New to AMC+? Here’s the one comedy series you need to stream first
New to AMC+? Here’s the one comedy series you need to stream first
If you want something smart, bold, and totally unique on AMC+, start here.
When people talk about AMC+, it’s usually gritty dramas that come to mind. There’s obviously “The Walking Dead” universe, along with shows like “Dark Winds” and “Interview with the Vampire.” Those shows defined the network’s brand, sure. But if you just signed up for AMC+ and want something lighter that shows what the service can do at its best, there’s one comedy series that rises above the rest. “This Is Going to Hurt” is the comedy series I recommend to anyone looking for something on AMC+. Here’s why.
Top comedy TV show to stream first when you sign up for AMC+
Why ‘This Is Going to Hurt’ is the must-watch comedy on AMC+
I’m not usually big on medical comedy-dramas, but the first thing that grabbed me when I started “This Is Going to Hurt” was how quickly it shifts from really funny moments to gut-punch honesty. On the surface, it’s a clever and chaotic peek into the life of a doctor on an NHS maternity ward, full of absurd patients, overworked nurses, and moments that make you laugh out loud at the insanity of it all. Ben Whishaw plays Dr. Adam Kay with this dry, dark wit that pulls you in right away. One minute he’s cracking a sly joke while covered in who knows what, and the next he’s dealing with a life-or-death emergency that has you holding your breath. That mix of humor and heartbreak is what makes the show stand out.
Spend a few episodes with Adam, and you realize “This Is Going to Hurt” is doing something deeper than just hospital comedy. It pulls back the curtain on a broken healthcare system and shows you what it really takes for real doctors to survive it. Adam isn’t some idealized superhero in a white coat. He’s exhausted, flawed, and trying to hold it together through 97-hour weeks and nonstop pressure. The show finds comedy in the chaos, like a strange tattoo mishap or a bureaucratic disaster, but it never lets you forget the stakes. There’s a moment where Adam looks straight at the camera and cracks a one-liner about the hospital parking meter making more money than him. It’s funny, sure, but it stings because you know there’s truth underneath it.
What really surprised me was how honestly the series handles burnout and mental health. Through Adam’s junior colleague Shruti (Ambika Mod), you see what the job does to someone just starting out. Watching her try to stay afloat, studying for exams between emergency deliveries, and trying not to crack under pressure, is heartbreaking. The show doesn’t shy away from the darkest moments of working in medicine. But even in those heavy scenes, “This Is Going to Hurt” keeps a sense of humanity and even humor. You end up rooting for Adam and his team not just to save patients, but to save themselves.
You’ve also got to understand that “This Is Going to Hurt” arrived on AMC+ as one of the service’s first big originals. [AMC} is known for serious dramas, but by co-producing this British comedy drama, AMC+ showed it could deliver top-tier storytelling in a totally different lane. The creative freedom here is obvious. The show is brutally frank about everything from bad hospital management to the messy realities of childbirth, and it does it with a sly, dark comedic touch. That kind of bold voice only works when a streamer lets its creators run. AMC+ gave Adam Kay, the real former doctor behind the memoir, the room to celebrate the ridiculous and the tragic at the same time. “This Is Going to Hurt” constantly zigs where other medical shows zag, and that’s what keeps you glued.
By the time you finish the series, it’s obvious why it became one of the best-reviewed new shows of 2022. It sneaks up on you. It makes you care deeply about its characters while also letting you laugh at the madness they endure. Even when the story dives into dark territory, it never loses its wit. That balance is rare, and it’s the biggest reason I tell people to start their AMC+ journey with “This Is Going to Hurt.” It’s unflinchingly real, frequently funny, and it leaves a mark you’ll be thinking about after you’re done.
This Is Going to Hurt
The unvarnished truth of life as a doctor working in obstetrics and gynaecology.
What is ‘This Is Going to Hurt’ about?
“This Is Going to Hurt” follows Dr. Adam Kay, a junior doctor in 2006 London, as he navigates the chaos of the obstetrics and gynecology ward inside a public hospital. Adam is junior enough that he gets stuck with the brutal 2 a.m. shifts and thankless tasks, but senior enough that life and death decisions land on him constantly. The series is based on a real memoir, and you can tell. Every episode has those stranger-than-fiction moments that could only come from someone who lived it. You watch Adam juggle delivering babies, dealing with unpredictable patients and their families, and managing a nursing staff that’s sassy, overworked, and barely hanging on. Outside the hospital, he’s trying to hold onto a relationship and a sense of humor while the stress from work keeps bleeding into everything else.
Even though the show leans into comedy, it’s grounded in the idea that doctors are human and messy. Adam makes mistakes, sometimes big ones, and the show lets you sit with the fallout. He mentors Shruti with tough love and dark jokes, only to realize she might be struggling even more than he is. Through Adam’s eyes and his frequent looks to the camera, you get a blunt commentary on how draining and absurd the healthcare system can be. Still, “This Is Going to Hurt” isn’t misery for the sake of it. It’s about how people cope. Adam uses humor to survive, and that humor keeps the show from ever feeling bleak. In the end, you’re basically watching someone try to keep their sanity and compassion intact in a job that threatens both. It’s funny, frustrating, and moving, which is exactly why it sticks.
Other must-stream comedy shows on AMC+
If you want another great comedy after finishing “This Is Going to Hurt,” start with “Kevin Can F**k Himself.” This one is a wild dark comedy that flips between a cheesy multi-camera sitcom and a gritty single-camera drama. Annie Murphy plays Allison, a sitcom wife who finally decides she’s done being the punchline. One minute you’re getting goofy, canned laughter hijinks, and the next you’re in a real, tense story about a woman taking her life back. I recently named it the best under the radar comedy on AMC+.
For something with a bit of a raunchy bite, check out “Brockmire.” Hank Azaria stars as Jim Brockmire, a famous baseball announcer who has a spectacular on-air meltdown and ends up rebuilding his life in the minor leagues. The show is foul-mouthed and fearless, and the jokes land fast. But there’s heart in the middle of it too, mostly thanks to the dynamic between Brockmire and Amanda Peet’s character, who owns the struggling team. It’s a great palate cleanser and shows the range of what you can find on AMC+.
AMC+
AMC+ is a premium subscription streaming bundle owned by AMC Networks. It offers curated access to award-winning originals, indie films, and prestige television. Launched in June 2020, the service combines content from AMC with flagship brands such as BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited, delivering a rich library of exclusive programming and early episode access.