Hulu's 4-Part Post-Apocalyptic Sitcom Is Perfect From Start to Finish

9 hours ago 5

Image via Hulu

Published Mar 21, 2026, 10:38 AM EDT

Erin Konrad's love for everything entertainment dates back to elementary school when she became obsessed with classic Hollywood musicals. When she's not catching up on all her favorite television shows, she's advising her friends and family on what they should binge watch next.

She has her Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Creating content for Collider gives her the opportunity to combine her writing skills with her passion for television and movies. She spends her free time trying to beat her personal record of reading 126 books in a year and cuddling with her dog, Gracie.

As a culture, we've become pretty obsessed with watching post-apocalyptic dramas. Whether we're tuning into The Walking Dead, The Last of Us, Paradise, or Fallout, it can be fascinating to think about how we would survive in our own doomsday scenario. These shows are thrilling and also quite depressing, and that's why one comedic take on the apocalypse that aired in 2015 still feels worthy of a binge-watch today.

What Is 'The Last Man on Earth' About?

FOX originally aired a sitcom called The Last Man on Earth more than a decade ago, and since it's found a home now on Hulu, you can catch up on all four seasons really easily. Starring comedy legend and Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte, the series became a hit with viewers because it is a no-holds-barred, absurd show filled with a million laughs a minute. The sitcom is set in 2020 after a deadly virus has swept the planet (in 2015, this was sort of prescient since it was before COVID-19 had even arrived). It seems as though the sole survivor of the lethal virus is a man named Phil Miller (Forte). After years of loneliness, Phil comes across another survivor, Carol Pilbasian (the always reliable Kristen Schaal).

Before ‘Bodkin,’ Will Forte Showed Off His Range in This Post-Apocalyptic Comedy (Last Man on Earth) (1)

At first, they're at odds with one another, but ultimately decide to marry and have children in order to keep the human race going. After some time, they come across a group of other survivors, played by Mad Men's January Jones, Mary Steenburgen, Mel Rodriguez, and Cleopatra Coleman. The survivors tend to butt heads in all sorts of hilarious ways, but they form an odd family as they explore a world devoid of laws and structure where they're some of the only inhabitants. The show doesn't get bogged down in the details of how the virus happened or why they're the only survivors. Rather, the sitcom focuses on all the wild things that can take place when you're not surrounded by people and rules.

'The Last Man on Earth' Is a Must-Watch for Its Absurd Plots and Outstanding Cast

The Last Man on Earth is similar to other post-apocalyptic shows in that there is danger lurking around every corner, and you never know if you can trust other survivors you meet. However, the series uses these scenarios for humorous fodder, rather than scary thrills. Every storyline is filled with silly jokes. (We dare you not to laugh every time Phil finds himself in another pickle, and says, "Oh, farts," to express his dismay.) In the opening scene of the series, when you think Phil is talking to his friends, it's revealed that he's actually just speaking to a range of balls that he's painted faces on (like Wilson in Cast Away). The series is always intent on keeping the storylines fresh, including many different locations for the survivors to explore, as well as conflicts within the group that bring plenty of inventive humor to the episodes.

The sitcom would have just been a zany romp on its own, but with its stellar cast, The Last Man on Earth becomes even more binge-worthy. Forte holds down every episode with his off-the-wall sense of humor and impressive comedic timing. Pairing him up with Schaal, of course, provides tons of opportunities for weird, yet always hilarious narratives. But it's not just the main actors and supporting cast that bring the post-apocalyptic comedy to life. The series is also filled to the brim with big-name guest stars that make every episode even more fun to watch. Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig, and Fred Armisen portray pivotal characters throughout the four seasons of the show, and cameos by stars like Will Ferrell, Laura Dern, and Jon Hamm provide entertaining scenes that make everything feel even more exciting.

The Last Man on Earth earned a devoted following while it was on the air, and was nominated for five Emmy Awards, including two acting nominations and a writing nomination for Forte. But by 2018, the series couldn't quite hold onto its high ratings, and despite a cliffhanger finale, the series was cancelled before a Season 5 could be made. Although we'll never know exactly what happened to Phil and the gang, there are still 67 hilarious episodes to binge if you're looking for a comedy with a unique tone and tons of laughs.