Top Ten Smartest Comedies That Still Managed to Be Funny
These shows weren’t just funny—they were sharp, smart, and sometimes even a little bit sneaky with how much they made you feel. They played with form, with audience expectations, and occasionally with your ability to breathe between laughs.
Here are ten shows that proved you can be intelligent and funny, and still pull a punchline out of a character’s complete and utter breakdown.
1. Blackadder II (1986) & Blackadder Goes Forth (1989)
Smarter than Shakespeare, darker than most dramas, still one of the funniest things the BBC ever produced.
Yes, I'm cheating by including two in one, because technically each Blackadder series was a standalone story with new settings and time periods—so I say it counts.
Blackadder II is set in the Elizabethan court, where Lord Edmund Blackadder’s only real ambitions are to survive Queenie’s tantrums, outwit Lord Melchett, and avoid being executed. That, and possibly marry the Queen.
Blackadder Goes Forth drops us into the trenches of WWI, with Captain Blackadder determined not to die in some pointless upper-class blunder. With Lieutenant George and General Melchett proving that poshness and idiocy are not mutually exclusive, the show was savagely funny until it wasn’t—its final moments are still among the most powerful scenes in British TV history.
2. Frasier (1993–2004)
The classiest sitcom about a pompous radio psychiatrist and a dog.
This is the gold standard. If someone says they “don’t get Frasier,” I offer my condolences. You’ve missed out on whip-smart writing, delicious wordplay, and the sort of ridiculous farce that involves running in and out of rooms for no reason. (Admittedly, I hate farce. Sorry, Very unBritish of me.)
Still, the show nailed highbrow-meets-lowbrow like no other. Whether it’s Frasier and Niles arguing over wine or Eddie the dog silently judging them, it worked. These characters are as iconic as Ross and Rachel—possibly more so. And if you've never watched it? Channel 4’s been quietly running it every morning since 2002.
3. Spaced (1999–2001)
The cult classic that shot first—and probably inspired your favourite show without even trying.
No comedy has ever captured the late-’90s zeitgeist quite like Spaced. Pop culture references? Everywhere. Surreal editing? Constant. Yet beneath all the geeky gags and kung fu cutaways, there’s a warm, grounded found-family dynamic that hits surprisingly hard.
It gave us Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes, and director Edgar Wright—all before Shaun of the Dead. Some say Community borrowed the format. I can’t prove it, but I want to believe.
4. Curb Your Enthusiasm (TV Movie 1999, Series 2000–2024)
The most uncomfortable you’ll ever be while laughing this hard.
Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld, basically invented the genre of “painfully awkward middle-aged man enrages everyone” television. It started with a mockumentary special in 1999 and became a full series by 2000.
Curb wasn’t meant to go on forever, but of course it did—until 2024. Over 120 episodes of glorious ad-libbing, celebrity self-parody, and social faux pas so intense you’ll question your own moral compass. Still one of the best long-game payoffs in TV comedy.
5. The Thick of It (2005–2012)
Politics was never meant to be this funny or this horrifyingly accurate.
Welcome to the world of Malcolm f**king Tucker, the king of creative swearing. This was Yes, Minister on steroids. You could almost believe this government existed… until actual politics got even weirder.
Its biting satire made you laugh, then made you worry that maybe you shouldn’t be laughing. Bonus points: it gave birth to equally clever and funny Veep, which feels like cheating, mentioning it, but I’ll allow it.
6. The Detectorists (2014–2022)
The most gentle, beautiful comedy you’ve ever accidentally fallen in love with.
It’s about two mates wandering around the English countryside with metal detectors. That’s it. And it’s brilliant.
Written by Mackenzie Crook (who also stars alongside Toby Jones), it’s the quiet charm and emotional depth that make this BBC Two gem sparkle. You think it’s simple until it suddenly isn’t. You’ll laugh, maybe cry a little, and definitely consider buying a metal detector.
7. Inside No. 9 (2014–2024)
What if a horror anthology and a sketch show had a beautiful, terrifying baby?
Officially it’s a comedy according to IMDB, so I am sticking with it, Each episode is a genre-bending standalone that veers between psychological thriller, gothic horror, and jet-black humour. And always with a twist.
Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are the dark lords of this format. I caught the live show this year—jumped out of my skin, laughed like an idiot. Worth every second.
8. Fleabag (2016–2019)
Perfectly imperfect. Just like its main character.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge changed everything with Fleabag. Angry, messy, grieving, hilarious - this character is a masterclass in flawed humanity.
She doesn’t always say or do the right thing, but you want her to find peace. Rare is the comedy that makes you sob between giggles. Even rarer is one that reshapes the genre while it’s at it.
9. Arrested Development (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019)
The smartest dumb family on television.
America, you dropped the ball on this one. Three perfect seasons of meta jokes, character-driven chaos, and callbacks so clever they looped around on themselves. Then it got cancelled - until Netflix revived it years later. It wasn’t quite the same, but it still had its moments.
The Bluths - Michael, Lucille, Gob, George Michael (yes, that’s his name) were dysfunctional perfection. Ron Howard’s narration was the cherry on a delicious cake.
10. Hacks (2021–Present)
If you’ve ever tried to write something funny and failed, this show will make you cry—in a good way.
Jean Smart is magnificent as Deborah Vance, a stand-up legend fighting irrelevance. When she’s paired with a cancelled Gen Z comedy writer, sparks fly - first with rage, then something resembling respect. Eventually - or not?
It’s about ambition, creativity, ego, and what women owe themselves (and each other) in the business of being funny. Every single episode is a writing clinic.
So there you have it. Ten incredibly smart comedies. All clever, all funny, all worth a (re)watch. Some are sharp like a scalpel, others soft like a favourite jumper. But they’ll all leave you a little smarter. And a lot more entertained.
Have one you’d add to the list? Or want to argue why I’m wrong? Come at me (nicely) in the comments.
Thank you!
