10 TV Shows Like ‘Nobody Wants This’: From ‘New Girl’ to ‘Catastrophe’

A website has put together a list of 10 TV shows to watch if you like Netflix’s romantic comedy Nobody Wants This. The series, which premiered in 2024, stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody as a mismatched couple trying to make their romance work. The list pairs light sitcoms with darker, more adult fare, drawing on a decade of rom-coms and dramedies that feature older main characters finding love in unexpected places.

The thread holding them together is a willingness to treat romance with a bit more cynicism than the usual sweet rom-com formula allows.

The List Opens With ‘New Girl’

The 2011 series New Girl stars Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day, a 30-something woman who moves into a Los Angeles apartment shared by a group of men. The show follows each cast member as they find love and figure out what they want from life, with the characters already into their 30s when the story begins.

“New Girl” isn’t particularly existential in how it goes about developing its intertwined character arcs.”

That line captures the show’s position on the list: it is a screwball sitcom first, with character foibles driving the laughs, but it carries a maturity that sets it apart from shows centered on younger characters. The recommendation suggests skipping the later episodes when the show spins its wheels, but the show’s relatable good time remains intact.

‘The Mindy Project’ Carries Kaling’s Voice

Also from 2012, The Mindy Project centers on Mindy Lahiri, an obstetrician/gynecologist played by creator Mindy Kaling. The show ran for six seasons, with Mindy looking for love in all the wrong places and a rotating lineup of guest stars as potential suitors.

For the first four seasons, the romantic tension revolved around her co-worker Danny Castellano, played by Chris Messina. The character occasionally resurfaced in the final two seasons. Kaling’s performance anchors the show, which builds steadily toward heart as Mindy navigates the rollercoaster of her life and the colorful personalities around her.

‘You’re the Worst’ Takes the Dark Turn

The list takes a darker turn with You’re the Worst, the FX comedy starring Chris Geere as Jimmy Shive-Overly and Aya Cash as Gretchen Cutler. The pair start as a fling that grows into a relationship, though not a conventional one.

The show veers into serious territory after its first season, exploring why Gretchen has a self-destructive personality. Aya Cash delivers the standout performance, particularly as her character’s clinical depression is explored in the second season. The show keeps its comedic bones intact even as it tackles heavier subjects, through the series finale.

‘Catastrophe’ Goes Further Still

Then comes Catastrophe, created by and starring Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney. The pair play Sharon Morris and Rob Norris, who start a romance. Sharon notifies Rob she is pregnant, prompting him to return to London to become a couple and raise their child together. Complicating the arrangement is Rob’s struggle to maintain his sobriety.

The show’s title is accurate: it gets quite dark in its plot developments and humor. The comedy is earned, coming from a more jaggedly vulnerable place than the lighter sitcoms on the list.

From ‘You’re the Worst’ to ‘Catastrophe’

The list pairs Nobody Wants This with shows that share its core interest in mismatched romance but differ wildly in tone. New Girl is a lighthearted network sitcom. You’re the Worst is a sharp takedown of conventional romantic comedies. Catastrophe is British cringe comedy at its most caustic.

That variety is the list’s appeal. It does not pretend to be a unified vision of romantic comedy; it simply offers a range of shows that engage with mature themes and older characters finding love.

The Shows Compared

What the List Offers

The result is a watchlist that rewards viewers willing to jump between genres.

Source material: “10 TV Shows To Watch If You Like Nobody Wants This,” TVLine.

Netflix · romantic comedy · sitcom · Streaming · TV Shows