Some TV Show Recommendations

Though The Last Man On Earth only aired last night, it was a revelation. It came bursting through the television screen full of promise. Kristen Schaal has always been one of my favourite comic actors (her stand-up is grotesquely sweet), and it's great to see her in a regular live-action role again. More than this, Last Man came with its own sense of humour unlike anything else on right now. Here are some other shows with their own humour:

Bob's Burgers also stars Kristen Schaal; this time as a pyschotic child. Its first season is shaky and its growing pains are obvious (some point to Sheesh! Cab, Bob? as its first great episode, but I dislike it due to its shaky understanding of sex work, trans women, and its own characters). Bob's Burgers has the ability to produce uproarious laughs, but, when it wants to, it can be one of the sweetest shows on the air.

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While new, Banana has a developed voice-which is, of course, to be expected as this is old hat for Russell T. Davies (of Doctor Who fame) after Queer as Folk, which also focused on gay Manchester. However, unlike Queer as Folk, Banana is representative of a larger swathe of the queer community. It also delicately balances humour with honest reflection (on its characters, on the LGBT community, on British society, anything). If you're a fan of character-based humour, you should give Banana a try. It also has the advantage of the fact that if you crave more Banana, you can check out its sisters Cucumber and Tofu.

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Jane the Virgin is not strictly a comedy, but I include it on this list because: a.) it can be hilarious when it wants to, and b.) it is incredibly good. Jane manages to deftly juggle themes of immigration, race in America, and class. More than this, Jane has a compelling framing story; a mistaken pregnancy, love, and drug war all combine into its fast-paced episodes.

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Broad City is much better than it has any right to be. It's the female equivalent to, well, every stoner comedy ever. And it works! Abbi and Ilana convey a realistic rawness that can't be faked, and, more importantly, is hilarious. Broad City never needed to find its voice, because it honed it during its long webseries. The show isn't easy to define (I've tried before), but trust me: it's one of the best comedies around today. And if my word isn't enough, take someone you do know's: Amy Poehler's (the series' executive producer).

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This next series is one I consider a sort of half-sister to Broad City: You're the Worst. A little too late to be the antidote to every overly-sappy romcom (that genre has both been mocked mercilessly, and is dead and buried anyway), it will certainly help if you have a longstanding hatred of it. The two series share a bawdy sense of humour and a dirty outlook, though You're the Worst is more pathos-filled than Broad City. 

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The final member of that family (though not biologically related to Broad City) is Rick & Morty, an absurdist sci-fi cartoon. I'm not as hugely enamoured with this family member as the previous two, but it had to be included in here, due to its intense quotability and, well, how batshit insane it is. It's kind of genius.