Best tv shows like Ellen
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Ellen is an American television sitcom that aired on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, consisting of 109 episodes. The title role of Ellen Morgan, played by stand-up comedian Ellen DeGeneres, was a neurotic bookstore owner in her thirties. The series centered on Ellen's dealing with her quirky friends, her family and the problems of daily life. The series is notable for being the first one in which the main character came out as gay, which DeGeneres' character did in the 1997 episode "Puppy Episode". This event received a great deal of media exposure, ignited controversy, and prompted ABC to place a parental advisory at the beginning of each episode. The series' theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas. A running gag was that each episode had a distinct opening credits sequence, resulting from Ellen's ongoing search for the perfect opening credits.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, game show, hilarious, clever, offbeat, humorous, realistic, witty, controversial, talky
Best tv shows and movies like Ellen (1994):
Similar in 77%
The Ellen Show (2001)
Plot Summary:
The Ellen Show is a television sitcom starring Ellen DeGeneres that was broadcast during the 2001–2002 season on CBS. It was DeGeneres's second attempt at a sitcom, following Ellen on ABC, but it was unable to attract strong ratings and was quickly cancelled. After coming out as a lesbian on her first sitcom, DeGeneres's character on The Ellen Show, Ellen Richmond, was also a lesbian, although the show did not focus as heavily on the character's sexuality as did the final season of her first sitcom. The Ellen Show also starred Cloris Leachman, Martin Mull, Kerri Kenney, Jim Gaffigan and Emily Rutherfurd.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, realistic, sitcom
Similar in 76%
Caroline in the City (1995)
Plot Summary:
Caroline in the City is an American situation comedy that ran on the NBC television network. It stars Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy, who lives in Manhattan in New York City. The series premiered on September 21, 1995 in the "Must See TV" Thursday night block after Seinfeld. The show ran for 97 episodes over four seasons, before it was cancelled; its final episode was broadcast on April 26, 1999.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, witty, semi serious, biting, sexual, black comedy, dark comedy, sexy
Similar in 79%
Grace Under Fire (1993)
Plot Summary:
Grace Under Fire is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 29, 1993 to February 17, 1998. The show starred Brett Butler, as a single mother learning how to cope with raising her three children alone after finally divorcing her no-good husband. The series was created by Chuck Lorre and produced by Carsey-Werner Productions. Grace Under Fire was the highest rated new comedy of the 1993–1994 season.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, semi serious, touching, witty, hilarious, offbeat, realistic
Similar in 89%
My Boys (2006)
Plot Summary:
My Boys is an American television sitcom that debuted on November 28, 2006, on TBS. The show deals with a female sports columnist in Chicago, Illinois and the men in her life including her brother and her best friend. The show was canceled by TBS on September 14, 2010, making the fourth season finale, broadcast two days prior, the series finale.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, witty, semi serious
Similar in 82%
Love & War (1992)
Plot Summary:
Love & War is an American television sitcom, which aired on CBS from September 21, 1992 to February 1, 1995. Created by Diane English, the series originally starred Susan Dey as Wally Porter, a Chicago restaurateur, and Jay Thomas as Jack Stein, a sportswriter with whom she had an on-again, off-again romance. After the first season, however, the show was retooled and Dey was fired by the producers of the show, claiming that she and Thomas had "no chemistry" together. She was replaced by Annie Potts as Dana Palladino, who bought Porter's restaurant and also became a love interest for Jack. The first season also featured moments when Jack or Wally would break the fourth wall and address the camera directly, generally using it as an opportunity to discuss an emotional crisis. This mechanic was dropped in later seasons. One episode featured a guest appearance from Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David as themselves, they did this as a "thank you" to creator Diane English for allowing a brief scene on Murphy Brown in an episode of Seinfeld where Kramer is cast as the titular character's secretary. The show's supporting cast included Suzie Plakson, Joanna Gleason, Joel Murray, Charles Robinson and Michael Nouri. John Hancock, who had a recurring role as a judge on L.A. Law with Susan Dey previously, portrayed bartender Ike for the first half of season one, until he died of a heart attack in late 1992. His death was subsequently written into the series and he was replaced by actor Charlie Robinson.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 246
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, sentimental, feel good, humorous, realistic, witty, talky, semi serious
Similar in 85%
A to Z (2014)
Plot Summary:
The story follows the lives of Andrew, an employee at an internet dating site who dreams of meeting the girl of his dreams, and Zelda, a no-nonsense lawyer who was raised by a hippie mother and carries a rebellious streak. By an accidental chance of fate, Zelda meets Andrew to resolve a mismatch dating dispute and these two single people suddenly find themselves falling for each other.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, light, entertaining, offbeat, semi serious, situational comedy
Similar in 79%
Pulling (2006)
Plot Summary:
Pulling is a BBC comedy series, produced by Silver River Productions and broadcast on BBC Three, about three single female friends who live in Penge, south-east London. It was co-written by Sharon Horgan and Dennis Kelly and stars Sharon Horgan as Donna, Tanya Franks as Karen, Rebekah Staton as Louise and Cavan Clerkin as Karl. Pulling was the last comedy show developed by Harry Thompson before his death. The first series of six episodes was first shown in 2006 on BBC Three, then repeated on BBC Two in early 2008. A second six-episode series of Pulling aired on BBC Three from 23 March to 27 April 2008 and a final one-hour episode aired on BBC Three on 17 May 2009. In Australia, series one and two was first aired back-to-back on ABC2 each Thursday at 10pm from 5 March 2009 although the final one-hour episode is yet to be screened by the network. Repeats have been screening on rotation through UKTV. In 2007, the series was BAFTA nominated for Best Situation Comedy while Horgan won a British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Actress in 2008. In the same year, it was announced that Pulling had been cancelled by BBC Three.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, witty, semi serious, sitcom, dark comedy
Similar in 85%
The Class (2006)
Plot Summary:
A group of 20-somethings are linked through attending the same third-grade class. An impromptu reunion begins on the 20th anniversary of the day they all met and each is wondering if they'll have anything in common. Some are eager to show off, some want to rekindle old playground crushes, but most just want to satisfy their curiosity.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, semi serious, light, funny, sexual, sexy
Similar in 80%
'Til Death (2006)
Plot Summary:
A comedy about the triumphs and tribulations of marriage and friendship from very different perspectives. It's about the funny – and sometimes annoying – things that happen between husbands, wives, parents, children, neighbors and friends day after day after day. The show focuses on Eddie and Joy Stark, a couple married for 23 years who live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 21 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, feel good, realistic, witty, not serious, funny, hilarious, black comedy
Similar in 84%
The New Normal (2012)
Plot Summary:
The New Normal was an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 10, 2012, to April 2, 2013. The series was created and principally written by Ryan Murphy and Ali Adler. The storyline follows a wealthy homosexual couple, Bryan and David, who are living in Los Angeles. Deciding to have a child, they choose a surrogate mother, Goldie Clemmons, who moves in to their home with her nine-year-old daughter Shania.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, not serious, captivating, exciting, realistic, fast, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Two Guys and a Girl (1998)
Plot Summary:
Two Guys and a Girl is an American sitcom created by Kenny Schwartz and Danny Jacobson. It ran on ABC from March 10, 1998, to May 16, 2001. Eighty-one episodes were aired over four seasons. The series stars Ryan Reynolds, Traylor Howard and Richard Ruccolo as the primary characters. The second season saw the arrival of two recurring characters, Johnny Donnelly and Ashley Walker. ABC bounced the sitcom from midweek to Friday night, leading to a steep drop in ratings. After the show moved back to Wednesday to try to revive the show's flagging support for a two-week trial, the plug was pulled, and the series was cancelled in May 2001. The series finale was titled "The Internet Show", an hour-long episode in which the fans of the show voted on the outcome online. In the end, they chose to have Ashley become pregnant with Pete's child, as opposed to either of the other two female characters, or nobody, becoming pregnant.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, funny, atmospheric, cult classic, hilarious, sensitive, humorous, realistic, not serious
Similar in 88%
Kiss Me, Guido (1997)
Plot Summary:
When he discovers his girlfriend having sex with his brother, Frankie (Scotti) decides to head to Manhattan, leaving his Bronx pizza shop forever for the fame and fortune of show business. But before stardom, he needs a place to stay. Looking in the personals, he notices GWM. And thinking it "Guy with Money," he heads to the Village and the apartment of gay actor Warren (Barrile), who's in desperate need of this month's rent.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: clever, humorous, talky, offbeat, feel good, realistic, witty, semi serious, funny, light
Similar in 84%
Happy Endings (2011)
Plot Summary:
Happy Endings is an American television sitcom that ran on ABC from April 13, 2011 to May 3, 2013. The show follows the dysfunctional adventures of six best friends living in Chicago.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, not serious, touching, light, funny, hilarious, romantic comedy, exciting
Similar in 82%
Heading Out (2013)
Plot Summary:
Heading Out is a British sitcom created by and starring comedian Sue Perkins. It was first broadcast on BBC Two on 26 February 2013. Heading Out tells the story of Sara, a veterinarian who is given an ultimatum by her friends to tell her parents that she is gay. Perkins had the idea for the sitcom for around ten years, before she developed the confidence to write it. Heading Out was commissioned for a full series in April 2012 and production began in September. The show was not commissioned for a second series.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 340
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration:
Plot tags: sitcom, sincere, humorous, witty, not serious, realistic, queer cinema
Similar in 87%
Love or Whatever (2012)
Plot Summary:
Corey had it all - a successful career, bags of charm and, most of all, a bright future with his boyfriend. But, when his other half commits the ultimate betrayal and dumps him for a woman, he embarks upon a wild journey of self-discovery. Soon, he meets a potentially perfect new guy but first he needs to make some life-changing choices. Sexy and genuinely funny (including a hilarious star turn from The Brady Bunch's Jennifer Elise Cox), Love or Whatever is the freshest, funniest gay comedy around.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 743
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: humorous, touching, realistic, semi serious, light, feel good, offbeat, queer cinema
Similar in 84%
Mango Kiss (2004)
Plot Summary:
"Mango Kiss" is a story about Lou whose world turns upside-down when she falls in love with her best friend Sassafras. They journey to San Francisco and stumble into the wild world of role-playing and non-monogamous S/M dykes. Comedy ensues as these wholesome girls get in over their heads.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 460
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: semi serious, humorous, realistic, sexy, independent film, sexual, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Men at Work (2012)
Plot Summary:
Men at Work is an American comedy series that airs on TBS. The series was created by Breckin Meyer and stars Danny Masterson, Michael Cassidy, Adam Busch, James Lesure and Meredith Hagner. The series premiered on May 24, 2012 at 10 pm. TBS second season premiered on April 4, 2013 with another 10 episode season.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, light, feel good, captivating, hilarious, realistic, not serious, interesting
Similar in 78%
Happily Divorced (2011)
Plot Summary:
Happily Divorced is an American sitcom created by Fran Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson. Inspired by their experiences, the series, which became TV Land's third original scripted series following Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35, ran from June 15, 2011, to February 13, 2013, and revolves around a Los Angeles florist who finds out her husband of 18 years is gay. Happily Divorced was canceled on August 23, 2013.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, not serious, realistic, talky, game show
Similar in 89%
Partners (2012)
Plot Summary:
Partners is an American comedy series that aired on CBS from September 24 to November 12, 2012, on Monday nights at 8:30 pm, following the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The series was created by Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, who also served as the show's executive producers and it stars Michael Urie, David Krumholtz, Sophia Bush, and Brandon Routh.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, not serious, feel good, realistic, queer cinema
Similar in 85%
Will & Grace (1998)
Plot Summary:
Will Truman and Grace Adler are best friends living in New York, and when Grace's engagement falls apart, she moves in with Will. Together, along with their friends, they go through the trials of dating, sex, relationships and their careers, butting heads at times but ultimately supporting one another while exchanging plenty of witty banter along the way.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 59000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, feel good, realistic, stylized, witty, talky, semi serious, light, hilarious
Similar in 85%
Mad Love (2011)
Plot Summary:
Mad Love is an American television series that aired on CBS from February 14 to May 16, 2011. The sitcom was planned as a mid-season replacement during the 2010–11 television season. On May 15, 2011, Mad Love was officially cancelled by CBS.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, not serious, melancholic, sincere, touching, captivating, sweet, romantic comedy
Similar in 76%
100 Questions (2010)
Plot Summary:
100 Questions is an American situation comedy series which premiered on NBC on May 27, 2010. In May 2009 the network announced that the show would debut midseason in March 2010 on Tuesday nights at 9:30 pm, after NBC's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics was completed. However the show was later pushed back to debut on May 27, 2010, with the episode order reduced from thirteen to six. 100 Questions is produced by Universal Media Studios, with executive producers Christopher Moynihan, Kelly Kulchak, Ron West, and Michelle Nader. The cancellation of 100 Questions was announced on July 8, 2010.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 867
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, sincere, feel good, not serious, light, captivating, realistic, witty
Similar in 90%
Mixology (2013)
Plot Summary:
One bar. One night. Ten single people. Welcome to Mix, a high-end bar in Manhattan's trendy meatpacking district. These are the exploits of singles, five guys and five girls, in search of love - all over the course of one night.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 21 min
Plot tags: sitcom, realistic, talky, sexy, humorous, semi serious, feel good, entertaining, light, captivating
Similar in 76%
Exes & Ohs (2007)
Plot Summary:
Exes & Ohs is an American and Canadian cable TV series that was launched on Logo on October 8, 2007, and Showcase in Canada. The show centres around the dating life of Jennifer, a lesbian documentary filmmaker with a vivid fantasy life and a floundering career. Jennifer is looking for Ms. Right but must navigate the rules of lesbian dating life, most of which she learns the hard way. Fortunately, her friends are there to help: Sam, a sexy commitment-phobe who flips women faster than real estate; Chris and Kris, a lesbian couple expanding both their pet accessory business and their family; and Crutch, a young musician who wants to be taken seriously but still has some growing up to do. The series is based on the short film The Ten Rules: A Lesbian Survival Guide, created and written by Michelle Paradise, and directed by Lee Friedlander. It is shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada but is set in Seattle. The show's second season was pushed back various times. AfterEllen.com stated that it would not premiere until 2010. It was later set to premiere on June 29, 2011.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 487
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: touching, humorous, realistic, witty, semi serious, sexy, sexual, queer cinema
Similar in 88%
Coupling (2003)
Plot Summary:
Coupling is a 2003 American remake of the British television sitcom of the same title, which aired on NBC.
IMDB Rating: 3.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, sexy, realistic, witty, sitcom, biting, sexual, suspense
Similar in 84%
Mad About You (1992)
Plot Summary:
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show stars Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist. Near the end of the show's run, the couple had a baby daughter, whom they named Mabel. The series focuses mainly on the newlyweds while they dealt with everything from humorous daily minutiae to major struggles. The show's willingness to find comedy in realistic situations and observational dialogue garnered it comparisons to Seinfeld, another NBC comedy about thirty-somethings in New York City. Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser were paid $1 million per episode for the last season. However, ratings fell sharply that year as the series was shuffled away from its Tuesday slot to prop up a fledgling Monday night line-up of comedies on NBC. The final episode of the series was "The Final Frontier". The show's theme song, "Final Frontier", was composed by Reiser and Don Was. The theme was originally performed by Andrew Gold, but a version performed by Anita Baker made its debut midway through the 1997 season. Baker's version was used for the rest of the show's run and appears on the show's soundtrack album. Gold's version is available on the collection Thank You for Being a Friend: The Best of Andrew Gold.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: sitcom, witty, touching, humorous, realistic, slapstick, semi serious, romantic comedy, vintage
Similar in 77%
Living Single (1993)
Plot Summary:
Living Single is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone. Throughout its run, Living Single became one of the most popular African-American sitcoms of its era, ranking among the top five in African-American ratings in all five seasons. The series was produced by Yvette Lee Bowser's company, Sister Lee, in association with Warner Bros. Television. In contrast to the popularity of NBC's "Must See TV" on Thursday nights in the 1990s, many African American and Latino viewers flocked to Fox's Thursday night line-up of Martin, Living Single, and New York Undercover. In fact, these were the three highest-rated series among black households for the 1996–1997 season.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, semi serious, black cinema
Similar in 76%
Designing Women (1986)
Plot Summary:
Designing Women is an American television sitcom that centered on the working and personal lives of four Southern women and one man in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by head writer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, who wrote many of the episodes in the show's initial seasons. As of 2011, the series currently airs in syndication on the Comedy Gold and TVGN channels.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, witty, sexy, feel good, humorous, realistic, semi serious, talky, vintage
Similar in 86%
New Girl (2011)
Plot Summary:
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.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 241000
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: feel good, light, sitcom, buddy comedy, captivating, humorous, talky, entertaining, hilarious, funny
Similar in 75%
Girlfriends (2000)
Plot Summary:
Girlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008. The final episode aired on February 11, 2008. When Girlfriends returned in fall 2007 for its eighth season, it became the longest-running live-action sitcom on network television that was on air that year, as well as one of the highest-rated scripted shows on television among African American adults and women 18-34, including its spin-off The Game.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, sentimental, realistic, semi serious, captivating, light, sincere, feel good, entertaining