Television series
Kevin Can F**k Himself
Kevin Can F**k Himself deconstructs the sitcom wife archetype by splitting its visual language: colorful multi-camera comedy when Kevin dominates, bleached single-camera drama when we see Allison's actual life. It's a smart, angry interrogation of how television has trained us to find women's exhaustion funny. For anyone who's noticed how sitcoms work.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy satire that turns a sitcom's laugh-track conventions against themselves, and you are happy to laugh at a joke that suddenly stops being funny.
Skip it if you need your comedy bright and fast, since the show spends much of its time in a bleak, slow-burning mood that keeps the jokes at arm's length.
What it asks of you: Episodes run about fifty-three minutes and switch between gritty realism and broad, theatrical sitcom staging, so you need to stay alert to format changes as closely as to the jokes.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Schitt's Creek2015
A family comedy that builds genuine warmth and character depth, eventually revealing the kindness underneath its opening premise. By the end, you'll love these people—but the journey there matters.
But Early seasons can feel a bit broad and rely heavily on fish-out-of-water humor that lands unevenly. It takes time to find its heart.

Better Call Saul2015
Charts how a fundamentally decent person becomes incrementally worse through small choices and circumstance. Like Allison, Jimmy's moral slide is tragic precisely because we see him clearly.
But It's deliberately paced and often quiet. If you need constant momentum, the meditative stretches will test your patience.

You're the Worst2014
A romantic comedy that deconstructs romantic comedy. It's funny and cynical and genuinely moving, and it understands that loving someone toxic is complicated, not just a joke.
But The leads are selfish and awful in ways that don't always redeem themselves neatly. Some people want their comedies lighter.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Kevin Can F**k Himself
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt2015
Both use formal sitcom conventions (bright colors, rapid-fire gags, supporting characters who exist mainly as function) to expose how those conventions erase women's inner lives and real suffering.
A woman escapes captivity and must rebuild her life while everyone else insists on either pitying her or treating her trauma as inspiration. The bright sitcom format makes the dark premise even sharper—the show is furious at toxic positivity.
But The cheerfulness can feel exhausting and the joke-per-minute ratio is relentless. Some viewers find it grating rather than clever.

More like this (8)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel2017
Features a woman discovering she has gifts her husband's world never let her use. Propulsive, witty, and built around the pleasure of a woman claiming space.
But Occasionally breezy where it should be harder. The show sometimes loves its own cleverness more than the actual stakes.

Fleabag2016
Breaks the fourth wall to let us into a woman's real thoughts while she performs a version of herself. Sharp, deeply felt, and only six episodes per season.
But The tonal shifts between comedy and genuine pain can feel jarring if you're not aligned with that rhythm from the start.

Russian Doll2019
A woman trapped in a nightmare of her own making, unable to escape through charm or performance. Darkly funny but ultimately about how we sabotage ourselves.
But Tonally uneven across its two seasons. The second season especially asks a lot of patience for what it's trying to do.

Chewing Gum2015
A young Black woman navigating family pressure, sexual desire, and her own agency. Chaotic, explicit, genuinely funny, and completely uninterested in being likeable.
But The pacing is deliberately scattered and the humor is abrasive. If you need clarity and conventional structure, this will frustrate you.

Only Murders in the Building2021
A mystery comedy with real emotional stakes and characters who feel like full people. Steve Martin and Marty Short are excellent, and it respects your intelligence.
But The mystery itself is sometimes less interesting than the character moments, which won't work for everyone.

Godless2017
A western built around a town run by women, interrogating whose violence counts and who gets to be the hero. Only seven episodes, tightly constructed, gorgeously shot.
But The plotting can feel uneven and some of the supporting characters blur together. It's more interested in mood than momentum.

MINDHUNTER2017
Both expose the gap between surface performance and actual psychology. Allison performs being happy; the profilers learn to read what people perform to hide. Both suggest that seeing someone clearly is an act of resistance.
A procedural about FBI profilers interviewing serial killers, built on meticulous character work and psychological tension rather than action. Each episode is a conversation that slowly reveals something true.
But It's slow, unglamorous, and sometimes frustratingly interested in bureaucracy. If you want traditional suspense, you'll be disappointed.

Dancer in the Dark2000
Both use genre (sitcom/musical) as a survival mechanism, then ask what happens when reality refuses to stay in its lane. Both are ultimately about the cost of performing happiness for other people's comfort.
A woman in impossible circumstances holds onto hope through musical fantasy sequences, then the film shatters that refuge. Lars von Trier's cruelest work, and Björk's only acting role—devastating and unforgettable.
But It is genuinely bleak and punishing. The ending is not cathartic. If you watch it, you will feel it for days.

People
Cast
Writing
- Valerie ArmstrongCreator
- Mel ShimkovitzExecutive Story Editor
- Jasmyne PeckStaff Writer
- Kate LovelessStaff Writer
- Linda Jamil GomezStaff Writer
- Shukri AbdiStaff Writer
Production
- Kyle BaylesAssociate Producer
- Anna DokozaCo-Executive Producer
- Colin WalshCo-Executive Producer
- Dana Ledoux MillerCo-Executive Producer
- Grace EdwardsCo-Executive Producer
- Kevin EttenCo-Executive Producer
- Nina JackCo-Executive Producer
- Noelle ValdiviaCo-Executive Producer
- Sean ClementsCo-Executive Producer
- Tom ScharplingCo-Executive Producer
- Jenna BauerCo-Producer
- Colin WalshExecutive Producer
- Craig DiGregorioExecutive Producer
- Oz RodriguezExecutive Producer
- Rashida JonesExecutive Producer
- Sean ClementsExecutive Producer
- Susie FitzgeraldExecutive Producer
- Valerie ArmstrongExecutive Producer
- Will McCormackExecutive Producer
- Cami DelavigneProducer
- Emmy HortonProducer
- Shana Fischer HuberProducer
Recommended by
Shameless, Divorce, Special, Man Seeking Woman, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Haunted Hotel, A Good Day to Be a Dog, Nobody Wants This