Which Modern Sitcoms Should You Watch Next?

The easiest way to choose among the best modern sitcoms is to start with the kind of laugh you want tonight: workplace chaos, comfort-watch friendships, family mess, or something stranger. If you want a safe first pick, start with Abbott Elementary for warmth, Brooklyn Nine-Nine for fast jokes, or The Good Place if you want a sitcom that actually surprises you.

Best Modern Workplace Sitcoms

Workplace sitcoms are usually the easiest modern comedies to sample because the setup does half the work. A shared job gives the characters a reason to clash, gossip, compete, and cover for each other without needing a huge plot every episode.

Abbott Elementary

Abbott Elementary is the best starting point if you want a modern network sitcom that feels kind without feeling soft. The school setting gives the show real-world pressure, but the comedy usually comes from personality, optimism, and staff-room survival rather than misery.

It works especially well for viewers who want something current but not cynical. Janine's idealism could be annoying in a weaker show, but here it gives the series a steady push while the other teachers bring dry humor, impatience, and practical sense.

Superstore

Superstore is a stronger pick if you like your workplace comedy a little messier. The big-box store setting lets the show bounce between customer chaos, corporate nonsense, staff romances, and the strange boredom of shift work.

Anyone who has worked retail, food service, hospitality, or another public-facing job will probably recognize the mood. The jokes are broad enough for casual viewing, but the best parts come from how sharply the show notices small workplace humiliations.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is the one to choose when you want jokes quickly. The precinct setting matters, but the real appeal is the ensemble rhythm: Jake overcommits, Holt stays impossibly controlled, and the rest of the squad turns small problems into full comic events.

It is also one of the easiest shows here to watch out of order. If you want a low-pressure episode while eating dinner or folding laundry, this is a better fit than a sitcom where every plot turn depends on the previous season.

Best Modern Sitcoms About Family and Friends

Family and friendship sitcoms are better when you want comfort rather than constant punchlines. The best ones make you want to spend time with the group, even when the actual episode plot is small.

This is also the safest category for shared viewing. If you are watching with a partner, roommates, or older family members, these shows are usually easier to agree on than darker or more surreal comedies.

Modern Family

Modern Family remains a strong crowd-pleaser because it does not rely on one household or one type of joke. The extended-family structure lets an episode move from parenting panic to marriage tension to generational misunderstanding without getting stuck.

For group viewing, that variety matters. A teenager, a parent, and a grandparent may not laugh at the same storyline, but the show usually gives each of them an entry point. That is why it still works as a "put something on" sitcom when nobody wants to negotiate too hard.

Schitt's Creek

Schitt's Creek is the better choice if you want a sitcom that grows warmer over time. The early comedy comes from watching the Rose family lose status and struggle with ordinary life, but the show becomes more satisfying as their relationships become less defensive.

Do not judge it only by the first few episodes if you prefer emotional payoff. This is a long-term comfort watch, not just a quick joke machine, and its best moments land because the characters change without losing their oddness.

New Girl

New Girl is built for viewers who like chaotic friend-group energy. Jess may be the entry point, but Nick, Schmidt, Winston, and Cece quickly make the show feel less like a single-lead comedy and more like a hangout sitcom with its own strange language.

The best reason to watch is the cast chemistry. Some plots are thin, but the delivery, recurring bits, and roommate arguments make it easy to revisit when you want something lively rather than carefully plotted.

Best Modern Sitcoms With a Twist

High-concept sitcoms are a good next step when normal apartments, offices, and family homes start to feel too familiar. The trick is choosing a show where the strange premise supports the characters instead of replacing them.

The Good Place

The Good Place is the smartest pick here if you want a comedy with momentum. Its afterlife premise gives it room for big ideas, but the jokes still come from familiar flaws: selfishness, indecision, vanity, and spectacularly bad judgment.

This is one of the few modern sitcoms where watching from the beginning really matters. If you skip around too much, you lose the pleasure of the twists, the character growth, and the way the show keeps rebuilding its own rules.

Ghosts UK

Ghosts UK takes a supernatural setup and keeps it surprisingly cozy. A young couple inherits a house full of ghosts from different historical periods, which gives the show built-in contrast without turning it into a loud fantasy comedy.

It is a good option when you want something gentler but still clever. The humor often comes from old grudges, outdated habits, and tiny social frictions rather than huge set pieces.

What We Do in the Shadows

What We Do in the Shadows is for viewers who want the weirdest option on the list. The joke is not just that the characters are vampires; it is that they are ancient, powerful, petty roommates who are often terrible at basic modern life.

• Try it if: you like mockumentary comedy, dark silliness, and throwaway jokes.
• Skip it for family night: the humor is more adult than cozy.
• Watch closely: background details and small reactions are part of the fun.

Short Comedy Web Series to Try

Short comedy web series are worth adding to the mix when you do not want to commit to a full season. They are useful for lunch-break viewing, quick sampling, or finding a sharper comic voice than you might get from a polished network sitcom.

The main difference is scale. Web series often have fewer locations and shorter episodes, so the best ones rely on voice, timing, and specificity rather than big sitcom machinery.

The Guild

The Guild is a smart pick if you are curious about internet-era comedy. Created by Felicia Day, it follows an online gaming group whose digital relationships keep spilling into awkward real life.

You do not need to be a gamer to understand the appeal. The more relatable part is the gap between how people present themselves online and how uncomfortable they can be face to face.

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl has the kind of specific voice that makes short-form comedy feel personal. Created by Issa Rae, it turns workplace awkwardness, social anxiety, and internal commentary into quick, pointed scenes.

This is the better web-series choice if you want something with a clear perspective rather than just a clever premise. The episodes are short, but the tone is strong enough that it does not feel like a smaller version of television.

Conclusion

The best pick depends less on which show is "objectively" funniest and more on what kind of viewing you want right now. Choose Abbott Elementary or Modern Family for easy shared comfort, Brooklyn Nine-Nine or New Girl for fast ensemble energy, The Good Place for a more thoughtful watch, and the web series when you want something short with a distinct voice.