Summary
- Daniel Radcliffe shines in the underrated comedy show Miracle Workers, displaying his acting chops in a role far from Harry Potter.
- Miracle Workers is a hilarious and creative anthology series that delivers over-the-top humor and witty one-liners with charm and quirkiness.
- The consistently great cast, including Radcliffe, Buscemi, Viswanathan, and Soni, brings their A-game, and the show features memorable guest stars throughout its four-season run.
Daniel Radcliffe might be known for playing Harry Potter across the eight-movie franchise, but he’s been quietly starring in one of the most underrated comedy shows of the last decade, Miracle Workers, for a while now. Since hanging up his invisibility cloak, Radcliffe has gravitated towards offbeat roles. Last year, he starred as “Weird Al” Yankovic in the biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, a dead body in Swiss Army Man, and a smarmy villain in The Lost City. But Miracle Workers may just be one of Radcliffe’s greatest achievements, and it’s gone undervalued throughout its on-air run.
Created by Simon Rich, Miracle Workers premiered in February 2019. It didn’t garner as much attention as many of the network comedies did, but it carved out a place for itself on television regardless. Crucially, it allowed Radcliffe to flex his acting muscles in a comedy that was a far cry from his role as the bespectacled wizard. The comedy has gone under the radar, but it has a mostly positive critical reception on Rotten Tomatoes, and just as high of an audience score. It’s a hidden gem of a show that initially began as an adaptation of Rich’s novel, What in God’s Name, and Radcliffe isn’t the only attraction.
Daniel Radcliffe's Miracle Workers Is One Of The Funniest Shows On Air
With four seasons under its belt, Miracle Workers is one of the funniest comedies of the last several years. The series — an anthology that is set in different locations and eras, and follows a slew of new characters every season — can be over-the-top, fraught with sarcasm and witty one-liners that always tend to land. The series is not only funny, but it’s creative, unafraid to change things up each season to give the actors and viewers fresh material. Miracle Workers’ sense of humor is born from charm and a quirkiness that underscores the overarching narrative, and it’s confident in its wackiness, which is why the humor works so well.
There were visual gags, and the character of God was so absurd that it would’ve been difficult not to laugh. Characters can be ridiculous, outrageous, and Radcliffe is chief among them; he’s more than happy to be the butt of the joke — as his character is in Miracle Workers season 2. The series is consistently funny because it dares to reinvent itself rather than playing into the same old tropes and storylines that worked before. Much of the humor stems from the characters’ messy lives and actions. The writers also utilize the different settings — be it Heaven or the Oregon Trail — to add a dose of comedy.
Miracle Workers Has A Consistently Great Cast
Daniel Radcliffe stars alongside a fabulous cast that consists of Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Karan Soni. The four actors are consistently great and work well together, leaning into their characters and arcs with aplomb and a good dose of straight-faced silliness. Audiences can approach each season knowing that the show’s humor would be top-notch, and the cast would bring their A-game. Radcliffe and Viswanathan’s characters were especially solid and central because the series established their romantic relationship early on. The approach varied from one season to another, but Miracle Workers relied on Radcliffe’s sense of awkwardness and Viswanathan’s assuredness, and the series, as well as their characters, benefited immensely.
In addition to the fantastic ensemble at the core of the show, Miracle Workers also boasted a plethora of memorable guest stars throughout its four-season run. The Office’s Angela Kinsey and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Tituss Burgess appeared in season 1, as an angel and God’s brother, respectively, while Tim Meadows and Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson guest starred in season 3, with the latter appearing again in another role in Miracle Workers season 4. Lisa Loeb, Saturday Night Live’s Kyle Mooney, Ron Funches, Annie Mumolo, and David Dastmalchian have also made their mark on the series. Be it the regular cast or guest stars, the actors certainly commit to their roles.
Where To Watch Miracle Workers Seasons 1-4
The first three seasons of Miracle Workers, which originally aired on TBS, are now available to stream on Max. Season 4 has finished airing, but viewers can watch it on TBS — via a cable provider, Sling TV, Hulu Live, and YouTube TV — or on demand. There is also a purchase option, and viewers can buy each season of the comedy series on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play Movies & TV, or Vudu. After each season airs, however, it takes a while for them to land on Max, so fans may be waiting a bit longer before they can finally watch Miracle Workers season 4 on that particular streaming service.