Forever (2018)

This one-off series from the co-showrunner of Master of None is a fantastic gem of a show. Over its short 8 episode arc, it morphs itself incessantly, bringing pleasant surprises every episode. My lone criticism is they could have worked on the world building a little bit more. Riverside is actually relatively fleshed out (save for the inexplicable mold) but Oceanside asks more questions than it provides answers. This does not detract from the funny script, and characteristically funny Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen, who plays essentially himself in Portlandia.

There are two noteworthy scenes/episodes of pure beauty that alone make the series worthwhile. The first is the opening of episode 1, a wordless montage, rhyming scenes from a marriage as the carousel of life passes by while Miles Davis's plays wistful trumpet in the background. The other is episode 6, a bottle episode, featuring two new characters, a bold move for a short series. The episode spans a full lifetime in just 35 minutes, fleshing out the overarching themes of the series with a new couple. Hong Chau and Jason Mitchell are both excellent in that episode. Their dialogue on realty, experience, race, and life is natural, funny, and touching, watching them fall in love at the wrong time, unfortunately it's never the right time. We watch them yearn and deny themselves the happiness that is within reach, a la Wong Kar Wai. It's a perfect episode that spurs June to take action in her life so that her "life" does not meet the same end.

Fred Armisen: Standup for Drummers (2018)

Only Fred Armisen could make this work. It's probably the most niche standup show I've ever seen. The title is quite literal. These bits are made by a drummer for drummers. And they're not naturally funny bits, but he makes them funny because he's so awkward and self aware. He somehow makes these drumming bits accessible to non-drummers too, making me smirk and smile at his short seconds long impressions that I have no particular references for. He does a bit going through accents across America, just words, hardly a full phrase per accent, but he's just so strange that he's funny.

Portlandia (2011-8)

This highly quotable, quirky (just listen to the sound effects) sketch comedy show is admittedly not everyone's cup of tea. But I think it perfectly captures the spirit of a city I've never been to. Everything I know about Portland comes from Portlandia, and I'd like to think it's really like that. Like many offshoots of SNL starring SNL alumni, it is very characteristic of the cast member. This is very Fred Armisen, luckily I love him. He can do no wrong. His characters are all hilarious, especially the ones in drag. And Carrie Brownstein plays along. The last few seasons were particularly good. The stories started to tie into one another, not just a few disconnected sketches. So long to a truly funny comedy. A-O River!

Battle of the Sexes (2017)

This is a fun movie about a sport I love and an iconic American. The importance of Billie Jean King transcends sport (and she is arguably the one of the most important athletes of the 20th century). Her story is interesting, daring and entertaining. The Battle of the Sexes was obviously a big and important event, but the US Open awarded equal prize money the same year to the men's and women's tournaments apparently outside of that context and it would have been useful to include that more directly. A little less of their personal lives would have been fine too. It was kind of long, otherwise they could have included more tennis politics. The movie is quite funny and it boasts a big cast of comedians, even in small roles like Fred Armisen, who has a couple lines and then sits quietly.

7 Days in Hell (2015)

In the vein of This is Spinal Tap, this mockumentary details a legendary match at Wimbledon that never happened.  Kit Harrington and Andy Samberg (in a role that just screams Andy Samberg) play two rival tennis players in a ridiculous match that lasts for seven days.  The documentary features clips from the "match," a voice-of-God narrator, "home footage" and talking head interviews with tennis stars and comedians, like a real genuine documentary.  Andy Samberg plays the adopted brother of Venus and Serena Williams in a "reverse blindside"--that is the most brilliant moment in the whole short movie.  Overall, it is so funny because the premise of this match is so preposterous. So long as you don't question anything too much, it is quite enjoyable. And who knew Kit Harrington and all these athletes could do comedy?