Scrubs (9 seasons)
Not all comedies are able to balance absurd humour with a genuine heart and moral compass. Scrubs, for most of its run at least, proved to be one of those shows. The strange vignettes and asides, as well as a cast who bounce off one another so brilliantly, make for great entertainment. And apart from all the laughs, Scrubs has plenty to say about medical ethics, wellbeing, and relationships – enough that the show consistently feels more consequential than its sillier elements alone would allow. The show kind of petered out towards the end, but its slow demise should not be what it’s remembered for. Rather, Scrubs should be remembered as a unique, heartfelt and funny comedy-drama that has lent its traits to other projects down the years – Brooklyn Nine-Nine being just one show that clearly borrows from its book of tricks.
Derry Girls (2 seasons)
With a third season on the way, there has never been a better time to get engrossed in Derry Girls. Set in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, there’s a reason why it has become Channel 4’s most successful comedy series since Father Ted. Unbelievably funny, but emotional and resonate all the same, Derry Girls is a much rawer form of comedy and drama than we are often used to watching. But this is the secret of the show’s success. Teenage life is captured in all of its tumultuous, at times isolating, reality, against a pertinent political and religious backdrop. It manages to tackle serious social issues while never forgetting to remain firmly rooted as a sharply written comedy.