Television series

Get Shorty

Name: Get Shorty
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Crime
Released: 2017
Cast: Chris O'Dowd, Ray Romano, Sean Bridgers, Carolyn Dodd, Goya Robles

Other titles called Get Shorty: the 1995 film.

Gangster

Chris O'Dowd is a charming enforcer for a Vegas crime boss who wants to pivot to Hollywood producing. Get Shorty is a witty crime-comedy that treats movie-making and mobster-dom as equally ridiculous enterprises. Sharp dialogue, genuine warmth between characters, and the pleasure of watching smart people navigate absurd situations. For anyone who loves crooks with self-awareness.

TVMaze rating

4.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy crime caper comedy where the gangsters are petty, talky and vain, and Hollywood's own vanity becomes the richest target, so the deadpan dialogue does most of the work.

Skip it if you want relentless plotting or a steady climb in stakes, since episodes often wander through side scenes and the mood stays loose even under real danger.

What it asks of you: Hour-long episodes, twenty-seven of them across three seasons, reward steady attention and dialogue you listen to as closely as you watch.

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

If you liked this

Justified2010

A U.S. Marshal navigates a world of Kentucky criminals with sharp wit and moral ambiguity. Like Get Shorty, it finds comedy and humanity in crime, built on excellent writing and a charismatic lead who's funny without trying.

But Six seasons is a long commitment, and the show's balance of humour and violence shifts as it goes on. Some find the later seasons darker and less playful.

Schitt's Creek2015

A wealthy family loses everything and rebuilds their lives in a small town they once bought as a joke. O'Dowd is wonderful here too, and it shares Get Shorty's gift for warmth—finding genuine affection between characters while staying funny about their delusions.

But The first season feels rough and broad. The charm that makes it special takes a few episodes to emerge, so patience pays off.

Better Call Saul2015

A struggling lawyer's descent into moral compromise, told with meticulous craft and dark humour. It's about the gap between who we want to be and who we become, with sympathy for both. Like Get Shorty, it's funny, literary, and genuinely moving.

But It's slow and deliberate. If you want constant plot momentum, this will feel like watching paint dry in a parking lot.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

State of Play2009

Both explore how people use charm, information, and reinvention to survive systems larger than themselves—whether mob hierarchies or institutional power.

A political thriller with ensemble energy, where journalists and politicians play high-stakes games of information control. Ben Affleck, Russell Crowe, and Rachel McAdams navigate a narrative that rewards close attention. Similar pleasure in watching clever people manoeuvre, but set in journalism instead of crime.

But It's a mid-budget political thriller that doesn't quite stick its landing. Some plot threads feel generic, and it's a little forgettable once you leave the theatre.

The Gentlemen2020

A crime-caper about British gangsters and American interlopers, written and directed by Guy Ritchie. Snapy dialogue, characters who enjoy themselves, and the same pleasure in watching clever people play a complicated game of one-upmanship.

But The plot is convoluted by design, and if you're not into macho posturing wrapped in slick editing, it'll feel exhausting and hollow.

Banshee2013

A career criminal assumes a fake identity as a small-town sheriff. Fast-paced, funny, and willing to be trashy without apology. If Get Shorty's lightness appeals to you, this scratches that itch for crime stories that don't take themselves too seriously.

But The dialogue can feel forced, and the tone shifts wildly. It's pulp that knows it's pulp, which is liberating but also occasionally uneven.

Sneaky Pete2015

A con man is released from prison and goes undercover for the FBI while reconnecting with old grifter friends. Smart caper plotting, ensemble charm, and that same tone of criminals trying to balance loyalty with self-preservation and maybe some growth.

But It got cancelled mid-story, so there's no real ending. Investing in a show that doesn't resolve can feel like a betrayal.

Barry2018

A Midwestern hitman moves to LA to become an actor. Genuinely dark and genuinely funny, with a real love for its damaged characters. It captures the absurdity of Hollywood ambition and criminality colliding, much like Get Shorty.

But It gets increasingly violent and grim as it continues. The comedy and the brutality can clash in ways that feel uneven.

In Good Company2004

Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid navigate workplace hierarchies and ego at a magazine. Not a crime story, but it captures that same pleasure in watching smart people navigate institutional absurdity with humour and occasional tenderness. A gentler vibe than Get Shorty, but the same DNA.

But It's a quiet, mid-budget film from 2004. If you want high stakes or spectacle, this is a background-hum movie.

Killing Eve2018

Both centre on characters who are dangerous but magnetic, and both find comedy and complexity in how people with twisted moral compasses form genuine human connections.

An MI6 agent pursues an assassin across Europe in a cat-and-mouse game built on psychological insight and genuine tenderness. Wickedly funny, visually inventive, and obsessed with the strange intimacy between pursuer and pursued. It has Get Shorty's bite but with a darker, queerer edge.

But The final season stumbled and disappointed many fans. The pacing can feel uneven across the run, and the tone lurches between campy and brutal in ways that don't always land.