Nine to Five

Right now you can watch Nine to Five in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on YouTube TV — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 553 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Jane Fonda's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

Nine to Five is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Nine to Five does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Three female employees of a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot find a way to turn the tables on him. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1980. What keeps Nine to Five from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Nine to Five. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Jane Fonda's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.