New to Pluto TV? Start with this underrated Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy
New to Pluto TV? Start with this underrated Julia Louis-Dreyfus comedy
With every season of ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’ streaming free, it’s the easiest binge on Pluto TV.
When people talk about Pluto TV… well, do people actually talk about Pluto TV? It definitely doesn’t get as much buzz as the paid streaming services, but that doesn’t mean it’s not super fun. Because it is. I wrote about the TV show library here, but if you’re new to Pluto TV, you’ve got to understand that it’s meant to get lost in. You start by hopping around the app, then you land on something weird, and you stay way longer than you meant to. Now, if you want to skip a few steps and just jump into a comedy that hits that sweet spot of warm, sharp, and genuinely funny, I’ve got you. “The New Adventures of Old Christine” should be the first thing you watch if you’re new to the service. Let me explain why.
Top comedy TV show to stream first when you sign up for Pluto TV
Why ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’ is the must-watch comedy show on Pluto TV
I grew up watching “Seinfeld,” so anytime Julia Louis-Dreyfus pops up in something, I pay attention. And honestly, at this point, she might be the GOAT of her entire generation when it comes to female actors in comedy. What she does in “The New Adventures of Old Christine” is just peak Julia. She’s neurotic, sweet, petty, determined, insecure, confident, and completely unhinged sometimes… but always funny. Every single episode has at least one joke where you’re like, yep, that’s why she’s the greatest.
The setup for the show is simple in the best way. Julia plays Christine, a divorced mom trying to keep her life together, except her ex-husband starts dating a younger woman who is also named Christine. So now she’s “Old Christine,” and the new girlfriend is “New Christine,” and you can imagine what that does to someone who’s already a little on edge. The show squeezes so much comedy out of that dynamic without ever feeling mean. It’s just awkward, relatable chaos.
What I love is how real it feels even when it’s ridiculous. Christine’s doing school drop-offs, dealing with snobby moms, stressing about work, and trying to date again. And she usually overdoes everything. And by usually, I mean always. But that’s the magic of Julia’s performance. She goes way too big at all the right moments, but she still makes Christine feel like an actual person you’ve met before. Maybe even someone you’ve been.
There’s a great supporting cast, too, but I’ll keep it quick. Wanda Sykes (who I mostly know from “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) pops in as Barb and steals every scene she touches. Hamish Linklater is the deadpan younger brother who’s always around. Clark Gregg plays the ex-husband who means well but somehow always makes things just a little more confusing. They’re all great, but make no mistake, this is Julia’s show from top to bottom.
And here’s the part that makes this such an easy recommendation for Pluto TV specifically: this show has been weirdly hard to find for years. It never had a big streaming home. It wasn’t one of those sitcoms everyone constantly rewatched. But Pluto TV has the entire thing, all five seasons, totally free. No subscription. No trial. No “only these episodes.” It’s all there. If you grew up watching network sitcoms, this is the exact kind of show that feels perfect to binge on Pluto. You can watch it on demand or stumble into it on one of their comedy channels, and suddenly you’ve watched four episodes back-to-back.
It’s warm. It’s funny. It’s easy to throw on at night. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus is operating at a level that almost feels criminal. She won an Emmy for this role, and honestly, she deserved every one of the nominations she got after that, too. If you want your first Pluto TV pick to actually make you laugh out loud, start right here.
The New Adventures of Old Christine
Single working mom Christine Campbell has just learned that her ex is dating a much younger woman with the same first name. To avoid any confusion, the new girlfriend is dubbed New Christine, which leaves her with the unfortunate nickname Old Christine.
What is ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’ about?
“The New Adventures of Old Christine” follows Christine Campbell, a divorced mom trying to raise her son, deal with her ex, and generally just hold things together without losing her mind. Life would be complicated enough, but then her ex starts dating a younger woman also named Christine. So now Christine has to navigate school drama, dating drama, work drama, and identity drama… all while feeling like she’s being replaced by the newer, shinier model.
The episodes are fast and funny. Christine tries hard, messes up, tries harder, messes up worse, and somehow you still root for her because she’s lovable even when she’s kind of a disaster. If you like character-driven sitcoms that mix really funny writing with real warmth, this one’s a slam dunk.
Other must-stream comedy shows on Pluto TV
If you’re in the mood for more comedies after finishing “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” Pluto TV’s got some great picks. Start with “The Conners.” It’s basically the next chapter of “Roseanne,” picking up after the original show ended and following the family as they push through everyday stuff like work, money, parenting, and messy relationships. After that, go with “The King of Queens.” This one is just pure comfort TV. Kevin James and Leah Remini have amazing chemistry, and it’s the kind of show you can jump into at any point. Doesn’t matter the episode. It always works. And if you want something a little louder and more chaotic, “Workaholics” is the move. It’s ridiculous in the best possible way. Three guys. One office. A lot of extremely questionable decisions. Perfect background binge or late-night watch on Pluto TV.
