Help me find something funny to watch in about three hours?
November 9, 2018 3:49 PM Subscribe
Some friends and I are getting away from various stresses by making dinner and watching something together tonight. We need something funny to watch that's available right now on Netflix or Hulu. My mind is blank because I have gloomier taste in media. Help?
We're a bunch of smart, stressed out women in our 30s and 40s, various other identities, intellectually and emotionally difficult jobs, arty and activisty hobbies. Give me something low stress and entertaining that will keep our brains occupied for a couple of hours? Thank you!
We're a bunch of smart, stressed out women in our 30s and 40s, various other identities, intellectually and emotionally difficult jobs, arty and activisty hobbies. Give me something low stress and entertaining that will keep our brains occupied for a couple of hours? Thank you!
Current cheerful watches on Netflix for me:
-The Good Place (heaven turns out to be a fallible and weird bureaucracy and several goofballs try to navigate their new afterlife)
-Terrace House (Japanese Real World, with all nice roommates, and color commentary)
-Great British Bake Off (pretty mellow and loving as competition shows go.)
posted by tchemgrrl at 3:55 PM on November 9, 2018 [4 favorites]
-The Good Place (heaven turns out to be a fallible and weird bureaucracy and several goofballs try to navigate their new afterlife)
-Terrace House (Japanese Real World, with all nice roommates, and color commentary)
-Great British Bake Off (pretty mellow and loving as competition shows go.)
posted by tchemgrrl at 3:55 PM on November 9, 2018 [4 favorites]
Bob's Burgers, if you're all okay with cartoons? It's an utterly delightful family sitcom with a lot of fondness for its weirdo characters. It's not geared specifically towards kids, though there are kid characters.
posted by yasaman at 4:08 PM on November 9, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by yasaman at 4:08 PM on November 9, 2018 [9 favorites]
Another recommendation for Nailed It. It's great!
Also, Magic for Humans might work?
posted by freethefeet at 4:14 PM on November 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also, Magic for Humans might work?
posted by freethefeet at 4:14 PM on November 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
I absolutely adore The Love Witch. It's exactly the right kind of self awarely hilarious men suck media this 32 yo woman needs in her life right now.
It's on Amazon streaming but I don't have Netflix so can't vouch for Netflix.
posted by phunniemee at 4:16 PM on November 9, 2018 [4 favorites]
It's on Amazon streaming but I don't have Netflix so can't vouch for Netflix.
posted by phunniemee at 4:16 PM on November 9, 2018 [4 favorites]
The only answer is Schitt’s Creek.
posted by Automocar at 4:16 PM on November 9, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by Automocar at 4:16 PM on November 9, 2018 [10 favorites]
Bob's Burgers (as mentioned above) or Brooklyn 99.
I love The Good Place, but it really plays better if you watch entire seasons.
posted by General Malaise at 4:17 PM on November 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
I love The Good Place, but it really plays better if you watch entire seasons.
posted by General Malaise at 4:17 PM on November 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
lots of good suggestions already! if you're the kind of person who can enjoy the silliness of mst3k, the new season on netflix is pretty entertaining, with "cry wilderness" standing out from the bunch in weird watchability and fun riffing.
posted by rotten at 4:27 PM on November 9, 2018
posted by rotten at 4:27 PM on November 9, 2018
If you like Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, arts & crafts, and light-hearted reality competition shows, then Making It is the show for you! It also features SO MANY PUNS. Available on Hulu.
posted by acidnova at 4:36 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by acidnova at 4:36 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
Standup? Ali Wong if you haven’t seen either of her two specials. She’s super vulgar if any of you are sensitive to that type of humor.
posted by acidic at 4:48 PM on November 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by acidic at 4:48 PM on November 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
Detectorists (Netflix)
It's a MeFi fave for these troubling times.
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:53 PM on November 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
It's a MeFi fave for these troubling times.
posted by soren_lorensen at 4:53 PM on November 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
The IT Crowd (Netflix)
posted by FencingGal at 4:55 PM on November 9, 2018
posted by FencingGal at 4:55 PM on November 9, 2018
If you haven’t seen them, Coupling and Black Books are both early 2000s sitcoms from the UK that are on Hulu and are very funny.
I’ve seen Nailed It because my 6 year old likes it. It’s entertaining for a cake baking show but I wouldn’t say it was funny. Similarly we love Bobs Burgers but it’s kind of an acquired taste.
Netflix has Hot Fuzz right now, which is great for a crowd that’s seen Sean of the Dead but not that.
Sarah Silvermans standup specials are great and on Netflix. Sound right for your crowd.
posted by w0mbat at 5:09 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
I’ve seen Nailed It because my 6 year old likes it. It’s entertaining for a cake baking show but I wouldn’t say it was funny. Similarly we love Bobs Burgers but it’s kind of an acquired taste.
Netflix has Hot Fuzz right now, which is great for a crowd that’s seen Sean of the Dead but not that.
Sarah Silvermans standup specials are great and on Netflix. Sound right for your crowd.
posted by w0mbat at 5:09 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
Brooklyn 99 is about the only thing on TV that gets me to regularly laugh out loud. Most other completely hilarious shows I enjoy only get a polite smile from me and I basically just scowl at Andy Samberg's other comedic endeavors. It's available on Hulu and beyond the comedy has some great character growth over the seasons.
This stand-alone cold open is a great example of what I'm laughing at.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 5:11 PM on November 9, 2018 [11 favorites]
This stand-alone cold open is a great example of what I'm laughing at.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 5:11 PM on November 9, 2018 [11 favorites]
Can't argue with Good Place, Brooklyn 99, or Bob's Burgers, but if you're looking for something standalone, may I suggest Tig Notaro's Happy to Be Here stand-up special
posted by lampoil at 5:17 PM on November 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by lampoil at 5:17 PM on November 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's not haha funny so much as interesting and kind and joyful, on Netflix: Salt Fat Acid Heat.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:23 PM on November 9, 2018
posted by Lyn Never at 5:23 PM on November 9, 2018
Grace and Frankie (Netflix) for lighthearted entertainment.
posted by AnnaRat at 5:25 PM on November 9, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by AnnaRat at 5:25 PM on November 9, 2018 [6 favorites]
What We Do In the Shadows and Game Night are two movies that have made me laugh out loud recently.
posted by Fig at 5:29 PM on November 9, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by Fig at 5:29 PM on November 9, 2018 [10 favorites]
On Netflix, both To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Paddington have wider appeal than you'd probably guess--plenty of sweet and funny moments. If by chance you also have Amazon Prime, there's Lady Bird, What We Do in the Shadows, Lars and the Real Girl, and Liza, the Fox Fairy.
posted by Wobbuffet at 5:46 PM on November 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Wobbuffet at 5:46 PM on November 9, 2018 [3 favorites]
Schitts Creek. The name is awful but it will be perfect for you. It’s funny as fuck.
posted by bleep at 5:59 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by bleep at 5:59 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
What we do in the Shadows is funny and smart.
posted by xammerboy at 6:08 PM on November 9, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by xammerboy at 6:08 PM on November 9, 2018 [6 favorites]
Iliza Shlesinger is hilarious, brilliant, and thought-provoking. All her standup specials on Netflix are fantastic, but Elder Millennial is extraordinary. She's a few years younger than me, but I want to be her when I grow up.
posted by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 8:30 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 8:30 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
Nailed It made me cry tears of laughter but my friends thought it was "stupid". What We Do in the Shadows is very very funny but not everyone is a fan of the docudrama genre (Thor:Ragnarok is a legitimate laugh out loud more mainstream movie from the same director though). Game Night made us all laugh, it's great.
Father Ted is on Amazon now, I have no idea if it translates to younger American's but it's extremely funny. Same writer as the IT crowd but a bit less cringe humor and a bit easier to get into within minutes as the set up is right there for you.
posted by fshgrl at 9:48 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
Father Ted is on Amazon now, I have no idea if it translates to younger American's but it's extremely funny. Same writer as the IT crowd but a bit less cringe humor and a bit easier to get into within minutes as the set up is right there for you.
posted by fshgrl at 9:48 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
I can’t believe no one has suggested The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel yet
posted by SLC Mom at 11:21 PM on November 9, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by SLC Mom at 11:21 PM on November 9, 2018 [5 favorites]
I’m digging John Leguizamo’s Latin American History for Morons on Netflix right now.
posted by STFUDonnie at 3:10 AM on November 10, 2018
posted by STFUDonnie at 3:10 AM on November 10, 2018
Yes, Coupling, but ONLY the UK version. Oh God, Jeff dancing! Helpless with laughter.
posted by kate4914 at 10:31 AM on November 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by kate4914 at 10:31 AM on November 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
Iliza Shlesinger is hilarious, brilliant, and thought-provoking.
Seconding this - and your audience is the perfect one for her style. I couldn't believe how hilarious, well performed and sharply pointed her humor was. Nods of recognition and uprarious laughter guaranteed for any group of stressed-out women.
posted by Miko at 6:56 PM on November 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
Seconding this - and your audience is the perfect one for her style. I couldn't believe how hilarious, well performed and sharply pointed her humor was. Nods of recognition and uprarious laughter guaranteed for any group of stressed-out women.
posted by Miko at 6:56 PM on November 10, 2018 [1 favorite]
I love The Good Place, but it really plays better if you watch entire seasons.
Coming in late on this, but, for future reference/get-togethers: you can watch an entire season of The Good Place in ~4 hours.
Also nth-ing Schitt's Creek and Bob's Burgers.
(I, too, am a 49-year-old stressed-out woman with two emotionally/intellectually demanding jobs and arty/activisty hobbies, if that helps with the solidarity)
posted by tzikeh at 2:01 PM on November 11, 2018
Coming in late on this, but, for future reference/get-togethers: you can watch an entire season of The Good Place in ~4 hours.
Also nth-ing Schitt's Creek and Bob's Burgers.
(I, too, am a 49-year-old stressed-out woman with two emotionally/intellectually demanding jobs and arty/activisty hobbies, if that helps with the solidarity)
posted by tzikeh at 2:01 PM on November 11, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by slenderloris at 3:52 PM on November 9, 2018 [10 favorites]