Studying for finals does not have to mean sacrificing all the laughter and joy that life brings. It might just mean that you have to limit that joy to a brief streaming interlude between cramming sessions. Here are 5 fantastic and funny shows that will give you a much needed breather!
1. Grace and Frankie (Netflix)
This Netflix original is pretty much the visual embodiment of Cher’s “Believe”. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin play two women whose husbands leave them for each other after years of being business partners. It’s funny in the way you hope it never happens to you, but also explores how relationships change in old age, and how love between two friends at that point in life can be just as crucial as romantic love.
Having just come out this past year, “Big Mouth” is a super funny, raunchy cartoon exploring puberty and budding sexuality. It’s the bain-child of Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg, based loosely on their own experiences and featuring the comedic stylings of actors such as Jenny Slate, Jordan Peele, John Mulaney, Jason Mantzoukas, and Maya Rudolph. If you can handle some of the material, it’s a really strong and at times insightful show!
3. The Good Place (Netflix and Hulu)
If you like Kristen Bell and really cool ensemble shows, this is a great one. It looks at the lives (or afterlives) of a bunch of characters in the realm of the “good place”. Some aren’t quite sure they belong, and neither is Michael, the architect of the good place. Ultimately they all grapple with their past and try to figure out how it relates to their current situation, in hilarious ways.
My personal favorite at the moment, this show follows a team of retail employees at a big box store called Cloud 9. It’s worth watching for America Ferrera alone, but has moments of pure comedic gold outside of that as well, and should be watched closely for all the weird things that happen during scene transitions.
Pretty much everyone has heard of this show by now, but it still deserves more recognition. Abbi and Ilana are best friend goals both in and out of their twisted NYC adventures, where they attempt everything from stealing an air conditioner from college kids to working on Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Make sure you’re eating regularly and watching funny stuff like this to avoid burnout this finals week!