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Shameless poster

Shows that feel likeShameless (2011–2021)

Chicagoan Frank Gallagher is the proud single dad of six smart, industrious, independent kids, who without him would be... perhaps better off. When Frank's not at the bar spending what little money they have, he's passed out on the floor. But the kids have found ways to grow up in spite of him. They may not be like any family you know, but they make no apologies for being exactly who they are.

If you loved Shameless, the closest series we have are Drake & Josh (2004), The Middle (2009) and Californication (2007). All three share Shameless' witty and playful feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Flight of the Conchords (2007).

★ 8.5 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗11 seasons · Showtimecreated by Paul Abbottcontemplativewittyplayful
12 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video
Stream it:Netflix ↗

If Shameless hit the spot, these will too

Drake & Josh poster
Drake & Josh
2004–2007 · 4 seasons · Nickelodeon
★ 7.7comedyNetflixParamount+

A household where the adults are barely adults

The difference: A kids' sitcom — nothing is ever actually at risk

Fifteen-year-old Drake and Josh are schoolmates, but not close friends. Drake views Josh as weird and a bit of a goof. So, imagine Drake's shock when he finds out that this "goof" is about to become his new step-brother and roommate when his mother marries Josh's father. A spin off of The Amanda Show.

The Middle poster
The Middle
2009–2018 · 9 seasons · ABC
★ 7.7comedyPrime VideoPeacock

A family scraping by, with jokes as the coping mechanism

The difference: Network-gentle; poverty as inconvenience, not emergency

The daily mishaps of a married woman and her semi-dysfunctional family and their attempts to survive life in general in the city of Orson, Indiana.

Californication poster
Californication
2007–2014 · 7 seasons · Showtime
★ 8.3comedy · dramaParamount+

A charming addict wrecking his life while the people who love him absorb it

The difference: One man's mess in sunny LA, not a whole household scraping by

A self-loathing, alcoholic writer attempts to repair his damaged relationships with his daughter and her mother while combating sex addiction, a budding drug problem, and the seeming inability to avoid making bad decisions.

Succession poster
Succession
2018–2023 · 4 seasons · HBO
★ 8.8drama · comedyMax

Siblings sharpened by a father who is the disaster at the centre of their lives

The difference: Corporate boardrooms and wealth — the cruelty is verbal, never scrappy

Follow the lives of the Roy family as they contemplate their future once their aging father begins to step back from the media and entertainment conglomerate they control.

Community poster
Community
2009–2015 · 6 seasons · NBC
★ 8.5comedyHuluPeacock

A found family of misfits who are each other's only support

The difference: Community college and meta jokes, with no real stakes

Follow the lives of a group of students at what is possibly the world’s worst community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado.

Modern Family poster
Modern Family
2009–2020 · 11 seasons · ABC
★ 8.5comedyHuluPeacock

Witty and playful in the same breath

The difference: Easier on the stillness than Shameless

The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.

The Office poster
The Office
2005–2013 · 9 seasons · NBC
★ 9comedyPeacock

An ensemble you come to love despite their behaviour

The difference: A workplace, and nobody's life is falling apart

The everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

Silicon Valley poster
Silicon Valley
2014–2019 · 6 seasons · HBO
★ 8.5comedyMax

Comedy built on wit, twice over

In the high-tech gold rush of modern Silicon Valley, the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. Partially inspired by Mike Judge’s own experiences as a Silicon Valley engineer in the late ‘80s, Silicon Valley is an American sitcom that centers around six programmers who are living together and trying to make it big in the Silicon Valley.

The House of Flowers poster
The House of Flowers
2018–2020 · 3 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.5drama · comedyNetflix

A family papering over disaster with performance and outrageous nerve

The difference: Telenovela gloss and money instead of a household with nothing to lose

A wealthy matriarch tries to maintain her family's facade of perfection after her husband's mistress exposes their dirty secrets.

Flight of the Conchords poster
Flight of the Conchords
2007–2009 · 2 seasons · HBO
★ 8.5comedyMax

Both lean on play more than on drama

The trials and tribulations of a two man, digi-folk band who have moved from New Zealand to New York City in the hope of forging a successful music career. So far they've managed to find a manager (whose "other" job is at the New Zealand Consulate), one fan (a married obsessive) and one friend (who owns the local pawn shop) -- but not much else.

New Girl poster
New Girl
2011–2018 · 7 seasons · FOX
★ 7.8comedyHuluPeacock

Comedy with a pulse of wit, in both cases

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.

Two and a Half Men poster
Two and a Half Men
2003–2015 · 12 seasons · CBS
★ 7.1comedyPeacock

A charming reprobate and the household absorbing him

The difference: Multi-cam punchlines, and wealth instead of hardship

A hedonistic jingle writer's free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house.

In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed series that share Shameless’ defining feeling.