Some Sunday night HBO shows ramp up the tension — we're thinking post-apocalyptic thrillers like "The Last of Us," power-struggle satires like "Succession" and dragon-filled dramas like "Game of Thrones."
But where those HBO series get your adrenaline pumping and your anxiety swelling, there's one dramedy in the network's elite Sunday night club that instead brings a sense of calm and community to your binge-watching habits: "Somebody Somewhere."
Led by a hilarious and heartfelt Bridget Everett, the superb HBO comedy-drama recently capped off its third and final season in December 2024, a tender and acclaimed run that saw each season receive a perfect 100% approval rating from critics (per Rotten Tomatoes).
Along the way, "Somebody Somewhere" had viewers falling for Everett's Sam Miller and her family — both chosen and otherwise — of Joel (Jeff Hiller), Tricia (Mary Catherine Garrison) and Fred Rococo (Murray Hill). Even a half hour spent with this plucky crew out in Manhattan, Kansas, singing karaoke and joking around over French toast, will have you forgetting all about the morning meeting that's to come tomorrow.
Here's why you should add "Somebody Somewhere" to your Sunday Scaries watch list.
What is 'Somebody Somewhere' about?
"Somebody Somewhere" centers on fortysomething Sam Miller (played by an Emmy-worthy Bridget Everett), "a true Kansan on the surface, but, beneath it all, struggling to fit the hometown mold," reads the official series logline, per HBO.
As she returns to small-town Manhattan, KS, Sam grapples with loss and acceptance in the wake of the death of her sister, Holly. That is, until she finds solace in singing, which opens her up to "a community of outsiders who don't fit in but don't give us, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere.”
Along with Everett, the Peabody Award-winning comedy stars Jeff Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison, Tim Bagley, Murray Hill, Jennifer Mudge, Mercedes White, Meighan Gerachis and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. Altogether, those lovable misfits explore life's beautiful and ugly moments with excess humor, refreshing honesty and plenty of hope.
Why you should 'Somebody Somewhere' on HBO Max
The HBO comedy — which recently nabbed two Emmy nominations for Jeff Hiller's sweet, soulful supporting role as Sam's BFF Joel as well as for Everett, Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen's writing — was widely praised by critics throughout its three-season run for its tenderness, grace and warmth. (It aired on HBO from January 2022 to December 2024.)
"'Somebody Somewhere' captures the bittersweet beauty of life in all its minutiae, never forgetting to laugh in the face of adversity," reads the critical consensus for the show's sophomore season, per Rotten Tomatoes. Coleman Spilde of The Daily Beast called the gorgeous drama "one of the decade's finest, thanks to its delightful ensemble cast and a knack for fleshing out life's minutiae, with gravity and irreverence in equal measure."
"Somebody Somewhere" isn't like any show, anywhere — it's an engrossing and exceedingly special watch that will both reaffirm your humanity and transport viewers to somewhere a little kinder, a little funnier and a little gentler than your everyday. It's just what you need when you have a busy, stressful Monday morning looming in your near future.
Watch "Somebody Somewhere" on Max
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