10 More Must-Watch Comedies
There aren’t many shows like Friends, which is easily regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time. If you’ve finished watching this one (or finished the obligatory 50th run through all the episodes), you may be looking for alternatives. Well, fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing.
To keep things simple for skim-readers we’ve added what similarities these have.
Of course for all the shows we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming Friends.
Will and Grace
Similarities – Friends living together, comedy
Will and Grace is a sitcom that follows the lives of best friends Will, a gay lawyer, and Grace, a straight interior designer, who live together in New York. The series also features their eccentric friends Jack and Karen who both add to the comedic presence.
Both shows center on a group of friends living together and cover topics such as dating, career struggles, and friendship. Will and Grace also shares Friends’ humorous approach to addressing various life challenges.
Cougar Town
Similarities – Courteney Cox, Long-running story
Cougar Town is another sitcom that follows the life of Jules Cobb, a recently divorced woman in her 40’s, as she navigates dating, career, and friendships in a Florida town. The show focuses on Jules’ relationships with her friends, ex-husband, and neighbors.
Both friends and Cougar Town emphasize the importance of friendships and support systems in dealing with life’s challenges. Oh, an they both include Courteney Cox in the driving seat. Cougar Town and Friends share a similar comedic tone and deal with topics such as romantic relationships and career choices.
Living Single
Similarities – Friendship group
Living Single follows the lives of six friends – Khadijah, Synclaire, Regine, Max, Kyle, and Overton – as they navigate work, relationships, and friendships while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.
Living Single centers on this group of friends who live in close proximity and support each other through various life challenges, which is pretty similar to Friends. Living Single and Friends both tackle topics such as relationships, career struggles, and personal growth, using humor to address these issues.
Coupling
Similarities – Romance, comedy
Coupling is a British sitcom that follows the lives of six friends – Steve, Susan, Jeff, Sally, Patrick, and Jane – as they navigate relationships, love, and friendships in London.
Both shows focus on a tight-knit group of friends and their romantic entanglements. Coupling shares Friends’ humorous tone and the topics covered are pretty similar too, ranging from dating, career struggles, and personal growth.
Mixology
Similarities – Friends living together, comedy
Mixology aired back in 2014 and takes place over the course of one night at a Manhattan bar called “Mix,” where ten single people are on the search for love, connection, or a good time. Each episode focuses on two or more characters as they navigate their way through various conversations and situations, exploring the complexities of dating.
While Mixology has a different narrative structure than Friends, both shows center on relationships and the search for love. Additionally, both are set in New York City and use humor to navigate the challenges of dating and friendships.
New Girl
Similarities – Comedy style
New Girl is an American sitcom that follows the quirky and optimistic Jess Day, who moves in with three single men—Nick, Schmidt, and Winston—after a bad breakup. The series explores the dynamics of their friendships, romantic relationships, and personal growth as they navigate the challenges of life and love in Los Angeles.
The style of comedy is a little different to Friends, but the character development for the central cast is really well done across the different seasons and does bear some similarity.
Superstore
Similarities – Friendships
Superstore is a workplace comedy that follows the lives of the employees at a fictional big-box store called Cloud 9. The show explores the various relationships and challenges that crop up between the different employees, with a distinct focus on workplace humour.
The various personalities and quirks that the characters adopt makes for a very enjoyable watch, while the similar tone and style should satiate fans of Friends.
Happy Endings
Similarities – Friends living together, comedy
Happy Endings is another sitcom from the US, which follows a group of six friends living in Chicago as they navigate life, love, and friendship after one of them leaves another at the altar.
Both series have a strong connection to their central cast of characters and their relationships. There’s also a nice recurring theme here around the challenges of young adulthood, though Happy Endings is set in Chicago instead of New York City.
How I Met Your Mother
Similarities – Comedy
How I Met Your Mother aired from 2005 to 2014, and while its ending is subject to criticism, the rest of the show has some solid jokes and memorable moments. The story is told through the perspective of Ted Mosby as he narrates to his children the story of how he met their mother. The show follows the lives of Ted and his group of friends – Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney – as they navigate through love, careers, and personal growth.
Like Friends, this show focuses on a close-knit group of friends living together in New York, whilst exploring romantic relationships, career challenges, and personal growth through humor, all whilst offering plenty of jokes to boot.
Golden Girls
Similarities – Comedy Style, friendships
Golden Girls is a sitcom that aired in the late 80’s and has gone on to become one of the best comedies of the golden age. The show centers around four older women – Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia – who live together in a Miami home. The series follows their lives as they navigate relationships, family, and aging, all while providing each other with support and friendship.
While the age group and setting are different, both Friends and Golden Girls explore the theme of friendship and the importance of forming a chosen family, whilst injecting some genuine laugh out loud moments that you’ll never forget.
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished watching Friends.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!