The best comedy ensembles on TV

Few ensembles had more to prove than the souls of . Following one of the best comedy films of the 2010s isn’t easy, but the roommates of the FX series didn’t wait for an invitation for greatness. The put-upon Nandor (Kayvan Novak) plays off Laszlo and Nadja’s ( and Natasia Demetriou) confidence with sitcom perfection as Guillermo () grounds the vampiric lunacy with humanity. But ace-in-the-hole is Colin (), the energy vampire, an idea so good it’s shocking no one took a stab at it before. A testament to their chemistry, the roommates weren’t overshadowed by a star-studded vampiric council that any fan would kill to join. [Matt Schimkowitz]

We can’t talk about ensembles with a lot to prove without talking about the cast of . They didn’t have the legacy of a beloved cult comedy to live up to, but they did have the challenge of elevating a premise (“fish-out-of-water sports comedy, based on a series of NBC Sports commercials, produced by Apple”) many thought to be pretty thin. ’ Ted does much of the heavy-lifting on that front—over the course of the show’s first season, his warm, unflappable charisma slowly chips away at the tough, cynical exteriors of both the audience and his AFC Richmond cohorts. But the rest of the team—like Hannah Waddingham as the stubborn, dignified Rebecca, Brett Goldstein as the perpetually angry, aging Roy Kent, or Nick Mohammed as the meek, put upon kit man Nate—brings their A-game as well, providing audiences with one of the funniest, most affecting ensemble comedies on television. [Baraka Kaseko]

Sorry, haters: still has the best comedic voice cast working in TV. Every element—from ’s deadpan smartass, to ’s mix of confidence and exasperation, to ’s endlessly game enthusiasm as animated TV all-star Pam Poovey—works to make the show exactly the sum of its incredible parts, regardless of whatever genre it’s dipping into in any given season. There are literally no duds in this crew: ! Lucky Yates! ! The insanely talented , the queen of the unexpectedly deranged line read. And most especially—if sadly—, whose Malory Archer is a force of such obvious and incredible comic power that it’s difficult to imagine the show continuing on without her there to drop the sharpest line in the room, time and time again. [William Hughes]

It might not be the most buzzed about comedy on TV, but it’s pretty astounding how stacked ’s cast is. Initially more of a darkly satirical mystery, the Showtime series has essentially evolved into live-action Looney Tunes, embracing the exuberant game-for-anything energy of its ensemble. Leads have more than proven themselves as genre chameleons, so it’s a blast watching their natural charms collide as star-crossed lovers/nemeses. Then there’s (whose husband is a co-creator), (whose wife has a hilarious recurring role), and (whose partner Tuc Watkins guested in season two)—it’s basically a family affair, and one gets the sense they love to push each other’s buttons, coaxing the biggest, funniest performances out of everyone. Throw in supporting roles from , Julie Hagerty, , , and more, and it’s an embarrassment of comedic riches. [Cameron Scheetz]

Let’s get in a word of praise for while it’s still eligible for this honor. Now heading into its final season, the show hasn’t weathered a change in networks and a tectonic shift in public sentiment toward policing on the merits of its cold opens and running gags alone. (Though its strengths in both areas are formidable.) is a master comedy chemist (she also put together the What We Do In The Shadows roomies), and her smarts, skills, and instincts gave Andre Braugher and Andy Samberg co-stars who could contrast, complement, and amplify their respective drama-honed gravitas and sketch-comedy dynamism: Joe Lo Truglio’s puppy-dog best-friend energy, Melissa Fumero in fastidious teacher’s pet mode, the fire-and-ice combo of human exclamation point Terry Crews and still-waters-running-deeply-enigmatic Stephanie Beatriz. The cast was even able to meet the challenge of , Joel McKinnon Miller and Dirk Blocker confidently stepping up to fill the void left by the incomparable Gina Linetti. Just don’t tell Gina that Scully and Hitchcock have replaced her—that might kill her for real. [Erik Adams]