Because life is hard enough.

A pandemic, locust attacks, cyclones, border tension, earthquakes, back-to-back Zoom work calls, and the overuse of the phrase ‘new normal’… times sure are tough. But we’re all about the silver lining (for now) so we’re here to remind you that you’re halfway through another grueling work week! And even though it’s going to be a while before you’re truly excited for the weekend again, thank god for small joys like fresh and funny OTT content. What we’re saying is—make the most of this well-earned downtime by binge-watching these new comedy shows and movies, before you have to deal with Monday again.

Upload, Season 1

While you wait for the fourth and final season of The Good Place to drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video’s latest sci-fi comedy Upload may help fill the Janet-shaped hole in your heart. From Greg Daniels, co-creator of The Office, Upload takes another stab at imagining the afterlife—this time as virtual reality environments. After his self-driving car crashes, protagonist/party boy/coder Nathan Brown is uploaded to luxurious ‘Lakeview’ by his girlfriend where he meets Nora, a customer service rep for the heaven-hotel of everyone’s dreams.

Schitts Creek, Season 6

From creators Eugene and Dan Levy, Schitts Creek charts the fall and rise of the once-wealthy Rose Family as they leave behind New York City for the shitty Schitts Creek. In the final season (available on Netflix), Johnny, Moira, Alexis and David Rose are all at a crossroads, ready to embark on new journeys, possibly away from the town they’ve called home for three (too) long years. Season six will bring together everything audiences have loved about this sitcom—including Alexis’ characteristic ‘Boop’, David’s happily-ever-after and Moira’s collection of wigs—for a final hurrah.

Writer’s note: I was not ready for the end and will be re-watching Schitts Creek for the rest of my days in lockdown.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Schmidt vs. The Reverend

Kimmy Schmidt was locked inside a bunker by a creepy reverend for 15 long years before she was rescued. That was the beginning of season one of Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Now cut to this new interactive special where Shmidt is an established author, and has landed herself a prince, who she is getting married to. But first, she must come face to face with her former captor, the evil reverend, once more.

Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act had to be tweaked and modified—with no studio audience and no technicians, for instance—but that’s true for basically everything. After all, the show must go on. The award-winning comedian returns to Netflix with all-new episodes in the Patriot Act: Quarantine Edition. Two episodes are out now so you might as well pencil in some time for infotainment between otherwise back-to-back LOLs.

The Lovebirds

Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are on fire in this new Netflix original film. Released on May 22, 2020, The Lovebirds follows the journey of a newly-split-up couple that gets caught up in a sticky murder mystery. They must put aside their differences and work together to prove their innocence and—although, the plot sounds familiar—The Lovebirds is full of surprises. Including a truly perfectly timed Bohemian Rhapsody joke. Stop whining, you’ll still be hella surprised.

Axone

Director Nicholas Kharkongor’s dramedy Axone (pronounced Akhuni) follows two best friends as they try to cook a special pork dish for their friend’s wedding—using the pungent-smelling Naga ingredient, Axone. The film stars Sayani Gupta as a young, twenty-something girl (Upasna) from Nepal and Lin Laishram as a Manipuri girl (Chanbi), and is set in present-day New Delhi. Released in 2019 but new on Netflix, Axone uses comedy to stir up an important conversation about racism in India’s metros.

Gulabo Sitabo

Shoojit Sircar’s new film Gulabo Sitabo, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, released direct-to-digital on Amazon Prime Video as COVID-19 continues to keep film-goers away from movie theaters. But a smaller screen should definitely not keep you from watching this satire that, according to reviews, sees Bachchan back in top form. Set in Old Lucknow, a dilapidated 100-year-old haveli forms the scene of conflict in this film that deals with themes of aging, neglect and dissatisfaction with one’s place in this world. With humour, of course.

Space Force

Greg Daniels gets not one but two new shows on the list! Space Force reunites The Office’s Steve Carrell with its writer for another sit-com with a premise that’s out of this world. Literally. Whether it works is, well, a matter of some contention. In this 10-part Netflix series, Carrell plays the four-star US general Mark Naird, who is tasked with setting up the sixth branch of the country’s armed forces, the Space Force. While critics’ reviews have been less than favourable, fans of The Office and Carrell have come to Space Force’s defense, claiming it’s really not that bad. You decide?