Five comedies worth watching


There was a time in the 1990s when the sitcom was the premier format on TV. But now times have changed. There are more channels and content streams than ever for TV, but it's still hard to find diamonds in the rough. And on networks, the great and compelling shows are even harder to find.

Here's the list of my five favorite sitcoms right now.

1. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Netflix
About: This comes from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the duo behind "30 Rock." And it's got that same sort of sensibility. It was originally developed for NBC, but they passed. Wisely Netflix didn't. The first season dropped last Spring and the second season dropped on April 15.

2. VEEP, HBO
About: This little comedy about a plucky vice president (Julia Louis Dreyfuss) trying to work her way to power has been consistently funny and consistently witty. This is the show we deserve for our current state of government. And it's part of the best night of TV, alongside "Game of Thrones" and the next entry on this list. The fifth season debuts on Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. EST.

3. Silicon Valley, HBO
About: I didn't know what to make of this series about computer programmers trying to make it in Silicon Valley. The first season was amusing, but I thought the show really came into its own in season two. I can't wait to see what this third season, which debuts Sunday night at 10 p.m. EST, brings.

4. Life in Pieces, CBS
About: This was its debut season, and at first it seemed like a long shot. A show about a family broken into four stories each week. The first episode was uneven, but over the course of the season it became one of my favorite half hours of the week. The first season wrapped up on March 31, but I'm hopeful this will get a season two.

5. Mom, CBS
About: This is probably the least traditional sitcom on CBS. In fact, what moves me about the show is how it swings from humor to times of deep emotional resonance, often in the same 30 minutes. No show on TV is daring to tackle some of these topics of addiction and struggle, and "Mom" does it beautifully.

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