Murder mystery has long been one of the most successful genres on TV, with Only Murders In the Building delivering a great comedy spin on the formula. Combining humor and whodunit, the series makes for an entertaining mystery show, but it’s far from the only game in town. For decades, comedy and crime have gone together brilliantly, with classics like Police Squad being a great example. Seeing a humorous take on a murder mystery can be particularly fun.

Murder mysteries and bumbling detective go hand-in-hand, with Only Murders in the Building being the best, but not only example. Although some of these shows take more of a long-term procedural or sitcom format, others have enjoyed success in a shorter, narrative-driven approach. There’s a rich variety of comedic murder mysteries to choose from, and some are closer to the appeal of Hulu’s iconic show than others.

10

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Is A Procedural Sitcom

Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes the audience into a dysfunctional NYPD precinct, focusing on its detectives through their cases. When they get a new, no-nonsense captain, the department begins to clean up its act, and the cops grow closer as they tackle a variety of crimes, ranging from absurd cases of theft to murder mysteries. As the show that united Millennials and Zoomers alike, its jokes never failed to land, and the chemistry between its cast is almost unmatched in modern sitcoms.

While not every Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode is a murder mystery, some of the best episodes see Jake and his friends bringing killers to justice. Blending the sitcom formula with crime capers and plenty of movie references, the series is as lighthearted as the crime genre has ever been — and it won the love and respect of a younger generation of TV viewers.

9

Deadloch Is A Mismatched Buddy Detective Show

Set in a small Australian town in Tasmania, Deadloch focuses on a pair of detectives; the straight-laced small-town cop Dulcie Collins and her more abrasive partner, Eddie Redcliffe, an experienced city officer. When a series of murders rocks the local community, it falls to the two investigators to navigate the quirky town and its residents to get to the truth.

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At its heart, Deadloch is a satire of small-town politics and the trials, challenges, and eccentricities of life in a tight-knit community. The series’ characters offer the audience a look at good Australian humor, and give its audience a tried and true buddy dynamic, highlighting the clash of personalities and methods. For American audiences, the movie might deliver a fresh sense of humor that offers a great chaser for Only Murders In the Building.

Deadloch

Release Date

June 1, 2023

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8

Murderville Has One of TV’s Most Original Premises

Murderville follows a detective, Terry Seattle, in his weekly murder cases as he’s partnered up with a revolving door of celebrity guest stars. Unlike a traditional scripted crime show, the series actually incorporates improvisation into its stories, with each celebrity guest having to come up with their lines on the spot. Thrown into absurd situations, the stars’ responses make the series great, moving beyond simple comedy.

Murderville works almost like an improvised Clue-inspired mystery show, mastering everything from bumbling detective to whodunit. Each episode gives its audience and characters alike plenty of clues to solve the mystery before the big reveal, and Will Arnett’s deadpan delivery of Terry’s lines gives it a great contrast of tones between characters.

Murderville

Release Date

2022 – 2021

Network

Netflix

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7

Bodkin Pokes Fun At True Crime Podcasts

Bodkin follows an American true crime podcaster, Gilbert Power, as he journeys to the small Irish town of Bodkin to cover the disappearance of locals during a Samhain festival. Joined by a Guardian investigative reporter, Dubheasa, and an inexperienced journalist, Emmy, he interviews locals to try and get the full story — aiming to discover the truth.

In its premise, Bodkin is one of the surest bets for Only Murders In the Building fans, bringing the current true-crime podcast craze to the coast of Ireland. The show does a great job of satirizing armchair detectives, while also delivering a humorous and compelling mystery.

Bodkin

Release Date

May 9, 2024

Writers

Jez Scharf

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6

Mapleworth Murders Satirizes the Murder Mystery Genre

Mapleworth Murders follows the story of murder mystery novelist Abigail Mapleworth as her expertise in the genre leads to her solving real-life cases in the small town of New Woodstream. In each episode, she investigates the murder of a different guest star, exploring silly motivations and improbable deaths, all the while making enemies of her fellow townspeople.

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Mapleworth Murders stands out as a great parody of the cozy mystery sub-genre, poking fun at the statistically absurd combination of small towns and high murder rates. Here, every silly trope and cliche of crime shows is satirized, offering audiences a great deal of genre commentary alongside its fun sense of humor and eccentric characters.

5

Wednesday Reinvigorated The Addams Family

A continuation of the Addams Family franchise, Wednesday follows the story of Wednesday Addams as she is sent to her parents’ old alma mater, Nevermore Academy. Surrounded by her fellow outcast creatures and eccentric figures, she soon finds herself investigating a slew of murders committed by an elusive monster. With suspicion running high at the school, she is forced to contend with everything from bullies to the threat of expulsion.

Wednesday delivers on all the weirdness and charm that made the franchise great, to begin with, landing its relatable protagonist in a combination of school drama and murder mystery. Thanks to the involvement of Tim Burton, the series earned high praise from horror, comedy, and mystery fans alike for its stylish visuals and understanding of why people love its protagonist.

Wednesday

Release Date

November 16, 2022

Showrunner

Miles Millar, Alfred Gough

Directors

Tim Burton, James Marshall, Gandja Monteiro

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4

Murder In Successville Parodies Celebrity Culture

Murder In Successville focuses on a tough but ultimately bumbling cop, Detective Inspector Sleet, as he teams up with a cavalcade of special guests (not played by themselves) to solve murders in his fictional city. From Lady Gaga to Hillary Clinton, the clueless cop navigates a city populated entirely by celebrities, stumbling his way into absurd situations at every turn.

Murder In Successville is a combination of great British humor and murder mystery parody, using satire of celebrity culture as its key hook. Like Murderville, the series incorporates elements of improvisational comedy into its stories, playing on the banter between its characters to keep the investigations as funny as possible.

Murder in Successville

Release Date

2015 – 2016

Network

BBC Three

Directors

James de Frond

Writers

Toby Davies

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  Liam Hourican

  Gordon Ramsey

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  Cariad Lloyd

  Various Characters

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3

The Afterparty

The Afterparty begins with the murder of a music star at a high school reunion, sparking a police investigation into the attendees. In each episode, the night’s events are recounted by a different character, offering a fresh perspective each time that builds towards the killer’s identity. It’s ultimately through the characters’ self-inflated view of themselves that the series becomes funny, with each person envisioning themselves as the main character.

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The Afterparty delivers on one of the most unique hooks on TV, with each episode being a different genre and style in its own right. Where one episode might be written as an action story, the next might be a musical, playing on the differing points of view of its characters. Here, multiple sub-genres of crime are incorporated into the show, and its cast helps ensure it’s entertaining every step of the way.

The Afterparty

Release Date

2022 – 2022

Showrunner

Christopher Miller

Directors

Christopher Miller

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2

Monk Explored A Unique Premise

Monk tells the story of a neurotic but brilliant detective, Adrian Monk, as he struggles to move on from the murder of his wife. Using his skills of perception and deduction, he advises his old San Francisco police colleagues on a variety of cases, many using classic whodunit tropes to give the show a nice twist. Although the show did have some serious and emotional moments, the typical episode sees Adrian and his friends in lighthearted mysteries, often forcing the investigator to leave his comfort zone.

Monk brought something new to the police procedural by doubling as a great mystery show and an exploration of mental health at the same time. Surrounded by a great cast of characters, the brilliant cop works his way to becoming a police detective again — with the hanging thread of his wife’s elusive killer hanging over the show until the end.

Monk

Release Date

2002 – 2008

Network

USA

Directors

Randy Zisk, Jerry Levine

1

Psych Is the Ultimate Comfort Mystery Show

Psych focuses on a fraudulent psychic, Shawn Spencer who, along with his best friend Gus, works alongside the Santa Barbara Police Department to solve crimes. A blend of buddy comedy and police procedural, the show gives audiences a weekly mystery in each episode but also gives them a series of recurring villains and side characters. From master thieves to serial killers, the duo and their friends have an eight-year library of hilarious mystery-solving episodes.

Psych is one of the best comfort shows of all time, bringing a Scooby-Doo-inspired approach to crime, never taking itself too seriously — even in its darkest moments. It may not share the format of Only Murders In the Building, but when it comes to finding a funny murder mystery comedy show, it’s hard to beat the antics of Shawn and Gus playing detective.

Psych

Release Date

2006 – 2013

Network

USA

Showrunner

Steve Franks