Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a groundbreaking comedy series that has defied the rules of typical sitcoms since its debut in 2013. It has been described as the most “woke” show in recent history, dealing with a variety of social issues, like feminism, racism, and queerness honorably and respectfully. Most importantly, the humor of the show — and it is very funny — is never aimed at marginalized communities, which unfortunately tends to be the case in sitcoms historically.

Propelled by its talented ensemble cast, led by Saturday Night Live alum Andy Samberg as the talented yet immature Detective Jake Peralta and Andre Braugher as the deadpan Captain Raymond Holt, Brooklyn Nine-Nine brings us relatable, rich characters that make it impossible not to invest in the quirky cop comedy.

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Brooklyn nine-nine is brought to us by Dan Goor and Michael Schur the same minds that brought us another beloved workplace comedy Parks and Recreation. When the show was pitched to networks, it was so well-received that there was an all-out bidding war to house it, between high-profile networks, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, it ultimately found a home at Fox – until it didn’t. After five seasons with Fox, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was canceled. NBC, however, swooped in almost immediately to save the day and aired the final 3 seasons of the popular sitcom. The show has been a critical and commercial success since the pilot episode aired in 2013. Here is what makes Brooklyn Nine-Nine a groundbreaking comedy series.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Does Not Subscribe to Stereotypes

     Fremulon & Dr. Goor Productions

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is groundbreaking because it celebrates each character for their differences rather than reducing them to stereotypes, like other TV comedies. For instance, Captain Holt and Detective Rosa are members of the LGBTQ+ community, however, they do not disrespectfully portray them, and they are not defined exclusively by their sexuality. Rather, just like all the straight characters on the show, their sexual preference is one small piece of the puzzle. Further to, Brooklyn Nine-Nine does not adhere to typical gender norms. Throughout its diverse cast, we see characters such as Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) with traditionally “feminine” hobbies, and Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) who, at a glance, appears to be a “tough guy” but is, in reality, a sensitive and dedicated family man.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Recognizes Its Social Responsibility

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is groundbreaking for the way it deals with complex social issues like racism, corruption, sexism, and homophobia, which most TV comedies glaze over, or simply ignore. They delicately balance the comedy aspect with these hard-hitting issues, rather than making light of things. The show has touched on the #Me Too movement and, more recently, Black Lives Matter. In the wake of George Floyd’s unconscionable murder, Brooklyn Nine-Nine recognized its social responsibility and as such, the show went on a self-imposed hiatus.

Further to that, the writing team scrapped the first four episodes of season eight, so they could use the show as a platform to address the world climate at that time and call attention to these important issues.

Some other episodes where they touch on difficult subject matter are: season four, episode 16 “Moo Moo,” which is based on Terry Crews’ real-life experience with racial profiling; season five, episode ten “Game Night;” and, season six, episode eight “He Said, She Said,” in which they address racial profiling, coming out, and sexual harassment, respectively.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Values Character Development & Relationships

Brooklyn Nine-Nine values character development more than most TV comedies and creates fully fleshed-out, relatable characters. Unlike other TV shows in the same genre, Brooklyn Nine-Nine seems to respect its characters and the relationships they form. A great example of character development in the show is in Jake Peralta’s (Andy Samberg) character. In the pilot, Jake was immature, irresponsible, and a bit selfish, however, his growing relationship with Captain Holt helps Jake take his job more seriously and be more of a team player in his desire to make Holt proud, as he views him as a father figure. Similarly, in season one, Jake and Charles’ friendship was mostly one-sided, with Charles idolizing the seemingly undeserving Jake. As the show progresses, Jake realizes how he has not given Charles his best, and, in turn, becomes a better friend to him.

One of the reasons the series is so popular is because of the relationships between its cast. The whole cast comes together as a family. Its romantic relationships, in particular, are very well-written, complex, and relatable. The romance in Brooklyn Nine-Nine is not there as a will-they-or-wont-they hook, that falls apart as quickly as it came together, like in most comedies, but rather we see, fully fleshed-out complicated relationships that the writers, actors, and fans alike are invested in.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Promotes and Normalizes Diversity and Inclusivity

Brooklyn Nine-Nine sets itself apart from other TV comedies by promoting and thus normalizing diversity and inclusivity. The show features BIPOC, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and women in major roles. In addition to being key players in the show, they also hold power positions. This is something that is severely lacking in TV comedies, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine sets an example more comedies should follow. For instance, the leading characters include two Latina women (Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero) and two Black men (Terry Crews and Andre Braugher), which is a rarity in mainstream comedy even today. Most importantly the show respectfully portrays its diverse characters, never using them as a punchline.

Stephanie spoke to Bustle about her character Rosa Diaz coming out as bisexual on the show shortly after she came out in real life. “Art is the way to move humanity forward,” she says. “When you create art, there’s a possibility for creating empathy in other people. That’s really what it’s all about. You can’t start to see someone as your equal, or as a fellow human being that deserves all the same rights as you do, if you don’t see them in the first place. If you don’t see them anywhere around you, how will you know that they’re just the same as you? … We really want all the same things in life: to feel happy, to be seen, to feel safe, to feel love. And we all deserve them.”