‘The Office’: 5 Other Comedy Shows to Watch if You Love Mockumentaries

The Office is a revolutionary comedy that created a new model for how modern sitcoms could be done. Its mockumentary format had been done before, but it was perfected here, and many shows after tried to put their spin on its style. While many have failed to capture what made The Office great, a few mockumentary comedies have paved their own path without seeming like a knockoff. 

Here are 5 comedy shows to watch if you love mockumentaries like ‘The Office’

Reno 911!

Reno 911! premiered before The Office, but it is a different type of mockumentary comedy. The show is a parody of cop documentary TV shows, specifically Cops, and follows the Reno sheriff’s department members in Nevada. It’s much cruder than The Office and contains profane and often politically incorrect humor. However, it’s still a laugh riot, especially for those who enjoy edgier comedies. 

The actors in the series show impressive commitment to the bits, along with the bizarre characters they stumble across. The series aired on Comedy Central from 2003 to 2009 and has been revived since then. It is currently streaming on Paramount+.

Parks and Recreation

Many believed Parks and Recreation to be a knockoff of The Office. It’s a workplace comedy that aired on NBC and featured the same mockumentary style. However, viewers realized quickly that something was different about this series. It had a lighter, goofier tone and focused more on the town featured in the show than the business.

The series stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, an overly-optimistic government employee who desperately wants to help her community of Pawnee, Indiana. The cast also includes Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, Adam Scott, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, and Nick Offerman, who steals the show as Ron Swanson. While this show had stiff competition with The Office, viewers often debate which of the two shows is superior. 

Abbott Elementary

While The Office is a love letter to the workplace, Abbott Elementary is a love letter to teachers. Abbott Elementary has been sweeping the awards, and for a good reason. It’s a delightful sitcom that centers around a group of teachers who work at a Philadelphia public school. Despite being underfunded and overwhelmed by students, the teachers still love their jobs and do the best they can. 

What makes Abbott Elementary so charming is its excellent cast and positive spirit. While each character has its own storyline, the series emphasizes the teachers’ impact on their students, reminding viewers about teachers’ difficult and often underappreciated jobs. 

What We Do in the Shadows

Based on the hit movie by Taika Waititi, What We Do in the Shadows follows four vampires and their familiar, Guillermo, who live in Staten Island. This show isn’t just hilarious, but it’s incredibly clever. It has many hilarious spoofs on horror movie creatures and lore and even invents new creatures, such as an energy vampire, that feeds on people by boring them to death. 

What We Do in the Shadows also never takes itself seriously. Yes, there are some sweet character moments and storylines, but it’s fully dedicated to making viewers laugh and being as ridiculous as possible. It’s easily one of the funniest shows airing right now. 

Modern Family

Modern Family is the longest-running show on this list and recently wrapped its final season in 2020. The show follows the Dunphy-Pritchett family, a family made up of a diverse and unique background that reflects what a large family today could look like. Even if they have different interests and ideologies, this family still loves each other, and their relationships propel the show. 

It’s still very funny and has some of the best writing in any series. The humor mainly comes from misunderstandings that lead to worse situations or disagreements that go too far. However, it all remains grounded in a show that wants to accurately portray a complicated, but loving family dynamic.