7 off-beat comedic shows to binge for a laugh (and where to stream them!)

At Hidden Remote, we always have a recommendation for you at the ready whether you want to cry, solve a murder, or laugh until tears stream down your face. This list is all about the latter. Sometimes, what you're in the mood for is a show that's going to leave you in a good mood or your cheeks hurting from laughing. However, not every series that I'll be recommending is a through and through comedy.

Dramedies have been taking over the genre bit by bit and though there are moments that can be heart-wrenching or that switch on a dime into serious territory, they too will give you the chuckle you need. Also, there's a show that isn't a comedy on here but it's so humorous that it begs to be watched. Here's what you should tune into for a good time!

Comedic shows to stream

The Great

The Great is an irreverent exploration of Catherine, the Empress of Russia's life from the moment she steps foot in Peter the...(they're still working on picking that adjective)'s palace. In the first season, Catherine must navigate a foreign court and come to terms with Peter and the nobility dashing her dreams of having a happy, loving marriage and the opportunity to progress Russia forward.

Elle Fanning is exceptional as the 19 year old ruler who is smart and charming but dismissed or not listened to by her husband and the court. Nicholas Hoult is scene-stealing as Peter, a narcissistic and confusingly charismatic emperor who loves sex, good liquor, great food but who is also insecure over not living up to his father's greatness, hence the nonsensical war with the Swedes.

Season 1 charts Catherin's doe-eyed wonder at the world she's been thrust into and her growing sense that if she wants to bring change to Russia, she's going to have to kill Peter and take the throne. Sounds dark I know but when she first starts on this journey all she has is her embittered and insightful servant, Marial (Phoebe Fox), to help her. And Marial has her own agenda. She wants to be reinstated to being a lady of the court and she'd gladly seek revenge on her former frenemies in the process.

Stream all three seasons on Hulu.

The Diplomat

Sticking in the political vein but turning to a modern period, The Diplomat is also irreverent but not satirical like The Great. This Keri Russell-led series is a political thriller which might make you think it's out of place on this list but hear me out. Russell plays Kate Wyler, a diplomat who has been promoted to the station of Ambassador to Britain and she does not want the job.

She was supposed to be headed to Kabul and instead she's been tasked with making sure World War III doesn't happen after a terrorist attack on British military. Kate is a no-nonsense person and yet she's being expected to play the part, serve at the President's pleasure, and babysit a Prime Minister who is out for blood.

How is she handling it all? Not well! At least when it comes to the emotional aspect of it. See, Kate also had to bring along her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell), a fellow diplomat who is used to being the one in the spotlight and who seems incapable of playing second fiddle. One of their arguments leads to Kate attacking him like a wild woman as they roll about the green.

It's a dry humor that runs through The Diplomat which is delightfully surprising and keeps the viewers on their toes. I think this is the funniest political drama I've ever watched and its wit will hook just as much as its dramatic plot.

Stream on Netflix.

The Good Place

It's been 8 years since The Good Place premiered, and I am still in awe of what this comedy was able to achieve. The show takes the simple premise of what it would be like to make it to the lovely side of the After Life and know that someone, somewhere made a big mistake.

Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) is a woman who has no business being in the Good Place but that doesn't mean she's going to own up to that fact. Instead, she chooses to go along to get along and corrals her soulmate Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), a professor of moral philosophy and ethics, into teaching her how to be a better person. Of course, nothing goes right.

At its core, The Good Place examines and deconstructs what it means to be "good" and who we subscribe that word to and why. In-between not being able to curse (which leads to inventive ways of trying to do so) and indulging what this Heaven has to offer, Eleanor learns more about herself, the inhabitants who come to be her friends, and the difference between doing a good deed for show and sincerely wanting to help someone.

This comedy is as heartfelt as it is funny and weird as well.

Stream on Netflix.

Jane the Virgin

This underrated CW gem has the soul and heart of a telenovela. If you've never seen one, think soap opera with the dial turned up a notch or two. As such there are hilarious, seemingly impossible situations that unfold on Jane the Virgin. I mean it already has a bonkers premise.

Jane Villanueva (Gina Rodriguez) is a happy 20something aspiring writer who is saving herself for marriage and who is deeply in love with her boyfriend, Michael (Brett Dier), a cop she met on her birthday. When she goes for a routine pap smear she winds up pregnant because the doctor assumed she was another patient and artificially inseminated her. The baby's father is Rafael Solano (Justin Baldoni), the owner of the Marbello hotel where Jane works and the man she had a brief romantic connection with back when she was 18. Sounds deliciously messy, right? That's because it is!

Jane the Virgin is also about family, particularly the bond between Jane, her mother Xo (Andrea Navedo), and her abuela Alba (Ivonne Coll). The romcom is sweet, heartwarming, and oh so funny. Every episode will leave you wanting more.

Stream on Netflix (leaving the streamer on Sept. 5)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Have you ever gone a step too far for love? That's Rebecca Bunch's problem. Played by show creator Rachel Bloom, Rebecca is a successful lawyer who throws her life in the city away to follow her former summer camp flame to West Covina, California. Mind she and Josh Chan (Vincent Rodriguez III) were barely into their adolescence when they started dating. But her memory of their short time together propels her to make the impulsive decision to move.

Yes, you guessed it, Rebecca is a walking red flag and this satirical romantic comedy delves into her flaws and the source of them as she strives to win Josh back. It's also a musical! Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is an example of the kind of great television we can have when odd ideas are given a chance to thrive. Do know though that Rebecca's growth takes time and she will make decisions that are alarming but trust the process and, of course, sing along with the songs.

Stream on Netflix (leaving the streamer on Sept. 5)

Jury Duty

I have to tell you, Jury Duty was a pleasant surprise. With a reality hoax sitcom you never really know what you're going to get but Ronald Gladden, the sole member of this cast unaware that it's all a set-up, makes this show. He's kind and takes the time to meet people where they are and even his judgement of other's actions is rather light as he watches shenanigans unfold before him.

He, like the rest of the "jurors," have been sequestered for the trial which puts them in even closer proximity to each other and fosters bonds. The ante is upped occasionally to see how Ronald will respond to different scenarios but he's so nice that he genuinely wants to help. Throughout this series there's laughter, scenarios that are just bonkers, and James Marsden acting as the most narcissistic man in Hollywood who just needs everyone to know that he is a serious actor. It's brilliant truly.

Stream on Freevee.

The Bear

Everybody and their momma is recommending this show so why should I be any different? Granted, The Bear's third season really is more of a drama than a comedy, but that doesn't change the fact that the first two seasons deftly balance the humor with the show's grief arc.

We meet Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) as he's running his family's restaurant, The Beef. It is nowhere near the dining experience he's used to as he was trained to be a fine dining chef and has worked at some of the most exclusive and high end restaurants in the industry. It is literal chaos in The Beef. No one wants to change how things were run before his brother Mikey's death.

The day-to-day running of the restaurant is Stressful with a capital 'S' as is Carmy sorting through his own issues from trauma he experienced under an emotionally and verbally abusive head chef. I know, none of this sounds comedic, but much of the humor in this show stems from the way the characters interact together. Petty arguments, expletive laden face-offs, tugs of war over things as simple as cocking and, as expected, the food.

The Bear is so different and so funny whilst also being a story about family and healing from trauma. There's a reason it's recommended so much.

Stream on Hulu.

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