Sayak Basu
Among the many sitcoms we see on television currently, no other show has had as much of an impact on popular culture as ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘. Since it first released in 2013, the popularity of this show has only increased by leaps and bounds. The show is set in the police station of Brooklyn’s fictional 99th precinct. The central character of the series is Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), who is a highly dedicated detective, but often finds himself at loggerheads with his superior, Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher). There is a diverse range of eccentric characters in the police station, all of whom find adequate screen-time in each and every episode. The best part of the series, besides its humor, is the fact that it is highly inclusive, and its portrayal of LGBTQ characters is not at all stereotypical. The show does well in acknowledging the fact that each person has his or her own qualms when it comes to romance, and that nobody should be judged as long as whatever he/she is involved in does not negatively affect another person.
The writing and the performances have made ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ a modern classic. Another great aspect of the series is that each of the supporting cast members comes with his/her own unique perspective on love and life. ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ can best be described as a workplace sitcom, and if you have enjoyed the series, then we’ve got some more titles that you might want to check out. Here’s the list of best shows similar to ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ that are our recommendations. You can watch several of these series like ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
7. The IT Crowd (2006-2013)
‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ deals with the several problems that are common while working as a police officer. ‘The IT Crowd’ takes a similar look at the world of software engineers and information technology. The series is set in the office of Reynholm Industries. The narrative mainly revolves around the lives of three characters – Maurice, Roy, and Jen. It is their friendship and the several challenges they face at work, both from colleagues and bosses, which become the central narrative of the series. The characters are fresh and original, and each episode is laced with an ample dose of humor.
6. Workaholics (2011-2017)
When you first hear the term “workaholic”, you tend to imagine a person who is always completely submerged in his/her work. However, do not for a single moment think that the series ‘Workaholics’ has something to do with people who really enjoy their work. The central characters of this Comedy Central original series are still continuing the lives they were leading in high school and college, well into their lives as working professionals. Among the three main characters of the series, Blake and Adam are high school friends and Anders is their RA (resident assistant). When the three of them are not working, they are usually busy taking drugs and there are several scenes where we see the three of them interacting with their drug dealer like he is a friend. Their lackadaisical approach to work naturally is not taken fondly by both their colleagues and boss.
The irreverent attitude of the series reflected through its main characters is one of the chief attractions of ‘Workaholics’. The jokes are sharp, and the fact that these three leading characters are absolutely shameless in whatever they do makes us fall in love with them in no time.
5. Silicon Valley (2014-)
The HBO original series ‘Silicon Valley’ is not only a hilarious comedy show, but it also serves as a social document which looks at the highly competitive market of the Silicon Valley. Here, if you have made a major breakthrough, there will be hundreds of ears all around trying to listen in carefully. It is only when you have successfully navigated this cut-throat competition that there is any chance of you getting recognized for your work. The story of the series follows the lives of six programmers who have managed to create a revolutionary data-crunching app which has the potential to change the market. The show focuses on the way they manage to get their product to the public and depicts the amount of competition they have to face. The series is surely one of the best comedies HBO has ever produced, and the fact that it is so authentic in its representation of the competition in Silicon Valley makes it very unique.
4. Reno 911! (2003-2009)
If you have watched or heard about the famous Fox TV series ‘Cops’, then ‘Reno 911!’ is a comedy series which has been made specifically for you. In the former show, we follow cops as they go about doing their business. In this comedy series, we also follow such cops, but they are hardly as efficient as the ones we see in ‘Cops’. They keep falling in trouble while answering 911 calls. These calls are made during emergency situations and sometimes involve rather risky businesses like busting a drug den or a prostitution ring. Only the incidents of the series are scripted, while the dialogues are mostly improvised. While the camera follows the policemen, we also overhear some of the jokes they make amongst themselves. These jokes sometimes tend to be politically incorrect and can deal with topics ranging from drug abuse to rape to pedophilia. The approach the makers have taken to the series is extremely unique.
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3. 30 Rock (2006-2013)
As we all are aware, Tina Fey was the head writer of Saturday Night Live for quite a long period of time, and it is her association with such an iconic television show that has helped the legendary comedian in creating ’30 Rock’. The series is actually a metafictional look at a showrunner’s life as she runs a sketch comedy series on a network which is modeled after NBC. Fey plays the leading character Liz Lemon, who, just like her creator, is the head writer and showrunner of the series ‘TGS with Tracy Jordan’. The series focuses on Liz’s several ups and downs as she deals with the show’s eccentric host, her overbearing boss, and the entire team working behind the scenes of ‘TGS with Tracy Jordan’. Fey received huge critical acclaim for the series, with many considering it one of the best-written TV shows of all time.
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2. Parks And Recreations (2009-2015)
Another former cast member of SNL, Amy Poehler is the creator and lead actor of the series ‘Parks And Recreation‘. The show begins with Leslie Knope (Poehler), a mid-level bureaucrat, receiving complaints that an abandoned construction pit in a residential area has resulted in some pretty serious accidents. Leslie firmly believes that this cannot go on, and decides that the best way out is the construction of a park in the area after filling in the pit. While she goes about trying to materialize her plan, she realizes that she will always be stuck in the world of murky politics and the sloth-like machinery called government bureaucracy. The show depicts how Leslie manages to convince a number of people to get the job done.
Despite being subject to some harsh criticism in the first season, Poehler showed the world the power of her pen from the second season onward. The series became a sitcom with a social commentary where each character has his/her own uniqueness and weird sense of humor. The undercurrents of love and hate between the main members of the cast are also explored brilliantly.
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1. The Office (2001-2003)
Widely considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time, Ricky Gervais‘ ‘The Office‘ paved the way for the workplace sitcom genre. Shot in a mockumentary fashion, ‘The Office’ takes a look at the lives of the employees working for the London branch of a paper company. The manager of this branch is the socially naive David Brent, who keeps getting into weird situations because of his lack of understanding when it comes to human interactions. We later realize that Brent is actually craving for love, but does not know how to express it. Gervais has created many shows and films after ‘The Office’, but nothing comes close to the brilliance of this 12-episode sitcom spread across two seasons.
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