Seinfeld, Friends, and How I Met Your Mother are some of the iconic comedy shows of the last few decades, but one genre with an even better success rate in sitcoms and humour has been workplace comedy shows. While work and fun don’t always go hand in hand, when it comes to these stories, they do. These work-focused stories also gave their audience a bit of charmed escapism and maybe instilled some hope about their daily mundane routines.
These shows may not exactly promote healthy work-life balance or glorify fast-paced offices, but they often do showcase the truth about working 9-5 or going a little overboard. Some of these main characters, including Michael Scott or Leslie Knope, are too enthusiastic and passionate about their work, and we have all seen that guy in our offices, the lazy but lucky employee is never forgotten like Jake Peralta. You will find every stereotype and even some unique employees in these shows. To help you get into the spirit of working every day, here’s a list of five workplace comedies that will make you laugh and get you ready for the next day.
The Office
NBC’s The Office is one of the most beloved, infinitely rewatchable workplace comedies of all time. It was inspired by Ricky Gervais’ British mockumentary-style sitcom of the same name, but the US version took the story to new heights. The Office explored the lives of a few employees at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’s Scranton branch. Led by Steve Carell’s clueless but lovable Michael Scott, the show at first turned its audience away with some cringe-filled interactions, but quickly became a fan favourite. It followed their mundane working hours as new gossip, pranks, budding romance and chaos occurred among the staff.
The show was known for its typical everyday office environment and Michael’s over-the-top enthusiasm for work which often led to awkward and inappropriate jokes. The show also explored the inner workings of corporate life and the personal lives of the employees. Along with Scott, the show is also led by a talented cast including John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and Rainn Wilson. It is a must-see for workplace comedy fans.
Parks and Recreation
Created by the makers of The Office, Parks and Recreation is another mockumentary-style comedy which follows the lives of the quirky and optimistic staff of the Parks and Recreation department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. You won’t be able to find a more optimistic employee than Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope. For over seven seasons, she has done everything in her power to inspire her co-workers for a job about building parks and serving their community.
Leslie Knope believes that the government should serve the citizens but constantly faces hindrances from regulations, selfish neighbours and her boss Ron Swanson played by Nick Offerman. The show also brings a set of unique and iconic performances by Aubrey Plaza, Adam Scott, Aziz Ansari and many more.
Brooklyn 99
The Golden Globe winning comedy series is regarded as a parody of classic police procedurals. While it ended with only eight seasons, it is one of the most iconic shows in the workplace genre. The show takes place at a Brooklyn police precinct with Andy Samberg playing a cocky detective Jake Peralta. He just wants to slack off with his co-workers and look cool while solving cases but when his new Captain Raymond Holt played by Andre Braugher, shows up he has to take his work seriously.
The show has become a favourite as it explores not only the cases solved by cops at the precinct but also takes a look at the politics of the system, the diversity of the city and pranks that have turned characters unforgettable. It also stars an eager-to-please detective Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), tightly-wound Sgt. Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews), deadpan detective Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), self-absorbed office manager Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti), and the goofy Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio). With its own twist on the comedy and heart warming storylines, the show has been a feel-good workplace series in recent years.
Superstore
Set at a fictional big-box chain store in Missouri called Cloud 9, the show Superstore explores the daily challenges and absurdities of corporate life and retail employees. The show follows the long-time employee Amy played by America Ferrera. It begins with the entry of Jonah played by Ben Feldman and how he deals with life as a new retail worker along with a diverse group of co-workers including some young and some from the older generation like their no-nonsense manager Glenn played by Mark McKinney.
It explores retail’s challenges of dealing with customers, troubles with corporate greed as well as having to deal with real-life events like the COVID-19 pandemic in the season 6 premiere. Superstore also makes the store and its staff part of a community depicting the real struggles of a retail workforce.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary has turned out to be a modern-day comedy gem. It follows the staff at a failing Philly public school which makes for another great mockumentary-style comedy. Like The Office, this too, focuses on the romance of a couple while the boss has her own set of antics running through the show. However, at the end of the day, the show is more about a group of teachers at an underfunded inner-city school, struggling to do right by their students with the limited resources available to them.
Led by Janine Teagues aka Quinta Brunson, the show follows a first-year teacher determined to bring about positive changes to the school despite the regulations and rules against her. The Primetime Emmy and Critics Choice award-winning show depicts flaws in the education system along with exploring the humour in working environments. It also stars Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tyler James Williams, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, and Janelle James.
