Saturday Night Live (1975 – present) has dominated the sketch comedy scene for the last 50 years. Its broadcasting channel, NBC, has emerged as the king, and while several other channels tried to take a piece of the SNL popularity, not many have succeeded. Despite countless cancellations, there are some sketch comedy shows on Fox that refuse to quit.
SNL’s head producer, Lorne Michaels, and NBC have created a goliath of a show and made the career of countless comics in the meantime. But every Saturday night since 1989, Fox has thrown their own David at them to take away some of the viewers from them. With some big shows in the mix, there are few we remember and many we don’t.
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8 Rib-Tickling Sketch Comedy Shows On Fox | Comedy Shows You Can’t Miss!
If you are looking for a goof and want to explore your options on the weekends that don’t include the word ‘live,’ then you may have some options. These sketch comedy shows on Fox have been on the air in the last few years and have done fairly well. They are funny, they are sarcastic, and they are entertaining. What more does one need?
1# Mad TV (1995-2009)
Mad TV aired on Fox for 15 years and was like the distant cousin of SNL. Written and created by members of another sketch comedy show called In Living Color, Mad TV offers a weekly dose of sadistic humor. The show is known for comically touching on serious social issues and being silly at times.
One moment you can expect to see racial issues being discussed, and the next, the cast will be laughing at a fart joke. These light-hearted moments kept Mad TV for so long and made it a favorite among the audiences. From mocking common television occurrences to commenting on the latest American Idol episodes, Mad TV is one of Fox’s best sketch comedy shows.
Additional Details About The Show –
| Release Date | 1995 |
| Creator | Fax Bahr and Adam Small |
| Cast | Michael McDonald, Debra Wilson, Aries Spears, Bobby Lee, and Nicole Sullivan |
| Genre | Comedy/Sitcom |
| IMDb Rating | 7.2/10 |
| Average Run-Time | 40m – 48m |
| Streaming Platform | Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max |
| Number of Seasons | 15 |
| Number of Episodes | 329 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | NA |
2# Call Me Kat (2021 – present)
Call Me Kat is a comedy show on Fox that stars The Big Bank Theory (2011) alumna Mayim Bialik. The show is an adaptation of a British show called ‘Miranda,’ which enjoyed massive popularity. Call Me Kat follows the life of 39-year-old Kat, who decides to open a cat-themed cafe. And she uses the money her parents had saved all their life for her wedding for it.
The show constantly breaks the fourth wall as Kat addresses the audience and talks directly to the camera. Call Me Kat acts as a great social commentary on how women in our society have it difficult to break societal expectations. If American women have it so hard, how hard must it be for women in developing countries?
Additional Details About The Show –
| Release Date | 2021 |
| Creator | Darlene Hunt |
| Cast | Swoosie Kurtz, Leslie Jordan, Mayim Bialik, Kyla Pratt, and Cheyenne Jackson |
| Genre | Comedy/Sitcom |
| IMDb Rating | 6/10 |
| Average Run-Time | 21m |
| Streaming Platform | Amazon Prime Video and Fox |
| Number of Seasons | 2 |
| Number of Episodes | 27 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 20% |
3# Let’s Be Real (2021)
Let’s Be Real is one of Fox’s latest sketch comedy shows. Imagine the muppets but with a political and societal opinion. Let’s Be Real is based on the French show called Les Guignols. The show features satirical sketch comedies revolving around the latest political developments.
Robert Smigel controls the puppets and offers his satirical take on Donal Trump’s tantrums or Joe Biden’s political shortcomings. Let’s Be Real is a great way to catch up on the world’s latest developments with some witty humor added to it.
Additional Details About The Show –
| Release Date | 2021 |
| Creator | Bruce Leddy |
| Cast | Russ Walko, Dean Edwards, Grant Baciocco, and James Adomian |
| Genre | Comedy/Sketch |
| IMDb Rating | 5/10 |
| Average Run-Time | 22m |
| Streaming Platform | Fox |
| Number of Seasons | 1 |
| Number of Episodes | 4 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | NA |
4# Pivoting (2022)
Created by Liz Astrof, Pivoting is a comedy show that takes up the topic of grief and humans deal with it. The show follows three middle-aged women, Amy, Jodie, and Sarah, who have been friends. After the sudden death of another one of their friends, they realize life is unpredictable and can change without warning.
Living highly successful and ambitious lives, they decide to pivot their lives to a more meaningful cause. Spending more time with loved ones and living life to the fullest. In this journey, they make many impulsive choices that further deepen the bond of their friendship. Even if you haven’t been a fan of comedy shows, give Pivoting a chance.
Additional Details About The Show –
| Release Date | 2022 |
| Creator | Liz Astrof |
| Cast | Eliza Coupe, Ginnifer Goodwin, Maggie Q, Tommy Dewey, and Robert Baker |
| Genre | Comedy/Sitcom |
| IMDb Rating | 6.7/10 |
| Average Run-Time | 22m – 23m |
| Streaming Platform | Fox |
| Number of Seasons | 1 |
| Number of Episodes | 10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 100% |
5# Welcome To Flatch (2022)
A documentary-style mockumentary, something you don’t see so often, Welcome to Flatch is currently airing on Fox. A film crew decides to document the smallest of towns in American suburbs. As they move from place to place, the crew stumbles upon a small town called Flatch.
With not even a motel, the crew can stay in the town; they go about their work until they meet the Mallet cousins. The cousins let the crew into their lives and show them the nitty-gritty of the town. Hilarious incidents ensue as the awkward town fold interacts with the outsiders. The Mallet cousins remain the points of attention of the show and make Welcome to Flatch worth the watch.
Additional Details About The Show –
| Release Date | 2022 |
| Creator | Jenny Bicks |
| Cast | Holmes, Sam Straley, Aya Cash, Seann William Scott, and Taylor Ortega |
| Genre | Comedy/Mockumentary |
| IMDb Rating | 6.0/10 |
| Average Run-Time | 23m |
| Streaming Platform | Fox |
| Number of Seasons | 1 |
| Number of Episodes | 6 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 60% |
6# The Ben Stiller Show (1992)
In the infancy of Ben Stiller’s career, he wrote, directed, and starred in The Ben Stiller Show. Each episode is made as a parody of a popular movie. Poking fun at popular entertainment (which he eventually became a big part of), The Ben Stiller Show is filled with jokes and jabs.
No movie is safe, no issues are off-limits, and if you’re a band, then Ben has something special. Some of the most famous sketches from the show are The Grungies, Stiller’s Wheel of Filler, which aimed to mock U2 singer Bono, and Bruce Springsteen. Unfortunately, the show only lasted for 13 episodes before Fox took it off the air because of low ratings.
Additional Details About The Show –
| Release Date | 1992 |
| Creator | Ben Stiller |
| Cast | Ben Stiller, Bob Odenkirk, Andy Dick, and Dana Gould |
| Genre | Comedy/Sketch |
| IMDb Rating | 7/10 |
| Average Run-Time | 22m |
| Streaming Platform | Fox and Comedy Central |
| Number of Seasons | 1 |
| Number of Episodes | 13 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 91% |
7# The Tracey Ullman Show (1987-1990)
The OGs of sketch comedy shows on Fox, The Tracey Ullman Show is a must-watch for someone who hasn’t seen it already. The show went on to win multiple Emmy awards during its short time on air. It also acted as the platform for further comedy shows like The Simpsons.
The Tracey Ullman Show would have sketches about the commonest of problems with American households. This made the sketches highly lovable and relatable. The characters on the shows were recurring, and many had peculiar quirks that made them instantly memorable. The Tracey Ullman Show is highly recommended to watch!
Additional Details About The Show –
| Release Date | 1987 |
| Creator | James L. Brooks and Jerry Belson |
| Cast | Tracey Ullman, Julie Kavner, Dan Castellaneta, Sam McMurray, and Joseph Malone |
| Genre | Comedy/Sitcom |
| IMDb Rating | 7.1/10 |
| Average Run-Time | 22m |
| Streaming Platform | Amazon Prime Video |
| Number of Seasons | 4 |
| Number of Episodes | 81 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 87% |
8# In Living Color
An indirect competitor of the Saturday Night Live shows on NBC, In Living Color, is the black version of SNL. The show featured musical guests and some of the biggest names in comedy. Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, and Jamie Foxx, to name a few.
In a show where black comedy didn’t need to be translated into a more ‘white language,’ In Living Color remains a classic. The show mostly had sketches of the Wayan brothers hilariously depicting what life in a black household looks like. Sometimes the issues were light, while most of it followed dark social commentary with humor sprinkled on top.
Additional Details About The Show –
| Release Date | 1990 |
| Creator | Keenen Ivory Wayans |
| Cast | Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jim Carrey, Kelly Coffield, Shanin Lonsway, and Jennifer Lopez. |
| Genre | Comedy |
| IMDb Rating | 8.1/10 |
| Average Run-Time | 30m |
| Streaming Platform | Netflix |
| Number of Seasons | 5 |
| Number of Episodes | 127 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 91% |
Final Words
This concludes our list of the best sketch comedy shows on Fox, past, and present. You can indulge in them and finish season after season while sipping on iced tea this summer. Remember to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!