Streaming networks have done some thing splendidly.
They’ve shown us action and adventure, love and lust, scares and thrills. What they haven’t done nearly as often is make us laugh.
But now we’re in a good stretch, stuffed with half-hour comedies. Some — “Adults” (shown here) on Hulu, “Colin From Accounts” on Paramount+ — are terrific; most are at least fun.
Granted, the streamers have given us lots of stand-up comics and hour-long comedy-dramas. But half-hour sitcoms? They’ve been scarce, but now we’re into a busy stretch, with:
— “Colin From Accounts.” (Eight-episode final season arrives in one clump Sept. 10 on Paramount+, which already has has the first two.)
Ashley’s a doctor, Gordon’s a barkeep, and they only have one thing in common: Both are partly responsible for an injury to a stray dog. They rescued him, named him Colin From Accounts (well, why not?) and fell in love with him.
They also formed a reluctant love for each other, until Gordon blew it with a drunken proposal. That’s where we start this season. Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall (a married couple in real life) wrote this, star in it and give it a wonderfully subtle mix of warmth and humor. With the occasional exception — the final season’s fifth episode veers off-course — it’s a delight.
— “Adults.” (First two seasons are already on Hulu; the second one is also at 9 and 9:30 p.m. Thursdays on FX and FXX, with reruns at 9:30 Mondays.)
Imagine the “Friends” folks (but more diverse) in Archie Bunker’s house.
Samir shares his childhood home in Queens with four friends. Anton is gay, the others aren’t, but Paul Baker (his first and last name never seem to be apart) married Anton to avoid being deported to Canada.
Billie is perpetually underemployed; Paul Baker is overemployed. Romance is fluid, although Issa and Paul Baker were together for a while.
These are bright and likable folks who still feel overwhelmed by life’s detours. Some of those are quite R-rated; others — from “scrubbing” social-media to ridding a raccoon — are just flat-out funny..
— “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” (On Hulu, with new episodes at 9 p.m. Mondays on FX and FXX.)
This has persisted for 18 seasons — tiny ones, letting its stars work elsewhere. Kaitlin Olson has a separate hit with ABC’s “High Potential.”
When the gang is together, things get goofy and, at times, hilarious. Coming on Sept. 7 are misadventures — some funny, some not — at a Renaissance fair.
— “Leanne.” (New season recently reached Netflix, alongside the first one.)
Leanne Morgan plays someone a lot like herself — named Leanne, living in Tennessee and turning 60. Kristen Johnston plays her twice-divorced sister.
The show has standard sitcom flaws — an awful laugh track, an overwrought ex-husband, a break-up that makes little sense. But beyond that are likable people and sharp lines; things are especially funny with Celia Weston and Blake Clark as Leanne’s parents.
One of the show’s creators and producers is Chuck Lorre, whose shows are sometimes great (especially “Big Bang”) and always at least pleasant. We’ll put this one in the latter category.
— “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.” (New episodes Thursdays on Paramount+, through Sept. 24.)
Lorre isn’t confined to standard sitcoms. This show is his broadest swing yet. It all starts when some of the minor “Big Bang” characters find that a portal to other universes is (logically enough) in the comic-book store. A second season has already been ordered.
— “The Varnell Hill Show.” (New episodes Tuesdays on Paramount+.)
On Martin Lawrence’s long-ago sitcom, Tommy Davidson did a couple episodes as a self-centered talk-show host named Varnell Hill. Now, a mere 33 years later, the character gets his own show.
Varnell’s talk show, we’re told, has been lingering for decades, almost unchanged. Now a network boss wants to kill it, a new producer wants to save it and Varnell just wants to be left alone.
The result is produced by Lawrence, who also guests as a loan shark, and the humor gets terribly broad. But Davidson is always likable and packs the show-within-a-show with music; the first couple episodes (Sept. 1 and 8) include brief musical moments form Kirk Franklin, Omari, Doug E. Fresh and Davidson.
— “The Paper.” (The entire season arrives Sept. 9 on Peacock, where the first season is already available.)
A distant kin of “The Office,” this sees an idealistic chap trying to revive a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio.
He only has one competent reporter (now his love interest) and no prospects. But by the end of the first season, they’d won awards. They’ll soon find that celebrations are short-lived and secret romances don’t stay secret.