Top Ten Comedy Television Series in 2020
Comedy television continues to be everything comedy movies are not- full of skilled, varied and spectacular options.
Our best in television awards have always awarded outstanding series the big prize. In 2014, it was Last Week Tonight. After that, the late night shows got their own category, and in 2015, The Jim Gaffigan Show won the award for best tv series. In 2016, you voted for Zach Galifianakis’ Baskets as your #1 show. In 2017, it was the genius of Better Things, and in 2018 two shows topped the polls with Crashing and Barry tie-ing for first place. Last year, The Righteous Gemstones landed on top.
This year we picked shows that brought belly laughs, showcased incredible creativity, included great performances, and pushed the bounds of comedy tv. Two reality series make our list, one of which was produced in a way that we haven’t seen television created before, because of the conditions of quarantine. Remarkably all of our shows were brand new except for two- one of which was in its final season, and another which was released on a mainstream platform for the first time in 2020. If you’ve missed out on any of these shows, you’ve got a great binge ahead of you.
There are plenty of honorable mentions that didn’t make our list this year. The Unicorn, How to With John Wilson, The Boys, Dead to Me, and Black AF make some of our lists before the final narrowing got us down to ten. There was no shortage of great tv this year.
Also don’t forget to vote on the best of everything in comedy this year– books, albums, specials, stand up of the year and more! And read all of our 2020 year in comedy coverage here.
Voting opens on December 30th, so you’ve got time to catch up before you make your decision. On to the top 10!
Created by Lil Dicky, Kevin Hart and Greg Mottola
Starring: Lil Dicky, Taylor Misiak, GaTa, Andrew Santino
DAVE. FX: Actor/comedian Dave Burd, better known as Lil’ Dickey, successfully translated his YouTube and chart success into a hit FXX series. Produced by Jeff Schaffer (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Burd plays a fictionalized version of his rap persona, a neurotic 20-something white guy from the suburbs who’s convinced himself that he’s going to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. His world consists of hype man GaTa, who’s dealing with Bipolar disorder; his manager/roommate Mike (Andrew Santino); Elz (Travis ‘Taco’ Bennett) and his girlfriend, Ally (Taylor Misiak). As the season progressed, Lil’ Dickey quickly discovers that the road to stardom is a rocky one, and those on it aren’t too eager to let anyone – particularly a white rapper – knock them from that path. While the show consistently plays for laughs, it also reveals a running commentary about the current music business that celebrates hype over craft, and fame over artistry. Viewers have caught onto the series as well – it’s been picked up for a second season. The first season of Dave is available now on Hulu.
Status: Renewed
Based on the book High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Cast:Zoe Kravitz, Jake Lacy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David H Holmes, Justin Silver
HIGH FIDELITY. HULU. When Disney announced that it was turning Nick Hornby’s classic 1995 book and 2000 film into a TV series, it was given that it was going to be a tough task. But once Zoe Kravitz was cast in the lead role, we knew it was going to be cool and exciting. She takes over as Rob, the vinyl record store owner who uses pop culture and Top 5 lists to cope from a recently failed relationship. With emotional support from her best friend and co-workers Cherise (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), and Simon (David H. Holmes), Rob laments her day to day struggles with finding someone amidst a rapidly gentrifying Crown Heights. Kravitz was fantastic, frequently breaking the fourth wall to directly address exactly how she was reacting to specific situations. Sharp and quick, the show honored the spirit of the book and film, while managing to leave its own mark. Unfortunately, Hulu pulled the plug after only one season, but it;s still available to stream and enjoy.
Status: One and done.
Created By Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher
Cast: John McEnroe, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Darren Barnet, Richa Moorjani, Poorna Jagannathan, Jaren Lewison
NEVER HAVE I EVER. NETFLIX. Mindy Kaling drew from her own life experiences to present this hit Netflix coming of age series. Maitreyi Kamakrishnan stars as Devi, a Sherman Oaks high schooler who is determined to have a great sophomore year, after spending her freshman season mourning the death of her father, and being confined to a wheelchair for several months. Along with her best friends Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez), Devi seeks to achieve cool status, avoid her nemesis Ben (Jaren Lewiston) and finally act on her crush on Paxton (Darren Barnet). Kaling drew deserved praise for assembling a staff that presented South Asian characters in a positive light, and for putting comedic touches on issues such as cultural traditions and sexual identity without resorting to cliches. No surprise that it’s been picked up for a second season – it was one of the breakout hits of 2020. Never Have I Ever is available now on Netflix.
Status: Renewed for a second season
Created by and Written: Jonathan Krisel, John C. Reilly, Fred Armisen Tim Heidecker
Cast: John C. Reilly, Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker with Alia Shawkat, Adam Lambert, Travis Kelce, Fred Grandy,
MOONBASE 8. SHOWTIME. John C. Reilly, Fred Armisen and Tim Heidecker teamed up with director Jonathan Kristen for this hilarious Showtime series that looks at the humorous side of the path to space travel. They play Cap, Skip, and Rook, three aspiring astronauts living on a NASA Moon Base Simulator in the Arizona desert. Racked with loneliness, doubt and overall professional limitations, the three of them must learn to trust each other – and themselves – to make it to The Moon. You would think that putting together actors with decidedly distinct styles wouldn’t work, but the three of them pull it off effortlessly, giving each other enough room to bring out the comedic gold. We’re really hoping that Showtime picks up the show for another season, because it’s highly entertaining, featuring three of our best comedic actors.
Status: Unknown
Created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Sudeikis, Joe Kelly, Brendan Hunt
Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein, Nick Mohammed,
Juno Temple
TED LASSO. APPLE TV +. What started out as a character to promote NBC’s coverage of the Premier League has become a sleeper hit for Apple TV. Jason Sudeikis plays Ted Lasso, an American college football coach who, despite having zero experience running a soccer team, is hired to turn around Premier League soccer team, AFC Richmond. Their owner, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), got the team as part of a messy divorce and hopes that Lasso’s inexperience will destroy the one thing her cheating billionaire ex actually loved. But Ted’s down home positivity eventually rubs off on his players, the press and even Rebecca. Sudeikis is pitch perfect in the title role, putting a new spin on the fish out of water story that never gets cliched or predictable. It also mines laughs based on the local culture that surrounding league culture without being openly insulting. Apple picked up a new season after only three episodes and it’s easy to see why: It’s one of the best shows to come out this year.
Created by: Bert Kreischer
Cast: Bert Kreischer, Anthony Anderson, Deon Cole, Joey Diaz, Fortune Feimster, Nikki Glaser, Gabriel Iglesias, Bobby Lee, Joel McHale, Big Jay Oakerson, Donnell Rawlings, Tom Segura, Ms. Pat,
THE CABIN WITH BERT KREISCHER. NETFLIX. In this new Netflix series, comedian Bert Kreischer heads to the mountains of Malibu to relax and regroup from his hectic schedule. He doesn’t go alone, inviting Tom Segura, Nikki Glaser, Big Jay Oakerson, Ms Pat, Joey Diaz, Bobby Lee, Donnell Rawlings, Kaley Cusco, Anthony Anderson, Joel McHale, Deon Cole and Caitlyn Jenner – to join in the festivities. Watching really funny people carve up an emu, milk a goat, receive coffee enemas, painful massages, and crystal therapy is always a source for comedy gold. But it’s also balanced out with stories about past traumas, finding their identity, and overall life lessons they learned along the way. Each episode is under 30 minutes, so you can get through the entire season in a few hours. It’s another strong offering from of the best stand ups working today. The Cabin With Bert Kreischer is available now on Netflix.
Status: No Mention of a Second Season
Created by: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Shlossburg
Cast: Ralph Maccio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Mariduena, Tanner Buchanan
COBRA KAI. YOUTUBE/NETFLIX. Yes, we know, Cobra Kai did not premiere in 2020. Its first two seasons actually premiered in 2018 and 2019, but it wasn’t until 2020 that the season achieved mass popularity and extensive viewership when it was released on Netflix, so we cheated and included Cobra Kai on our 2020 list. Cobra Kai was still the unexpected surprise of 2020 even though we already knew that YouTube pay channel viewers and critics had told us all how great this series was. Nobody thought a Karate Kid reboot series made any sense, but it was one of the best and freshest watches this year. Full of heart, and laughs, the continuing storyline of Johnny and Daniel’s rivalries goes to unexpected places, while the new storyline following their kids pursuit of karate skills is equally engrossing. It’s must watch comedy tv for 2020.
Status: Renewed
Created by: Rory Scovel, Stuart Jenkins, Scott Moran, and Anthony King.
Cast: Rory Scovell, Sasheer Zamata, Mary Holland, Tre Stokes, Beau Bridges
ROBBIE. COMEDY CENTRAL. Robbie, an overzealous small town youth basketball coach, attempts to step out of his father’s shadow and lead his team to glory. Part Kenny Powers, part Chip Baskets, Robbie is all hilarious. Rory Scovel stars as the title character, a young man who dreams of following in his fathers footsteps and coaching the high school’s basketball team. Well that’s not in the cards, in part thanks to his dad having no faith in him, so Robbie seeks to find glory all on his own. His efforts are aided by the discovery that he has a son he never met, who happens to be a pretty good player. Scovel is an immensely talented performer and comedian, and has only struggled to find the right project carry his star. Robbie may not be ‘the one’ that brings Scovel the celebrity he should have, but it’s a strong series with a lot of laughs .
Status: Unknown.
Cast: Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer, Baby Gene, and Jane, the Nanny
AMY SCHUMER LEARNS TO COOK. FOOD NETWORK. This year, Amy Schumer showed the highs and lows of a life in comedy. Expecting Amy showed her going through a difficult pregnancy while putting together her next special. Her Food Network series, Amy Schumer Learns To Cook was a decidedly lighter affair, as her husband, renowned chef Chris Fischer, attempts to teach her how to make everything from tacos to peanut butter cup cookies. Schumer’s culinary skills are highly suspect, but she can make a mean cocktail, which she does in between firing off one-liners. We also get to spend time with their nanny Jane, her father Gordon, and, of course, baby Gene. With great food and plenty of laughs, it’s Amy Schumer showing why she’s one of the best in the business. Amy Schumer Learns To Cook is available now on The Food Network
Status: Unknown
Created by Dan Levy and Eugene Levy
Cast: Dan Levy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Annie Murphy
SCHITTS CREEK. POP TV. Throughout its 5 year run, Schitts Creek has gone from critical darling with a small, but loyal audience, to an across the board hit, thanks in large part to the show’s past episodes being run on Netflix. The 6th and final season ties everything up, as we see the once wealthy Rose family – Johnny (Eugene Levy), Moira (Catherine O’Hara), David (Dan Levy), and Alexis Rose (Annie Murphy) beyond being vapid and shallow and grow as individuals and as a family. Well, not entirely (in a good way), but the writing and tone of the show smoothly transitioned from dark and sour to one with heart and warmth. Eugene Levy and O’Hara once again show why they were comedic legends with Levy’s son Dan emerging as a dynamic writer and performer in his own right. A huge honorable mention has to go to the always hilarious Chris Elliot for being, well, Chris Elliot, in his role as Mayor Roland Schitt. Their peers also noticed, awarding Schitt’s Creek Emmy in all of the major comedy categories at last year’s Emmys. The little show that could went out big.
Status: Series Ended After Six Seasons
