Parenthood is one of those shows which impact us for a lifetime. You may stop talking about it, but you can never forget this legendary show. This is such a well-written and perfectly executed show that needs to be watched by everyone at least once in a lifetime. Based on the foundations of family and unity, this series ran for six seasons and touched the hearts of millions of people within a short period. The star cast felt effortlessly amazing at every moment. Remember Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls? Yes, she was part of the Parenthood cast too! It was weird seeing her in this series after Gilmore Girls because the kind of roles she played in both series were poles apart.
Parenthood is undoubtedly a comfort show; we sincerely wish it had more seasons. While it’s hard to find shows like Parenthood, we have a list of 20 great shows that are going to make you giggle and tear up at the same time, exactly like Parenthood.
20. Modern Family
- Creator: Christopher Lloyd; Steven Levitan
- Starring: Ed O’Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell
- IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus Hotstar
If you are anxious and want to release your stress, then you need to dive into Modern Family. Everything about this American comedy-drama series makes us want to go back and relive this iconic TV series again. The show has a unique level of comedic genius and a ton of family drama which makes it stand out from the rest of the series.
You know, we are not exaggerating when we say that all the characters in The Modern Family are straight-up legendary and hilarious (Sophia Vergara’s accent and comedic timing stole the show for me!). The show revolves around three blended modern-day families giving a sneak peek into their twisted lives, where they discuss their hilarious personal lives.
19. Gilmore Girls
- Creator: Amy Sherman-Palladino
- Starring: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Keiko Agena, Scott Patterson
- IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Amazon Prime
Gilmore Girls is one of the guilty pleasures of our current youth because of the drama this American comedy series transmits. The show is based on the train wreck relationship of an unmarried single mother and her clumsy teenage daughter. The show becomes more and more interesting when their lives unfold as the series progresses. A few minutes into the show makes you realize the kind of content you are getting yourself into. You can watch Gilmore Girls easily on Netflix.
18. Switched At Birth
- Creator: Lizzy Weiss
- Starring: Sean Berdy; Lucas Grabeel; Katie Leclerc; Vanessa Marano; Constance Marie
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime
Switched At Birth revolves around the lives of Bay and Daphne, who are mistakenly exchanged at the hospital. Their world is turned upside down when they realize this fatal truth. This American drama series is not just a regular romantic melodrama show. The introduction of deaf culture helped Switched At Birth in gaining positive reviews from people. The struggles and oppression faced by deaf people are beautifully presented in the series. Switched At Birth is one of the best shows, like Parenthood, that ran for five seasons.
17. A Million Little Things
- Creator: DJ Nash
- Starring: David Giuntoli, Romany Malco, Allison Miller, Christina Moses, Grace Park
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Amazon Prime
A Million Little Things is a heartwarming series about friendship. The series revolves around a group of carefree friends who share a very close bond. The sudden death of one of them completely transforms their lives. This series delivers a very crucial message that life is completely unpredictable and unexpected. This compelling topic has been perfectly described in this drama series.
16. Friday Night Lights
- Creator: Peter Berg
- Starring: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Gaius Charles, Zach Gilford
- IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime
Friday Night Lights revolves around a coach named Eric, who trains a high school football team. We can also witness the lives of his wife, Tami, and teenage daughter Julie. This series is based on the popular novel written by H. G. Bissinger of the same name. The premise of the show is set in a fictional town named Dillion in Texas. Friday Night Lights is one of the most top-notch shows like Parenthood.
15. Blue Bloods
- Creator: Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess
- Starring: Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, Tom Selleck
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime
Blue Bloods is American drama series that revolves around an Irish Catholic family known as the Reagan family, which is a family filled with people dedicated to law enforcement. The situation is bound to get quirky and funny when you have a multi-generational family history of cops. This unique concept has been decked up with attractive cast members who worked incredibly hard in the Blue Bloods series. I can watch this Blue Bloods series in one go without blinking! What about you?
14. Grey’s Anatomy
- Creator: Shonda Rhimes
- Starring: Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, T. R. Knight
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus Hotstar
Grey’s Anatomy is one of the greatest American medical drama series that unusually made people fantasize about the medical profession. The series attempts to give an insight into the professional and personal lives of the surgical interns and their dedicated supervisors at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital. This hit series not only entertained people all these years but also inspired thousands of people to pursue a medical degree.
13. Life Unexpected
- Creator: Liz Tigelaar
- Starring: Britt Robertson, Shiri Appleby, Kristoffer Polaha, Austin Basis
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
- Streaming Platforms: Apple TV, Amazon Prime
Life Unexpected is a moving story about a young girl named Lux Cassidy who spent fifteen years of her life residing with a foster family. Her life takes a major turn when she finds out about her birth parents. Life Unexpected is a must-watch for all the people who wish to watch something refreshing and exciting.
12. Brothers & Sisters
- Creator: Jon Robin Baitz
- Starring: Dave Annable, Sally Field, Calista Flockhart, Balthazar Getty, Rachel Griffiths
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Amazon Prime
Brothers & Sisters is a captivating American family drama series that revolves around the Walker family and their adult children who have messed up lives. The adult children of this dysfunctional family can’t stand each other, but the sudden death of their father, who owned the family business, brought them together. The experiences of the Walker family make it a must-watch family drama show. The series is incredibly well-written and stars a phenomenal cast that isn’t seen in most series. It wouldn’t be Brothers and Sisters without the presence of Sally Field and Mathew Rhys. Although the series was released quite a long time ago, the audiences are still expecting their return.
11. This Is Us
- Creator: Dan Fogelman
- Starring: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz
- IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Video, Hulu
This Is Us is an American family drama series that revolves around a down-to-earth family which consists of triplets and their loving parents. The struggles of the siblings have been portrayed beautifully in this heart-touching series. This is one of the best shows, like Parenthood, that you need to witness at least once. We guarantee you that you will cry at every episode as the story unfolds. The series ran for six mind-blowing seasons.
10. The Secret Life of Us
- Creator: Eileen Heisler; DeAnn Heline
- Starring: Claudia Karvan, Samuel Johnson, Deborah Mailman, Abi Tucker, Joel Edgerton
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Amazon Prime
This sizzling show showcases a group of close friends who live together under one roof. The story takes an interesting turn when their bond starts creating problems in their lives. This is one of the best series of the early 2000s. The Secret Life of Us ran for four seasons.
9. Workin’ Moms
- Creator: Catherine Reitman
- Starring: Catherine Reitman, Jessalyn Wanlim, Dani Kind, Juno Rinaldi
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix
Workin’ Moms is an entertaining American television sitcom that revolves around a group of working mothers who are trying hard to crack the balance between their personal lives as well as their professional lives. The premise is set in modern-day Toronto, Canada. The show is doing its best to tell the world that you are still capable of doing everything after embracing motherhood. This fantastic show ran for six seasons.
8. Six Feet Under
- Creator: Alan Ball
- Starring: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez
- IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
- Streaming Platforms: Amazon Prime, Netflix
This Canadian family sitcom revolves around the Fisher family, in which Nathaniel Fisher owns the funeral home business. He handed over his business to his two sons before dying. The death of their arouses tension among the family members. The creators have efficiently sprinkled dark humor on the entire series. The series lasted for five seasons, and people still cherish it.
7. The Wonder Years
- Creator: Neal Marlens, Carol Black
- Starring: Fred Savage, Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, Olivia d’Abo
- IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Disney Plus Hotstar
The Wonder Years is an American family sitcom that revolves around Kevin Arnold, who recollects the past years of his life as a teenager in the late 60s and the early 70s. It is interesting to see how a teenager was carrying on with his life in a world with no trace of technology like the present times. This situational comedy TV show ran for six seasons.
6. Black-ish
- Creator: Kenya Barris
- Starring: Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Amazon Prime
Black-ish is one of the greatest shows, like Parenthood, that brings up a major issue that black people have been facing since forever. The show Black-ish has brilliantly portrayed the problem of racism and discrimination with a twist of comedy. The storyline revolves around a family who has been trying to be a part of a white neighborhood. We need more and more TV shows like this never to stop addressing this deep ingrown problem. Out of all the drama series, this comedy-drama series stood out to me because the creators have effectively addressed the problem with a twist of comedy. This popular series ran for eight seasons.
5. Little Fires Everywhere
- Creator: Liz Tigelaar
- Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Amazon Prime, Prime Video
Little Fires Everywhere is a gripping story about a mysterious mother and daughter who just moved to Ohio. Their arrival forced the residents to reassess their lives. You need to eyeball this thrilling series as soon as possible so that you can flaunt it to your family and friends!
This series is based on a novel by Celeste Ng of the same name. The premise is set in the beautiful city of Ohio during the late 90s. This miniseries ran for eight episodes.
4. Raising Hope
- Creator: Greg Garcia
- Starring: Lucas Neff, Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt, Shannon Woodward, Gregg Binkley, Cloris Leachman
- IMDb Rating: 8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Vudu
Raising Hope is a funny comedy series that revolves around a carefree man named Jimmy, who has been freshly assigned the job of raising his daughter because her mother has been sent to jail. The show was released in 2010 and ran for four seasons. The hilarious situations that the creators put Jimmy in are the reasons why you need to watch the show.
3. Better Things
- Creator: Pamela Adlon, Louis C.K.
- Starring: Pamela Adlon; Mikey Madison; Hannah Alligood; Olivia Edward; Celia Imrie
- IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
- Streaming Platforms: Disney Plus Hotstar
Better Things is a hit comedy-drama series that showcases the journey of a single mother who is a Hollywood actress raising her three daughters while staying true to her job. The series was immensely praised for the creative, cool, and entertaining performance of the main characters, especially for the terrific performance of Pamela Adlon. Better Things is a well-written series with enough humor to make you get through your day. We can watch this show over and over again!
2. Sweet Magnolias
- Creator: Sheryl J. Anderson
- Starring: JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Brooke Elliott, Heather Headley, Jamie Lynn Spears
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix
Sweet Magnolias is a fascinating tale about a group of three friends who are forever working towards helping each other out with their problems. These women from South Carolina have been friends with each other since high school. Sweet Magnolias is one of those series that makes us want to have some real connections in life that never leaves our hand in times of crisis.
1. The Fosters
- Creator: Bradley Bredeweg, Peter Paige
- Starring: Teri Polo, Sherri Saum, Jake T. Austin, Hayden Byerly
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Amazon Prime
The Fosters is one of the most amazing comedy series that follows the life of the Foster family. It consists of Stef Foster and her significant other, Lena Adams, their children, a police officer, and a school vice principal. Stef and Lina have two adopted children, apart from Stef’s biological son. This family is an unusual combination of biological, adoptive, and foster children.
Conclusion:
Parenthood is such a beautiful comedy-drama TV show that can never fail to put all of us in a good mood. There are some shows like Parenthood that make us feel better, and they end up being our guilty pleasure. These shows include Modern Family, Life Unexpected, Friday Night Lights, The Secret Life of Us, Gilmore Girls, Switched At Birth, Grey’s Anatomy, A Million Little Things, Blue Bloods, and many others.
