Just before its sixth and final season launched, people finally caught on to one of the funniest shows on TV, Schitt’s Creek. The wealthy Rose family lost all their money and assets, except for the small town of Schitt’s Creek. They moved there in an attempt to rebuild their lives from the ground up.
If you’re just getting on board the Schitt’s Creek train, the good news is that season six is currently airing and you have five seasons to work through before you get to it. But once you’re done, here are a few ideas of what to watch next.
That ’70s Show
Straddling two decades, centuries, and millennia, That ’70s Show went off the air in 2006. The story of a group of teenagers trying get through high school in the 1970s in the fictional community of Point Place, Wisconsin resonated with fans. Filled with callbacks to the era, viewers were drawn in by the antics of the teens but stayed for Red and Kitty Forman. It also featured the single greatest piece of casting ever when the producers brought in Tommy Chong. Excluding the final season, it’s a great watch through and through.
Community
Dan Harmon’s NBC series was the little show that could. It was far more weird, dark and eclectic than what you would normally expect from a network series. A study group made of loveable, unsettling misfits trying to get through their time at a shockingly sub par community college was big on offbeat laughs, though not so much on ratings.
Community never had the success many of the entries on this list, though it did barely manage to eke out six mostly solid seasons. But if nothing else, it gave viewers the joy of Ken Jeong as Senor Chang.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
With six seasons in the bag between Fox and NBC, and at least two more coming, there is a lot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine to keep you going. This NYPD precinct is staffed by some of the most interesting and absurd police around. Well, police and Gina.
The show works so well because it features some of the most unique and diverse portrayals of cops ever on TV. It was also brilliantly cast. Before it debuted, Andy Samberg was one of the roasters on The Roast of James Franco where he was repeatedly mocked for doing a “funny cop show.” You’d have to imagine he got the last laugh on that one.
The Good Place
This might be the highest concept network sitcom of all time. Set in the after life, the show follows a group of people who have died relatively recently and find themselves in a neighborhood designed to house them for eternity.
The architect is also an absurd presence, as is Janet, the physical manifestation of what is essentially the neighborhood’s operating system. The Good Place features a brilliantly funny cast executing a premise based on philosophy and religion that is still accessible to all audiences.
Kim’s Convenience
Like Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience is another underrated CBC comedy that will hopefully break through and receive wider recognition. It tells the story of a Korean Canadian family trying to run a convenience store in Toronto.
Developed for TV by Ins Choi and Kevin White, the series is based on Choi’s play of the same name. The series manages to be insightful and funny without being heavy handed in any way. Kim’s Convenience is honestly a joy to watch, and is more than worth the investment of time.
Letterkenny
Another Canadian sitcom making waves is Letterkenny. The tale of hicks, skids, and hockey players living in the fictional rural Ontario community of Letterkenny is endlessly entertaining. First, you have to get into their unique slang and rhythm of speech.
But once you do, it’s incredibly easy series to become obsessed with. New seasons are streamed a couple of times per year, each one at least six episodes long. There are also a few epic holiday specials more than worth watching.
Happy Endings
This is easily one of the most underrated sitcoms of all time. Over three seasons, six friends tried to navigate life in Chicago. If you’ve never seen it, Happy Endings can be best described as Friends if the six friends were almost as awful as the gang in It’s Almost Sunny in Philadelphia.
The characters brilliantly challenged the stereotypes sitcoms would have normally placed on them. It was too bad that the series ended after season three as it had really found its voice at that point. Happy Endings is a prime target for new seasons on any streaming service.
Black-ish
Black-ish is an interesting combination of smart comedy, weird moments, and history lessons. The Johnsons are an updated, modern version of the Huxtables on a show that’s willing to go places The Cosby Show never did. It’s as intelligent as it is funny, making important social points while making audiences laugh.
Black-ish has also spawned two spinoffs. Mixed-ish is still in its infancy but Grown-ish is doing quite well for itself. Plus, this show has Deon Cole and that alone is worth tuning in for.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
If you ever wondered what the five worst people in the world would do if they owned a terrible bar, then It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the show for you. The gang is always running a scheme, which frequently fails because they can’t stop screwing each other over long enough to make it work.
These are five of the most selfish people to have lived a life on this planet, if you want it in a nutshell, and it makes for amazing comedy fodder. What makes this series brilliant is that anything is possible because the Gang is capable of committing almost any act. Unlike Seinfeld, it would make sense if the gang ended up in jail at the end of the series.
Parks And Recreation
There is a strong argument to be made for this being the greatest sitcom of all time. Originally conceived as a spinoff of The Office, Parks and Rec started picking up steam once it developed its own identity.
The first season and a half aren’t great but once you get past them the series is pure comedy gold for the next five and a half seasons. If nothing else, this show gave fans the magical on screen pairing of Ron Swanson and April Ludgate. That alone is more than worth the price of admission.
