Walk on the Wild Side: Comedy Series Like ‘Matlock’ and ‘The ’Burbs’ Star Funny Women in Dark Situations

Article excerpt

A wave of television comedies are centering funny women in surprisingly dark scenarios. In BritBox's "Riot Women," characters form a rock band; Peacock's "The 'Burbs" and Netflix's "How to Get to Heaven From Belfast" feature women meddling in criminal investigations; Netflix's "The Hunting Wives" puts women on the other side of the crime, committing and concealing murders; and CBS's "Matlock" stars a woman at the center of legal mysteries. The trend reflects a shift in how networks are deploying humor and female protagonists across genres that traditionally paired drama with male leads.