Television series

Drake & Josh

Name: Drake & Josh
Genre: Comedy, Family
Released: 2004
Cast: Josh Peck, Drake Bell, Miranda Cosgrove, Nancy Sullivan, Jonathan Goldstein

Buddy comedy
Light-hearted

Drake & Josh is a Nickelodeon sitcom about two teenage stepbrothers forced to share a room and navigate high school together. It's a fizzy, joke-per-minute comedy built on slapstick, running gags, and the chemistry between its leads. Perfect for anyone who loves buddy comedies with heart, or anyone nostalgic for early-2000s Nickelodeon's particular brand of chaos.

TVMaze rating

3.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a light, sitcom-paced family comedy where the bickering between two mismatched stepbrothers is the whole engine, and where silly set pieces and quick banter land more often than not.

Skip it if you need sharp, grown-up wit or serialized stakes; this is a breezy Nickelodeon sitcom built for younger viewers, and its jokes lean broad and repetitive over long stretches.

What it asks of you: Half-hour episodes that move quickly and mostly stay on the surface, asking for little more than a willingness to laugh at slapstick and familiar sitcom setups.

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

If you liked this

Kenan & Kel1996

Another Nickelodeon gem pairing two charismatic leads with genuine chemistry. Same energy of best friends getting into ridiculous schemes, scored with physical comedy and absurdist humor that rewards rewatching.

But The writing and production values feel noticeably cheaper than Drake & Josh, and the plots are often even more nonsensical. That might be a feature, not a bug.

Victorious2010

Same network, same era sensibility, same willingness to break into random musical numbers and utterly derail plot for a good joke. Focused on a large ensemble cast at a performing arts school with similar comedic wavelength.

But The tone shifts between silly and surprisingly dark depending on the episode. Some character arcs get genuinely uncomfortable before being dropped.

Community2009

A misfit group comedy that gets exponentially weirder and more inventive as it goes. Like Drake & Josh if it had access to a bigger budget and a writers' room obsessed with meta-comedy and genre parody.

But Early seasons are uneven, and later ones get deliberately experimental in ways that alienate people who loved it for being straightforward. Very long commitment for payoff.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Drake & Josh

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Rushmore1998

Both center on a mismatched duo learning to be brothers (or father figures). Same structure of comedy emerging from character incompatibility and genuine growth.

Wes Anderson's deadpan comedy about an unlikely pair—a teenage dreamer and a burned-out manufacturing executive—forced into proximity and learning from each other. Same DNA of mismatch comedy, but filtered through melancholy and visual precision.

But It's a film, not a sitcom, so the rhythm is completely different. Darker and more wistful. Anderson's style is alienating to people who find it too controlled or precious.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine2013

Buddy comedy DNA meets workplace sitcom. Two mismatched leads anchoring an ensemble where the jokes land fast and the characters genuinely love each other. Warmth without sentimentality.

But It's a police comedy, which ages awkwardly. Also loses some snap once it commits fully to serialized storytelling and emotions over gags.

Kim Possible2002

Animated Nickelodeon-adjacent comedy with the same commitment to slapstick, absurd plots, and a duo dynamic that carries the show. Perfect pacing and genuinely clever jokes hiding in plain sight.

But It's a Disney Channel show, so the animation is more limited. Some episodes feel interchangeable. Also animated, which changes the whole texture of the humor.

The Good Place2016

Smart comedy with a mismatched pair at its center who have to learn to work together. Proves the formula scales up beautifully with wit and genuine stakes. Completely rewatchable.

But Becomes increasingly serialized and philosophical. The back half prioritizes mystery over laughs. Heavy themes accumulate.

Schitt's Creek2015

Comedy built on ensemble chemistry and character growth. Starts broad and silly, becomes quietly moving without losing its humor. Extremely quotable and feels like hanging out with people you love.

But The first season is genuinely rough. Requires patience before it finds its voice. Also utterly different tone—more cringe than slapstick.

30 Rock2006

Rapid-fire comedy with genuine affection for its characters. Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan have the same loose, riffing energy between two wildly different people. Endlessly rewatchable for quotability.

But Very dense and reference-heavy, sometimes to the point of exhaustion. Some jokes date badly. Not for people who prefer their comedy lean.

Undeclared2001

Judd Apatow's college comedy follows a group of freshmen through their first year. Ensemble cast with genuine warmth beneath the jokes. Captures the specific feeling of young friendships forming.

But Canceled after two seasons. Also very male-focused comedy from the early 2000s—some jokes land differently now. Feels dated in specific ways.

Undone2019

The stepsibling/forced-family dynamic, but treated seriously and with genuine affection beneath the chaos. Shows what happens when you age Drake & Josh's premise into adulthood.

Rotoscope-animated dramedy about a young woman and her estranged sister reconnecting after a car accident. Visually stunning, funny without relying on slapstick, and earns its emotional moments through character work.

But Extremely different tone—melancholic, sometimes unsettling. Animation style is polarizing. Gets into mental health territory that's heavy. Only two seasons.

Severance2022

Similar structural use of humor to break tension and endear audiences to characters navigating an impossible situation together. Comedy as character texture, not the whole point.

High-concept workplace thriller with unexpected comedy and absurdist moments scattered throughout. Proof that the ensemble buddy dynamic and running gags work in drastically different genres when the writing is strong enough.

But Slow-burn sci-fi that demands patience. Dark and disorienting. Absolutely not what someone expecting lighthearted fun would get. Also incomplete—only one season aired.