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(Photo by NBC)

The 60 Best TV Workplace Comedies

Sure, the current definition of “workplace” for many people is “wherever I sit down with my laptop.” But that doesn’t mean the workplace comedy is any less universal. It’s a classic for a reason — since most of us have to work to earn a living, whether through paid or unpaid labor (moms, we see you!), pretty much every viewer can relate. Whether it’s making small talk about last night’s big game or becoming exasperated when your boss sticks you with an impossible project, the struggle is very real.

We’ve rounded up some of TV’s best comedies (or dramedies) that revolve around the goings-on in a workplace. They might not be funny 100% of the time — see: Ally McBeal or even Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, both of which blend drama, comedy, and surreal elements for very unique viewing experiences — but they make comedic observations about even the most mundane aspects of the working world.

You’ll notice that the series listed span many decades, meaning Steve Carell appears twice, for both The Office and his new Netflix comedy Space Force. Other repeats include Ted Danson (for the new Tina Fey-created NBC sitcom Mr. Mayor and — naturally — Cheers), Adam Scott (for cult classic Party Down as well as Parks and Recreation), some It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia costars (Glenn Howerton for Sunny and Peacock comedy A.P. Bio, while Rob McElhenny co-created and co-stars in Sunny and Apple TV+ comedy Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet), Bill Lawrence (who co-created Spin City, Scrubs, and Undateable), and even Fey herself, who appears on-screen in 30 Rock, but also executive produced Mr. Mayor and Great News (in which she also appears from season 2).

If you’re craving some awkward water-cooler small-talk (plus more nuanced depictions of modern working life), read on for more of TV’s funniest workplace comedies.

2 Broke Girls (2011)
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#60
Synopsis: Street-wise Max (Kat Dennings) doesn't expect much from the new waitress at her night job, a rich girl who has... [More]
Directed By: Michael Patrick King

30 Rock (2006)
Tomatometer icon 78%

#59
Synopsis: Based more-than-loosely on backstage shenanigans at "Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock" centers on young Liz Lemon, currently head writer for... [More]

A.P. Bio (2018)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#58
Synopsis: When Harvard philosophy professor Jack Griffin fails to get his dream job and reluctantly moves back to Ohio to work... [More]

Ally McBeal (1997)
Tomatometer icon 61%

#57
Synopsis: Ally McBeal is a young attorney who joins a prestigious law firm with a highly sexual environment and whose staff... [More]

Archer (2010)
Tomatometer icon 91%

#56
Synopsis: The suave, confident and devastatingly handsome Sterling Archer may be the world's greatest spy, but he still has issues with... [More]

#55
Synopsis: This comedy series, which follows the exploits of employees at London's Grace Brothers department store, is full of sexual innuendo,... [More]
Directed By: David Croft

Barney Miller (1975)
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#54
Synopsis: The series focuses on life in Greenwich Village's 12th Precinct station house. Initially, it looks at Capt. Barney Miller and... [More]
Directed By: Danny Arnold, Noam Pitlik

Better Off Ted (2009)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#53
Synopsis: Life is sweet for a young man who runs the research and development department at Veridian Technologies -- until he... [More]
Directed By: Victor Fresco

Buffalo Bill (1983)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#52
Synopsis: A radio personality uses his peers to try to get his way.... [More]
Directed By:

Call My Agent! (2015)
Tomatometer icon 97%

#51
Synopsis: At a Paris talent firm, agents scramble to keep their star clients happy and their business afloat.... [More]

Cheers (1982)
Tomatometer icon 87%

#50
Synopsis: Laid-back Sam Malone, a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, owns and runs Cheers, a cozy bar in... [More]

Childrens Hospital (2010)
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#49
Synopsis: Based on the award-winning Web series, "Childrens Hospital" focuses on a group of doctors, nurses and other staffers at, of... [More]
Directed By:

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#48

Community (2009)
Tomatometer icon 88%

#47
Synopsis: When fast-talking lawyer Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) finds his degree has been revoked, he is forced to go back to... [More]

Corporate (2018)
Tomatometer icon 95%

#46
Synopsis: It's another day at heartless, multinational corporate hellhole Hampton DeVille, where junior executives-in-training Matt and Jake are at the beck... [More]

Designing Women (1986)
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#45
Synopsis: Series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason uses the fictional Atlanta design firm of Sugarbaker and Associates as a witty bully pulpit for... [More]
Directed By:

Emily in Paris (2020)
Tomatometer icon 63%

#44
Synopsis: Chicago marketing executive Emily Cooper is hired to provide an American perspective at a marketing firm in Paris.... [More]
Directed By:

Fawlty Towers (1975)
Tomatometer icon 100%

#43
Synopsis: Basil Fawlty is an inept and slightly out-of-his-head English hotel manager, who is tortured by "that annoying section of the... [More]
Directed By: John Davies, Bob Spiers

Frasier (1993)
Tomatometer icon 95%

#42
Synopsis: Dr. Frasier Crane, a successful Boston therapist, moves to Seattle to get a new start on life; he has a... [More]

Get Smart (1965)
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#41
Synopsis: Maxwell Smart, a.k.a. Agent 86, works for CONTROL, a Washington, D.C.-based counterintelligence agency. Totally inept as a secret agent, Smart... [More]
Directed By: Leonard Stern

Great News (2017)
Tomatometer icon 84%

#40
Synopsis: Every workplace is a family. But for Katie, a producer at cable news network MMN, it goes one step further... [More]

Synopsis: Depraved underachieving might look easy, but for the egocentric Mac, Charlie, Dennis, Frank and Dee, it's an art form. "It's... [More]

Just Shoot Me (1997)
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#38
Synopsis: This ensemble comedy is about the inner workings of a high-style magazine owned by Jack Gallo, who has hired his... [More]

Mr. Mayor (2021)
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#37
Synopsis: When retired Los Angeles businessman Neil Bremer decides to run for mayor of his beloved city, he surprises everyone and... [More]

Murphy Brown (1988)
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#36
Synopsis: Murphy Brown is the star reporter of "FYI," a newsmagazine series. Murphy is sarcastic, ambitious, often self-involved and bossy --... [More]

Mythic Quest (2020)
Tomatometer icon 97%

#35
Synopsis: The team behind the biggest multiplayer video game of all time is tasked with building worlds, molding heroes and creating... [More]

Newhart (1982)
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#34
Synopsis: Dick Loudon and wife Joanna relocate from New York City to a small town in Vermont, where they run the... [More]
Directed By:

NewsRadio (1995)
Tomatometer icon 95%

#33
Synopsis: "NewsRadio" showcases the hilarious antics of staffers at WNYX, the fictional No.2 news radio station serving New York. The characters... [More]

Night Court (1984)
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#32
Synopsis: Honorable Judge Harry T. Stone is a young, hip, jeans-wearing liberal eccentric presiding over the night shift of a Manhattan... [More]
Directed By:

#31
Synopsis: Leslie Knope, a midlevel bureaucrat in an Indiana Parks and Recreation Department, hopes to beautify her town (and boost her... [More]

Party Down (2009)
Tomatometer icon 94%

#30
Synopsis: While chasing dreams of stardom, six Hollywood wannabe actors and writers make ends meet by working for a posh Los... [More]

Police Squad! (1982)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#29
Synopsis: Bumbling detectives solve puzzling cases filled with sight gags.... [More]

Scrubs (2001)
Tomatometer icon 83%

#28
Synopsis: A new group of medical students arrives to learn the ropes at Sacred Heart Hospital, where J.D., Turk, Kelso, and... [More]
Directed By: Bill Lawrence

Silicon Valley (2014)
Tomatometer icon 94%

#27
Synopsis: Partially inspired by co-creator Mike Judge's experiences as a Silicon Valley engineer in the 1980s, this comedy series follows the... [More]

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#26

Space Force (2020)
Tomatometer icon 59%

#25
Synopsis: A group of people are tasked with establishing the U.S. Space Force.... [More]
Directed By:

Spin City (1996)
Tomatometer icon 68%

#24
Synopsis: New York Mayor Randall Winston needs help running the city. So, for much of the series, he counts on Deputy... [More]

Sports Night (1998)
Tomatometer icon 90%

#23
Synopsis: Casey McCall and Dan Rydell are two sports anchors and best friends both on and off the screen. At "Sports... [More]

Superstore (2015)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#22
Synopsis: An oddball family of employees at supersized megastore Cloud 9 tackles the day-to-day grind of rabid bargain hunters, riot-causing sales... [More]

Tacoma FD (2019)
Tomatometer icon - -

#21
Synopsis: There's not a lot of fires to fight in one of the rainiest cities in America, leaving the crew at... [More]

Taxi (1978)
Tomatometer icon - -

#20
Synopsis: This Emmy-winning sitcom follows the lives of a group of cabbies in New York. The employees of the Sunshine Cab... [More]

Teachers (2016)
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#19
Synopsis: Elementary school teachers serve a critical role in society, as they help shape the minds of America's kids. That presents... [More]

Those Who Can't (2016)
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#18
Synopsis: TruTV's first foray into full-length scripted comedy is this series created by and starring Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Orvedahl and Ben... [More]

The Bold Type (2017)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#17
Synopsis: Putting together a magazine is not an easy task, requiring a lot of teamwork to finish the job and get... [More]

#16
Synopsis: Considered to be one of television's classics, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" centers on the personal and professional lives Rob... [More]
Directed By:

The Drew Carey Show (1995)
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#15
Synopsis: The fictional version of comedian Drew Carey is a hapless employee for Cleveland's Winfred-Louder department store, which becomes an Internet... [More]

The IT Crowd (2006)
Tomatometer icon 85%

#14
Synopsis: A three-person IT group keeps its company running with minimal effort or social contact.... [More]
Directed By: Graham Linehan, Ash Atalla

#13
Synopsis: Hey now! This series offers a behind-the-scenes look at late-night talk show host Larry Sanders (Garry Shandling) and the production... [More]

#12
Synopsis: Mary Richards is a thirty-something single woman who settles in Minneapolis after breaking up with a boyfriend. She lands a... [More]

The Office (2005)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#11
Synopsis: This U.S. adaptation -- set at a paper company based in Scranton, Pa. -- has a similar documentary style to... [More]

Truth Seekers (2020)
Tomatometer icon 77%

#10
Synopsis: Paranormal investigators set out to film ghost sightings, but as their supernatural experiences grow more frequent, they begin to uncover... [More]

Ugly Betty (2006)
Tomatometer icon 97%

#9
Synopsis: The series focuses on the life of wannabe writer Betty Suarez, a plain girl from Queens, N.Y., who is smart,... [More]

Undateable (2014)
Tomatometer icon 60%

#8
Synopsis: Ladies' man Danny has a new roommate, Justin. When he moves in, Danny ends up unintentionally adopting Justin's ragtag group... [More]

Veep (2012)
Tomatometer icon 93%

#7
Synopsis: "Politics is about people," former Sen. Selina Meyer is fond of saying. Unfortunately, the people Meyer, a charismatic leader and... [More]

Veronica's Closet (1997)
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#6
Synopsis: Veronica "Ronnie" Chase owns Veronica's Closet, a lingerie and book company designed to keep romance alive. After leaving her womanizing... [More]
Directed By: Jeff Astrof, Mike Sikowitz

Wings (1990)
Tomatometer icon - -

#5
Synopsis: Two brothers, Joe and Brian Hackett, run a one-plane commuter service from a small Nantucket airport. Along with Joe's on-again/off-again... [More]

WKRP in Cincinnati (1978)
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#4
Synopsis: When a Cincinnati radio station switches from sedate music to top-40 rock 'n' roll, its staff of oddball characters has... [More]
Directed By:

Workaholics (2011)
Tomatometer icon 86%

#3
Synopsis: Late nights and lazy days are a thing of the past for three college friends who enter the workforce together.... [More]

Younger (2015)
Tomatometer icon 97%

#2
Synopsis: Trying to start a new career gets more difficult as you age, which suddenly single-mom Liza realizes when she tries... [More]
Directed By: Darren Star, Darren Star

Synopsis: After an unusual event, whip-smart computer coder Zoey Clarke magically begins to hear people's innermost wants and desires through popular... [More]