Lighthearted, upbeat shows for adults?

Recently I’ve been catching up on tv and some of the more mature/adult shows, which I’ve been…Enjoying? Seems like the wrong word, but they’ve all generally been cynical or dark.

For reference, I’ve just finished Better Call Saul, which got me to finally get around to finishing Breaking Bad, and I’ve also been doing a rewatch of the anime Monster as it’s been years since I last watched it.

So basically back to back dark shows.

I’ve already watched The Good Place, which nails what I’m describing, but it’s a little blunt with the sweetness, while I’ve watched some of Bee and Puppycat which seems like it’s closer to a nice middleground of sweet and real.

What are some of your go-to shows for this kinda vibe?

Donjuanme,

I haven’t seen anyone say galavant, that’s a shame, somehow it got 2 seasons, and it’s brilliant the whole way through. If princess Bride had more back story arcs, fewer restrictions on how over the top they could make their characters, and was a musical, you’d have galavant.

soupyc,

‘Ghosts’ on CBS/Paramount+ is sweet, funny, lighthearted for the subject matter, and overall very enjoyable. I don’t think it will win any awards, but its a great alternative to all the dark and cynical stuff out there!

Donjuanme,

Also try to catch the British iteration, after the first episode it’s an entirely different show!

RizzRustbolt,

Pushing Daisies.

lemmy_at_em,

The narration in this show is so good!

metaphortune,

Going for the more obscure: Bajillion Dollar Properties. Originally made for a dead streaming service, now exists on PlutoTV for free (and can be purchased through Apple et al). It’s a satire of real estate reality shows with phenomenal guest stars throughout. Main cast includes a few folks before they got their bigger roles (like Tawny Newsome, Drew Tarver, and Eugene Cordero) but also includes the GOAT, Paul F. Tompkins.

Very related, I would also suggest the Comedy Bang! Bang! TV show that ran for 5 seasons on IFC. It’s a treasure trove of comedic goodness, lots of great guests, and who doesn’t love Reggie Watts, Kid Cudi, then Weird Al as the band leaders??

Very_Bad_Janet,

If we're talking Paul F. Tompkins we should also recommend the original run of Mr. Show (starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross). A hilarious and extremely influential sketch comedy show.

And if we mention David Cross we should also recommend the original seasons of Arrested Development. One of the most well written sitcoms ever.

metaphortune,

Believe me, I’m always down to talk about Paul F. Tompkins! I thoroughly agree with both recommendations, with a note that some bits don’t hold up super well. But for the most part they’re both still golden!

PissinSelfNdriveway,

Scrubs

elphez,

Lots of good suggestions so far, but not seen The Great mentioned. Filthy AF and one of the few shows I laugh out loud to (well, more like cackle loudly). I’ll also second the suggestion for Better Off Ted.

I_Fart_Glitter,

Season one of The Great was, well, great. It was funny and interesting. But then it got dark AF. No spoilers, but it made me ugly cry at one point, then it just got depressing and boring.

themajesticdodo,

Sounds light-hearted!

intensely_human,

Frasier

brettvitaz,

Upload

Salad_Fries,

One of my favorite shows! Definitely recommend

WashedOver,
@WashedOver@lemmy.ca avatar

I’m quite enjoying it too but I think it borders on horror with the themes of where the modern world will end up.

Bebo,

Recently I watched and enjoyed Parks and Recreation and One Day at a Time (netflix series). Light hearted engaging content. Another recommendation: Schitt’s Creek.

amio,

If you're a weeb there's an entire genre of this stuff: iyashi-kei ("soothing type/genre"). I've enjoyed a bunch of them, though some of them get pretty saccharine if that's a worry. There's a large overlap with "slice of life", and a lot of these are set in school for whatever reason - YMMV. I like Azumanga Daioh, though the anime adaptation is a little aged. Nichijou is adorable and leans more into absurdism if that's your thing. "Yotsuba&!" is freaking precious, but manga only - same guy as Azumanga Daioh.

For non-weeb stuff I'll mention Brooklyn Nine-Nine, also Parks and Recreation once it hits its stride.

Candelestine,

If you’re gonna open it up to anime, then yeah, you crack open like a whole universe of “palate cleanser” shows. Anime likes to get really, really dark sometimes, and after a really rough episode sometimes you just need some sunshine and calm. Non Non Biyori is the example I always think of.

Xariphon,

Yotsuba&! might be the most precious thing I've ever seen. Anime-wise, I think "Sweetness and Lightning" comes closest.

ALostInquirer,

There’s a large overlap with “slice of life”, and a lot of these are set in school for whatever reason - YMMV.

I do enjoy anime, but a lot of them are like this and the reason’s pretty clear: the target audience is often skewed younger (i.e. teens/young adults). Are the ones you’ve suggested set in school, or…? It’s not a dealbreaker fwiw just not my first choice.

Cromartie High School is one of my occasional fallbacks for something silly & lighthearted, after all.

AtmaJnana,

Letterkenny

Chozo,

Pitter patter.

AtmaJnana,

How ‘r’ ya now?

boomzilla,
  • Lost in Space
  • Firefly
  • The Orville
  • Star Trek: Next Generation
  • Cowboy Bebop (The Anime)
  • Disenchantment
  • Futurama
  • Arrested Development
  • The Office
I_Fart_Glitter,

I like to think that you were just too excited to share this information to use commas, or take a breath.

tronx4002,

It is cancelled now, but Last Man on Earth is such a great show.

themajesticdodo,

I found it really hard to get into. If I had something else I wanted to watch I wouldn’t have started season 2. By the time it ended I was hoping for just one more season.

WashedOver,
@WashedOver@lemmy.ca avatar

I’ve not made it through the first season. It is so cringe to me at this point. It does get better then?

themajesticdodo,

Halfway through the second season it turns away from it. It goes on longer than it should before he starts to develop as a character. It gets a little bit more comfortable after that with enough plot points to keep you engaged. At some point you might cry. Jason Sudekis is good.

emptiestplace,

The Last Man on Earth

Ward,
@Ward@lemmy.nz avatar

Such a shame it got canceled

emptiestplace,

Did you read what they had planned? Would’ve been so good.

Ward,
@Ward@lemmy.nz avatar

yea thats what makes it hurt more 🥲

alansuspect,

Frickin’ FOX 😠

ArtVandelay,
@ArtVandelay@lemmy.world avatar

Ooooh farts

Nobsi,
@Nobsi@feddit.de avatar

Bee and puppycat

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