Meta commentary and humor aren’t unique to the world of tv, however the medium is an undeniably good one for that includes that sort of factor. Broadly talking, if a TV present has self-referential humor, commentates on the business it exists inside, or accommodates characters who appear conscious (even partially) that they could be in a TV present, it’s in all probability qualifiable as a meta present.
More often than not, meta components are humorous, however from time to time, a present can have meta commentary of a extra critical nature, often by means of being introspective or self-critical. For one cause or one other, the next TV exhibits qualify as meta ones, generally having most of their meta commentary restricted to a batch of episodes inside a season, or containing that form of commentary/humor all through their total period.
10
‘Arrested Improvement’ (2003–2019)
Created by Mitchell Hurwitz
Admittedly, with Arrested Improvement, the meta humor is not a relentless presence, however it’s definitely there. A part of that has to do with the truth that, as a present, Arrested Improvement simply has so many various kinds of humor. It’s received sharply written and witty dialogue, there’s bodily comedy, a few of it’s satirical, components get absurd/surreal, after which the present does additionally discover the time to touch upon itself.
When the present began getting significantly near cancellation in season 3, for instance, there have been gimmicks launched to “make the Bluth household extra likable” inside the context of the present, however such makes an attempt have been additionally making enjoyable of gimmicks a present might use to look extra broadly interesting on the similar time. After which you’ve gotten little one-off moments unfold all through, too, like Henry Winkler leaping the shark for a second time on a TV present (after infamously doing so in Completely happy Days, coining the time period).
9
‘WandaVision’ (2021)
Created by Jac Schaeffer
One key approach to have some meta commentary is by having a present inside a present, and WandaVision does so in additional methods than one. It’s sort of an exploration of grief, centering round each Scarlet Witch and The Imaginative and prescient, with the previous making a collection of fantastical conditions for her to dwell in, virtually like an escape from actuality, with most episodes referencing/satirizing a distinct sitcom, or model of sitcom.
It doesn’t stick the touchdown, getting a little bit extra generic and superhero-y (for lack of a greater time period) close to the tip of its single season, however at the least the primary half of WandaVision is genuinely intriguing. Some later Marvel TV exhibits didn’t even have superb hooks (and most finish on whimpers, fact be informed), so for WandaVision to do one thing distinctive with the TV format for a great chunk of its run was value celebrating.
8
‘Seinfeld’ (1989–1998)
Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld
The fourth season of Seinfeld is the present at its most meta, and sort of inadvertently modified how the present is seen or spoken about, at the least generally. Like, you’ve in all probability heard it described as “the present about nothing,” which is irritating, as a result of it’s truly a present about each(little)factor… although the present inside a present is pitched, famously, as a present about nothing.
It’s one thing of a throughline for the present’s fourth season, with a good variety of episodes revolving round Jerry and George pitching—after which writing for—a present that itself is a little bit like Seinfeld. This meta commentary made Season 4 simply the strongest season of Seinfeld up till that time, and also you may properly nonetheless discover some individuals who think about this season to be the darkly humorous (and surprisingly insightful) present at its absolute peak.
7
‘Nathan for You’ (2013–2017)
Created by Nathan Fielder and Michael Koman
Nathan for You is a sophisticated present to speak about, particularly if you wish to break down what could be actual, what may not be, and why such a binary might not matter. Nathan Fielder demonstrates right here (and in one other soon-to-be-mentioned present) how he’s prepared to mess around with the fourth wall and breaking it… or not breaking it. It’s an unreal actuality TV present. It might be every thing or nothing.
Is that this all obscure? Sure, and it’s going to worsen when speaking about Nathan Fielder’s different present in a bit. Nevertheless it’s value singling out the feature-length collection finale, “Discovering Frances,” as an episode the place any partitions round Nathan for You properly and actually come down, and issues get surprisingly shifting, existential, and thought-provoking, much more so than any of the opposite (already very fascinating) episodes did.
6
’30 Rock’ (2006–2013)
Created by Tina Fey
At its core, 30 Rock has Tina Fey taking part in a personality who’s total pretty much like her, at the least when it comes to the expertise she’s had on this planet of tv. Fey labored as a author and forged member on Saturday Evening Dwell, and 30 Rock has her taking part in Liz Lemon, who’s the lead author on a sketch comedy present known as TGS with Tracy Jordan. Oh, and Tracy Morgan performs Tracy Jordan.
There are extra exhibits inside this present, in addition to faux films that exist inside 30 Rock, and a lot of it pokes enjoyable on the behind-the-scenes chaos that unfolds when engaged on a present like Saturday Evening Dwell… or, properly, when engaged on Saturday Evening Dwell, given Fey’s previous experiences. So far as current sitcoms go, few are extra incessantly meta than this one.
5
‘Rick and Morty’ (2013–)
Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon
Certain, Rick and Morty might need fallen off a little bit, in comparison with what it was once, however for some time there, it was exceedingly intelligent, inventive, humorous, and even shifting at occasions. It started as one thing foolish and sci-fi-focused, with an typically drunken grandfather taking his grandson on a collection of traumatic adventures by means of house and time, however it morphed into one thing a little bit grander and extra sophisticated because it went alongside.
A part of that concerned it getting extra meta, which is one thing that co-creator Dan Harmon likes to do on the exhibits he writes for (one other very meta present of his might be talked about in a bit). Rick appears to imagine he’s in a TV present at some factors, or possibly it’s simply delusional on his half. Eh, give him the good thing about the doubt. It’s a Harmon present, there’s chaos, and if the characters can leap by means of house and time, then who’s to say they’ll’t blast their approach by means of the fourth wall, too?
4
‘The Studio’ (2025–)
Created by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez
This could be a little bit little bit of a stretch, seeing as The Studio feedback upon the movie business greater than it does the world of tv, however the humor remains to be of a distinctly self-aware and meta type. Maybe that’s received a great deal to do with loads of actors (and a few celebrities taking part in themselves) right here being finest identified for his or her movie work, slightly than something they’ve performed on tv.
As for the premise of The Studio, it’s a comedy collection in regards to the battle between being inventive and industrial, with the top of a long-established film studio going through continuous (to not point out chaotic and comedic) dilemmas. You understand you are in for one thing meta when there’s a oner used to depict the makes an attempt of a director to nail the right oner (a really lengthy take, primarily).
3
‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (2000–2024)
Created by Larry David
Larry David was a key inventive thoughts behind most of Seinfeld, although he left the present for its eighth and ninth seasons, solely coming again to do the slightly notorious finale. Then, after that, he moved on to Curb Your Enthusiasm, which felt like an evolution of Seinfeld, having David taking part in himself as an alternative of getting Jason Alexander to play somebody much like him.
However, additionally, Jason Alexander seems in Curb Your Enthusiasm at one level, as do the opposite major forged members of Seinfeld, with one season of the present being significantly meta by revolving round a (fictional) Seinfeld reunion. However, additionally, it sort of works as an precise Seinfeld reunion. Oh, and talking of that notorious Seinfeld finale, in fact, Curb Your Enthusiasm can’t assist itself by making a reasonably, fairly, fairly good try at commenting on that episode of TV throughout its personal collection finale.
- Launch Date
-
2000 – 2024-00-00
- Community
-
HBO Max
- Showrunner
-
Jeff Schaffer
- Administrators
-
Robert B. Weide, Larry Charles, David Steinberg, Bryan Gordon, Alec Berg, Andy Ackerman, David Mandel, Barry Gordon, Cheryl Hines, Dean Parisot
2
‘The Rehearsal’ (2022–2025)
Created by Nathan Fielder
Nathan for You received fairly meta at factors, and received very meta in its finale, after which The Rehearsal sort of takes issues as much as an entire different stage. Nathan Fielder goes to some uncomfortable locations in each the present’s first and second seasons, creating a way of unease by breaking down the barrier, as soon as extra, between what could be actual and what could be staged.
After all, the entire present is about the way in which individuals carry out in actual life, and how real-life conditions themselves may be capable of be “rehearsed” as a approach to decrease the affect of unlucky or surprising issues from occurring. In the long run, The Rehearsal does sort of must be seen to be at the least a little bit believed. Even seeing it received’t make you imagine. However believing a little bit… that’s sufficient. That’s one thing. Take it.
Created by Dan Harmon
Like Rick and Morty, Group is a present with Dan Harmon’s fingerprints throughout it, and a personality who appears conscious that he’s on a TV present: Abed Nadir. Abed is the supply of a great deal of meta humor and commentary in Group, however not all of it, with the entire underdog nature of Greendale and its college students/employees sort of standing in for a way Group itself was a little bit of an underdog present, at all times vulnerable to being canceled the identical approach Greendale was frequently vulnerable to being shut down.
And that’s earlier than attending to all of the film and TV references, too, with there being total episodes of Group dedicated to replicating the model of—or parodying—total films/genres/varieties of TV exhibits. There’s simply a lot to all of it, and it feels kind of protected to imagine that Group might properly be essentially the most meta present of all time.
- Launch Date
-
2009 – 2015-00-00
- Community
-
NBC, Yahoo! Display screen
- Showrunner
-
Dan Harmon
- Administrators
-
Tristram Shapeero, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Rob Schrab, Jay Chandrasekhar, Adam Davidson, Justin Lin, Steven Ok. Tsuchida, Kyle Newacheck, Victor Nelli Jr., Nat Faxon, Michael Patrick Jann, Anthony Hemingway, Ken Whittingham, Steven Sprung, Tricia Brock, Jeff Melman, Gail Mancuso, Duke Johnson, Fred Goss, Bobcat Goldthwait, Richard Ayoade, Seth Gordon, Beth McCarthy-Miller
Meta commentary and humor aren’t unique to the world of tv, however the medium is an undeniably good one for that includes that sort of factor. Broadly talking, if a TV present has self-referential humor, commentates on the business it exists inside, or accommodates characters who appear conscious (even partially) that they could be in a TV present, it’s in all probability qualifiable as a meta present.
More often than not, meta components are humorous, however from time to time, a present can have meta commentary of a extra critical nature, often by means of being introspective or self-critical. For one cause or one other, the next TV exhibits qualify as meta ones, generally having most of their meta commentary restricted to a batch of episodes inside a season, or containing that form of commentary/humor all through their total period.
10
‘Arrested Improvement’ (2003–2019)
Created by Mitchell Hurwitz
Admittedly, with Arrested Improvement, the meta humor is not a relentless presence, however it’s definitely there. A part of that has to do with the truth that, as a present, Arrested Improvement simply has so many various kinds of humor. It’s received sharply written and witty dialogue, there’s bodily comedy, a few of it’s satirical, components get absurd/surreal, after which the present does additionally discover the time to touch upon itself.
When the present began getting significantly near cancellation in season 3, for instance, there have been gimmicks launched to “make the Bluth household extra likable” inside the context of the present, however such makes an attempt have been additionally making enjoyable of gimmicks a present might use to look extra broadly interesting on the similar time. After which you’ve gotten little one-off moments unfold all through, too, like Henry Winkler leaping the shark for a second time on a TV present (after infamously doing so in Completely happy Days, coining the time period).
9
‘WandaVision’ (2021)
Created by Jac Schaeffer
One key approach to have some meta commentary is by having a present inside a present, and WandaVision does so in additional methods than one. It’s sort of an exploration of grief, centering round each Scarlet Witch and The Imaginative and prescient, with the previous making a collection of fantastical conditions for her to dwell in, virtually like an escape from actuality, with most episodes referencing/satirizing a distinct sitcom, or model of sitcom.
It doesn’t stick the touchdown, getting a little bit extra generic and superhero-y (for lack of a greater time period) close to the tip of its single season, however at the least the primary half of WandaVision is genuinely intriguing. Some later Marvel TV exhibits didn’t even have superb hooks (and most finish on whimpers, fact be informed), so for WandaVision to do one thing distinctive with the TV format for a great chunk of its run was value celebrating.
8
‘Seinfeld’ (1989–1998)
Created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld
The fourth season of Seinfeld is the present at its most meta, and sort of inadvertently modified how the present is seen or spoken about, at the least generally. Like, you’ve in all probability heard it described as “the present about nothing,” which is irritating, as a result of it’s truly a present about each(little)factor… although the present inside a present is pitched, famously, as a present about nothing.
It’s one thing of a throughline for the present’s fourth season, with a good variety of episodes revolving round Jerry and George pitching—after which writing for—a present that itself is a little bit like Seinfeld. This meta commentary made Season 4 simply the strongest season of Seinfeld up till that time, and also you may properly nonetheless discover some individuals who think about this season to be the darkly humorous (and surprisingly insightful) present at its absolute peak.
7
‘Nathan for You’ (2013–2017)
Created by Nathan Fielder and Michael Koman
Nathan for You is a sophisticated present to speak about, particularly if you wish to break down what could be actual, what may not be, and why such a binary might not matter. Nathan Fielder demonstrates right here (and in one other soon-to-be-mentioned present) how he’s prepared to mess around with the fourth wall and breaking it… or not breaking it. It’s an unreal actuality TV present. It might be every thing or nothing.
Is that this all obscure? Sure, and it’s going to worsen when speaking about Nathan Fielder’s different present in a bit. Nevertheless it’s value singling out the feature-length collection finale, “Discovering Frances,” as an episode the place any partitions round Nathan for You properly and actually come down, and issues get surprisingly shifting, existential, and thought-provoking, much more so than any of the opposite (already very fascinating) episodes did.
6
’30 Rock’ (2006–2013)
Created by Tina Fey
At its core, 30 Rock has Tina Fey taking part in a personality who’s total pretty much like her, at the least when it comes to the expertise she’s had on this planet of tv. Fey labored as a author and forged member on Saturday Evening Dwell, and 30 Rock has her taking part in Liz Lemon, who’s the lead author on a sketch comedy present known as TGS with Tracy Jordan. Oh, and Tracy Morgan performs Tracy Jordan.
There are extra exhibits inside this present, in addition to faux films that exist inside 30 Rock, and a lot of it pokes enjoyable on the behind-the-scenes chaos that unfolds when engaged on a present like Saturday Evening Dwell… or, properly, when engaged on Saturday Evening Dwell, given Fey’s previous experiences. So far as current sitcoms go, few are extra incessantly meta than this one.
5
‘Rick and Morty’ (2013–)
Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon
Certain, Rick and Morty might need fallen off a little bit, in comparison with what it was once, however for some time there, it was exceedingly intelligent, inventive, humorous, and even shifting at occasions. It started as one thing foolish and sci-fi-focused, with an typically drunken grandfather taking his grandson on a collection of traumatic adventures by means of house and time, however it morphed into one thing a little bit grander and extra sophisticated because it went alongside.
A part of that concerned it getting extra meta, which is one thing that co-creator Dan Harmon likes to do on the exhibits he writes for (one other very meta present of his might be talked about in a bit). Rick appears to imagine he’s in a TV present at some factors, or possibly it’s simply delusional on his half. Eh, give him the good thing about the doubt. It’s a Harmon present, there’s chaos, and if the characters can leap by means of house and time, then who’s to say they’ll’t blast their approach by means of the fourth wall, too?
4
‘The Studio’ (2025–)
Created by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez
This could be a little bit little bit of a stretch, seeing as The Studio feedback upon the movie business greater than it does the world of tv, however the humor remains to be of a distinctly self-aware and meta type. Maybe that’s received a great deal to do with loads of actors (and a few celebrities taking part in themselves) right here being finest identified for his or her movie work, slightly than something they’ve performed on tv.
As for the premise of The Studio, it’s a comedy collection in regards to the battle between being inventive and industrial, with the top of a long-established film studio going through continuous (to not point out chaotic and comedic) dilemmas. You understand you are in for one thing meta when there’s a oner used to depict the makes an attempt of a director to nail the right oner (a really lengthy take, primarily).
3
‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (2000–2024)
Created by Larry David
Larry David was a key inventive thoughts behind most of Seinfeld, although he left the present for its eighth and ninth seasons, solely coming again to do the slightly notorious finale. Then, after that, he moved on to Curb Your Enthusiasm, which felt like an evolution of Seinfeld, having David taking part in himself as an alternative of getting Jason Alexander to play somebody much like him.
However, additionally, Jason Alexander seems in Curb Your Enthusiasm at one level, as do the opposite major forged members of Seinfeld, with one season of the present being significantly meta by revolving round a (fictional) Seinfeld reunion. However, additionally, it sort of works as an precise Seinfeld reunion. Oh, and talking of that notorious Seinfeld finale, in fact, Curb Your Enthusiasm can’t assist itself by making a reasonably, fairly, fairly good try at commenting on that episode of TV throughout its personal collection finale.
- Launch Date
-
2000 – 2024-00-00
- Community
-
HBO Max
- Showrunner
-
Jeff Schaffer
- Administrators
-
Robert B. Weide, Larry Charles, David Steinberg, Bryan Gordon, Alec Berg, Andy Ackerman, David Mandel, Barry Gordon, Cheryl Hines, Dean Parisot
2
‘The Rehearsal’ (2022–2025)
Created by Nathan Fielder
Nathan for You received fairly meta at factors, and received very meta in its finale, after which The Rehearsal sort of takes issues as much as an entire different stage. Nathan Fielder goes to some uncomfortable locations in each the present’s first and second seasons, creating a way of unease by breaking down the barrier, as soon as extra, between what could be actual and what could be staged.
After all, the entire present is about the way in which individuals carry out in actual life, and how real-life conditions themselves may be capable of be “rehearsed” as a approach to decrease the affect of unlucky or surprising issues from occurring. In the long run, The Rehearsal does sort of must be seen to be at the least a little bit believed. Even seeing it received’t make you imagine. However believing a little bit… that’s sufficient. That’s one thing. Take it.
Created by Dan Harmon
Like Rick and Morty, Group is a present with Dan Harmon’s fingerprints throughout it, and a personality who appears conscious that he’s on a TV present: Abed Nadir. Abed is the supply of a great deal of meta humor and commentary in Group, however not all of it, with the entire underdog nature of Greendale and its college students/employees sort of standing in for a way Group itself was a little bit of an underdog present, at all times vulnerable to being canceled the identical approach Greendale was frequently vulnerable to being shut down.
And that’s earlier than attending to all of the film and TV references, too, with there being total episodes of Group dedicated to replicating the model of—or parodying—total films/genres/varieties of TV exhibits. There’s simply a lot to all of it, and it feels kind of protected to imagine that Group might properly be essentially the most meta present of all time.
- Launch Date
-
2009 – 2015-00-00
- Community
-
NBC, Yahoo! Display screen
- Showrunner
-
Dan Harmon
- Administrators
-
Tristram Shapeero, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Rob Schrab, Jay Chandrasekhar, Adam Davidson, Justin Lin, Steven Ok. Tsuchida, Kyle Newacheck, Victor Nelli Jr., Nat Faxon, Michael Patrick Jann, Anthony Hemingway, Ken Whittingham, Steven Sprung, Tricia Brock, Jeff Melman, Gail Mancuso, Duke Johnson, Fred Goss, Bobcat Goldthwait, Richard Ayoade, Seth Gordon, Beth McCarthy-Miller
