The 16 best workplace comedies
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Too often, the last thing we want to think about after a long day at work is...well...work. But when it comes to charmed escapism, there's nothing quite like a workplace comedy to offer a healthy dose of relatability besides a helping of absurdity.
Set everywhere from boring, badly lit offices to bars, newsrooms, and beyond, this specific brand of comedy is a tried-and-true reminder that a solid group of colleagues can make all the difference in getting you through the workday — even if it means putting up with silly pranks, delusional egos, or down-right silly situations. Here's EW's list of the best workplace comedies, in chronological order from the genre's genesis to today's instant classics.
<i>The Mary Tyler Moore Show</i> (1970–1977)
In order to dive into the origins of workplace comedies, you can't overlook The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Not only is this groundbreaking sitcom heartwarming and easy to watch, but the jokes, zingers, and gags are just as good today as they were when it first aired back in 1970.
Mary Tyler Moore plays Mary Richards, a 30-year-old, freshly single career woman who moves to Minneapolis to pursue her dream of making it big in television. She lands a role as an associate producer for the city's lowest-rated station, and it quickly devolves into one hilarious problem to solve after another for her prickly boss, Lou Grant (Ed Asner), co-workers, and friends before she finally sticks the landing. Seeing Betty White flex her comedic chops as flirtatious "Happy Homemaker" Sue Ann Nivens is also a treat, and Betty Ford made history as the first First Lady in a television sitcom with her cameo in the season 6 episode "The Seminar."
<i>Taxi</i> (1978–1982)
Even though this workplace sitcom aired in the late-1970s and early-1980s, the performances by comedic OGs like Danny DeVito (as tyrannical dispatcher Louie De Palma), Christopher Lloyd (as burnout "Reverend Jim" Ignatowski), and Andy Kaufman (as lovable mechanic Latka Gravas) hold up to this day.
Taxi worked so well not because it focused on the inner workings of the fictional Sunshine Cab Company garage, set in the heart of NYC, but because it highlighted the humor found in the everyday plights of the cabbies as they pursued their hopes and dreams — even if they didn't always pan out according to plan.
<i>Cheers</i> (1982–1993)
Over 11 seasons, Ted Danson served up drinks and laughs galore as hunky Red Sox relief pitcher-turned-bartender Sam Malone in this sitcom set in Boston's famous real-life watering hole, Cheers. Along with co-workers like bright-eyed Diane (Shelley Long) and cynical Carla (Rhea Perlman), as well as regular barflies Norm (George Wendt) and Cliff (John Ratzenberger), the tight-knit crew navigated whatever came through the door during happy hour and beyond.
Classic episodes like "Diane's Perfect Date" and "Thanksgiving Orphans" are still relevant today, and a slew of future stars like Woody Harrelson, Kelsey Grammer, and Kirstie Alley found their way into the basement-level bar where everybody knows your name.
<i>NewsRadio</i> (1995–1999)
This one's for the underdogs, as NewsRadio explores the office relationships and behind-the-scenes mayhem that can happen at what should be a slow and sober radio station. We see Everyman Dave Nelson (Dave Foley) take the top job at WNYX, the second-place AM broadcasting station in NYC, as the new director. Dave arrives with big ideas to help elevate the station, but he ends up spending more time wrangling his subordinates, namely anchors Bill McNeal (Phil Hartman in his final role) and Catherine Duke (Khandi Alexander), and the station's owner Jimmy James (Stephen Root), into submission — though it's often to no avail.
Fast-paced quips, heaps of satire, and a dash of surrealism help keep the show fun to watch, and Joe Rogan of all people popped up (or even down from the ceiling) as the station's electrician, making for some silly slapstick that still provides chuckles to this day.
<i>Just Shoot Me!</i> (1997–2003)
If you've ever had to take a job because you absolutely had to, you're sure to laugh at Just Shoot Me!'s relatable workplace comedy. When Maya Gallo (Laura San Giacomo) gets herself fired over an on-air prank, she's forced to go to work for her father's fashion magazine, Blush, as a writer.
There's tons of friction between Maya and her co-workers, including former model Nina (Wendie Malick), flirtatious photographer Elliot (Enrico Colantoni), and acid-tongued assistant Dennis (David Spade) — and they got into all kinds of hijinks and misunderstandings over seven seasons. Even if high fashion isn't your thing, watching the snark and snide fly in this office is sure to tickle your funny bone.
<i>Scrubs</i> (2001–2010)
Hospitals may seem like no laughing matter, but Scrubs managed to challenge the doom and bloom so common in the medical field with a brilliant buddy workplace comedy. Through the eyes of J.D. (Zach Braff), viewers got an education in what it takes for medical students — namely his best friend Turk (and real-life bestie Donald Faison), on-and-off love interest Elliot (Sarah Chalke), and sassy RN Carla (Judy Reyes) — to succeed at Sacred Heart Hospital and survive the excruciating tutelage of the irritable Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley).
While there were definitely some tear-jerker moments, the core of this show is all about quick-witted jokes, over-the-top daydreams (who can forget the "My Musical" episode?), and learning to love your work family no matter what.
<i>Reno 911!</i> (2003–2009; 2020–present)
Though often politically incorrect, Reno 911!, a long-running parody of the reality show Cops, is undeniably a Comedy Central gem. The mockumentary-style series shows the often overwhelming incompetence of the Reno Sheriff's Department, led by Lt. Jim Dangle (creator Thomas Lennon), from their morning briefings to their attempts to catch a string of memorable crooks on the streets.
Adding to the stellar performances of the core cast — which includes Cedric Yarbrough, Niecy Nash, and Kerri Kenney-Silver — are loads of appearances by comedy greats, like Patton Oswalt and Keegan-Michael Key, as petty criminals. Reno 911! has even garnered enough laughs over the years that it's spawned three movies and a revival on Quibi, which then moved to the Roku Channel amidst that streamer's fall from grace.
<i>The Office</i> (2005–2013)
NBC's The Office is one of the most beloved, infinitely rewatchable workplace comedies of all time. Inspired by Ricky Gervais' British mockumentary-style sitcom of the same name, The Office was at its best with Steve Carell's often clueless but lovable Michael Scott at the helm of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company's Scranton branch as he led a pitch-perfect ensemble cast of relatable, everyday office workers (including breakout stars Rainn Wilson and John Krasinski) through the daily grind of a mundane 9-to-5.
There are pranks and romances among co-workers, team-building trips, and, of course, "Training Day" exercises that don't quite go as planned. It's a must-see for those who know first-hand how easily a typical office can slide into innocent (for the most part) chaos — and it's one of the greatest workplace comedies to date.
<i>It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia</i> (2005–present)
The word "work" is admittedly a stretch when it comes to this game-changing workplace comedy series, but there's no doubt that "the Gang" behind Paddy's Pub is among the funniest groups of co-workers on this list.
Together, Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Charlie (Charlie Day), Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito) consistently find themselves in downright outlandish and cringe-worthy misadventures, almost always because of their own schemes and narcissism, but we just can't look away as they stoop to new lows each season. While episodes like "Gun Fever," "The D.E.N.N.I.S. System," and "The Gang Goes on Family Fight" are standouts for their laugh-out-loud moments, trust us, nearly every episode is brilliant.
<i>30 Rock</i> (2006–2013)
As far as workplaces go, few seem to be as much fun as at a television studio, and 30 Rock doesn't fail to make that seem like reality. The brainchild of Mean Girls creator Tina Fey, the show satirizes her experiences working on Saturday Night Live — and we should all be grateful for this award-winning peek behind the curtain.
The series follows sketch-comedy writer and showrunner Liz Lemon (played by Fey) as she's forced to work with Alec Baldwin's slick network president Jack Donaghy and keep chaos from breaking out between costars Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) and Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan). Over seven seasons, Liz did her best to maintain order in Studio 6H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, but we were happy to watch every bit of mischief and mayhem until the show's particularly great finale.
<i>Party Down</i> (2009–2010; 2023)
"Are we having fun yet?" Even without the 2023 revival, the zany ensemble cast of the original two seasons more than earns this show a spot on our list. Party Down follows a mix of would-be writers and actors chasing their dreams in Hollywood while they support themselves by working for a swanky catering company.
In each episode, the crew, led by Adam Scott's perpetually pessimistic Henry Pollard, works a new event — and there are some real doozies, like the "Sin Say Shun Awards After Party" and "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday." A source of big laughs, Party Down is perfect to binge when you need an escape after a long day on the job.
<i>Parks and Recreation</i> (2009–2015)
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more optimistic (or waffle-loving) co-worker than Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope, who, over seven seasons, did everything she could to inspire her co-workers at a small Indiana parks department into believing that anything's possible — especially building a certain community park.
Even in the face of her government-loathing boss, Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman in the role he was arguably born for), Leslie persevered in laughable fashion. While it starts off a little shaky, Parks and Recreation finds its footing by balancing a winning mix of comedic styles, like Aubrey Plaza's deadpan loathing of (almost) everything and Aziz Ansari's self-centered neurosis, which was best displayed in the season 4 episode "Pawnee Rangers" when he showed us just what it means to "Treat Yo' Self." It's a fun workplace romp that keeps us laughing from its humble beginnings to its satisfying ending.
<i>Archer</i> (2010–2023)
Not only is Archer an example of adult animation at its finest — featuring an instantly recognizable visual style and wicked smart writing — it's also an exceptional workplace comedy that leans into occupational hazards head-on. Self-described super spy Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) works for his boss/mother Malory Archer (the late, great Jessica Walter) as she runs an offbeat crew of sometimes inept intelligence agents: Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell), Ray Gillette (Adam Reed), Pam Poovey (Amber Nash), Cheryl Tunt (Judy Greer), and Dr. Algernop Krieger (Lucky Yates).
The show pokes fun at all things espionage, like feuding with the KGB and tinkering with the latest technological toys, as the team goes everywhere from the South Pacific to Europe to the bottom of the sea to an international space station. Among the fire fights, there's mystery, mischief, and even a few standalone anthology seasons — like season 8: Dreamland — that are downright fantastic. What's not to love?
<i>Brooklyn Nine-Nine</i> (2013–2021)
This award-winning parody of classic police procedurals was such a hit with fans that it was successfully saved (by said fans) from premature cancellation. Set in a fictional Brooklyn police precinct, Andy Samberg's comedic muscles get a workout playing cocky detective Jake Peralta, who is just as interested in slacking off with his co-workers as he is in solving cases, much to the dismay of his boss, the so, so serious Capt. Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher).
Eager-to-please detective Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), tightly-wound Sgt. Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), deadpan detective Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), and self-absorbed office manager Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) round out the squad, each contributing their own comedic style in one of the most feel-good workplace series in recent memory.
<i>Superstore</i> (2015–2021)
Superstore is for anyone who's been subjected to working in the weird world of big-box retail. However, even those who have been lucky enough to avoid working a cash register or stocking shelves will find themselves laughing at the series and the sticky situations that Amy (America Ferrera) and her merry band of shift workers get into.
Set almost entirely in the St. Louis outpost of the fictional chain store Cloud 9, this fun, laid-back comedy tackles everything you'd expect to find at a megastore, including impossible-to-handle customers and super-sized sales. Superstore also stood out for its ability to blend real-world issues, like the COVID-19 pandemic in the season 6 premiere, which EW deemed the "high for the series" in our A-rated review.
<i>Abbott Elementary</i> (2021–present)
A failing Philly public school isn't the obvious choice for a sitcom setting, but, as Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary proves, it's the right choice. A mockumentary-style comedy fusing the best parts of The Office's workplace culture and romances with Ted Lasso's purity and can-do attitude, Abbott Elementary tells the story of a group of teachers at an underfunded inner-city school, struggling to do right by their students with the limited resources available to them.
Starring Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tyler James Williams, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, and Janelle James as the school's staff and administrators, Abbott is charming, laugh-out-loud funny, and boasts one of the best cold open bits of 2022.
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