Television series

Sick Note

Name: Sick Note
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Released: 2017
Cast: Rupert Grint, Nick Frost, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson

A scrappy British comedy about a habitual liar who gets misdiagnosed with cancer and decides to keep the secret rather than lose the sudden respect it brings him. Rupert Grint trades his earnestness for chaos; the show pivots on a single absurd premise and runs with it, gleefully watching everything unravel. Irreverent and fast.

TVMaze rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you relish a compulsive liar whose white lies snowball into farce, where the comedy comes from sharp rhythm and a flustered hero who keeps digging himself deeper.

Skip it if the hero's self-centred lying can grate for long stretches, and a serious illness played for laughs may feel uneasy rather than funny.

What it asks of you: Thirty-odd minutes an episode across just two short seasons, so it asks little time but full attention, since its lies and alibis only land if you keep track.

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

If you liked this

Fleabag2016

Sharp, character-driven comedy where a flawed protagonist's lies and manipulations are the engine of the story. Grint's Daniel has the same desperate charm and moral flexibility as Phoebe's schemes.

But Relies heavily on fourth-wall breaks and theatrical asides that some find precious rather than funny.

You're the Worst2014

Follows two terrible people in a relationship where dishonesty and self-sabotage are the running joke. Same tonal balance—comedy that doesn't punish its characters for being awful, just for being human.

But Takes time to find its rhythm; the first few episodes feel meaner than they are.

Arrested Development2003

Dense comedy built on elaborate lies, schemes that spiral, and a cast of fundamentally broken people bumbling toward disaster. Dense joke construction, layered payoffs, and characters you kind of love despite everything.

But The Netflix seasons lost the thread; requires full attention to track the running jokes.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

After Life2019

Both pivot on a protagonist whose crisis gives them permission to stop pretending, but After Life proves the premise works when the stakes are actually stakes rather than just plot mechanics.

Ricky Gervais plays a man in free fall following his wife's death, behaving badly to everyone around him. Same structure—a protagonist in crisis whose destructive behaviour drives the comedy—but the grief is real and irreducible.

But The comedy comes from a genuinely dark place; some episodes feel more like watching someone suffer than being entertained.

Scrubs2001

Hospital-set comedy with an incompetent authority figure (Dr. Kelso) at its center. Balances genuine heart with silly absurdism in the same register Sick Note aims for.

But Shifts tone wildly across seasons; later episodes get sentimental in ways that feel unearned.

Community2009

A ragtag ensemble where schemes and lies drive episodes, and the show delights in high-concept chaos. Same affection for characters despite their terrible choices.

But Drops off noticeably after season three; becomes self-conscious about its own cleverness.

The Good Place2016

Built on a core lie that unravels across seasons. Balances comedy with genuine philosophy and character growth in ways that feel earned, not sentimental.

But Requires patience with conceptual setup before the emotional payoff kicks in.

Peep Show2003

British comedy where chaos and dishonesty are the baseline; dual first-person narration makes you complicit in the characters' terrible decisions. Grimier and more uncomfortable than Sick Note but the same DNA.

But Wilfully ugly and repetitive; deliberately avoids growth or progression for the sake of comedy.

Russian Doll2019

A liar in freefall, dark comedy that lets its protagonist fail and fail again. Same sense that dishonesty has real consequences even when it's funny.

But Can feel deliberately frustrating; some viewers find the repetition punishing rather than cathartic.

Better Off Ted2009

Corporate absurdism with a likeable protagonist navigating an impossible boss and workplace chaos. Shorter episodes, similar tone, same emphasis on situations over sentiment.

But Cancelled after two seasons; feels like you're watching an unfinished story.

I, Daniel Blake2016

Both involve a Daniel trapped by circumstance into choices that unravel his life, but Blake chose honesty and still lost. Reverses Sick Note's bargain to ask what happens when the lie is the only rational choice.

A man ground down by systems that demand dishonesty to survive, watching him navigate impossible bureaucracy with integrity. Ken Loach's opposite register: the same desperation, entirely devoid of jokes.

But Punishingly grim; there is no catharsis, only accumulating weight. Watching it is work.