10 Best Comedy Shows Streaming On Apple TV, Ranked – TVLine

Apple TV has been around for less than a decade as a streaming service, but it has already proven itself to be one of the most consistent platforms for quality new shows. The variety of genres on the streamer spans innovative sci-fi TV shows (“Pluribus,” “Severance”), legal dramas (“Presumed Innocent,” “Defending Jacob”), and period pieces (“Lessons in Chemistry,” “Pachinko”). However, few genres have been loved as much on Apple TV as good, old-fashioned comedy.

The 10 series on this list don’t even encompass the wide spectrum of hilarious shows available to watch on any smart TV or Apple device. So many fantastic Apple TV original series, like “Mythic Quest” and “Palm Royale,” didn’t even make the cut despite some of them being miles better than the average sitcom on Netflix or Hulu. If anything, the only thing the shows we did choose have in common is that they make us laugh out loud (mostly) every single episode. Other than that, they’re some of the freshest, most original, and (in some cases) underrated comedy series you’ll find on TV.

There’s an argument to be made that, after the past two seasons of the Apple TV sports comedy, “Ted Lasso” still has something to prove in truly making its wholesome ensemble work. However, the first two seasons are near-perfect television storytelling. The show follows an American football coach (Jason Sudeikis), who is recruited to whip the struggling A.F.C. Richmond association football team into shape. Unbeknownst to the titular Ted Lasso, the team’s new owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), has hired him as an act of sabotage for the dynasty formerly owned by her unfaithful husband, Rupert (Anthony Head).

Within the first two seasons, what begins as a fish-out-of-water story slowly evolves into a beautiful “Paddington”-esque parable, with several members of the team and staff positively changed for the better by Ted’s influence; meanwhile, the coach secretly navigates a messy divorce back in the States. The layers of emotional complexity the show explores rival previous work from co-creator Bill Lawrence (“Scrubs,” “Cougar Town”), but even in its rougher moments, it never loses sight of the character work that makes the show so lovable.

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne previously starred as a married couple in the Neighbors films, but “Platonic” is unexpectedly the best use of their comedic talents both together and apart. The show follows a wayward stay-at-home mom, Sylvia (Byrne), who reconnects with her childhood best friend, Will (Rogen), after hearing of his divorce. Their rekindling sparks many questions about adult friendship, platonic love, and relationship dynamics, complicating their already messy personal lives through their mutual exploration of childlike adventure.

Although it’s mainly an excuse to pit Rogen and Byrne together in scenes that specifically challenge their dynamic, like a modern-day “When Harry Met Sally,” “Platonic” finds a lot of ground to cover while not caving to the cheap storytelling technique of making these friends secretly fall for one another. Given it’s already renewed for Season 3 at Apple TV, “Platonic” makes a strong argument that sometimes the most fun shows are the ones where you feel like you really get to know the characters and spend quality time with them, rather than speed from plot point to plot point.

“Shrinking” is another series from “Ted Lasso” co-creator Bill Lawrence, in tandem with Jason Segel and Roy Kent himself, Brett Goldstein. However, it’s a much more laid-back, day-in-the-life show than its sports-centric sister show, therefore allowing for a lot more laughs coming from getting to know its cast. “Shrinking” followsJimmy (Segel), a grieving therapist who foregoes the ethics between doctors and patients by getting more involved in his clients’ lives in an effort to enact real change in their repetitive behaviors.

Like “Ted Lasso,” the Apple TV show definitely has a more dramatic side to it, but the best parts of “Shrinking” are thanks to the comedic chemistry between its main cast, which includes Jessica Williams and Harrison Ford as Jimmy’s fellow therapists and Lukita Maxwell as his teenage daughter. Though the upcoming Season 4 of “Shrinking” is set to feature some big changes to the story, if it’s anything like the first three seasons, there’s going to be plenty of laughs coming from real, grounded human drama.

“Stick” premiered in 2025, starring Owen Wilson as Pryce, a retired golf star who finds a new purpose by mentoring a young prodigy played by Peter Dager. Though any sports comedy on Apple TV will stand in the shadow of “Ted Lasso” and its success, “Stick” has, within one season, proven itself a show whose charm and wholesome vibe don’t stand in the way of its comedic potential. Of course, Wilson’s supporting cast also includes heavy hitters like Marc Maron, Judy Greer, Timothy Olyphant, and, in the upcoming Season 2, fellow Apple TV star Rhea Seehorn.

Compared to Netflix’s “The Hawk,” a similar show starring Will Ferrell as a washed-up golf star, “Stick” feels more appropriate for a modern audience. It’s got everything you’d ever want from a show like this: inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters without feeling heavy-handed, a mid-life crisis storyline that doesn’t feel eye-roll-worthy, and a well-rounded cast of characters who are never unlikable — as nasty to Pryce as they may be from time to time. It might not be the most revolutionary new show on TV, but “Stick” definitely has a lot to love about it.

Of all thereasons to watch Seth Rogen’s unhinged “The Studio” on Apple TV, the biggest is the cast, made up of Rogen’s frequent collaborators and comedic peers. Rogen stars as Matt Remick, a new studio head whose own desire to make artistic cinema comes into conflict with the soulless demands of an executive. Making up Remick’s eclectic team of suits is comedic talent like Ike Barinholtz and Kathryn Hahn, but some of the biggest laughs in the show come in the form of cameos by A-listers like Martin Scorsese, Zoë Kravitz, and Jean Smart.

Though it may not hit some of the highest highs of Rogen’s other self-referential work like “This Is The End,” “The Studio” incisively lampoons modern-day Hollywood conventions, drawing comparisons to lightning-quick comedies like “Veep” or “30 Rock” in the process. If you’ve gotten any enjoyment out of other shows that satirize the state of the industry itself, “The Studio” is an absolute must-watch, though it may not exactly fill you with the hope you’re looking for.

Anyone who’s familiar with Maya Rudolph’s career knows you could get a successful Apple TV series out of her reading the phone book. That being said, it’s also great when a show like “Loot” comes along, making great use of her comedic talents. Rudolph stars as Molly, a woman who divorces her tech billionaire husband, making her the third wealthiest woman in the world as she navigates running a charity she co-founded.

Rudolph’s explosive likability and grandiose characterization of Molly make this an overall enjoyable watch episode to episode, having banked its wealth of talent on a premise that feels tailor made for one of the best “Saturday Night Live” cast members of all time. Particularly once you get past the first season, the show settles into its light-hearted tone to make for some of the easiest watches out of all of Apple TV’s comedy library. After all, what better comedienne can play the transformation from spoiled trophy wife to caring philanthropist with as much depth and humanity as Rudolph?

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a show like “The Afterparty,” created by one half of the Phil Lord & Chris Miller filmmaking duo, would be airtight structurally, but itis surprising that Apple TV cancelled it after only two seasons. “The Afterparty” is a murder mystery series in which Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish) implores her suspects to tell their recollections of the night in the style of various film genres, with both seasons covering film noir, action thriller, romantic comedy, and period piece. The first season is set at the afterparty to a high school reunion held at a successful alumnus’ mansion, while the second follows a wedding in which the groom turns up dead the next morning.

With star-studded casts of comedy talent across both seasons, “The Afterparty” manages to keep the audience guessing with every episode, and even by the time the killer in each season is revealed, it feels incredibly surprising and cathartic. Of course, rewatches are still rewarding, even though you don’t get the thrill of tuning in every week to indulge in Reddit theorizing and sleuthing about who it could be.

Few shows have had a redemption arc as sweet as “Schmigadoon!,” which premiered in 2021 as an Apple TV series made especially for musical theater nerds and comedy fans. The show stars Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as a combative couple who, after getting lost on a backpacking trip, end up trapped in the quaint town of Schmigadoon, which stylistically takes after the Golden Age of musicals. Through interacting with the townsfolk, including bursting out into song and elaborate dance sequences, the duo learn about life and love, and surprisingly come to love this eclectic town. So why, the question must be asked, did Apple not share that love?

“Schmigadoon!” was cancelled after two seasons, but despite the wasted potential of not getting to explore more musical theater eras in subsequent seasons, the show has since seen a debut on the actual streets of Broadway. Having swept at the 2026 Tony Awards, the popularity of “Schmigadoon!” on stage hopefully will get more people to watch the television show, which is a love letter to all things musical theater and features a lovable, talented cast of theater vets and comedy icons like Jane Krakowski, Alan Cumming, and Ariana DeBose.

At the time, it might have been a hard sell to do an anachronistic comedy series about Emily Dickinson early on in Apple TV’s history as a streaming platform, but as it turns out, the platform has yet to see a comedy as consistently great as it. Hailee Steinfeld stars in “Dickinson” as the titular poet, who languishes in obscurity while harboring an illicit affair with her best friend, Sue (Ella Hunt), who is already betrothed to her older brother, Austin (Adrian Blake Enscoe). In addition to translating the 19th-century writer’s life into a sitcom format, “Dickinson” also explores heavy themes about death, sexuality, love, and women’s rights, making the past feel modern in doing so.

Fortunately, throughout the run of “Dickinson,” critics agreed. Though some literary scholars might scoff at the idea of characters speaking in modern parlance and Emily running into literary giants like Edgar Allan Poe (Nick Kroll), Sylvia Plath (Chloe Fineman), and Henry David Thoreau (John Mulaney), all the way to the “Dickinson” series finale, the show feels as comedically original as it is poetically resonant, much like the best Emily Dickinson poems.

The latest hit series on Apple TV, shockingly, also happens to be easily the streaming service’s best comedy. “Widow’s Bay” was a long-time passion project for writer Katie Dippold, who cut her teeth as a writer on “Parks & Recreation,” where it’s clear she honed her craft in drawing humor out of inept local politicians and frustrated townspeople. The Apple TV series follows Tom (Matthew Rhys), the optimistic mayor of a remote New England island whose attempts to draw in tourists find him brushing up against centuries of folklore, curses, and local horror.

With strong directing from Hiro Murai and writing that’s as thematically rich as it is laugh-out-loud funny, “Widow’s Bay” defies TV genre to deliver a viewing experience that’s hands down some of the best we’ve seen this year. The comedy series even has Guillermo del Toro’s approval, indicating that this series may be a seminal work of the horror genre in the making. For now, its single season on Apple TV features stellar performances from Rhys, Stephen Root, and Betty Gilpin, as well as a completely fresh tone and an enjoyable time episode to episode.