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The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Amazon. 2017. Streaming. This Golden Globe darling (winner of the Best Television Series and Best Actress in a Television Series) is a vivacious and bright delight, the kind of series that will trigger a binge and bear up under repeat watching. Set in the late 1950s, it combines a captivating story—of triumph in the face of heartbreak, finding one’s footing, and learning a craft—with a wonderfully detailed landscape of Manhattan’s Upper West Side apartments, glorious outfits, and the seedy comedy clubs of Greenwich Village. Rachel Brosnahan plays Mrs. Maisel “Midge,” who is running a tight domestic ship without skipping a beat (she even got the rabbi to come for a meal), that is, until Mr. Maisel (Michael Zegan) walks out on her, leaving her to discover a latent gift for comedy (a talent to which her sappy ex also aspires). Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, whose trademark wit and sharp eye for setting wonderfully immerses viewers in this funny and charming yet also angst-y and involving dramedy.

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Crashing: The Complete First Season. 2 discs. color. 240 mins. 2017. DVD UPC 883929595884. $14.99. COMEDY This HBO series opens with a reverse of Mrs. Maisel. Pete (Pete Holmes), a striving and fairly clueless stand-up comic (who studied to be a youth pastor), discovers his wife is having an affair. When he unexpectedly gets a spot at a comedy club that same night, he bombs his performance. Things get worse from there, but Pete does pick up a mentor, of sorts. This contemporary show reveals the darker side of life on the comedy circuit and the drudgery, too, yet it is balanced by Pete’s goofy, earnest charm. Mired in a far less glamorous side of stand-up than Midge encounters (Pete is not killing it, to put it mildly), this might please viewers who enjoy learning more about comics honing their craft, as it is full of cameos by real-life comedians. West Wing: The Complete Series Collection. 45 discs. color. 6,730 mins. Various, Warner. 2006. DVD UPC . $299.98. POLITICS/DRAMA For viewers seeking a more fast-talking show, Aaron Sorkin's political TV drama, set in the early 2000s, is essentially pure dialog, brimming with heart and affection for its characters. It follows an ensemble cast including the U.S. president (Martin Sheen), his family, staff, and colleagues (Allison Janney) and opponents on Capitol Hill. Over the course of seven years, the series held public service up as a higher good and explored the methods and meanings of politics—from making college affordable to the middle class to agonizing over issues of morals and choice. It also charts the experiences of women coming into their own and, like Mrs. Maisel, builds a community of characters with whom viewers want to spend time.

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Yes Please by Amy Poehler. Read by the author. 7 CDs. 480 mins. HarperAudio. 2014. ISBN 9780062350886. $34.99. MEMOIR Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation alum Poehler writes a charming and funny memoir full of advice and stories of her work as a comic and writer. The print edition pleased critics and hit the best seller lists, but the audiobook is where it really shines. With her inviting, richly rounded voice, Poehler makes listeners feel like her new her best friend. Joining the author are Seth Meyers and Mike Schur, Poehler’s parents, Eileen and William, and Carol Burnett, Kathleen Turner, and Patrick Stewart, each of whom add to the hilarity and flair of the listening experience. The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness by Paula Poundstone. Read by the author. 6 CDs. 7 hrs. 30 mins. HighBridge Audio. 2017. ISBN 9781681684031. $34.99. MEMOIR This memoir from NPR’s Poundstone (Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!) draws on the author’s personal life for its humor, and as expected, it is laugh-out-loud funny. Perhaps unexpected is how heartfelt and serious it is, too. Poundstone’s unmistakable voice, with its lovely cadence and unique pitch, fills the narrative with inflection and punch. And as those who regularly listen to comic podcasts or recorded routines well know, there is a particular pleasure in long performances, as Poundstone proves in this grand and hilarious work.