Happy Nobody Wants This season two release day to all those who celebrate. If, like me, you watched the entirety of the first season on Netflix the day it dropped – and spent over a year waiting for the next instalment – today is like Christmas morning. But once we’ve binged this season just as fast, what should be next on our watchlists to fill the void left behind?
From noughties classics to laugh-out-loud hidden gems, here are 13 shows that channel the same rom-com energy as Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. Sit back, grab a cup of tea, and delve into a new world of chaotic relationships, heart-wrenching love stories, and everything in between.
Everything I Know About Love (2022)
Based on Dolly Alderton’s bestselling memoir (which is also fantastic), this underrated gem is a must-watch if you’re either in your twenties or want to reminisce on the chaos of that era. Set in a London house-share in the 2010s, it follows childhood best friends Maggie and Birdy as they navigate friendship, growing up, and plenty of bad dates, but it’s equally about platonic love as well as romantic – and how these ideals change as we get older. More heavy on the ‘rom’ than the ‘com’ (though still expect to laugh out loud), it’s a deeply heartfelt, startlingly realistic look at how we experience love as women.
Shrill (2021)
SNL alum Aidy Bryant both developed and starred in this adaptation of Lindy West’s bestselling book, so you know you’re in for no shortage of witty comedy. This three-season series follows Annie, a young journalist navigating work, love, and self-acceptance white pushing back against the pressure to shrink herself – literally and figuratively – in a world that demands it. Also starring Lolly Adefope, and featuring guest directors like Natasha Lyonne, this series is packed full of leading funnywomen that deliver a biting yet beautiful take on the rom-com genre.
The O.C. (2003)
I’m not just including this because Adam Brody is also in it – if you haven’t seen this era-defining teen drama, consider this your sign to finally watch it. The show follows a troubled outsider who’s taken in by a wealthy family in Orange County, California, and though typically described as more of a teen drama, I’d say the banter and messy relationships are just as addicting as those of the rom-com variety – plus, you get to once again see Adam as a love interest (albeit a less than perfect one).
Love (2016)
Despite doing well with viewers, holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I feel like I never hear anyone talk about this oddly endearing Netflix series. Co-created by Judd Apatow and starring Community’s Gillian Jacobs, it’s presented as a “down-to-earth look at dating” from the perspective of two deeply flawed, emotionally messy people – Mickey and Gus – who bumble through trust, honesty, and intimacy in a painfully real way.
The pacing is excellent, and it shakes up the rom-com genre while still delivering all the moments that made us fall in love with it in the first place.
