2025's Most Underrated TV Show Is An A24 Animated Comedy Streaming On Prime Video

The comedic stylings of writer, actor, stand-up comedian, and executive producer Ramy Youssef tend to be laced with tragedy. His A24 Hulu series "Ramy" is as heartbreaking as it is humorous, following its Egyptian-American protagonist Ramy (Youssef) as he tries to navigate his faith and identity to mostly tragic ends. Similarly, his executive-produced A24 Netflix series "Mo," about Mo (Mo Amer), an undocumented descendant of Palestinian refugees living in Houston, is also frequently rather sad as it confronts the terrible reality of being undocumented in America. Both shows use a bit of surreal humor and absurdity to help make the more depressing elements slightly more palatable and blend the comedic and tragic tones, but Youssef's newest show takes this concept to brand new heights. 

On the A24-produced Prime Video series "#1 Happy Family USA," Youssef and co-creator Pam Brady tackle what it was like to grow up as an Egyptian-American Muslim kid in the wake of the 9/11 terror attack. Fans of Youssef's stand-up will definitely find some of his jokes peppered into the story, and there are shades of "Ramy" here, but "#1 Happy Family USA" is a truly unique adult animated comedy with a unique perspective and a whole lot to say. Not only that, but it's (mostly) way less depressing than "Ramy," which is definitely a plus. 

The very first episode of "#1 Happy Family USA" takes place on September 10, 2001, introducing us to the  Hussein family as they try to assimilate into American culture without losing their connection to their heritage. After the September 11 attacks, everything changes, and the family becomes more desperate to fit in than ever. Patriach Hussein Hussein (voiced by Youssef) tries to be as patriotic to America as possible, while mother Sharia (Salma Hindy) just wants the family to reconnect with their faith. Over-achieving older sister Mona (Alia Shawkat) wants to be class president at any cost and is by far the most experienced in playing the system and code-switching to her benefit, while younger brother Rumy (Youssef) mostly just wants to download music illegally and masturbate in his room. Series co-creator Brady is best known for her work on "South Park," though she did also pen the screenplay for the cult comedy "Hot Rod," and she and Youssef definitely lean into much filthier and baser humor than in Youssef's other shows. 

"#1 Happy Family USA" is one part crude coming-of-age comedy and one part surreal peek into a specific slice of life, although anyone who grew up in the early 2000s is certain to get some great nostalgic laughs in. Sometimes the show gets really weird, like Rumy's best friend being a suicidal sacrificial lamb named Lamby that only he can talk with, or Rumy's grandpa almost exclusively appearing as a ghost, but it's also really stinking funny. 

One of the things that makes "Ramy" so excellent is when the show expands into showing the perspectives of Ramy's family, and the same also holds true for "#1 Happy Family USA." Both Rumy and his father are interesting characters, but episodes surrounding his mother, Sharia, and sister Mona are especially poignant, and the voice casting is excellent. (I would be remiss if I didn't point out how great Youssef is as both of his characters, especially when he sings, however.) Watching Mona try and figure out how to navigate having a girlfriend while staying a closeted lesbian and also running for class president is actually kind of thrilling in a sitcom kind of way, and Shawkat is the perfect mix of sarcastic with occasional earnestness. Side characters like the family's new, recently divorced FBI agent neighbor (Timothy Olyphant) and Sharia's dentist boss who tries to make her feel welcome by dressing in hijab (Kieran Culkin) are hilarious, but the real heart of the series are the Hussein family women. 

In what is arguably the show's best sequence, Mona and her grandmother (Randa Jarrar) smoke hashish together and go on a psychedelic journey about what it means to be a Muslim woman. It's really unexpected and honestly delightful, shattering certain stereotypes while subtly reinforcing others. "#1 Happy Family USA" deserves all of its critical praise, and hopefully, more people can tune in and catch up before season 2, which is in production.