After six seasons, Schitt’s Creek aired its final episodes in 2020, giving fans the most satisfyingly triumphant, heartfelt conclusion possible. Still, even when beloved shows end well, they leave a hole in your heart that’s not easy to fill, and while the misadventures of the Rose family are pretty timeless and fun to rewatch, if you’re looking to expand your TV horizons, look no further.
While no other show may ever do exactly what Schitt’s Creek did, there are plenty of other series out there that will remind you of the things that made you fall in love with the Roses, their kooky town, and its even kookier inhabitants. Whether you’re looking for another sitcom about a chaotic family, or one with three-dimensional LGBTQ+ characters, or just something that serves up smart, fast-paced comedy, we very well might just have the show for you.
Looking for more recommendations of what to watch next? We have a ton of them! And if you’re looking for more hand-picked recommendations based on shows you love, we have those too.
Arrested Development
Where to watch: Netflix
Jason Bateman and David Cross, Arrested Development
If what you really miss about Schitt’s Creek is watching rich people attempt to adjust to living like the normals, allow Arrested Development to fill that void. The sitcom, which originally premiered on Fox in 2003 before making a Netflix comeback in 2013, follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy family who have their way of life thrown into turmoil after their real estate developer father (Jeffrey Tambor) goes to prison for committing white collar crime. Arrested Development was, as they say, the blueprint; the influence of its reality TV-inspired filming style, its clever, deadpan jokes, and its oblivious, eccentric characters can be seen in many of the comedies that have come after it, including Schitt’s Creek. To put it plainly, Moira Rose (Catherine O’Hara) might not exist if the hard-drinking, judgmental Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter) hadn’t paved the way for her, and for that, we must give thanks.
Awkwafina is Nora From Queens
Where to watch: HBO Max
Awkwafina, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens
“I can’t even roll a joint right,” Nora (Awkwafina) tells her grandmother (Lori Tan Chinn) as they sit together in the kitchen, making dumplings. “Maybe your talent isn’t in your fingers,” Grandma replies. “Maybe it’s somewhere else.” That little exchange, which takes place amid a ridiculously funny episode about Nora’s dad (B.D. Wong) accidentally posting a half-nude photo on Instagram, is a perfect example of why Nora From Queens is such a special little gem of a show. Much like Schitt’s Creek, it centers around the daily life of a quirky family living together in a small neighborhood. Nora, its young protagonist, is constantly failing upwards as she simply tries to figure out what, exactly, her purpose in life is. It’s full of truly silly episodes, like the one where Grandma tells Nora the story of how she met and married her husband in the style of a Korean drama, but at the heart of it are three characters who unconditionally love and believe in each other. If your favorite thing about Schitt’s was the support David (Dan Levy) and Alexis received from their parents, you’ll be warmed by the way Grandma constantly encourages Nora to continue on, even as she struggles to get her life together.
Please Like Me
Where to watch: Hulu
Josh Thomas, Please Like Me
Dan Levy once said that the reason homophobia was virtually nonexistent in Schitt’s Creek was because, “If you put something like that out of the equation, you’re saying that doesn’t exist and shouldn’t exist.” The compassion put into developing David and Patrick’s (Noah Reid) arcs as fully realized queer men was a major reason Schitt’s Creek touched as many people as it did, and if you’re looking for another show that shares that sensibility, Please Like Me is an ideal watch. Created, co-written, and occasionally directed by its star Josh Thomas, the Australian dramedy follows Josh (played by Thomas), a listless twenty-something who, shortly after being dumped by his girlfriend and subsequently realizing he’s gay, moves back home to care for his depressed mother (Debra Lawrance). The series is lovably awkward, deeply affecting, and wholly lived-in, but one of its most notable qualities is the way it allows Josh to come out with little fanfare, his friends and family accepting him without a second thought. Yes, they’re a gang of self-involved, codependent oddballs, but they function as a strong support system nonetheless. Josh may not know what direction his adult life is headed in, but at least he has a solid group in his corner.
Santa Clarita Diet
Where to watch: Netflix
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, Santa Clarita Diet
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant star in this horror comedy about a family whose quiet life is permanently disrupted after Sheila (Barrymore) becomes undead and starts thirsting after the blood of humans. If you’re someone who’s immediately turned off by the word “zombie,” believe me when I say I hear you, I see you, but Santa Clarita Diet is not a show you should dismiss right away. It’s not the type to show us grisly murders (though there is a lot of too-campy-to-be-scary blood) or braindead daywalkers being shot in the head, instead exploring how to mine even the darkest situations for big laughs and how the most absurd circumstances can bring a family closer together. It even manages to breathe new life (sorry) into an overdone genre, forcing the audience to think about things they probably have never considered, like whether or not it’s okay for a zombie to eat a Nazi, since Nazis are famously bad. While it’s much weirder than Schitt’s Creek, it’s worth your time.
Kim’s Convenience
Where to watch: Netflix
Kim’s Convenience
Canada really knows their way around a sitcom, huh? Following a Korean-Canadian family who own and operate a convenience store, Kim’s Convenience is a true screwball comedy that is as great as it is not only because of its takes on immigrant family life but also thanks to the bonds between its characters. The show understands how complicated parent-children relationships can be, even (or especially) when you love each other, which is what makes Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), the traditional and stubborn patriarch, slowly begin to mend his relationship with his estranged son Jung (Simu Liu), or Janet (Andrea Bang) trying to pave her own way as a young, independent woman without upsetting her mother (Jean Yung) so lovely to watch. It’s the kind of show that feels like a hug.
Great News
Where to watch: Netflix
Briga Heelan and Andrea Martin, Great News
Great News asks a question many of us would rather do just about anything else than think about: What if you had to work with your mom? That’s the situation Katie (Briga Heelan), the undervalued producer of a local news show, finds herself in when her overbearing mother, Carol (played to perfection by Andrea Martin), becomes her intern. Created by Tracey Wigfield and executive produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, what Great News and Schitt’s Creek have in common is the ability to recognize that life’s most heartfelt moments can still be funny.
Playing House
Where to watch: Amazon (rent or purchase)
Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair, Playing House
Playing House, the canceled-too-soon comedy from Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, centers around childhood best friends Maggie (Parham) and Emma (St. Clair) who move in together after Maggie finds out her husband has been cheating on her throughout her pregnancy. Without any hesitation, Emma gives up a successful career in China to move back to her small hometown to support Maggie as she gives birth and eventually help her raise her daughter, willing to put herself through the trauma of being around her standoffish mother (Jane Kaczmarek) and ex-boyfriend (Keegan-Michael Key) because she wants to be there for her pal. Full disclosure, this show did make me cry just as often as it made me laugh (which is something that should sound familiar to any Schitt’s fan), but that’s part of what makes it so hard not to love.
Source : TVGuide
