7 Comedy Series That Were Perfect From Start To Finish

Comedy shows are easy to screw up. While one would think tossing a few characters in a peculiar situation and cracking a few jokes is simple, the truth is that it’s one of the hardest things to pull off in entertainment. Just look at The Office, which is one of the most beloved comedies of all time and a streaming giant. A good chunk of people skip the first season because it’s more cringe than funny and doesn’t know what it wants its characters to be. The same can be said of its final season, as it has fan-favorites act out of character to drive the plot forward.

All that to say, it can take some time for a comedy to find its footing. That’s why it’s so important to talk about the ones that come out of the gates swinging and never slow down, as they’re so rare. Here are seven comedy series that were perfect from start to finish.

7) Schitt’s Creek

The fun of the comedy genre is that it can embrace just about any person. In Schitt’s Creek, the Rose family loses everything after a business deal gone wrong and has to move to a small town to find their footing again. While that might sound like the plot of a Hallmark movie, the characters, including Eugene Levy’s Johnny Rose and Dan Levy’s David Rose, set the tone early, dropping iconic one-liners frequently. And Schitt’s Creek keeps the party going throughout its whole run by embracing its emotional family story.

6) New Girl

So many comedies are about dating, but not enough are about friendship. New Girl begins with its main character, Jessica Day, at her lowest and in need of help. Well, she finds it in the form of three male roommates who aren’t going to change their ways for her. The bond they all form over six seasons is unlike anything else in the genre, and while romance does fight its way into the story, it feels right by the end. It also doesn’t hurt New Girl‘s case that it features one of the best characters in recent memory, Schmidt.

5) 30 Rock

Many people complain that Saturday Night Live hasn’t been funny in years, so the idea of a show about the making of a sketch comedy series may not sound very appealing. However, 30 Rock stands on its own two feet by offering a glimpse of life in the entertainment industry. It’s not all glitz and glamour, and that’s where the comedy comes from because Liz Lemon is just trying to hold the whole thing together. 30 Rock also features its fair share of cameos from famous actors, ensuring things never get stale.

4) Seinfeld

Marketing a show about nothing would probably be a challenge these days. Back in the ’90s, though, the mundane was all the rage, which was why Seinfeld was embraced early on. All these years later, the show holds up, with Jerry and his crew’s antics refusing to go out of style. With so many iconic episodes, it’s impossible to get through a binge session of Seinfeld without hitting paydirt and already being ready for the next one.

3) Atlanta

Donald Glover’s other comedy hit, Community, would’ve been on this list if not for a gas leak in Season 4. Well, he makes sure all the valves are secure in Atlanta, a comedy series that puts its characters in just the most absurd situations. The fun of Atlanta is never knowing what’s coming next, as one minute Earn and Vanessa could be out to dinner, and the next, Darius is fighting off a woman trying to stop him from looting a store. While Glover’s series doesn’t run as long as some of the other ones on this list, it uses its time wisely.

2) How I Met Your Mother

Of course, there’s an elephant in the room with How I Met Your Mother: its ending. However, there’s never been a show that embodies the saying “It’s more about the journey than the destination” more than this one. Watching Ted Mosby and his friends navigate life in New York City is fun, as they all walk to the beat of their own drum. But the comedy doesn’t work without the emotion, and there are plenty of tear-jerking scenes in How I Met Your Mother. Perfect means something different to everyone, and this show deserves recognition despite not having the most beloved ending.

1) Barry

Bill Hader is a legend of the comedy genre, being one of the standout members of the SNL cast in the 21st Century. So, it should come as no surprise that when Hader gets a series of his own, he knocks it out of the park. Barry follows a hitman who realizes he wants to become an actor, a move that doesn’t sit right with his bosses. But the titular killer is far from stable, with him always seeming to lose his cool at the wrong moments. By the end, Barry gets pretty dark, but it earns every twist and turn that it takes.

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