Lisa Johnson Mandell and Tandy Culpepper review two wildly popular and much awarded streaming comedy series. Get extra insight from their Hacks review and Ted Lasso Review.

According to veteran CNN entertainment reporter Tandy Culpepper:

“The modern comedy series has become very much a hybrid half-hour of television – at least in the case of two streaming programs equal parts comedy and drama. Yes, you would not be wrong to call both original streaming service offerings dramedies, for that, indeed is what they are. Both happen to be award-winning gems, and neither show relies on that annoying laugh track. Funny is funny, canned laughter not included.

The first out of the gate, Ted Lasso, dropped August 24 of 2020–mercifully giving us a much welcome distraction from the Covid pandemic. Jason Sudekis of SNL fame stars as the title character, Ted, a football coach from Kansas hired to take the reins of AFC Richmond, a Brit football (think American soccer) team, even though he knows bupkis about English football. With a colorful cast of characters, this program will tug at your heart even as it makes you chuckle. (Remember, no laugh track included.)

This heart-warming series has three seasons available for your viewing enjoyment. Sudeikis intended the series to end after the third season, but recently fans of the show got some welcome news: a fourth season is on the horizon. You can find Ted and company on Apple.

Meanwhile, over on Max you can stream Hacks, yet another award-winning comedy that’s equal parts drama. Designing Women alum Jean Smart brings her considerable talents to her role as Deborah Vance, a female stand up comic of a certain age. In need of recharging her long-in-the-tooth material, Deborah’s manager, Jimmy, pairs her with a twenty-something comedy writer named Ava, played by actual stand up comic Hannah Einbeinder.

Hacks debuted in 2021. Since then, Smart has won just about every award for which she has been eligible. The fourth season of Hacks just dropped.

One of the key elements behind the success of Ted Lasso and Hacks is that both are grounded firmly in reality. Neither relies on sight gags, puns, or zingers. Oh, and absolutely no laugh tracks.

Lisa Johnson Mandell and Tandy Culpepper discuss both shows in this episode of The Hollywood Beat.