From a mischievous tale of male/female friendship to a hilarious satire of toxic masculinity, these are the funniest shows to stream right now.
Funboys
"Fans of quirky, off-the-wall comedy" are in for a real treat with "Funboys", said Vicky Jessop in London's The Standard. This "heartwarming" show about a group of young men living in a "tiny" Northern Irish town is "well worth a few hours of your time". A "worthy successor" to "Our Country", the show's success hinges on the excellent "chemistry" between the main characters. "Beautifully bizarre, quirky and desperately bingeable", it's one to add to your watchlist. "Four episodes isn't enough: more please." BBC iPlayer
Platonic
Season one of "Platonic" made for a "slyly surprising" show that was "all the better for refusing to follow the predictable rules of engagement", said Rebecca Nicholson in the Financial Times. The action followed Sylvia (Rose Byrne) and Will (Seth Rogan), two estranged friends who reconnected in their early 40s after an earlier falling out. Somewhat refreshingly, viewers expecting a "will they / won't they dynamic" instead discovered a thoughtful exploration of male/female friendship. In the second season, Will is preparing to wed Jenna (Rachel Rosenbloom), while Sylvia plans his engagement party and the old friends "get involved in a series of low-stakes capers". This is "silly, self-aware slapstick" at its best, held together by the "charm of its two leads". Don't be fooled by its "laid-back" feel though; the twist at the end of the second episode reminds us of the show's "darker side", setting up "Platonic" as "one of the better comedies of the year". Apple TV
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Overcompensating
Benito Skinner went viral on Reels with his hilarious impressions of celebrities from Sabrina Carpenter to Kim Kardashian. Now, he has written and produced an eight-episode comedy series for Amazon, in which he stars as Benny – a closeted college freshman trying to convince his peers he definitely isn't gay. "Fortunately for us", said Maddy Mussen in London's The Standard, Skinner "mines endless humour from an objectively depressing situation, playing on his failed sexual escapades with women, his foray into hyper-toxic frat culture and his agonising first crush on a straight man". It's a "deeply watchable" show with a "stellar supporting cast" including "cult comedian" Mary Beth Barrone, who plays Benny's "bitchy but benevolent" sister Grace. Expect "countless laugh out loud moments", including a long running joke about Amanda Knox that "had me sold". It's a must watch. Amazon Prime
Such Brave Girls
Kat Sadler's Bafta-winning series about a dysfunctional family is back for a second series. The show's appeal lies in watching the mother-daughter trio "plumb the lowest emotional depths" and make some "frankly woeful decisions", said Katie Rosseinsky in The Independent. From mental illness to parental estrangement "nothing is off limits here, and it's all attacked with an almost feral comic energy". Watching the siblings – played by Sadler and her real-life sister Lizzie Davidson – spur each other on to make dreadful life choices is an "unhinged delight". Darkly humorous and "refreshingly realistic", it's "truly brave TV". BBC iPlayer
Last One Laughing
"What's one guaranteed way to make someone laugh? Tell them not to", said Emily Baker on The i Paper. "And then put Bob Mortimer in the room." That's the simple yet hilarious concept behind Amazon Prime's new comedy series "Last One Laughing". Jimmy Carr hosts the six-part show that follows a "gang of well-known comedians" who are put into a room and challenged not to laugh while undertaking a series of provocations. It's no surprise that the show has been an "instant hit"; clips have "flooded" social media, and it's easily the "funniest, silliest British TV series in years". Amazon
The Studio
This "witty, knowing and cameo-jammed" satire follows "hapless" Hollywood exec Matt (Seth Rogen) as he struggles to produce a "billion-dollar blockbuster while not pissing off 'the talent'", said Nick De Semlyen in Empire. A "fizzy, acidic" spoof of the "inherent daftness of the movie business", it's a "triumphantly funny" series that feels like it could easily "run and run". At the point Martin Scorsese is "sobbing in the arms of Charlize Theron", "The Studio" will likely have you hooked. Amazon
Hacks
When this scooped its "thoroughly deserved" Emmy for best comedy in September last year, I "cheered", said David Mack in Slate. The "hilarious" show follows the lives of two women at very different stages of their comedy careers, who form an unlikely friendship. Now in its fourth season, "Hacks" is a "masterclass in meta-exploration", thoughtfully examining the "very same questions as its characters": "what do you do when you're on top?" The latest batch of episodes is a "riot", cementing its status as one of the "funniest shows" on TV. Amazon
Amandaland
"Spin-offs are always a risk," said Chitra Ramaswamy in The Guardian, but "Amandaland" was a "sure bet" with the "best character" in the BBC winner "Motherland" providing ample opportunity for exposing "the worst excesses, blind spots and hypocrisies of the posh, white, west London middle classes". Following her divorce, Amanda has upped sticks from Chiswick to the far less chi-chi south Harlesden. Gone are the old gang of Julia, Liz and Kevin, but Anne is back, as the put-upon best friend. Amanda's mother is played by Joanna Lumley "with Ab Fab levels of relish" and with gags covering the likes of "Gloria Hunniford, the Just Seventeen problem page and Sinn Féin", this is a very British comedy. BBC iPlayer
A Man on the Inside
Michael Schur's latest comedy about a retired professor (Ted Danson) who goes undercover in a retirement home to catch a jewel thief is "funny", "sweet" and "heartwarming", said Ferdosa Abdi on Screen Rant. The show doesn't shy away from tackling the "anxiety and fear of growing old" – but it does so with plenty of "fun".
Danson has "perfect comic pitch" and brings just enough sadness to his portrayal of Charles to turn the "retiree-turned-amateur shamus" into a believable character, said Benji Wilson in The Telegraph. "Mawkishness and nostalgia are rarely breeding grounds for hilarity" but Schur (one of the creators of "Parks and Recreation"), has pulled it off, delivering a "winning amalgam of sharp lines and heart", that balances "trenchant commentary on ageing" with a "regular drumbeat of good gags and daft set-ups". Netflix
Alma's Not Normal
Sophie Willan's semi-autobiographical show is a "triumph of writing and performance" that "beats anything the streaming giants can produce", said Benji Wilson in The Telegraph. Willan delivers "brilliant" social commentary "sugared" with "superb" writing as Alma Nuttall, the show's protagonist, who tackles sex work, "dodgy" boyfriends and chaotic family life.
The first instalment saw Alma leave her "frequently grim" job as an escort for a tour with a local theatre company, said Rachel Aroesti in The Guardian. In season two, Alma is back in Bolton, where her grandmother is holding her mother's schizophrenic boyfriend "semi-captive" and Alma has found herself "blacklisted" from the escort industry. Watching Alma struggle for her big break is "TV at its most beautiful, furious and hilarious" and "pretty much the perfect comedy". BBC iPlayer
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