollywood.Ted’s reckless behavior forces the toy against his will to join John at school,where he will back up his thunder buddy in the face of bullies, crushes, and the eternal love of marijuana.
While conventional wisdom would say twoTedmovies were sufficient to tell the story of a man and his bear, the Peacock comedy was a sweet coming-of-age story told in only the wayFamily Guycreator MacFarlane could. Burkholder does a great job of acting against an imaginary best friend, withthe dialogue between John and Ted funny enough that viewers will be forced to rewind and see what they missed while laughing. A second season was greenlit after the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the series debut, and it can’t arrive fast enough.
2’What We Do In The Shadows' (2019-2024)
Created by Jemaine Clement
Normally, the disappearance of a vampire would be a good thing,but in the case ofWhat We Do In The Shadows, the world would be a sadder place without the bloodthirsty housemates. The adventures of the Staten Island-bound vampires may be coming to a close, but viewers will have fond memories of Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), and lone human Guillermo (Harvey Guillén).
Over six seasons,What We Do In The Shadowscontinued to develop ongoing storylines, such as Guillermo’s desire to be a vampire, while introducing new concepts, such as Nadja opening a nightclub, that built on the established lore provided by the movie on which the show was based.It was the rare comedy only constrained by the creativity of the writers and performersbecause, in their little darkened corner of Staten Island, anything was possible. The quality of the last season may divide fans, but it won’t undo all the brilliant work that preceded it.
What We Do in the Shadows
1’English Teacher' (2024-)
Created by Brian Jordan Alvarez
Witty, irreverent, and original,English Teacherwas a comedy that immediately separated itself from the pack when it debuted on FX this year. Show creatorBrian Jordan Alvarezstars as Evan Marquez, a young gay teacher working at an Austin high school where he teaches English. Each day is a new level of fresh hell as he fends offangry parents, outraged students, and faculty who consistently drive him crazy.
While English Teacher has an extremely likable and sympathetic protagonist, the show is alsounafraid to have Evan make mistakes that would threaten the goodwill he had built with the audience.But by being honest to the character and how his shifting attitudes impact the relationships around him, Evan’s character development feels earned when he makes steps in a healthy direction.English Teacherfrequently explores the highs and lows of social progress and the quickness with which one can age out of being the young and optimistic voice of righteous change. The eight episodes of season one will go by fast, but that just means you can start from the beginning and watch again.
English Teacher
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