10 Best Sitcoms Like New Girl
Introduction
Finished New Girl and miss Jess, Nick, Schmidt, Winston and Cece turning an ordinary night in the loft into an event with its own rules? The best sitcoms like New Girl capture the messy, funny comfort of a friend group that becomes family. They understand that adulthood can involve serious choices about love and work, plus a surprising amount of time arguing over a made-up game or who is allowed to sit in the good chair.
This list brings together ten comedies about friends, roommates and romantic near-misses. Some are classic New York hangout sitcoms, others follow a group in Los Angeles or Chicago, and a few are more adult or more awkward than New Girl. What connects them is the pleasure of returning to a familiar circle: characters who know each other’s worst habits, keep showing up anyway and can make even a bad date worth retelling.
We ranked them by ensemble chemistry, comic voice, romantic storytelling, the strength of the friendships and how satisfying the series is to revisit. We also considered how closely each recommendation matches New Girl’s blend of single-camera comedy, playful absurdity and emotional warmth. Friends and How I Met Your Mother offer the city-based chosen-family foundation; Happy Endings brings a more rapid-fire, chaotic group dynamic. Other picks tilt toward sharper relationship drama or a more unusual roommate setup.
The list begins with more specialised companions and builds toward the shows most likely to fill the loft-shaped gap. Each entry explains the story setup and introduces the main characters, so you can decide whether you want a cosy group hangout, an ambitious romantic lead, a British flashback comedy or something more caustic. We include a current JustWatch UK search for each title instead of guessing which service has it today.
Whether you loved New Girl for Jess’s optimism, Nick’s grumbling, Schmidt’s ridiculous confidence or the friendships underneath the jokes, there is a new group waiting for you. Some of these shows are perfect for a quick episode at bedtime; others have romantic arcs that reward a longer binge. Here are the best sitcoms like New Girl, ranked. Let’s get into it 👇
The friendships in these shows vary: some begin as roommates, some form around work, and some are forged by years of shared history. That gives you options depending on the part of New Girl you want more of. You can stay with the romantic comedy, lean into a louder ensemble, or choose a show where friendship becomes the emotional centre even when the leads are making a mess of their love lives. Each is a different route back to the pleasure of spending time with a familiar group.
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How We Ranked These Sitcoms
This is a themed recommendation ranking, not a universal verdict on sitcom history. We considered the clarity of each premise, the strength and chemistry of its ensemble, the way its workplace or social setting generates stories, the balance between jokes and character development, and whether the series remains rewarding across a season. We also assessed how closely it meets the specific promise of this guide: a satisfying next watch for people who enjoyed the title in the headline.
The exact position reflects both quality and fit. A show may be excellent but sit lower because its tone, format or focus differs from the original. Each entry begins with the story setup, identifies the central characters and conflict, then moves into our reaction and a direct explanation of its ranking. That way, you can use this as a watchlist rather than a stack of titles without context.
How to choose your next sitcom: if you mainly want a similar ensemble, look for a close group whose friendships evolve over time. If you want the same workplace energy, choose a show with a recurring institution and a team facing new problems each episode. If you loved the original’s warmth, prioritise the series that lets characters be flawed without making their relationships feel disposable. If you are after something different, select one of the more experimental entries and let its premise set expectations.
All ten picks offer a distinct comic angle, whether that means mockumentary interviews, serialized romance, professional rivalries, genre parody or a family story. The viewing links point to JustWatch UK searches for current availability; services can change their catalogues, so check the title before subscribing or renting.
10. Love
Love follows Gus (Paul Rust), a good-hearted but uncertain tutor and aspiring screenwriter, and Mickey (Gillian Jacobs), a sharp, impulsive radio producer who is trying to get a grip on her habits and relationships. After separate breakups and messy personal setbacks, the two meet in Los Angeles and begin an awkward friendship that may become more. Their friends, jobs and self-sabotaging instincts keep complicating the connection. Rather than building its story around a tight group of roommates, the series stays close to Gus and Mickey as they make mistakes, misunderstand each other and try to figure out whether intimacy can survive their less charming qualities.
Love is a more awkward, naturalistic cousin to New Girl’s romantic comedy. The attraction is not immediate perfection; it is the slow recognition that each person may be able to see the other clearly. Rust and Jacobs make the leads compelling even when they are frustrating, and the Los Angeles setting feels lived-in rather than aspirational. The show is quieter and more dramatic than New Girl, with fewer ensemble set pieces and more focus on emotional mess. That difference makes it a useful recommendation for viewers who like the romance but want a less sitcom-shaped version.
Why it ranks here: It starts at #10 because its central pairing and Los Angeles friendships overlap with New Girl, but its tone is more uncomfortable and less consistently buoyant than the comedies above it.
Who should watch it: Choose it if you want a modern relationship comedy with flawed adults, awkward chemistry and a little more emotional realism.
9. Single Parents
Single Parents follows a circle of adults who are raising children without partners and have become each other’s support system. Will Cooper (Taran Killam), an over-involved father of young Sophie, has lost so much of himself in parenting that the group helps him reconnect with adult life. The other parents—Angie, Douglas, Poppy, Miggy and their children—bring different histories, personalities and approaches to dating and family. Their kids attend the same school, and the parents’ friendships grow through playdates, school events and the everyday logistics of single parenthood. The premise creates a chosen-family ensemble that balances grown-up romantic hopes with the practical chaos of raising children.
The show has a friendly ensemble rhythm and a comic premise that regularly lets the children expose how strange the adults can be. Killam makes Will’s earnestness funny without mocking his devotion, while the group offers a range of parenting styles and romantic situations. Its strongest connection to New Girl is the idea that a circle of adults can become a family of choice, complete with teasing, emotional support and bad decisions. It is sweeter and more parent-centred, and its school and childcare stories do not always generate the same unpredictable energy as the loft.
Why it ranks here: Single Parents ranks ninth for its chosen-family warmth and ensemble setup, but its parenting focus narrows the dating and roommate comedy that makes New Girl distinctive.
Who should watch it: A good pick if you enjoy friendship groups, parenting humour and characters who build a support network while still hoping for romance.
8. You’re the Worst
Cynical writer Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chris Geere) meets publicist Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash) at a wedding, where their selfish instincts and attraction quickly point them toward a relationship neither is prepared to handle. Their friends Edgar (Desmin Borges), a veteran coping with trauma, and Lindsay (Kether Donohue), who is questioning her marriage and identity, form a messy orbit around the couple. The Los Angeles-set comedy follows Jimmy and Gretchen as they attempt intimacy while resisting vulnerability, commitment and the idea that they might need help. It is a romantic comedy about people who are very good at making the wrong choice and occasionally brave enough to face what lies underneath.
The series shares New Girl’s interest in romance among deeply imperfect adults, but its humour is darker and its character work more willing to linger on pain. Cash and Geere have combustible chemistry: their insults can be funny, but they also reveal how frightened both characters are of being known. Edgar and Lindsay give the show a second pair of perspectives that become increasingly important. The comedy’s emotional turns are among its strengths, though the harsher tone can make it less comforting as a casual post-New Girl binge. It rewards attention and does not always offer an easy reset between episodes.
Why it ranks here: It earns #8 for being an unusually honest, well-acted relationship comedy. It sits lower because its deliberately abrasive tone is a bigger departure from New Girl’s warmth and playful group dynamic.
Who should watch it: Watch it if you like romantic comedy with prickly leads, complicated friendships and serious emotional arcs beneath the sharp jokes.
7. The Mindy Project
Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling) is a successful obstetrician-gynaecologist who knows romantic comedies by heart but has not found the happy ending she imagines for herself. Her practice colleagues include Danny Castellano (Chris Messina), a grumpy traditionalist whose clashes with Mindy become a major source of tension, and a rotating mix of doctors, nurses and friends who complicate both work and dating. Mindy wants to become more organised, make better choices and meet someone who lives up to her movie-inspired ideals, but her own confidence, impulsiveness and romantic expectations often get in the way. The workplace and her personal life collide in a fast-moving comedy about ambition and love.
Mindy’s fantasy of life as a romantic comedy gives the show its most distinctive comic engine. Kaling plays her as smart and ambitious but also self-involved, able to analyse a trope and still walk straight into one. The medical office creates an ensemble context like New Girl’s loft, while the shifting cast and workplace romances keep the story moving. Danny is a particularly effective foil, though their dynamic can be divisive when the writing leans too hard on opposites-attract friction. The series is more overtly built around one protagonist than New Girl’s group chemistry, but it shares the same appetite for romantic mishaps.
Why it ranks here: The Mindy Project lands at #7 because it offers a lively mix of work, dating and pop-culture jokes. Its changing ensemble and uneven relationship arcs keep it below the more cohesive group comedies above it.
Who should watch it: Try it for a fast romantic-comedy binge led by a funny, ambitious heroine who knows the genre’s rules and frequently ignores them.
6. Lovesick
Originally released as Scrotal Recall in the UK, Lovesick follows Dylan (Johnny Flynn) after he learns he has chlamydia and must contact past partners. That uncomfortable task becomes the framing device for flashbacks to his friendships and romantic history with Evie (Antonia Thomas) and Luke (Daniel Ings). Each episode revisits a different former relationship, showing how small misunderstandings, timing and emotional hesitation shaped the present-day trio. The medical premise is a comic doorway into a story about friendship, regret and the difficulty of knowing when a relationship is changing. The Glasgow-set series brings together romantic entanglements and an intimate group of friends.
Lovesick has the warm, conversational feel of New Girl’s friend group, but its structure is more reflective: every ex-girlfriend story reveals something about Dylan’s ongoing connection to Evie and Luke. Flynn, Thomas and Ings create an easy chemistry, and the flashbacks give the romance a satisfying cumulative shape. Its humour is often awkward but affectionate, and the characters make mistakes without turning into caricatures. The story’s central triangle can sometimes slow the group dynamic, and the initial medical hook may put off viewers who prefer a softer premise, but it quickly becomes a humane relationship comedy.
Why it ranks here: It makes the top six because of its memorable trio, romantic momentum and smart flashback structure. It sits just outside the top five because its focus on Dylan’s dating history is narrower than the ensemble comedies ahead.
Who should watch it: A strong match if you like British romantic comedy, close friendships and stories where old relationships help explain current feelings.
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5. Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
June Colburn (Dreama Walker) moves to New York with a new job and an optimistic belief that her life is finally on track, only to lose both after her employer collapses. Looking for a place to stay, she becomes roommates with Chloe (Krysten Ritter), a charming, manipulative party girl whose rules include a steep deposit and a plan to make June move out. The arrangement does not go as expected: June proves harder to scare off, and their uneasy friendship becomes the centre of the comedy. Actor James Van Der Beek plays an exaggerated version of himself in Chloe’s social circle, adding a layer of celebrity parody to the roommate stories.
The show is built on a deliciously unstable friendship. Chloe’s schemes could make her impossible to watch, but Ritter gives her enough wit and vulnerability to make the relationship with June more than a long con. Walker’s earnestness provides a strong contrast, and their New York apartment has the combustible roommate energy that New Girl fans may be seeking. The celebrity satire and deliberately outrageous jokes make it edgier than New Girl, and the short run gives the series less time to deepen its ensemble. Its best episodes, however, understand that chosen family often begins with someone who gets under your skin.
Why it ranks here: It ranks fifth for its strong roommate hook, sharp lead pairing and irreverent comic voice. The top four offer either more sustained ensemble development or a more consistently warm group dynamic.
Who should watch it: Watch it if you like unconventional roommates, fast jokes and a heroine who can turn an ordinary apartment share into a comic battlefield.
4. Cougar Town
Jules Cobb (Courteney Cox) is a recently divorced real-estate agent in a Florida town who is adjusting to life after marriage while raising her teenage son Travis (Dan Byrd). Her neighbours and friends—Ellie and Andy, Laurie, Grayson and Bobby—become a close-knit group that meets for wine, jokes and an astonishing number of oversized glasses. Jules is initially trying to date younger men, but the series gradually shifts toward the bonds in her neighbourhood and the family she has chosen. The recurring circle’s friendships, romantic changes and involvement in Travis’s life become the centre of a sitcom that finds its rhythm in running jokes and group rituals.
Cougar Town begins with a title and premise that suggest one kind of show, then evolves into a full ensemble comedy about friends who treat one another like relatives. That evolution is part of its charm and a reason New Girl fans may enjoy it: the group’s teasing and loyalty become as important as Jules’s dating life. Cox is a strong comic anchor, and Busy Philipps, Christa Miller and Brian Van Holt help establish a relaxed, playful chemistry. The humour is less youthful and more repetitive by design, with catchphrases and wine jokes that may not work for everyone.
Why it ranks here: Cougar Town takes fourth place for its transformation into a genuine found-family sitcom and its sustained group chemistry. It falls short of the top three because its comic style can be more repetitive and its first-season identity is less consistent.
Who should watch it: Choose it for a grown-up friendship ensemble, neighbourhood familiarity and a comedy that becomes warmer as the group settles in.
3. How I Met Your Mother
In the year 2030, Ted Mosby (voice of Bob Saget) tells his children how he met their mother, beginning with his life as a romantic architect in New York. Younger Ted (Josh Radnor) falls for Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders), while his closest friends—Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan) and the confidently chaotic Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris)—share the bars, apartments and life decisions that shape the story. The long-running framing device turns dating, career changes, friendship and growing up into one extended tale, with Ted’s search for lasting love unfolding alongside the group’s changing lives.
The series shares New Girl’s fondness for a tight friend group, city apartments, romantic detours and big emotional milestones. Its narration lets it play with chronology, unreliable memory and recurring jokes, giving the sitcom a distinctive storytelling voice. The chemistry among the five leads is the core attraction, and the show is especially good at making friendship feel like the steady foundation beneath romantic uncertainty. Its serialized romance can be divisive, and some jokes have aged unevenly, but the central group remains highly bingeable. The structure also means the eventual destination is always hanging over the everyday comedy.
Why it ranks here: It earns third place because it delivers the urban friend-group formula with long-running character arcs and a strong narrative hook. It sits behind the final two because the extended romantic puzzle and uneven later storytelling are less consistently satisfying.
Who should watch it: A natural next binge if you like New Girl’s city friendships, romantic comedy and friends who keep showing up for one another.
2. Friends
Friends begins when Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) leaves her wedding and arrives in New York, reconnecting with school friend Monica Geller (Courteney Cox). She moves in with Monica and becomes part of a circle that includes Monica’s brother Ross (David Schwimmer), aspiring actor Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), musician Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) and palaeontologist Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry). The friends spend time in Monica’s apartment and the coffee shop Central Perk, sharing job changes, breakups, romances and family events. The show’s central story is not one mystery but the evolving bonds among six young adults building a chosen family in the city.
The apartment-and-café world is one of the clearest ancestors of New Girl’s loft dynamic. Friends gives each character a readable comic voice, then uses recurring relationships and long-running romantic stories to deepen the group. Aniston, Kudrow and LeBlanc have especially distinctive physical-comedy styles, while the ensemble’s timing makes familiar hangout scenes easy to rewatch. The traditional multi-camera presentation is different from New Girl’s single-camera energy, and some cultural references feel dated, but the central pleasure—watching friends become family—remains potent. It also has a direct lineage of influence for the modern roommate sitcom.
Why it ranks here: Friends is #2 because it perfected the city-based chosen-family sitcom and remains one of the most natural recommendations for a New Girl fan. It is just behind Happy Endings, whose faster, more chaotic group chemistry feels closer to New Girl’s particular comic rhythm.
Who should watch it: Start here if you want the classic New York friend-group sitcom, romantic arcs and endlessly quotable hangout episodes.
1. Happy Endings
Happy Endings opens with a wedding disaster: Dave (Zachary Knighton) and Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) have been together for years, but Alex runs out of the ceremony with another man. Their breakup threatens to split the tight Chicago friend group that formed around them. Alex’s sister Jane (Eliza Coupe) is married to Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.), while Penny (Casey Wilson) and Max (Adam Pally) complete the circle with their own romantic misadventures, schemes and insecurities. The show asks how friends remain close when the couple who once anchored the group separates, then follows all six as they renegotiate their relationships and adulthood.
This is the closest match for New Girl’s fast, silly, affectionate group comedy. The jokes arrive quickly, but they work because the characters have clear identities and long histories with one another. Wilson’s Penny is a romantic optimist with a talent for disastrous plans; Pally’s Max is both a lovable slacker and a perceptive friend; and Coupe and Wayans Jr. make married life a comic partnership rather than a settled endpoint. The show’s ensemble structure means no one person has to carry every episode, and the friend group can splinter into different pairings without losing its centre. Its short run is the main frustration.
Why it ranks here: Happy Endings wins because its chaotic friend-group energy, romantic messiness and rapid-fire jokes line up most closely with what makes New Girl distinctive. Friends is more iconic, and HIMYM has a larger long-form romance, but Happy Endings feels like the closest tonal and ensemble successor.
Who should watch it: Watch it first if you want a lively group of friends, absurd running jokes and romance that never stops complicating the hangout.
Conclusion
The strongest sitcoms like New Girl make friendship feel active. The characters irritate one another, tease each other and sometimes behave as if common sense is optional, but the group remains a reliable home base. Romance matters, yet the show is just as interested in the people waiting on the couch while a friend makes a questionable decision.
Friends is the foundational city hangout, How I Met Your Mother gives the group a long romantic story, and Happy Endings is our winner for its fast, irreverent ensemble rhythm. It is the closest to New Girl’s mix of silliness and emotional loyalty, even though its run was shorter than fans wanted. If you prefer darker relationship comedy, You’re the Worst takes a bolder path; if you want a warm British spin, Lovesick is a lovely next choice.
Which group would you most like to join? Tell us which show you would put at number one, whether we missed a favourite, and whether you prefer your friendship sitcoms sweet, chaotic or a little bit disastrous. The right follow-up is the one that makes a new set of fictional friends feel like part of your routine.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best sitcom to watch after New Girl?
Happy Endings is our top pick because its fast, silly jokes and affectionate friend-group chemistry feel especially close to New Girl. Friends and How I Met Your Mother are excellent alternatives if you want a longer city-based ensemble.
What is Happy Endings about?
After Alex leaves Dave at the altar, their tight group of friends in Chicago must figure out how to stay close even though the couple who once anchored the circle has split up. The ensemble follows each friend’s relationships and schemes.
Which show is most like New Girl’s loft friendships?
Happy Endings has the closest chaotic group energy, while Friends offers the classic apartment-based chosen family. How I Met Your Mother shares the city hangout and long-running romantic stories.
Is How I Met Your Mother similar to New Girl?
Yes. Both follow a close group of friends in a major city as they navigate dating, careers and adulthood. How I Met Your Mother adds a future narrator and an ongoing story about Ted’s search for a partner.
What is The Mindy Project about?
Mindy Lahiri is a successful OB-GYN who loves romantic comedies and hopes to find her own happy ending. The series follows her work at a medical practice and her complicated personal life.
Where can I stream these shows in the UK?
Streaming rights vary and change. Use the JustWatch UK search link attached to each entry to check current subscription, rental or purchase options.
Which recommendation is the most romantic?
Lovesick and How I Met Your Mother place romantic history near the centre, while Friends and Happy Endings balance dating with ensemble friendships.
Which show is closest in tone to New Girl?
Happy Endings is our closest tonal match because it combines rapid jokes, romantic chaos and a group that feels genuinely attached to one another.
Is You’re the Worst a feel-good sitcom?
It has a strong relationship-comedy core, but its tone is sharper and its stories address difficult emotional subjects. It is less cosy than New Girl and better suited to viewers who like complicated, imperfect leads.
Are these shows about roommates or friends?
Both. Several focus on friends who live together or share a city hangout, while others build the ensemble around work, dating or co-parenting. The exact premise is described at the start of each ranking entry.
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