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Shows that feel like Perfect Strangers (1986–1993)

If you loved Perfect Strangers, the closest series we have are Growing Pains (1985), Full House (1987) and New Girl (2011). All three share Perfect Strangers' witty and playful feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 12 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu and others, checked against today's data.

The chronicles of the rocky coexistence of midwestern American Larry Appleton and his distant cousin from eastern Mediterranean Europe, Balki Bartokomous.

7.2 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗8 seasons · ABCcreated by Dale McRavenwittyplayfulwarm

Not on subscription streaming right now. Rent or buy below.

Buy seasons:Amazon see price ↗Apple TV$14.99 buyPerfect Strangers, The Complete Series · Apple price as of 2026-08-29

If Perfect Strangers hit the spot, these will too

Growing Pains poster
Growing Pains
1985–1992 · 7 seasons · ABC
6.6comedy

Both keep coming back to the same thing: sitcom

The difference: Missing the warmth of Perfect Strangers

Fatherhood has taken on a whole new meaning for Jason Seaver, who has assumed the chores of cooking, cleaning and minding the kids so that his wife, Maggie, can pursue a career in journalism after spending 15 years as a housewife.

Feels alike?
Full House poster
Full House
1987–1995 · 8 seasons · ABC
6.8comedy · family

Common ground: friendship

The difference: Leans harder into family than Perfect Strangers does

After the death of his wife, Danny enlists his best friend and his brother-in-law to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle.

Feels alike?
New Girl poster
New Girl
2011–2018 · 7 seasons · FOX
7.8comedy

Both are built on the same subject: roommates

The difference: 25 years apart, and the 2010s show

Jessica Day is an offbeat and adorable girl in her late 20s who, after a bad breakup, moves in with three single guys. Goofy, positive, vulnerable and honest to a fault, Jess has faith in people, even when she shouldn't. Although she's dorky and awkward, she's comfortable in her own skin. More prone to friendships with women, she's not used to hanging with the boys—especially at home.

Feels alike?
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide poster
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
2004–2007 · 3 seasons · Nickelodeon
7.4comedy · kids

The same preoccupation in both: friendship

The difference: Sits closer to kids than Perfect Strangers does

The whacky adventures of Ned Bigby and his best pals Moze and Cookie at James K. Polk Middle School, as "every-kid" Ned shatters the fourth wall to share tips and tricks on navigating middle school or junior high hurdles. Ned's not super cool, and he has no superpowers. He is, however, witty, well-groomed, upbeat and self-aware. Moreover, with more than a little help from his two best friends, he's equipped to conquer middle school minefields. From crushing bullies to crushes, from off- the-wall, mean and cool teachers to pop quizzes, elections and detentions, Ned knows that nothing, including the seventh grade, is as bad as it seems, and friendship matters most.

Feels alike?
The King of Queens poster
The King of Queens
1998–2007 · 9 seasons · CBS
7.4comedy

One thread runs through both: sitcom

Life’s good for deliveryman Doug Heffernan, until his newly widowed father-in-law, Arthur, moves in with him and his wife Carrie. Doug is no longer the king of his domain, and instead of having a big screen television in his recently renovated basement, he now has a crazy old man.

Feels alike?
Married... with Children poster
Married... with Children
1987–1997 · 11 seasons · FOX
8.1comedy

Both keep coming back to the same thing: chicago, illinois

Al Bundy is an unsuccessful middle aged shoe salesman with a miserable life and an equally dysfunctional family. He hates his job, his wife is lazy, his son is dysfunctional (especially with women), and his daughter is dim-witted and promiscuous.

Feels alike?
El Chapulín Colorado poster
El Chapulín Colorado
1973–1979 · 7 seasons · Las Estrellas
8.5comedy · family

Both land wit and play at once

Feels alike?
The Office poster
The Office
2001–2002 · 2 seasons · BBC Two
8.5comedy

Comedy with a pulse of warmth, in both cases

Nightmare boss. Tedious colleagues. Pointless tasks. Welcome to Wernham Hogg. Fancy a tea break with David Brent? Classic comedy from the archive.

Feels alike?
Friends poster
Friends
1994–2004 · 10 seasons · NBC
8.8comedy

One thread runs through both: roommates

Six young people from New York City, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world, find the companionship, comfort and support they get from each other to be the perfect antidote to the pressures of life.

Feels alike?
Saved by the Bell poster
Saved by the Bell
1989–1993 · 4 seasons · NBC
7.1family · comedy

Comedy built on wit, twice over

Lovable schemer Zack Morris leads his pals on adventures at California's Bayside High School. The friends navigate relationships, final exams, school dances, breakups and more while frequently frustrating their principal, Mr. Richard Belding, who does his best to keep them in check.

Feels alike?
The Nanny poster
The Nanny
1993–1999 · 6 seasons · CBS
7.2comedy · family

Playful comedy in both cases

That flashy girl from Flushing with the heart of an angel (and the voice of a slighty more nasal angel). The comic misadventures of the sweet and sassy Fran Fine, her sophisticated employer, Broadway producer Mr. Sheffield, his boisterous brood and his wisecracking staff.

Feels alike?
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch poster
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996–2003 · 7 seasons · ABC
6.7comedy · family · sci-fi & fantasy

Both sit in the same warm register

On her sixteenth birthday, Sabrina Spellman discovers she has magical powers. She lives with her 600-year-old aunts Hilda and Zelda as well as talking cat Salem in the fictional town of Westbridge, Massachusetts.

Feels alike?

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The best-reviewed series that share Perfect Strangers’ defining feeling.