10 Most Underrated Sitcoms Of The 2020s So Far

Now that the streaming bubble has burst, there’s more TV than ever to watch, and less time than ever to watch it. It’s getting harder and harder for a great show to break through and find an audience. Some of the best TV comedies of the 2020s have gotten their due flowers, like Hacks and Ted Lasso and The Studio, but some remain criminally underrated.

Some of the most popular TV comedies of the 2020s aren’t even really comedies, like The Bear, and some of the most popular dramas feel more like comedies, like Succession and The White Lotus. From Resident Alien to Reservation Dogs, these are the most underrated sitcoms of the 2020s to date.

Mythic Quest

In between seasons of their other brilliant comedy, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElhenney and Megan Ganz created a more formulaic workplace sitcom set in the video game industry. Mythic Quest is sort of the anti-Always Sunny; where Sunny is dark and cynical and nihilistic and mean-spirited, Mythic Quest is sweet and saccharin and lighthearted and optimistic.

It was a refreshing change of pace for McElhenney, and he proved to be just as adept at striking this more Ted Lasso-like tone. Mythic Quest has all the familiar tropes and hallmarks of every other workplace sitcom you’ve ever seen, but it executes them really well. It’s a funny, feel-good gem.

Resident Alien

It’s about time the world recognized Alan Tudyk for the generational talent he is. Tudyk has been involved in a laundry list of fan-favorites — Firefly, Dodgeball, Rogue One, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil — but usually in a scene-stealing supporting role.

In Resident Alien, Tudyk finally gets to take center stage with a nice, substantial leading role. He anchors this quirky sci-fi comedy as an alien who crash-lands on Earth with the intention of destroying the planet, but starts to have second thoughts.

Minx

Minx had a rough go of it for two miserable seasons before being unceremoniously canned — it aired season 1 on HBO Max, it aired season 2 on Starz, and then there was never a season 3 — and that’s a real shame, because it had so much promise. Set in the 1970s, Minx is a period dramedy about a young feminist who teams up with a sleazy porn publisher to create the first ever porno mag for women.

In the vein of GLOW or A League of Their Own, it was an empowering female-focused comedy touching on real issues relating to gender politics and misogyny. But at the same time, it’s also a great sitcom with a lovable ensemble of eccentric characters (including chronic scene-stealer Jake Johnson).

The Boys Presents: Diabolical

Ironically, in the past few years, The Boys has become the very thing it set out to mock. The Boys started off spoofing sprawling superhero universes and their endless stream of spinoffs, but then it became a huge hit, Amazon executives got dollar signs in their eyes, and they turned The Boys into a sprawling superhero universe with an endless stream of spinoffs.

But at least with The Boys, unlike with Marvel and DC, every spinoff (so far) has been great. Gen V is a compelling college-campus drama in its own right — the supes are just the genre gravy — and Diabolical is one of the only anthology shows without a single bad episode. Every episode explores The Boys universe from a different angle, in a different animation style, and the sheer diversity of the tone and the visuals is mind-blowing.

Somebody Somewhere

Somebody Somewhere is an ode to the little things that make life so beautiful and worthwhile. It touches on some heavy, depressing topics, like terminal illness and chronic loneliness, but it also takes the time to show the tiny but hugely meaningful glimmers of hope and human connection that keep us chugging along.

Bridget Everett is known for her bawdy cabaret-style standup act — and anyone who’s ever seen her perform knows she’s an incredible talent who dominates a stage — but in Somebody Somewhere, we see her in a much more understated register. It’s always interesting to see a comedian with such a specific, outgoing persona rein it in for a dramatic performance (see also: Regina Hall in One Battle After Another and Conan O’Brien in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You).

Girls5eva

After two seasons on Peacock and a third on Netflix, Girls5eva just couldn’t find the right audience. But it should’ve been a much bigger hit, because it serves a very specific, very niche, but very underserved demographic: middle-aged women with an affection for 1990s girl groups.

The series revolves around a ‘90s girl band that gets back together decades later when one of their old songs is sampled by a popular rapper. Girls5eva is carried by a phenomenally talented cast — including a standout turn by Paula Pell — and razor-sharp writing to back them up.

Shrinking

While Ted Lasso has tapped into the zeitgeist and become a global sensation, amassing the giant fan base it deserves, Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein’s other Apple TV comedy, Shrinking, sadly remains an underrated gem. It’s a hit show, with three seasons under its belt and a fourth on the way, but it’s not on the level of Ted Lasso, and it should be.

Shrinking takes place in a very different world than Ted Lasso — the world of American psychiatry as opposed to English football — but it has the exact same sweet, uplifting tone and intoxicating blend of heart and humor. Jason Segel and Harrison Ford share an endlessly watchable dynamic in the lead roles, and they’re surrounded by great supporting players. Just like Ted Lasso, this show feels like a warm hug. It healed something in me.

Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens

In her semi-autobiographical sitcom, Awkwafina imagines an alternate reality where she didn’t go viral and become a star of film and television. In Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, Awkwafina plays Nora, a dry-witted stoner coasting through life, living with her dad and her grandma in her hometown of Queens.

Lori Tan Chinn gives one of the funniest performances I’ve ever seen (and, in a couple of poignant episodes, one of the saddest) as Nora’s loving grandma. Jurassic Park’s B.D. Wong is the perfect “straight man” foil for both of them as Nora’s dorky dad. I really hope we haven’t seen the last of this show.

Reservation Dogs

Sterlin Harjo’s Reservation Dogs is both one of the most hilarious shows of the decade and one of the most heartbreaking. Within the space of an episode, this show can have you in stitches, barely able to control your laughter, and crying your eyes out, filled with despair.

Set in rural Oklahoma, Reservation Dogs shed a light on America’s Indigenous communities, and its all-Indigenous team of writers and directors, as well as a predominantly Indigenous cast, brought some much-needed representation to American television. But more broadly, Reservation Dogs is just one of the most deeply touching, deeply human TV shows ever made. It captures the emotional rollercoaster of real life with expert precision.

Widow's Bay

This one might not be underrated for very long. It seems to be getting very positive word-of-mouth, and gaining new fans every week. Widow’s Bay is a rare example of a horror comedy that’s both genuinely scary and genuinely funny. The best way to describe it would be: Schitt’s Creek meets Stephen King.

Matthew Rhys stars as the mayor of the titular New England island town, who hopes to disprove local urban legends and turn the island into a tourist hotspot. But in trying to prove the town isn’t haunted, Mayor Tom comes across irrefutable proof that it is. It’s an ingenious premise, combining small-town satire with a supernatural spookshow, and it’s the best new TV series to come along in a while.