TV Shows That Will Make You Laugh When You're Feeling Down

As a child, I found peace in watching television, for the fantasy, and the investment in other people's lives that were not my own. These 30 to 60-minute increments of comedy or drama were always the pick-me-ups that I desperately needed to escape the burden of my own reality.

I was in and out of the hospital enough and experienced enough debilitating flare-ups that I eventually had an arsenal of series to tap into to lift my spirits. If you're like me, a lover of all things TV and film, add some of the series or one of the series below to your list and thank me later.

Scrubs

Scrubs is my top TV show of all time. I've literally watched this series over 50 times and probably could recite every line from each episode. One of the reasons I love scrubs so much is because it has a similar environment to Grey's Anatomy without all of the intense seriousness, but don't get me wrong, there is a smidgen of drama. It not only makes me laugh but I'm invested in the characters inside and outside of the show.

Scrubs, based in the fictional teaching hospital Sacred Heart, is an American medical comedy-drama series created by Bill Lawrence. The series is known for its "fast-paced slapstick and surreal vignettes presented mostly as the daydreams" through one of the main characters in the series, John "J.D." Dorian, played by Zach Braff. The main cast consisted of Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn, Ken Jenkins, John C. McGinley, and Judy Reyes.

The Office

I've never laughed so hard in my life watching this show. It's seriously one of the weirdest yet funniest series I've ever seen. The reason it's ranked #2 in my list is that I've definitely rewatched this series many times but not nearly as much as Scrubs. This is only because I just recently discovered The Office a few years ago whereas I remember watching Scrubs in middle school/high school. The humor isn't the only thing that has me hooked but the comedic timing mixed with the relatability of the situations many of the cast members find themselves in is hilarious.

This American adaptation is set at Dunder-Mifflin paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and filmed in a documentary style similar to that of the Ricky Gervais-led British original. The series centers around the staff of the paper company including Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and B. J. Novak as the main cast. As the series progressed, additional members were subtracted and added to the show including Ed Helms, Amy Ryan, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson, James Spader, Ellie Kemper, and Catherine Tate.

Archer

I am a huge and I mean huge fan of adult animation from Simpsons to Family Guy to Futurama. Growing up, my brother and I consumed tons of animated series. It started out as innocent shows like Rugrats, Cat Dog, As Told By Ginger, and Yu-Gi-Oh, but then that later morphed into The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, South Park, and eventually shows like Rick and Morty, and Archer. Archer is one of those witty shows with what I label as smart comedy. It's a comedy with layers. You may have to brush up on your history or expand your worldview or just simply use Google to get some of the jokes. I love this type of comedy because it teaches me while I'm laughing.

Archer is an American adult animated sitcom created by Adam Reed on FX. The sitcom zeros in on the lives of a group of dysfunctional intelligence agency workers, some agents, other office administrators, support staff, and scientists. The series is led by Sterling Archer and seven of his colleagues; Malory Archer, Lana Kane, Cyril Figgis, Cheryl Tunt, Pam Poovey, Ray Gillette, and Dr. Algernop Krieger.

What series are on your must-watch list?