critically acclaimed HBO series has captured audiences with the sinfully hilarious saga of the televangelist Gemstone dynasty. Blending humor and heartfelt drama, the biting comedy hasn’t shied away from painting a scathing critique of the ultra-capitalist world of megachurches and their leaders, as well as calling out Christian hypocrisy. Although the satire is vicious, the self-righteousness, inflated egos, and greed displayed by the main characters are so outrageous that they make it into the hall of fame of the funniest characters in TV history.
With the fourth and final season airing, fans are sure to miss the outlandish bunch. Eli Gemstone’s (John Goodman) adult children have provided viewers with uncontrollable laughter with their shenanigans. The hot-headed elder son, Jesse (McBride), has brought the most trouble by always shooting first and asking questions later. Self-involved, neurotic middle child Judy (Edi Patterson) is beloved for her wildly inappropriate emotional outbursts. Sensitive Kelvin (Adam DeVine), the “oops baby,” has charmed with his ability to be both remarkably humorous and vulnerable. Their cheating, lying uncle, wildcard Baby Billy Freeman (Walton Goggins), is one of the most dominating presences on TV. For those looking to fill the void these personalities will leave behind, here are 10 shows that are almost as funny as The Righteous Gemstones.
With an upcoming 17th season, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the longest-standing live action sitcom. Created by Rob McElhenney, the beloved comedy series sees him star alongside Glenn Howerton, Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, and Charlie Day. Their morally questionable characters — Mac, Dennis, Frank, Dee, and Charlie, respectively — form a dysfunctional group of friends, “The Gang,” who own and operate the not-so-hoppin’ South Philly Bar, Paddy’s Pub.
Much like The Righteous Gemstones, the show follows The Gang’s wildly outrageous schemes, showcasing their depraved antics and just how far they’ll go for their self-serving interests. It’s Always Sunny has built its strong legacy on these near-sociopathic, eccentric characters who seem to draw nothing but chaos and learn nothing along the way. Like the Gemstones and Baby Billy Freeman, they may be terrible people, but the worse they do, the more audiences love them. Two decades later, the series continues taking risks and keeping viewers hooked with cringeworthy, hilarious storylines.
Created by Ben Best, Jody Hill, and Danny McBride, Eastbound and Down ran on HBO for four seasons with a total of 29 episodes. It was the network’s first series to star McBride, who played Kenny Powers, a washed-up Major League Baseball player who falls from grace and is forced to retire and return to his hometown as a middle school substitute gym teacher. The first season sees him reconnect with family and friends and try to win back the affections of his high school sweetheart, April Buchanon (Katy Mixon), all the while planning his comeback.
Antihero Kenny Powers is a remarkably egotistical trainwreck in the same vein as Jesse Gemstone. From ruthlessly insulting others to purchasing a pet wolf to faking his own death, the brash, impulsive bonehead makes the worst possible decisions. Luckily for audiences, this makes for an addictive ride full of unforgettable, laugh-out-loud moments. If you’re looking for profane humor similar to Judy Gemstone’s vulgar outbursts, this show also has you covered there.
Following the success of The Office, Michael Schur and Greg Daniels teamed up to co-create the mockumentary sitcom Parks and Recreation, also focused on humorous work dynamics. Set in the small town of Pawnee, Indiana, the series showcases a variety of quirky personalities on the payroll of the titular department. Front and center is SNL alum Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, an overly-positive, dedicated employee who is introduced as deputy director in the first season.
Funny and lighthearted, Parks and Recreation makes for an excellent watch from beginning to end. Unsurprisingly, it has become a comfort show for many long-standing fans. The series is a classic, thanks to its lively, endearing characters and the unbreakable bonds that they form with one another throughout seven seasons. With an exceptional cast, phenomenal storytelling, and satirical humor, there’s never a dull bureaucratic moment in this government office.

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If you’re looking for another dose of Adam DeVine, then look no further than Workaholics. Co-created by its four stars, DeVine, Anders Holm, Blake Anderson, and Kyle Newachek, the slacker sitcom was picked up by Comedy Central from a YouTube web series, The 5th Year, after network executive Walter Newman came across it. It portrays the lives of three friends and housemates who met in college and are employed by the same telemarketing company — Adam DeMamp (DeVine), Anders Holmvik (Holm), and Blake Henderson (Anderson). Newachek plays their drug dealer, Karl Hevachek.
The trio of buddies may be transitioning into adulthood, but they’re not exactly doing a bang-up job of it. Rarely sober, they get into wild antics both on and off the clock, always striving to work as little as possible while finding new ways to get blasted. Powered by the real-life friendship of the cast, their on-screen chemistry, and the characters’ dim-witted charm, the show ran for seven seasons full of outlandish shenanigans.

Created by Chris Lilley, Ja'mie: Private School Girl is a spin-off miniseries centered around Ja’mie King, who also appears in We Can Be Heroes and the writer’s well-known and critically acclaimed show Summer Heights High — each serves as an excellent stand-alone entry. The privileged teen, played by Lilley himself, is by far the most beloved of all of Lilley’s colorful characters, so it’s no surprise she was awarded a show as the sole focus.
Set at the exclusive private school of Hillford Girls Grammar in the wealthy North Shore district, the Australian mockumentary follows its vapid main character through jaw-dropping, monstrous mean girl moments. Her superficial monologues and acidic tongue contribute to most of the show’s humor. Despite ruling with tyranny, her layers are peeled back, revealing a vulnerable teenage girl who struggles with insecurity beneath all the bravado.
Created by Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Wexler, Broad City is inspired by the real-life bond and experiences of the two comedian friends. It follows two broke besties in their twenties, as they go about their day-to-day lives in New York City. When the series starts, Abbi Abrams (Jacobson) is an aspiring illustrator with dreams of making it big, working as a custodian at a gym, while the free-spirited, reckless Ilana Wexler (Glazer) can barely be bothered to show up to work.
The hilariously refreshing Broad City is millennial gold, encapsulating the best and the worst of the millennial city-dweller experience in the 2010s. As Abby and Ilana go through the unpredictable highs and lows of early adulthood, raunchy drama unfolds, much of which has found its way into pop culture and meme history. During their time on air, the “kweens” provided viewers with more than just belly laughs and memorable quotes, as they also offered a genuine portrayal of unwavering female friendship.

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Schitt’s Creek takes a family from a wealthy, high-class life to a small-town, motel life. After video store magnate Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) and his wife Moira (Catherine O’Hara), a high-maintenance former soap opera actress, lose their fortune, they’re forced to move to Schitt’s Creek with their two pampered adult children, David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy). The remote town, which the patriarch bought his son as a joke years earlier, is the family’s last remaining asset.
With 80 episodes across six seasons, the Canadian sitcom follows the eccentric bunch as they adjust to a staggeringly less lavish existence, displaying personal growth along the way. Thanks to new friends and humbling experiences, each Rose goes from being self-interested, to evolving into more caring, considerate people. Like The Righteous Gemstones, the show balances humor and warmth, and is driven by a cast of iconic characters, making for an incredibly engaging watch.
Co-created by Danny McBride and Jody Hill, Vice Principals co-stars McBride and Walton Goggins as co-vice principals of North Jackson High School, Neal Gamby and Lee Russell, respectively. When an outsider (Kimberly Hébert Gregory) is hired for the newly vacant role of principal, the two rivaling colleagues put their mutual hate aside to oust her, and engage in an absurd battle for the top job of running the school.
The on-screen chemistry between McBride and Goggins is a remarkable achievement, with outrageously hilarious moments that leave wanting for more collaborations between the two actors. Similar to The Righteous Gemstones, McBride manages to balance ridiculousness with real emotion through the portrayal of morally questionable but entertaining characters. Many fans and critics consider Vice Principals to be one of his best projects.

Derry Girls
- January 4, 2018
- BBC
- Lisa McGee
- Lisa McGee
- Lisa McGee
Derry Girls is a Netflix sitcom set in 1990s Northern Ireland, during the tail end of the Troubles. Centered around the lives of a rowdy group of teenagers, the show provided humor and levity without hiding what it was like growing up under occupation during a time of political unrest and radical change. The Derry Girls gang members are spunky, tenacious Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), her spacey cousin Orla McCool (Louisa Harland), their friends, the clever, do-gooder Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlan) and the fiery Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O’Donell), and Michelle’s English cousin, James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn), who, yes, is a boy but a Derry Girl nonetheless.
The coming-of-age series chronicles their outlandish misadventures, which place the characters in the most hilarious of positions, like claiming to witness the miracle of Virgin Mary’s statue crying to get out of an exam, calling a false bomb alarm on a bus, and accidentally setting an apartment on fire then claiming intruders broke in. With episodes that will make you laugh until your face hurts, you’ll want to sit down and binge the show until you’re finished.

PEN15
- 2019 - 2020
- Anna Konkle
- Anna Konkle
Hulu’s PEN15 is another underrated coming-of-age comedy series — one that takes a fresh, unique approach. Set in the year 2000, co-creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle give compelling, hilarious portrayals of their 13-year-old selves, while their peers are played by actual adolescent actors. The show follows them as they navigate the ups and downs of middle school, capturing everything from social hierarchy to first kisses to body issues to getting caught with your hand down your pants.
The show is a Y2K time capsule, complete with tragic 2000s fashion, notes written in gel pen, dial-up internet, and a soundtrack that evokes the decade. Like everyone’s awkward tweenhood years, the show is driven by cringeworthy moments. Erskine and Konkle are never afraid to go there, shocking and entertaining viewers to no end. PEN15 is a laugh-until-your-face-hurts kind of sitcom that deserves a lot more attention than it gets.