Obviously, nothing can replace "The Office." No one can stare into the camera like Jim Halpert, punch a hole in the wall like Andy Bernard, or ruin someone's wedding like Michael Scott. Unfortunately, January 2021 grows closer every day, and that means you need to find new shows to make you laugh.
1. "Arrested Development"
If you ever feel like your family is dysfunctional or embarrassing, just wait until you see how weird the Bluths are. From Tobias being a "never-nude" (too uncomfortable with himself to even be naked in the shower), to George Michael fighting his inappropriate attraction to his cousin, to Buster finding out that his father is actually his mother's husband's twin, every episode has a lot of cringe and surprises. So in a few years, when you can no longer flip on Netflix to watch Michael Scott promise 20 kindergartners free college and then rip it away from them months before they graduate, you should check out "Arrested Development" to get your I'm-cringing-so-hard-I-might-have-to-leave-the-room fix.
2. "Parks & Recreation"
This show is done in the style of "The Office." The characters stare into the camera sheepishly when someone says something stupid, and they have interviews about how they feel about the people they work with. Although, unlike "The Office," the camera crew following them around for years is never explained. Of course, no one can replace Michael Scott, but I honestly prefer Andy Dwyer (played by Chris Pratt, pre-getting ripped) and April Ludgate (played by Aubrey Plaza) to Jim and Pam. The show follows Leslie Knope, the head of an Indiana county's parks and recreation office, who has a little less common sense than Michael Scott but a little more social decency than Dwight Schrute. Nothing can beat "The Office," but at least this show doesn't have an Andy.
3. "Rick & Morty"
An animated cartoon, this crass sci-fi show follows an alcoholic super genius and his less-than-genius grandson as they mess up societies in all dimensions, all over the galaxy. Amidst their collapsing governments, turning themselves into pickles, and burping four times in one sentence, the characters' dark humor perpetuates a nihilistic point of view that nothing really matters and everything is random. Which, oddly enough, is kind of a relaxing perspective to take on for at least twenty minutes. If you liked the humor of "The Office" but can handle a little more of an edge, this show is perfect for you.
4. "Friends"
If you haven't already seen an episode of this show, you probably live under a rock. But maybe you haven't watched it all the way through, or simply can't get yourself to listen to a laugh track for that long. "The Office" always had a central theme of co-workers becoming family, and "Friends" has a similar vibe, only regarding a group of friends who live in New York City together. I would describe "Friends" as a softer, simpler version of "The Office," almost as though it were written by Kelly Kapoor. Watch this quick, though, because it's leaving Netflix eventually, too.
5. "Big Mouth"
Netflix really hit it out of the park with this one. I mean, obviously I'll never forgive them for getting rid of "The Office," but this makes it a bit easier to accept. An animated original about going through puberty and dealing with middle school pressures, this show is relatable to anyone who has even been 13. I wouldn't recommend putting this on with your parents in the room, but if you round up your floor or even the funny kids from your study group, watching this together would definitely be a lot of fun.
