Once Upon a Small Town has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix. Across 1 season, the show has had time to find its rhythm and keep it. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for JOY — stay for everyone else around them. Available now on Netflix — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Once Upon a Small Town is worth clearing space for. Once Upon a Small Town gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Against his wishes a veterinarian from the big city relocates to the countryside, where he meets a policewoman, a town insider with a friendly secret. Between them, JOY and Choo Young-woo carry the comedy without ever forcing it. It first aired in 2022. Once Upon a Small Town earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Once Upon a Small Town. Sold Out on You is the obvious comparison, but Once Upon a Small Town earns its own place alongside it. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch if your schedule allows. JOY's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.

Once Upon a Small Town wrapped up in 2022, created by 백은경 — and 1 season is available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro's free voice app makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just say the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.