Best Of
Best Comedy Shows of 2026: Funniest Series
By Jordan A. · · 5 min read
Comedy on television in 2026 is diverse, bold, and genuinely funny. From workplace comedies that balance humor with heart to dark comedies that push boundaries, there's something here for every sense of humor. If you've felt like comedy has been lacking edge in recent years, these shows prove that funny television is alive and thriving across every platform.
Television comedy doesn't have to choose between making you laugh and making you feel something. Here are the shows that prove great comedy can be both hilarious and deeply human.
Workplace & Ensemble Comedy
Abbott Elementary Season 5 - ABC's workplace comedy about underfunded educators continues to be one of the funniest and most heart-filled shows on television. ABC renewed it for a sixth season in March 2026, so there's more coming. The ensemble cast has incredible timing, and the show never loses sight of the emotional stakes beneath the jokes.
Shrinking Season 3 - Apple TV's therapy comedy with Harrison Ford and Jason Segel arrived January 28, 2026 and kept balancing humor with genuine emotional growth. Apple renewed it for a fourth season ahead of the premiere. The ensemble cast is talented, and the show respects both the comedy and drama equally.
The Bear Season 5 - The kitchen chaos closed up shop on June 25, 2026, when FX on Hulu dropped all eight episodes of what it confirmed is the final season. While it has dramatic weight, the dark comedy embedded in the chaos makes it endlessly entertaining.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 18 - FXX's gang returns August 17, 2026 for an expanded season, still surprisingly inventive in its approach to terrible people doing terrible things. The cast has been doing this for nearly two decades and still finds new angles.
Romantic & Relationship Comedy
Nobody Wants This Season 2 - Netflix's romantic comedy with Kristen Bell and Adam Brody returned for more chemistry and chaos. The show doesn't take itself too seriously, which is exactly why it works as both comedy and romance.
The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 - Prime Video's beach-set romance returns for a final season that brings various love triangles to their conclusions. It's fun, charming, and unabashedly romantic without losing the comedy.
Love is Blind - Netflix's dating experiment keeps rolling out new seasons of couples getting married without seeing each other. Check the app for the current cycle. It's messy, it's dramatic, and you can't look away.
The Ultimatum - Netflix's relationship experiment continues to test the limits of modern dating across its Marry or Move On and Queer Love branches. It's guilty pleasure television that's wildly entertaining.
Dark & Twisted Comedy
The White Lotus Season 3 - HBO's anthology horror-comedy took the Thailand season to its bleak, funny conclusion. A fourth season is in the works, but HBO has not dated it yet, so season 3 is the most recent one to watch. The tone walks the line between comedy and tragedy perfectly, and the cast is always excellent.
Baby Reindeer - Netflix's psychological comedy-thriller blends dark humor with uncomfortable truths across seven episodes. Richard Gadd built it as a self-contained limited series and has said he's happy with that ending, so don't wait on a second season. It's the rare show that finds comedy in genuinely disturbing situations, which makes it even more unsettling and brilliant.
The Regime Comedic Moments - While technically a political thriller, HBO's series balances dark humor throughout. Kate Winslet's performance is so committed that the dark comedy moments land even harder.
Character-Driven Comedy
Trying Season 5 - Apple TV's adoption comedy-drama came back over summer 2026 with more heartfelt humor and genuine character growth. The ensemble has chemistry that feels authentically familial, and the show balances comedy with real emotional stakes.
Ted Lasso Season 4 - Apple TV's feel-good comedy returned August 5, 2026 after a three year wait, still exploring belief and human connection. Jason Sudeikis delivers a nuanced performance, and the show's optimism never feels false even in darker moments.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend - Netflix's interactive special lets you steer Kimmy's choices through a choose-your-own-path finale for the series. It's absurdist humor at its finest, and it's still sitting there if you never got to it.
Satirical & Smart Comedy
Hacks Season 5 - HBO Max's showbiz two-hander went out swinging on April 9, 2026 with its fifth and final season. Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder spent five years sharpening the same knife, and the writing never got lazy about it.
Only Murders in the Building Season 5 - Hulu's mystery comedy with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez wrapped its fifth case, and Hulu has renewed it for a sixth season that relocates the trio to London. The chemistry between the leads is comedy gold, and the mysteries are genuinely engaging.
Succession - HBO's prestige dark comedy about a dysfunctional media family ended with season 4 back in 2023, and no, there isn't a fifth. If you never watched it, all four seasons are waiting. The dialogue crackles, and the comedy comes from character and situation rather than punchlines.
International & Diverse Comedy
Bad Sisters Season 2 - Apple's Irish dark comedy returns with the Garvey sisters plotting and scheming. It's darkly funny and wickedly clever with strong character work.
Ginny and Georgia Season 3 - Netflix's teen comedy-drama returns for more suburban chaos and complicated relationships. It balances comedy with genuine emotional stakes effectively.
Never Have I Ever - Netflix wrapped this teen comedy about Indian American high school life with season 4, which is the last one, so all four are there to binge end to end. It's funny, it's touching, and it represents stories that hadn't been told on television before.
Comedy television in 2026 proves that funny shows can also be intelligent and touching. Find your next laugh on any of these platforms.
Explore all our comedy recommendations and find something to make you laugh
Whether you want warm-hearted workplace comedy, dark twisted humor, or sharp satirical writing, these shows deliver genuine laughs. Television comedy is thriving, and there's something here for every sense of humor. Start with any of these and you'll find yourself binging entire seasons in one sitting.
If you want something matched to exactly how you feel right now, try BingeNext's mood-based picks. Tell it your mood, get a shortlist, skip the browsing.
Topics covered: best-of, 2026, comedy, funny, laugh, genre
About the author
Jordan A., Founder, BingeNext
Jordan A. is the founder of BingeNext and writes every guide on this site. He built the recommendation engine after one too many nights lost to the streaming menu, and he still tests every pick the hard way: by watching it.