feelsalike.comSign in

Shows that feel like Rescue Me (2004–2011)

If you loved Rescue Me, the closest series we have are True Blood (2008), Chicago Fire (2012) and Six Feet Under (2001). All three share Rescue Me's contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 12 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, HBO Max and Hulu and others, checked against today's data.

The aftermath of 9/11 has left the firefighters of the NYFD traumatized, and no one more so than Tommy Gavin. Recently separated from his wife and their three kids, Tommy drifts between sorrow and anger as he tries to shake the recurring nightmares of his fallen comrades, especially his late cousin, Jimmy Keefe. Working alongside veterans like Lt. “Lou” Shea, Franco Rivera and Sean Garrity, and rookie Mike Lombardi, Tommy battles alcohol and drugs as he struggles to remain first and foremost a New York City firefighter.

8.3 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗7 seasons · FXcreated by Peter Tolancontemplativedarkly funny
Buy seasons:Amazon see price ↗Apple TV$9.99 buyRescue Me: The Complete Series · Apple price as of 2026-09-08

If Rescue Me hit the spot, these will too

True Blood poster
True Blood
2008–2014 · 7 seasons · HBO
7.9sci-fi & fantasy · drama · mystery

Both are working the same pair: dark comedy, ghost

The difference: Sits closer to sci-fi & fantasy than Rescue Me does

Thanks to a Japanese scientist's invention of synthetic blood, vampires have progressed overnight from legendary monsters to fellow citizens. And while humans have been safely removed from the menu, many remain apprehensive about these creatures "coming out of the coffin." Religious leaders, government officials, and vampire fundamentalists around the world have chosen their sides. But in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the jury is still out.

Chicago Fire poster
Chicago Fire
2012– · 15 seasons · NBC
8drama

The same two preoccupations: fire brigade, and firefighter

The difference: Not nearly as darkly funny as Rescue Me

An edge-of-your-seat view into the lives of everyday heroes committed to one of America's noblest professions. For the firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51, no occupation is more stressful or dangerous, yet so rewarding and exhilarating. These courageous men and women are among the elite who forge headfirst into danger when everyone else is running the other way and whose actions make the difference between life and death.

Six Feet Under poster
Six Feet Under
2001–2005 · 5 seasons · HBO
8.7drama

One thread runs through both: dark comedy

When death is your business, what is your life? For the Fisher family, the world outside of their family-owned funeral home continues to be at least as challenging as—and far less predictable than—the one inside.

Weeds poster
Weeds
2005–2012 · 8 seasons · Showtime
7.9comedy · crime · drama

Both land stillness and dark humor at once

The difference: Leans harder into comedy than Rescue Me does

After the unexpected death of her husband, a suburban mom resorts to selling weed to support her family.

Russian Doll poster
Russian Doll
2019–2022 · 2 seasons · Netflix
7.7comedy · drama

Drama built on stillness, twice over

Nadia keeps dying and reliving her 36th birthday party. She's trapped in a surreal time loop -- and staring down the barrel of her own mortality.

The Gentlemen poster
The Gentlemen
2024– · 2 seasons · Netflix
8comedy · drama · crime

Darkly funny drama, and it commits to that

The difference: 20 years apart, and the 2020s show

When aristocratic Eddie inherits the family estate, he discovers that it's home to an enormous weed empire — and its proprietors aren't going anywhere.

Arrested Development poster
Arrested Development
2003–2019 · 5 seasons · FOX
8.6comedy

Both lean on dark humor more than on drama

The story of a wealthy family that lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together.

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

Contemporaries, and it shows

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

Barry poster
Barry
2018–2023 · 4 seasons · HBO
8.3comedy · crime · drama

The shared currency is stillness

A hit man from the Midwest moves to Los Angeles and gets caught up in the city's theatre arts scene.

BoJack Horseman poster
BoJack Horseman
2014–2020 · 6 seasons · Netflix
8.8animation · comedy · drama

The same preoccupation in both: alcoholism

Meet the most beloved sitcom horse of the '90s , 20 years later. He's a curmudgeon with a heart of...not quite gold...but something like gold. Copper?

Maniac poster
Maniac
2018 · 1 season · Netflix
7.6comedy · drama · sci-fi & fantasy

Both play drama straight

Two strangers are drawn to a mysterious pharmaceutical trial that will, they're assured, with no complications or side-effects whatsoever, solve all of their problems, permanently. Things do not go as planned.

Fargo poster
Fargo
2014– · 5 seasons · FX
8.8crime · drama

The drama is handled with the same confidence

A close-knit anthology series dealing with stories involving malice, violence and murder based in and around Minnesota.

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative shows →

The best-reviewed series that share Rescue Me’s defining feeling.