The 40+ Best IFC Shows, Ranked
Ranked By
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- 1Carrie Brownstein, Fred ArmisenPortlandia, a satirical sketch comedy series, gently pokes fun at the eccentricities of Portland, Oregon, and its quirky inhabitants. The Emmy-nominated show, starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, skillfully portrays a variety of offbeat characters, from feminist bookstore owners to overly-enthusiastic foodies. Throughout its eight-season run, Portlandia garnered critical acclaim for its keen observations and clever humor. With guest appearances by notable celebrities and local personalities, the series paints a whimsical portrait of a city where artisanal pursuits and progressive ideals reign supreme, eliciting chuckles and nods of recognition from viewers who appreciate its idiosyncratic charm.More Portlandia
- #306 of 476 onThe 400+ Funniest TV Shows Ever, Ranked
- #5 of 118 onThe 115+ Best Indie TV Shows, Ranked By Fans
- #194 of 218 onThe 220 Best Cult TV Shows
- 2Weird Al Yankovic, Kid Cudi, Reggie WattsA riff on the well-known format of the late-night talk show.
- 3Trevor Moore, Sam Brown, Zach CreggerNew York City sketch comedy troupe.
- 4John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham ChapmanMonty Python's Flying Circus, a groundbreaking British comedy series, showcases an unparalleled blend of wit and absurdity that has stood the test of time. The ensemble cast, including John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, and Terry Gilliam, delivers unforgettable sketches that have left audiences in stitches for decades. This innovative show, which garnered multiple BAFTA awards, expertly parodies various aspects of British culture and society, pushing the boundaries of television comedy. With its clever wordplay, surreal animation, and memorable catchphrases, Monty Python's Flying Circus remains an influential classic that revolutionized the world of sketch comedy.
- 5
Baroness Von Sketch Show
Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora BrowneBaroness von Sketch Show (CBC, 2016) is a Canadian television sketch comedy series. Starring Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne, and Jennifer Whalen, the show features sketches tackling a variety of subjects, mostly current social/cultural topics and modern everyday life. - 6David Cross, Will Arnett, Sharon HorganTodd Margaret takes a job running a sales team in London.
- 7Judd Hirsch, Nora Zehetner, Josh BrenerA comic's struggle to maintain relationships other than the ones with his podcast audience.
- 8John C. McGinley, Janet Varney, Nate MooneyAn aging former sheriff teams with his replacement to battle demons in their New England town.More Stan Against Evil
- 9
Good Morning, Internet!
Jennifer LyonGood Morning Internet is an American web series, which aired on IFC and IFC.com in the United States. Good Morning Internet is a mock morning television show making the transition from broadcast to the internet. The show was produced and filmed in New York City by POYKPAC, a Brooklyn-based comedy troupe. - 10Julianna Margulies, Dylan McDermott, Tom SkerrittThe Grid is a 2004 television miniseries co-produced by the BBC, Fox TV Studios and Carnival Films. It starred Dylan McDermott and Julianna Margulies. It aired on TNT in the US and on BBC Two in the UK over three consecutive nights and is available on DVD in the UK, United States and Australia. It also aired on Seven HD in Australia in 2007.
- 11Ralph Brown, Mackenzie Crook, Doon MackichanModern Toss is a partly animated British comedy programme based on characters from Modern Toss, the creation of British comedy writers and cartoonists Jon Link and Mick Bunnage. Renowned for their scurrilous humour and highly stylised animation, it was created in 2004, initially as a website publishing single panel jokes and then as series of irregularly released comics. The initial pilot programme was commissioned by Channel 4 as part of their Comedy Lab series and Broadcast in May, 2005. Series one was first broadcast in July 2006. Following the DVD release of the first series in November 2007, a second series began on 23 January 2008. The show was aired on the Independent Film Channel in the United States and in 30+ territories including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Poland, Finland, Ukraine, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia, Philippines, Bulgaria, Iceland and the African territories reached by MNet. The series last played in the United Kingdom on 4Music in 2011 and the pilot episode received an airing on Channel 4 in August 2012.
- 12
Z Rock
Gilbert Gottfried, Dave Navarro, Greg GiraldoZ Rock is an American television series, which airs on the IFC in the United States. The show is a semi-scripted comedy and is based on the double life of a Brooklyn band, ZO2. By night, they are a hard rock band but to pay the bills, they are the Z Brothers by day, playing kiddie parties. ZO2 consists of brothers Paulie Z, David Z and their childhood friend Joey Cassata. The series is filmed and produced in New York City by Mark Mark Productions. - 13Richard Ayoade, Chris O'Dowd, Katherine ParkinsonThe IT Crowd, a British sitcom, delves into the eccentric world of a dysfunctional IT department nestled in the basement of Reynholm Industries. With its quirky humor and endearing characters, this show has secured its place as a cult classic. Roy Trenneman (Chris O'Dowd) and Maurice Moss (Richard Ayoade) navigate the challenges posed by their tech-averse manager, Jen Barber (Katherine Parkinson). The series, written by Graham Linehan, earned numerous accolades, including a BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy. Over four seasons, viewers are treated to the trio's misadventures, cleverly entwining technology and human relationships.More The IT Crowd
- #191 of 302 onThe Best TV Shows Of The Past 20 Years
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- 14
Fishing with John
Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon, Dennis HopperFishing with John is a 1991 television series conceived, directed by and starring actor and musician John Lurie, which earned a cult following. On the surface, the series resembles a standard travel or fishing show: in each episode, Lurie takes a famous guest on a fishing expedition. Since Lurie has no expert knowledge of fishing, the interest is in the interaction between Lurie and his guests, all of whom are his friends. Nothing particularly unusual actually happens, but the show is edited and narrated in a way to suggest that Lurie and his guest are involved in dramatic and even supernatural adventures. The guests featured are film director Jim Jarmusch, actor Matt Dillon, musician Tom Waits, actor Willem Dafoe and actor-director Dennis Hopper. The series ran for 6 episodes, each featuring a different guest and locale, except for episodes 5 and 6 which both feature Hopper in Thailand. Each episode has voice-over narration by Robb Webb, which is sometimes bizarre and off-topic. The soundtrack is by Lurie, with several guest performers. Fishing With John originally aired on IFC and Bravo cable channels in 1991. - 15Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Coolidge, Rob ReinerHopeless Pictures is an American animated comedy series starring the voice of Friends actress Lisa Kudrow, Seinfeld guest actor Bob Balaban, and produced and broadcast by the IFC. The cartoon follows fictional film producer Mel Wax, voiced by Michael McKean, in a spoof of the Hollywood movie industry. Stylistically the show makes use of the audio from scripted telephone conversations combined with on-screen gags surrounding the cartoon characters speaking.
- 16
The Business
Kathleen Robertson, Karen Cliche, Arthur Holden - 17
Food Party
Thu Tran, Peter Van Hyning, Taylor DellFood Party is an American television series that airs on the Independent Film Channel in the United States. The show is a pseudo-reality cooking show filmed on an elaborate, technicolored cardboard kitchen set. Each episode features multi-course, out-of-this-world gourmet meals cooked up by hostess Thu Tran and a cast of colorful puppets for arriving "celebrity" guests. The show was originally produced and filmed in Cleveland for two web series based episodes, and later relocated to Brooklyn for the final web series episodes and six IFC produced shows. In October 2010, Thu Tran announced that the show was not picked up by IFC for a third season. - 18Laura Kightlinger, Nicholle TomThe Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman is an American comedy television series from World of Wonder Productions, co-written, executive produced by and starring Laura Kightlinger. The series premiered on IFC August 4, 2006. Season Two began on August 5, 2007 on IFC. The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman follows two 'thirty-something' women, Jackie Woodman and her best friend Tara Wentzel, whose willful ignorance, fleeting confidence, poor judgment and self-loathing constantly get in the way of their success.
- 19
Bollywood Hero
Chris Kattan, Neha Dhupia, Julian SandsBollywood Hero is an American television miniseries which aired on the IFC in three parts on August 6–8, 2009. The miniseries was shot in Mumbai and Los Angeles. The show is a musical miniseries about Chris Kattan and his journey to Mumbai to become a leading man in Bollywood. After having some successful runs as a comedian in America, Kattan wishes for more and soon discovers that making it in Bollywood is just as hard and he has to start from scratch. Dance numbers are choreographed by Longinus Fernandes who is known for the "Jai Ho" finale in Slumdog Millionaire. - 20
The IFC Media Project
Gideon YagoThe IFC Media Project is an American television series, which airs on the Independent Film Channel in the United States. The show is a documentary series which examines America's news media and seeks to uncover the truth about the news. In its first two seasons it was hosted by award winning journalist Gideon Yago and featured in-depth reporting on controversial topics facing today's media through its use of interviews and documentary footage. In the third season, the show dropped its "magazine-style" format and focused each episode on telling 22-minute short documentaries under the tagline "4 Nights, 4 Journalists, 4 Stories." The third season follows award-winning journalists Max Blumenthal, Nir Rosen, Charlie LeDuff and Andrew Berends. The series is filmed at various locations and is produced by Meghan O'Hara and Nick McKinney. - 21
Indie Sex
Dita Von TeeseA revealing look inside the world of sex in cinema. 
22Get Hit
Scott SowersGet Hit is an American television and web series, which airs on the IFC in the United States. The show follows Billy Lang and Garlyn Thornquist, the creators of the greatest viral video of all time, "The Ball Kicking Fight Club" which garnered over 1.6 trillion views worldwide. Their glory soon faded, and to try and reignite their success, they offer their knowledge in front of the cameras, and the audience follows them as they create and market their viral videos. The show is produced and filmed in New York City by Franco and Billy LLC.- 23
Cutting Ties
Cutting Ties is an American television and web series, which airs on the IFC in the United States. The series centers on Evan Senipilut, who lives in a mundane world, works in a corporate job and goes home to a boring married home life. A series of pranks, however, begins to interfere with his life, and Evan soon realizes his alter-ego twin has been causing the raucous. Evan must struggle with his subconscious to take back control of his destiny. The show is produced and filmed in Boston by Realeyez Independent Cinema. - 24
Bunk
Bunk is a comedy game show hosted by Kurt Braunohler on IFC in 2012. The show featured a rotating panel of three comedian contestants responding to comedic game show prompts in an improvised way. Notable contestants included Dana Gould, Kumail Nanjiani, Eugene Mirman, and Alex Borstein. During an appearance on The Best Show on WFMU with Tom Scharpling Braunohler announced that Bunk had been canceled. - 25
The Henry Rollins Show
Henry RollinsThe Henry Rollins Show was a weekly talk show hosted by musician Henry Rollins on the Independent Film Channel. The show featured Rollins' monologues, interviews with celebrities and uncensored musical performances. The show was canceled after the wrap of its second season. - 26
Dinner for Five
Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau filmographyDinner for Five is a television program in which actor/filmmaker Jon Favreau and a revolving guest list of celebrities eat, drink and talk about life on and off the set and swap stories about projects past and present. The program seats screen legends next to a variety of personalities from film, television, music and comedy, resulting in an unpredictable free-for-all. The program aired on the Independent Film Channel with Favreau the co-Executive Producer with Peter Billingsley. The show format is a spontaneous, open forum for people in the entertainment community. The idea, originally conceived by Favreau, originated from a time when he went out to dinner with colleagues on a film location and exchanged filming anecdotes. Favreau said, "I thought it would be interesting to show people that side of the business". He did not want to present them in a "sensationalized way [that] they're presented in the press, but as normal people". The format featured Favreau and four guests from the entertainment industry in a restaurant with no other diners. They ordered actual food from real menus and were served by authentic waiters. - 27
Getting Away with Murder
Misti Traya, Gina Hecht, John KerryGetting Away with Murder is an American television and web series, which airs on the IFC in the United States. Seth Silver, a 25-year-old hit man, is trying to make it in the world as a successful, well-adjusted adult. While he is confident with his job, he struggles to lead a normal life, which is complicated by the fact he still lives with his mother, and he even has a hard time asking a girl on a date. The show is produced and filmed in California by Test Pattern LLC. - 28
Ultimate Film Fanatic
Chris Gore - 29
Henry Rollins: Uncut
Henry RollinsHenry Rollins: Uncut is an American television series, which airs on the IFC in the United States. The special event series follows musician, author, and spoken-word artist Henry Rollins as he travels to controversial locals including New Orleans, Israel, and South Africa. At each location he shares his outspoken commentary on politics, culture, and media. The series is filmed at various locations and is produced by Swift River Productions. - 30
Split Screen
Split Screen was a television series that originally aired from 1997 to 2001 on IFC. The series focused on independent filmmaking in America and was hosted by John Pierson. Split Screen featured segments from many notable filmmakers, actors, and actresses including: Kevin Smith, Spike Lee, Matt Damon, Edward Norton, Buck Henry, Wes Anderson, Steve Buscemi, John Waters, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Richard Linklater, Errol Morris, Miranda July, and William H. Macy. The Blair Witch Project first received notoriety as a segment on Split Screen.
