Are there any other shows out there of this sort of lighthearted nature, yet made with quality writing, out there?
It feels like a lot of recent things we’ve watched has been a bit grim and/or relies on spectacle rather than telling a good story and working a few jokes in along the way … the world is on fire, I’d like to stop it and get off, if only for a few minutes at a time.
Idk if it fits what you’re looking for, but Dirk Gently popped to mind when I read your post. Or maybe The Good Place.
I don’t know if I would call a comedy about a group of vampires that are roommates living in Staten Island as ‘light hearted’ but I’d suggest What We do in the Shadows. Think the office/parks and rec style work place moucumentary sitcom with characters totally out of touch with reality and the time they’re living in turned up a bit on the absurd.
The office and parks and recs was too similar and run of the mill. Both shows were wildly overrated. Like they were doing the “hint hint, nudge nudge” thing, but they were screaming “hint hint” in your face, and “nudging” you with a hand on the fist to put extra force into their elbow going into your ribs. It wasn’t nearly as subtle as people acted, and was mostly just annoying.
I agree that they are extremely similar seeing how both were created by Greg Daniels. Both are funny upon first watch but I do not see the office as the greatest sitcom ever, it gets old and replayed way too much. I was more so comparing what we do in the shadows to the office and parks and rec in the shows format- Fake reality shows following around people in their day to day lives (undead lives in the case or WWDITS).
Community can have some really great writing (dips in season 3 4, but recovers in 4 5).
30 Rock, Parks and Rec (particularly picks up once two new members join the cast), the Good Place, and Brooklyn 99 are all usually pretty light hearted and fun.
Scrubs can be very funny, but also has some somber episodes where you’ll find some of the best writing is the series. Generally more fun than grim though.
The writing quality in how I met your mother was good for the first few seasons, but dropped off in the latter half.
Friends was pretty consistent, but not as good as some of these others, for me at least.
The Oreville is inspired by Star Trek, particularly shows like the Next Generation. That’s a good series with some great episodes, but has some filler lower quality between. Not as silly as the Oreville, but some are still fun. Others are interesting or exciting in a variety of ways.
I haven’t watched What We Do In The Shadows, but it is on my list for the same reason you asked the question.
Community can have some really great writing (dips in season 3, but recovers in 4).
Is this an “arrays start at 0” joke? The 4th season is the one where Dan Harmon was booted off and the quality dipped significantly. It can safely be skipped even if it’s your first watch.
All you need to know is that they wrote out Pierce partway through the season, Abed gets a gf (but she’s only in like 1 or 2 episodes of season 5), and the gang all graduate from their programs and go on to get some kind of job. Everything else is explained fairly quickly in the 5th season.
The writers basically did everything in their power to erase the mess that the 4th season was from existence. The characters refer to it as the school year where there was a gas leak in the whole school and that’s why everyone acts weird and doesn’t remember anything.
Way to go super mainstream. Most of those are standard sitcoms with nothing really special about them. 30 rock is good because of how absurd they get with older business culture compared to contemporary ideals.
Community became too meta after season 2 and they leaned on that to their detriment.
The good place and Brooklyn 99 were both great sitcoms, with both kind of dealing with heavier elements, but in the end, they were just that. They’re great in their own right being infinitely rewatchable but they’re pretty basic sitcoms.
Scrubs was a great show as well, but it isn’t as rewatchable. They absolutely killed it on the final episode and then ruined it with 2 more seasons with a different cast.
Friends needs to stay in the time frame wence it came from. I don’t understand why it’s so popular with people who weren’t around when it came out.
How I met your mother was average at best. It was quotable but a background show while you surf the web.
If you’re just looking for something wholesome and entertaining, Schitt’s Creek is probably a good one.
I’ve heard Ted Lasso and Kim’s Convenience have similar wholesome vibes, but haven’t watched either.
Ted lasso is great after the first, very raunchy, episode. Kim’s convenience ranges from curb your enthusiasm awkward to modern family wholesome.
Schitts Creek and the good place tower above everything.
Op you may want to try Firefly, or for a much lesser known show check out “galavant” it’s one of my favorites
What we do in the shadows, for sure.
Another show you may have already watched but it’s the first thing I think of when talking lighthearted is Parks and Recreation, though the the first season is not good.
