There’s something about popping on a rerun and getting into your comfy clothes and cozying up on the couch for a bit of a mood booster. While some people can watch particular dramas or sci-fi series again and again, there is one genre that people seem to align on when it comes to rewatchability – comedies!
There have been spin-offs, huge network deals and reunions among our rerun comedy fan faves. You’d be delighted to discover that there are even online slot games based on some of your favorite tv shows! Well, it shouldn’t come as such a big surprise, really, considering the fact that when shows like these gain a fan base of millions globally, they’re bound to extend their presence beyond the tv screen.
1. Friends
The ever-reigning champions of the rerun scene, Friends allows us to revisit our favorite, wholesome, friendly fab gang of six whenever we please. While the series itself ended way, way back in 2004 after 10 years on the screen, it’s still delighting audiences for the first time (and for the hundredth time) all over the world. Many ESL learners have learned their first steps into the English language by watching back to back to back Friends episodes and it’s no surprise why. Friends is feel-good and issue-oriented without any of the really nasty bits of life and this crew’s comedic synergy is unparalleled.
2. Futurama
Sure, we could’ve mentioned the Simpsons here, but Futurama is so much more than the Simpsons in its irreverence that we’ve placed this here instead. Futurama is so much of a fan favorite that it has come back three times, this new season set to premiere in 2023. Usually when a show is revived it’s spun up with a new cast, and a slightly different storyline, but that’s not the case here. The space odyssey is full of the best and worst of humanity and seems to truly have a soul of its own.
3. Community
Everyone’s favorite community college collective is loveable, diverse, and downright hilarious. While some may get the ick watching Chevy Chase after his more recent antics, it’s hard not to fall in love all over again with Troy and Abed’s bromance, the ongoing chemistry between Jeff and Annie, or the buoyancy of Shirley. It’s always time to go back to class with a rewatch of Community and get another serve of the delights this team whips up on the screen.
4. The Office
Do you ever find yourself struggling to fall asleep at 2am and putting on reruns of The Office just so that you can drift off happily? What started out as a cult UK comedy turned into an even bigger following in the US-based version of the Office. The style of filming, lack of a laugh track, and absolute absurdity of a lot of the cast’s characters – with Michael Scott being the most absurd – have made this a hit forever more. Can’t. Get. Enough. Still.
5. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Crassness, and laziness, but also an entrepreneurial spirit and race to the bottom know no bounds in It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. If you’re a fan of this sitcom then you’ll probably feel like you’ve spent a million hours of your own hanging out at Paddy’s Pub with The Gang. Dark humor and pettiness are the name of the game here, especially when Charlie Day and Danny Devito are on the scene. If you haven’t picked up It’s Always Sunny for a while then it’s time to get back on board.6. Rick and Morty
Rounding out our list is Rick and Morty, the grandpa/grandson duo that has been gracing our screens since 2013 on the Adult Swim primetime on Cartoon Network. Rick is the mad scientist grandpa that drags Morty into all his dramas because he can’t be bothered with the rest of the stupid people in the world including the rest of their family. This is the show that makes you howl with laughter and gasp at how the writers can possibly get away with that on network television.
Give your brain a break with a rerun
We love reruns because we can just put them on in the background without having to concentrate too intently. We already know the storyline and what happens, so we can just focus on enjoying the good bits while we do something else like scroll on our phone, make dinner, or just zone out blissfully. And if you’re ever feeling a bit down? Just put on your fave comedy from the past for an instant mood booster that’s as easy as picking up the remote and pressing play.
