# We need a new show to watch, and apparently we're way too picky **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [January 11, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590 "2022-01-11T15:31:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/61 "2022-01-11T17:16:27Z")
I love Archer, but my wife hates animation. We watched the first half of the 1st season of Last Man On Earth, but got bored (especially as the title became increasingly inaccurate) Never heard of House of Lies My impression of Atlanta from the ads I’ve seen is that it’s a drama—is it meant to be a comedy? ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/62 "2022-01-11T17:19:07Z")
I did watch the first few episodes of Resident Alien when it came out. It was OK, but not so good that I’d tell someone else to watch it. Just googled House of Lies—different sites seem to differ on whether it’s a comedy or a drama. But it does have Don Cheadle, so I’m putting it on the list to try. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/63 "2022-01-11T17:19:45Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Are you into, or at least open to, sketch comedy? > [@batsto](#): > > Yeah…we’ve watched SNL religiously since the early 90s. We’ve watched all of the Kids In the Hall. I don’t have any recent recommendations, but going back to the 90s, I enjoyed [Upright Citizens Brigade](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167739/), [Mr Show with Bob and David](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112084/?ref_=tt_sims_tt_t_3), and [The State](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0130421/?ref_=tt_sims_tt_t_1). ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/64 "2022-01-11T17:20:34Z")
We’ve watched all of those, though the State was so long ago I don’t remember much about it, other than that I thought it was funny. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/65 "2022-01-11T17:21:45Z")
**House of Lies** is about a team of management consultants starring Don Cheadle. It aired on Showtime. There’s a lot of sex in it. Like, **Game of Thrones** -level sex. I watched it for the first season or two, but stopped for some reason. I think it may have actually been the excessive amount of sex. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/66 "2022-01-11T17:23:40Z")
thanks for that heads up. We may still try it, but we generally don’t like excessive amounts of sex, at least in our comedies. (didn’t watch Game of Thrones either) ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/67 "2022-01-11T17:24:20Z")
Yet another ditto for _The Good Place_. No one has yet (afaik) mentioned _Fleabag_ on Amazon Prime. It’s a brilliant dark comedy about a young woman making very bad decisions and why. But… it is British, so that might veto it for you depending on the accents. What about _Hacks_ on HBO? An aging comedy legend and a struggling young comedy writer (both women) have to work together to save both their careers. And if you liked _Veep_, you would probably like _Succession_, also on HBO. Similar “awful people never learn and say funny profanities”, but set behind the scenes in a fictionalized version of the Rupert Murdoch family, rather than in the White House. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/68 "2022-01-11T17:26:21Z")
haven’t heard of Hacks. And Succession—is that a comedy? the promos I’ve seen for it don’t make it seem that way at all. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/69 "2022-01-11T17:27:25Z")
Succession is indeed a comedy, but a straight faced, extremely lacerating one. Not a sitcom. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/70 "2022-01-11T17:29:51Z")
The OP mentioned “Parks and Recreation”. If you like Aziz Ansari you might be interested in “Master of None” on Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/71 "2022-01-11T17:32:45Z")
I also would recommend Lisa Kudrow’s show **The Comeback** (although it gets a little dramatic on occasion). ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/72 "2022-01-11T17:36:17Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > I love Archer, but my wife hates animation. I forgot this, otherwise Rick and Morty would be in there, which is very much linked to Community. > [@](#): > > We watched the first half of the 1st season of Last Man On Earth, but got bored (especially as the title became increasingly inaccurate) Well, think how bored you’d be if he really was just the last man on earth? I thought it was great. It had slow moments at times. But some great bits. Great use of guest stars too. Characters got quirkier. > [@](#): > > Never heard of House of Lies Comedy drama. Actually, I’d rate it far more comedy. > [@](#): > > My impression of Atlanta from the ads I’ve seen is that it’s a drama—is it meant to be a comedy? It very much is. It’s like Community (and features Donald Glover), and Trojan horses in very good satire and laughs on what sounds like a standard run of the mill drama (like Community seemed to be a normal sitcom at first). ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/73 "2022-01-11T17:43:34Z")
OK, I’m adding Atlanta to the list… ---
**Author:** ![Retzbu\_Tox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/retzbu_tox/32/11829_2.png) [@Retzbu\_Tox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Retzbu_Tox)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/74 "2022-01-11T17:49:25Z")
I don’t think anyone has mentioned _ **Happy Endings** _ yet. It’s on Netflix, and I think there are three seasons. The characters are weirdos and idiots, and remain pretty much that way throughout. There are no accents. Any relationship drama is lightweight and played for humor. Everyone remains best friends. If accents weren’t an issue, I would recommend _ **Kim’s Convenience** _, which I find hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/75 "2022-01-11T17:52:37Z")
I have not heard of that one. We’ll put it on the list. I’ve got about ten or so on the list so far, hopefully at least one of them pans out. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/76 "2022-01-11T17:55:03Z")
If you like sketches, you have to try SCTV Of course, it’s more than 40 years old so some of the material is dated, but the general thrust of the sketches tends to be timeless. And it’s a chance to see people like Eugene Levy, John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and others at the very beginning of their careers. You won’t find it on any streaming service, but there are episodes available on YouTube, and if you like them, you can find the series on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/77 "2022-01-11T17:56:54Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > My impression of Atlanta from the ads I’ve seen is that it’s a drama—is it meant to be a comedy? > > It very much is. It’s like Community […] I very much enjoyed watching Atlanta, but the number of jokes per minute (JPM) is about a tenth of Community’s JPM. More than Dead To Me, but about the same as Search Party (IMO). ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/78 "2022-01-11T17:56:54Z")
Oh, I know SCTV…haven’t watched it in ages. Is it available to stream anywhere? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/79 "2022-01-11T17:59:35Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > We turned the first episode of the Orville off halfway through, thinking we had misunderstood the premise of the show and that it was not, in fact, a comedy. Does it get better? The original ads for _The Orville_ definitely sold it as being another Seth MacFarlande comedy, but as you note, that’s not really the kind of show it is – as noted, it’s an homage to Star Trek (Next Generation, in particular), with comedic elements. I think it’s a pretty solid show, but if you’re looking for a “straight” comedy, it’s not that. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590/80 "2022-01-11T18:06:09Z")
well, after watching the first episode of Search Party, I’d have said the JPM was zero. What was I missing that was supposed to be funny? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-new-show-to-watch-and-apparently-were-way-too-picky/957590.md?page=5)