It’s fair to say that nothing will ever be able to truly replace Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The series has been a part of our lives since 2013, as have the characters that have made us laugh, cry and frankly wish we could be part of their squad. They say all good things must come to an end, but do they really have to!?
As we say goodbye and face the inevitable reality of a B99-shaped hole in our lives (the final episodes are streaming now - but only until 22 October, so get on it!), it’s time to start thinking about finding our next feel-good series to soften the blow. Luckily, these series from SBS On Demand are up to the challenge, ready to provide your daily dose of comedic relief!
Wellington Paranormal
Take Brooklyn Nine-Nine, move it from NYC to New Zealand’s North Island, replace the city criminals with ghosts and werewolves and make the cops a little more zany and you’ve got Wellington Paranormal. It still ticks all the boxes for a classic procedural cop show, but with a supernatural edge that will keep you on your toes from start to finish, as the dynamic duo that are Officers Minogue (Mike Minogue) and O’Leary (Karen O’Leary) add exorcism, alien retrieval and mutant wrangling to their repertoire. The pair, under the leadership of Sergeant Ruawai Maaka (Maaka Pohatu), appear completely unfazed by the weirdness that takes place in the otherwise sleepy Wellington, and investigate each new mystery with an absurdly incurious approach.
This What We Do In The Shadows spin-off sees Oscar winner Taika Waititi collaborating once again with Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement, creating a mockumentary that is the perfect mix of horror and deadpan humour, guaranteed to provide some serious laugh-out-loud moments. Wellington Paranormal is definitely a show you can dip in and out of, with no complex multi-episode story arcs to worry about, and we mean that in the best possible way. It’s proper no-frills fun.
The Orville
The whip-fast workplace banter of Brooklyn Nine-Nine was out of this world, but what if the whole show had actually been an intergalactic affair? Created by the Family Guy genius that is Seth MacFarlane, The Orville is a little bit Star Trek and a little bit sitcom, set four hundred years into the future on an exploratory ship en route to uncover the mysteries of the galaxy.
Though it sounds like the ultimate space adventure, it’s still essentially a workplace on wings, with the same office politics and troubles of everyday life you would expect. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if you were confined to a spaceship with your colleagues 24/7!
MacFarlane stars as commanding officer and fearless leader Ed Mercer, whose verbal jousting with his ex-wife First Officer Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) is reminiscent of Jake and Amy’s lust-fuelled one-upmanship. When combined with the additional workplace shenanigans of the rest of the crew, The Orville is a nod to the team of the 99th precinct, taking the challenge of tackling a wide range of topical social issues in its stride. A couple of forty-five minute episodes will be all it takes for Trekkies and sci-fi newbies to be hooked and ready to begin their binge-watching voyage.
Future Man
While there are so many Brooklyn Nine-Nine characters we are devastated to say goodbye to, and we all have our favourites (Terry, anyone?) Jake Peralta will always hold a special place in our hearts. Yes, he’s a bit of a man-child, and yes, he has put his foot in it on more than one occasion, but his signature quick wit and willingness to have a laugh, often at his own expense, have made it impossible not to grow to love him over the years. What are we going to do without his slow-mo entrances and elaborate heists!? Perhaps Future Man’s Josh might be the answer, proving to be one of the few characters that is an even more unlikely yet loveable hero than Jake.
Josh is your typical video game-playing millennial, stuck in the rut of an unfulfilling job and desperate to distract himself from a life that isn’t going to plan. That is until he beats the previously unbeatable game of Bionic Wars and finds himself faced with the task of saving the universe, with a few futuristic visitors thrown in for good measure.
OK, so it’s not the crime-fighting competence we’re used to, but there’s a Jake Peralta goofiness to Josh that guarantees plenty of funny moments. With three seasons ready to be added to your watch-list, Future Man has binge-watch potential in spades.
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SBS On Demand is bringing the laughs with these comedy series
