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Great central chemistry, a sense of humor and interesting things to say about the challenges of inter-religious romance, no one wants this has been a rom-com hit for NetflixThe third season is coming this year. The world may be a trash bin, but we still love love — at least on TV, and not just on the Hallmark Channel. With that in mind, here are 15 more streaming shows that deal with romance (exclusively) and comedy (mostly), all filled with will-they/won’t-they suspense and wildly shippable characters.
Fleabag (2016 – 2019)
This critical favorite stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the title character (known only as “Fleabag”) in a comedy-drama about a free-spirited, intensely angry single young woman living in London and shares her romantic ups and downs with us, the audience, through confessionals. She, reluctantly, falls in love with “The Priest” (Andrew Scott) – he’s a confirmed atheist and she, obviously, isn’t, so it’s kind of like no one wants this But dirty. Waller-Bridge won separate Emmys as star, producer, and writer of the series. Stream Fleabag On Prime Video.
crash landing on you (2019)
That title isn’t just a metaphor: This Korean series includes a literal Crash landing in the northern part of the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) is an heiress and independent business owner whose complicated relationship with her family has caused her to become estranged from them. While on a paragliding trip, a tornado carries him north, and he is saved from disaster by a captain of the North Korean special police force. The romance between the two characters, as well as its sensitive and humane portrayal of life in the North, made it a mega-hit on South Korean TV and a fan favorite around the world. Stream crash landing on you On Netflix.
Destruction (2015 – 2019)
A family sitcom that feels far more believable than most, this British import sees Irish primary school teacher Sharon (Sharon Horgan) pursuing an affair with American advertising executive Rob (Rob Delaney) over the course of a week, but upon her return home she discovers she is pregnant. They don’t actually have feelings for each other, but they decide to become a couple and eventually get married just before the birth of their child. There are a lot of jokes and a lot of sharp dialogue, but it’s not married with Children. Sharon and Rob may be a little mean to each other and to their messy friend group, but there’s also something sweet about the show’s conviction that messing around with someone can be one of life’s great joys. Stream Destruction On Prime Video.
Small (2015 – 2021)
Small Follows Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), a recently divorced woman in her 40s who finds age to be a barrier to re-entering the publishing industry she left years ago. After a compliment convinces her that she could pass for a younger woman (poor thing), she manages to convince the right people that she’s just 26 years old in order to get an entry-level job. Misadventures spans seven seasons, but the majority of the show revolves around the twisted relationship between Liza and Josh (Nico Tortorella), a twenty-something tattoo artist. Stream Small on netflix.
normal people (2020)
Okay, not so much with the comedy here. It comes from Sally Rooney’s smart, bestselling novel about the seemingly coming-of-age romance between Marianne (Daisy Edgar Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal), characters and actors with impressive chemistry. She is rich but lonely, he is popular but the son of a house maid. As time passes and their roles begin to change, life and love become more complicated. The plot isn’t groundbreaking, but there’s an unusual intelligence here, as well as a frankness about sex and sexual violence that sets it apart. Stream normal people On Hulu.
it’s okay not to be okay (2020)
Mental health is a topic of discussion all over the world and South Korea is no exception. Although opportunities for treatment are better than in many other places, social stigma remains a problem. This is why Jo Yeong and Park Shin-woo’s miniseries was such a sensation when it released last year: Writer Jo based the show on her own life, as well as doing a lot of research. The show chronicles the slow-burning romance between Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun), a health care worker living with her autistic brother, and Seo Ye-ji, a famous children’s book author with antisocial personality disorder. It’s cute, often quite funny, and was so popular in South Korea that it inspired a series of children’s books based on the work of the show’s fictional author. Stream It’s Okay to Not Be Okay on Netflix.
Lover (2023)
Janet (Roisin Gallagher) is an extremely eccentric, foul-mouthed supermarket employee. Seamus O’Hannigan (Jonny Flynn) is a very famous, but incredibly self-involved TV presenter with a good girlfriend. Given the title of this British comedy, you won’t be surprised to learn that the mismatched pair fall into lust almost immediately, with disinterested Janet pricking Seamus’ critical ego in a way that seems to work for him. The relationship is thorny, but the chemistry here is obvious. Stream Lover On Prime Video.
sex education (2019 – 2023)
There is a fair amount of sex on TV (which now largely comes from sexless movies), but it doesn’t equate to sex positivity. In this British comedy-drama, Asa Butterfield and Gillian Anderson play an insecure, shy teen named Otis and his mother, Jean, a frank and sometimes painfully honest sex therapist. When a school bully needs some sex-related advice, Otis gives some of the knowledge he gained from his mother, and eventually makes a name for himself at the school by selling his knowledge as expertise. It’s a funny and charmingly raunchy show that approaches sex with humor and positivity, and features a great will-they-or-don’t pairing of awkward Otis and the more fearless Maeve (Emma Mackie). Stream sex education On Netflix.
heated rivalry (2025- )
You’ve probably heard the buzz about it: Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Story) are professional ice hockey players who compete on rival teams, the Montreal Metros and the Boston Raiders. Even though their public relationship has been controversial for many years, the two develop a casual (at least initially) sexual relationship, which grows increasingly sweaty despite the snow. (If you want to limit your recommendations to shows more like Heated Rivalry, we’ve got a list for that too—as well as books, movies, and video games to look forward to.) Stream heated rivalry on hbo max.
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The end of the f***ing world (2017 – 2019)
In this highly unlikely, deeply dark romantic comedy, James (Alex Lawther) is a budding self-proclaimed psychopath who dreams of killing a person for the first time. He decides to pick up rebellious classmate Alyssa (Jessica Barden) and embark on a road trip across England with her to work on her good qualities first. The way he plans doesn’t work, not even in the slightest. You’ll finish the first season satisfied and convinced that a second season isn’t necessary, and then be surprised when the second manages to top it. Listen: Sickos can enjoy rom-coms, too. Stream The end of the f***ing world On Netflix.
nice place (2016 – 2020)
Not a rom-com, at least not primarily, but still a strong romantic throughline in the relationship between central characters Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristin Bell) and Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), who are both…dead. The show is based on an idyll run by Ted Danson’s immortal Michael, and Eleanor and Chidi are supposed to be soulmates – except that the rude, rude and selfish Eleanor was mistaken for another woman, and was assigned to the wrong place and as the wrong soulmate. To avoid disaster, the two must fake their love until it turns into something more real. Stream nice place on peacockprime videoand hulu.
Emily in Paris (2020- )
Lily Collins plays fake Emily Cooper, who moves to Paris and accidentally gets a temporary job at a glitzy French marketing firm. She doesn’t speak the language and doesn’t know the culture, but slowly manages to ingratiate herself with the locals while working and romancing Lucas Bravo’s Gabriel. The inspiration for the series is from creator Darren Star. sex and the CitySo her budding high-fashion sense and penchant for narrating the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw makes perfect sense. Stream Emily in Paris On Netflix.
modern love (2019 – 2021)
The theme of this series is, mostly, New York City – it’s a real anthology with rom-com leanings, with episodes dealing with dating apps, mental illness, romance between older couples, etc., each of which tells an entire story inspired by the New York Times column of the same name. Tina Fey, Julia Garner, Andrew Scott, Sophie Okonedo, Anne Hathaway, Dev Patel and Cristin Milioti are some of the actors who appeared in the show’s two seasons. If you’re tired of NYC, Prime also has five spin-offs in cities around the world (Hyderabad, Chennai, Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Mumbai). Stream modern love On Prime Video.
heart arrester (2022- )
Repressed passion is all well and good, but heart arrester This is the affirming high school/adult/odd teen love story we all need right now. While it never minimizes the dangers of homophobia, it similarly doesn’t wallow in tragedy. Kit Connor and Joe Locke deliver sensitive (and often very funny) performances in a show that makes almost everyone smile without hesitation. Stream heart arrester on netflix.
with love (2021 – 2023)
Last, but not least: Gloria Calderón Kellett (One day at a time) has created this series that follows four couples together, which makes excellent and very efficient use of your romantic-comedy screen time. At the center of the show is the large and close-knit Diaz family, led by Lily (Emeraude Toubia) and her brother Jorge (Mark Indelicato), each of whom faces romantic entanglements over the course of an entire year across each of the show’s two seasons, with each episode starting with an eventful Nochebuena holiday. Some stories impress more than others, but this sweet, funny show impresses more than it fails. Stream with love On Prime Video.
