Underappreciated Sitcoms To Add To Your Must-Watch List

In an ideal world, ABC's "Happy Endings" would have lasted as long as "Friends" or "Big Bang Theory," but a long life was not in the cards for the hilarious sitcom. Created by David Caspe ("Marry Me," "Black Monday"), "Happy Endings" aired for three seasons – from 2011 to 2013 – before being cancelled, at least partially because the network moved it around in a manner that Vulture said "messed it all up." Shortened life notwithstanding, "Happy Endings" is an absolute gem of a comedy.

The show revolves around six wacky friends — think "Friends" if there were six Phoebes. The cast includes control-freak Jane (Eliza Coupe), her banker husband Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.), and unemployed slob Max (Adam Pally). There's also Jane's sister, Alex (Elisha Cuthbert), who loves ribs and doesn't have much intelligence to speak of, her sappy ex-fiance Dave (Zachary Knighton), and the group's man-crazy, trend obsessed PR maven Penny Hartz (Casey Wilson).

The jokes on "Happy Endings" are virtually nonstop, like a machine gun peppering out sidesplitting little bullets. And as a situational comedy, the scenarios the gang finds themselves in are always spot-on, but the ongoing gags – like Penny making up new pronunciations for words or Dave bragging about being one-sixteenth Navajo — are also what makes the show so great. There is a reason why — even now, nearly a decade after its demise – people still talk about a possible reboot.

It is relatively rare for a Canadian sitcom to garner a huge audience in the United States, but with the popularity of "Schitt's Creek" and the increasing presence of foreign programs on streaming platforms, that may be changing. And if you are going to pick up one show from our Northern neighbor, make it the extremely enjoyable "Workin' Moms."

The show was created by Catherine Reitman, daughter of "Ghostbusters" director Ivan Reitman. It offers a brutally honest, unpretty look at contemporary motherhood. Reitman stars as main character Kate Foster, a driven public relations executive with a tendency to get herself into blunders. Kate belongs to a mommy group that also includes her best friend Anne (Dani Kind) –- a deeply sarcastic and jaded psychologist -– and free spirited realtor Frankie (Juno Rinaldi), among others.

"Workin' Moms" was created for the CBC in Canada, and can be seen on Netflix in America. It often seems more like a Netflix sitcom versus a mainstream broadcast one, given how raw it can be. There's occasional nudity and profanity, as well as storylines about masturbation, breastfeeding, slut shaming, and sexual abuse.

Unlike so many sitcoms out there, "Superstore" never entered a decline –- it just kept getting better and better throughout its six season run. Not even the departure of leading lady America Ferrera (who played Amy Sosa) derailed it, which is saying something considering how much weight the show gave to Amy's relationship with fellow employee Jonah (Ben Feldman).

The show takes place almost entirely inside of a St. Louis, Missouri, Cloud Nine — a fictional big brand chain — and focuses on the inner workings of the store. It uses humor to explore serious workplace issues like unionization, maternity leave, health insurance, and corporate greed. "Superstore" also tackles immigration issues, as one worker (Mateo) is undocumented, and at one point is removed from the store by ICE. 

Even though some of the issues are deep, the cast of zany, diverse characters ensure that "Superstore" provides a plethora of laughs that hit at a mile-a-minute. In addition to Amy and Jonah, the other main characters include uber-religious store manager Glenn (Mark McKinney) and no-nonsense assistant store manager Dina (Lauren Ash). There's also a slew of associates including gossipy friends Mateo (Nico Santos) and Cheyenne (Nichole Sakura), who later becomes floor supervisor. And some of the best characters lay beyond the core cast, as recurring players like mild-mannered Sandra (Kaliko Kauahi), desperate Justine (Kelly Schumann), sarcastic pharmacist Tate (Josh Lawson), and all-around mess Marcus (Jon Barinholtz) add more than their fair share of humor.

Netflix's "Never Have I Ever" is another underappreciated sitcom from the mind of Mindy Kaling. "Never Have I Ever" is a relatable coming of age story, a poignant look at the role of grief in the family unit, an authentic portrait of an Indian-American family, and a straight-up charming little sitcom.

The show focuses on Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a high school student in Sherman Oaks, California, who must deal with the usual teenage struggles while also grieving the unexpected death of her father, Mohan (Sendhil Ramamurthy). The show additionally explores the way that first-generation Americans must balance their ethnic and cultural identities with their American ones. It's rare to see South Asian representation on television, especially in a non-tokenized, culturally-informative, stereotype-busting way.

Much of "Never Have I Ever" is about Devi's love triangle with heartthrob Paxton (Darren Barnett) and onetime-nemesis-turned-unexpected-love-interest Ben (Jaren Lewison). Devi's friendships with her besties Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) and Eleanor (Ramona Young) are another key part of the show, but it's her relationship with her strict mother, Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) that is the highlight of the show. Another reason to tune in: tennis legend John McEnroe serves as Devi's inner voice and the show's narrator.

The original "Saved by the Bell" is nothing short of legendary, and the new, reimagined "Saved by the Bell" is similarly awesome, albeit tonally very different. The reboot premiered on Peacock in 2020, and it once again took viewers inside the halls of Bayside High, a Pacific Palisades high school where students act like they're 30. The big joke with the reboot is that it's in on the fun -– the ridiculousness of the original is frequently referenced, including a brief appearance by caffeine pills. The wink-wink, over-the-top humor shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone, given that Tracey Wigfield developed the show. Wigfield previously wrote for "30 Rock," which has a similar absurdist humor.

Much of the original gang is back –- Jesse Spano (Elizabeth Berkley) is now the school's guidance counsellor, A.C. Slater (Mario Lopez) is the gym teacher, and Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is somehow Governor of California -– but the focus is mostly on the teens who fill the halls. This includes Jesse's son Jamie (Belmont Cameli), a soft-hearted football player, and Zack's son Mac (Mitchell Hoog), who picked up where his father left off as the school prankster. There is also cheerleader Lexi (Josie Totah), class president Daisy (Haskiri Velazquez), star quarterback Aisha (Alycia Pascual-Peña), and musical theatre actor Devante (Dexter Darden). The latter three students are new transfers, having been assigned to Bayside after the closure of their underfunded school, which allows the show to touch on issues of class, race, and privilege.

Another Tracy Wigfield gem, "Great News" is a fantastic show that should have lasted far longer than its two seasons. If you like shows such as "30 Rock," "Parks and Recreation," or "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," this one is for you.

Briga Heelan stars as Katie Wendelson, a news producer who tries to be taken seriously at work all while overseeing the intern from hell -– her mother Carol (Andrea Martin). Katie struggles to cover hard news, as her boss/eventual love interest Greg (Adam Campbell) will only assign her fluff pieces, but the best parts of the show come from her interactions with her mom. Boundaries are not something Carol understands, much like the technology necessary for her internship.

The supporting characters in "Great News" are also hilarious and this is very much an ensemble workplace comedy. Nicole Richie is a highlight as trendy, superficial co-anchor Portia Scott-Griffith, and John Michael Higgins is as good as ever as her out-of-touch co-anchor Chuck Pierce. Everything in "Great News" is amplified to the extreme, but if that fits your sense of humor, it's a great sitcom to check out.

"A.P. Bio" was canceled after two seasons on NBC, only to be revived by the network's streaming platform Peacock. In "A.P. Bio," Glenn Howerton plays Jack Griffin, a fallen philosophy professor who must return home to Toledo, Ohio, after losing out on a big promotion at Harvard. Rather than actually teach his room full of honor roll students at Whitlock High School, Jack decides to use them to seek revenge on his enemies — starting with Miles Leonard (Tom Bennett), who got the job he wanted at Harvard. We have seen the uninterested teacher thing before, but Howerton's screen presence and the show's stellar writing make this a must-watch program.

In addition to Jack and his Advanced Placement Biology class, main characters include exasperated principal Ralph Durbin (Patton Oswalt), optimistic secretary Helen Demarcus (Paula Pell), and a roster of hilarious teachers. Jack eventually branches out from seeking revenge on Miles, focusing his wrath on everyone from an old man who comes around to see his dead mom ("Old Brandon"), his former high school bully, and even his mom's church (after realizing she spent her money on a statue there). The specific plots he executes make the show pop: It doesn't get better than Jack making his students catfish his adversary.