TV Shows Like PEN15

What draws people to PEN15 is this specific alchemy: irreverent comedy that takes genuine emotion seriously. Fans of the show enjoy comedy that isn't afraid to be crude or offensive, but also isn't trying to mean-spiritedly mock its characters. They like ensemble casts of misfits and outsiders finding community in their own dysfunction. They want shows that remember what it actually felt like to be young and uncool, without being precious about it.

The recommendations here approach similar territory from different angles. South Park and Big Mouth both find comedy in adolescence and bodily transformation, though they use animation and distance to achieve their irreverence. Blue Mountain State trades school for college and centers on a different kind of social hierarchy, but maintains that same shameless humor about young people learning who they are. A.P. Bio doesn't focus on adolescence at all, but it shares PEN15's commitment to messy, misbehaving characters who refuse to play it straight. Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later is the odd fit here, but it too celebrates a specific time and place with affection despite (or because of) its complete lack of restraint.

All of these shows understand that comedy about youth doesn't require you to be young or cool yourself. They all refuse the easy move of turning their characters into punchlines. That's what separates them from countless other shows trading in adolescent humor.