Pop Culture Happy Hour - Recent TV Comedies You Don't Want To Miss

Episode Date: April 21, 2025

We cover a lot of TV on this show, but we don't get to everything. Today we're recommending some of our favorite recent TV comedies you don't want to miss, including #1 Happy Family USA, The Righteous Gemstones, North of North, and Deli Boys.To access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Pop Culture Happy Hour, subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour+ at plus.npr.org/happy. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We cover a lot of TV on this show, but we don't get to everything, because as you've noticed, there's an awful lot of stuff to watch. That's why we're taking a spin through some of our favorites you can watch right now, all of which, we're glad to say, will be on the lighter side of your viewing ledger. I'm Glenn Weldon. And I'm Linda Holmes, and today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we're recommending recent TV comedies you don't want to miss. Joining us today is our co-host, Aisha Harris. Hello Aisha. Hello, hello. So we are going to recommend some of our favorite comedies we haven't covered yet. Most of which are new, one of which is actually drawing to a close.

Glenn, I'm going to start with you. What is your first pick? First pick is number one, Happy Family USA. This is an adult animated series streaming on Prime. And here is where we note that Amazon supports NPR and pays to distribute some of our content. This show is co-created by the comedian Rami Youssef and the writer Pam Brady, who worked on South Park, among other things. Now, we've recommended the show Rami before, and we've talked about use of stand-up specials. I took a while to check this one out, though, because my own track record with adult animated shows is pretty hit and miss.

Yep, mine too. A lot of them seem kind of like they're aimed at college dorm rooms at 1 a.m., if you know what I mean. This show would be welcome in a college dorm room at 1 a.m., but it's got a lot more going for it. Here's the gist. It opens on September 10, 2001, in a New Jersey suburb of New York. It's basically a fictionalized account of Yusuf's own childhood. He voices both the character of Rumi and his father Hussein. His sister is voiced by Alia Shawcott and other characters outside the family.

You're voiced by people like Mandy Moore and Chris Redd and Timothy Oliphant shows up. The gist of the series is that overnight, this family, the Hussein family, is suddenly considered suspicious by their white neighbors that they've known for a long time. And so the show was how they react to post-9-11 paranoia. And I think what's great about this series is that as broad as it gets, and it gets very, very broad. They take the time to individualize every members of the family's reactions because the attacks make the dad, who is a ball of anxiety anyway. And by the way, the way Yusuf voices him and plays him is the best thing about the show. He goes out of his way to conform to what he thinks the white people around him want him to be. But the mom goes exactly the opposite way.

She refuses to apologize for who she is and her culture. starts going to the mosque and wearing a hijab and people at the mosque don't know who hell she is. The other thing it's got going for it is that it knows that it's an animated show. It knows how to use the format. There are some animated shows out there, guys, that I don't even know why they're animated. They just happen to be animated. That's not the case here.

When Rumi learns about code switching, there's an episode where he physically becomes different versions of himself depending on who he gets near. Being yourself in public is a very white thing to be able to do. You need to learn how to code switch ASAP. I got to figure it out. I need a switch. What I like about this, too, is that this satire isn't this cold, very biting, scorched the earth kind of satire. It's very human.

Like, when he's making fun of his dad, you can tell that he loves his dad. You can tell that this guy's acting like an idiot, but he's doing it to protect his family. No price is too high for American bride. Red, white, and bills. That's what I always say. I love taxes. I think, you guys, you're both going to like this. So that's number one happy family.

the USA on Prime. That actually sounds fun. It's fun. You know, as fun as it can be. And I remember, at least in season one of Rami, the show, he touched on that as well in his experience. So it's cool that he's able to, like, find a different mode of delving even deeper into that.

It sounds actually right up my alley. So thanks for recommending that. Yeah, sure. He goes deeper. He also goes bigger. It can get very broad, but it's a lot of fun. Yeah. I'm like you, Glenn.

I'm hit and miss on adult animation, but I'm willing to give this one a try. For sure. All right. Thank you very much, Glenn. So again, that is number one, Happy Family USA on Prime. Aisha, what did you bring? Well, this is the one show amongst ours that is not new. It is actually coming to an end, but it's currently in its fourth and final season. And that is the righteous gemstones, the prosperity gospel preaching family from South Carolina. They're a televangelists who run a successful megachurch and are constantly at war with each other. and with other churches and outside enemies. The family consists of the ever-squiveling siblings, Jesse, Calvin, and Judy, who are played by Danny McBride, Adam Devine, and Edie Patterson. They're all kind of various variations on the same type of characters, super narcissistic,

constantly jealous of the others, trying to one-up each other, animosity, dynamic, although they come together often to conspire against or to try and win the affections of their father, Eli Gemstone, who's played by John Goodman. It is a very broad, lewd, extremely silly show. It's created by Dana McBride. And it is the type of show where, like, they bring in Eric Andre to play a Texas televangelist. And they have Steve Zahn playing Eli's aggrieved brother-in-law and crazed militia leader. Like, your mileage will vary.

But it also is the rare satire these days that I think is actually biting satire. It is very much discussing televangelism and considering the way the country has gone in the last five, six years since this show premiered and the rise of religious right groups and that kind of thing. It feels very, very current in many ways. And this season actually Kelvin Gemstone, who's played by Adam Devine, he's the youngest sibling. He's in the running to be the top Christ's following man. And the fact that he's gay and out and promotes a more progressive approach to Christianity. has become a sticking point. He's facing homophobia from like the people he's running against for top Christ following man. He's also, you know, being, it's suggested that he's just there because he's

a token. So it is very, very relevant in many ways. And I just think the performances are really, really fun. Edie Patterson is probably my favorite character as Judy Gemstone. She, she's a lot. They're all a lot. Your mileage will vary. But I think the show does such a good job at satirizing the megachurch and showing that these characters, yes, they're horrible. Yes, they are not great people, but everything they do makes sense. Like, it comes from a place of logic. And so I just really, really love it. And I'm really happy to see that the show has continued to find different ways to both poke fun of that entire world. Danny McBride himself is like, this is coming from a place that he knows very well. But also to do so for those of us like myself, who have never been a lot,

ever grown up in a megachurch. Like, I can understand these characters in ways that, like, I didn't think I would ever be able to understand them. So I'm a big fan of righteous gemstones. That's reassuring to hear because a lot of people I love are involved with the show. I really respected admire the people who tell me to watch it. And many people have, including you. And I'm glad to hear that the satire is a little bit sharper than it seems from some of the

trailers I've seen because that's the thing. Like, televangelists, why make fun of televangelists? Because they're already doing that job for you. You know, it's like putting a hat on a hat. So the fact that this has a take, which I wasn't sure the show has, that's good to hear. Oh, yeah, it does. The first episode of this season is a complete flashback to the Civil War with Bradley Cooper playing one of their ancestors. It gives us backstory of this piece of, like, family history.

Bradley Cooper is just doing a really good job playing a scoundrel. It's very delightful. And I think you would like it, Glenn. Linda, I respect that this will not. not be for you. Listen, I think it's one of those things, you know, and I was recommending the new Apple show, the studio to people. I had one person that I know basically say to me, like, is this something that I might enjoy even though I don't think of myself as a Seth Rogen person? There have been some changes to what exactly that means. Yeah. But there is also a kernel of it that persists.

And I think the same thing is true of Danny McBride. Like, you learn whether you're a Danny McBride person or not. I typically haven't been, but that doesn't mean I never will be. And it certainly doesn't mean that other people should not enjoy all the wonderful things that they enjoy. So again, this is the righteous gemstones, and it is available. It's on HBO, so it is streaming on Max. So what I brought is the show North of North, which was originally a Canadian show on the CBC. It's now available on Netflix. It's a half-hour comedy. It's set in this small town, Ice Cove, which is an Arctic community. So the aesthetic, has a little bit of northern exposure to it

because everybody is in parkas and boots all the time. And by the way, amazing parkas and boots. If you watch this show just for the Parkinson boots, you will get a lot out of it. But rather than being about somebody from sort of outside who comes and looks at this small town like, I don't know what, you have it really being about the community and the people who live there.

It is about an inuk woman named Siaya, who is played by Anna Lamb. She is this young mom who decided, to make a break from her, like, just jerk husband, who happens to be kind of a beloved local here. Like, everybody in town loves him, but he's a terrible husband. So she decides that she's going to leave him, which, of course, is very scandalous in town. At the same time, she's very close with her mom, but she hasn't grown up with her dad. And through a series of circumstances, she gets the opportunity to get to know her father.

So it is your basic, warm, quirky. small town show. It has some really nice performances. Lam is wonderful. It also has Mary Lynn Rice Cub, who, if you know her from various things she's been on, always shows up and is a welcome presence. And she plays the, she's a clueless mayor type, I guess I would say, but who like legitimately wants to help the community if she can. There are a lot of really cool and fun, like sort of details about this community. and how it operates. There is a lot of affection here for all of these people

and understanding of these complex dynamics. But at the same time, there are a couple of really serious notes about the history of this community in the context of colonialism. And there are these very heavy notes, but they kind of mesh perfectly with this really often, really light and really funny show. And it's the kind of show that I, I want there to be a new show

like this running all the time. It's a kind-hearted show, but it has specificity, and it has good writing, and it has really, like, great performances that I enjoy. So that as North of North, it is streaming on Netflix now, could not recommend more highly. I've been hearing a lot about this show from people like you. So yes, I'm looking forward to watching it. I can absolutely imagine both of you enjoying this show a lot. Yeah, it sounds very, very comforting. And I would love something comforting right now. It is comforting. So again, North of North on Netflix, enjoy it very much. Glenn, you actually have one more bonus pick that we're going to go through. Tell us what it is. Yeah, real quick, this is Deli Boys on Hulu. Deli Boys is about two very rich Pakistani American

brothers in Philly. Their father owns a chain of delis throughout the Delaware Valley. He dies. Then the FBI descends on them because it turns out their father ran a vast criminal enterprise that he never told the kids about. The two leads are great. One is kind of a straight arrow business bro or wannabe business bro. He's played by Asif Ali. And the other one's a stoner. He's played by Sagar Shank. They fight, but they're there for each other. It's that kind of dynamic. But the draw here is the character of Lucky Auntie, who's the real power behind the throne, the consigliary. She's played by the wonderful Pornajaganathan. Love her. And she's dry and she's funny and she's calculating. And she gets this great slow burn whenever she's dealing with these two idiot brothers. Or with all the other men in this crime family.

Because she has to constantly pretend like she's not in control, but she's completely in control. Did your phones, buy burners, do not rent a car. Those records are very easy to dig up. And bitter, dark soda will get this right off or stained ever for blood and semen. Actually, just give me your clothes and I'm going to take care of everything here. The vibe of the show is great. The vibe of the show is comedy plus crime plus sometimes it gets pretty violent. So if you miss the brother's son on Netflix and wish that got a second season, it's got that same comedy crime action alchemical mixture going for it.

Linda, it's set in Philly, but it's filmed in Chicago, and you and I will be able to tell that. It's trying to serve Philly as hard as it can, but in the episodes I've seen that just manifested jokes about soft pretzels and tasty cakes, which dig a little deeper, dig a little deeper show. But that's okay because it's got... Jokes on jokes with a really solid hit rate and characters you're going to root for. That's Deli Boys on Hulu. And by the way, just do a Goldenberg Peanut Shoes joke. Yeah. That's a little deeper.

That's a deeper cut. Goldenberg peanut shoes will get you a little more respect. Absolutely. Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about. They're amazing. That's the point. Many people have heard of Tasty Cake. Not that many people have heard of Goldenberg's peanut shoes.

So that's the whole thing right there. All right, Deli Boys is on Hulu. This has been on my list anyway. So I definitely want to check out this one. And, you know, when you tell me that it has porn or jugganathan in it, I just think, oh, okay, cool, sold. She's used excellently here. Very good. Very, very, very good.

Well, we want to know what's making you laugh on TV right now. Find us at Facebook.com slash PCHH. That brings us to the end of our show, Glenn Weldon, Ayesha Harris. Thank you so much for sharing some chuckles with me. Thank you. Thank you. And just a reminder that signing up for Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus is a great way. to support our show and public radio.

And you get to listen to all of our episodes, sponsor-free. So please go find out more at plus.npr.org slash happy hour or visit the link in our show notes. This episode is produced by Liz Metzger and edited by Mike Katzif. Our supervising producer is Jessica Reedy. And Hello Come In provides our theme music. Thanks for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR. I'm Linda Holmes. And we'll see you all next time when I try to make Glenn die a little by saying chuckles.

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