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The Five Best Sitcoms To Watch on Amazon Prime UK

Looking for something to binge? Ali Plumb has got your back

Not sure what to watch?

Radio 1's film critic Ali Plumb has put together his favourite TV shows which are available to watch across all major streaming platforms: BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Now TV.

And below he rounds up the very best sitcoms available on Amazon Prime.

New Girl

7 seasons, 146 episodes

New Girl has a very traditional sitcom set-up. It's almost a joke to read it out loud: "a kooky teacher, Jess (Zooey Deschanel) moves into a Los Angeles loft with three men, Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Winston (Lamorne Morris)" - and... yeah. That's it.

Like a more 21st century Friends, there's no real "pull" to get you watching this one, but it's very warm and comforting and gently chucklesome, full of loveable folks with pleasingly silly problems.

It's hard not to damn New Girl with faint praise as it's just so gentle, but right now that could be just what you need in your life...

Why you'll love it: The show has a made-up party game called 'True American' that looks like so much fun I wish I knew the rules. Apparently "there are no rules". Hmm. Sure.

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Community

6 seasons, 110 episodes

Love Rick And Morty? Watch Community. For a lot of people, that's all you'll need to hear to get you to press play on Dan Harmon's other big TV hit - well, medium TV hit, it has had many ups and downs - but there's also the incredible performers who worked on this community college sitcom, including Childish Gambino himself, Donald Glover, Glow's Alison Brie and the legendary comedy grump Chevy Chase.

It's pretty "out there" as my Dad would say, but if you're in tune with it's "offbeat humour" (another Papa Plumb phrase) it's so very good.

The paintballing episodes alone make this show worth watching, but there's a lot of heart underneath the "wackiness" and scenes where the principal raps whilst dressed as a giant peanut. I'm pretty sure that happens in Community, could have dreamed it, but it's definitely... likely.

Why you'll love it: Two things: 'Troy And Abed In The Morning', a made-up morning show you that I enjoy so much I even got a mug with their names on, plus 'Inspector Spacetime', the show's spoof of Doctor Who. I really really wish it were real.

The US Office

9 Seasons, 201 episodes

It's time. You've been putting off watching the misadventures of American paper salesmen Dunder Mifflin for too long now - maybe you're loyal to the British original, perhaps you just haven't had the time - but now you simply must give in to Michael Scott and company.

John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer are perfect as Jim and Pam (read: Tim and Dawn), and Rainn Wilson is almost too good as ultra-competitive Dwight (Gareth), while Steve Carell takes the David Brent nightmare boss role and turns it into something loveable and understandable, whilst still pleasingly annoying as all hell.

There's so much to watch, so much to enjoy, so much to love. Admittedly the first season takes a bit of getting used to, and there's a definite lull about six seasons in, but the ending works out great - something that so rarely happens with big American sitcoms.

Some say the US version is better than the UK version, but honestly... let's not get into that. It's different. There. Solved that problem.

Why you'll love it: Jim and Pam are flat-out adorable and you will fall in love with them - and start doing the 'Jim face' to imaginary cameras in the room with you. Seriously, it's only a matter of time.

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Parks And Recreation

7 seasons, 124 episodes

After writing / showrunning The US Office, Greg Daniels and Michael Schur made Parks And Recreation - Parks And Rec for short - a similar mock-doc office-set sitcom with a variety of loud characters trying to work together despite their differences.

Instead of selling paper, they're running the parks department of a small town in Indiana, so the biggest enemy is bureaucracy and local government and not, say, rival companies. I know what you're thinking - this doesn't sound all that thrilling. And to be honest, the first season actually isn't.

Yes, it's got some amazing comedy talent, such as Amy Poehler (as utterly loveable hyper-happy super-positive government wonk), Rashida Jones (as her somewhat put-upon best friend) and then newcomer Chris Pratt in the goofy, loveable idiothole role that made his career, but honestly just start with the second series and crack on from there.

No shame, I say.

But seriously trust me, trust me, trust me, investing in Parks And Rec is well worth your while.

It's properly funny and has a couple of incredible stand-out characters - such as Nick Offerman's libertarian, government-hating, woodwork-loving, country man Ron Swanson - so give it some love and it will reward you tenfold.

Why you'll love it: I could write a book about how much I love manly-manly-man Ron Swanson but the real star is Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope. I never thought I could love someone so... enthusiastic.

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Futurama

7 seasons, 140 episodes

I adore Futurama. Simpsons continues to outstay its welcome, but its little sci-fi cousin came and went (and came and went, and came and went again), never failing to make me laugh.

Yes, I'm a massive nerd, so naturally a cartoon sitcom about a 20th century loser waking up in the future to become best friends with a robot and a one-eyed "alien" is going to land well with me, but there are just so many jokes, and such clever ones to boot, that I've been able to rewatch this one over and over and over.

If you've never given it a shot, do so now: falling in love with incompetent lobster doctor Zoidberg - yes, you read that correctly - is a key part of becoming friends with me, just so you know.

Why you'll love it: In a word, Zoidberg. In a noise 'Whup whup whup whup whup" (the noise Zoidberg makes). It'll make sense when you watch this show, promise.