We talk a lot about “Peak TV,” and we’re certainly in the thick of it even just talking about comedy series alone.
It’s hard to narrow down the best of what we’ve seen this year, with new seasons of Better Things, Broad City, Insecure, Master of None, Bojack Horseman and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, just to name a few.
And there is no sign of the quality television coming our way slowing down anytime soon, if you take a look at the list we’ve compiled of the best new comedy series that premiered this year. Let’s just say it was hard even narrowing it down to ten. Check out the full list below.
This article is part of Hypable’s 12 Days of Fandom, a celebration of 2017 and a preview of 2018. See new content every day from December 14 through Christmas!
10. ‘I Love Dick’
Jill Soloway’s latest passion project after Transparent is another Amazon original, an adaptation of Chris Kraus’ novel of the same name. It tells the story of a New York filmmaker (Kathryn Hahn) who follows her husband to Marfa, Texas and becomes enraptured by the illusive and mysterious Dick (Kevin Bacon). The show is unapologetically experimental and weird but decidedly important in its feminism. And I will follow a show with Kathryn Hahn as the lead anywhere it wants to go.
9. ‘Glow’
This ode to a female wrestling organization in the ’80s boasts one of the best female casts on TV, second only to Orange Is the New Black, which makes sense considering the comedy was created by two producers on that show, Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch. This breezy binge from start to finish is vibrant and easy to fall in love with, and again, much like OITNB, interweaves so many characters whose stories deepen as each episode goes along.
8. ‘One Day at a Time’
This reimagining of the 1970s Norman Lear sitcom updates the single mom plotline to follow a Cuban-American family in Los Angeles and while perfectly old-school in its setup, its execution provides a wealth of welcome surprises. This is a show that effortlessly reinvents the multi-cam sitcom with lived-in performances, sharp writing and such warm empathy for its characters. And that’s all without mentioning the absolute standout. Two words: Rita Moreno.
7. ‘Great News’
A perfect pairing with NBC’s The Good Place, this latest addition, a whip-smart workplace comedy about a rag-tag group of reporters working at a small news station recalls 30 Rock in its references and irreverent humor, and no wonder — the show comes from executive producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. Fey even plays a small arc in the latter half of the first season and adds to an already stellar cast — hello, Andrea Martin!
6. ‘American Vandal’
How fitting for this show to air on Netflix, a dark comedy satirizing true crime serials such as Netflix’s own Making of a Murderer. The crime in this series, however, is much more frivolous: the spray-painting of dicks across cars in a high school parking lot. Yet this crime is upheld with the same dead-serious tone of any other serial, which gives the proceedings its biting wit and razor-edge satire.
5. ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
This new comedy from Gilmore Girls‘ Amy Sherman-Palladino is a whirl of old-fashioned flair and lands in my favorite subgenre: men suck. The strong feminist streak running through this show flips the Mad Men-era period piece on its head. The writing is instantly captivating, as is the remarkable lead Rachel Brosnahan who oozes charisma and charm.
4. ‘Dear White People’
Adapted by Justin Simien from his 2014 Sundance hit of the same name, this scathing commentary on race relations is one the most confident new series to come along. Simien takes his own source material, expands upon it and elevates it to an exploration of, simply put, where we are right now. It’s also structurally ambitious, with each episode taken from the point of view of a different character. And yes, there’s even an episode, “Chapter V,” directed by Moonlight‘s Barry Jenkins.
3. ‘At Home with Amy Sedaris’
This perfect sendup of at-home cooking shows was one of the most welcome surprises of the year. With Amy Sedaris assuming the role of a homemaker chef like any of those you’d find on Food Network, this show is like those but increasingly more irreverent, bizarre, unpredictable and insane as it goes along. It’s the perfect outlet for Sedaris’ unique brand of humor, and it’s an amazing gift to see the comedian totally unfiltered for 25-minutes at a time.
2. ‘Will & Grace’ (2017)
Maybe this doesn’t technically count as a “new” show because it’s a return, but I don’t care. This completely welcomed and revitalized return of Will & Grace is a tonic for our times. In the middle of a flux of old properties being rebooted, this could be among the very best. While succeeding in being total comfort food, the show is sneaky in its radicalism with a casual but pointed approach to topics such as corrupt politicians and gay conversion therapy. And it just feels damn good to have the gang back.
1. ‘Big Mouth’
This uproarious, foul-mouthed animated comedy from Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg and Jennifer Flackett takes the growing pains of puberty to their most literal extreme. A group of middle-schoolers confront the changes happening in their bodies through actual Hormone Monsters, giant furry bad-advice-giving manifestations. With a huge comedic voice cast, including Kristen Wiig who cameos as a talking vagina — yes, you read that correctly — the show also boasts a number of catchy and hilarious musical moments including the show-stopping “Life is a F*cked Up Mess.”
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