Five highly underrated adult comedy shows to watch this weekend
Who hasn’t experienced that thing when you promise yourself you’ll watch something now, and then you end up scrolling till your dinner goes cold? Yeah. That. Nobody has the patience for a 12-episode emotional boot camp after a week of emails, family group chats and whatever fresh nonsense life threw at you. We all want a Netflix show that feels light on your brain but not childish, a show that lets you relax without turning into a zombie.
Adult comedies are perfect for that, except most of them never get the attention they deserve. They disappear into the Netflix ocean behind whatever shiny thriller dropped that week. And then you’re stuck rewatching the same three shows because the algorithm refuses to help.
So here is the good news: Netflix actually has adult comedies that are funny in a grown-up way. The type where the jokes land because you’ve lived long enough to relate, and the characters behave like actual adults who are tired but trying. No laugh tracks forcing you to giggle, no over-the-top writing pretending to be edgy. Yes, please!
If your brain is fried and your attention span is hanging by a thread, these five shows will keep you entertained without talking down to you.
Five highly underrated adult comedy shows to watch
The Kominsky Method (2018-2021)
The Kominsky Method is the textbook equivalent of a conversation you overhear at a café between two older men who have lived enough life to stop pretending they’ve figured anything out. Michael Douglas plays a once-famous acting coach who teaches out of a tiny studio, and Alan Arkin plays his long-time friend who is both supportive and brutally honest without meaning to. Their back-and-forth has this dry, slightly worn-out humour that is everything and comforting because it mirrors how adults actually talk when they’re done sugarcoating everything.
What makes it worth your time is the way it treats big topics like ageing, careers fading out, grief and friendship, all without turning the mood heavy. The jokes are super related and land well because they’re rooted in the annoying, frustrating bits of adult life nobody warns you about. And the chemistry between Douglas and Arkin feels believable in that imperfect way long friendships work.
Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)
And okay, if The Kominsky Method feels like two grown men handling life with dry humour, Santa Clarita Diet is the complete opposite, while it maintains the same fun humour. This one is for the weekends when you want laughs that are a little unhinged. And don’t worry, you won’t cross into stupid territory. We have the darling Drew Barrymore playing a regular suburban mom who wakes up one day and realises she… needs human flesh now. Yeah. It sounds wild, but stay with me.
The best part is the casualness with which the show treats this whole situation. Her husband, played by Timothy Olyphant, spends half the show looking stressed in a very relatable “please, not today” way. Their marriage becomes stronger while dealing with murder logistics, realtors, and nosy neighbours. It is ridiculous, and in such a hilarious way, everyone is trying to keep a straight face.
The Upshaws (2017-2025)
Now, if you want something that feels closer to everyday life, The Upshaws fits right in. Think of it as that one family you know where everyone talks over each other, everyone is dramatic for no reason, but the affection is real even when it’s buried under sarcasm. Mike Epps and Wanda Sykes are the stars of the show and have moulded into their characters so well that it’s hard to tell that they are acting.
What makes it fun is that the show doesn’t pretend to be deep. It just leans into the everyday shenanigans of working parents, complicated relationships, and annoying relatives. The characters here act like people you’ve met, and the humour is snappy. After a long week, this is the show that reminds you you’re not the only one dealing with nonsense at home.
Workin’ Moms (2017-2023)
And since we are already in the world of families juggling too much at once, let’s slide into Workin’ Moms. This one is for all the working mums who are being literal superheroes and are managing both work and families. If you think your life is hard, this is a perfect opportunity for you to have a look at this show and wonder who signed them up for this life. It follows a bunch of mothers trying to get through work, kids, friendships, marriage, and whatever surprise shows up next, and the humour comes from how brutally honest it is.
The comedy here is sharper. It’s the type of humour that comes out when you’re exhausted and start telling the truth accidentally. The show doesn’t romanticise motherhood or make everything soft and sweet. It is inappropriate at times and painfully relatable in the best way. Even if you aren’t a parent, you’ll still laugh because the exhaustion is universal.
The Ranch (2016-2020)
And finally, if you want a show with a slower pace, something you can binge without getting bored, The Ranch is a great closer. Ashton Kutcher stars as a former football player who returns home to help his family run their struggling ranch, and the comedy comes from how dysfunctional everyone is… but in a very believable way.
The humour here is on point, especially for an adult comedy. And don’t worry, no corny or forced punchlines, but more on how adults talk when they’ve known each other too long to pretend. You get sibling arguments, stubborn dads, small-town gossip, and awkward moments where everyone loves each other but refuses to admit it. It is perfect for a weekend when you want to connect with characters who feel like actual people.