What's the Best Comedy Block on TV Right Now? (POLL)

Unlike its more serious cousin the drama series, the comedy series almost always rolls with an entourage, at least on the broadcast networks. I'll let you in on a little industry lingo: TV professors and experts refer to the resulting groups of two or more comedies airing back-to-back as "comedy blocks." Obviously the genre's half-hour format makes it easy to pair one sitcom with another, but there's more to crafting a successful comedy block than just slapping two shows together. Format, tone, and the number of funnies per minute should all be considered when building a better block. And when a network succeeds in this endeavor, the result is two BFFs that make each other seem even funnier. Remember The Office and 30 Rock! Or The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show? Community and... whatever else NBC paired with it? You get the idea.

Indeed, we're not only living in the Golden Age of Television, we're also living in the Golden Age of Comedy Blocks. So I'm here to stoke the debate of which recent comedy team-up is the best. And I'm not just looking at partnered shows that I personally think are funny, I'm looking at partnered shows that actually work well together. Here are some of the most notable blocks on the air:

New Girl & The Mindy Project (Tuesdays on Fox)

Fox's rom-com coupling is noteworthy for its strong female voice (thanks to New Girl creator Elizabeth Meriwether and Mindy creator and star Mindy Kaling) and shirtless dudes. And while New Girl continues to yo-yo in consistency, The Mindy Project has been improving, according to people I have asked. If you like lady things, relationship jokes, and laughing, this block is for you. Yes, we know that New Girl is presently paired with Weird Loners but that show is in danger of being canceled before you finish reading this article.

Compatibility level: Two peas in a pod!

The Big Bang Theory, The Odd Couple, and Mom (Thursdays on CBS)

It can be difficult to distinguish between CBS comedies because they generally stick to a similar formula: multi-camera, perverted, not that funny. The network has a million permutations to choose from when constructing comedy blocks because it's working with puzzle pieces that are all perfectly square (this is also true of CBS's Monday combo of 2 Broke Girls and Mike & Molly). Because The Odd Couple is the newest comedy in CBS's lineup, it currently has the luxury of nibbling on The Big Bang Theory's scraps by airing after the nerdy hit; as a result, it's the most-watched new comedy of the season. This is definitely a shark-and-remora-fish situation, and a great example of a good-for-business block. Mom is kind of lumped in, but it's kind of floating on its own at the moment since it's paired with Big Bang Theory repeats.

Compatibility level: Like an MBA and hair gel!

Workaholics & Broad City (Wednesdays on Comedy Central)

Beer-guzzling bros and pot-vaping ladies highlight this evening full of substance abuse, pegging, sharting, debauchery, and sundry misadventures. Workaholics might be old news, but Comedy Central has finally found the perfect complement for it in the critically adored Broad City. Another thing that makes this block great is that it's even more fun to watch when you're totally blitzed, which can't be said for most other television programs.

Compatibility level: Like a bong hit and a burrito!

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia & Man Seeking Woman (Wednesdays on FXX)

After its split with The League, It's Always Sunny rebounded quite nicely with funny freshman comedy Man Seeking Woman. But this matchup is like a jock dating an indie darling, and it doesn't totally work as an equal relationship. Man Seeking Woman's surreal escapades clash a bit with the harsh, jerk-faced, always-be-yelling reality of It's Always Sunny, but nothing except half a bottle of absinthe is going to pair well with Man Seeking Woman. And ultimately, if it's laughter you seek, it's here.

Compatibility level: Like loud-mouthed bros at a Postal Service concert!

Silicon Valley & Veep (Sundays on HBO)

Though HBO is more well known for its thought-provoking, award-winning dramas, the network's decision to take a huge dump on two of the most spoofable professions out there gave us quite a dream team of hilarity. The elder Veep has been doing fine on its own by relentlessly skewering politics, but now that HBO has added Silicon Valley's takedown of the tech industry, the network's Sunday nights are even better. It's hard to name a pair of comedies that share a more similar tone.

Compatibility: Like a senator and a bribe from a tech billionaire! (Good.)

The Comedians & Louie (Thursdays on FX)

Louie is the kind of show that stands on its own because it defies categorization, and indeed, it spent its fourth season carrying its own hour-long comedy block with back-to-back episodes. This season, it's paired with the yukster duo of Billy Crystal and Josh Gad for an up-and-down hour. As a pair, the two series feel like going from reverse directly into fifth gear, but what else could FX do? It has no other comedies to experiment with, so it's like, "Hey let's combine one of the greatest working comedians today with these guys."

Compatibility level: Like your grandfather having coffee with an art-school student!

The Middle, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, and Black-ish (Wednesdays on ABC)

ABC's Wednesdays are the home of broadcast television's current reigning comedy block champ (sorry CBS, Big Bang Theory reruns don't count toward a block). This lineup of family-friendly laughers is like the Mt. Rushmore of comedy blocks, a perfect example of how to thematically build an evening full of lighthearted chuckles. Each show is a family sitcom, but each show is different enough from its peers to feel unique. Remember when ABC tried to use Super Fun Night as the anchor leg here? It tanked, largely because it gave viewers tonal whiplash (and also because it was horrible). Trophy Wife would still be alive today if it'd gotten the 9:30pm timeslot like it deserved.

Compatibility level: Like one big happy cul-de-sac!

Bob's Burgers, The Simpsons, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, and The Last Man on Earth (Sundays on Fox)

Fox stuck with Animation Domination for 10 whole years, but broke it up this season with Mulaney. Okay, yes, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but come on, Mulaney?!? A decade of tradition foiled for a guy who added a prostate exam gag to his pilot. Mulaney's a goner now, but the network's Sunday-night mega-block is still weird: It goes 'toon, 'toon, single-cam, 'toon, single-cam, which is a lot better than it was with multi-cam Mulaney, but as far as a cohesive comedy block is concerned, this still ain't it.

Compatibility level: Like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? but nauseating.

Which current comedy block do you think is the best?