Why You Can Trust CNET 12 funny TV shows to distract you during the coronavirus lockdown
If you need an escape during the current coronavirus pandemic, here's a list of shows that will do the trick.
Now more than ever, we could use a good laugh from comedy shows like Parks and Recreation.
Comedy has a way of giving us all a laugh when we need it most. Whether you like workplace sitcoms like The Office, Parks and Recreation and IT Crowd, or you're more into fish-out-of-water shows like Schitt's Creek and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, there's probably a comedy TV series to help soothe your coronavirus mood.
Take a break from social media and watch these hilarious TV shows streaming online that remind us all how to make the best out of an awkward situation.
The Good Place
Ted Danson as Michael in The Good Place.
For Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), the afterlife is nothing like she expected. After she lands in The Good Place, she soon discovers she's there by mistake. The Good Place's architect, Michael (Ted Danson), and his all-knowing AI assistant, Janet (D'Arcy Carden), don't seem to suspect that Eleanor is a fraud. But her seemingly perfect neighbors Tahani (Jameela Jamil) and Jason (Manny Jacinto), and mistaken soul mate Chidi (William Jackson Harper) soon find out her secret. This comedy shows that it's never too late to change for the better.
Schitt's Creek
Daniel Levy as David Rose and Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek.
When video store mogul Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy), his wife Moira (Catherine O'Hara) and their spoiled adult children, David (Daniel Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy), find themselves broke, they move to their last remaining asset: a tiny town called Schitt's Creek that they bought years ago as a joke. The Rose family must adapt to being poor, living in a run-down motel and working together as a family.
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Join Jonah Ray and his trusty robots on Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Netflix.
Stuck on a space station thanks to evil scientists who think watching B-grade sci-fi movies is a great form of torture, human hosts Mike (Michael J. Nelson), Joel (Joel Hodgson) and now Jonah (Jonah Ray) find ways to stay sane. With their homemade robot buddies Cambot, Gypsy, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot, the hosts of Mystery Science Theater 3000 sit in a theater and wisecrack their way through old movies worthy of mockery.
Parks and Recreation
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope and Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation.
Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) runs the Pawnee, Indiana, Parks and Recreation Department like a well-oiled machine, along with her anti-government boss, Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), and co-workers who have varying degrees of expertise and a mix of personality quirks. She attempts to help her friend, nurse Ann (Rashida Jones), turn an abandoned construction site into a community park. But endless red tape, nosy neighbors and idiotic bureaucrats seem to constantly get in her way.
The Office
Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute in The Office.
Set at the Dunder-Mifflin paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, The Office follows clueless and awkward regional manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) as he constantly annoys his employees while trying to impress them. Only the tactless and easily pranked Dwight (Rainn Wilson) sees his boss as the ultimate role model. There's also a slow-burn office romance between worker Jim (John Krasinski) and receptionist Pam (Jenna Fischer).
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) is rescued after being kept underground in a cult for 15 years. She tackles living in New York with a naive yet fun approach to life. She rents a room from street performer Titus (Tituss Burgess) who helps Kimmy readjust to modern life. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is the type of comedy that reminds us all that when things go wrong in our lives, we can still look at the world with an air of optimism.
Letterkenny
The quirky citizens of Letterkenny are here to entertain you.
In a small rural Canadian town called Letterkenny, siblings Wayne (Jared Keeso) and Katy (Michelle Mylett) run a small farm and produce stand. The eccentric town includes farmers, hicks, out-of-towners, hockey players, drug addicts, Goths, Bible thumpers, First Nation members and Wayne's best friends, Daryl (Nathan Dales) and "Squirrely" Dan (K. Trevor Wilson). Some of the hijinks they get into include starting a call-in talk show, Wayne declaring himself the toughest guy in town with mixed results, and starting a Fartbook.
One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time cast includes Isabella Gomez, Rita Moreno, Todd Grinnell, Justina Machado, Stephen Tobolowsky and Marcel Ruiz.
In this reboot of the '70s series, newly single Army veteran Penelope (Justina Machado) raises her two strong-willed children, with help from her traditional mother and her building manager. This is a comical, yet touching look into the lives of a Cuban-American family trying to overcome everyday obstacles. One Day at a Time can go from funny to dramatic and back again all in a single episode. This is a multigenerational and multicultural sitcom worth bingeing.
Jack Whitehall's Travels With my Father
Michael and Jack Whitehall in Travels With My Father.
British comedian Jack Whitehall and his stuffy father, Michael, are the ultimate odd couple. In this reality TV series, the duo travel together throughout Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and the US having adventures like attending an elephant polo match in Bangkok, taking a rough train ride through Cambodia, getting tattoos, ballroom dancing and dressing up as clowns. This is an ideal show to watch if you're stuck at home with your parents.
Derry Girls
Teen girls have bigger concerns than the Troubles in Ireland during the 1990s.
A British sitcom focused on the lives of a group of teenage girls during the Northern Ireland conflict in the '90s. While the violent conflict, which was nicknamed The Troubles, was a very serious matter, Derry Girls shows humor in how the girls deal with the ups and downs of being teenagers. Episodes cover the pitfalls of the first day of Catholic school, talent shows, dating, prom, exchange students and awkward crushes.
Black Books
Tamsin Greig as Fran, Dylan Moran as Bernard Black and Bill Bailey as Manny.
Bad-tempered, wine-guzzling bookshop owner Bernard Black (Dylan Moran) loves books but hates people. This British comedy shows what happens when Bernard hires the always positive, fun-loving Manny (Bill Bailey) as an assistant and roommate. The two are also joined by Bernard's best friend, Fran (Tamsin Greig), who owns a quirky gift shop down the road. Black Books shows the three characters dealing with clueless customers wanting books to match their furniture, a pompous author on book tour, meddling parents and more. One of the best episodes has Bernard and Manny accidentally drink their friend's rare wine collection while housesitting and making fake wine to replace it.
The IT Crowd
Chris O'Dowd as Roy, Richard Ayoade as Moss, and Katherine Parkinson as manager Jen Barber in The IT Crowd.
The IT department is often the backbone that keeps a company running smoothly, but it rarely gets the kudos it deserves. The British sitcom The IT Crowd follows the antics of basement dwelling IT technicians Moss (Richard Ayoade) and Roy (Chris O'Dowd) and department head Jen (Katherine Parkinson) as they help employees with computer problems while trying to master social contact. One of the best episodes has the guys convincing Jen that if she Googles the word Google she'll break the internet.
