These 7 Sitcoms Got Way Too Dark, Kind of Ruining the Whole Point

Comedy has to know where to draw the line. And these shows crossed it:

BoJack Horseman

A comedy show about a faded Hollywood star trying to relive his glory days while battling depression and alcohol abuse is already pretty dark.

But when Sarah Lynn died of an overdose, the tone of the show changed. It stopped being a comedy and became the story of a broken man with a few jokes thrown in.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Starting with popular detective Rosa Diaz quitting in protest at institutional problems within the NYPD, the issues raised may have been genuine. But they weren't addressed in a funny or satirical way. The show stopped being a comedy. But it was already too lighthearted to be anything else. Season 8 definitely has the right to remain silent.

Seinfeld

In the 90s, Seinfeld was an edgy comedy.

But it went too far when Susan died after being poisoned by the toxic glue on her wedding invitations. It was meant to be ironic, but it just wasn't funny. The decision turned the whole show on its head - and not in a good way.

Grace & Frankie

A great example of a show that tackled a tricky real-life subject - your life being turned upside down when you're old.

Superbly written, wonderfully acted, it was hilarious, touching and uplifting - until it introduced dementia. Although it seemed to fit into the show, Robert's memory loss was hard to laugh at and cast a shadow over the whole thing.

How I Met Your Mother

Never an idyllic family sitcom, this show tackled some of life's more difficult moments in a light-hearted way that made it both relatable and funny. That was the secret of its success.

But why the writers decided to kill off Ted's wife Tracy in the final episode is unclear, unnecessary and unfunny. It was bound to cause outrage among fans. And it completely ruined the arc of the last season.

Fleabag

Pitched as a comedy-drama rather than a sitcom, Fleabag was supposed to be darkly humorous. The second season was deliberately darker than the first, with the protagonist facing multiple struggles.

But the suicide of her best friends was a storyline that was always going to be difficult to find any kind of humour in - especially as the show was, in many ways, an exaggerated depiction of real life.

The Office

The Office was hilarious and remains one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. But Jim's midlife crisis, while arguably realistic, was a terrible storyline.

Jim was supposed to be the character the audience thought he was - a run of the mill guy with an ordinary job and an ordinary life.

His change of behaviour ruined the best relationship in the show, while adding very little. It was a bad idea, badly done.