Best tv shows like The '70s
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Four friends, fresh from tragedy at Kent Sate, graduate from college and begin their adult lives during the turbulent 1970s. But Dexter (Guy Torry), Eileen (Vinessa Shaw), Byron (Brad Rowe) and Christie (Amy Smart) find their paths are heading in different directions. Namely, toward the Black Panthers, the feminist movement, the Watergate Scandal and the Hustle. Peter Werner directs this poignant television miniseries originally aired on NBC.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 671
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 170 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, semi serious, sincere, clever, realistic, talky
Best tv shows and movies like The '70s (2000):
Similar in 87%
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1989)
Plot Summary:
Jessica's extraordinarily strong will and heart enables her to rebel against her fanatical, cult-like upbringing. From seven to seventeen Jess is brainwashed to be one of the 'saved', to devote her life to Jesus, to follow the discriminatory teachings of Pastor Finch and his understanding of Revelations. As her warm personality dictates she succeeds in fitting into this regime and spreads the word of Jesus in a fairly content manner. But when her friendship with Melanie develops into something a little more 'unnatural' she easily realizes the error of the Pastors teachings. The girls are subjected to terrible treatment to convince them to repent.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 165 min
Plot tags: controversial, clever, humorous, realistic, witty, talky, semi serious, biting, suspense, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (1976)
Plot Summary:
The European equivalent of "The Return of the Secaucus 7," this Swiss film looks at the lives of several men and women in their 30s as they confront the slim gains of the "revolutionary" sixties. Max, a dissatisfied copy editor; Myriam, a redhead into tantric sex; and Marie, a supermarket checker who gives unauthorized discounts to the elderly, search for renewed meaning on a communal farm. The title character, a six-year-old child, is the carrier of their hopes for the future.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Switzerland, France
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: talky, thought provoking, clever, humorous, realistic, experimental, contemplative, semi serious, light, sexy
Similar in 80%
Brides of Christ (1991)
Plot Summary:
Diane, a young woman growing up in Australia in the mid 1960s, walks away from her fiancé to join a convent after being sure she has a calling to the faith. The Catholic Church and its followers are struggling with huge changes. The Pope has died, there is war in Vietnam and mandatory conscription, there is the Vatican controversy on abortion and contraception, and the changing face of the Church as a whole. Told in six parts, Diane faces her own demons and has to finally decide if she can teach what the Church preaches, or if it's simply impossible for her to reconcile all the contradictions of the faith and uphold her vow of obedience.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 690
Genere: Drama
Country: Australia, UK, Ireland
Duration:
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic
Similar in 84%
Gigantic (2010)
Plot Summary:
A half-hour dramedy that takes a fictional look at the glitzy, chaotic and often hilarious life of being a Hollywood "it" kid. Set in the world of the Hollywood elite packed with A-list parties and privilege, it tells a coming-of-age story infused with pop culture fame. It's not easy being teenagers growing up in the shadow of their parents' superstar status, and "Gigantic" skewers the celebrity machine while exposing the humanity and comedy beneath the glamour of Tinseltown. With an insider look behind the tabloids and gossip blogs, it features an ensemble cast that includes: 17-year-old Anna (Grace Gummer) and her younger brother Walt (Tony Oller), both kids of a famous movie star couple; their best friends Piper (Jolene Purdy) and Finn (Malcolm Kelley); frenemy Vanessa (Gia Mantegna) and Anna's boy crush with a big secret Joey (Ryan Rottman).
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 297
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, captivating, light, sincere, offbeat, witty
Similar in 80%
Bad Spelling (2004)
Plot Summary:
At a French boarding school for troubled youth in the early 1970's, the Headmaster and his wife decide that their son Daniel, who is fifteen years old but looks younger, should finally go live in the dorm with all the other students, as they do not want it to seem Daniel is receiving any special treatment. Daniel is now faced with the challenge of earning the trust and respect of the other students, who all come from troubled backgrounds.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 394
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, sincere, captivating, sexual, humorous, sexy
Similar in 81%
The Village (2019)
Plot Summary:
Welcome to the Village, an apartment building in Brooklyn that appears like any other from the outside but is quite unique inside. The people who reside here have built a bonded family of friends and neighbors.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 89%
Ten Benny (1995)
Plot Summary:
The story of a young shoe salesman whose overestimation of his own sharpness leads to gambling debts, pissed-off loan sharks, and overall misery.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 408
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: independent film, psychological, clever, serious, realistic, contemplative, talky, gloomy
Similar in 82%
Resurrection Blvd. (2000)
Plot Summary:
The Santiagos are a proud East Los Angeles Latino family whose hopes and dreams are rooted in the world of professional boxing.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 229
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sentimental, rough, serious, emotional, crime drama, realistic, hispanic
Similar in 85%
The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979)
Plot Summary:
The Kids of Degrassi Street is a Canadian children's TV show that aired from 1979 to 1986, and is the first in the Degrassi series, about the lives of a group of children living on Degrassi Street in Toronto, Canada. It grew out of four short films: Ida Makes a Movie, Cookie Goes to the Hospital, Irene Moves In and Noel Buys a Suit, which originally aired as after-school specials on CBC Television in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively. The show was acclaimed for its realistic depiction of every day children's lives and tribulations, and remains memorable to many Canadians because of this. Kids of Degrassi Street featured many of the same actors who would later appear on Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, including Stacie Mistysyn, Neil Hope, Anais Granofsky, Sarah Charlesworth and others. However, their character names and families were different, so this series cannot technically be seen as an immediate precursor to the later shows.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 414
Genere: Family, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 87%
Berkeley Square (1998)
Plot Summary:
Three young women from very different backgrounds meet, become friends and share experiences when they all gain positions as nannies in the wealthy households of London's exclusive Berkeley Square.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: period piece, costume drama, historical drama, sentimental, clever, touching, serious, realistic, period drama
Similar in 87%
Lilies (2007)
Plot Summary:
Lilies is a British period-drama television series, written by Heidi Thomas, which ran for one eight-episode series in early 2007 on BBC One. The show's tagline was "Liverpool, 1920. Three girls on the edge of womanhood, a world on the brink of change." Due to lower than expected ratings, the BBC did not commission a second series.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 801
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, sincere, retro, period piece, historical drama, sexual, sexy, period drama
Similar in 89%
Venice the Series (2009)
Plot Summary:
Venice: The Series is a web series co-produced by and starring American actress Crystal Chappell, and is inspired in part by the "Otalia" storyline on the daytime drama Guiding Light. The series has been broadcast since 2009, and is currently in its fourth season. Venice is described by Chappell as "a show about families, and life, and all the simplicity of it, and the turmoil of it. We're going to be following a character named Gina who is a designer, and she is a gay woman.".
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 862
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 65 min
Plot tags: emotional, realistic, touching, sentimental, sincere, serious, soap opera
Similar in 79%
The '60s (1999)
Plot Summary:
The Herlihys are a working class family from Chicago whose three children take wildly divergent paths: Brian joins the Marines right out of High School and goes to Vietnam.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 172 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 89%
Summerland (2004)
Plot Summary:
Summerland is an American drama television series created by Stephen Tolkin and Lori Loughlin. It is centered on a clothing designer in her 30s, Ava Gregory, raising her niece and nephews after their parents die in a tragic accident. They live in Summerland, California with three of Ava's friends who also help raise the kids. Summerland premiered on June 1, 2004 on the defunct television network The WB. The series ran for a total of 26 episodes over two seasons. Its cancellation was announced on May 15, 2005 and the last episode aired on July 18, 2005. A soundtrack was released on March 19, 2005 and the show has been syndicated in many countries. Entertainment One announced The Complete series on DVD.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, sincere, emotional, realistic
Similar in 75%
Quarterlife (2007)
Plot Summary:
A group of twenty-something artists are coming of age in the digital generation.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 420
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: sincere, serious, emotional, realistic, captivating, gloomy
Similar in 84%
Welcome to Reality (2011)
Plot Summary:
This dramatic series follows a group of troubled Mexican teens in their last year of school, coping with such challenges as drug abuse and sexual identity. In other words, growing up.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 77
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, captivating, psychological, sentimental, sincere, telenovela
Similar in 87%
From There to Here (2014)
Plot Summary:
Created by Peter Bowker, From There To Here is set in the aftermath of the 1996 Arndale bombing and follows Daniel Cotton, a Manchester family man who is torn between the life he wants and the life he could have. The story spans the four years that changed Manchester and the country forever; from Footballs Coming Home in 1996, to New Labour sweeping to power in 1997, and finally to the hangover after the Millennium celebrations of 2000. Against the feel-good backdrop of Euro 96, it maps the emotional shockwaves generated by that bomb in the lives of two parallel families from different sides of the tracks.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 575
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, touching, captivating, realistic
Similar in 75%
Max & Lenny (2014)
Plot Summary:
Max and Lenny is the story of a friendship between two girls fighting for survival in a northern area of Marseille.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 51
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 76%
The Best Years (2007)
Plot Summary:
The Best Years is a Canadian teen drama series set in Boston, Massachusetts. The series was created by producer and writer of Degrassi: The Next Generation, Aaron Martin. The first season was shown on Global in Canada and The N in the United States. The second season was shown in the U.S. on The N and in Canada on E!, CanWest's secondary network.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, sincere, touching, sexual, sexy
Similar in 85%
A Reason to Believe (1995)
Plot Summary:
Sorority gal Charlotte's innocence is lost after she is raped during a frat party. Confused, terrified and shunned by her peers, she finds solace and the courage to confront her attacker after she is befriended by the leader of a campus women's group.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 331
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: independent film, sincere, thought provoking, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, disturbing, sexual, sexy
Similar in 89%
Soul Food (2000)
Plot Summary:
Soul Food: The Series is a television drama that aired Wednesday nights on Showtime from June 28, 2000 to May 26, 2004. Created by filmmaker George Tillman, Jr. and developed for television by Felicia D. Henderson, Soul Food is based upon Tillman's childhood experiences growing up in Wisconsin, and is a continuation of his successful 1997 film of the same name. Having aired for 74 episodes, it is the longest running drama with a predominantly black cast in the history of North American prime-time television.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: sentimental, humorous, semi serious, sincere, touching, realistic, talky, sitcom, black cinema
Similar in 86%
I Just Want My Pants Back (2012)
Plot Summary:
I Just Want My Pants Back is an American comedy-drama that premiered with a special sneak peek on August 28, 2011 on MTV, with the series airing the new episodes beginning on February 2, 2012. The series is based on David J. Rosen's 2007 novel of the same name. On May 16, 2012, MTV cancelled the series.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 992
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, light, feel good
Similar in 82%
Underemployed (2012)
Plot Summary:
Five friends learn to deal with the harsh realities of life after college.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 40 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, captivating, light, realistic, independent film
Similar in 79%
The Women of Brewster Place (1989)
Plot Summary:
A multigenerational story of the lives of several black women who call an inner-city tenement home.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 178 min
Plot tags: retro, sincere, touching, serious, realistic, black cinema
Similar in 90%
Any Day Now (1998)
Plot Summary:
Any Day Now is an American drama series that aired on the Lifetime network from 1998 to 2002. The show stars Annie Potts and Lorraine Toussaint, who are best friends despite the difference in their races. The show's title is taken from the 1962 Chuck Jackson song "Any Day Now", which was later covered by Ronnie Milsap in 1982. A version performed by Lori Perry served as the show's theme song.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 88%
Face (2002)
Plot Summary:
Genie, a Chinese-American teenager, develops feelings for a charming African-American DJ, but her grandmother forbids their romance forcing Genie to choose between family and love.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 350
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, emotional, sentimental, serious, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 87%
State of Grace (2001)
Plot Summary:
State of Grace is an American comedy-drama series that ran for two seasons on the Fox Network's Fox Family channel during 2001 and 2002.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 741
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, humorous, semi serious, retro, sitcom, realistic
Similar in 80%
Sex and the USA (2008)
Plot Summary:
Thirteen year old Audrey Shaw is new to Bellweather, California and certain shell never fit in when she meets Krista Rich, the pretty, popular girl she aspires to be "or be with" shes just not sure. In a conservative California town, 14-year-old Audrey is new to Bellweather, California and certain shell never fit in when she meets Krista Rich, the pretty, popular girl she aspires to be "or be with" shes just not sure. Blending traditional filmmaking with social networking-inspired video clips, director Jan Wellmann paints a portrait of puberty and the hyperconnected lives of modern teens.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 96
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, sexual, mockumentary, sexy
Similar in 85%
Swimming (2000)
Plot Summary:
Two girl friends in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina find their relationship changing as they encounter new arrivals to the town.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 943
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, touching, humorous, realistic, semi serious, independent film
Similar in 81%
Just a Dream (2002)
Plot Summary:
Film crew arrives in a small town in Nevada desert. Ends up changing the life of a 12-year-old kid and a friend of his, a movie lover.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 367
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: feel good, humorous, semi serious, sentimental, touching, realistic