Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux tackle Watergate in White House Plumbers
May 3 | 4 min readWatch a huge collection of classic US comedies from the very beginning as they land on Sky Comedy, the new channel on NOW TV.
From instant classics like Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm to forgotten gem The Comeback, there’s plenty to laugh about.
Transport yourself to New York City where you can choose to live vicariously through Carrie Bradshaw’s designer wardrobe in Sex and the City, or ride a wave of 1980s nostalgia in Everybody Hates Chris, based on the teenage life of comedian Chris Rock.
Parks and Recreation
NBCUniversal Media
What’s it about?
Set in the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana, Amy Poehler stars as Leslie Knope, eager Deputy Director of the Parks and Recreation Department. Keen to serve the community she represents, she often has to battle against gruff Parks Director Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) and piles of bureaucratic red tape. The cast also includes Chris Pratt as the lazy but lovable Andy Dwyer, Aziz Ansari as Leslie’s inefficient subordinate Tom Haverford and Rashida Jones as Leslie’s friend Ann Perkins.
Why watch it?
The Guardian rated Parks and Recreation the 54th best TV show of the 21st century in a list published in 2019.
Where can I watch it?
Watch all seven seasons of Parks and Rec on NOW TV.
30 Rock
NBC Universal
What’s it about?
Inspired by her experiences as head writer Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey stars as comedy sketch writer Liz Lemon. Tasked with managing the cast and crew of The Girlie Show (later renamed TGS), she often finds herself at loggerheads with Head of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), who is drafted in to shake up the show. 30 Rock offers an unrivalled glimpse at the entertainment industry.
Why watch it?
The list of guest stars reads like an encyclopaedia of US celebrities, from Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Anniston to Jon Bon Jovi and Condoleezza Rice.
Where can I watch it?
Watch all 138 episodes of 30 Rock on NOW TV.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Home Box Office
What’s it about?
Seinfeld writer Larry David plays a fictionalised of himself, a semi-retired television writer living in Los Angeles. His inability to tolerate other people’s behaviour or to sweat the small stuff makes Larry’s life miserable, but wild misunderstandings and vocal opinions are entertaining (and often excruciating) to watch.
Why watch it?
Larry David’s awkward personality provides lots of laughs, but also important lessons in why you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff.
Where can I watch it?
All 10 seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm are available to watch on NOW TV.
Sex and the City
Home Box Office
What’s it about?
It’s unlikely you’ve got this far into the 21st century without at least stumbling across a parody of this New York-based series about professional single woman Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her group of friends. Like the Spice Girls before them, each member of this girl group has their own defining characteristic: Carrie Bradshaw is the fashion-obsessed member of the New York glitterati, Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) is the cynical, career-focused lawyer, Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) is the romantic, optimistic art dealer, while Samantha Jones is the outspoken, sexually ambitious member of the group.
Why watch it?
Carrie Bradshaw’s extensive designer wardrobe will have you turning green with envy, while simultaneously wondering how she can afford that and an apartment on the Upper East Side when her only income comes from writing a weekly sex and relationships column for fictional newspaper The New York Star.
Where can I watch it?
Watch Sex and the City on NOW TV.
The Mindy Project
Open 4 Business Productions
What’s it about?
Doctor Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling) is an obstetrician/gynaecologist working in a small clinic in New York with a selection of quirky colleagues. A big fan of rom-coms, Mindy believes in big romantic gestures, but gets caught in a will-they-won't-they relationship with her colleague and frenemy Danny Castellano (Chris Messina).
Why watch it?
Heavily inspired by Nora Ephron’s classic rom-coms, The Mindy Project has all the magic of films such as Sleepless in Seattle, with the added realism of bad traffic and broken lifts threatening to get in the way of true love.
Where can I watch it?
Watch every season of The Mindy Project on NOW TV.
Entourage
Home Box Office
What’s it about?
It’s unlikely that any of us will get to experience life as a member of a Hollywood star’s inner circle, but Emmy Award-winning comedy Entourage gives us some idea of what it’s like. The series follows Vincent Chase, an up-and-coming young actor in Hollywood and explores his relationships with his entourage of managers, agents and childhood friends.
Why watch it?
The series is loosely based on the early career of Mark Wahlberg, who served as an executive producer on the show, and depicts male friendship in a way that had rarely been seen before on TV.
Where can I watch it?
Watch Entourage on NOW TV.
Veep
What’s it about?
Political satire Veep follows the personal and political life of Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a presidential hopeful who becomes Vice President of the USA and, eventually, president. Her political ambitions are constantly thwarted by her incompetent team, and she finds herself first ignored by president Stuart Hughes (who is never seen on screen) and then undermined by a series of scandals after ascending the presidency. Louis-Dreyfus won six consecutive Emmy Awards for her portrayal of the amoral politician.
Why watch it?
If you liked The Thick of It, you’ll love Veep. British writer Armando Iannucci created both series, bringing many of the writers from The Thick of It, including Simon Blackwell, David Quantick and Jesse Armstrong, to work on Veep.
Where can I watch it?
Watch all seven seasons of Veep on NOW TV.
Everybody Hates Chris
The CW Network
What’s it about?
Chris Rock serves as narrator and producer in this nostalgic series based on his experience growing up as a young, awkward, black man in 1980s Brooklyn, New York. Young Chris hasn’t got it easy: his strict mum Rochelle (Tichina Arnold) insists that he attend school in a fiercely Italian neighbourhood where he is an easy target for bullies, and he’s also tasked with looking after his siblings Drew (Tequan Richmond) and Tonya (Imani Hakim) who get in the way of his dreams to be a cool teenager.
Why watch it?
Though it’s set during the 1980s, this portrayal of awkward adolescence, high school drama and family troubles is a timeless watch.
Where can I watch it?
Watch all four seasons of Everybody Hates Chris on NOW TV.
The Comeback
HBO
What’s it about?
Valerie Cherish (Lisa Kudrow) found fame in early nineties sitcom I’m It! and subsequently fell out of the spotlight. When she’s cast in new sitcom Room and Bored, she agrees to chronicle her return to network television in reality show The Comeback, but struggles to seem relevant in youthful Hollywood.
Why watch it?
Although not a ratings success, Entertainment Weekly named The Comeback one of the best cult TV shows from the past 25 years in 2012, and voted Valerie Cherish as one of Lisa Kudrow’s finest performances.
Where can I watch it?
Watch The Comeback on NOW TV.
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