Television series

Paradise PD

Name: Paradise PD
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Released: 2018
Cast: Tom Kenny, David Herman, Dana Snyder, Cedric Yarbrough, Kyle Kinane

Comedy
Crime
Light-hearted

Paradise PD is an animated comedy where a rookie cop joins his father's dysfunctional small-town police department. It's profane, chaotic, and gleefully committed to being as outrageous as possible—think *Police Academy* filtered through adult cartoon sensibilities. For viewers who want comedy without restraint and don't need their cops to be remotely competent.

TVMaze rating

3.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy animated cop-show parody where the procedural bones stay intact while the jokes run loose, crude and character-driven, with a dad and son bickering their way through every case.

Skip it if you want sharp, fast-cut jokes or a serious crime story, since the gags are broad, the crudeness never lets up, and the pace ambles like a small town itself.

What it asks of you: Episodes run about half an hour and ask you to laugh at slow-building absurdity and repeated gags, not to track plot closely.

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

If you liked this

F is for Family2015

Frank Flannery's frustrated rampage through 1970s corporate America has the same anarchic energy and commitment to making every character aggressively flawed and hilarious. Animated irreverence with real heart underneath.

But It's deliberately ugly to look at, and some find Frank's constant anger exhausting rather than cathartic over multiple seasons.

Cops1989

The original template for laughing at incompetent law enforcement. Real cops, real chaos, no filter—it's the DNA of what Paradise PD is remixing. Genuinely unpredictable.

But It's dated; the humor lands differently now, and some situations that play as absurd now read as uncomfortable in hindsight.

Reno 911!2003

Another mockumentary of a hopeless police department where every officer is a disaster. The energy is similar—crude, silly, committed to the bit, and surprisingly affectionate about its morons.

But The mockumentary format means it meanders; without animation's cutting pace, some sketches deflate before the punchline lands.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret2010

Both are comedies about incompetent men failing spectacularly at their jobs, but Todd Margaret treats failure as tragedy written by someone who understands shame, while Paradise PD treats it as cartoon fodder. Same skeleton, opposite emotional registers.

Todd Margaret is an idiot in increasingly elaborate circumstances, and watching him fail with perfect confidence is hypnotic. It shares Paradise PD's commitment to humiliation as comedy, but with psychological precision—every failure feels inevitable and earned.

But It's relentlessly grim; there's no warmth or likability to soften the cringe, and three seasons of pure degradation wears heavy.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret poster

Letterkenny2016

A small-town ensemble where every character is ridiculous and the dialogue moves at a sprint. It shares Paradise PD's commitment to being weird without apology and letting comedy breathe in fast, loose scenes.

But The running jokes feel insular; if you're not onboard by episode three, the constant callbacks will feel like inside jokes you're not part of.

Ugly Americans2010

Another crude, fast-paced animated comedy about incompetent people failing upward. Urban instead of small-town, but the same giddy disregard for what comedy 'should' do.

But It was cancelled abruptly and the final season feels rushed. Also relies heavily on gross-out humor that ages unevenly.

Brickleberry2012

From the same sensibility—a dysfunctional group working in a failed institution, animated by the same studio. If you liked Paradise PD's vibe, this has the same DNA.

But Critics disliked it intensely; the humor is blunter and it doesn't have the character warmth that redeems Paradise PD's rougher moments.

Kenny vs. Spenny2003

Two men creating chaos through sheer stupidity and stubbornness. It's anarchic, uncomfortable, and genuinely funny in its commitment to watching terrible ideas play out. Real-life absurdity.

But It's half-improvised and occasionally flails; the humor is sometimes at someone's expense in ways that feel mean rather than playful.

Superjail!2007

An animated comedy with surreal violence, a cast of clowns, and the same complete disregard for conventional storytelling. Chaotic, visually wild, committed to the bit above all.

But It's deliberately hard to follow; surrealism without plot can feel exhausting rather than refreshing, depending on your mood.

Eagleheart2011

Chris Elliott as an absurd police officer creating mayhem. Deadpan and weird, with a similar low-concept premise stretched into inspired ridiculousness.

But It's extremely dry; if you need your comedy punched up and signposted, the flat delivery might feel like nothing's happening.

Superbad2007

Both celebrate cops who are fundamentally inept and morally compromised, but Superbad grounds it in recognizable human anxiety and friendship, while Paradise PD goes full cartoon anarchism. One is comedy about real stakes; one is comedy as pure escalation.

A comedy about two idiot cops who are genuinely affectionate with each other despite being disasters. The dialogue is sharp, the characters are specific, and it understands that the best comedy about dysfunction comes from actually caring about the people involved.

But It's a teen comedy from 2007; the humor relies on references and attitudes that have dated, and if you've seen it before, revisiting it feels unnecessary.

Midnight Run1988

Both feature teams of mismatched cops succeeding despite themselves, but Midnight Run earned it through writing and chemistry, while Paradise PD earns it through animation and anarchic escalation. One is comedy built on character; one is comedy built on commitment to the bit.

A buddy cop comedy where the cops are funny *because* they're competent but constantly at odds with each other. Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin have real chemistry, and the script understands that the best laughs come from character conflict, not just chaos.

But It's an 80s action-comedy, so it moves between tones in ways that can feel uneven if you're looking for consistent comedy or consistent action.