Looking for more funny action TV shows like FUBAR on Netflix? Look no further than this jam-packed guide containing six similar series full of spy shenanigans, hilarious moments and fight scenes galore. Whilst we’ve not seen Arnie on our screens since 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate, even more amazingly, we’ve never actually seen him in a TV show, until now…
The Netflix Original FUBAR, which stands for F****d Up Beyond All Recognition, sees Luke Brunner (Arnold Schwarzenegger) as a CIA agent on the edge of retirement. After accepting one final mission, he’s sent to rescue another agent, who in a madcap twist, turns out to be his daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro). In a dysfunctional plot twist, the pair are forced together on a dangerous undercover assignment that will put both their professional and personal relationships to the test.
Watch the trailer below.
During a Netflix 'First Look', the show's creator Nick Santora summed up the plot nicely: “The thing I always marveled at was how Schwarzenegger could be funny while still kicking ass... that’s why I wanted FUBAR to be a hysterical, CIA-spy comedy mixed with heart-stopping action! And it is all that — and more.”
If you’ve binged the lot and are wondering what's next? Take a look at our six recommendations below containing spiraling hitmen, CIA conspiracies and New York’s finest (and funniest). Also, don't forget we've got more entertainment recommendations, including lists that compile the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies, to enjoy in our guides. Be sure to hop on over to make sure you’re getting the best out of the streaming platform.
Happy!
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Happy! throws together the unlikely pairing of a disgraced police detective and an imaginary blue unicorn with unwaning positivity. Nick Sax (Christopher Meloni) is an injured cop turned hitman who takes jobs to fund his bad habits. After suffering a heart attack, he suddenly finds himself befriending a winged mythical creature called Happy.
It quickly turns personal when Happy tells Nick about his friend, Hailey, a young girl who has been kidnapped and also happens to be Nick’s estranged daughter. The pair decide to embark on a mission to save her that sends them down some crazy, crazy tracks. Like FUBAR, this show is another father/daughter relationship entangled in fight scenes and some light entertainment that gets a little ridiculous and weird.
Available to stream on Netflix worldwide.
Florida Man
You may know Florida Man as an internet meme referring to wild news stories of strange and absurd actions, often committed by a man from (you guessed it) Florida. When it comes to the limited series on Netflix, it's a fitting title and a play on the meme to refer to an ex-cop who finds himself embroiled with a dangerous gangster.
Returning to his home state of Florida, Mike Valentine (Edgar Ramírez) is on a shady mission to find a mob boss’s runaway ex-girlfriend, Delly (Abbey Lee). The show’s creator, Donald Todd, describes the show as “a wild odyssey into a sunny place for shady people”. It’s not just the mob Mike has to contend with when heading back to where he grew up, but his complicated relationships with his own father and ex-wife too.
Available to stream on Netflix worldwide.
Inside Job
If you’re searching for more outlandish action comedy then look no further than conspiracy-fuelled, sci-fi animation, Inside Job. Anti-social tech genius, Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan) leads a team of very unusual characters on a mission to hide the world’s conspiracies. When we say unusual, we’re talking about a failed super soldier turned hybrid dolphin and a psychic mushroom for example.
The team work at an American shadow government organization called Cognito Inc., which sounds all kinds of shifty and it is. There’s a lot to deal with when conspiracy theories end up being as real as they are crazy. Whilst Inside Job was canceled in the midst of its second season, there’s still 18 episodes to watch if you feel like reaching into that deep state of mind.
Available to stream on Netflix worldwide.
Chuck
One of the ‘original’ spy comedy TV shows is 2007’s Chuck. It stars Zachary Levi as Chuck Bartowski, an ordinary computer-loving man who finds himself embroiled in the CIA and NSA after accidentally downloading government secrets straight into his brain. Becoming quite the spy commodity for his computer wizardry, both organizations assign him handlers that utilize him on top secret missions.
The concept, like FUBAR, is wildly improbable but nonetheless one that unfolds for viewer’s enjoyment straddling the two genres to provide action-packed secret agent goodness laced with a very funny plot. Zachary Levi has found himself swapping the spy life for the superhero life these days, starring in 2023’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Available to stream on Prime Video worldwide.
Barry
In the second twisted hitman tale on our list, we’ve got Barry. Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) is an assassin who becomes consumed by the LA amateur acting scene when pursuing a hit. In true comedy-action fashion, there’s plenty of locking horns whilst ensuring plenty of laughter as the outrageous storyline unfolds.
Running over four seasons with the latest wrapping up in 2023, Barry becomes continuously torn between his life as a paid killer and his love of the theater, as well as the friends he makes alongside it. Much like the show’s unsuspecting title, there’s a lot to learn about Barry that is well worth a watch to uncover.
Available to stream on HBO Max in the US, NOW TV in the UK and BINGE in Australia.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Finally, whilst not as action-packed as FUBAR, if a Brooklyn precinct teeming with comedy and incredibly passionate police officers enforcing the law is your thing, then Brooklyn Nine-Nine is our last but certainly not least recommendation.
Following the lives of NYPD’s 99th Precinct, which is not strictly a family like our father-daughter duo in FUBAR, greatness lies in its character building and how the squad become as close as a family over eight seasons. Alongside its spectacular cast, Brooklyn Nine-Nine also guest stars big names such as Craig Robinson, Jason Matzoukas, and Barry’s own Bill Hader to name but a few.
Available to stream on Peacock in the US, as well as Netflix in the UK and Australia.
