Television series

DAVE

Name: DAVE
Genre: Comedy, Music
Released: 2020
Cast: Dave Burd, Andrew Santino, GaTa, Taylor Misiak, Christine Ko

Other titles called DAVE: the 1993 film.

Comedy

Dave follows a neurotic Philadelphia rapper convinced of his destiny for greatness, navigating the gap between delusion and drive. It's half cringe comedy, half genuine character study—a show that laughs at its protagonist while also making you believe in him. For anyone who's watched someone chase an impossible dream, or harbored one themselves.

TVMaze rating

2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy cringe comedy that lives inside an artist's ego, where the jokes come from a loser's sincere belief in himself and from friends who refuse to let him off the hook.

Skip it if you want a tidy, fast sitcom; the half-hour episodes sit in awkward silences and humiliating moments, and the rap performances are deliberately uncomfortable to watch.

What it asks of you: Thirty short episodes across three seasons, each one a tight, escalating scene of embarrassment, so it rewards steady attention rather than background viewing.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Atlanta2016

A sprawling, genre-defying show about music ambition in the South that finds profound humanity in its characters. Each episode can be surreal, tragic, or hilarious—sometimes all three. It understands the loneliness of chasing art.

But Plotless and oblique; if you need a clear narrative arc each week, you'll find it frustrating and pretentious.

Broad City2014

Two comedians playing versions of themselves in New York, with the same fearless commitment to uncomfortable moments and genuine friendship. It's messy, crude, and oddly moving about what it means to want things.

But The humour is often deliberately ugly and self-sabotaging. Not everyone finds their brand of cringe comedy cathartic.

Master of None2015

Aziz Ansari's show about a struggling actor in New York balances comedy with real sadness about ambition, family, and belonging. It has Dave's mix of self-awareness and self-delusion, but tilted toward introspection.

But Slower and more melancholic than you might expect from a comedy. Some episodes feel more like short films than jokes.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from DAVE

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

8 Mile2002

Both are about a young man convinced he's destined for rap greatness despite everything around him suggesting otherwise. Dave is the neurotic comedy version; 8 Mile is the earnest drama version of the same delusion.

Eminem as an aspiring Detroit rapper, made by Curtis Hanson with genuine grit and no winking. It captures the specificity of underground hip-hop culture and the real stakes of trying to prove yourself in front of people who matter.

But It's a sports movie structure in rap form—predictable beats and a climax you can see coming from the first scene. Some aged elements feel dated now.

The Comeback2005

Lisa Kudrow as a delusional actress convinced she's a star despite every evidence to the contrary. It's cringe comedy done so well it almost breaks you—painfully funny about delusion and narcissism.

But The documentary-style format and awkward silence humour is exhausting. It predates the cringe-comedy wave; some find it dated now.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia2005

Five terrible people in Philadelphia scheme and fail, episode after episode. It's anarchic, loyal to its characters' delusional ambitions, and has been running forever because it's genuinely hilarious.

But The humour is deliberately mean-spirited and the characters never grow. If you need likeable protagonists, this isn't it.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia poster

Eastbound & Down2009

Danny McBride as a washed-up baseball player returning to his hometown to reclaim glory. It's tragic, darkly funny, and deeply committed to one man's delusional comeback fantasy.

But Heavy on awkward humour and sadness. McBride's character is often unbearable, which is kind of the point but not everyone signs up for that.

30 Rock2006

A fast-paced comedy about the chaos of making TV, with characters chasing ambition within an industry that doesn't care. Sharp, absurd, and genuinely funny about desperation dressed up as professionalism.

But The jokes come so fast some will land and some won't. If you need to sit with a moment, you won't here.

Louie2010

Louis C.K.'s semi-autobiographical show about a stand-up comedian navigating failure, ambition, and a messy life. Shifts between comedy and genuine pathos in ways that feel earned rather than sentimental.

But Wildly uneven in tone and quality. Some episodes are brilliant; others feel self-indulgent or incomplete.

Baskets2016

Zach Galifianakis as a failed French mime school student living with his mother, determined to become a clown. It's oddly tender about delusion, failure, and the people who love us despite ourselves.

But Deliberately slow and sad. The humour is gentle and the stakes feel low—some viewers find it boring rather than meditative.

The Rehearsal2022

Both shows are about a man with delusional confidence in his ability to shape reality through sheer willpower and repetition. Dave thinks he can rap his way to greatness; Nathan thinks he can rehearse his way to understanding anything. Same messianic energy, different flavours.

Nathan Fielding's experimental series where he stages elaborate rehearsals of people's lives to help them prepare for difficult moments. It's formally daring, funny, and deeply strange about human connection and obsession.

But Vertiginously weird and formally fractured. If you don't like absurdist structure and Nathan Fielding's deadpan anxiety as the engine, it'll seem indulgent and pointless.