Television series

Superstore

Name: Superstore
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2015
Cast: Ben Feldman, Colton Dunn, Lauren Ash, Mark McKinney, Nico Santos

Comedy
Light-hearted

A big-box store ensemble comedy that starts as broad workplace slapstick and quietly grows a spine: underpaid, overqualified people forming a found family while dodging corporate nonsense, immigration raids, and a union drive. Funny, fast, oddly tender, and more clued-in about actual work than almost any sitcom on the dial. Great for anyone who's ever worn a name tag they didn't choose.

TVMaze rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like workplace comedy that finds its warmth in the grind of a retail floor, where the jokes come from characters who feel like coworkers you would actually miss.

Skip it if you want sharp, cynical satire of corporate life, since this stays pretty cosy and leans on big-hearted sincerity more than bite.

What it asks of you: Half-hour episodes that need little focus: it asks you to settle into its ensemble across six seasons and let the everyday gags accumulate.

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

If you liked this

Parks and Recreation2009

The same warm, ensemble-driven workplace-as-family formula, but civic instead of retail — bureaucratic absurdity played with total sincerity and a killer supporting cast.

But Takes a rocky first season to find its footing; the tone you love arrives around season two.

The Office2005

The mockumentary blueprint for exactly this kind of low-stakes workplace comedy with real heart underneath — cringe, romance, and a cast of oddballs who become family.

But Nine seasons is a lot, and the back half sags noticeably after Michael Scott exits.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine2013

Same joke density and found-family warmth, transplanted to a police precinct — quick, silly, generous to every character, never mean-spirited.

But Cop-comedy premise sits differently now than when it aired; some viewers can't get past that.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Clerks1994

Same species of retail-dead-end comedy decades earlier and stripped to the studs — proof the premise has always had teeth, before network TV smoothed the edges off.

Kevin Smith's scrappy black-and-white debut, shot in the actual store he worked at, is the retail-purgatory comedy in its rawest, most profane form.

But No plot to speak of, deliberately ugly visuals, and a rambling, talky style that won't suit everyone.

Abbott Elementary2021

A newer mockumentary with Superstore's exact trick: underpaid, underappreciated staff making an underfunded institution work through sheer stubborn love.

But Gentler and more earnest overall — less workplace chaos, more quiet advocacy.

Cheers1982

The granddaddy of the workplace-as-living-room sitcom — barflies and bartenders bickering and falling in love for eleven seasons of impeccable multi-cam craft.

But Studio-audience multi-cam rhythm and 80s pacing take some adjusting to if you're used to single-camera comedy.

Kim's Convenience2016

Smaller scale, same generosity — a family-run corner store instead of a superstore, with sharp generational comedy and genuine sweetness.

But Much gentler and lower-stakes; don't expect Superstore's sprawling ensemble or bigger swings.

Workaholics2011

Rougher, dumber, cousin energy — telemarketers goofing off between actual work, for when you want the slacker-coworker vibe with the leash off.

But Far cruder and less plotted; character depth and social commentary are not the point here.

Scrubs2001

Another workplace with a huge, lovable staff bouncing between broad comedy and genuine gut-punches — the tonal whiplash Superstore does so well.

But The fantasy-sequence style is very 2000s and can feel dated or overused by later seasons.

Corner Gas2004

A tiny prairie gas station standing in for the whole world — low-key, character-first comedy about people stuck together and making the best of it.

But Deliberately quiet and small-town; if you want plot momentum or edge, this isn't it.

American Factory2019

Superstore's union storyline is played for warmth and comedy; this shows what that fight actually costs people in real life, no laugh track cushioning it.

A Netflix documentary following real American workers at a Chinese-owned factory grappling with automation, culture clash, and a union vote gone sideways.

But No jokes, no fictional comfort — this is the real, often bleak version of the labor stakes Superstore plays for laughs.

Sorry to Bother You2018

Same DNA — underpaid workers, exploitative bosses, the absurdity of corporate life — cranked up into surrealist satire instead of sitcom warmth.

A telemarketer discovers a 'white voice' that gets him promoted into a surreal, increasingly horrifying corporate underworld — sharp satire that escalates into full sci-fi nightmare.

But Genuinely bizarre and unsettling by the end; if you wanted grounded workplace comedy, this detonates that expectation entirely.