The best comedy series and movies on Showmax
You deserve a break from life. And a funny one at that. So get your favourite snacks ready and put on the most comfortable gear you have, because these are the best comedy series and movies made for binge-watching.
Get ready to laugh your butt off with our handpicked selection of the most hilarious series and movies, bound to lift your spirits and bring tears of joy to your eyes.
The F-Show (2025)
The F-Show features a strong roster led by one of South Africa’s favourite comedians skewering the daily chaos that comes with being South African.
Made in South Africa
Funny Woman S1-2
Based on the Nick Hornby novel Funny Girl, this is the story of a Blackpool beauty queen who tries to make is a comedian in the 1960s.
Problemista (2023)
A struggling toy designer from El Salvador becomes an assistant to an erratic art-world outcast to stay in the US in this Julio Torres comedy.
The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)
In this satirical comedy, a man is recruited by a secret magical society of Black people. Their important cause? Making white people’s lives easier.
Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking (2024)
Late Night host Seth Meyers ditches his political jokes and focuses on his family life and fatherhood in this refreshing and hilarious stand-up special.
Laugh Africa Presents: The Showmax Roast of Helen Zille
South African comedy royalty Tumi Morake and Trevor Gumbi take the reins as Roast Masters. With Helen Zille in the hot seat and a cross-section of South African voices – anything can happen.
Made in South Africa
Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die
In her hilarious, unapologetic, and brutally honest style, Nikki Glaser tackles a wide range of taboo topics, including why she doesn’t want kids.
Wicked Little Letters (2023)
Set in the 1920s, this witty comedy-drama is based on the true story of a rowdy Irishwoman who is accused of sending letters full of hilarious profanities to her English neighbours.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2024)
Bridget’s back, and ready to start dating again as a single mom and widow in her 50s. She finds herself pursued by a younger man, and (maybe?) her son’s science teacher.
Poppa’s House S1
Comedian Damon Wayans stars as a talk radio host who finds himself challenged when a new female co-host is hired and by still having to parent his adult son.
Sterring (2024)
A passionate action movie fanatic from Soshanguve dreams of becoming a big action star – and after accidentally stopping a robbery, his dreams might come true …
Made in South Africa
The Righteous Gemstones S1-4
Danny McBride created this outlandish, star-studded HBO comedy about a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work.
Bookie S2
A veteran bookie struggles to survive the impending legalisation of sports gambling, increasingly unstable clients, family and co-workers.
Alex Edelman: Just For Us (2024)
After an acclaimed, extended run on Broadway, comedian Alex Edelman brings his solo show to HBO in an all-new comedy special.
Colin from Accounts S1-2
Ashley and Gordon are two single-ish, complex humans brought together by a car accident and an injured dog in this hilarious series.
Younger S1-7
Liza Miller is a single mother turning 40 who poses as a 26-year-old to reboot her career and her love life – with hilarious consequences. All 7 seasons are ready to binge.
The Franchise S1
A satirical comedy series about a crew of a rejected and unloved franchise movie who are fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe.
The Sex Lives of College Girls S1-3
This fun series follows four freshmen roommates trying to balance their newfound independence with the challenges of college life.
Laid S1
A woman discovers her exes are dying in unusual ways and must go back through her sex timeline to confront her past in order to move forward.
Ramy Youssef: More Feelings
Ramy Youssef returns to the stage to offer his unique reflections on our divided world, the unexpected perils of charitable giving, and more.
Looking for tearjerkers?
Am I OK? (2024)
In this queer comedy-drama about self-discovery and friendship, a woman in her 30s navigates coming out and her lifelong friend’s impending move to London.
Goodrich (2024)
Andy Goodrich needs help raising his kids after his wife checks into rehab – so he leans on his daughter from his first marriage in this bittersweet family drama.
Doc S1
A powerful medical drama based on an incredible true story. Dr. Amy Larsen (Molly Parker) loses her memory during a car accident and must return to being an intern as she rebuilds her life.
Mountainhead (2025)
Succession creator Jesse Armstrong delivers a star-studded satire about a group of super-rich tech gurus who meet for a boys’ trip as an international crisis unfolds.
Bet I Love You (2024)
Financial gain and social status are necessary for Rex, a compulsive gambler, who strives to overcome his addiction and recover squandered funds in a series of humorous situations.
Made in South Africa
Power Book III: Raising Kanan S1-4
Teenaged Kanan Stark works to join the family drug business in Queens in the prequel series to the hit show Power.
Happy Face S1
A young woman’s world is turned upside down when she discovers that her father is an infamous serial killer in this tense series.
Widow Clicquot (2023)
This extraordinary period drama tells the story of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, who, at the age of 20, became the head of the Veuve Clicquot champagne family.
Showmax is the home of HBO in Africa
The Stroll (2023)
When director Kristen Lovell began to transition in the 90s, she was fired from her job. Like many transgender women of colour during this era, she began sex work in an area known as The Stroll.
The Rehearsal S1-2
In this bizarre HBO docuseries people get a chance to rehearse for their own lives in a world where nothing ever works out as expected.
Tokyo Vice S1-2
In this powerful HBO crime thriller based on true events, a Western journalist working in Tokyo takes on one of the city’s most powerful crime bosses.
How Do You Measure A Year? (2022)
In this deeply personal Oscar-nominated documentary short, longtime HBO collaborator Jay Rosenblatt interviews his daughter on her birthday for 17 years.
Chimp Crazy S1
Tiger King filmmaker Eric Goode delivers another view into exotic animal owners – this time, focusing on the lengths chimpanzee “owners” go to keep their ape babies.
All That Breathes (2022)
Two Muslim brothers devote their lives to protecting black kites, a majestic bird of prey falling from New Delhi’s skies at alarming rates.
Wild Wild Space (2024)
A high-stakes HBO doccie that chronicles the modern-day, celestial land grab – a fast-paced, high-stakes race of epic proportions in which companies compete to blast satellite-carrying rockets into low Earth orbit.
Mountainhead (2025)
Succession creator Jesse Armstrong delivers a star-studded satire about a group of super-rich tech gurus who meet for a boys’ trip as an international crisis unfolds.
The most addictive shows
Mary & George S1
Mary Villiers moulds her beautiful son, George, to seduce King James I, intending to gain riches and influence through outrageous schemes.
Obstruction S1
A fiery netball superstar dreams of being noticed by the Gauteng provincial coach and playing for the national team… until her mom uproots her to a new school.
Made in South Africa
Date My Family S1-12
Find your next bae based solely on the impression their family gives. That’s the format of Date My Family S1-12 on Showmax.
Laugh Africa Comedy Club
A high-energy celebration of stand-up, spotlighting the continent’s finest comedic talent and international guests, straight from the iconic Laugh Africa Comedy Festival.
Made in South Africa