Nothing can get your mood up like a good old sitcom, and with a Netflix subscription, laughs are on tap whenever you need a pick-me-up. The streaming platform boasts a large library of sitcom offerings, so you’ll always be spoiled for choice.
Sitcoms have enjoyed a resurgence on streaming platforms, and happily continue to thrive (although longer runs are rare to come by). Here are 10 sitcoms, old and new, that you can watch for a good laugh.
Arrested Development
A dysfunctional family, lost wealth, and a family business make for the perfect sitcom, andArrested Development kicks off its five-season run with a plot that has you seated from the pilot. The story follows the Bluths, an eccentric and wealthy family who have to deal with life after the family patriarch, George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), goes to prison for a white-collar crime. George’s eldest son Michael, played by Jason Bateman, has to take over the failing family real estate business and keep everyone together in his father’s absence.
After being canceled in 2006 by Fox, Arrested Development was picked up by Netflix, which released the fourth season in 2013 and commissioned a fifth season in 2018. The series, however, received low ratings and negative reviews after its Netflix revival. Previous seasons, notably the first season, received numerous Primetime Emmy nominations and wins. The show received a total of 25 Emmy nominations and six wins.
Brooklyn 99
Brooklyn 99 is a detective sitcom with an eight-season run that you will love if you enjoy the found-family trope. The story follows the detective squad of New York’s 99th Precinct, with the immature yet talented detective Jake Peralta (SNL‘s Andy Samberg) as the protagonist. The squad deals with a new, strict, and clever commanding officer, Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher), and navigates personal problems, builds relationships and friendships, and solves cases.
Brooklyn 99 was canceled by Fox in 2018 after five seasons, but was immediately picked up by NBC for the rest of its run. The series was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and won two Golden Globes, including for Best Television Series-Musical or Comedy.
Young Sheldon
Young Sheldon is a spin-off prequel to the famed sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, which tells the childhood story of one of its main characters, Sheldon Cooper, played by newcomer Iain Armitage. Set in the 1990s, the show takes the audience through Sheldon’s life from when he was nine until fourteen, how he deals with various members of his family, and struggles to fit in with peers as a child prodigy. The family’s financial struggles, Sheldon’s emotional connection with his family, and friendships and rivalry with peers are some other plot lines that Young Sheldon gets into.
Despite being a spin-off show, Young Sheldon does a decent job of creating a solid storyline, standalone characters, and emotional themes. A spin-off series about Georgie Cooper (Sheldon’s older brother) and his love, Mandy McCallister, is in development.
The Upshaws
Created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes, The Upshaws is a family sitcom about an Indianapolis-based Black family. Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps), the head of the Upshaws and a hard-working mechanic, takes care of his family while trying to pursue success despite having no clear path for it. Meanwhile, he has to tolerate his sister-in-law Lucretia (Sykes), and face the struggles that come their way.
In 2024, The Upshaws was renewed for a final, fifth season (part seven) with a 12-episode run.
Tires
Netflix brings a short yet entertaining original sitcom with Tires, created by and starring comedian Shane Gillis and actor/writer Steve Gerben. The story revolves around Will (Gerben), who has taken over as the head of his family-run auto repair chain, Valley Forge, inheriting it from his father. Navigating this new role while raking in profits and keeping his customers happy are some tasks he juggles, but if that’s not enough, Will also has to deal with his cousin, Shane (Gillis), as he creates trouble.
Netflix added a second season to Tires in June 2025, picking up Will’s story as he seeks to expand Valley Forge’s reach. Both seasons have received universal praise from critics and fans alike.
A Man on the Inside
Based on the 2020 documentary film The Mole Agent, A Man on the Inside follows Ted Danson as Charles Nieuwendyk, a widowed, retired engineering professor who stumbles into a job as an amateur private investigator. His case involves a missing ruby necklace, and sees him go undercover at a retirement community in San Francisco.
Danson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, Television Series Musical or Comedy for his performance. A Man on the Inside was renewed for a second season in December 2024, with the upcoming season including new and returning cast members. It is scheduled to be released sometime in 2025.
That ’90s Show
Another spin-off that does its original justice is That ’90s Show. This teen sitcom, which is a sequel to That ’70s Show, is set in the summer of 1995-96 with characters from the original show. It follows Eric Foreman and Donna Pincott’s young teenage daughter, Leia (Callie Haverda), who spends her summer at her grandparents’, Red and Kitty’s (returning cast members Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rubb), home in Wisconsin. Her relationship with them and how she forms bonds with friends her age are central to the show.
Within a week of That ’90s Show debuting on Netflix, it garnered over 41 million viewing hours, sitting at No. 5 on Netflix’s Top 10 English Titles chart. Critics praised this sitcom for its nostalgia-rooted comedy with a fresh look.
White Gold
Looking for a short yet worthwhile sitcom to watch? Try White Gold, a British comedy produced by BBC Comedy. Set in the 1980s Essex, the story follows a group of salesmen at Cachet Windows, with Vincent (Gossip Girl‘s Ed Westwick), the smooth-talking head of a double-glazed windows sales team, at the helm. The group tries to rake in the cash on their frames by turning white into gold, with Vincent breaking rules as needed to secure sales.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt follows Ellie Kemper in the titular role as she navigates life after being rescued from a doomsday cult, led by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm). Kimmy spent 15 years locked in an underground bunker thinking her and three other women were the only survivors of a nuclear apocalypse. So, of course, Kimmy moves to New York to reclaim her life, taking on a new job, and finding a roommate.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has been dubbed a pioneer of streaming era sitcoms, and earned a whopping 20 Emmy nominations. Netflix released an interactive movie, Kimmy vs. the Reverend, in 2020, but this film was pulled from the platform in May 2025.
Derry Girls
Derry Girlsis a British-produced teen sitcom, inspired by creator and writer Lisa McGee’s own experience growing up in Derry, Ireland. The show follows five teenage girls who study at a Catholic girls’ secondary school, as they navigate personal relationships, school life, and cultural divides of the time. Set at the end of the “Troubles in Derry” era in the late 90s, the show also addresses how political unrest affects the girls.
The first season of Derry Girls was the most-watched series in Northern Ireland in recorded history. The show won 12 awards throughout its run, including an International Emmy for Best Comedy Series.
Netflix has more comedies than you can possibly get through, so if you want to find more, try using Netflix’s secret code 6548 in your app’s search bar to help filter out comedy shows and movies.
