Television series

Plebs

Name: Plebs
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2013
Cast: Tom Rosenthal, Ryan Sampson, Tom Basden, Karl Theobald, Joel Fry

Parody
Light-hearted

Plebs is a British sitcom set in ancient Rome that ignores the grandeur entirely. Three broke, hapless young men navigate dead-end jobs, rental flats, and romantic failure in the eternal city. It's warm and silly, played with surprising gentleness. For anyone who likes their comedy grounded, character-driven, and uninterested in punching down.

TVMaze rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love sitcoms where losers scheme their way through a setting that is only a costume, and cringe comedy lands best when the characters never learn a thing.

Skip it if you need sharp writing or any real interest in history; the bawdy humour leans on the same few ingredients, so some episodes feel like treading water.

What it asks of you: Half-hour episodes that move briskly and stay light throughout, asking little more than a willingness to keep up with three men who are constantly one bad decision from disaster.

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

If you liked this

Friday Night Lights2006

Character-first ensemble comedy-drama about ordinary people with real stakes. Like Plebs, it finds humour and heart in the small moments between the big ones, and genuinely makes you care about these people.

But Vastly longer commitment—five seasons instead of three. American football as setting may feel less fun than ancient Rome, depending on your patience.

Parks and Recreation2009

Three seasons of pure ensemble joy before it got huge. A group of likeable failures trying to matter in an indifferent system. Same warmth, same "these people are my friends" feeling that makes Plebs so rewatchable.

But The first season is noticeably rougher. Some find the mockumentary format intrusive, though it largely fades as the show beds in.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret2010

British comedy about a hapless man failing upward abroad. Similar blend of affection for its protagonist and genuine cringe comedy. David Cross's comic timing is relentless and the supporting cast is stellar.

But Only two seasons and a film, so less to sink into. Todd Margaret himself is far more abrasive and self-sabotaging than Marcus and his friends.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret poster

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum1966

Both treat Rome as backdrop for comedy about the powerless. Both find warmth and humour in the gaps between ambition and reality. Forum just does it with tap dancing and togas you can see the seams on.

Buster Keaton, Zero Mostel, and a Roman street comedy that bounces with anarchic energy and physical brilliance. It's musical theatre, yes, but also anarchic and uninterested in dignity—ancient Rome as playground for chaos.

But A 1966 musical film will feel theatrical and dated in its pacing. If you need contemporary production values or rapid-fire modern comedy rhythms, it will feel slow.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum poster

Schitt's Creek2015

A wealthy family loses everything and has to rebuild in a small town. Starts as fish-out-of-water comedy but becomes something warmer—characters grow, friendships deepen, and the heart outweighs the jokes by the end.

But Early episodes rely heavily on making fun of the family's incompetence. Takes a season to shift tone; impatient viewers may bounce off.

Community2009

A scrappy group of misfits bonded by circumstance, riffing on genre and pop culture. Has Plebs' ability to be both silly and sincere, with a similar found-family warmth underneath the gags.

But The show fractures after season three with cast and creative changes. Earlier seasons are best, but some later ones feel like watching something else entirely.

Spaced1999

Two strangers fake a living arrangement and become genuine friends. British comedy with real affection for its characters despite the absurdity. Quick-witted and inventive, with surprising emotional depth in the finale.

But Only two seasons from the early era of visual gags and pop-culture references that may feel dated. Some jokes land harder if you catch the references.

The Good Place2016

Four flawed people stuck together in an impossible situation, forced to become better versions of themselves. Genuinely clever writing, unexpected twists, and a real philosophical heart without being preachy.

But The premise is the plot device; if you're not intrigued by the setup, the show won't convince you. Later seasons swing toward heavier themes some find less fun.

Arrested Development2003

A dysfunctional family bound together by financial and legal disaster. Intricate comedic plotting, layered jokes that reward rewatching, and characters you love despite their awfulness. Pure craft in comedy writing.

But The earliest seasons are so densely packed they almost need a guide. Later seasons lose the tightness. Rewatchability is high, but newcomers often find it exhausting.

Silicon Valley2014

A group of tech misfits stumble toward success and failure in equal measure. Sharp observation of status anxiety and masculine posturing, with a cast that commits fully to the cringe and the camaraderie.

But Heavily male-skewed perspective on ambition and worth. Some find the cringe comedy too intense; it can feel mean-spirited in places where Plebs stays warm.

The Double2014

Both find comedy in the powerless navigating systems designed to ignore them. Both have a genuine fondness for their hapless protagonists. But where Plebs is sunlit and forgiving, The Double is shadow and dread—same emotional structure, inverted mood.

Richard Ayoade's adaptation of Dostoevsky—bleak, gorgeously designed, about a timid man trying to matter in an indifferent bureaucracy. Dark comedy that loves its loser characters without mocking them. British sensibility, European severity.

But Black-and-white cinematography in an absurdist register. Tone is anxiety-inducing rather than warm. If you want to feel bad in order to feel smart, this does that; otherwise it's a slog.

I, Claudius1976

Both are British shows set in ancient Rome that ignore the expected epic scope. Claudius shows you the palace; Plebs shows you the street. They're looking at the same historical moment through opposite ends of a telescope—one asking 'what if power mattered most,' the other asking 'what if it didn't.'

A baroque, poisonous drama about early emperors and their court. Utterly gripping political theatre. If you loved the world of Plebs but wanted it serious, ambitious, and genuinely dangerous—this is Rome with consequences and real power.

But Nearly 700 minutes of 1976 BBC television (it looks it). Dialogue-heavy and interior; you must pay attention. The inverse of Plebs' lightness in every possible way—much slower, much grimmer, much longer.