5 Netflix Shows Better Than Tires You’ll Love Binging

Netflix has built a reputation for cutting promising shows down before they have a chance to grow, leaving behind a graveyard of terrific one-season series that fans still mourn. Yet somehow, “Tires,” Shane Gillis’ workplace comedy, has made it to three seasons — the same number Fox originally gave “Arrested Development.” The series stars Gillis as Shane Flanagan, a mechanic at an auto-repair shop in West Chester, Pennsylvania, whose main talent appears to be making life harder for his cousin and co-worker, Will Jacobs, played by Steve Gerben.

Gillis does not come to “Tires” with much scripted screen-acting experience, and the show rarely lets viewers forget it. Critics have largely met the comedy with indifference, and it has not broken through as the kind of quotable, meme-generating hit that keeps streaming sitcoms alive in the cultural conversation. That may partly reflect how difficult it is for half-hour comedies to thrive in the binge-watch era, but even with that caveat, “Tires” never feels like essential Netflix viewing. Anyone searching the platform for sharp, reliable laughs would be better off steering clear.

Fortunately, Netflix has plenty of stronger comedy options that deliver what “Tires” struggles to provide: distinctive voices, memorable characters, and jokes that actually land. The following Netflix comedies are not merely better by comparison; they are acclaimed, inventive shows that stand on their own. In that context, spending time with Shane Gillis’ low-energy antics feels even less worthwhile.

When “Tires” reaches for emotional depth, its efforts are often weakened by the limited dramatic range of its central performers. Viewers looking for a Netflix comedy that can be devastating one moment and wildly funny the next should turn to “BoJack Horseman,” one of the defining television achievements of the 2010s. What began as a Hollywood satire set in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist gradually evolved into a layered character study of BoJack, voiced by Will Arnett, as he confronts addiction, self-destruction, and the damage he inflicts on the people around him.

The darkest choices BoJack makes over the course of “BoJack Horseman” remain genuinely haunting, while the show’s most emotionally ambitious episodes are just as unforgettable. Few series have balanced visual invention and painful honesty so well, moving from an imaginative depiction of an Alzheimer’s-stricken mind to a throwaway gag about “Tom Hardy (who is a cat)” written on a whiteboard. That fearless tonal range powered some of the show’s boldest swings, including a nearly dialogue-free underwater episode, as well as its most crushing dramatic moments.

There’s never been a show like “BoJack Horseman,” and it reflected an exciting (and, unfortunately, often unrealized today) portrait of the kind of unorthodox programs only Netflix could house. It’d be egregious to spend any time watching “Tires” when the exploits of Todd Sanchez (Aaron Paul) are on the same platform.

“Tires” came from Shane Gillis putting up his own money for the show before Netflix stepped in to present it to the world. It’s admirable that Gillis so believed in this endeavor, even if the final product wasn’t exactly the best thing ever. For a superior Netflix show that was made possible through outside and independent financing, though, TV fanatics should instead check out “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return,” the two seasons of this beloved cult show that were made possible by Kickstarter support.

For starters, “The Return” is automatically superior to “Tires” because it stars puppets. Puppets rock, and that’s doubly true when those puppets are Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, Cambot, and GPC. To boot, new “Mystery Science Theater 3000” cast members like Jonah Ray, Patton Oswalt, and Felicia Day were a riot. Best of all, many of the Netflix era’s greatest chapters are on par with the best “Mystery Science Theater 3000” episodes from the original series. Outings centered on skewering “Mac and Me” and “Cry Wilderness” delivered one major belly-laugh after another. With these installments, the Satellite of Love crew proved they hadn’t missed a beat even after decades off the air.

Even on Netflix, the enjoyably homemade, ramshackle ambiance of the original “Mystery Science Theater 3000” endured. This was one streaming era revival that went as divinely as one could hope.

RELATED: Erika Kirk Reacts as Judge Orders Trial for Tyler Robinson

There’s no way you’re unaware of the glories of Netflix’s sketch comedy “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.” Quotes from the best “I Think You Should Leave” sketches have permeated every corner of the internet, as guys dressed in hot dog suits or Patti Harrison rambling about tables becoming common shorthand of expression. The show’s primary architect, Tim Robinson, may have started out on “Saturday Night Live,” but through three “I Think You Should Leave” seasons, he’s crafted a masterpiece of absurdist wit that’s surpassed even the greatest segments littering the best “SNL” episodes.

The genius of “I Think You Should Leave” comes from many places, but especially helpful is the show’s sketches going into unexpected territory. One segment about Robinson playing a guy who can’t stop talking about what a bad person he used to be eventually devolves into a flashback of Robinson’s character partying on a beach, staring at a baby in the distance. Another sequence set at a driving school similarly takes viewers on many loops and turns in a short period of time. Unpredictability, precise comic timing, and staggeringly committed performances make “I Think You Should Leave” a comedic masterpiece.

While “Tires” viewers scrounge for any meager laughs during a single episode, just one “I Think You Should Leave” segment will have you in stitches.

“Tires” stars Shane Gillis as a guy named Shane with a personality very similar to the real-life comedian. It’s far from the first time a comedic performer has portrayed someone that’s a clear stand-in for themselves. Larry David wrung countless “Curb Your Enthusiasm” seasons out of this concept, ditto Jerry Seinfeld with “Seinfeld.” In more modern terms, Ramy Youssef launched his career with the hit Hulu program “Ramy,” where he played Ramy Hassan. Then there’s the 2020s Netflix comedy “Mo,” which starred Mohammed Amer as the program’s titular lead, Mohammed “Mo” Najjar.

Like the show’s creator, Mo is a Palestinian-American living in Houston, Texas. “Mo” follows him trying to secure citizenship while dealing with personal problems on a daily basis. Right away, “Mo” secured the universal acclaim that eluded “Tires.” Critics were enthralled by its nuanced tone as well as the specificity imbued into its characters. Just because “Mo” delivered laughs didn’t mean that its creative team was going to phone it in and deliver shallow caricatures. In the process, “Mo” earned a prestigious reputation without sacrificing sizable laughs.

Though it only lasted two seasons, “Mo” proved to be one of Netflix’s more acclaimed comedies in recent years. While “Tires” is a more disposable example of a comedian anchoring a TV show as a variation on themselves, “Mo” was one of the best entries in this canon.

Maria Bamford’s distinctive comedic voice has many wonderful attributes. One of these qualities, though, is how often pugs crop up in her stand-up performances and anecdotes. These cuddly and squishy critters are always a welcome presence in any pop culture property, from “Men in Black” to “Isle of Dogs.” Thankfully, when Bamford got her own Netflix show in the form of “Lady Dynamite,” she brought some pugs into the production. That alone makes “Lady Dynamite” a massive improvement over “Tires.” That Shane Gillis show doesn’t feature pugs, rendering it vastly inferior.

Even beyond its showcase of precious grunting canines, “Lady Dynamite” secured gloriously universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike. The show received high marks for brilliantly showcasing Bamford’s chops as a comedian, while being easily accessible to folks who’d never been exposed to her artistry before. To boot, the depiction of Bamford’s mental health struggles also garnered applause. Having Bamford play off of terrific performers like Fred Melamed, Mary Kay Place, Jenny Slate, and Ana Gasteyer likewise delivered plenty of laughs.

“Lady Dynamite” crammed so much into its Netflix run, a feat reflecting its toweringly ambitious nature. Deploying adorable pug shenanigans was just the cherry on top of this engrossing television sundae.