10 Great Underrated Sitcoms to Watch If You Love ‘Friends’
Friends is among television’s most successful, beloved, and acclaimed shows. It remains hugely popular and influential today, with modern audiences discovering it through streaming and appreciating it for its humor, rewatchability, and nostalgic quality.
However, nothing lasts forever, and once audiences finish watching Friends’ 236 episodes, they might be on the lookout for similar shows. Once the usual suspects get discarded — Seinfeld, How I Met Your Mother, and such — they should give a chance to these underrated sitcoms about friendship that will help fill the Friends-sized void in their lives.
10. ‘Happy Endings’ (2011-2013)
The criminally underrated Happy Endings stars an ensemble of comedic brilliance. Elisha Cuthbert, Eliza Coupe, Casey Wilson, Zachary Knighton, Adam Pally, and Damon Wayans Jr. play six friends whose close bond is tested after one leaves another at the altar.
Happy Endings excels where so many other friendship shows fail: its cast seems like true friends, creating a warm, chaotic, and electrifying dynamic that keeps every episode from falling into tired clichés despite their relatively safe premise. It’s a shame the show got canceled after three seasons because it is now widely considered a modern classic and a worthy heir to the Friends legacy.
9. ‘Crashing’ (2016)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is nothing short of a comedic genius. The writer and actress rose to international fame thanks to Fleabag, but she first proved her talent with the underrated sitcom Crashing. The story centers on six twenty-somethings living together as property guardians for a run-down hospital.
Starring an ensemble including Waller-Bridge, Jonathan Bailey, and Amit Shah, Crashing is a British classic. Dry yet hilarious, the show benefits from its eclectic collection of characters and Waller-Bridge’s brand of chaotic and awkward comedy. Fans of Friends looking for something with more bite should not sleep on Crashing.
8. ‘Broad City’ (2009-2011)
Ilana Glazer and Abby Jacobson created and starred in the acclaimed sitcom Broad City. The story centers on two near-broke best friends trying to “make it” in New York City.
Broad City soars on Glazer and Jacobson’s backs. The two seasoned comedians deliver hilarious and relatable performances as the main characters, creating an awkward yet endlessly entertaining portrayal of a 20-something’s life in the city that never sleeps. The Broad City gals are broke but full of energy and willing to get up every time life knocks them down, which is great because it happens a lot.
7. ‘Party Down’ (2009-)
Adam Scott, Lizzie Caplan, and Jane Lynch were among the main cast members for Season 1 of the cult classic Party Down. The plot revolves around a group of struggling actors and writers trying to make ends meet in Hollywood by working at a posh catering company while waiting for their big break.
Mixing humor with an undeniable air of frustration and melancholy, Party Down is among the most relatable comedies of the new millennium. Its characters might not be childhood friends, but they bond through shared experiences, finding themselves at the right moment and creating a strong, heartwarming dynamic. Originally canceled after two seasons, Party Down is among the classic shows returning in 2023 with revival seasons.
6. ‘Friends From College’ (2017-2019)
Netflix’s Friends from College stars an ensemble including Cobie Smulders, Keegan-Michael Key, and Fred Savage. The show tells the story of six 40-something Harvard alums navigating their forties in New York City.
Although reviews for the show were largely negative, there’s a charming and entertaining quality to Friends from College, particularly during its second season, once it found its footing. The show benefits from a talented cast of performers who have genuine chemistry with each other. Occasional guest stars provided extra color, but the show’s main group was enough to keep things going.
5. ‘Girlfriends’ (2000-2008)
Girlfriends aired during Friends’ heyday. The show followed the lives of four Black best friends as they dealt with romance, loss, career changes and opportunities, and everything else life has to offer.
It might seem disingenuous to call a show that went on for eight seasons “underrated.” Yet, it’s undeniable that Girlfriends lacks the same recognition from fans and audiences as other sitcoms from the time. However, audiences looking for a strong show about female friendship and life experiences should not ignore Girlfriends, as it is among the finest examples of a sitcom that successfully blends humor with emotional power to create a true television classic.
4. ‘The Bold Type’ (2017-2021)
Meghann Fahy, Aisha Dee, and Katie Stevens star in Freeform’s The Bold Type. The show tells the story of three friends working at a fictional New York-based magazine named Scarlet. Storylines typically focus on their careers and love lives and their many struggles as professional women.
The Bold Type is a perfect example of a show emphasizing the importance of friendship, especially in the modern, overly-hectic world. Clever humor, insightful storylines, and a healthy dose of heartwarming moments make The Bold Type a great entry into the friendship genre of comedy shows.
3. ‘We Are Lady Parts’ (2021)
Featuring a truly fresh premise, We Are Lady Parts is a win for quality sitcom content and representation. The show follows a tight-laced Ph.D. student who becomes the unlikely lead guitarist of an all-Muslim girl band called Lady Parts. Through their experiences, the group bonds, becoming friends while finding themselves.
We Are Lady Parts is a classic coming-of-age story and a brilliant showcase for Muslin culture. The show focused on a younger cast, but its friendship message is universal. With absurdly likable leads, humor, and a heartfelt message, We Are lady Parts is among the best examples of friendship-focused series.
2. ‘Coupling’ (2000-2004)
British television has produced several comedic gems in the new millennium, including the ever-underrated sitcom Coupling. The show follows several Brits in their late twenties as they navigate love in the increasingly complicated dating world.
Like other ensemble sitcoms, Coupling’s main strength from its personable cast of likable characters led by Sarah Alexander and Jack Davenport. Whitty and insightful screenplays help turn this British series into a modern classic, especially for fans of shows like Friends, who are always on the lookout for similar stories about growing up and falling in love.
1. ‘Grand Crew’ (2022-)
Television keeps delivering new sitcoms about friendship, including the NBC underrated gem Grand Crew. The plot follows a group of Black friends supporting and encouraging each other while living in Los Angeles.
Grand Crew doesn’t reinvent the friendship sitcom formula. However, by focusing on Black voices, the show offers something new and refreshing, especially in a genre that spent too long focusing only on white characters. Grand Crew’s charming cast is enough to elevate the series, and even when the screenplays aren’t as strong, the actors make magic thanks to their incredible dynamic.
