It’s a pretty special feeling when you can recognize someone by their voice alone, and The Bob’s Burgers Movie star Kristen Schaal is certainly an actress that is instantly recognizable upon hearing her unique and quirky voice. Schaal is a comedic actress who, despite being fired from South Park early in her career, not only lends her voice to some of the most fun animated movies and series of our time, but also acts in some pretty great live action roles, as well. Here are some great Kristen Schaal movies and tv shows that are a real good time if you like the lovable actress.
Bob’s Burgers (Hulu)
Centered on a family in New Jersey who live above the burger joint they run together, Bob’s Burgers is an animated comedy series that brings a lot of eccentric and lovable characters together. Bob, the male head of the Belcher family, is basically the Gordon Ramsey of burgers, but even though his food is to die for, he's struggling to make ends meet and keep his restaurant and chef dreams alive.
Honestly, Bob’s Burgers is the ultimate comfort show. It’s like the series form of a warm hug, and always manages to make you feel good even though it does handle some rough topics at times. Kristen Schaal voices Louise, the youngest of the three Belcher children, and her sweet voice acts as a kind of foil to Louise’s chaotic nature. The ongoing show has 12 bingeable seasons full of some pretty great episodes and a 2022 film that's part of the new movie releases, so be prepared to be in it for the long haul with this gem.
Stream Bob’s Burgers on Hulu.
Buy Bob’s Burgers on Amazon.
The Last Man On Earth (Hulu)
While the title is pretty self explanatory, The Last Man on Earth centers on a man, played by the series creator Will Forte, who believes himself to be the last man living on Earth after a virus wipes out humanity. After leaving signs of his survival and stealing major historical and cultural artifacts all over the continental US, he finally locates another survivor, played by Kristen Schaal, whom he finds to be one of the most annoying people he has ever met, but feels obligated to repopulate the planet with her.
The Last Man on Earth is a hilarious take on a post-apocalyptic world. It’s like Zombieland without the zombies and with less people. While Will Forte and Kristen Schaal’s intense characters bring a ton of comedy to the series, it’s a show that has some real depth to it and explores mankind’s inner workings. If you love Schaal’s sense of humor but prefer a live action series, The Last Man on Earth is probably exactly what you’re looking for.
Stream The Last Man on Earth on Hulu.
Buy The Last Man on Earth on Amazon.
The Heart, She Holler (HBO Max)
Just looking at the title, you probably have no clue what to expect from The Heart, She Holler and I would implore you to just go ahead and dive in blind, because it is quite the experience. However, here’s a little explanation: it’s like if Trailer Park Boys and Schitt’s Creek had a baby, and that baby grew up on a steady diet of Days of Our Lives and a whole lot of vintage horror flicks. The plot of the show really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of everything that is going on there, but basically Patton Oswalt’s isolated character inherits a town and comes back to run it surrounded by a number of questionable characters.
The Heart, She Holler is unhinged, and that’s putting it lightly. Fans of Kristen Schaal will be used to a good amount of weirdness and unexpected humor, and this Adult Swim series is great for gauging just how much chaos you can handle.
Stream The Heart, She Holler on HBO Max.
Buy The Heart, She Holler on Amazon.
What We Do In The Shadows (Hulu)
What We Do in the Shadows is a comedy series about a group of bizarre vampires who have been roommates for hundreds of years. The series, based on a previously made film of the same name, is shot mockumentary style and follows the nights of the group of vampire friends. It’s kind of like if the Friends friends were vampires.
For people who like Kristen Schaal and the regular crowd she tends to team up with, What We Do in the Shadows is a must. Schaal has a relatively large recurring role in the series as The Guide, a vampire who works for the vampire council in summoning vampires accused of crimes. The humor in the series is A+, and right up Schaal’s alley.
Stream What We Do in the Shadows on Hulu.
Buy What We Do in the Shadow on Amazon.
Flight Of The Conchords (HBO Max)
Created by stars Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, Flight of the Conchords sees the two play fictionalized versions of themselves as they leave New Zealand for The Big Apple to make a go of it as folk music artists.
Flight of the Conchords is another series that puts Kristen Schaal alongside people she frequently works with, and the effect is awesome. Schaal plays a super fan (pretty much the only fan) of the titular band. She’s borderline obsessive and appears in a majority of the episodes. Flight of the Conchords is a gem of a show, and was at near the beginning of Schaal’s now extensive comedy career, so it’s a great one to revisit.
Stream Flight of the Conchords on HBO Max.
Buy Flight of the Conchords on Amazon.
BoJack Horseman
BoJack Horseman centers around a horse, voiced by Will Arnett, who is struggling with depression and addiction after his very popular show was canceled. It’s an adult, animated comedy series that is honestly pretty dark, but that the stark realness of the show is foiled by how incredibly satirical it is, is just one of the many brilliances that come from the series.
While Kristen Schaal isn’t a main character of the series, her recurring character of Sarah Lynn reflects some of the same themes as the titular BoJack character. This dark satirical take on real life struggles and ideas is a theme fans can see in a number of Schaal’s projects, and BoJack Horseman is one that does it extremely well, making it definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.
Stream BoJack Horseman on Netflix.
Buy BoJack Horseman on Blu-ray/DVD on Amazon.
Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)
A romantic, adventure comedy about pirates starring Thor: Love and Thunder’s Taika Waititi? I am beyond on board. The new series centers around a rich aristocrat in the early 1700s who decides he wants to give it all up and become a pirate. Cue the hilarity.
Fans of Kristen Schaal will love this show, as it has plenty of connections to her other projects like Flight of the Conchords and What We Do in the Shadows, making the on screen chemistry between her and the other comedic actors A+, and giving fans a very familiar comedy style. Schaal has only appeared in a few episodes so far, but fans will fondly find the show akin to her other works.
Stream Our Flag Means Death on HBO Max.
Gravity Falls (Hulu)
After being sent to the titular town in Oregon to live with their eccentric uncle, the Dipper twins are thrown into the mystical secrets that Gravity Falls has to unveil. The Kristen Schaal and Jason Ritter led animated series is kind of like a cross between Scooby Doo and Haven with a lot of endearing humor.
Gravity Falls won two Primetime Emmys and is beloved by children, teens, and adults alike. It’s a little different than the more mature dark comedies and adult-humored projects Kristen Schaal is a part of, but Gravity Falls is one of the very few productions that almost everyone can agree is superb, with both seasons earning a place on the very select list of productions with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Stream Gravity Falls on Hulu.
Buy Gravity Falls on Amazon.
30 Rock (Hulu)
Created, written, and starring the great Tina Fey, 30 Rock is a comedy series based on her time as head writer for Saturday Night Live. The cast of 30 Rock includes big names like Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan and it won an impressive 16 Primetime Emmys.
I love Kristen Schaal in 30 Rock, even though she had a small recurring role. She is her regular chaotic self in the series and is a nice addition to the many different strong and satirical characters that are present through the entire seven seasons of the series.
Stream 30 Rock on Hulu.
Buy 30 Rock on Amazon.
The Toy Story Franchise (Disney+)
Toy Story is one of Disney / Pixar's most popular and recognizable franchises and it spans over 20 years, reaching generations of children. The franchise is centered on a group of toys that come alive when no one is watching and get into all kinds of sticky situations, helping each other as a team along the way.
Toy Story is beloved and holds a special place in a lot of people’s hearts. Kristen Schaal joined the Toy Story cast in the third film as the triceratops toy, Trixie, and fans will recognize her voice pretty instantly as a nice addition. She is a relatively minor character, although Trixie is the central figure in one of the franchise’s shorts, Toy Story That Time Forgot.
Stream the Toy Story franchise on Disney+.
Buy the Toy Story franchise on Amazon.
With The Bob’s Burgers Movie recently released in theaters and getting rave reviews, now is pretty much the perfect time to revisit some of Kristen Schaal’s best roles, or even watch some of them for the first time. Luckily, pretty much everything notable she has worked on is available to stream online, but for now you’ll have to head into theaters for her newly released film. I know, what a drag.
