Though a lot of the buzz in the world of television is reserved for the gritty prestige dramas, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has represented the kind of comforting programming audiences sometimes crave. Despite taking place in a police station, the show always knew how to make audiences laugh and provide those warm feelings.

But even with all the seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine to binge, it’s always nice to have several options when in the mood for a lighthearted watch. Luckily, there are plenty of shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine to give viewers a nice escape every now and then.

Updated on November 8th, 2021 by Colin McCormick: Brooklyn Nine-Nine recently concluded its eight-season run as one of the most crowd-pleasing shows on television. While it was nice to see the show bring its story to an end, fans are likely missing having such a funny and light show to give them that comforting feel. Luckily, those fans have plenty of places they can find other shows filled with funny and moments and heart-warming characters that are perfect for binging after a long day.

20 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2019)

• Available to stream on Netflix

Ellie Kemper stars in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as the titular character, a young woman who escapes an underground bunker where she was held captive for years. With her new freedom and a lot of time to make up for, Kimmy starts her new life in New York City.

The wild premise might sound like more of an intense drama, but Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt keeps this very light. Kimmy is a sweetly innocent, yet strong protagonist, and she is surrounded by so many wacky characters that add color to her funny and entertaining journey of self-discovery.

19 Cheers (1982-1993)

• Available to stream on Hulu, Peacock Premium, and Paramount Plus

As one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time, Cheers is the kind of show that somehow lives up to its hype. It is the simple setting of a Boston bar and follows the people who work there as well as the regular patrons.

The show does an amazing job of getting the viewers to fall in love with these characters so quickly, from the womanizing owner Sam Malone to the hot-tempered bartender Carla to the know-it-all mailman Cliff. Before long, the show feels like the viewers are hanging out with a bunch of good friends.

18 Community (2009-2015)

• Available to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu

Community is a series that proves a show can be warming and light-hearted even if its characters aren’t always. So many of the characters on Community are selfish, narrow-minded, and nefarious people, but hanging out with them is so much fun.

Through all the pop culture references and wild adventures, the show allows these characters to gradually grow into better people and form a community of their own. It also doesn’t hurt that the inventive episodes like the infamous paintball adventures are endlessly enjoyable.

17 Ted Lasso (2020 -)

• Available to stream on Apple TV+

Though a fairly new show, Ted Lasso has already cemented itself as one of the most light-hearted shows on television. It is the fish-out-of-water story of an American football coach hired to coach a professional soccer team in England.

The silly premise makes way for a show about positivity, encouragement and happiness. Ted is a lovable and goofy character and it is a joy seeing the effect his personality has on the fun characters around him. Though the second season took a different approach, the themes and humor of the show remained.

16 Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)

• Available to stream on Netflix and DIRECTV

One of the greatest television success stories in recent memory, Schitt’s Creek started as a small Canadian sitcom that eventually made Emmy history in its final season. It is the story of a rich and entitled family that loses everything and is forced to relocate to the titular rural town.

The characters were endlessly hilarious as they navigated their very different new reality. However, it was also rewarding to see how they evolve over the course of the series and become better people.

15 Scrubs (2001-2010)

• Available to stream on Prime Video and Hulu

Like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the medical comedy Scrubs mixes laugh-out-loud moments with periods of seriousness and thought. In a way, these shows hearken back to the sitcoms of the 1970s and ’80s. It was a time when constant punchlines weren’t the norm.

This is the way Bill Lawrence put together Scrubs. While much of the show is a mix of broad comedy and slapstick, there are moments that actually bring tears to the viewers’ eyes. Of course, this can’t be done without great actors, and the cast hits the mark time and time again.

14 Psych (2006-2014)

• Available to stream on Prime Video, Peacock, and Peacock Premium

Crime procedurals can be dark, but Psych offers a lighter approach to the material. This show about fake psychic detective Shawn and his trusty pal Gus is the opposite of something like Criminal Intent. This lighthearted comedy is all about nicknames, pineapples, and friends insulting each other.

The show’s legacy, which includes two made-for-TV movies, is due to the main characters. Despite the frustrations of Shawn’s father and the Santa Barbara police officers and detectives, Shawn is a member of their family. In fact, he seems to be a member of everyone’s family in each episode. This is what makes it both funny and warm.

13 Cougar Town (2009-2015)

• Available to stream on Prime Video and Hulu

Another Bill Lawrence creation, Cougar Town returned Courtney Cox to the comedy fold. In the show, she’s a single mother living in Florida who is looking for a new romance. Though the original concept was for Cox’s character, Jules, to be a « Cougar » in search of young love, she ended up falling for someone around her age.

He was part of an ensemble cast that contained new folks and some veterans from Scrubs. Together, they formed a surrogate family around Jules’ cul de sac that was there for one another. Also, each season seemed to feature ever-larger wine glasses.

12 The Middle (2009-2019)

• Available to stream on HBO Max and DIRECTV

Consider this Patricia Heaton comedy a lighter version of The Conners. For nine seasons, the Hecks were neither rich nor poor. They were simply there. Yet, there was an enormous amount of love between Heaton’s character, Frankie, her husband Mike, and their three kids.

It didn’t matter if Axel walked around all day in his underwear or if Brick whispered to himself after saying a sentence. Even when daughter Sue’s optimistic attitude was a bit too much, it didn’t stop Frankie from solving their problems as best as she could with humor.

11 Young Sheldon (2017 -)

• Available to stream on HBO Max, DIRECTV, and Spectrum on Demand

Where Sheldon Cooper’s first home, The Big Bang Theory, was about the big laughs, Young Sheldon is about the chuckles. It reveals the origins of the Nobel Prize winner from his days living in Texas as a young child genius. Also, it’s the tale of his parents, his twin sister (also highly intelligent), and his older brother.

Like other comedies, conflicts emerge that are both cringingly embarrassing and sweetly funny. With BBT no longer on CBS, Young Sheldon keeps viewers in the universe with a character that became loved over the last decade.

10 Parks And Recreation (2009-2015)

• Available to stream on Peacock Premium and DIRECTV

When thinking of shows that share the same vibe as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, one of the first that comes to mind is the hilarious and sweet Parks and Recreation. The show is a hilarious political satire that was co-created by Mike Schur, who also happened to co-create Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

While the setting of a small government department might not sound like the most entertaining show, it is the characters that make Parks and Rec so lovable. Much like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the relationships formed between these colorful colleagues are hilarious and heartwarming.

9 The Good Place (2016-2020)

• Available to stream on Netflix

Brooklyn Nine-Nine fans are sure to appreciate The Good Place, which was also created by Mike Shur (who also helped co-write The Office). Similar to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the relatable jokes, absurd situations, and ridiculous characters in this fantasy-comedy series will have fans hooked.

The series follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) who arrives in Heaven (The Good Place) by mistake and tries to hide her bad behavior and misdeeds in an effort to stay there. Along with being hilarious, the show is also able to keep audiences on their toes with some great twists.

8 The Office (2005-2013)

• Available to stream on Sling, Peacock, Peacock Premium, and DIRECTV

The American version of The Office helped to popularize the workplace comedy genre that Brooklyn Nine-Nine fits so well into and it’s not hard to see why. The Office is a mockumentary-style comedy series that follows the everyday lives of employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Like Parks and Rec, The Office makes the most of its mundane premise with hilarious characters and unforgettable situations. It also delivered one of the most iconic television characters of recent decades with Michael Scott.

7 Happy Endings (2011-2013)

• Available to stream on Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max

Part of the charm of Brooklyn Nine-Nine is its penchant for absurdist humor in a real-world environment. That is something that also makes Happy Endings so special. Its premise of a group of 30-something friends navigating love lives in the city is not unique, it is still a hilarious show.

The cast brings these flawed and ridiculous characters to life with so much personality and energy that viewers will immediately fall in love with them. It remains a show that has earned the distinction of being « canceled too soon. »

6 Veronica Mars (2004-2019)

• Available to stream on Hulu

For those who enjoy Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s perfect blend of crime and comedy, it might be time to check out Veronica Mars. Though it was not a massively popular show when it aired, Veronica Mars was a fun mix of a teen drama and detective show.

The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars who follows in her father’s footsteps moonlighting as a private investigator throughout high school and college. Anyone who appreciates a good character-driven, crime-solving series with a dash of light-hearted comedy will love every minute of it.

5 Superstore (2015-2020)

• Available to stream on Hulu and Peacock Premium

The charm of the workplace comedy continued with the underrated yet beloved sitcom Superstore. The show follows the many dysfunctional and wacky employees at a large fictional retail store where they deal with each other’s antics while also forming strong bonds.

Superstore is another show that finds humor and warmness among a group of workers who would rather be doing anything else. It is the kind of relatable setting for a comedy while also providing a fun and endearing story about this unlikely group of friends.

4 Angie Tribeca (2016-2018)

• Available to stream on Hulu

Just like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Angie Tribeca is a satirical take on the police procedural genre that certainly doesn’t take itself as seriously as those shows. The series stars Rashida Jones as police detective Angie Tribeca, a member of the LAPD’s elite RHCU (Real Heinous Crimes Unit).

Angie and her new partner solve a different crime in every episode, and the series is delightfully heavy on irony, slapstick comedy, and witty one-liners. It is an underseen and outrageous gem more viewers should check out.

3 Chuck (2007-2012)

• Available to stream on Prime Video

Chuck does an impressive job of combining a workplace comedy with a spy thriller. Chuck (Zachary Levi) works as a computer tech for a retail outlet and lives an average life. However, after accidentally being exposed to top-secret CIA information, Chuck is thrown into the world of international espionage.

Despite the world-saving adventures that Chuck finds himself on in most episodes, the show never forgets to bring the laughs and charming characters. It is also an early display of Levi’s humor and charisma before becoming Shazam in the DCEU.

2 Sirens (2014-2015)

• Available to stream on Hulu

While probably not a show most viewers are familiar with, Sirens is a unique and wild workplace comedy worthy of more attention. It follows the professional and personal lives of three EMT paramedics in Chicago who are not always the most mature people.

Sirens pushes the boundaries at times with its comedy which makes for an unpredictable and entertaining ride. It’s fast-paced work environment also adds an energy that some other shows of this kind tend to lack.

1 Reno 911 (2003-)

• Available to stream on HBO Max, Paramount Plus, and Comedy Central

While the characters of Brooklyn Nine-Nine are what makes it so special, the cop-setting for a comedy provides a lot of great material for the show which is the same with the outrageous Reno 911. This mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically Cops, follows a bunch of incompetent police officers on their daily duties.

The show is never too concerned with being grounded or realistic. Instead, it just goes for the most ridiculous situations that will get the biggest laughs. It makes for a hilarious series to return to again and again.