It takes talent to make the audience squirm! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best shows that elicit discomfort, unease, or feature challenging themes.
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00:00 And we're husband and wife, so we'll get you wrong.
00:02 [laughs]
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks
00:07 for the best shows that elicit discomfort, unease, or feature challenging themes.
00:12 [sneezes]
00:14 [applause]
00:16 Number 10.
00:18 "I Think You Should Leave" with Tim Robinson.
00:20 In 2019, comedians Tim Robinson and Zach Cannon found their place on Netflix,
00:25 where their unique brand of comedy can flourish in "I Think You Should Leave."
00:28 "But when you try and jump in, they yell at you and they say, 'You're not part of the Turbo Team!'
00:33 'Don't run!'
00:35 'You don't run with us! We're the ones who run!'"
00:38 The sketch comedy show takes social faux pas to unnatural and often absurd extremes,
00:42 reveling in the discomfort created by its characters.
00:45 "Hey, Meredith, I'm worried that the baby thinks people can't change."
00:50 "Shane, can we stop talking about it?"
00:51 "Because I've worked really, really hard to change. Ask Mark."
00:55 Premises for the series' sketches can range from inappropriate computer games
00:58 to demonic doggy-door intruders,
01:00 making it hard to guess just what kind of strange setup you'll be met with next.
01:04 "What have they done to us?"
01:05 "What did they do to us?!"
01:07 Thankfully, each short episode has as much to laugh about as it does to cringe at.
01:12 "Oh, you flinched, bud! Now you have to marry your mother-in-law!"
01:17 "Yeah, because he landed it and you flinched, you have to marry your mother-in-law!"
01:20 "I did not flinch."
01:21 Number 9.
01:22 "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"
01:24 If you ever encounter someone dismissing a show that has aired on The CW solely because of its network,
01:29 you might want to tell them to give "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" a try.
01:32 "For almost 30 years, I've known something was wrong."
01:35 "But mom said weakness causes bloating, so I tried to be strong."
01:39 The clever comedy series is a refreshing departure from the channel's typical lineup,
01:43 featuring mature conversations about sexuality, womanhood, and mental health in a fun musical format.
01:49 "Cause I'm about to get a diagnosis."
01:54 Of course, as revolutionary as it can be, some of its sensitive subject matter can get a little bit uncomfortable,
02:00 especially when it's expressed in a song.
02:03 From troublesome infections to healthy reproductive cells, nothing is off-limits.
02:07 "Got the quantity and the quality, no IUD is stopping me."
02:11 And while most of these unconventional songs are worthy of playing on repeat,
02:14 others are a bit hard on the stomach, even for fans.
02:17 "Cause I love my daughter, but not in a creepy way."
02:22 Number 8. Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job.
02:25 Imagine falling asleep to an airing of "Chowder" only to be awoken by the panicked, desperate screams of grown men.
02:31 "Ahhhh!"
02:34 This could have easily been the reality for kids and adults alike from 2007 to 2010,
02:39 when Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job ran on Adult Swim, Cartoon Network's late-night programming block.
02:44 "Miss, the answer to your question is she's not in."
02:48 "You had me come up four flights of steps because the elevator's out."
02:52 "Ahhhh!"
02:55 The satirical comedy often parodies the kinds of shows and infomercials seen on public access television,
03:00 giving them an unsettlingly surreal spin.
03:03 In some cases, the sketches even start out fairly normal before slowly descending into disconcerting darkness.
03:09 "Look at this discounted price. There's no meat on it, you throw it back. Stay in the water."
03:13 "I'm not gonna serve you to my family."
03:15 That's a setup that seems tailor-made to throw off even the most impenetrable nighttime channel surfers.
03:20 If that was their intention, well, great job.
03:23 "Spaghet."
03:27 "On the quest for the golden treasure."
03:28 Number 7. Euphoria
03:30 This teen drama has its fair share of comedic moments, but they aren't what makes us cringe.
03:35 "Oh my God, do I look like I'm in Oklahoma?"
03:37 "Why would your play be set in Oklahoma?"
03:39 Instead, it's the serious frank depiction of sexuality, violence, and substance use that has many viewers watching through their fingers.
03:46 "I'm sorry, but I need you to tell me where they are. I need you to tell me where the pillows are, Mom. I need you to tell me where the suitcase is."
03:54 Sure, broaching serious topics in a high school setting is nothing new.
03:57 Degrassi did it for decades, but Euphoria dials the intensity up to 11.
04:01 "Open the door!"
04:03 "I can't do it."
04:04 "Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!"
04:07 This choice to depict such serious subject matter in a graphic way has drawn criticism from a number of media advocacy and drug education groups,
04:14 but the controversy has never diminished its popularity with younger generations.
04:18 Uncomfortable or not, its harrowing performances and unique visual flair make it must-see television.
04:24 "You said that memories exist outside of time and have no beginning or end."
04:31 Number 6. The Rehearsal
04:33 Although Nathan Fielder's career in comedy started prior to 2013, his Comedy Central series Nathan For You made him a name to watch.
04:40 Playing an awkward, offbeat version of himself, Fielder suggested eccentric marketing ideas to real-life business owners
04:46 and let them play out to their natural and occasionally uncomfortable end.
04:49 "I was scared."
04:51 "What do you mean you were scared?"
04:52 "Yeah, sometimes you're scared for something."
04:55 "What are you talking about?"
04:56 "You know, some accident or something."
04:58 About five years after the show's finale, Fielder upped the ante with The Rehearsal.
05:02 "I mean, how would, as a woman, how would you take that if you touched a guy's hand and he just left it there?"
05:07 "She could read that as you flirting back at him."
05:09 "Right."
05:10 What begins as a strange social experiment in which Nathan helps prepare for big events
05:14 takes an uneasy turn when a kid is added to the picture.
05:17 "Oh, hi!"
05:18 "Hi, I'm here to see the doctor."
05:21 "I'm Dr. Fart, can I have a seat?"
05:24 Indeed, his attempts to help a woman rehearse parenting spiral out of control
05:28 as he realizes he's become something of a surrogate father to a real-life child actor.
05:32 Yikes.
05:33 "You gonna say bye?"
05:35 "Bye, I don't want to leave you."
05:38 "It's okay. It's okay. We'll see each other soon."
05:43 Number five, Arrested Development.
05:45 The year was 2003, and Arrested Development introduced audiences to TV's wildest formerly rich family.
05:51 Our lives have not quite been the same since.
05:54 "They're gonna keep dad in prison at least until this gets all sorted out."
05:58 "Also, the attorney said that they're gonna have to put a halt on the company's expense account."
06:02 Right out of the gate, the pilot ushers in one of the series' most consistent cringe-inducing plotlines,
06:08 George Michael's crush on his cousin, maybe.
06:10 Yes, it's as disconcerting as it sounds.
06:13 "I'm tempted to kiss again, right, so we can teach him a lesson."
06:16 "Why would that teach them a lesson?"
06:17 "No, I mean, uh, to freak them out."
06:20 "Yeah, but that doesn't make any sense."
06:22 "But isn't that what makes it funny?"
06:24 Believe it or not, that weird relationship is just one of many uncomfortable parts of the show's five-season run.
06:29 "Hey, look at that. We didn't get swallowed up into hell."
06:32 Whether it's Maybe's accidental teenage love affair,
06:34 Tobias' brief experimentation with hair plugs, or something else,
06:38 Arrested Development is the master of making fans wince before they laugh.
06:42 "Oh my God! Dad, are you alright?"
06:45 "I fooled his own son. I am a leading man."
06:49 Number four, Big Mouth.
06:51 Purity is an uncomfortable time for everyone,
06:54 But it seems to hit the characters of Big Mouth harder than most.
06:57 Luckily, they have hormone monsters to help them get through it.
07:00 "Knock, knock. Who's there? It's the hormone monster."
07:03 "No, no, no, no, no. You've got to be kidding me."
07:06 The show's in-your-face depiction of some of the most unpleasant and awkward parts of adolescence,
07:10 Paired with its ugly, cute art style, are not for the faint of heart.
07:13 "Even your hormone monster thinks you've gone too far."
07:17 But if you can handle the cringe, Big Mouth is one of the most surprisingly sincere
07:21 And all-encompassing depictions of being a teen ever made.
07:24 "Mom, I'm sorry. You were right."
07:27 "Really? Wow. What am I right about?"
07:30 "I do need help."
07:31 Well, if you ignore the monsters and the anthropomorphic pillows, that is.
07:34 "This might be my only chance to have a baby. I mean, I am 40."
07:38 "What?"
07:39 "I'm from your grandparents' house."
07:41 Number three, The Eric Andre Show.
07:43 Whether you're aware of it or not, you've probably seen a clip or still from The Eric Andre Show in your lifetime.
07:48 "I never said that."
07:49 "Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave?"
07:53 In spite of, or maybe because of, its strange sense of humor,
07:56 The series has inspired numerous memes that have stood the test of time online.
08:00 There's, of course, the "Who killed Hannibal?" image.
08:02 We also can't forget the one of Andre desperately trying to enter the DNC.
08:06 "Let me in. Let me in!"
08:10 Both are fun bits, but they don't begin to touch the sheer levels of off-putting absurdity
08:14 the sketch comedy series itself reaches in an average episode.
08:17 It's a talk show that messes with its guests as much as its audience,
08:21 getting some extreme reactions out of a surprising number of stars in the process.
08:25 "She's a great guest. I like her."
08:29 Number two, Pen15.
08:31 What's more awkward than being 13?
08:33 How about watching two women in their 30s act out their embarrassing adolescence alongside actual teenagers?
08:39 "Hey, Maya, come over here."
08:41 "Yeah, come over here."
08:43 "Oh my God. Come with me. Come with me."
08:46 "I can't. They didn't see me. They all said you."
08:49 "You got it."
08:50 This is the premise of Pen15,
08:52 a bizarre coming-of-age tale starring actresses Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle.
08:57 Throughout the show, the women act out first periods, first kisses,
09:01 and even first stolen thongs.
09:05 "Oh, my."
09:07 It's hilariously relatable in a way that you wish wasn't relatable
09:10 and frequently inspires some of the strongest cases of secondhand embarrassment one can get from a TV show.
09:15 "But as you know, something of Heather's was stolen. A thong."
09:20 "Please call it underwear, Mom."
09:22 Set in 2000, it also makes sure to riff on some very millennial-specific sources of cringe,
09:27 like AIM's scream names and the screeching sounds of dial-up.
09:30 "Oh, my God."
09:36 "Good job."
09:37 "I got mine."
09:38 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:41 Kung on Earth.
09:43 Philomena Kunk asks the questions no other investigative reporter would dare to.
09:47 "Which was more culturally significant, the Renaissance or Single Ladies by Beyoncé?"
09:54 Hannibal.
09:55 Cannibalism stuff is pretty unsettling.
09:58 "You intend me to be my own last supper?"
10:01 "Yes."
10:02 The White Lotus.
10:04 Do the stomach-turning surprises cost extra at this hotel?
10:07 "Someone broke in and took a dump!"
10:10 "Yes, send someone."
10:13 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
10:15 Some of Danny DeVito's best work also happens to be his most uncomfortable.
10:19 "I just wanna be pure."
10:22 The Office.
10:23 David Brent makes Michael Scott look like a normal boss.
10:26 "Last year, I took a year out and I went traveling, exploring."
10:32 "Exploring yourself?"
10:34 "And Asia."
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10:51 Number 1. The Curse.
10:54 Following the success of Nathan For You and The Rehearsal,
10:57 off-kilter comedian Nathan Fielder created The Curse with Uncut Gems co-director Benny Safdie.
11:02 It's a match made in discomfort heaven.
11:04 "You can't just sit here and say, 'This is the show or this isn't the show.' You can't do that, alright?"
11:10 "There's a reason there isn't a network executive hounding over us."
11:13 "Relax that time, okay?"
11:14 The dark comedy series satirizes reality television through its HGTV star protagonists,
11:20 Whitney and Asher Siegel, who are attempting to bring sustainable homes to the community of Española, New Mexico.
11:26 "The beauty of a passive home is it actually functions like a thermos.
11:30 So it's never going below 66 degrees in the winter or above 78 degrees in the summer."
11:35 Whitney is a pathological altruist, constantly attempting to ameliorate things in increasingly cringy ways,
11:41 while Asher becomes obsessed with a curse he believes was placed on him.
11:45 "I curse you."
11:47 "Okay, okay. I'm gonna go get change, okay?"
11:52 Their relationship and lives slowly deteriorate, and it culminates in one of the most inexplicable finales we've ever seen on TV.
11:59 Watching this has us wondering what exactly we've gotten ourselves into, but we can't deny we're entertained.
12:04 "Grab a snack, we'll be right back, guys."
12:06 "Thank you so much."
12:08 Which of these TV shows made you the most uncomfortable? Let us know in the comments.
12:12 "Skyrocketing flight."
12:15 "Hang on, baby."
12:16 "Afternoon delight."
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12:27 [outro music]