Naked Gun fans, watch these 3 modern-ish slapstick TV shows

Angie Tribeca is a silly, fun time for slapstick comedy lovers

Dear hopeful reader,

I grew up watching Naked Gun, Hot Shots!, Loaded Weapon, Airplane!, Space Balls, and other slapstick comedies. They’re not top-tier humor, and yet I come back to them every so often. Maybe the genius lies in the simplicity and accessibility of the jokes. And my detail-oriented brain loves noticing and laughing at what happens in the background of each of these films. For me, they’re timeless. And they are for some others.

A few years back I was introduced to Top Secret! by my dear husband. I fell in love with this film and young Val Kilmer from the very first scene. I’m glad to share this adoration for slapstick with the hubs. In fact, he made me love movies I never thought I would, like Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (what a mouthful!), Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (it took me three views to love this one), Anchorman (once I opened up to that kind of cinema), Kung Fury (I didn’t need any convincing!), Super Troopers (I hated it so much at first), among others.

It takes an open mind to like slapstick. Some of the humor is gross and offensive, depending on the audience. However when you open up yourself to that kind of comedy, it becomes a wonderful experience, especially in great company. Then you can’t get enough. I can’t get enough.

So much so that I sought out slapstick TV shows. Unfortunately I don’t know many, but there are three I absolutely adore and rewatch when I want something silly and light. I want to share them with you so you too can have a cheeky time soon. If you know of others, please let me know in the comments.

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#1: Angie Tribeca

If Steve Carell were a show, he would be Angie Tribeca. Oh wait, he and Nancy Carell are the creators of it!

This show follows the titular character who is a detective working for the LAPD, solving all kinds of weird and wacky crimes with her partner in justice Jay Geils. If that doesn’t convince you, there’s an adorable German Shepherd Hoffman (oh, I see what they did there) who is also a detective. And if that doesn’t convince you, there was an episode mirroring Erin Brockovich, slapstick-style.

#2: NTSF:SD:SUV

Before Angie Tribeca, there was Paul Scheer’s NTSF:SD:SUV::. I feel like Carell was inspired by at least some of the material of this show. Even Rob Riggle, a returning star on NTSF:SD:SUV::, made an appearance on Angie Tribeca a few times.

NTSF:SD:SUV:: stands for National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle::. And what that means is you’re in for a wild time. Paul Scheer is Trent Hauser, a cop who thinks he’s a cowboy with shades that make him punny (a great superpower if you ask me), saving San Diego from national terrorism very badly. Bonus fun: there’s time traveling and it makes absolutely no sense!

#3: InSecurity

A Canadian in me is proud this show exists.

Created by Robert de Lint, Virginia Thompson, and Kevin White, InSecurity follows Alex Cranston, a spy of NISA (National Intelligence and Security Agency), and her colleagues trying to juggle national security and their own (in)securities.

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These slapstick comedy shows didn’t have a long run, unfortunately. Perhaps because slapstick gathers a niche audience. Maybe you have the answer. One thing’s for sure, these shows have a fairly positive reception by the viewership—meaning, they’re sought after and loved.

Now I want to know what your favorite slapstick TV show is. And if it’s Mr. Bean, same here.

Yours hopefully,

Nadia

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