Netflix has released hundreds of new original series and movies in 2020, across every genre imaginable. And one of the genres the streaming service has especially excelled with is comedy. Alongside a strong slate of original comedy films, as well as stand-up comedy specials, Netflix has released more than a dozen new comedy series as well. And many of them are truly hilarious.
But which were the best? While only the top two have garnered an 8.0 rating or higher from IMDb reviews, these are the top dozen of the English-language titles.
Sneakerheads – 6.0
Debuting at the end of September, this show has six episodes in the first season. And while it only ranks a 6.0 out of 10, it still manages to make the top 12. The series is about Devin, a stay-at-home dad who finds his love of sneakers reinvigorated when an old friend pulls him back into the game.
What's so exciting about sneakers? Devin finds himself searching desperately for a pair of sneakers that are an obsession among fellow sneakerheads. Do they even truly exist?
The Healing Powers of Dude – 6.4
Launched in January, the series follows an 11-year-old boy with social anxiety who, after being homeschooled for all of his life, is about to enter public school for the first time. In order to help him manage the disorder, he seeks the help of an emotional support dog named Dude, who is voiced by Steve Zahn.
There are only eight episodes in the season, each under 30 minutes. There's no word yet if the show will return for a season two.
The Big Show Show – 6.4
This sitcom, which premiered in April, was canceled after a single season, but a Christmas special will still stream in December. Yet despite not getting a second-season renewal, it still ranks among the top 12 Netflix original comedies for 2020.
Pro wrestler Big Show stars as a version of himself adjusting to newly retired life with his wife and two daughters, along with his teenage daughter who moves back in with him. Jaleel White, known for his role as Steve Urkel, has a recurring role as Show's best friend.
The Duchess – 6.7
British comedies are among the best types of comedies. This one is actually a British comedy-drama that premiered in September, it's about a single mother raising her daughter in London and contemplating the idea of having a second child.
With only six episodes in season one, the series hasn't exactly received rave reviews from other review aggregator websites. So, it's a wonder it still ranks among Netflix's top dozen comedies for 2020.
#blackAF – 6.8
Created by Kenya Barris, the man behind the popular ABC sitcom Black-ish, this sitcom premiered in April and has been renewed for a second season. A play on Internet slang, the "#" references a hashtag, of course, while "AF" in the title refers to "as f***."
Barris stars as a fictionalized version of himself trying to navigate the world of "new money" as a successful black man in a modern world.
Space Force – 6.8
Steve Carell stars in this workplace comedy series, which he also co-created and co-produced alongside Greg Daniels. It centers around a team of people tasked with running the new sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces called the Space Force, even though no one really understands its purpose nor what they are supposed to do there.
Carell's character, Mark Naird, begins believing he is about to receive a big promotion. Instead, he is handed the keys to lead this puzzling new project. Space Force started streaming in May. There's no word yet on a renewal, and while reviews in general have been polarizing, in the eyes of IMDB reviewers, it still ranks among the top comedy originals of 2020.
Emily in Paris – 7.2
From Darren Star, the man behind such iconic shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 and Sex and the City, Lily Collins starts as the title character, a young and ambitious woman working at a marketing firm who, as the result of a series of circumstances, is sent to work in Paris for a year to help a company her American firm has acquired with their social marketing efforts.
Filled with fabulous outfits, drama, romance, and hilarity, Emily in Paris is a light and fun watch. It launched in October and a second season has been confirmed to be forthcoming. It also ranks as Star's third-best series to date, despite being his latest project of the last three decades.
The Baby-Sitters Club – 7.4
Already renewed for a second season, this comedy-drama, which launched in July, is based on the Ann M. Martin novel series of the same name about a group of middle-school girls who start a babysitting business.
The Baby-Sitters Club, the second show to launch based on the concept (there has also been a movie) has been really well-received. Season one has 10 episodes.
Gentefied – 7.4
Premiering in February with a second season confirmed, this comedy-drama is about three Mexican Americans who are trying desperately to fulfill the American Dream.
Except accomplishing this could impact their neighborhood and the family business, making the decision difficult to grapple with. Gentefied has received pretty good reviews thus far, lauded for its relatability.
Never Have I Ever – 7.9
Mindy Kaling is creator of this coming-of-age comedy-drama that is actually, in part, based on her own childhood. At its heart, it's about an Indian American high school student dealing with the aftermath of her father's death combined with the typical issues teenage girls face as part of high school life.
Never Have I Ever, which is narrated by John McEnroe (Andy Samberg narrates one episode), has received praise for breaking stereotypes about South Asians in Hollywood. It has already been renewed for a second season.
Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love – 8.2
Also known as The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, despite this series being rated second-highest of all Netflix original comedies in 2020, it was canceled after just a single season. A Christmas special, however, will be made available in December.
The series, which streamed its first part in February and the second in July, was co-created by Mario Lopez and tells the story of a genius 15-year-old girl who is recruited to work for NASA as a robotics engineer and rocket scientist. To fulfill this dream, she ends up moving in with her uncle.
Julie and the Phantoms – 8.4
A musical comedy-drama, Julie and the Phantoms was released late in the year, in September. Yet it has already become the highest-rated Netflix comedy, not just of 2020, but overall to date, if IMDb users have anything to say about it.
Based on the Brazilian series Julie e os Fantasmas, it's about a high school girl who, while trying to get out of a musical funk following the death of her mother, accidentally conjures up the spirits of the deceased members of a '90s band called The Phantoms.