Yahoo Lifestyle 2024 in Review: The Year’s Funniest TV Shows — Who Are Our Comedy MVPs?
After the year we’ve all had… hey, who could use a laugh?
TVLine’s Year in Review coverage continues with a look back at the lighter side of TV with our selections of the flat-out funniest shows of 2024. This year featured plenty of debate about what, exactly, constitutes a comedy these days — and as much as we adore The Bear, you won’t find it on this list. (Our sincere apologies to the Fak brothers.) Instead, we’re celebrating the shows that made us laugh the loudest over the past twelve months, from goofy supernatural series like Ghosts and What We Do in the Shadows to schoolhouse laughers like Abbott Elementary and English Teacher. We also unearthed a few hidden gems across broadcast, cable and streaming that never got the buzz they deserved, if you’re in need of some fresh recommendations to tickle your funny bone.
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Scroll down to discover our 25 picks for the funniest TV shows of the past year, along with our selection of each show’s Comedy MVP, i.e., the single funniest person in each cast. And of course, comedy is highly subjective, so we want to know what made you laugh in 2024: Hit the comments below to let us know your picks for the year’s funniest shows and Comedy MVPs.
Abbott Elementary
Now in its fourth season and showing no signs of slowing down, Quinta Brunson’s ABC hit is such a well-oiled comedy machine by this point that the enviably deep cast takes turns making us laugh each week. First, it’s Lisa Ann Walter’s turn as straight-shooter Melissa, then it’s Chris Perfetti’s turn as the perpetually nervous Jacob. But Janelle James remains one of the biggest scene stealers anywhere on TV as principal Ava… who is so wrong, she’s right.
Comedy MVP: Janelle James’ Principal Ava Coleman
Agatha All Along
You can’t really go wrong when you’ve got Kathryn Hahn as a power-hungry witch, but Agatha was even more fun than we anticipated, beginning with its pitch-perfect Mare of Easttown send-up. Hahn and a revelatory Joe Locke made for an unexpected and delightful comedy duo; Agatha’s coven, namely SNL‘s Sasheer Zamata as Jennifer Kale, landed those Marvel one-liners with impeccable timing; and Debra Jo Rupp reminded us why she needs a role in any TV comedy, no matter how short-lived.
Comedy MVP: Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness
Bad Monkey
Sure, Apple TV+’s mystery served up a few dead bodies along the way, but it always made time for a few laughs, thanks mostly to Vince Vaughn’s assured turn as Florida investigator Andrew Yancy. He fired off more sassy one-liners than Chevy Chase’s Fletch in his heyday, and he encountered a colorful array of Florida oddballs, too, from Meredith Hagner as a conniving trophy wife to Zach Braff as a drug-addled doctor.
Comedy MVP: Vince Vaughn’s smart-ass detective Andrew Yancy
Bob’s Burgers
After 15 seasons, we’ve come to take the animated Fox comedy for granted. Which wouldn’t be a good thing, we know, if it weren’t for the reason that we can: The show has remained as funny as Bob’s burgers-of-the-day names have remained punny. Even when the Belcher kids are learning life lessons the hard way, the message goes down as easily as fries dipped in ketchup.
Comedy MVP: Kristen Schaal’s mischievous Louise Belcher
Colin From Accounts
Paramount+’s Australian rom-com brings lots of laughs to our shores with its loose, raunchy tale of a pair of hopeless singles finding love while caring for an injured mutt. Stars/creators Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer have excellent comedic chemistry — probably because they’re married in real life — and they’re flanked by endearingly weird supporting characters like flighty friend Megan and microbrewery co-workers Chiara and Brett.
Comedy MVP: Helen Thomson’s hilariously overbearing mom Lynelle
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin
If you enjoy the surreal musings of Noel Fielding on The Great British Baking Show, we invite you to climb aboard this supremely silly period piece, where Fielding plays a soon-to-be-legendary stagecoach robber who’s utterly unsuited to the job. The whimsically absurd tone inspires plenty of giggles, and we were pleasantly surprised by Downton Abbey alum Hugh Bonneville’s comedic turn as local lawman Jonathan Wilde.
Comedy MVP: Hugh Bonneville’s Jonathan Wilde
Conan O’Brien Must Go
O’Brien, once the king of late-night remotes, roams free (and internationally) in this Emmy-nominated Max travelogue — a bigger, better, funnier version of Conan Without Borders that sees the comedian traverse the globe to meet with fans and insert himself into their lives. It’d be a fool’s errand to pick a best moment from Season 1, but his collaboration with a Norwegian fan’s hip-hop band has been stuck in our heads for months.
Comedy MVP: O’Brien’s pleasingly pretentious producer Jordan Schlansky
Creature Commandos
Like James Gunn’s previous super-fare, this Max animated series is a ruthlessly funny experience. It’s stuffed with liberally tossed barbs, rampant irreverence and quirky dynamics that, together, amount to a strong start for Gunn’s nascent DCU. David Harbour’s Frankenstein steals the whole damn show.
Comedy MVP: David Harbour’s Eric Frankenstein, who makes an undead incel marginally likable
Curb Your Enthusiasm
We still don’t believe Larry David is ending his HBO show, but if this really was the last season, he made like George Costanza and left on a high note. Celebs like Conan O’Brien, Sean Hayes and Lori Loughlin made hilarious cameos in the final run — not to mention Larry’s old pal Jerry Seinfeld — and Vince Vaughn stole the show as the motor-mouthed Freddy Funkhouser. (We’re still laughing about his “we’re biting butts” sex story months later.)
Comedy MVP: Vince Vaughn’s Freddy Funkhouser
English Teacher
With his new FX comedy, Brian Jordan Alvarez doesn’t shy away from the very real challenges facing high school teachers these days — but he finds plenty of humor there, too, in the form of whiny students and overprotective parents. Plus, the staffers bring lots of laughs themselves, from Enrico Colantoni’s utterly checked out Principal Moretti to Sean Patton’s wildly inappropriate gym teacher Markie.
Comedy MVP: Stephanie Koenig’s deeply insecure teacher Gwen Sanders
Ghosts
The CBS comedy’s delightful ensemble of livings and spirits continues to amuse us with its hilariously wacky adventures, like Season 3’s Halloween-gone-wrong shenanigans and the funny-yet-heartbreaking episode detailing how Hetty died. And having seen the upcoming Christmas special, we can safely say that Ghosts will be ringing in the holidays with even more laughter.
Comedy MVP: Rebecca Wisocky’s uptight (but occasionally horny) Hetty
Girls5eva
30 Rock fans, if you’re not watching this fiendishly clever comedy exec-produced by Tina Fey, we have to ask: What are you waiting five? All the rapid-fire gags and savvy pop culture references you desire are on full display in Netflix’s tale of a Y2K-era girl group that decides to reunite in their 40s for one more shot at pop stardom. Once you familiarize yourself with the comedy stylings of one Wickie Roy, you’ll thank us.
Comedy MVP: Renée Elise Goldsberry’s overly entitled diva Wickie Roy
Hacks
Max’s stand-up comedy saga knows how to hit us in the feels — that final Deborah/Ava scene! — but it brings the funny, too, with the venomous banter between Jean Smart’s veteran comic Deborah and Hannah Einbinder’s up-and-comer Ava. (We certainly didn’t mind when it snatched the best comedy series Emmy away from, um, that chef show.) The funniest bits, though, might come from the fascinatingly bizarre bond shared by Paul W. Downs’ long-suffering manager Jimmy and Meg Stalter’s blissfully oblivious assistant Kayla.
Comedy MVP: Meg Stalter’s Kayla
John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.
Comedy is all about surprise, and there was no show more surprising this year than Mulaney’s chaotically experimental late night talk show on Netflix. He brought together celebrity comedians and local experts to earnestly discuss Los Angeles-centric topics, and the laughs flowed freely as the show frequently went off the rails. Mulaney also delivered sparkling monologues and pre-taped sketches, and we couldn’t stop giggling at the off-the-cuff riffs served up by sidekick Richard Kind. (If he ever decides to sell the home version of Richard Kind’s Party Starters, we’ll be first in line.)
Comedy MVP: A tie between Richard Kind and Saymo the delivery robot
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine bring their well-honed comedy chops to Prime Video’s spy adventure, where the laughs fly as fast as the bullets. The two stars have a great bickering rapport as mismatched spies pretending to be a married couple, and they’re joined by an eye-popping procession of fun guest stars, from Alexander Skarsgard to Sarah Paulson, all with tongues planted firmly in cheek.
Comedy MVP: John Turturro’s drugged-out real estate mogul Eric Shane
My Lady Jane
Prime Video’s sadly one-and-done reimagining of the life of Lady Jane Grey was far from a dry historical drama. With cheeky narration reminiscent of Pushing Daisies and a biting sense of humor (case in point), the fantasy dramedy was every bit as funny as it was a wild ride.
Comedy MVP: Kate O’Flynn’s twisted and power-hungry Princess Mary
Nobody Wants This
The Netflix series put the comedy back in romantic-comedy by successfully mining humor from its opposites-attract relationship and all the hilariously awkward but relatable experiences that come with it, like meeting your disapproving potential in-laws. The show also smartly stacked its supporting cast with talented performers who brought the laughs, like…
Comedy MVP: A tie between Justine Lupe and Timothy Simons’ unlikely friends Morgan and Sasha
The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh
Our grade for Season 1 of Vijal Patel’s Amazon Prime Video comedy is an emphatic “F” — for “funny as hell.” Every student in this school of fish out of water is a hoot, from flinty mom Sudha (stand-up standout Sindhu Vee) to rebellious daughter Bhanu (Sahana Srinivasan). And as over-the-top is the titular family’s misadventures can get, the series still gets under our skin, thanks to a heart that’s as sweet as gulab jamun.
Comedy MVP: Ashwin Sakthivel’s enthusiastic wannabe garbageman Vinod
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
What’s funnier than a group of rich, bad Mormons trying to be friends? From Lisa Barlow telling her lawyer she wants to “go the distance” on investigating a silly rumor, to Angie’s “high body count hair” dig, we can’t help but cackle at Season 5’s perfectly timed comedic quips!
Comedy MVP: Lisa “Baby Gorgeous” Barlow
Resident Alien
Alan Tudyk’s performance as Harry, an alien disguising himself as human, continued pulling zany punches in Season 3 with oddball deliveries and even weirder physical comedy. The addition of Edi Patterson as Blue Avian Heather made the show even wackier, while supporting regulars like Alice Wetterlund and Corey Reynolds provided hilarious small-town perspectives and reactions. There’s nothing quite like this sci-fi gem, and Tudyk’s wildly original presence had us cackling all season long.
Comedy MVP: Alan Tudyk’s eccentric and otherworldly Harry Vanderspeigle
Shrinking
Apple TV+’s grief-centric dramedy walks a difficult tightrope, tone-wise, yet still manages to crack us up amid its more serious material. Shrinking‘s ensemble is one of television’s deepest comedy benches, from Harrison Ford (whose deadpan approach to Paul never gets old) to Jessica Williams (whose hilarious Gaby is the best friend we wish we could have) to Luke Tennie (who delivered perhaps the year’s funniest scene as a painkiller-fueled Sean insulted his friends at the hospital).
Comedy MVP: Michael Urie’s hilariously self-obsessed lawyer Brian
St. Denis Medical
NBC’s hospital-set mockumentary is a newer addition to the TV lineup — it just premiered on Nov. 12 — but it’s already following in the hysterical footsteps of series creator Justin Spitzer’s past shows like Superstore and American Auto. Comedy vets Wendi McLendon-Covey and David Alan Grier are expectedly terrific, but we’ve been even more charmed by newer faces like Mekki Leeper (as inept floor nurse Matt) and Kahyun Kim (as nurse Serena); Matt’s recent investigation into the hospital chaplain’s credentials was one of our favorite sitcom B-plots this year.
Comedy MVP: Josh Lawson’s just-arrogant-enough trauma surgeon Bruce
Ted
The prequel to Seth MacFarlane’s unlikely film smash — which plays like a bizarro TGIF sitcom minus the laugh track, and minus the heartfelt resolution at the end of each episode — may never be an awards contender, but we’d argue that its laughs-per-minute ratio trumps many Outstanding Comedy Series nominees. Parenthood’s Max Burkholder, now all grown up, proves a worthy successor (or is it predecessor?) to Mark Wahlberg, portraying John in his all his awkward, teenage glory, while MacFarlane’s stuffed teddy is the foul-mouthed gift that keeps on giving.
Comedy MVP: Alanna Ubach’s tragically naïve Susan Bennett
What We Do in the Shadows
Oh, how we’ll miss these goofy vampires! In their sixth and final season, FX’s Staten Island vamps spread their bat wings and soared, with Laszlo creating a gruesome monster out of spare body parts and Nadja happily working as a cubicle drone at a corporate office. Few shows on TV deliver the sheer number of laughs that Shadows gave us — we wish it could live on forever.
Comedy MVP: Matt Berry’s grandly verbose Laszlo Cravensworth
Wynonna Earp: Vengeance
Tubi’s 90-minute don’t-call-it-a-movie not only reunited all of Purgatory’s finest, it came loaded with all of the sass and R-rated double (and, frankly, single) entendres we’ve come to expect from Wynonna, Waverly et al. (Cleaning the baseboards has made us blush ever since!)
Comedy MVP: Melanie Scrofano’s Wynonna, who fires off zingers as fast as bullets from Peacemaker
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