Connect with us

Entertainment

What to watch when all your favorite TV comedies end this year.

Published

on

2019 is turning into some sort of comedy killer. We’re losing some iconic shows this year. If, like me, you’re not ready to mourn the loss of The CW’s underrated gems like Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend or entertainers like Broad City and Veep, I’ve got you covered.

Here’s a very specific guide for what to binge when your already binge-able faves wrap up.

UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT

A breakout in the genre for Netflix in 2015, this Ellie Kemper-led comedy ended its four-season run in January. For lovers of its quirky humor, Santa Clarita Diet is the perfect follow up.

Also housed at Netflix, Santa Clarita Diet stars Drew Barrymore as realtor-turned-zombie Sheila Hammond. As she learns more the complex world of the undead, she pulls her husband Joel (Timothy Olyphant), daughter Abby (Liv Hewson), and teenage neighbor Eric (Skylar Gisondo) into the mystery.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Santa Clarita Diet both rely on strong, bizarre female protagonists trying to reclaim life after tragedy, heightened comical circumstances, and an excellent supporting cast.

Santa Clarita Diet Season 3 drops on March 29. Seasons 1-2 are available to stream on Netflix.   

BROAD CITY

Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson’s exceedingly funny comedy will end this spring after five seasons on Comedy Central. If you’re going to miss watching a show about best friends trying to adult and occasionally smoke pot, HBO’s Insecure is your best bet. Both shows are adapted from earlier versions of their web series.

Insecure often puts its leads — BFF’s Issa (co-creator Issa Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji) — in tough spots but much like Broad City, it takes the notion of perfunctory millennial friendships and turns into something resilient while being relatable and funny.

Insecure Season 4 will premiere in summer 2019. Seasons 1-3 are available on HBO.

YOU’RE THE WORST 

Stephen Falk’s comedy about dysfunctional couple Jimmy (Chris Geere) and Gretchen (Aya Cash) did the impossible: make us care about two fairly unlikeable characters. That’s why, when it wraps its five-season run on FX, you should run to another show that does the same: The End of the F*cking World. 

The dark British comedy focuses on runaway teenagers James, who believes he is a sociopath, and Alyssa. They embark on a twisted yet absurdly funny journey to find her birth father. It leads them to self-discovery and love. Much like Geere and Cash in You’re the Worst, James Lawther and Jessica Barden really sell their warped romantic chemistry. 

The End of the F*cking World Season 1 is available to stream on Netflix. A release date for Season 2 is TBD. 

CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, through the power of satirical music and well-written characters, deals with mental health, female friendships, and complicated love affairs. To compensate for its loss when it ends in April, I’d recommend watching BoJack Horseman on Netflix.

It centers on Will Arnett-voiced half-human, half-horse BoJack and his detrimental Hollywood world. Obviously, Bojack Horseman is animated and contains no whip-smart songs. It makes up by offering another complex protagonist who goes through some dark shit and is clinging on friends for a way to recover. There’s also a solid discussion on mental health. 

It won’t soothe your craving for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend-style music, but it will soothe your need for worthwhile storytelling.

Bojack Horseman Seasons 1-5 are available on Netflix. Season 6 arrives in the fall.

VEEP

It’s hard to compare anything to Veep with the Julia Louis-Dreyfuss of it all. Now more than ever, the political satire of this comedy will be missed when it ends this May.

Instead, spend your time with late-night hosts like John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Kimmel and Desus & Mero. You’ll get the sharp and objectively funny commentary on the country’s many, many, many issues. 

If Veep was about the fictional madness of Washington D.C., the late night hosts make sure you know that IRL D.C. isn’t so hot right now, either. (duh!)

JANE THE VIRGIN

The comical wizardry of Jane the Virgin is rare and genre-bending. Intertwined amidst the laughs is a story about a family going through and talking about things like immigration, abortion, grief and trauma. That’s why Netflix’s One Day at a Time is your best bet post-Jane

A modern upgrade of the Norman Lear’s classic sitcom, ODAAT  is very representative of the Latinx community. In a perfect blend of heartwarming comedy and drama, it also tackles powerful topics like PTSD, anxiety, gun control, addiction. 

While it doesn’t possess overdramatic tones, there are still enough emotional plot twists and laughs to keep you going. Machado, who actually recurs on Jane, carves out her space as a terrific leading lady here.

One Day at a Time Seasons 1-3 are streaming on Netflix. 

CATASTROPHE

Rob Delaney and Sharon Hogarth created and star in Catastrophe, which will drop its fourth and final season in March. If British comedies about miserable people attempting to sort out their lives is your thing, let me point you to Fleabag.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the mastermind behind the sensational Killing Eve, plays the titular role in this very relatable dark comedy, Fleabag constantly breaks the fourth wall to communicate with the audience. It’s an inventive way to tells a story we’ve seen played out before but through a distinctive voice, much like Catastrophe.

Season 1 of Fleabag is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Season 2 premieres on March 4.

Uploads%252fvideo uploaders%252fdistribution thumb%252fimage%252f85243%252f7fffc75a ae35 4130 86a2 4395df1f28d5.jpg%252foriginal.jpg?signature= jpajv0usvjk3uvrk3 sntrrutw=&source=https%3a%2f%2fblueprint api production.s3.amazonaws

Continue Reading
Advertisement Find your dream job

Trending