Television series

The Other Two

Name: The Other Two
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2019
Cast: Drew Tarver, Heléne Yorke, Case Walker, Molly Shannon, Ken Marino

Satire

The Other Two is a sharp, hilarious comedy about two thirtysomething burnouts watching their twelve-year-old brother become an internet star. It's fast, smart, and genuinely warm—less interested in mocking failure than in capturing the particular sting of being left behind by someone you used to babysit. Perfect for anyone who's felt invisible while watching someone else's life explode.

TVMaze rating

2.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy sharp, self-aware comedy about showbiz strivers whose vanity and insecurity are played for laughs without ever turning cruel, with a warm family core underneath.

Skip it if you want a tidy, plot-driven show; this one wanders through half-finished schemes and lets its half-hour episodes drift toward the next sharp joke rather than a satisfying arc.

What it asks of you: Each episode runs about half an hour and moves quickly, so you can binge a few in an evening, but it wants you to keep track of the siblings' ambitions and bruised egos rather than just passively enjoy the gags.

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

If you liked this

Schitt's Creek2015

A family brought low by fortune must rebuild in a small town. Like The Other Two, it finds genuine heart in failure and incompetence, with characters you'll grow to love despite their flaws and narcissism.

But Starts slower than it finishes. The first season sometimes feels like it's searching for its tone, and if you can't tolerate cringe comedy early on, you might bail before it gets great.

Parks and Recreation2009

Mockumentary about ambitious people working toward nothing in particular. It shares The Other Two's warmth, character depth, and ability to make you care about people who keep failing at life.

But The Michael Scott brand of awkward isn't for everyone. Some find it unbearable rather than endearing, and early seasons are rougher than later ones.

Arrested Development2003

Dysfunctional family comedy where everyone is self-interested and nobody learns anything, but you love them anyway. Dense with jokes, character-driven, and genuinely moving underneath the absurdity.

But Requires attention and rewards rewatching, which is exhausting if you just want to zone out. The humor is often mean, and the later seasons lose some snap.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Other Two

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

BoJack Horseman2014

Both understand that comedy about failure only works if you love the people failing. Both let their characters be selfish and stupid while keeping your heart open to them.

Animated comedy about a failed actor and has-been surrounding himself with people he's inadvertently ruining. Starts as comedy, becomes devastating; manages to be both hilarious and genuinely tragic about failure, ego, and the people left in your wake.

But Gets progressively darker and heavier. If you want escapism, the later seasons are the opposite—they're about sitting with your worst impulses and suffering consequences. Some find it depressing rather than cathartic.

Broad City2014

Two women in their twenties failing upward in New York with anarchic energy and real affection for each other. Shares The Other Two's speed, specificity, and ability to make dysfunction feel like love.

But The humor is deliberately crude and chaotic. If you prefer structured, gentle comedy, this will feel like controlled chaos rather than fun.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying1967

Musical comedy about a hapless guy climbing the corporate ladder through pure luck and shamelessness. Same DNA as The Other Two: satire about ambition that never loses its affection for the ambitious.

But It's a 1967 musical, which is a lot of commitment if you're not already into that era. Some numbers drag, and the gender politics haven't aged well.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying poster

Curb Your Enthusiasm2000

Improvised comedy following a selfish man creating chaos everywhere he goes. Shares The Other Two's willingness to let characters be unlikeable and its gift for finding humor in social breakdown.

But Larry David is exhausting by design. If you find him grating rather than fascinating, this show won't change your mind—it just gives him more rope.

Community2009

Ensemble comedy about misfits bonding over their failures at a community college. Warm, clever, and genuinely interested in why people need each other despite having nothing figured out.

But Gets increasingly experimental and weird in later seasons, losing some of the grounded charm. Also the tone shifts drastically depending on which showrunner is steering.

30 Rock2006

Fast, joke-dense comedy about show business peoplemaking shows. Like The Other Two, it understands the specific indignity of trying to stay relevant in entertainment while your life falls apart.

But Jokes land so fast you might feel pressured to keep up. Also rides hard on late-2000s cultural references that don't all hold up, and some of it feels dated.

The Comeback2005

Lisa Kudrow plays a faded actress trying to engineer her own career resurrection. Mockumentary energy, mortifying social moments, and a real understanding of how fame warps people.

But Only lasted two seasons and ends abruptly. The humor is deeply uncomfortable—less funny than cringey—and many found it unwatchable rather than entertaining.

Tiny Furniture2010

Cary and Brooke feel exactly like Dunham characters—confused, defensive, cycling between dignity and desperation. Both are about the comedy of being underestimated by the world and yourself.

Lena Dunham directs and stars in this mumblecore film about a college grad moving back home, adrift and incompetent, surrounded by her family's expectations. Raw, unglamorous, genuinely funny about the particular shame of being a disappointment to people who love you.

But It's deliberately cheap and rough-edged. If you need professional production values and narrative momentum, this is watching someone's home video. Also Lena Dunham's voice is not for everyone.

Please Like Me2013

Both find the joke in genuine difficulty rather than surface dysfunction. Both believe comedy and pain can live in the same scene, and that caring about broken people is the whole point.

Australian comedy about a young guy navigating his sexuality, his mother's mental illness, and his friends' disasters. Tonal whiplash—goes from laugh-out-loud to heartbreaking in a scene—but commits completely to both. Character-driven, warm, unsentimental about real suffering.

But Requires emotional openness. The show will make you feel bad, not just laugh, and if you want comedy as pure escape, it betrays that contract. Also Australian, so some references might not land.