Best tv shows like Freaks and Geeks
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
High school mathlete Lindsay Weir rebels and begins hanging out with a crowd of burnouts (the "freaks"), while her brother Sam Weir navigates a different part of the social universe with his nerdy friends (the "geeks").
IMDB Rating: 8.8
IMDB Votes: 151000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: humorous, light, semi serious, sitcom, dark comedy, teen, captivating, retro, cliffhanger, funny
Best tv shows and movies like Freaks and Geeks (1999):
Similar in 85%
The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1992)
Plot Summary:
The Adventures of Pete & Pete is an American children's television series produced by Wellsville Pictures and broadcast by Nickelodeon. The show featured humorous and surreal elements in its narrative, and many recurring themes centered on two brothers both named Pete Wrigley, and their various interactions with family, friends, and enemies. The show was created by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi and began as minute-long shorts in 1989 that aired in between regular programs. Owing to the popularity of the shorts, five half-hour specials were made, followed by a regular half-hour series that ran for three seasons and continued in reruns until around 1999. The N aired reruns of the show between 2002–2003. The first two seasons were released on DVD in 2005; the third was planned for 2006 but was indefinitely postponed. Jason Ankeny of Allmusic called the series "the greatest children's show ever," while IGN called it "One of the most well-written kids shows ever.".
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, offbeat, humorous, surreal, witty, not serious, mad, cult film
Similar in 79%
Dead Like Me (2003)
Plot Summary:
Dead Like Me follows a group of undead grim reapers tasked with shepherding the recently departed into the afterlife.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: witty, sentimental, black comedy, cynical, humorous, contemplative, semi serious, offbeat, dark comedy, gothic
Similar in 75%
Party of Five (1994)
Plot Summary:
Following his parents' tragic death, 24-year-old Charlie Salinger is back at home – and in over his head – as his siblings' legal guardian. Together, Charlie, 16-year-old Bailey, 15-year-old Julia and 11-year-old Claudia share the responsibility of taking care of 11-month-old Owen. Through it all, as they learn to run their parents' restaurant, manage disastrous relationships and school problems.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: touching, realistic, sentimental, serious, teen, gloomy, vintage
Similar in 86%
Life Unexpected (2010)
Plot Summary:
Life Unexpected is a coming-of-age family drama that centers around 16-year-old Lux, who was given up for adoption at birth but never adopted. When she is put back into the custody of her estranged-since-high-school birth parents, Cate and Baze, the three form an unlikely family.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sentimental, feel good, semi serious, touching, humorous, sincere, captivating, teen, realistic, teen comedy
Similar in 81%
My So-Called Life (1994)
Plot Summary:
The life of a 15 year-old high school student, whose angst-ridden journey through adolescence, friendship, parents, and life teaches her what it means to grow up.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 912 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, serious, emotional, realistic, talky, teen, romantic, anime, clever
Similar in 83%
Glee (2009)
Plot Summary:
Glee is an American teen musical comedy-drama television series that airs on the Fox network in the United States. It focuses on the reconstituted William McKinley High School glee club, New Directions, which competes on the show choir competition circuit while its disparate members deal with relationships, sexuality, social issues, and learning to become an effective team.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 154000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music, Musical
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: feel good, stylized, humorous, witty, semi serious, teen, suspense, funny, light, offbeat
Similar in 76%
Summer Heights High (2007)
Plot Summary:
The life of a public school epitomized by disobedient student Jonah Takalua, self-absorbed private school exchange student Ja'mie King, and megalomaniac drama teacher Mr. G.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family, Musical, Romance
Country: Australia
Duration: 227 min
Plot tags: mockumentary, sitcom, captivating, realistic, humorous, disturbing, funny, art house, parody, not serious
Similar in 89%
The Wonder Years (1988)
Plot Summary:
The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988, following ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII. The show achieved a spot in the Nielsen Top Thirty for four of its six seasons. TV Guide named the show one of the 20 best of the 1980s. After only six episodes aired, The Wonder Years won an Emmy for best comedy series in 1988. In addition, at age 13, Fred Savage became the youngest actor ever nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor for a Comedy Series. The show was also awarded a Peabody Award in 1989, for pushing the boundaries of the sitcom format and using new modes of storytelling. The series won 22 awards and was nominated for 54 more. In 1997, "My Father's Office" was ranked #29 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time, and in the 2009 revised list the pilot episode was ranked #43. The TV show is named after the band, The Wonder Years.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: touching, sitcom, sentimental, feel good, humorous, semi serious, realistic, atmospheric, sweet, sensitive
Similar in 77%
Fresh Meat (2011)
Plot Summary:
A group of six students about to embark on the most exciting period of their lives so far: university!.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, semi serious, feel good, light, entertaining, erotic, dark comedy, sensual, realistic
Similar in 83%
That '70s Show (1998)
Plot Summary:
Crank up the 8-track and flash back to a time when platform shoes and puka shells were all the rage in this hilarious retro-sitcom. For Eric, Kelso, Jackie, Hyde, Donna and Fez, a group of high school teens who spend most of their time hanging out in Eric’s basement, life in the ‘70s isn’t always so groovy. But between trying to figure out the meaning of life, avoiding their parents, and dealing with out-of-control hormones, they’ve learned one thing for sure: they’ll always get by with a little help from their friends.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 187000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, sentimental, realistic, not serious, funny, mystical, parody, light, atmospheric
Similar in 90%
Red Oaks (2014)
Plot Summary:
A coming-of-age comedy set in the "go-go" 80s that is equal parts hijinks and heartfelt about a college student enjoying a last hurrah before summer comes to an end--and the future begins. David Myers, an assistant tennis pro at the Red Oaks Country Club in suburban New Jersey in 1985, is both reeling from his father's heart attack and conflicted about what major to declare in the fall. While there, he meets a colorful cast of misfit co-workers and wealthy club members including an alluring art student named Skye and her corporate raider father Getty.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: light, sincere, feel good, humorous, captivating, semi serious, erotic, period piece, sensual, dark drama
Similar in 80%
Skins (2011)
Plot Summary:
A wild ride through the lives of a group of high school friends stumbling through the mine field of adolescence... and stepping on most of the mines as they go.
IMDB Rating: 3.8
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Canada, UK
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: realistic, sincere, sexy, touching, semi serious, sexual, sex comedy, teen, controversial
Similar in 86%
Awkward. (2011)
Plot Summary:
An irreverent look at the conflict, chaos and humor that defines teenage life through the eyes of 15-year-old Jenna Hamilton whose life begins to change when a simple accident becomes an epic misunderstanding and is blown way out of proportion. Narration in the first-person voice of Jenna's blog posts captures the humor within the struggles and experiences everyone can relate to from their formative years.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: humorous, light, realistic, sitcom, teen, funny, romantic, captivating, entertaining, independent film
Similar in 87%
The O.C. (2003)
Plot Summary:
The series centers on Ryan Atwood, a troubled youth from a broken home who is adopted by the wealthy and philanthropic Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. Ryan and his surrogate brother Seth, a socially awkward yet quick-witted teenager, deal with life as outsiders in the high-class world of Newport Beach. Ryan and Seth spend much time navigating their relationships with girl-next-door Marissa Cooper, Seth's childhood crush Summer Roberts, and the fast-talking loner Taylor Townsend. Story lines deal with the culture clash between the idealistic Cohen family and the shallow, materialistic, and closed-minded community in which they reside. The series includes elements of postmodernism, and functions as a mixture of melodrama and comedy.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 95000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: touching, soap opera, witty, teen, exciting, entertaining, sad, anime, serious, realistic
Similar in 77%
Everything Sucks! (2018)
Plot Summary:
It's 1996 in a town called Boring, Oregon, where high school misfits in the AV and drama clubs brave the ups and downs of teenage emotions in the VHS era.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: touching, humorous, stylized, cult classic, colorful, light, queer cinema, colourful
Similar in 83%
Skins (2007)
Plot Summary:
Irreverent comedy drama which follows the messy lives, loves, delirious highs and inevitable lows of a group of raucous teenage friends in Bristol.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 91000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 46 min
Plot tags: captivating, cynical, realistic, semi serious, teen, sexy, erotic, dark, controversial, sexual
Similar in 81%
Scrubs (2001)
Plot Summary:
In the unreal world of Sacred Heart Hospital, John "J.D" Dorian learns the ways of medicine, friendship and life.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 267000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, medical drama, witty, sincere, surreal, funny, feel good, captivating, hilarious
Similar in 76%
Daria (1997)
Plot Summary:
Daria Morgendorffer lives with her stressed-out, career-fixated parents, Helen and Jake, and her relentlessly cute and popular little sister, Quinn. Daria and her fellow outcast and best friend, Jane Lane, attend Lawndale High School where they are surrounded by shallow and stupid people. With her sharp intellect —and even sharper tongue—Daria dissected anyone she deemed superficial, which is just about everyone.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: clever, adult cartoon, witty, cynical, adult animation, intellectual, humorous, semi serious, gothic, anime
Similar in 86%
Gilmore Girls (2000)
Plot Summary:
Set in the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, the series follows the captivating lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother/daughter pair who have a relationship most people only dream of.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 143000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: realistic, feel good, humorous, witty, talky, semi serious, light, satirical, deep, comedy drama
Similar in 84%
Ghost World (2001)
Plot Summary:
Two quirky, cynical teenaged girls try to figure out what to do with their lives after high school graduation. After they play a prank on an eccentric, middle aged record collector, one of them befriends him, which causes a rift in the girls' friendship.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 125000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA, UK, Germany
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: black comedy, thought provoking, independent film, melancholic, teen, realistic, cult classic, atmospheric, indie film, humorous
Similar in 87%
Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
Plot Summary:
An unattractive 7th grader struggles to cope with suburban life as the middle child with un-attentive parents and bullies at school.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: dark comedy, disturbing, realistic, depressing, black comedy, brutal, controversial, cult classic, teen, talky
Similar in 85%
Terri (2011)
Plot Summary:
Terri, a pajama-clad, disaffected high school student learns how to engage the world with the help of Mr. Fitzgerald, his assistant principal.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: melancholic, compassionate, mumblecore, clever, thought provoking, sweet, surreal, visually appealing, sex comedy, comedy drama
Similar in 90%
Boy Meets World (1993)
Plot Summary:
Boy Meets World is an American television sitcom that chronicles the coming of age events and everyday life-lessons of Cory Matthews, a Philadelphian who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the network's TGIF lineup. The entire series has been released on DVD, as well as on iTunes.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, feel good, semi serious, touching, sweet, teen comedy, nostalgic
Similar in 88%
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Plot Summary:
The adventures of a group of Texas teens on their last day of school in 1976, centering on student Randall Floyd, who moves easily among stoners, jocks and geeks. Floyd is a star athlete, but he also likes smoking weed, which presents a conundrum when his football coach demands he sign a "no drugs" pledge.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 196000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: feel good, talky, teen, sentimental, cult classic, realistic, funny, melancholic, semi serious, touching
Similar in 88%
My Mad Fat Diary (2013)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1996 in Lincolnshire, the show tells the tragic and humorous story of a very troubled young girl Rae, who has just left a psychiatric hospital, where she has spent four months after attempting suicide, begins to reconnect with her best friend Chloe and her group, who are unaware of Rae's mental health and body image problems, believing she was in France for the past four months.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 47 min
Plot tags: touching, sincere, sentimental, emotional, semi serious, dark comedy, funny, controversial, sitcom, light hearted
Similar in 90%
Lucas (1986)
Plot Summary:
A socially inept fourteen year old experiences heartbreak for the first time when his two best friends -- Cappie, an older-brother figure, and Maggie, the new girl with whom he is in love -- fall for each other.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: touching, feel good, epic, entertaining, colorful, semi serious, hilarious, sentimental, realistic, humorous
Similar in 85%
The Inbetweeners (2008)
Plot Summary:
Welcome to a world of futile crushes, sibling brawls, getting drunk too quickly and casting constant aspersions about your friends' sexuality.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 93000
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK, North Korea, Russia, China
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, witty, semi serious, black comedy, realistic, funny, dark comedy, sexual, erotic
Similar in 82%
Say Anything... (1989)
Plot Summary:
A budding romance between noble underachiever Lloyd Dobler and high school valedictorian Diane Court is threatened when Diane's overly possessive, disapproving father interferes with their relationship. With a prized scholarship to study abroad hanging in the balance, Diane must find a way to make both men happy.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 95000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: feel good, sweet, light, romantic, teen, romantic comedy, humorous, sentimental, cult classic, touching
Similar in 82%
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Plot Summary:
Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 428000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: teen, talky, feel good, realistic, cult classic, humorous, semi serious, funny, inspirational, sincere
Similar in 79%
Flipped (2010)
Plot Summary:
When Juli meets Bryce in the second grade, she knows it's true love. After spending six years trying to convince Bryce the same, she's ready to give up - until he starts to reconsider.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 96000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: touching, sweet, feel good, romantic, emotional, sentimental, realistic, romantic comedy, teen, cute