8 Shows to Watch After Abbott Elementary

Nothing on television has experienced quite the same rise and fall as the network sitcom. The ‘90s and 2000s were the heyday of this TV subgenre, with shows like Frasier, Living Single, Friends, The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation serving as appointment TV and permeating the pop-culture consciousness on a weekly basis. But less than a decade ago, as several of those shows came to a natural end and failed to find successors, the landscape began to shift out of favor for the network sitcom and into an era dominated by streaming and prestige cable comedies. While some network standouts—including The Good Place, Superstore, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine—were able to gain devoted audiences, many failed to take off.

Abbott Elementary, which wrapped its first season on Tuesday night, marks a hopeful future and return to form for the network sitcom. The ABC series, created by and starring Quinta Brunson, follows a group of teachers at a Philadelphia public school as they try their best to provide for their students—despite severely diminished budgets and issues with the school district. The show has all the elements of a classic workplace sitcom: relatable dilemmas, a thrilling will-they/won’t-they relationship, and just enough tension to keep viewers coming back every week. But most importantly, the series is receiving the kind of mass cultural attention that network sitcoms used to get. According to a Deadline report, an early episode of Abbott Elementary gave ABC its strongest comedy ratings since Modern Family went off air, and the hype is projected to continue following a second season renewal for the show.

While Abbott Elementary is helping lead a network sitcom revival, it’s not the only broadcast comedy that has made a splash over the past year. For those inspired by the resurgence of network comedies—or just looking to fill the void—here are eight current shows to watch after Abbott Elementary.

Ghosts (2021–Present)

Based on the British comedy of the same name, Ghosts puts a supernatural spin on sitcoms. The CBS series follows Samantha (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar)—struggling, city-weary New Yorkers who decide to open a bed and breakfast in a recently inherited house upstate. The catch? The property is haunted by several generations of ghosts, from a historic Viking to an early-2000s finance bro. When Samantha nearly dies in a freak accident, she develops the ability to see and communicate with the ghosts, presenting a whole new dynamic for her cohabitants.

Watch it on Paramount+

Welcome to Flatch (2022–Present)

Like The Office, Welcome to Flatch is a mockumentary series inspired by a British comedy. The show, from FOX, follows the everyday lives of the 1,526 residents of Flatch, a small town in Ohio. The series centers on cousins Kelly (Chelsea Holmes) and Shrub (Sam Straley), who spend their days goofing around without any real goals in life. Kelly and Shrub give the “documentarians” behind-the-scenes insight into the goings on around town, with the help of an idealistic minister, a newspaper editor, and some of the locals the pair grew up with.

Watch it on Hulu

Grand Crew (2021–Present)

A close-knit group of friends, including siblings Nicky (Nicole Byer) and Noah (Echo Kellum), take on life in Los Angeles in NBC’s Grand Crew. The show is a hangout sitcom through and through, with the majority of the action following the crew’s love lives, aspirations, and internal dynamics. Everyone is in their 30s and grappling with what it means to be settled into adulthood—whether that’s finding a worthwhile relationship or making a marriage last. In true “hangout” format, the group unpacks their days over drinks each episode.

Watch it on Peacock or Hulu

Home Economics (2021–Present)

In ABC’s Home Economics, the family sitcom puts the financial first. Three siblings—Sarah (Caitlin McGee), Connor (Jimmy Tatro), and Tom (Topher Grace)—try to navigate their relationship despite being in drastically different financial situations. When the youngest and wealthiest sibling moves back to San Francisco with his daughter in tow, the trio discover that they’re all struggling in their own ways, from money issues to marital problems, and that sticking together might be the best way to move forward.

Watch it on Hulu

Kenan (2021–Present)

While Kenan Thompson is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, NBC’s Kenan provides an insight into the actor’s dramatic side. The comedy follows Thompson as a single father still reeling from the death of his wife. He attempts to balance his career as a morning show host while raising two daughters with the help of his father-in-law (Don Johnson) and brother (Chris Redd). The series takes a Full House-style approach to the sitcom, cushioning a tragic premise with comedic moments.

Watch it on Peacock or Hulu

Chad (2021–Present)

Although Saturday Night Live alum Nasim Pedrad created Chad, she might not seem like the most likely fit for the starring role. In the TBS sitcom, Pedrad plays the titular character, a 14-year-old Persian-American boy navigating his first year of high school. After finally getting his braces off, he’s focused on fitting in among his peers and starts an unsavory lie to try to boost his popularity status. When his mom begins dating, he’s forced to confront his feelings about his absent father. The show is a cringey throwback to a universally embarrassing era and one of the more realistic high-school TV series on air.

Watch it on HBO Max

American Auto (2021–Present)

When a pharmaceutical executive (Ana Gasteyer) becomes the CEO of a car company, the employees are concerned that she’s not up for the job in NBC’s American Auto. Set at the Detroit-based Payne Motors, the boss must prove herself and get the hang of the 21st-century car industry. Among the issues she has to deal with: a problematic self-driving car and a lack of adequate representation in advertisements. Her reluctant new coworkers include the overlooked grandson of the company’s former CEO and a passionate product designer.

Watch it on Peacock or Hulu

The Great North (2021–Present)

While animated sitcoms are often overlooked in the grand scheme of television comedy, they represent some of the longest-running TV series to date. From the executive producers of Bob’s Burgers, The Great North is one of the latest and most promising additions to the subgenre. The FOX cartoon follows a single father (Nick Offerman) and his four kids in their day-to-day life in Alaska. At the start of the show, the family is seen grappling with the departure of the mother figure and trying to move on with their lives, to varying degrees of success. An Alanis Morissette-voiced Northern Lights apparition helps round out the series.

Watch it on Hulu