The Righteous Gemstones just launched its fourth and final season on HBO and Max, and fans are buzzing about the series’ potential to have a historically great final run. With a score of 91 on Metacritic, analysts are rejoicing at the return of television’s most famous current evangelical family. Starring and created by Danny McBride, this show is a tragically humorous look into the darkness of cults as the Gemstone family fights one another while trying to stay relevant as a religious entity. Other great actors include John Goodman, Walton Goggins, and Adam DeVine.
There aren’t many shows on TV that have ever been quite like The Righteous Gemstones. The show understands the hypocrisies of organized religion while also playing into the family drama that’s included in staying devoted to a deity. Over-the-top humor and a huge courage to not shy away from controversial humor make the series a completely unique story. Even if there’s no perfect parallel, there are similar shows to indulge in between episodes. These are the best shows like The Righteous Gemstones you need to watch right away.
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Eastbound & Down (2009)
4 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Danny McBride, Steve Little, Katy Mixon
Created by
Ben Best, Jody Hill, Danny McBride
Watch on max
Eastbound & Down is the spiritual originator of Danny McBride’s TV dynasty. He plays a disgraced baseball player who tries to return to the sport through teaching at a local middle school. The show’s uncouth humor and sharp satire on living the American Dream and men who try too hard to hang on to their past make the series a great variant of the style people love in The Righteous Gemstones. Think of the two series as different sides to the same coin. The show is now an iconic cult show of the 2010s and essential HBO viewing for those who love outrageous comedies.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005)
16 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney
Created by
Rob McElhenney
Watch on Hulu
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is probably the longest running comedy that still holds its original niche audience without growing all that much. Sure, a lot of people have heard of this show, but it’s not going to expand its audience after two decades on air. Charlie Day and Danny DeVito are two of the standouts in an ensemble of messed-up criminals who hang out at a Philly pub and act like they don’t have a care in the world other than to get into even more trouble. The offbeat subjects the show gets involved in, along with the inappropriate and raunchy humor, make for an uncomfortable and crazy viewing experience. If that doesn’t sound like The Righteous Gemstones, I don’t know what does.
Succession (2018)
4 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Stars
Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook
Created by
Jesse Armstrong
Watch on max
Succession doesn’t bring up religion a single time. The characters may swear a lot, but there isn’t an outrageous amount of crude adult humor compared to The Righteous Gemstones. And yet, both shows understand the hilarity in dysfunctional families better than most others. Succession is a three-time Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series that follows a group of traumatized, spoiled children who fight for their father’s fortune and fame after the patriarch is about to step down from his corporate throne at Waystar Royco. The Roys and the Gemstones would have made for a brilliant HBO crossover episode if the network had given it some thought.
Schitt’s Creek (2015)
6 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Levy
Created by
Eugene Levy, Dan Levy
Watch on Hulu
Schitt’s Creek doesn’t really need an introduction after exploding in popularity on Netflix during the late 2010s. The Levys brilliantly craft a warm family environment while dabbling in some adult humor from time to time as a rich family of snobs loses everything they own and must move to the podunk titular town that is the only remaining item in their portfolio. Schitt’s Creek has a much more sentimental vibe than The Righteous Gemstones, and the Rose family ends up being much more likable than the Gemstones, but both kinship units are out of touch with reality, are selfish, and present a multitude of laughs for the audience.
Vice Principals (2016)
2 Seasons
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Danny McBride, Walton Goggins, Dale Dickey
Created by
Jody Hill, Danny McBride
Watch on max
This show is another Danny McBride effort that’s the bridge between Eastbound & Down and The Righteous Gemstones. McBride and Walton Goggins play a pair of rival vice principals who can’t decide whether to fight each other or team up when a third candidate for VP joins the race at North Jackson High School. The series brilliantly unearths some of the inner workings of the school administration systems in the U.S. while diving headfirst into the type of humor for which McBride is known.
Weeds (2005)
8 Seasons
Genre
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Stars
Mary-Louise Parker, Justin Kirk, Hunter Parrish
Created by
Jenji Kohan
Watch on Amazon
Weeds could be described as a thematic mix between Breaking Bad and The Righteous Gemstones. A woman starts selling marijuana to support her family, and the results are chaotic and funny. Keen satire on the drug industry, criminals, and how illegal activity ties into morality are all dissected in Weeds. The show went eight seasons and is a little more light hearted than other drug shows.
Shameless (2011)
11 Seasons
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Stars
William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky
Created by
Paul Abbott, John Wells
Watch on Netflix
Shameless is like The Righteous Gemstones without the religion and with a lot more alcohol. William H. Macy is incredible as a deadbeat dad whose children despise him for their poor upbringing. The Gallagher family just can’t seem to get over each other, even into adulthood. Creator Paul Abbott is a master at making tough subjects like drug and alcohol abuse darkly hilarious. It’s one of the best dark comedies of all time.
