Best tv shows like Trying
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
All Nikki and Jason want is a baby—the one thing they can’t have. So they decide to adopt. With their dysfunctional friends, screwball families, and chaotic lives, will the adoption panel agree that they’re ready to be parents?.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: realistic, light, humorous, semi serious, entertaining, sitcom
Best tv shows and movies like Trying (2020):
Similar in 81%
2point4 Children (1991)
Plot Summary:
2point4 children is a 1990s British sitcom that was created and written by Andrew Marshall. It follows the lives of the Porter family; an average family that is persistently faced with surreal situations and sheer bad luck. The show was originally broadcast on BBC One from 1991 to 1999, and ran for eight series, ending in a special Millennium edition that would be the last due to the death of Gary Olsen, who died from cancer in 2000. The show is now repeated regularly in the UK on Gold, and in Australia on UKTV. The title of the show refers to the once average size of a UK family. There are two children in the Porter family, however Andrew Marshall has indicated that the father, Ben, could be considered almost another child, making up the "point four". The show regularly picked up large audiences of up to 14 million in the early 1990s, with an average of between 6 - 9 million, the final episode was viewed by 9.03 million people. In 1997 a remake of the show debuted in the Netherlands: 'Kees & Co' starring Simone Kleinsma.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 40 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, not serious
Similar in 88%
Fortysomething (2003)
Plot Summary:
Fortysomething is a 2003 British comedy-drama series, starring and directed by Hugh Laurie as Paul Slippery, a doctor facing a mid-life crisis. His wife Estelle is starting a new career as a headhunter. His three sons, Rory, a student at the fictitious University of Reigate, Daniel and Edwin, are sex-obsessed. Meanwhile, Paul appears to hear the inner thoughts of others. Other important characters include Paul's colleague and nemesis, Dr. Ronnie Pilfrey, and Estelle's new employer, Gwendolen Hartley. The series was written by Nigel Williams based on his 1999 novel of the same name. The six episodes of the series were broadcast on ITV. Although a ratings failure on first transmission, leading to it being moved to an off-peak timeslot midway through the run, the appearance of several actors who went on to greater fame has subsequently led the series to sell well on DVD.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, humorous, hilarious
Similar in 81%
House of Payne (2006)
Plot Summary:
Tyler Perry's House of Payne is an American comedy-drama television series created and produced by playwright, director, and producer Tyler Perry. The show revolved around a multi-generational family living under one roof in Atlanta led by patriarch Curtis Payne and his wife Ella. The show premiered in syndication on June 21, 2006, and new episodes were broadcast exclusively on TBS from June 6, 2007, until August 10, 2012. While primarily a comedy sitcom, House of Payne was known for featuring dark themes and subject matter, such as substance abuse and addiction. It also had elements of slapstick. The storyline of the show is serialized, with many references to past episodes, creating a continuing story arc. House of Payne aired more episodes than any other television series with a predominantly African American cast, surpassing The Jeffersons, Family Matters and The Cosby Show.
IMDB Rating: 3.5
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, entertaining, light, feel good, realistic, not serious
Similar in 86%
Roger & Val Have Just Got In (2010)
Plot Summary:
Roger & Val Have Just Got In is a British sitcom that stars Dawn French and Alfred Molina playing married couple Roger and Val Stevenson. The show premiered on BBC Two on 6 August 2010 and six episodes were broadcast for the first series. The show was created by Dawn French, directed by Jamie Rafn, and written by Beth Kilcoyne and Emma Kilcoyne. Each episode is set in the half hour after Roger and Val arrive home from work. Episodes play out in real time with no laughter track. The deeper issues in the couple's lives are often underplayed by being glossed over in conversation. The longing for escape is a trait prevalent in both characters' personalities. Episode by episode, the series gradually permits the viewer an insight into the reality of Roger and Val's life. Underneath the mundane middle aged couple's daily routine, the viewer becomes aware of a real heartache which both characters avoid talking about but which has altered their life fundamentally: the death of their infant son Christopher. The screenwriters include subtle hints in regard to Roger and Val's heartache - a photo of Val holding a baby, for example - rather than introduce the topic directly. Over the series the viewer slowly realises that both Roger and Val's lives have been devastated.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 401
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 29 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, light, feel good, entertaining, sitcom, sincere, realistic, talky
Similar in 76%
Father Figure (2013)
Plot Summary:
Father Figure is a British comedy television series that was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 September 2013. In Ireland the series first aired on RTÉ Two in September 2013. The six-part series was written by Jason Byrne and directed by Nick Wood.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 84
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: funny, light, feel good, humorous, captivating, entertaining, sitcom
Similar in 85%
Still Open All Hours (2013)
Plot Summary:
Still Open All Hours is a sitcom set in a grocer's shop. It is a sequel to the series Open All Hours, written by original series writer Roy Clarke and featuring several of the permanent cast members of the original series.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, light, feel good, captivating, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 85%
Gavin & Stacey (2007)
Plot Summary:
Gavin is an ordinary boy from Billericay, Essex. Stacey is an ordinary girl from Barry Island, South Wales. They’ve spoken on the phone every day at work for months but they’ve never actually met… until now.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 29 min
Plot tags: sitcom, sentimental, feel good, semi serious, touching, humorous, realistic, captivating, dark comedy, clever
Similar in 83%
Notes from the Underbelly (2007)
Plot Summary:
Notes from the Underbelly is an American sitcom that debuted on ABC as a midseason replacement. The series is based upon the novel of the same name by Risa Green, and is produced by Eric and Kim Tannenbaum for Warner Bros. Television. The title is a parody of Dostoevsky's novel Notes from Underground. Originally, it was supposed to debut on October 5, 2006, along with Big Day, but ABC made a last-minute change in its schedule by moving Ugly Betty to Thursday, thus replacing both sitcoms. After numerous scheduling changes prior to the shows premiere, the show premiered Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 10:00PM Eastern/9:00PM Central, and moved to its regular Wednesday timeslot at 8:30PM Eastern/7:30PM Central on April 18. Notes from the Underbelly began its second season on November 26, 2007 in the new timeslot of 9:30PM Eastern/8:30PM Central on Mondays, leading out of fall's second highest rated freshman sitcom, Samantha Who?. On May 13, 2008, ABC opted not to renew the series for a third season. In Russia, all 23 episodes of the series were shown on NTV.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 632
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, light, captivating, feel good, entertaining, sentimental, sincere, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 83%
Pete versus Life (2010)
Plot Summary:
Pete versus Life is a Channel 4 sitcom created by George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore. It stars Rafe Spall and the first episode was aired on 6 August 2010. It was recommissioned for a second series after averaging 1.6 million viewers and a young demographic during its first run, and series two started airing on 21 October 2011.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 891
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, surreal, not serious, light, feel good, captivating, dark comedy, offbeat, realistic
Similar in 89%
Breeders (2020)
Plot Summary:
Breeders exposes the parental-paradox that it is possible, in the very same moment, to love your child to the horizon of the universe, while being apoplectically angry enough to want to send them there.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: funny, humorous, light, sweet, ironic, dark comedy
Similar in 83%
Back (2017)
Plot Summary:
Estranged foster-brothers Stephen and Andrew vie to take over the family business following the death of their father.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: humorous, entertaining, light, sitcom, funny, controversial
Similar in 86%
Honest (2008)
Plot Summary:
Honest is a British comedy-drama series that aired on ITV in 2008. The series is a remake of the New Zealand series Outrageous Fortune, written by James Griffin and Rachel Lang, that first aired in 2005. The programme stars Amanda Redman as Lindsay Carter, a mother of four who decides that her criminal family is going to change its ways after her husband is sent to prison. Honest also stars Danny Webb, Sean Pertwee and Camille Coduri.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 246
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: realistic, humorous, semi serious, captivating
Similar in 87%
Love Life (2012)
Plot Summary:
A story set in a blue collar world, about love, romance, family, and babies. When a man returns from his travels abroad he is shocked to discover that his ex-girlfriend and love of his life is carrying another man's baby.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 76
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration:
Plot tags: light, romantic, humorous, captivating, entertaining
Similar in 86%
Last Tango in Halifax (2012)
Plot Summary:
Celia and Alan are both widowed and in their seventies. When their respective grandsons put their details on Facebook, they rediscover a passionate relationship that started over sixty years ago.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, realistic, humorous, semi serious, sitcom, crime drama, light hearted, alternative comedy
Similar in 88%
Life Begins (2004)
Plot Summary:
Life Begins is a British television drama first broadcast on ITV between February 2004 and October 2006, starring Caroline Quentin and Alexander Armstrong, Anne Reid and Frank Finlay.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 255
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, captivating, sitcom
Similar in 82%
In with the Flynns (2011)
Plot Summary:
In with the Flynns is a British sitcom created by Caryn Mandabach, produced by Caryn Mandabach Productions, and broadcast by the BBC. The first series began broadcast on 8 June 2011 for six episodes on BBC One and in high definition on BBC One HD in the United Kingdom. It is an adaptation of the American series Grounded for Life. Set in Manchester in northern England, the series stars Will Mellor as Liam Flynn, Niky Wardley as his wife Caroline, and Nadine Rose Mulkerrin, Daniel Rogers, and Lorenzo Rodriguez as their children, Chloe, Steve, and Mikey. Other characters include Liam's brother Tommy and Liam and Tommy's father Jim. Originally given the working title of Meet the Doyles, this was changed during production. The theme song is "For Anyone" by the band Beady Eye. On 22 December 2011, Will Mellor confirmed in an interview that the show had been given a second series, which was filmed and broadcast in 2012. Taping took place at the new MediaCityUK in Salford and the second series, of six episodes, began on BBC One on 17 August 2012. On 30 October 2012, it was reported that BBC One had cancelled In With The Flynns.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 204
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, feel good, light, captivating, realistic, not serious
Similar in 82%
Starlings (2012)
Plot Summary:
Starlings is a British comedy-drama written by Steve Edge and Matt King who also play the roles of Fergie and Uncle Loz. It is one of the few new television comedy series that has been commissioned and aired on Sky1.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 388
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, touching, realistic, light, feel good
Similar in 82%
Sensitive Skin (2005)
Plot Summary:
Bittersweet comedy about a 61-year-old former model trying to cope with life in London.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 317
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 29 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, humorous, sincere, clever, realistic, witty, semi serious
Similar in 89%
Outnumbered (2007)
Plot Summary:
Partly-improvised sitcom looking at the trials and tribulations of bringing up three young children - a regal five-year-old girl with a talent for interrogation, a seven-year-old boy who could fib for Britain and an 11-year-old who is gearing up for his scary first day at secondary school.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, semi serious, realistic, sentimental, touching, light, sincere, feel good, melancholic
Similar in 85%
NY-LON (2004)
Plot Summary:
Michael and Edie are worlds apart. He's a Londoner, a city high flyer; she's a New Yorker, immersed in the indie music scene. One chance look, one coincidence in a million, and both their worlds are changed forever. Can you have a relationship when you are 3000 miles apart, from completely different backgrounds, and separated by a common language? A transatlantic cast comes together to tell this story of long distance love, the story of Edie, Michael, their friends, their worlds.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 513
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 65 min
Plot tags: sentimental, humorous, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 76%
Love Soup (2005)
Plot Summary:
Bittersweet comedy drama about the eternal search for the perfect partner.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 565
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 59 min
Plot tags: sentimental, humorous, realistic, captivating, sincere, feel good, semi serious, sitcom
Similar in 90%
Free Agents (2009)
Plot Summary:
Free Agents is a romantic black comedy starring Stephen Mangan, Sharon Horgan and Anthony Head. Originally a pilot for Channel 4 in November 2007, the series began on 13 February 2009. It spawned a short lived US remake, which was cancelled after just 4 episodes aired, although 4 more were later released on Hulu.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 396
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 22 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, witty, talky, sitcom, dark comedy, hilarious, fast
Similar in 88%
Moving Wallpaper (2008)
Plot Summary:
Moving Wallpaper is a British satirical comedy-drama television series set in a TV production unit. It ran on ITV for two series in 2008–2009. The subject of the first series was the production of a soap called Echo Beach, each episode of which aired directly after the Moving Wallpaper episode about its production. The second series was based around the production of a "zombie show" called Renaissance. Ben Miller confirmed in May 2009 on his Twitter account that no further series will be made. The title, "Moving Wallpaper", is a disparaging term applied to uninspiring TV shows, or to television in general, referring to the perception that modern television viewers are "mindless absorbers of images", as if staring at wallpaper.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 311
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: semi serious, clever, humorous, realistic, witty, talky
Similar in 78%
Lapland (2011)
Plot Summary:
Recently widowed Eileen Lewis,son Pete and his wife Mandy and daughter Paula with her spouse Ray,plus the grandchildren, leave Birkenhead to spend Christmas in Lapland.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 125
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 75 min
Plot tags: sentimental, humorous, captivating, light, entertaining, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 84%
Pramface (2012)
Plot Summary:
Pramface is a BBC Three television comedy series starring Scarlett Alice Johnson, Sean Michael Verey, Ben Crompton, Bronagh Gallagher, Anna Chancellor and Angus Deayton. Written by Chris Reddy and produced by BBC/Little Comet, the six-part first series commenced transmission on 23 February 2012. The second series began on 8 January 2013, with the first episode 60 minutes long, as a special, and the remainder of the series consisted of the usual 30 minute episodes. The second series concluded on 19 February 2013. A third series was confirmed on 29 April 2013.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration:
Plot tags: sitcom, semi serious, humorous, realistic, sentimental, feel good, melancholic, exciting
Similar in 89%
Motherland (2016)
Plot Summary:
Sitcom about navigating the trials and traumas of middle-class motherhood, looking at the competitive and unromantic side of parenting.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: funny, sitcom, entertaining, light, feel good, not serious, captivating
Similar in 90%
Life of Riley (2009)
Plot Summary:
Life of Riley is a British comedy television series, shown on BBC One and BBC HD. The show stars Caroline Quentin and Neil Dudgeon, who are recently married, and is set around their dysfunctional family. The show also features the couple's four children, Danny, Katy, Ted, and Rosie. After three series it was confirmed that the show had been cancelled.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 282
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, light, funny, feel good, captivating, entertaining, realistic, not serious
Similar in 79%
The Kennedys (2015)
Plot Summary:
Multi-generation family sitcom set in the 1970s, loosely based on Emma Kennedy's memoirs. The Kennedy family pursue every opportunity they can to climb the social ladder on their housing estate.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 736
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: feel good, humorous, captivating, entertaining, satirical, sitcom, semi serious, hilarious
Similar in 89%
Yes, Dear (2000)
Plot Summary:
A comedy about two young couples and their outrageously contrasting views on parenting. Greg and Kim Warner struggle on a daily basis to become perfect at the job. Kim is a neurotic, stay-at-home mother, and although her husband, Greg, is a success in his career, his more difficult job is keeping his wife calm as they raise their two young children. While Kim is determined to be the perfect mother and perfect wife and to raise the perfect children, her sister, Christine Hughes, a very down-to-earth mother of two, continually reminds her that life will never be perfect. Christine's husband, Jimmy, often feels compelled to share with his brother-in-law his philosophy about being a husband and a parent while still remaining a man.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: sitcom, humorous, realistic, not serious, entertaining, funny, light, feel good, captivating, game show
Similar in 78%
In the Motherhood (2009)
Plot Summary:
Rosemary, Jane and Emily try to juggle motherhood, work, friendships and love lives in an overly complicated modern world.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 238
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, sitcom, feel good, funny, light, entertaining