Kristen Bell as Joanne and Adam Brody as Noah eat ice cream in the streets in Nobody Wants This
(Netflix)

10 best shows like ‘Nobody Wants This’ to keep us in a romantic mood

As we prepare for the coziness of autumn and winter, it’s the perfect time to watch a romantic series. Luckily, Netflix has us covered with its latest offering, Nobody Wants This.

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Nobody Wants This is an easy, sweet ride with enough edge provided by the writing and comedic side characters, making it the perfect series to kickstart the colder seasons as we start to hunker down, fetch our thick socks from the backs of our drawers, and finally shake off the dust from our crocheted blankets. However, if you have already binged the series and are looking for something else to get cozy with, you’ll need something else to watch. These are the 10 best shows like Nobody Wants This, ranked.

10. The Mindy Project

The Mindy Project, the staff of the clinic stand shivering in the cold on their balcony
(Fox)

Much like Nobody Wants This’ Joanne (Kristen Bell), The Mindy Project’s Mindy (Mindy Kaling) is a sexually open woman searching for her prince charming in a frog-filled lake. Mindy balances her professional life with her personal one, oftentimes unsuccessfully, as she wades through dating experience after dating experience. Though much more comedic, the show still focuses on growing as a person and learning through relationships.

9. Easy

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jake Johnson sitting on a couch in 'Easy' on Netflix
(Netflix)

This ensemble-led series looks at love and relationships on a broader spectrum, from dating singles to long-married couples and everything in between. With a stellar cast including Orlando Bloom, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Dave Franco, the show depicts modern relationships in a raw and honest way; it doesn’t shy away from the highs or the lows.

8. Up Here

Carlos Valdez and Mae Whitman in 'Up Here'
(Hulu)

A musical series starring Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdez, Up Here digs into what romance looks like when you have a bunch of voices inside your head confusing you—literally. The show focuses on Lindsay (Whitman) as she moves to New York to pursue her dream of being a writer and ends up meeting Miguel (Valdez). The pair want things to work, but the voices in their heads keep getting in the way. Up Here is a sweet series, and it’s a shame it was canceled after one season.

7. Heartstopper

Kit Connor as Nick Nelson and Joe Locke as Charlie Spring facing each other in Heartstopper
(Netflix)

Widely beloved, Heartstopper is a wonderful romance series that brings emotional depth and realism to our screens. The show follows two friends, Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor), as they realize their friendship is evolving into something more. It’s a story of love, identity, and friendship as the two characters navigate this new realm of their relationship during such a pivotal part of their lives.

6. Catastrophe

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney sitting on a beach in 'Catastrophe'
(Channel 4/Prime Video)

After a weeklong fling, the lives of Irish primary school teacher Sharon (Sharon Horgan) and American advertising executive Rob (Rob Delaney) are forever changed when Sharon discovers she is pregnant. The two try to navigate the situation with Rob moving to London, where he must acclimate to a new culture and relationship. The show is a down-to-earth look at what family is, and, as a bonus, it also stars the legendary Carrie Fisher.

5. The Good Place

Eleanor Kristen Bell Chidi The Good Place
(NBC)

If you love Kristen Bell and her witty, snarky attitude, then The Good Place is a must-see. The show follows a group of four people after they have died and arrived in the Good Place. The only issue is that Eleanor Shellstrop (Bell) knows she doesn’t belong there. She enlists the help of Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), a professor of moral philosophy, to help make her worthy of her final destination. The show has so many twists and turns, but one of the most wonderful aspects is this couple’s relationship and how they make each other better.

4. Master of None

A still from Master of None on Netflix. A couple walks through a park in the fall.
(Netflix)

If you like how Nobody Wants This shows how cultural identity can play a part in romance, then you should also check out Master of None. Dev Shah (Aziz Ansari) is a commercial actor trying to make his way in the industry while working on his personal and romantic life. The story, told through Dev’s experiences, is humorous and heartfelt, with moments of real emotion that are thought-provoking and moving.

3. Love Life

Anna Kendrick in Love Life
(HBO Max)

Starring Anna Kendrick as art lover Darby Carter, this anthology series doesn’t focus on one single relationship but how relationships define us as a person. From first loves to lasting love, Darby is influenced and grows from her relationships as she comes into her power as a woman. It’s an empowering and emotional journey that is bound to lift your spirits.

2. Love

Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust at the beach in 'Love'
(Netflix)

Another Netflix series, Love covers similar themes as Nobody Wants This. Created by an icon of the rom-com genre, Judd Apatow, along with Lesley Arfin and Paul Rust, the show follows two misfit characters, Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) and Gus (Rust), as they navigate the world of dating. The two carry a fair amount of emotional baggage, but both try to work through it and become better people together.

1. Fleabag

Fleabag and the "Hot Priest."
(Prime Video/BBC)

The British series Fleabag was groundbreaking for many reasons. Created by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag offers amazing insight into the complexities of relationships, including the ones we have with others and our relationships with ourselves. A major similarity that Fleabag and Nobody Wants This share is the relationship the agnostic Fleabag has with the Hot Priest in season 2 and how it mirrors the agnostic Joanne’s romance with Rabbi Noah.

What do you think of our list? Will you be watching some of these shows once you’ve finished Nobody Wants This?


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Author
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Laura Pollacco
Laura Pollacco (she/her) is a contributing writer here at The Mary Sue, having written for digital media since 2022 and has a keen interest in all things Marvel, Lord of the Rings, and anime. She has worked for various publications including We Got This Covered, but much of her work can be found gracing the pages of print and online publications in Japan, where she resides. Outside of writing she treads the boards as an actor, is a portrait and documentary photographer, and takes the little free time left to explore Japan.