Dead to Mestands out as one of the best dark comedy series. Its first season was released on Netflix in 2019 and received great reviews from critics and fans. Created by Liz Feldman, it had an impressive cast of Hollywood actors like Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, and James Marsden, that played an important part in amassing a large fan following in a short period of time.
The series revolves around Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini) as they start an unexpected friendship after meeting at a grief group. The story takes many twists and turns, including the major revelation that Judy is responsible for the death of Jen’s husband in a hit-and-run.
The show was still at its peak popularity when the team behind it decided to end it, mainly due to the fact that the story had reached its logical conclusion. However, it was also rumored thatApplegate’s multiple sclerosis diagnosiswas also a key factor in this decision. Since the series has only three seasons, it is understandable if you are left wanting more after fully watching it. If you have such feelings, you are in the perfect place! Let’s explore a large variety of other TV shows that are similar to Netflix’sDead to Me.
Killing Eve
Killing Eveis a spy thriller series, unlikeDead to Me. Yet, it has some significant similarities in terms of the themes and relationship dynamics it explores. The show follows Eve (Sandra Oh) as she tries to track down a highly dangerous assassin named Villanelle (Jodie Comer). The two women develop a strange and complex relationship, with Eve becoming more and more obsessive over the span of four seasons.
There are also elements of dry humor throughoutKilling Eve,along with the amazing performances of leading and supporting actors. If you are a fan ofDead to Meand the unique dynamics of Judy and Jen, then you should definitely watchKilling Eveto watch the cat-and-mouse game between Villanelle and Eve.
Ginny & Georgia
Ginny & Georgiais an ongoing comedy-drama series by Netflix. It follows Georgia (Brianne Howey) relocating to Wellsbury with her daughter and son to have a fresh start after the death of her husband. Ginny (Antonia Gentry), Georgia’s daughter, faces challenges in forming real bonds at the high school, and Georgia also struggles in her professional life. The flashbacks throughout the series show that Georgia is actually responsible for her husband’s death.
The overall story and vibe ofGinny & Georgiaare similar toDead to Mein many ways. InDead to Me, Charlie, Jen’s son, struggles with her mom hiding secrets, and Ginny faces the same dilemma inGinny and Georgia.
Big Little Lies
When it comes to a television series led by an ensemble cast of Hollywood royalty,Big Little Liescertainly comes at the top. With an impressive cast of Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, Laura Dern, Alexander Skarsgård, and Meryl Streep (season two), this show is a must-watch, especially for the fans of Dead to Me.
Big Little Liesfollows a group of five moms who are at the center of the murder of one of their husbands. The first episode opens with the mysterious murder happening at a school fundraiser, and the rest of the story is shown in the form of flashbacks. BothDead to MeandBig Little Liesdeal with secrets, lies, and deception inside a friend circle. As the series progress, viewers get to know about the dark secrets of each character. Even with rising stakes, it delivers a perfect punch of comedic relief, along with high drama throughout the series.
Related:Why Big Little Lies Should’ve Ended With Season One
Good Girls
One of the most loved aspects ofDead to Meis the way it presents the complex female friendship between Jen and Judy. If you like such plot lines, you are likely to loveGood Girlsas well. The show starts with a simple plot of three women trying to rob a supermarket to make some extra money, but soon they discover that the manager of their targeted supermarket is friends with a local crime gang. They get much more money than expected, causing the criminal gang of money launderers to turn against these women and chase them.
Many more secrets are revealed as the series progresses, and the three women face a variety of challenges in their personal and professional lives. The show has an amazing cast of Christina Hendrick, Retta, and Mae Whitman.
Youngeris a comedy-drama series created by Darren Star, known forSex and the CityandEmily in Paris.The show is led by Sutton Foster, a Broadway star. She plays the character of Liza, a single woman in her 40s, who comes up with a plan to pass as a 20-something-year-old to get a dream job at a publishing company. Over the course of seven seasons, the series provides some great performances and memorable moments as Liza struggles between balancing her career and varying ages.
Orange Is the New Black
Orange is the New Blackhas a talented ensemble cast. The central character of the series is Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), who gets sentenced to Litchfield Penitentiary, a fictional minimum-security women’s prison. She interacts with various women who have their own unique stories and life experiences.
Overall,Orange is the New Blackhas many similarities toDead to Mein the way they both handle dramatic effects and use flashbacks to show the character’s backstories. Moreover, both of these series tackle some very serious topics in a humorous way to ensure the narrative does not get boring or too preachy for the audience.
The Flight Attendant
The Flight Attendantis a dark comedy mystery series starring Kaley Cuoco in the title role. It follows Cassie Bowden (Kaley Cuoco), a flight attendant, finding herself in the middle of a murder mystery when she wakes up in a hotel room next to a dead man with no memory of the last night. If you loved the comedic and mystery elements ofDead to Me,you are bound to loveThe Flight Attendantas well. Both of these series have similar themes in terms of a murder mystery at the center of all the other plots unraveling throughout the series.
Broad Cityis a sitcom that ran from 2014 to 2019 over the span of five seasons and amassed great reviews throughout its run. It is also considered to be one of the best TV shows of the 2010s. The female friendship between Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson) and Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer) forms the foundation of the series, just like Jen and Judy’s friendship inDead to Me. The plot of the show revolves around the real-life friendship of Glazer and Jacobson and how they try to make it big in New York City.
It is a great show to watch if you want to see the different stages of female friendship and how two friends always stick with each other through thick and thin with the backdrop of New York City.
Shrillis a Hulu comedy seriescreated by Aidy Bryant, who also stars in the lead role as Annie Easton. The story revolves around Annie trying to excel in her career as a journalist while dealing with toxic relationships, sick parents, and, most importantly, body image issues because the people around her, including her boss, don’t consider her good enough due to her weight.
Shrillhas many similarities toDead to Me,especially the way both of these series deal with the character arc of the central characters. Over the course of three seasons, viewers get to see the transformation of Annie as she becomes more confident in her skin and, like Jen and Judy, discovers herself through friendships and healthy relationships she starts to develop throughout the series.
Barryis an Emmy-nominated black comedy crime series developed by Alex Berg and Bill Hader for HBO Max. Bill Hader also starts in the titular role as Barry Berkman, a former US Marine who stars working as a hitman and suffers from depression and immense guilt due to his life choices and actions during the service.
The initial premise ofBarrymight give an impression that it is completely different fromDead to Me,but there are some important similarities in the way these series handle the themes of grief, trauma, and trying to move on with one’s life after life-changing events. The show recently concluded with its fourth season and received rave reviews.
