So many memorable laughs! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most hilarious live-action TV scenes we’ve seen between 2000 and 2023. If you’ve never busted a gut at these moments, there will be spoilers.
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00:00 "I'm a full-on re-fiddle-fiddly-on..." "Phil-anthropist." "I can't get it. How do you say it? What is it?" "Philanthropist!"
00:07 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most hilarious live-action TV scenes we've seen between 2000 and 2023.
00:15 If you've never busted a gut at these moments, there will be spoilers.
00:19 "We adopted a baby. Her name is Lily." "Oh, exciting!" "Just turn it off."
00:26 Number 20, Fold It In, Schitt's Creek.
00:29 When you live with a silver spoon in your mouth, you don't usually have to worry about trivial things such as being self-reliant or knowing how to cook.
00:36 But with the Rose family's wealth all gone, Moira decides it's time for them to learn.
00:40 "David, that's not right." "Okay, well, that's because I'm ladling and stirring at the same time and you're just standing there."
00:44 "Now's not the time to lose focus, darling."
00:46 She tries to instruct David on how to cook enchiladas, and it's a delicious disaster.
00:51 "Step is to fold in the cheese." "What does that mean?"
00:57 Moira fails to give clear instructions, David is cooking in a sweater, and neither of them knows how to fold in the cheese.
01:04 "Do you fold it in half like a piece of paper and drop it in the pot, or what do you do?"
01:07 "David, I cannot show you everything." "Okay."
01:10 It's honestly a miracle the enchiladas were somehow edible, but if learning to cook is this hilariously stressful,
01:16 we should count our blessings that these two don't work in fast food.
01:19 "I don't know how to fold broken cheese like that." "And I don't know how to be any clearer. You take that thing that's in your hand, and you..."
01:26 "If you say fold in one more time..."
01:29 Number 19. The new emergency services number. The IT Crowd.
01:33 Is your emergency services number too easy to remember? Don't worry, the IT Crowd shows us the perfect solution to this.
01:40 "And that's not the only thing that's changing. Nicer ambulances, faster response times, and better-looking drivers."
01:48 The second episode features a commercial promising a better, more efficient emergency service,
01:52 before dropping an inconveniently long new number, complete with a catchy jingle.
01:57 "Remember the new number!"
01:58 "4118-999-88199. 911, that's not too far away."
02:09 The juxtaposition is already hysterical, but later in the same episode,
02:13 we see the rib-tickling consequences of this change when a fire breaks out in Moss' office.
02:17 "9... 0118-999-88199. 3."
02:27 And he can't reach them by phone, so he has to email them.
02:30 "Dear Sir/Madam, I'm writing to inform you of a fire which has broken out at the premises of..."
02:36 "No, that's too formal."
02:37 Despite its length, many fans likely have the new number memorized purely because of this scene's comedy gold.
02:44 "Fire! Exclamation mark. Fire! Exclamation mark."
02:49 Number 18, "Let's Go to the Mall! How I Met Your Mother."
02:52 Have you ever looked back at your past self and winced at how cringe you used to be?
02:56 Rest assured, it could have been worse. You could have been Robin.
02:59 For context, Barney discovers an old video of Robin from her teenage years.
03:04 "Please, Mr. Johnson, I'm sorry I was a bad girl. Please don't give me detention."
03:11 The gang puts the video on, and at first, it looks like an adult film in the making,
03:15 before exploding into an 80s music video.
03:17 "Put on your jelly bracelets and your cool graffiti coat."
03:21 "At the mall, having fun is what it's all about."
03:26 Yes, turns out Robin was once a teen pop star named Robin Sparkles,
03:30 and her biggest hit, "Let's Go to the Mall," is an amazing train wreck.
03:33 "Everybody come and play. Throw every last care away."
03:41 The annoyingly catchy tune, the 80s pop culture references,
03:45 "The 80s didn't come to Canada till like '93."
03:48 and witnessing Robin's greatest shame make the sequence way too funny to look away from.
03:53 "Let's go to the mall!" "Let's go to the mall today."
03:58 Number 17, "Val, Broad City."
04:01 Have you ever wondered what kind of person you become when you get blackout intoxicated?
04:05 "You never know if you never try."
04:07 Well, with any luck, you could end up like Abby.
04:09 Regularly, Abby is awkward, reclusive, and tries to be the responsible one.
04:14 But when she has one too many shots, she completely transforms into Val.
04:18 "Forget your troubles, come on, get happy. You better chase all your cares away."
04:24 A charismatic, swinging jazz singer straight out of a classic Hollywood flick.
04:27 "Ain't Val the best? Never know when she's gonna drop by, but when she does, we save on electricity 'cause she lights up the whole room."
04:34 "How long has Val been coming in here?" "Over a hundred years."
04:39 Just to add to the ridiculousness, Val can blow cartoon smoke rings like a Looney Tunes character.
04:44 This insane Jekyll and Hyde scenario is just too funny,
04:47 given how it gives a sensible, sympathetic girl like Abby such a wild alter ego.
04:52 It's kind of sad this only happens when she hits the sauce.
04:54 "Aren't you a hot diggity dog in a scallywag to boot?"
04:58 It's not easy being an ancient vampire living in the modern world.
05:07 If you can't keep up with the fast-paced energy of the new world, you'll likely quite literally burn out.
05:12 "Okay, that's a little dizzy."
05:15 Baron Afanas learns this the hard way when he takes our leading trio for a night on the town.
05:20 What happens is your typical ghoul's night out. You know what we mean?
05:23 "Certainly going to make you very ill." "I'm having pizza pie!"
05:27 Going from bar to bar, getting buzzed from drinking blood infused with various substances,
05:31 and projectile vomiting into the air after eating pizza.
05:34 "The garlic burnt a little bit."
05:36 "BURN!"
05:38 "Yikes!"
05:40 It's a classic wild narrative, but made more hilarious with the vampire shenanigans.
05:46 "Now his body is being propelled around by his own vomit."
05:49 "Is he alright?"
05:50 Unfortunately, the party ends too soon when the Baron perishes in the sunlight.
05:54 Talk about a buzzkill.
05:56 "I am okay!"
05:58 To save their friend, Eleanor and Chidi make a hard decision. They have to reboot Janet.
06:11 "Janet has learned and grown. She's essentially living a life. We can't kill her."
06:16 "Not with that attitude, we can't."
06:18 Unfortunately, Janet isn't making it easy for them.
06:21 Although she assures them that what they're doing isn't murder and encourages them to press the button,
06:25 she has a failsafe that causes her to panic and beg for her life.
06:29 "I am programmed with a failsafe measure. As you approach the kill switch, I will begin to beg for my life."
06:35 Janet's actress, Darcy Carden, honestly deserves an award for this performance.
06:39 "Please don't hurt me! I don't want to die! Please!"
06:42 "Ahhh!"
06:43 "Again, I am not human."
06:45 She's able to change between robotic and desperate on a dime, making a moral dilemma even worse.
06:51 "Eleanor? Eleanor, no, no, no, please, wait, wait, wait, wait. Eleanor, I have kids. I have three beautiful children."
06:57 "Tyler, Emma, and little tiny baby Philip. Look at Tyler. Tyler has asthma, but he is battling it like a champ. Look at him."
07:03 "No, Eleanor, look at them. Look at them!"
07:06 Just to add to the punchline, Chidi ends up accidentally pushing the button,
07:10 and Janet posthumously adds salt to the wound.
07:13 When did trying to do the right thing become such a mess?
07:16 Number 14, Barbara's celebrity mix-ups.
07:27 Abbott Elementary. Have you ever had trouble remembering a celebrity's name?
07:31 Don't feel ashamed, it's a relatable issue.
07:33 "I hope they go with that Mr. Brian Austin Green. I am so proud of that young man and all of his success."
07:41 Barbara from Abbott Elementary just takes this scenario to hilarious extremes.
07:45 Our favorite teacher can't keep some celebrity name straight to save her life.
07:49 "Oh, I see you little Carrie Underwood. Good morning."
07:53 "Carrie Washington."
07:54 It's endearing, but it's made even funnier by how she keeps mixing names up solely because of how similar they are.
07:59 "No one's done more for black actors than Tommy Lee Jones."
08:03 "James Earl Jones."
08:05 What's even better is right when it looks like she might get one right, she still slips up.
08:09 It's honestly cute and amusing, but it makes us wonder which Michelle Williams would make a great female Spider-Man.
08:15 "Go with a woman. You cannot go wrong with the splendid, the wonderful Michelle Williams."
08:23 These are the important questions no one's asking.
08:26 "All the way to the Academy Awards from Dawson's Creek? Oh yes, Michelle."
08:33 "So close."
08:35 Number 13, Claire's haircut.
08:37 Fleabag. We don't like to admit it, but a good or bad hair day can decide how the rest of our day goes.
08:43 "Claire?" "Something's happened. Something awful has happened."
08:47 Fleabag teaches us this lesson in the funniest way when Claire gets a horrendous haircut.
08:51 "Tell the truth." "It's horrendous." "It's horrendous." "It's modern." "Don't lie."
08:56 First, Fleabag tries and fails to convince her sister that it's not ugly, it's just French.
09:00 "It's unsalvageable." "Claire, it's French." "Really?"
09:06 She then goes to confront the hairdresser, delivering a harsh but true speech about the importance of hair.
09:12 "It's the difference between a good day and a bad day. We're meant to think that it's a symbol of power, that it's a symbol of fertility."
09:17 And the punchline? The cut Claire got is exactly what she asked for based on the reference photo.
09:22 While seeing the sisters looking out for each other is endearing, the buildup and payoff have us in stitches,
09:27 as it reminds us to be careful what we ask for.
09:30 "If you want to change your life, change your life. It's not gonna happen in here." "Sorry, I'm just being a... "
09:38 A recent breakup has completely turned Malcolm's life upside down.
09:49 "What are you doing?" "Playing. I'm gonna play."
09:53 In a desperate attempt to escape reality, he decides to try jumping on the bouncy house, and absolute chaos breaks out.
10:00 The bouncy house explodes and collapses.
10:22 The party falls apart and Hal panics trying to rescue all the kids with a butcher knife.
10:27 "Ah! You're okay! Don't be scared!"
10:29 Thankfully, everyone turns out just fine, and we're free to guffaw at the scene's utter wackiness.
10:34 From the Sesame Street theme playing over Malcolm's ill-fated leap to the explosion itself, and especially Hal's overzealous rescue attempt.
10:41 Unfortunately for Malcolm, this whole fiasco is just another life lesson he has to learn the hard way.
10:47 "Just once, I'd like to learn a lesson without something exploding."
10:51 #11 Colorblind - New Girl
10:53 How does something as simple as a jigsaw puzzle become a matter of life and death?
10:57 In the season 3 premiere of New Girl, Winston answers this for us when he struggles while puzzling.
11:03 "Hey, so what do you think it's gonna look like?" "What do I think it's going to look like?" "Yeah, the puzzle." "Winston, it's on the box!"
11:07 Despite how focused he is, half the pieces are upside down or horribly mismatched, and he can't even figure out what a corner piece is.
11:14 "This is a corner piece, Winston! How do you not see that? What are you, blind?"
11:18 "I'm so sorry. Actually, a blind man could feel the smooth edges of a corner piece!"
11:23 Halfway through, we discover Winston is colorblind. He can't tell that Kermit the Frog is green.
11:28 "These are green." "Because they're idiots, right? They're as brown as money." "What color is Kermit the Frog?" "Brown. It's a brown frog." "Winston!"
11:36 We should empathize with Winston, but at the same time, we can't help but snicker at all this turmoil over a puzzle.
11:41 Thankfully, he later gets special glasses to fix his predicament, only to discover a deep hatred for the color blue.
11:48 "My socks are blue?" "Your socks are blue." "I hate blue so much!" "Talk to your baby, okay?" "Some more blue!"
11:53 There are times when you come across a joke that's incredibly cringey and yet still has a hilarious execution.
12:02 Nathan demonstrates this in the wake of his rebate ploy. The rebate itself is funny because of how over-the-top it all is.
12:08 "The gentleman who worked in the gas station told me that I would have to come hike Montileo to get that rebate. It's been a long day, but it's been an adventure."
12:17 A whole plethora of strange happenings occurred during the ordeal, and yet when Nathan tells a gas station owner about it, the owner manages to outweird the whole thing.
12:25 "Anyone's pee?" "He says there's no germs." "Oh, maybe they can drink my grandson's pee. It's very clean."
12:31 He offers Nathan some questionable health advice involving urine. "I am promoting because grandson's pee sometimes helps. It really helps."
12:40 In any other circumstance, we'd all be wincing in disgust over the joke. "I don't understand. Why does it help you if you drink your grandson's pee?"
12:48 "That's what they say." "Who says that?" "My grandma."
12:52 Still, it's delivered so naturally and unexpectedly that we can't help but crack up at the exchange, and even Nathan is thrown off by the response.
13:00 "You can ask your parents or grandparents. Maybe they tell you to." "I will ask, I guess." "Okay, ask them."
13:07 Number 9. The Jonad Files. Veep. Appearing in court is a terrifying experience, but with any luck, your experience won't be any worse than the testimony episode of Veep.
13:17 To set the scene, Selena's campaign is giving testimony following a recent data breach.
13:22 "Document shared on the J drive titled 'The Jonad Files'." "Uh, no, no ma'am." "No, that doesn't ring a bell."
13:30 "So it's not a word combining Jonah and gonad?"
13:34 Among the files is a document labeled 'The Jonad Files' with a long list of colorful, savage nicknames for Jonah.
13:40 "Galien, Tinkerballs, Wadzilla, One Erection." "Do we have to go through all of these?"
13:45 The committee members read each nickname one by one, and each one is funnier and more brutal than the last.
13:51 "Okay, yeah, sure, no, you can proceed." "The Pointless Giant, The Sixty Foot Virgin, Jimpanzee, Jonah Ono."
13:57 On the one hand, poor Jonah. On the other hand, we can't help laughing at how creatively vicious these nicknames got.
14:03 "My college friends called me, uh, Tall McCartney. I preferred that."
14:10 Number 8. The Darkest Timeline. Community. Do you believe in the butterfly effect? You will when you see Community utilize it hilariously.
14:18 "Just so you know, Jeff, you are now creating six different timelines." "Of course I am, Abed."
14:22 The study group is trying to decide who will get the pizza for the crew, with each roll of the dice resulting in a different timeline.
14:32 "Let me look at it in the bathroom."
14:42 In one such timeline, Troy dashes out of the apartment to collect the pizza, and all hell breaks loose.
14:48 Pierce gets shot in the leg, a fire breaks out, and Troy is traumatized by the troll doll.
15:08 According to the end tag, things only spiraled more in this timeline, causing Abed to go full evil Spock mode.
15:15 It's amazing how one little change can unravel into a hilarious catastrophe.
15:22 Number 7. I Want It That Way, Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
15:26 In the funniest cold opening for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Jake is examining a lineup of murder suspects.
15:35 "You are my fire."
15:40 The true perpetrator was heard singing I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys, so Jake has the lineup singing the catchy pop tune to identify the murderer.
15:50 But naturally all of them, especially Jake, get too into it, and even the perp can't resist belting out the song.
16:02 "Tell me why." "Ain't nothing but a hard day." "Tell me why."
16:08 The punchline for when they find the true culprit is even funnier, showing how easy it is to get lost in the rhythm of a catchy tune.
16:14 Let's be honest, if we were ever put in charge of a police lineup, we'd all probably do this at some point.
16:27 "Ah, chills. Literal chills." "It was number five. Number five killed my brother." "Oh my God, I forgot about that part."
16:33 Number 6. Therapeutic Roleplaying, 30 Rock.
16:36 Tracy has been dealing with some aggression issues, so Jack takes him to see the studio shrink to help him out.
16:42 "I wanna talk to you, son." "You sound nothing like my dad." "Well, where's he from?" "All I know is he's from funky North Philly."
16:48 While there, Jack assists with the therapy with some roleplaying. What happens next is both politically incorrect and somewhat glorious.
16:56 "I'm mad at you too. Why you gotta act out that way?" "Uh, that's not exactly what I have in-" "Cuz you left me, dad!"
17:02 Jack starts performing all these problematic impressions of Tracy's family, and even Tracy himself.
17:07 "Is this true, Mom?" "He gambled away my welfare check." "Woman, I got a mind to smack you upside the head."
17:17 "Uh, this is not helpful." "Beat me now."
17:20 The therapist's clear discomfort already sells the joke, but what makes this even funnier is how it actually works.
17:26 "Beat me now." "I only act out because I want your love. God almighty!"
17:33 Jack's roleplaying makes a breakthrough, and Tracy's able to overcome his anger issues.
17:38 "No, Dad! Don't die! I love you, Dad! I don't want a dog fight no more!" "Tracy, that's it!"
17:46 While Jack's methods may not be kosher, we can't argue with the results, and we definitely can't help but bust a gut at the off-color insanity.
17:54 How hard is it for a person to resist instant gratification?
18:02 "Hey, let's get something to eat." "Okay." "Um, you wanna try out that, uh, Palestinian chicken place?"
18:08 For Larry, it's not that hard of a choice when a Palestinian chicken restaurant opens in a particular neighborhood location,
18:14 much to the horror of Larry's friends.
18:17 "I know we have our problems with these people, but man, oh man, they know what they're doing, chicken-wise."
18:23 Of course, that doesn't stop Larry from eating the chicken, nor getting intimate with one of the owners, despite major issues.
18:30 "Small price to pay for the best sex I've ever had anywhere!"
18:35 We want to be mad at Larry for his selfishness, but can we really pretend we don't want some great chicken and sex?
18:41 "Larry, come join us over here!" "Come with us, you're a Jew!" "No, Larry, come to this side and I'm yours."
18:47 The last shot of the episode, with Larry literally stuck in the middle of the debate with the circus-like theme song, really brings the comedy gold home.
18:55 "Larry! Get over here! Just stop!" "Don't be a dick! Don't be a dick! Get over here!"
18:59 "You're a very healthy thing you want, Larry! You're a fucking dick you want!"
19:08 Let's be frank, the Bluth family is a complete mess. Think of how dysfunctional your family can be and then crank that up to 11 at best.
19:15 "What are you doing?" "Flashing the lights, so the dealer knows what's going down."
19:21 In one of their earlier examples, Michael suspects that his son George is using substances, so he decides to scare him straight by using sexy dancers. Because why not?
19:31 "Let's get this party started! Aren't you guys gonna cuff him?"
19:34 However, Michael's own father ends up scaring him straight about not teaching lessons...
19:39 "Sit us up!" "No, no, these are just strippers! Look how hot they are!"
19:43 "Everybody take a breath!"
19:45 ...in the most traumatic, gruesome way possible.
19:51 "And that's why you don't teach lessons to your son."
19:56 This season one episode set the bar for how twisted this family's dynamic truly is, and we can't help but bust a gut at how morally bankrupt the Bluths are.
20:05 "Don't make the same mistake I did, you know, teaching lessons."
20:09 "So you taught me a lesson not to teach lessons?"
20:11 "It was my last lesson."
20:14 The real lesson here today? Don't try to trick your kids.
20:17 Murphy's Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
20:25 "Pistol Pete D'Cilio will be here in five minutes."
20:28 "I still can't believe that you got him!"
20:30 The Parks and Recreation episode "The Comeback Kid" hilariously proves this theory on the night of Leslie's campaign speech.
20:36 "What happened to the rest of my face?"
20:38 "We had to Jetsons most of the poster too, but I kinda like it!"
20:41 For starters, the campaign is in an ice rink.
20:44 "I mean, it was a short walk, but it was pretty luxurious, right?"
20:46 So when it's time for her to speak, the gang slips and stumbles trying to get to the podium.
20:51 All while Gloria Estefan's "Get On Your Feet" keeps looping in the background.
20:55 Not only that, but the podium is way too small, Leslie's speech is muddled,
21:05 and a dog relieves itself on Ron's leg in the middle of the rink.
21:09 To top it all off, right when Pistol Pete swoops in to save Leslie's campaign, he slips and breaks his arm.
21:15 "There he goes! Come on Pete!"
21:18 "Oh!"
21:20 "Hey, stay still! Stay down!"
21:22 "Pistol Pete, everybody!"
21:23 Part of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"'s charm comes from how unhinged and hilariously unredeemable its cast can be.
21:34 "We're gonna get you back on the dating scene, bro. What do you think about that?"
21:36 "Yeah, that's actually why we're here. We wanna put your profile on Match.com."
21:39 For example, Mac and Dennis try to help Charlie's romance game by setting up a dating profile for him.
21:44 Unfortunately, setting up his bio is a nightmare.
21:47 "Ooh, that felt good. Was that sexy?"
21:49 "That's pretty warm."
21:51 This photo is unflattering, and his answers to the questionnaire make him look like a psycho weirdo.
21:56 "How about your favorite food? What would that be?"
21:58 "Oh, milk steak."
21:59 "Hmm?"
22:00 "What?"
22:01 "Milk steak."
22:02 "I'm not putting milk steak."
22:04 Mac and Dennis spruce up his profile and actually get Charlie a blind date.
22:08 But between their bad advice and Charlie's own bumbling, it quickly devolves into an uproarious train wreck.
22:14 "Is it bleeding again? I'm sorry. These are hornets things, you know? I run into like a lot of like hornets in my line of work."
22:21 Honestly, with friends like Mac and Dennis as his wingmen, Charlie's probably better off alone.
22:26 "That's a totally different shirt."
22:27 "Yeah, can I get a haircut?"
22:28 "How the hell are you gonna explain that to me?"
22:30 "I'll say I met a nice guy in the bathroom and we traded shirts."
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22:47 Following a fire drill fiasco, courtesy of Dwight, the employees at Dunder Mifflin are forced to take a CPR class.
23:05 And it all goes about as well as you would expect. Hilariously chaotic.
23:09 "To Pump to the Tune of Staying Alive by the Bee Gees. Do you know that song?"
23:12 "Yes, yes, I do. I love that song. First I was afraid, I was petrified."
23:18 Everyone is too easily distracted and what should have been a serious learning session turns into a dance party.
23:24 "Stayin' alive, stayin' alive."
23:28 But of course, it only devolves further into chaos when it turns into a Silence of the Lambs remake.
23:33 "He's dead. Anyone know what we do next?"
23:35 Once again compliments of Dwight. Would you believe this is just another day at the office?
23:40 "Oh my God!" "Why would you?" "Dwight!" "Gladys." "Dwight!" "Oh my God."
23:46 And yet it's the chaos and absurdity from this one scene alone that captures what makes The Office one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 21st century.
23:53 If only our regular workplaces were this insane.
23:56 "David, this is why we have training. We start with the dummy and we learn from our mistakes and now Dwight knows not to cut the face off of a real person."
24:06 Which 21st century TV moment made you bust a gut? Let us know in the comments.
24:11 "Don't panic! Okay! Okay! Ah! Ah!"
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24:25 [Music]