It's No Mystery: Murder Can Be Funny

“WHY DOES MURDER always have to be such a dreary business, anyway?” wonders fountain of mirth Martin Short in the third season of Hulu’s mystery spoof OnlyMurders in the Building. As comebackseeking theater director Oliver Putnam, he hopes to capitalize on the death of his marquee star (Paul Rudd in gleeful jerk mode) by turning a gloomy warhorse into a splashy Broadway musical. Don’t laugh

- MATT ROUSH

OK, laugh already. We’re in a boom time for whodunits that balance comedy with suspense, smartly delivering punchlines with each shocking twist. The Knives Out franchise (including the Netflix sequel Glass Onion) helped popularize the mystery-comedy hybrid, and Peacock’s terrific Poker Face refined the format with its funky human lie detector Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) bringing back Columbo vibes.