Summary

• Shane Gillis's sitcom Tires pushes boundaries for laughs, reminiscent of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
• "Bupkis" is a deep, star-studded show similar to Tires that fans of Gillis should watch.
• Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and Trailer Park Boys are must-sees for fans of boundary-pushing comedy like Tires.

Standup comedian Shane Gillis's latest sitcom, Tires, expanded upon the popular performer's impressive resume and left viewers eager for similar series’ to check out. With a short six-episode first season, Tires was not afraid to push boundaries for the sake of a punchline and consistently toed the line between political correctness and social acceptability as it joked on issues of race and sex in a laid-back workplace comedy. This type of risque comedy was nothing new, and Tires brought to mind several other comedy shows that those who connected with Gillis’s comedic tendencies may enjoy.

As a self-funded series later picked up for streaming, Tires featured an ensemble cast and has already been renewed for a second season on Netflix. In the meantime, viewers will have to find a new show to fill the tire-shaped hole in their lives. Whether audiences were looking for more auto shop antics, crude comedy, or workplace dynamics, there were lots more shows for Tires viewers to watch before the second season.

10 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005 - Present)

16 seasons

The workplace comedy stylings of Tires would fit right with the gang in Paddy’s Pub on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. As a series that, much like the comedy of Shane Gillis, was never afraid to offend, Always Sunny always had some biting social satire behind its hilarious concepts, schemes, and outrageously over-the-top antics. As the longest-running American live-action sitcom, Always Sunny has remained consistently funny and fresh as it walked the fine line between addressing contemporary social and political issues without feeling overtly preachy for almost 20 years.

The gang comprised Dennis, Mac, Charlie, Dee, and Frank, and as Always Sunny continued with each progressive season, these characters became more deranged, narcissistic, and idiosyncratic. While in certain shows, this type of Flanderization would cause the series to go downhill, Always Sunny leaned into its absurdity and was all the better for it. It remains to be seen how the characters in Tires will develop, but if they take a page out of Always Sunny’s book, viewers will certainly be in for a good time.

9 Bupkis (2023)

1 season

Viewers who can’t get enough of Shane Gillis should check out Bupkis, the short-lived dramedy in which he appeared with his all-too-brief Saturday Night Life colleague Pete Davidson. As a heightened fictionalized version of Davidson’s life, Bupkis was a surprisingly deep show that brought to mind other meta-semi-fictional comedies like Louie or Curb Your Enthusiasm. A Peacock original, Bupkis boasted an insanely impressive cast, with Edie Falco and Joe Pesci in main roles and Gillis as a recurring character.

If these names weren’t enough to spark an audience's interest in Bupkis, a litany of other stars also made appearances, including Charlie Day, John Mullaney, and Ray Romano, making this a real who's who of the comedy landscape. Through a combination of grounded storylines and some truly absurd elements, Bupkis may not have reached the audience it deserved, but for those in the know, it was a real treat. While Gillis fans may be drawn in by his appearances, they’ll stay for much more.

8 Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee (2012 - 2019)

11 seasons

Tires had cars and comedians, although ittedly, it was not as coffee-focused as this other series. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee was Jerry Seinfeld’s talk show, which began on Crackle's streaming service but was later picked up by Netflix. This premise involved Seinfeld picking up a notable comedian in a vintage car, followed by a drive to a café or restaurant, where they would chat and drink coffee together.

Throughout 11 seasons, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee featured some of the greatest comedians of all time, although sadly, Gillis never made an appearance on the show as his career only started to take off after this series had ended. With great insight into the psychology of comedians, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee had an interesting format that encouraged the same type of hilariously inane conversation that categorized much of Tires dialogue. Certainly a treat for comedy lovers, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee was well worth checking out.

7 Trailer Park Boys (2001 - 2019)

12 seasons

The down-to-earth blue-collar lifestyle of those seen in Tires was brought down a few notches in the equally hilarious Canadian mockumentary sitcom Trailer Park Boys. It followed the misadventures of the Sunnyville Trailer Park residents and was primarily focused on three petty felons named Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles. With 12 seasons, Trailer Park Boys was a hugely popular sitcom that led to specials, movies, spin-offs, and even an animated series.

Much in the same way that Shane Gillis self-funded Tires before it was picked up by Netflix, Trailer Park Boys had its origins as an independent feature film made by Mike Clattenburg. Trailer Park Boys succeeded as a series with a unique voice and vision because it forged its own path, contributing to the show's longevity. This willingness to take a chance without the initial backing of a studio or streaming service will hopefully lead to similar success as Tires develops in subsequent seasons.

6 Seinfeld (1989 - 1998)

9 seasons

The Washington Post has already compared Tires to Seinfeld, as they titled their review: “Forget 'Seinfeld.' 'Tires' really is a show about nothing.” This was related to Seinfeld often being described as a “show about nothing” because it focused on the mundanities of everyday life. This was the same for Tires, as it was primarily preoccupied with the everyday banalities of life for the employees of Valley Forge Tires and its struggle to remain a viable business in the face of consistent failure.

Much like Tires, Seinfeld got a lot of mileage out of everyday struggles that most viewers could readily relate to. Both featured absurd characters whose poor decision-making would continually pile up until, in the end, they faced horrible consequences that were completely of their own making. Seinfeld had a mantra of “no hugging, no learning,” and it appeared that Shane Gillis carried this idea into his own sitcom, whose boundary-pushing nature and willingness to offend for a punchline set it apart from more polished family-friendly sitcoms.

5 Superstore (2015 - 2021)

6 seasons

Another series like Tires set almost entirely in one solitary business was Superstore, the sitcom about employees at the big-box chain Cloud 9. Superstore featured an incredible ensemble cast that included America Ferrera and Ben Feldman. In the same way that Tires regularly included idiosyncratic auto-shop customers, Superstore often highlighted the absurd supermarket patrons who consistently got on the employees' nerves. Both shows perfectly captured the frustration of front-facing employment and the daily struggles of the nine-to-five working week.

In many ways, the hapless auto shop manager Will in Tires reflected the Cloud 9 manager Glenn Sturgis in Superstore as they continually tried and failed to revitalize their struggling businesses. While Will was a far more cynical and sardonic character than the eternally optimistic Glenn, they represented two sides of the same coin regarding wayward managers. For those who recently binged all six episodes of Tires in one sitting, with six seasons and 113 episodes, Superstore would be the perfect replacement to fill that gap.

4 Workaholics (2011 - 2017)

7 seasons

From the very first episode of Tires, Shane Gillis’ latest series emitted strong similarities to Comedy Central’s Workaholics, and if it had not been picked up by Netflix, it would have felt right at home at that network. Although both Tires and Workaholics used the relationship between workplace employees as their central premise, neither series tied themselves down to stories only about working. The slacker mentality of both series' characters usually meant they often did anything but work.

Workaholics was a sitcom about a group of telemarketing employees who lived together and continually encouraged each other’s wild behavior, weed smoking, and general terrible ideas. Much like Tires, Workaholics never took itself too seriously and consistently delivered laughs as it forged its unique identity, characterizations, and even endlessly quotable dialogue. A sharp and highly watchable sitcom, Workaholics was often very clever but was not afraid to devolve into juvenile and raunchy humor when the time was right.

3 The Office (2005 - 2013)

9 seasons

Any new sitcom would always be compared to perhaps the most popular workplace comedy, The Office, and Tires was no different. However, while The Office was primarily categorized by a warm, welcoming feeling as the employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company were treated like family by their well-intentioned but largely incompetent boss, Michael Scott, Tires was far more cynical, despite the fact that plenty of the employees actually were family. With a willingness to offend, Tires may not convert all lovers of The Office, but there’s plenty for those who don't mind their comedy with a little bite to enjoy here.

With an incredibly talented ensemble cast, The Office has only grown in popularity in the years since its 2013 finale. With over 200 episodes and countless iconic moments for new viewers to discover, The Office was a must-watch sitcom for those whose success countless other series have tried to emulate. Tires could learn a lot from the success of The Office, as its first season has already laid the groundwork for an excellent workplace comedy.

2 The Crew (2021)

1 season

Tires was not the first time that Netflix tried its luck at a car-based workplace sitcom, as the one-season series The Crew can attest. Instead of taking place in an auto shop, The Crew was set at a NASCAR garage and starred Kevin James as Kevin Gibson, the crew chief of Bobby Spencer Racing, who recently stepped into his position. In many ways, The Crew and Tires were similar, but The Crew lacked the boundary-pushing appeal of the Shane Gillis vehicle and instead sought a broader and more mainstream audience.

Sadly, The Crew was canceled after just one season and was never given a chance to find its voice before Netflix threw it in the scrap heap. However, when it came down to it, The Crew was a solid sitcom that provided plenty of laughs and could have had a real chance of success if it had been given a bit more time to develop. With Tires already renewed for a second season, it looks like Netflix doesn’t intend to make the same mistake twice.

1 Gilly And Keeves (2020 - 2023)

2 seasons

For viewers who crave more of the unique comedy stylings of Tires, there’s only one true option for the perfect replacement show: Gilly and Keeves. This web series was launched by Shane Gillis with John McKeever, with whom Gillis co-created Tires, alongside Steve Gerben. Gilly and Keeves was a hilarious sketch show that highlighted Gillis's comedic worldview and featured memorable sketches like "ISIS Toyota," "Uncle Daycare," and "Trump Speed Dating,” which similarly pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable comedic fodder and toed the fine line of political correctness.

Like most sketch shows, Gilly and Keeves was a mixed bag, as some skits were laugh-out-loud hilarious while others fell flat on their feet. However, for those who could not get enough of Tires and Gillis’s standup performances, Gilly and Keeves was certainly a must-see. With two seasons, Gilly and Keeves showcased Gillis in various roles and proved his versatility in comedy, which should go down well with those who enjoyed Tires on Netflix.

Sources: The Washington Post