Television series

The Good Guys

Name: The Good Guys
Genre: Comedy, Action, Crime
Released: 2010
Cast: Bradley Whitford, Colin Hanks, Jenny Wade, Diana-Maria Riva

Other titles called The Good Guys: the film.

Police procedural

A mismatched-cop comedy that pairs a burnt-out dinosaur with a uptight stickler in 2010s Los Angeles. Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks generate genuine chemistry as they stumble through petty crimes that somehow connect to bigger conspiracies. It's breezy, funny, and energetic—built on the principle that watching two people actively dislike working together is endlessly entertaining.

TVMaze rating

3.9

If you liked this

Brooklyn Nine-Nine2013

Ensemble cop comedy with real affection for its characters and genuine mystery-of-the-week storytelling. The humour lands, the cases matter, and the cast dynamic elevates every scene.

But Becomes increasingly serialized and sentiment-heavy in later seasons, which dilutes the quick comedic pacing you want from procedurals.

Lethal Weapon2016

Literally the template: burnt-out old cop, uptight younger partner, action and comedy fused perfectly. Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans have the same fractious energy that makes partnership work.

But Cancelled after two seasons due to behind-the-scenes drama, so it ends abruptly and incompletely.

Psych2006

Fake psychic and skeptical partner solve crimes with comedy that's genuinely clever, not just quippy. The cases are engaging and the character relationship deepens without losing the humour.

But Very long run (eight seasons) means quality dips; early episodes are sharper than later ones, and some threads outstay their welcome.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Good Guys

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang2005

Both use comedic incompetence and weird partnerships as a lens into how people actually solve problems; both refuse to let sentiment override the joke.

Robert Downey Jr. as a washed-up actor pretending to be a detective, Ryan Gosling as a rent boy turned crime fighter. It's cynical, hilarious, and viciously smart about Hollywood and masculinity. Shane Black directing means constant kinetic energy and genuine affection for broken people trying.

But Acid-tongued and brutally anti-sentimental; the meta-commentary on noir and Hollywood can feel exhausting, and the plot is genuinely confusing if you're not paying full attention.

Rush Hour1998

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as mismatched partners. Action sequences are spectacular, the comedy is infectious, and the chemistry between leads is the whole movie—exactly like The Good Guys but compressed into two hours.

But The plot is frankly thin and the mid-90s action-comedy formula feels dated if you've seen anything since then.

21 Jump Street2012

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum playing up their different styles for laughs, undercover in high school solving a drug case. Surprisingly smart about masculinity and genuinely hilarious—action comedy done right.

But Riffs heavily on being a remake/sequel of a 1987 cop show; if you've never heard of the original, some jokes land different, and the meta-humour gets heavy.

Community2009

Ensemble cast with sparkling chemistry, where mismatched personalities generate both comedy and unexpected poignancy. No procedural elements, but the collaborative energy and affection between characters mirrors what makes The Good Guys work.

But Tone whiplashes between silly and profound, and it's not a crime show—if you specifically want cop-show mechanics, you'll miss them.

True Detective2014

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as a detective partnership with real friction and chemistry. Dark Louisiana crime drama, but the partner dynamic and investigation structure echo The Good Guys.

But Brutally bleak and serialized in ways that completely invert the lightness you're after; Season 1 is superb but subsequent seasons are uneven.

Turbo Kid2015

Oddball post-apocalyptic action comedy with genuine heart beneath the absurdity. The scrappy, enthusiastic energy and willingness to be fun while still delivering real stakes captures the tone.

But Canadian indie production with a very low budget showing in some effects; deeply weird in ways that won't appeal to mainstream tastes, and the plot is deliberately thin.

Burke & Hare2010

John Landis' comedy-crime film about two con artists in 1829 Edinburgh. Mismatched partnership dynamic, slapstick energy, and genuine affection for its characters despite the dark subject matter.

But Tonally chaotic and uneven; it can't decide if it's a farce or a character study, and the result is frustrating rather than delightful.

The Nice Guys2016

Same era, same city as The Good Guys, same director philosophy: comedy and crime as vehicles for watching broken people try to do good despite themselves.

Shane Black again: Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as completely mismatched detectives in 1970s LA solving a missing-person case. Hilarious, warm, and visibly in love with its own characters while still being brutal about their flaws.

But Deliberately understated and character-focused in ways that might feel slow if you want pure plot momentum; period setting requires attention to detail.

Dead Ringers1988

Partnership as the fundamental unit of the story; how two people with opposite natures create a system that ultimately corrupts both, and the dark comedy of watching it happen.

David Cronenberg's dark, obsessive film about identical twin gynecologists with complementary neuroses. Jeremy Irons plays both—one meticulous, one chaotic—and their twisted partnership is the entire film. Utterly strange and completely hypnotic.

But Body horror, sexual content, and psychiatric breakdown; deeply uncomfortable and deliberately unsexy in ways that feel alien to mainstream entertainment. You need to be in a very different mood.