When the discussion of the Golden Age of Television is brought up, it typically refers to dramas. When it came to the 2010s and the boom of streaming networks like Netflix and Prime Video along with networks like AMC, HBO, and FX, prestige dramas became a prime point of discussion. There has been so much discussion about series likeGame of Thrones,Breaking Badand its spin-offBetter Call Saul,The Americans,the return ofTwin Peaks,and many more that it felt like the era was defined by dramatic television that aimed for a cinematic feel.
Yet the 2010s also had an incredible run ofcomedyseries. This makes a certain amount of sense, as with any decade, the serious issues around the world meant that sometimes viewers needed a break from the dreariness of reality and have a good laugh. The 2010s saw people reeling from a recession, growing global and political conflicts, as well as the much-needed push toward being more open-minded and accepting of gender, sexuality, and race, and the comedy of the 2010s reflected that.
These comedy series werethe best of the 2010s, as they offered not only great humor and laugh-out-loud moments, they also reflected the world in which they were created and spoke to a moment in time, while also being universal enough that they will endure with audiences long after they concluded their runs.
Updated June 2023: If you are a fan of comedy series from the 2010s, you’re in luck. This article has been updated with additional content and entries byDanilo Raúl.
It’s quite challenging to grasphow insanely complicated American politics are, butVeepdid such a fine job that it’s pretty tricky to tell apart from reality. Created by Armando Iannucci, the show is a political satire recounting the misadventures of Selina Meyer, portrayed brilliantly by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as she navigates the often perceived most useless position in the world of American politics; the vice presidency.
The show ran for seven seasons and won numerous awards, including multiple Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series. Veep had some of the sharpest writing ever. The excellent material allowed the cast to display their comedic timing while also showing us how self-absorbed and incompetent politicians in positions of power can be. Veep was appreciated for offering biting social commentary while entertaining audiences with clever humor.
Some of the best comedy can be found in coming-of-age stories, and that’s precisely whatAwkwarddoes. Lauren Iungerich created the show, and it ran for five seasons. The story follows the day to day of a teenager named Jenna Hamilton, played by Ashley Rickards. This high school student has to deal with an awkward social setting after a freak accident is taken as a suicide attempt on her behalf.
With the established background, the show explores the usual challenges of adolescence, such as relationships and the social hierarchy of high school. Jenna deals with her issues like most Gen Z kids do: by airing her grievances online using a blog, which makes her famous for some reason. The easygoing comedy had a few dramatic moments, but it was a great show to understand the struggles of young people during the 2010s.
2 Broke Girls
2 Broke Girlswas a great sitcom created by Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cummings. The story centers aroundMax Black, played by Kat Dennings, and Caroline Channing, played by Beth Behrs, as they work in a Brooklyn diner, dreaming of starting their own business. The show didn’t receive many accolades, but it had the raunchy humor you barely see these days. The ongoing narrative was followed by the financial status of the girl being shown at the end of each episode.
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2 Broke Girlsgained a loyal following thanks to the sharp writing full of snappy banter. The quirky characters were fully formed by the end of the first episode with established backgrounds to make them unique. The comedic chemistry between Dennings and Behrs was on point, and their recurring struggles resonated with young people trying to make a living. The show lasted six seasons until it was mysteriously canceled before ending with dangling plot lines.
Bojack Horseman
Bojack Horsemanis our only animated entry on the ranking, and it’s a show that hits everyone differently — created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, this dark comedy-drama ran for six seasons and explored the dire realities of depression and lack of purposefrom a comedic point of view. Each episode centers on Bojack, voiced by Will Arnett, a washed-up sitcom star who lives in obscurity after his 15 minutes of fame are up while he plans to make a comeback.
Bojack Horsemanis a show praised worldwide for daring to explore themes related to masculine mental health, addiction issues, and existential problems. The show was a unique blend of humor and pathos that touched the souls of most of their fans. It’s a well-written piece of media with compelling storytelling and a thought-provoking narrative that tackles complex subjects with depth, sensitivity, and plenty of comedy.
Modern Family
WhileModern Familypremiered in 2009, of its 250 episodes only ten of them aired in that year, so it is a comedy series uniquely of the 2010s. The title lets the viewer know this is a modern update on thetraditional family sitcomformula, exploring it not just through various generations but also genders, sexual orientations, ages, and cultural backgrounds.
Everybody is allowed a seat at the table inModern Family, a show that is both sweet but laugh-out-loud hilarious with the series perfecting the situational misunderstanding comedic storyline so well that it is not a surprise it won the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy five years in a row.
Parks and Recreation
Another series that, while it premiered in 2009, had most of its run in the 2010s,Parks and Recreationtruly found its footing and creative voice as Season 2 aired through 2010 and Adam Scott and Rob Lowe joined the cast. What originally was conceived as anOfficespin-off,Parks and Recreationquickly defined itself as its own series with well-defined characters that stood apart. These were characters and personalities that not only bounced off well with one another but made viewers want to return week after week because of how attached they became to the employees of the Pawnee, Indiana Parks Department.
One need only look at the cast that includes Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, Rhetta, Jim O’Heir, Jenny Slate, Ben Schwartz, andChris Pratt as Andy Dwyerto see how impressive and long-lasting the impact ofParks and Recreationhas been.
The final series that premiered in 2009 but had a majority of its run in the 2010s, the impact on television thatCommunityhad can sometimes overshadow just how funny it is. The cast has broken out as major stars, leading a variety of other television series and movies (fromthe great Alison Brieand Gillian Jacobs to Donald Glover and Joel McHale), and much of the creative team moved on to become artistic architects of some defining pop culture of the 2010s from movies, adult animation, and music (fromRick and MortytoAtlanta).
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YetCommunitynot only holds up, but is still a great comedy. This is a series that was on the cancelation bubble its entire time on air and survived every time thanks to its cult fan base. It both ironically mocks sitcom archetypes while also paradoxically being a full embrace of high-concept sitcom formulas that used to define television. This was a series that acknowledged its own absurdity with alternative timelines, episodes that were riffs on particular genres and even specific movies and did so all with the fun-loving creative energy throughoutmore “best episodes"than most shows.Communityis not only a great comedy but a defining series that impacted so many aspects of popular culture.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Creative duo Dan Goor and Michael Schur, who worked onParks and Recreation, collaborated again on the hit comedy seriesBrooklyn Nine-Nine. The series follows the detectives of the 99th New York Precinct and is thus a comedic riff on the cop show format. Zany, wacky, and bursting with energyBrooklyn Nine-Ninefeatures a well-stocked cast of great comedic talent who truly gel together. Whenthe groundbreaking serieswas canceled by Fox, the outcry from fans and even some notable celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda saw the show move to NBC for three final seasons.
Then, following a string of troublingheadlines about abuse of police power,Brooklyn Nine-Ninedid not shy away from the issue and tackled it head-on, reworking itself and having many of the characters grapple with their profession. It was praised for its LGBTQ+ representation and its ability to blend captivating stories with great comedic bits (the cold open where the lead cop has a prison line-up sing Backstreet BoysI Want It That Wayhas become a viral sensation in its own right).Brooklyn Nine-Ninemight be over, but audiences will still be laughing along with it for years to come.
WhileNew Girlpremiered in 2011 as a comedy vehicle for star Zooey Deschanel, the show eventually became the launching pad for several high-profile comedy stars like Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Hannah Simone, and Lamorne Morris. The basic premise, where the lead character Jess finds herself needing to move into a loft with three male roommates after a bad breakup, updated old-school premises likeThree’s Companyby tapping into very specific anxieties and fears young Millennials were having as they moved into the adult world.
Three years removed from the great recession,New Girlhighlighted aspects of young adults still trying to get their life together, while highlighting the importance of friendship and a sense of found family. With great characters that all had unique personalities and well-defined comedic personas,New Girlwas a refreshing breath of fresh air that continues to draw in fans even after it ended in 2018 and definitely contributed to the emerging “comedy of kindness” trend.
Originating as a YouTube web series,Broad Citypremiered on Netflix in January 2014 and aired for five successful seasons until it concluded in 2019, and has been featured on multiple Best of 2010 television lists. Led by an incredible creative team from stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson,Broad Cityis incredibly funny in its reflection of a uniquely millennial experience. A dirty, raunchy, mature show with a feminist comedic spin,Broad Cityputs a specific highlight on female friendship and succeeds as a result.Broad Cityis big, bombastic, and as the title implies, broad in its comedy, making it one of the best comedy series not just of the 2010s but of all time.
