The Office is missed every day by its fans who watched the show to find comfort (or maybe second-hand embarrassment whenever Toby is on screen) in its wacky humor and unique characters. For me, sitcoms are like an escape from the real world, and watching The Office was one of my favorite escapes. But I’ve rewatched the show so many times that I remember pretty much every dialogue in it, so I often switch to other sitcoms when I want to watch something new. Here are 5 sitcoms to watch if you loved watching The Office (read: this is just one big list of the found-family trope):
1. Parks and Recreation
Co-created by Greg Daniels, who was the producer of The Office, Parks and Rec has a lot of similarities with the show, and that is one of the reasons why I love it so much. The sitcom is mockumentary-style, and a lot of people find it difficult to get used to, but if you’ve watched The Office you already know how it works. It focuses on a fictional city of Indiana called Pawnee, and the characters work at the local government of the city. The show might feel like it is not worth watching during the first season, a lot like The Office, but you’ll end up loving the characters once you keep watching, and will probably end up binge-watching it in a couple of weeks.
2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
I’m pretty sure by now everyone must know about Brooklyn Nine-Nine because of how widely it is watched around the world, but if you were late to the show and have been avoiding watching it due to the hype, then let me tell you, you really are missing out on one of the greats! This show about New York cops might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it doesn’t force U.S. patriotism down everyone’s throat, and that’s one thing I love about it. It’s hilarious, like actually hilarious, and truly in line with real world issues. You’ll fall in love with the writing, the characters, the plots, literally everything about this show is loveable! Which makes sense given how it’s created by Michael Schur (or more appropriately, Mose Schrute), the man behind The Office and Parks and Rec.
3. Superstore
Yet another workplace sitcom, Superstore has turned into one of my favorite shows ever. The characters work at a big-box store called Cloud 9, and the series shows their daily lives dealing with working at retail. With wholesome ships, wacky characters, and unique plots, Superstore raises the bar for future sitcoms. Much like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Superstore is also sensitive to real life issues. The latest season also shows how the characters handled the pandemic as frontline workers, and I feel like everyone needs to watch this show, and maybe they’ll be nicer to retail workers the next time they visit a store.
4. Community
Often claimed to be one of the greatest comedy shows to ever air on TV, Community has won the hearts of many, even those who aren’t huge fans of comedy. Created by Dan Harmon, one of the masterminds behind Rick and Morty, the show is in a league of its own. It’s a refreshing show about a group of students studying in a community college. It’s self-aware, smart, hilarious, and even more lovable.
5. New Girl
New Girl is yet another comfort watch like the shows mentioned above. Jess, played by Zooey Deschanel, moves into a lot with three guys, and all of them try to adjust to living with the many eccentricities that make up Jess. The show is like a newer, fresher, and more aware version of Friends (and a lot less whiter than it as well).
I could go on and on about sitcoms that I’ve come to love, and shows which are way too important to never rewatch again, but this is your list for the day. Do you feel like I’ve missed a show? Let us know in the comments!
