SpaceShows Like The Office
Looking for shows like The Office? Here are 10 shows with the same cringe-comedy brilliance.
Last updated Oct 1, 2026
Best Shows Like The Office
The best shows like The Office are Parks and Recreation, Abbott Elementary, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Each nails the mockumentary workplace comedy.
Looking for shows like The Office? Here are 10 shows with the same cringe-comedy brilliance. We picked each title based on shared tone, themes, and emotional feel.
1. Parks and Recreation
2009ComedyWhere to watch Parks and RecreationAmy Poehler plays Leslie Knope, a relentlessly optimistic official in the parks department of Pawnee, Indiana, who wants to make her town better. Parks and Recreation uses the same mockumentary format as The Office, with talking heads, an eccentric ensemble, and a warm view of workplace friendships. Leslie is far more competent than Michael Scott, which makes the show sunnier and less cringe-driven.
2. Abbott Elementary
2021ComedyWhere to watch Abbott ElementaryAbbott Elementary follows a group of dedicated teachers, led by optimistic second-grade teacher Janine, at an underfunded public school in Philadelphia. It is the most direct modern heir to The Office, filmed as a mockumentary with a clueless boss and a slow-burn romance. The setting gives it a more socially conscious edge, while keeping the comedy warm.
3. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
2013ComedyWhere to watch Brooklyn Nine-NineBrooklyn Nine-Nine follows detective Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and his colleagues at a New York police precinct under a stern captain (Andre Braugher). Like The Office, it is a workplace comedy driven by an ensemble of lovable oddballs and running jokes. It is a traditional single-camera sitcom rather than a mockumentary, and the pace is quicker.
4. What We Do in the Shadows
2019ComedyWhere to watch What We Do in the ShadowsWhat We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary about centuries-old vampires sharing a house on Staten Island, along with their put-upon familiar Guillermo. It uses the documentary-crew format that made The Office famous, complete with confessional interviews and awkward stares at the camera. The humor is much weirder and more absurd, built around supernatural chaos.
5. Arrested Development
2003ComedyWhere to watch Arrested DevelopmentArrested Development follows Michael Bluth as he tries to hold his wealthy, selfish family together after his father is arrested. Its handheld camera style, narrator, and layered running jokes will appeal to fans of The Office who enjoy rewatching for hidden gags. The show is darker and denser, and its characters are rarely as likable as the Dunder Mifflin staff.
6. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
2005ComedyWhere to watch It's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia follows a group of selfish friends who run a dive bar and constantly scheme against each other. Fans of The Office's cringe comedy will find it taken to extremes here. Unlike Michael Scott, these characters rarely learn anything, and the show is far more offensive and unapologetic, with no warmth to soften the blows.
7. Schitt's Creek
2015ComedyWhere to watch Schitt's CreekAfter losing their fortune, the wealthy Rose family is forced to relocate to Schitt's Creek, a small town they once bought as a joke. The show captures what made The Office endearing, with eccentric locals, awkward humor, and characters who grow kinder over time. It is a single-camera family comedy rather than a workplace mockumentary, and its tone is gentle.
8. 30 Rock
2006ComedyWhere to watch 30 RockTina Fey plays Liz Lemon, the head writer of a sketch comedy show, juggling an eccentric cast and her network boss Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin). 30 Rock appeals to The Office fans who love workplace chaos and odd colleagues. It is faster and more surreal, packed with cutaway gags and absurd humor rather than awkward silences.
9. Community
2009ComedyWhere to watch CommunityCommunity follows a disbarred lawyer who forms a study group with a diverse set of students at a community college. Like The Office, it centers on an ensemble of misfits who become a kind of family. Dan Harmon's show is more experimental, often parodying film and TV genres with elaborate themed episodes. Its study-group dynamics still offer plenty of character comedy for fans of the Dunder Mifflin crew.
10. Workaholics
2011ComedyWhere to watch WorkaholicsWorkaholics follows three slacker friends who work together at a telemarketing company and live under the same roof. It shares The Office's dull workplace setting and celebration of goofing off on the clock. The comedy is much cruder and more party-focused, with stoner humor replacing the mockumentary awkwardness. Think of it as the Scranton office if Jim, Dwight, and Andy never grew up and nobody was watching.
Why These Shows Are Similar to The Office
The Office turned a mundane paper company in Scranton into one of TV's most beloved comedies, thanks to its mockumentary style, awkward boss Michael Scott, and the warm relationships under the cringe. We looked for shows that capture different parts of that formula. Parks and Recreation and Abbott Elementary are the closest, both workplace mockumentaries with big hearts, and What We Do in the Shadows takes the format somewhere supernatural. Brooklyn Nine-Nine and 30 Rock offer fast workplace comedy, while It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Arrested Development are for fans who enjoy the darker, more uncomfortable humor.