5 TV Workplace Comedies Way Better Than The Office

While most of us hate to work, the world can't seem to get enough of workplace comedies like "The Office," the U.S. adaptation of its U.K. counterpart that would change television forever, heralding the dawn of a new era of cringe comedy-infused mockumentaries. Under the questionable but heartfelt leadership of World's Best Boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell), the staff of Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company's Scranton branch kept the wheels of paper capitalism turning. One minute, paper salesman Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) was JELL-O-ifying Dwight Schrute's (Rainn Wilson) stapler — the next, he was falling in love with doodling receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer).

There's just something about watching fictional characters make the most of their daily work lives — finding a friend to share knowing looks with through unbearable meetings, engaging in good-natured pranks that somehow don't result in any firing or lawsuits. If nine seasons of "The Office" wasn't nearly enough heartwarming, hilarious workplace comedy magic for you, we've got you covered. From the writer's room to the surgical bay, here are five workplace comedies superior to "The Office" to add to your must-watch list.

Airing around the same time as "The Office," "30 Rock" is an over-the-top surrealist workplace comedy based on co-showrunner Tina Fey's experience as a "Saturday Night Live" comedy writer. Whereas "The Office" is largely anchored in workplace shenanigans and cringe comedy, "30 Rock" is much more whimsical, almost cartoonish at times as it follows writer Liz Lemon's (Tina Fey) life navigating the absurd world of an NBC sketch comedy series.

The show also stars Alec Baldwin as hands-on network exec boss Jack Donaghy, alongside Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski as the show's barely manageable stars Tracy Jordan and Jenna Maroney respectively. Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, and Judah Friedlander round out the outstanding cast responsible for the show's pristine chemistry and comedic timing. Over the course of its run, "30 Rock" also saw a steady stream of celebrity guests from comedians like Steve Martin, Kristen Schaal, and Fred Armisen to the likes of Oprah Winfrey, James Marsden, and Peter Dinklage.

"30 Rock" is chock full of lore and running gags — two concepts that are often intertwined in the show — ranging from Kenneth Purcell's (McBrayer) small-town Georgia back story to Jenna's music and movie careers. Even the fictional media mentioned are comedy gems — Liz Lemon's world is populated by productions like "Honky Grandma Be Trippin'," "God Cop," and the legal drama its own star can't pronounce, "The Rural Juror." The show was nominated for 103 Emmy Awards and took home 16 during its run. 

Launched smack dab in the middle of the COVID pandemic, "Ted Lasso" proves a spirit-lifting, feel-good comedy doesn't have to be corny or forced. Starring Jason Sudeikis as its eponymous coach, the sports-drama imagines a world where a Kansas college football coach and his assistant (Brendan Hunt) move to England to coach a professional soccer league. Initially hired to fail by new owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) in a revenge plot against her ex, the pair use Lasso's compassionate leadership style to coach the team back up to the Premier League.

"Ted Lasso" had some surprising origins, starting as a viral Sudeikis-starring 2013 NBC Sports commercial. While this is a sports-themed comedy, it's not about sports. Rather, it's about family, community, optimism, and showing up both for others and for ourselves. But what makes "Ted Lasso" so special is that it accomplishes all of this without compromising humor or feeling didactic. 

Unlike fish-out-of-water comedies that play up cultural differences for laughs, "Ted Lasso" presents a character who is open to change. The humor doesn't come from making light at British or American ways of life, nor does it derive from Ted's naivety. Instead, it comes from the many layers and dimensions of Ted and others, the idea that humans will continue to surprise us if we open ourselves up to the possibilities. No wonder the show has won a whopping 13 Emmy Awards (not to mention 61 nominations) so far.

Decades before comedy legend Danny DeVito menaced Philadelphia as Frank in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," he starred as the obnoxious, tyrannical boss from Hell Louie De Palma in "Taxi," a workplace sitcom that launched the careers of several soon-to-be-stars. The 1978 series revolves around the night shift at New York City's fictional Sunshine Cab Company's Manhattan fleet garage where De Palma works as a dispatcher. 

Among the cabbies, there's cynical family man Alex Reiger (Judd Hirsch), struggling actor Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway), hard-working divorced mom Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner), big-hearted boxer Tony Banta (Tony Danza), washed-up hippie Reverend Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd). Absurdist anti-comic Andy Kaufman — who would become known as one of the most legendary comedians in history — plays mechanic Latka Gravas, with Carol Kane eventually joining as Latka's fellow countryman and future bride. The long list of other notable actors to appear includes Rhea Perlman, Ruth Gordon, Penny Marshall, George Wendt, Ted Danson, Tom Selleck, Mandy Patinkin, Tom Hanks, and Martin Short, among others.

Unlike most sitcoms of its day, "Taxi" presented a workplace comedy based on compelling characters and sharp, witty dialogue instead of tired, formulaic storytelling. The series often makes lists of greatest TV shows like Variety's 2023 "100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time." Over its five-season run, "Taxi" scored a well-deserved 18 Emmy Awards.

The magic of "Scrubs," the single-camera medical workplace dramedy about a group of young doctors completing their internships at the fictional Sacred Heart teaching hospital, is the emotional growth of its central characters — particularly POV character J.D. Dorian (Zach Braff). The show follows J.D., along with his surgeon bestie Turk (Donald Faison) and fellow intern-situationship Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke), as they acclimate to life at Sacred Heart and mature both professionally and personally.

A lighthearted sitcom that deftly handles heavier subject matter without losing sight of its tone, "Scrubs" often weaves in surreal and absurd elements, often breaking into fantastic visions that depict J.D.'s imagination. The show's handling of deeper, more philosophical topics without compromising its humor is why fans think "Scrubs" stands above other dramedies.

The show also experiments with its storytelling, as in the informative depiction of viral transmission in the Season 5 episode "My Cabbage" or the Season 6 musical episode "My Musical." Hilarious running gags (like Turk and J.D.'s beloved taxidermied pet dog) and a long list of recognizable guest stars appearing on "Scrubs" — celebrities like Ryan Reynolds, Dick Van Dyke, Heather Graham, and Brendan Fraser — add to the show's endless charm.

A spin-off to the 1970 black comedy war satire of the same name, "M*A*S*H" is a period medical workplace dramedy revolving around a South Korea-based U.S. army surgical hospital during the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 through 1953. In the real world, the show's early years coincided with the conclusion of the long-running Vietnam War, a conflict that Americans were becoming heavily disillusioned with by that time, and finished up towards the end of the Cold War in 1983. But instead of a scathing anti-war protest, "M*A*S*H" balanced laughs and well-rounded characters with a focus on highlighting and humanizing the lives touched by war in a more general sense.

Of its striking 109 Emmy nominations, the show landed 14. The series features an ensemble cast starring Alan Alda as Chief Surgeon Hawkeye Pierce, Loretta Swit as Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, William Christopher as Trapper John McIntyre, and Gary Burghoff as company clerk and bugler Walter Eugene "Radar" O'Reilly. 

Much of the humor either derives from the show's central characters finding the absurdity in the situation humanity finds itself in amid wartime or satirizing problems with the red tape and incompetence intrinsic to the bloated U.S. military machine. The series is still widely regarded as one of the greatest comedies of all time.