15 Best TV Shows Like Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Can a “Saturday Night Live” staple move on from the specific rhythms and skills of sketch comedy to lead a narrative sitcom? That’s one of the biggest gambles taken by “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” a show that also takes the risk of blending the workplace comedy with the police procedural.

Andy Samberg, who took the job for one simple reason, stars as Jake Peralta, an immature yet endearing detective. Obviously, the gamble paid off, as Samberg both underlined his well-crafted image while expanding and interrogating it. Samberg is surrounded by an incredible cast of performers who get the chance to play the silliest jokes alongside surprising amounts of pathos. It’s all stuffed to the gills — and yes, that is the title of your sex tape.

If you’ve been jonesing for more “Nine-Nine” vibes, we’ve got you covered. These shows are set in various workplaces, feature indelible performances, and hopefully tickle your funny bone. Here are the 15 best TV shows like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

From a New York precinct to a Philadelphia school, “Abbott Elementary” finds a similar sense of humor and joy as “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

Creator Quinta Brunson also centers the show as Janine Teagues, an idealistic second-grade teacher who tries to improve the lives of her students despite the harsh realities of working in an underfunded public school. Under the aggressive eye of egotistical principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), Janine and her fellow teachers do their best to make the world a better place.

Unlike “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Abbott” is a mockumentary, which inherently gives it a more grounded tone and performance style. Plus, Janine channels her boundless optimism into helping her students, making her a more grounded counterpart to Andy Samberg’s perpetually energetic Jake Peralta.

But like “Brooklyn,” “Abbott” drills down deep on its ensemble cast, giving every performer a strong sense of self to play for both jokes and emotional deepening. In particular, Janine and fellow teacher Gregory’s (Tyler James Williams) relationship goes through some unexpected places.

Moving back into the police station, “Angie Tribeca” is an underrated sitcom with comedic invention oozing out of every pore. It’s the spiritual successor to “Police Squad!”, the underseen 1980s sitcom that inspired the beloved “Naked Gun” film series.

Created by the husband-and-wife team of Steve and Nancy Carell, “Angie Tribeca” stars Rashida Jones in the title role, a no-nonsense LAPD detective with crimes to solve, traumatic backstories to bluster through, and a new partner (Hayes MacArthur) with whom to butt heads.

With this procedural-aping structure in place, “Angie Tribeca” will do anything for a joke, busting out corny-on-purpose puns and absurd visual gags at a relentless, rat-a-tat pace. It’s the kind of show for people who love “Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s infamous cold opens, like the “I Want It That Way” show-stopper, and wish the whole show could sustain that tone.

There might not be as deep an audience relationship to the characters as on “Nine-Nine,” but when it comes to pure laughter, you’d be hard-pressed to beat a contemporary show as funny as “Angie Tribeca.”

“Bones” is not a half-hour sitcom. It’s an hour-long crime procedural, often going quite dark, sad, and even violent. But at its core, there’s quite a bit of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” to be found in “Bones,” especially in its central relationship.

“Bones” stars Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who, as her first name suggests, is quiet, by-the-book, and more than a little nerdy. She’s given the titular nickname “Bones” by FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, played by David Boreanaz. Booth is more brash, instinctive, and impatient.

While odd couples have powered crime shows since time immemorial (see: “The X-Files”), this particular relationship reminds one more than a little of Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) and Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” with Amy feeling like the bookish Bones and Jake feeling like the rakish Booth. And at the risk of spoiling “Bones,” that just might include romantic chemistry, too…

A spin-off from “The Practice,” “Boston Legal” is another hour-long procedural with a downright goofy sense of humor. In fact, some of the quirks inherent in the show’s characters rival those from their “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” counterparts.

James Spader stars as Alan Shore, a gifted but cynical lawyer who will use any legally questionable method at his disposal to win a case. William Shatner (who couldn’t get Leonard Nimoy to join him) is Denny Crane, a loud and boisterous attorney prone to self-mythologizing and politically incorrect rants. Together, alongside their colleagues and friends, the pair takes on a litany of cases while deepening their friendship along the way.

While Alan and Denny aren’t exact counterparts to Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta and Andre Braugher’s Captain Holt, their friendship fills a similar role, giving viewers the same kind of emotional anchor that helped make “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” so memorable. The pair’s chemistry buoys five seasons of crackling, kooky TV.

In a just world, NBC would’ve picked up “Enlisted” after Fox canceled it, just as the network would later rescue “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Alas, life isn’t fair, and we thus only have one season of the underrated sitcom “Enlisted.” But what a season it is.

Taking place on a Florida military base, the show stars Geoff Stults as Pete Hill, a hot-headed Staff Sergeant assigned to a proverbial island of misfit toys after assaulting one of his superiors. His responsibilities on the base include his two younger brothers, Derrick (Chris Lowell) and Randy (Parker Young). Together, the brothers learn a lot about themselves as they grit through military operations no one else has the patience for.

“Enlisted,” all 13 episodes of it, is a lovely watch. It’s kind-hearted, empathetic, and sweet to its main characters without coming off as cloying. It also packs a similar Jake-and-Amy will-they-won’t-they relationship with Pete and Jill (Angelique Cabral), a fellow Staff Sergeant, making it an easy transition series.

Sticking with a military theme, let’s look at one of the greatest TV comedies of all time, “M*A*S*H.”

Based on a novel and a film, “M*A*S*H,” or Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, features an impressive bench of ensemble players centered around Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce.

Like Jake Peralta, Hawkeye is a wiseacre, a rebellious prankster, and an endearing anchor for the audience. And like Jake over the later seasons of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Hawkeye’s perspective deepens over the series, with Alda playing melancholy and heartbreak comfortably.

While “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” tends to stay a comedy-first show, “M*A*S*H” was willing to push into the tragic and even the surreal, even at the risk of infuriating CBS executives. It’s a great watch for the “Nine-Nine” fan who’d like to see a more interrogative approach to the men and women who put on uniforms and lay their lives on the line.

When criminals are charged and arrested by the good folks of the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” precinct, where do they head for the second half of the “Law & Order” equation? Well, to keep it in the NBC sitcom family, they just might have headed to “Night Court.”

The original series aired from 1984 through 1992, starring Harry Anderson as Judge Harry T. Stone, who ruled over the night shift of a New York courthouse. There’s a regular set of staff and lawyers who come in and out of Harry’s courtroom, with a special shout-out to the versatile John Larroquette as the cutting ADA Dan Fielding.

But “Night Court” gets much of its comedic juice from the wild gallery of plaintiffs and defendants who center each case, many of whom are played by hot stand-up comics of the era (the recurring appearances of Yakov Smirnoff are, in particular, a delightful time capsule). The show has a downright vaudevillian sense of humor when it gets going, pleasing any “Nine-Nine” fans who love it when that show follows discursive and absurd flights of fancy.

And if you dig the original run, check out the 2023 revival series of the same name; it’s one of the best TV show revivals of all time.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was co-created by Michael Schur, a TV comedy mastermind behind many of the great 21st-century works. He cut his teeth and arguably developed much of his voice and style working on the American remake of “The Office.” Plus, he dons a fake beard to play Dwight Schrute’s (Rainn Wilson) cousin, Mose; that alone is worth the stream.

“The Office” is not always as sweet a watch as “Nine-Nine,” which makes sense given its origin as an adaptation of one of the great cringe comedies. Episodes like “Dinner Party” are particularly mean-spirited to their main characters; it’s hard to imagine Schur putting Jake Peralta through such a gauntlet with no relief in sight.

But as the show moves on and steps out of Ricky Gervais’ shadow, its heart grows many sizes bigger, particularly in the great relationships between its many coworkers. Case in point: the Schur-written episode “Office Olympics,” which ends with a sweet, tear-jerking resolution for even its most buffoonish character, Michael Scott (Steve Carell).

After working closely with Greg Daniels on “The Office,” Michael Schur and he moved on to create what might be Schur’s masterpiece: “Parks and Recreation.” Retaining the mockumentary structure and workplace setting of “The Office” while doubling down on the empathy, “Parks and Rec” is likely the closest direct analog to “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” on this list.

Taking place in the local government of Pawnee, Indiana, “Parks and Rec” stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, who shares more in common with the puppy dog optimism of Jake Peralta than the volatile emotions of Michael Scott. She holds down an office full of comedy superstars: Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Rashida Jones, Retta, Aziz Ansari, and even Andy Samberg pops in for a memorable guest spot.

This deep ensemble feels like a family, a similar feeling to the players in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” And like “Nine-Nine,” “Parks and Rec” offers a message of common decency and hope, the idea that we can all change our world for the better if we work together.

The cops and detectives in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” are generally competent, well-meaning, and good-hearted people. But if you’re looking for a cop comedy with nothing but unhinged, egotistical monsters, “Reno 911!” is the perfect shot of whiskey to chase your piña colada.

Stylistically presented in the cinema vérité mode of “Cops,” “Reno 911!” features some of the greatest contemporary comedy performers (including reunited members of The State, Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Robert Ben Garant, and Joe Lo Truglio of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) improvising their way through wild distress calls and petty criminals wasting everyone’s time.

While the cops often try to play the voice of reason to these rabble-rousers (also played by great comedy performers like Charlie Day or Andy Daly), they’re just as eccentric and solipsistic. As such, every episode is a cacophony of comedic riches, a sledgehammer of hard-hitting riffs that never fail to surprise. It’ll especially hit for “Nine-Nine” fans who, nevertheless, like their sitcoms a little less neatly plotted or resolved.

Michael Schur strikes again, this time with co-creators Ed Helms (who worked with Schur on “The Office”) and Sierra Teller Ornelas (a producer on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”).

Like “Parks and Recreation,” “Rutherford Falls” is also a tale of a small town’s government and the colorful characters contained within. Helms plays Nathan Rutherford, a museum curator and descendant of the town’s founder. The delightful Jana Schmieding plays Reagan Wells, a Native American community organizer and friend of Nathan’s. As complications and crises hit the town of Rutherford Falls, the ongoing generational traumas of America’s Native peoples intersect with the white, neo-liberal desire to pacify and sweep under the rug. It’s thoughtful television, but it’s also a comedy.

In the final season of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” produced in the wake of the racial reckonings of 2020, social commentary about the police’s negative effect permeated the scripts and character decisions. If you dug this socially conscious tone, “Rutherford Falls” is absolutely for you, as it starts with that mission on its mind while never losing its lightly comedic touch (until its cancellation, much too soon).

Let’s head back to the hospital for “Scrubs,” one of the defining workplace sitcoms of the 21st century (with one of the great 21st-century sitcom revivals).

Like Jake Peralta, J.D. (Zach Braff) is a goofball prone to exaggeration and mishaps, often annoying the powers that be at his workplace. As his medical career at Sacred Heart Hospital evolves, he gets into shenanigans with his best friend Turk (Donald Faison) and his on-again-off-again-sometimes-friend-sometimes-lover Elliot (Sarah Chalke).

At its best, “Scrubs” plays like a combination of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “M*A*S*H.” Like “Nine-Nine,” it has a zippy pace and slapstick sense of humor, not to mention an empathetic, loving attitude about its ensemble cast. But like “M*A*S*H,” it bends reality at a moment’s notice, presenting J.D.’s point of view through unreliable voiceover and surreal vignettes.

It’s also more than willing to plumb the genuinely devastating stakes present at a hospital, especially with middle-season episodes focused on the hot-headed Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley). All of this makes for a rich, nutritious watch.

Moving back to the realm of government workplaces, the titular “Spin City” is Manhattan, just a couple of boroughs away from the men and women of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

The hit ’90s sitcom stars Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty, the deputy mayor of Mayor Randall Winston (Barry Bostwick). Whereas Randall is a buffoonish figurehead, Mike is the boots-on-the-ground fixer, the guy who will do, say, or spin anything to make sure his office runs the way it’s supposed to.

While “Spin City” was co-created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence (the latter of whom would go on to create “Scrubs”), it’s a lot more cynical than either “Scrubs” or “Nine-Nine,” almost functioning as a proto-“Veep” in some of its fangs-out political satire. And yet, just like the best workplace sitcoms, no matter how initially dysfunctional they seem, the characters do wind up functioning as a kind of loving family.

Of particular note is Michael Boatman as Head of Minority Affairs, Carter Heywood. Carter is openly gay, and while some of the show’s jokes about his sexuality and race reflect a dated sense of “edge,” it’s ultimately wholesome and progressive. It just might remind some “Nine-Nine” fans of Rosa’s (Stephanie Beatriz) coming-out storyline.

Coming from the mind of Justin Spitzer, who worked with Michael Schur on “The Office” (not to mention a stint writing for “Scrubs”), “Superstore” is a lovely, earnest, and addictive sitcom. Like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” it’s less interested in rocking its form’s boat and more interested in making sure its passengers have a lovely trip.

America Ferrera centers the show as Amy, a worker at the Cloud 9 superstore (which has shown up in other sitcoms). Her coworkers are all varying levels of strange, especially her cloying manager, Glenn Sturgis, played by the brilliant Mark McKinney. But as the show progresses over its six seasons, her relationships with her colleagues — not to mention the store itself — change in surprising ways.

While “Superstore” is largely a comforting hangout show, it does use its settings and diverse cast to explore different social controversies, from the ongoing dehumanization of capitalism to the targeting of undocumented workers by organizations like ICE. It keeps the show feeling real and prevents it from falling into a milquetoast, saccharine trap.

In “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” firefighters are often presented (jokingly) as adversaries to our precinct crew, whether it’s the nebbish fire marshal played by Patton Oswalt or the self-aggrandizing fireman played by Rob Riggle. But in “Tacoma FD,” a crew of under-occupied first responders finally gets their chance to shine in the spotlight, cementing it as one of the best firefighter shows of all time.

Created by and starring Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme, two members of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, the show could be pitched simply as “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” but in a rainy Washington firehouse where there are almost no actual fires to fight. Yet the actual experience is a little more knotty; while Heffernan and Lemme don’t touch the hard R-rated escapades of their Broken Lizard projects like “Super Troopers,” they do give the basic cable sitcom a nice bit of edge and grit to stand out from the pack.

It’s a scrappy, sometimes coarse show, but one with obvious love for its characters — and, like “Nine-Nine,” the real-life working-class heroes depicted.