(Disclaimer: There is no way I watched all 409 shows. There will be shows on here that you like that I don't like or that I haven't seen. Get over it. I'm talking to you, Game Of Thrones fans.)
31. Man Seeking Woman
FX (new show)
Something about Jay Baruchel has always appealed to me. The mix of his every-man appearance with his comedic delivery and timing suits the FX brand well. This show had a decent amount of misses, but when it hit, it was gold.
30. The Last
Man on Earth
FOX (new show)
The Last Man on Earth aired its entire first season and half of its second season this year. The first 3 episodes of this show were some of the best on TV last season. The rest of season 1 really struggled to make us care about anyone on the show. Season 2 however, was finally able to make us care about various people on the show, which gave it heart in addition to laughs. The fall finale is one of the most intense half hours you can watch this season, and certainly blurs the lines between drama and comedy.
29. The Grinder
FOX (new show)
In The Grinder, Fox has itself the most purely funny show on network television. The laughs are heavy and often and the 2 part fall finale was some of the funniest stuff I have seen from a network in a long time. While Rob Lowe is predictably fantastic as the titular Grinder (the name Mitchard Grinder will never not be funny) Fred Savage does the real heavy lifting in his very triumphant return to life in front of the camera
28. Red Oaks
AMAZON (new show)
Red Oaks was really lost in the streaming shuffle. This look at life in 80’s at a suburban country club is so earnest and funny that it really deserves to get more eyes on it. Kudos to David Gordon Green and Amy Heckerling for giving us an amazing tribute to 80's body swapping in the shows 7th episode.
27. The League
FXX (not ranked)
Going into its final season, The League was a proven commodity that was always good for a laugh. The final season saw Nick Kroll return to an almost full schedule and the show was much better off for it. While never one of the best shows on TV, The League will be missed for its wild jokes and for the chemistry its cast of mostly stand up and improv comedians has.
26. Orange is the New Black
NETFLIX (#3)
I Really didn’t think this show could fall this far on my list, but the 3rd season just didn’t do it for me as much as the first 2, and during Peak TV in America, that’s enough to drag the show down to 26. The religious arc of the season was a brave attempt, and while it succeeded on many fronts, it made certain episodes drag, and thus the season did not seem to flow as well as the first two for me. Nonetheless, it was still a very solid season of TV and I anxiously await the 4th season.
25. Inside Amy Schumer
COMEDY CENTRAL (not ranked)
Amy Schumer had one of the best years a comedian has ever had, and her Comedy Central show reached some new heights this year. 12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer was one of the best half hours of TV this season. Hopefully her new found success does not cut this show short.
24. Brooklyn 99
FOX (11)
Brooklyn 99 has a very solid formula going for it in its 3rd season. The cast, which really is an embarrassment of riches at this point, all do their respective shticks well and the show is always good for at least a couple belly laughs every episode. Unfortunately, it suffers from being on network TV and having to produce so many episodes every season, thus the slide down my rankings.
23. South Park
COMEDY CENTRAL (not ranked)
South Park is one of those shows that I’m always glad is around, but don’t often go out of my way to watch unless I hear about an especially good episode. In its 19th (wow!) season though, South Park presented a serialized story of gentrification and PC society, and boy was it fantastic. The serialized nature gave new life to the show and hopefully something that Stone and Parker keep doing going forward
22. Wet Hot American Summer: 1st Day of
Camp
NETFLIX (new show)
With what the cast of the WHAS movie has accomplished since the films released, it is a minor miracle that this was made. To go along with that, with all the principals returning for this Netflix series, there was really a high floor and an even higher ceiling for this show. The mini-series, set entirely on the first day of camp, did a great job of servicing its old cast members with the humor we have come to expect from The State and integrating new actors into the world of camp Firewood. If nothing else, at least we finally know how H. Jon Benjamin turned into a can of peas.
21. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
HBO (10)
DUDE FLEW TO RUSSIA TO INTERVIEW EDWARD SNOWDEN! Do I need to say more? That John Oliver has become my go to source for current event commentary and skewering in a mere 2 seasons says enough about how fantastic this show is. Comedy Central really let a gem get away when they allowed Oliver to sign with HBO, and were probably really kicking themselves when looking for a replacement for Jon Stewart this year.
20. Fresh off The Boat
ABC (new show)
Diversity in a network comedy?! Who would have thought! This show, along with Blackish and Empire represented a banner year for diverse programming on network TV and in my opinion; this was the best of the bunch. The humor is not derived from the fact that these characters are Asian American living in a predominantly white world, but instead is derived from fantastic writing that lends itself well to the fantastic performances. Constance Wu is the real break out star here. Shaq-Fu really is the comedic gift that never stops giving.
19. Nathan For You
COMEDY CENTRAL (not ranked)
Comedy Central’s faux business makeover show hit highs that it had not in the years passed. As the season went on, the lines between reality and parody were further blurred as we dove deeper inside the psyche of Nathan Fielder the character, and as the season progressed, the work of Nathan Fielder the actor/comedian really took off.
18. UnReal
LIFETIME (New Show)
A TV show airing on Lifetime has made my rankings. That is the definition of Peak TV. This dramatic skewering of the bachelor and reality TV in general was sharp, dramatic, and funny all at once. The two female leads (Shiri Appleby and Constance Zimmer), both do a fantastic job as producers who not only give up their lives, but their souls in order to put on a successful show
17. Veep
HBO (22)
Veep, in perhaps its funniest season, really spread the wealth his year. Aside from being able to service its large cast, the show was able to really provide stand out moments for Anna Chlumsky and integrate new comer Hugh Laurie seamlessly. The show is just chugging along in its 5th season and should continue to dominate at the Emmy’s for the duration of its run
16. Louie
FX (13)
People really take this show for granted at this point. I’m probably guilty of it too. But this show in its 5th season continues to be hilarious and to push the boundaries of what actually qualifies as a comedy. One week the show can be about a hilarious sexual experience, and the next it can be about horrifying nightmares. This season also featured the single best guest performance in any show t, giving us a side of Michael Rappaport I did not think existed.
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