The workplace comedy genre is one that has experienced immense success over the years on television. It is right alongside hangout comedies in terms of the most-beloved genres of comedy series. Shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and more have carved out all-time status for themselves because of the hilarious moments that have been crafted out of the workplace setting.
Granted, some of these can be considered both hangout and workplace comedies, but all of them have the central location of one particular place of employment. These are the ten funniest moments that transpired there, across generations of comedy classics.
The Fire Drill on The Office
No workplace comedy list would be complete without The Office (and that is why it nets two entries on this list). The fire drill comes from the cold open of the season five episode, “Stress Relief,” which is routinely mentioned as a favorite of viewers.
In it, Dwight attempts to educate his coworkers about the dangers of fire and the importance of being safe about it, but things quickly go awry at Dunder Mifflin. Oscar falls from the ceiling, Kevin and Michael smash glass, and it ends with Stanley having a heart attack. No cold open was ever more hysterical.
Snake Juice on Parks and Recreation
In “The Fight,” an episode from season three of Parks, Tom and Jean-Ralphio invite their friends at the parks department to their club, the Snakehole Lounge, to try the latest concoction they have created, Snake Juice.
However, the twist is that the Snake Juice has an extremely high alcohol content and it results in the cast becoming impossibly drunk. What results is a series of hilarious drunken reactions, including Ben saying, “Baba booey,” Jerry getting attached to the roof when the night is over, and Ron Swanson dancing gleefully. It never gets old.
Chuckles’ Funeral on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
In one of the earliest examples of a long-running television workplace comedy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show was ground breaking for a number of reasons. Set at a fictional news station, the funniest moment in the show’s run takes place away from WJM.
Instead, in the season six episode, “Chuckles Bites the Dust,” the gang attends the funeral of Chuckles the Clown. When eulogizing the funny clown, it proves to be too much for Mary, who bursts out in a fit of laughter that is irrepressible. It is infectious, too!
Janitor Mops the Rug on Scrubs
Scrubs is a workplace comedy that took a lot of inspiration from MAS*H, in that it could be supremely silly at times, but could also become quite serious, due to the stakes that come from working in a hospital. It’s quite literally life or death at times.
While this does not allow for too many extended sequences of humor, it does provide some stellar individual moments, like from season five’s “My Urologist.” The one that always tends to bring about the most laughter is when the Janitor mops the floor, only to reveal that he is actually mopping a rug. The squishing from Sacred Heart staff members following this moment is the cherry on top.
Jack and Tracy Bond over Family on 30 Rock
30 Rock was a bit of an unconventional workplace comedy, in the sense that it took place in the backstage offices of NBC’s sketch show, “The Girly Show.” This allowed for a series of clever jokes and meta moments, but the best scenes were always when the characters had interplay with one another. Famously, in season two’s episode, “Rosemary’s Baby,” Tracy Jordan and Jack Donaghy see a therapist together.
It results in genuine emotional catharsis for the pair of them as Jack takes on the role of Tracy’s father and acts out what the Jordan household was like. It’s a hilarious bit of comedy from both Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan.
Holt Bets Right on Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Few shows have as high a batting average in their cold opens as Brooklyn Nine-Nine does. (And it returns next week!) The episodes always begin in an insanely hilarious fashion and one struggles to remember any cold open that was not satisfying. But the best one definitely comes from the season two episode, “Jake and Sophia.” The cold open centers around the workers of the precinct guessing why Amy Santiago was late to work, despite being always punctual.
A flurry of guesses comes out, but Captain Raymond Holt, typically stoic, bets that she was held up at the bank. When Amy reveals that she was stuck at the bank for about a minute, Holt claps his hands together, exclaims, “Hot damn!,” and the world laughs with him.
Harry the Hat Appears on Cheers
The best episodes of Cheers were when Harry the Hat, portrayed by Harry Anderson, appeared and the entire gang of the bar would join together for a lofty scheme. The best employment of Harry was when they compounded his magician-oriented tricks with the ongoing rivalry between Cheers and Gary’s Olde Towne Tavern.
In the season eleven episode, “Bar Wars VII: The Naked Prey,” even the audience is not sure who is on whose side. But the result is hilarious and satisfying in equal measure. It makes for a triumph of a final appearance for Harry.
Michael Grills His Foot on The Office
The Office is such a classic workplace comedy that there has to be a second mention of it. Obviously, it owes a great debt to the British version of the show, but the two episodes featured on this list (“Stress Relief” previously and “The Injury” here) are funnier than anything the Ricky Gervais showcase ever delivered.
In “The Injury,” the episode begins with Michael cooking his foot on a George Foreman grill and it results in a series of cringe-inducing errors that lead to Dwight in the hospital for a concussion. Not only is every line in this episode hilarious, but it’s also perfectly timed. But none is better than the initial phone call when Michael reveals to the office that he has grilled his foot.
“The Nightman Cometh” on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Yes, the performance of “The Nightman Cometh” takes place away from Paddy’s Pub, but it’s still a shining example of how well the group of Philadelphians work together. On It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a song about the “Day Man,” written by Charlie and performed by Dennis was a recurring gag.
It came to a glorious head when it resulted in an entire show about Charlie’s strange ideas, including Mac’s turn as “the Night Man,” and Frank singing about paying a “troll toll for a boy’s soul.” The entire show is classic Sunny and it makes the audience wonder how they can still manage to get away with their antics.
Hank Tells off Larry and Artie on The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show had a very dry sense of humor, but the character of “Hey Now” Hank Kingsley still allowed for plenty of hysterical scenes. Perhaps none, however, was as funny as the final Hank moment.
In the series finale of the show, the office punching bag finally stands up to his bosses, Larry and Artie (who had plenty of one-liners of their own). His tirade tells them off and he storms off with the intent of never seeing them again. Quickly, however, the mushy Hank returns with tears and apologies and all was right at the talk show’s stage.
