(Rather listen than read? Here is the audio.)

Here’s a top ten of programmes that were advertised as comedy either on streaming platforms, IMDb, or in the media but where the dark definitely outweighed the light. I’ve stuck to shows around the 30-minute mark, and yes, I’ve watched all of them.

1. Baby Reindeer

Netflix calls this a comedy. What it actually is: the autobiographical story of a stand-up comic being psychologically and physically tormented by a stalker and by authority figures. Is it funny in places? Sure. Is it a good show? Absolutely! Its awards are well deserved.

But comedy? That feels like a stretch.

2. Barry

Barry started out lighter: a hitman who wants to give up killing and become an actor. So far, so quirky. But as the series progresses, Barry’s past refuses to stay buried. Every good intention turns to ash, and everyone around him suffers, assuming they survive.

It’s tragic, gripping, and brilliant. But laugh-out-loud funny? Rarely.

3. BoJack Horseman

IMDb calls it a ‘dark comedy.’ Netflix? Just ‘comedy.’ BoJack is a washed-up 90s sitcom star. He’s also a cartoon horse. He spends his days longing for past glory and drowning his pain in drugs and alcohol. There are devastating episodes: his mother’s backstory, the child star whose life was derailed by fame.

Yes, it’s clever. Yes, it’s funny. But relaxing? Not even close.

4. Big Mood

This 2024 Channel 4 show stars Nicola Coughlan as Maggie and Lydia West as Eddie — best friends for a decade. Maggie is a gifted, charismatic writer with bipolar disorder. Eddie’s about to lose her pub, her last link to her late dad. As Maggie unravels, Eddie’s too overwhelmed to help and Maggie can’t help herself.

It’s beautifully written and performed, but more tears than laughs.

5. The Bear

Massively acclaimed, and rightly so. I went in expecting comedy. What I got was Carmy, a man clawing his way through debt, grief, and chaos, desperately trying to hold it all together.

I loved The Bear. I related hard. I may have cried. But did I laugh? Not much.

6. Beef

Steven Yeun and Ali Wong play two strangers whose bad day turns into a full-blown feud.

What starts as road rage spirals into vengeance, obsession, and destruction. The dark irony? These two might’ve been friends if they weren’t so hellbent on mutual annihilation.

Smart? Absolutely. Funny? Occasionally. Relaxing? Never.

7. Back to Life

Miri Matteson is released from prison after 18 years for murder. She returns to the small coastal town where everyone knows what she did. She tries to rebuild her life but the past, and the people, make that near-impossible.

Funny in flashes, but more of a poignant drama than anything resembling a comedy.

8. Loudermilk

Sam Loudermilk is a recovering alcoholic, a substance abuse counsellor and, frankly, not always a great person. He ends up caring for Claire, an intelligent young woman with addiction issues, after her mum kicks her out.

It’s awkward, raw, and sometimes funny. Mostly, though, it’s a portrait of broken people trying to get by, often badly.

9. Kevin Can F**k Himself

Alison McRoberts (Annie Murphy) is the classic sitcom wife: beautiful, long-suffering, and constantly sidelined. But this show flips the script. It switches between sitcom format, warm lighting, laugh tracks and gritty realism, exposing the toxic toll of being a "perfect wife."

It’s clever, layered, and infuriating. A comedy? No. A societal polemic? 100%.

10. Alma’s Not Normal

Written by and starring Sophie Willan, this is a semi-autobiographical look at the consequences of growing up in and out of care. Alma’s trying to rebuild her life after a breakup – with no job, no qualifications, and a mouth that gets her in trouble. She’s got her best mate, her estranged mum (in psychiatric care), and a tough-as-nails but glorious gran.

There are light moments. But the underlying truth about poverty, trauma, and the broken care system leaves a deep sting.

In short

I’ve watched all the programmes on this list and I’d recommend every single one. They’re brilliant, bold, and moving. But if you're after something light and laugh-out-loud? These probably aren’t it.

Got any others that belong on this list? Let me know here.

You may also like:

Top Ten Smartest Comedies That Still Managed to Be Funny

Who says smart can’t be funny? From Blackadder to Fleabag, here are ten clever comedies that prove brains and belly laughs can coexist beautifully.

Read more blogs here.