The dark comedy has been present in television since arguably the ’70s, but in the last few years has gone through a bit of a renaissance. The dark TV comedy has become ever more dominant in the televisual landscape, but its increased presence has also come with a bevy of mediocre-to-downright-bad series. Dark comedy is an art form, and one often difficult to capture in a serialized television show (especially one with censors). Not only must the show have a darker/more serious main plot line, but it must also toe that line and manage to not take itself too seriously so that the show can be funny for viewers as well. It should be mocking in certain ways which intelligently sheds light on the issues it parodies.
Updated January 22nd, 2023: If you like your TV comedies with a dark twist, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve updated this article about some of the darkest but funniest TV shows with additional titles and better formatting.
Some shows are able to encapsulate the art of dark comedy perfectly, some even going so far as to be confused for the very thing they’re parodying. The shows on this list are more recent, and also exhibit the recent trend toward women who are antiheroes in certain ways, but decide to seize more control over their own lives. Nonetheless, they make for the perfect dark comedy at a time when the genre has become so oversaturated. These are some comedy shows that have gotten ridiculously dark, and are perfect for a darkly delicious binge-watch.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
10 Kevin Can F*** Himself
AMC
Kevin Can F*** Himself is two shows in one, literally. The first follows a traditional, laugh-track-backed sitcom couple in which the wife lives and exists only to serve her husband. This trope has been seen at least a billion times before (as in Kevin Can Wait, a show the title is clearly referencing) and, to be frank, audiences are sick and tired of it. Thus comes the second show within Kevin Can F*** Himself is one where the wife, Allison (played by Annie Murphy from Schitt’s Creek), is able to have a life of her own and hate her husband openly.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Allison’s portion of the show is the perfect dark comedy — her view of life seems to emulate ‘prestige TV’ shows like Breaking Bad in that it follows a morbid plot (in which Allison schemes to murder her husband with the help of the local drug trade), and the color scheme and lighting of the show changes to a much darker tone when it breaks from the brightly-lit, awful sitcom. If Kevin Can F*** Himself sounds like your next binge-watch, you can stream the show and its second season on AMC+.
9 Made for Love
Interactive EntertainmentWarner Bros.
Made for Love is one of the best dark comedies to come out in the last several years. It follows Hazel (played by Cristin Milioti) as she escapes an abusive relationship with her tech billionaire husband. Once she leaves, Hazel realizes that her husband has implanted a tracking device in her brain. Hazel’s journey throughout the show is to escape her husband time and time again and to remove the tracking device without dying. The show manages to dissect abuse and trauma while being hilarious, and it makes viewers think a bit more about technology and the billionaires who get rich off our data (looking at you, Mark Zuckerberg).
Cristin Milioti in particular is a stand-out in this role. Coming hot off of her successful role in Palm Springs, Milioti is able to keep the ball rolling and stay hilarious, while never shying away from the trauma at the heart of her story. Made for Love is likely your next favorite binge, and even though it has been canceled, you can watch both seasons on HBO Max.
8 Succession
Warner Bros. Television
To talk about Succession feels repetitive at this point, because everyone seems to know how great this show is. Succession follows the Roy family as their business and family dynamic ebbs and flows. The comedy of Succession is less obviously funny and more of a satire about the tragedy of the characters and the nature of big business. The show is first and foremost a drama, but the elements of satirical, dark comedy are ever-present throughout, even if they are often overlooked.
Not many viewers know that the show is actually from British comedy writer Jesse Armstrong. His excellent comedy roots (in Peep Show and Fresh Meat) help to influence the satirical, dark comedy storylines within Succession. Though it’s easy to get caught up in the drama of Succession, keep an eye out for its comedic undertones on HBO Max and you can enjoy it in a whole new way.
7 Shameless
Warner Bros. TelevisionCBS
Adapted from the popular British series of the same name, the compelling Showtime dramedy Shameless offers a poignant and profound look at the dysfunctional, working class family the Gallaghers as they attempt to survive and thrive in a poor Chicago neighborhood. Touting an impressive ensemble cast including William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum and Jeremy Allen White, the program features the colorful clan as they contend with their neglectful, alcoholic father Frank (Macy) and his numerous schemes and woes that always lands back at their doorstep
Despite tackling heavy subjects like suicide, drug addiction, abandonment and poverty, the show lightens the mood with its endearing and quirky characters, all of whom attempt to find the silver lining in their seriously messed up situation via humor. Shameless was lauded for its fearless approach to depicting blue-class America and the immense struggles people face each day, with all of its 11 seasons available for streaming on Netflix.
6 Dead to Me
Netflix
Dead to Me is one of the least talked-about but funniest dark comedies currently out there. Starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me follows the two women as they navigate the death and murder that seems to continuously bring the two of them together. Since the show deals primarily with death and grief, but also has two great actors with impressive comedy pedigrees, it makes sense that it has the recipe for a ridiculously dark comedy. The series is able to spin the trope on its head and allows viewers to laugh and joke through their grief with the characters.
The show also addresses that grief is not universal and how everyone must grieve in their own way and at their own pace. The show also takes a look at revenge and remorse, and how they can often occur with one’s grief, in a refreshing and comedic way. If you want a hilarious (and maybe a little sad) binge-watch, you can check out Dead to Me on Netflix, with its third and final season having been released in November 2022.
5 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Disney-ABC Television Distribution
The long-running dark comedy sensation It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia famously follows a group of sociopathic narcissists as they booze their way through complicated and downright uproarious scams and cons (often aimed at one another) from the comfort of their failing dive bar Paddy’s Pub. The series made its debut on FX back in 2005 and shocked audiences with its bold, dark humor and unapologetic approach to satire and storytelling, as “The Gang” become embroiled in wild misadventures; the beauty of the characters is the fact that they have no redeeming qualities and are truly selfish antiheroes.
Whether they’re attempting to hunt humans down for sport, are posing as Middle-Eastern terrorists or are trying to cheat the system and go on welfare, no topic is too controversial for the comedy to take on. The exciting recklessness of the deplorable Gang helped make It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia become a cult classic hit, and those in search of a little (or a lot) of debauchery can find the series on Hulu.
4 Barry
Bill Hader brilliantly transitioned from beloved Saturday Night Live standout to outstanding leading man when he co-created and starred in the critically-acclaimed dark comedy crime drama Barry, in which he appears as a depressed low-level hitman who discovers a passion for acting in Los Angeles while on a routine job, causing him to question the direction of his life and his own hopes and dreams. Hader based the character’s intense anxiety regarding his profession on his own struggles and experiences while a cast member on SNL, as the savvy assassin wishes to break free from his dark past and finally find a peace of mind.
Barry is loaded with witty dialogue, amusing situations and a healthy dose of action and mayhem, and has gone on to win numerous accolades including Primetime Emmys, Critics Choice Awards and Satellite Awards; it beautifully blends human trauma and humor. Its three seasons thus far have been praised by both critics and audiences alike, and was renewed for a fourth season in May 2022. You can stream the charming but intense program on HBO.
3 Psychoville
BBC Two
The UK is undoubtedly the greatest distributors of the darkest TV comedies, thanks to artists like Chris Morris, Julia Davis (see below), the aforementioned Jesse Armstrong, and the genius minds of Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith, and Mark Gatiss. Those three men created the hilariously dark League of Gentlemen, and Pemberton and Shearsmith followed it up with the horror-comedy masterpiece Psychoville.
Featuring a pre-fame Daniel Kaluuya, Dawn French, and Pemberton and Shearsmith themselves as a dozen different characters, the dark mystery remains one of the most underrated comedies outside the UK. Following a group of surreal people who are contacted by a mysterious person with knowledge of their grisly past, the show jumps around from its main characters with effortless ease, stringing together morbid vignettes to create a brilliant whodunit.
2 Nighty Night
BBC Three
Julia Davis is arguably the queen of dark comedy in the UK, having not only starred in some of the darkest British comedy shows, such as Jam, but also created some of the best, such as Camping, Hunderby, and Sally4Ever. Nighty Night is perhaps her best, a brief 12 episodes with some of the most talented comedic actors in the UK (Kevin Eldon, Rebecca Front, Ruth Jones, Mark Gatiss, and more). Davis plays a monstrous sociopath who falls deeply in love with a married man and will do anything to destroy his marriage and get with him.
1 Fleabag
BBC One
Fleabag is certainly one of the most critically acclaimed dark comedy series, often considered the genre’s zenith over the last decade; anyone who has been on the internet in the recent probably knows the genius of Fleabag. The show follows the titular character as she navigates her life, frequently talking to the camera in a familiar metafictional device, and yet creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge manages to incorporate tropes like this into her perfect tragicomedy. The topics in the show are objectively dark, but the most important element is how the character’s inner commentary directly involves and implicates the viewer in her story.
In the last five years, it’s been rare to find a show like Fleabag in which so many people see themselves mirrored in a protagonist. This makes the story more relatable and even the darkest of comedy just that much funnier to viewers. When an audience can relate to a character on an extremely personal level, even the darkest of comedies can get away with delving into deep, difficult topics. While Fleabag as a series has ended, you can watch it as many times as you like on Prime Video.
