15 TV shows to watch if you like dark comedies

These genre-bending series are a far cry from "Leave It to Beaver."

For those who like darker content, TV has more options now than ever before. Beyond traditional sitcoms and gritty dramas, we now have an influx of edgy, boundary-pushing comedies like Atlanta and Barry alongside prestige series with a bleakly comedic bent such as Succession and The White Lotus. While the Emmys may struggle to define the exact genre of some of these shows, we appreciate them all the more for juggling heavy, life-or-death themes with a good sense of humor.

Life is all about contrast, and these shows expertly demonstrate its many absurdities and traumas. Here are our 15 favorite shows if you're looking for a good laugh/cry.

After Life (2019–2022)

After Life blends creator/star Ricky Gervais' signature comic nastiness with a moving story of grief and growth. Gervais plays Tony, a newspaperman who's sunk into miserable misanthropy after losing his wife, Lisa (Kerry Godliman), to cancer. Through interaction with a delightful cast of characters, including an older widow played by Downton Abbey's Penelope Wilton and a no-nonsense nurse (Extras' Ashley Jensen), Tony starts to find the will to live again. —Tyler Aquilina

Where to watch After Life: Netflix

Atlanta (2016–2022)

Calling Donald Glover's masterpiece a show about two cousins navigating the Atlanta hip-hop scene is like calling Twin Peaks a show about an FBI agent investigating a murder: It's technically true, but doesn't come close to capturing the show's Lynchian brilliance. (Yes, "Lynchian" applies to both.) Atlanta blends social commentary, surreality, and relentless inventiveness to produce one of the very best shows on TV, which can go from a trapped-in-a-creepy-house thriller to a trippy party at Drake's house without batting an eye. —T.A.

Where to watch Atlanta: Hulu

Related: Atlanta star LaKeith Stanfield was 'creeped out' filming 'Teddy Perkins' episode

Barry (2018–2023)

Bill Hader stars in this Emmy-winning HBO series as a hitman who falls in with a Los Angeles acting class while in town for a job, and decides to remake himself as an actor. The show plumbs the depths of Barry's soul as he struggles to leave his past behind, with stellar supporting turns from Henry Winkler as Barry's self-absorbed acting teacher, Sarah Goldberg as a troubled classmate, and Anthony Carrigan as the world's most upbeat Chechen mobster. —T.A.

Where to watch Barry: Max

The Bear (2022–present)

There's been healthy debate over whether The Bear is actually a comedy, which may be due to just how dark it can get. After Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), a disciplined young chef, returns to Chicago to run his deceased brother's sandwich shop, the stress of running a business and managing egos — both at work and within his family — becomes nearly too much for him to take. Anyone who's ever worked in the service industry will relate to the various struggles depicted here, and as tough as the show can be to watch at times, there is an odd catharsis in seeing Carmy and the gang make it through. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch The Bear: Hulu

Beef (2023)

The television equivalent of "that escalated quickly," Beef is all about what happens when simple road rage turns into an all-out war. Ali Wong and Steven Yeun star as Amy and Danny, respectively, two strangers who get into an awkward parking lot incident and engage in a car chase. Over the subsequent months, they attempt to get back at each other in increasingly dangerous ways as their lives become inexorably intertwined. While the extent of each character's quest for revenge becomes hilariously absurd, the Emmy-winning series deftly balances its tones as it explores the profound traumas affecting both of their lives. —K.J.

Where to watch Beef: Netflix

BoJack Horseman (2014–2020)

BoJack Horseman is both one of the funniest and most heartbreaking shows ever made, with its later seasons often veering between soul-crushing bleakness and uproarious comedy from moment to moment with surefooted ease. The series follows the titular character, a washed-up former sitcom star who is also a horse, in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals exist side by side. (Don't worry, you'll get used to it quickly.) The all-star voice cast includes Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul, Paul F. Tompkins, and Amy Sedaris, all doing some of the best work of their careers. —T.A.

Where to watch BoJack Horseman: Netflix

Related: BoJack Horseman, Rick and Morty, and the New Golden Age of Animation

Dead to Me (2019–2022)

Another story of grief and healing, Dead to Me tells the tragicomic tale of Jen (Christina Applegate), who forms a close friendship with the free-spirited Judy (Linda Cardellini) after losing her husband in a hit-and-run car accident. The central duo carries the show with winning chemistry, leavening a dark mystery with a charming portrait of female friendship. —T.A.

Where to watch Dead to Me: Netflix

Fargo (2014–present)

This loose adaptation of the acclaimed 1996 film of the same name retains the Coen brothers' black comedy tone while expanding upon its themes in inventive ways. Every season centers on a new set of quirky Midwestern characters involved in the criminal world, typically due to an inciting incident that spirals out of control. The fun is in seeing them maneuver out of harm's way, with malevolent forces at every turn. —K.J.

Where to watch Fargo: Hulu

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005–present)

Television's long-running sitcom is perhaps the gold standard for comedic depravity, with "the Gang" at Paddy's Pub — Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito) — having embarked on nearly every conceivable outrageous scheme and morally objectionable act for nearly 20 hilarious seasons, with no end in sight. Among the It's Always Sunny highlights: kidnapping, stalking, grave robbing, arson, hiding naked in a couch to eavesdrop, and much, much more. —T.A.

Where to watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Hulu

Rick and Morty (2013–present)

Rick and Morty follows the adventures of its title characters, the self-proclaimed smartest man in the universe and his grandson, respectively. Those adventures more often than not turn very deadly; a memorable season 1 outing sees the duo turning an entire planet into horrifically mutated Cronenberg beasts. Along the way, the show brutally satirizes film and TV tropes and reveals Rick to be perhaps the most reprehensible antihero on television. It's fun! —T.A.

Where to watch Rick and Morty: Hulu

Shameless (2011–2021)

Shameless centers around the impoverished Gallagher clan, whose deadbeat patriarch Frank (William H. Macy) leaves his six children to fend for themselves, with the oldest, Fiona (Emmy Rossum), doing her best to support the family. It sounds like the recipe for a Dickensian family saga, but none of Dickens' characters ever tried to sell beer and weed out of an ice cream truck. —T.A.

Where to watch Shameless: Netflix

Succession (2018–2023)

Succession's Roys could go toe-to-toe with the Gallaghers for the top spot in the dysfunctional TV family pantheon. HBO's satirical dramedy kicks off when patriarch Logan (Brian Cox) suffers a stroke, inciting a scramble for control of his corporate empire among his three youngest children: Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Shiv (Sarah Snook). What follows is a riveting blend of corporate intrigue, cringe comedy, and Shakespearean drama. —T.A.

Where to watch Succession: Max

Related: Sarah Snook on the Succession scene that made her gasp and whether she aligns with audience's hatred of Shiv

What We Do in the Shadows (2019–present)

Loosely based on Taika Waititi's 2014 mockumentary of the same name, What We Do in the Shadows explores what it's like to be a centuries-old vampire in the modern world (Spoiler alert: It's messy). The horror comedy follows four vampire roommates living in a Staten Island house, dealing with each other's annoying habits while navigating life in the 21st century. Thankfully they have help from Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), a human "familiar" who tirelessly assists them while hoping to be turned into a vampire himself. While there is an inherent darkness in its themes, WWDITS is also one of the silliest, bitingly hilarious shows on television. —K.J.

Where to watch What We Do in the Shadows: Hulu

The White Lotus (2021–present)

Writer-director Mike White satirizes the privileged and all their petty grievances in this Emmy-winning dramedy. Each season centers on a group of vacationers staying at a luxurious White Lotus resort, as they find that their personal problems don't magically go away — if anything, they are only exacerbated while in paradise. The series goes to some dark places in its exploration of the human condition, but always with an incisive wit that makes the series endlessly watchable. —K.J.

Where to watch The White Lotus: Max

You're the Worst (2014–2019)

When Jimmy (Chris Geere) and Gretchen (Aya Cash) meet at a misbegotten wedding, it sets off one of the great romantic comedies of our time. You're the Worst marries edgy humor with serious looks at mental illness, addiction, and more, charting the daily struggle of learning to live with yourself and others. —T.A.

Where to watch You're the Worst: Hulu

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.