At its core, Netflix's new original series On The Verge is about the close-knit friendship of four women in the 40s and 50s dealing with their domestic and professional challenges in a pre-pandemic society. No matter how crazy the lives of chef Justine (Julie Delpy), heiress Anne (Elisabeth Shue), single mother Ell (Alexia Landeau), and the job-seeking Yasmin become, they always have each other's back and show how much they care for one another.
As fans await the potential fate of a second season, it's worth noting similar TV programming to help fill the void until On The Verge makes a much-anticipated return.
Grace & Frankie - Stream On Netflix
While the title characters are a tad older, Netflix's beloved hit original sitcom Grace & Frankie has the same kind of delightfully breezy tone and easy-to-watch enjoyment as On The Verge, aided by the decades-long chemistry between stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
In addition to celebrating female empowerment and emphasizing the intimate personal friendship between the title characters, much of the pleasure derives from the quirkiness of Frankie and how much it annoys Grace, along with the pithy and profane sense of humor they share by getting on each other's nerves to no end.
Dead To Me - Stream On Netflix
While Netflix's original sitcom Dead to Me has a mysterious crime element, it's essentially the touching tale of an unlikely friendship between fortysomethings Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), who come together after the death of the former's husband at the accidental hands of the latter.
Sharing the same kind of dark, mordant sense of humor as On The Verge, the show deals with the difficulty of making and keeping friends at an advanced age and how loved ones can help each other heal in times of great personal loss. The humorous outbursts of Jen and Justine in the two shows are very similar, as well.
Sex And The City - Stream On HBO Max
One of the best parts of On The Verge is when the four women convene and discuss their love lives, which is most redolent of HBO's iconic TV series Sex and The City. Both shows celebrate the tight-knit bond of four sexually liberated women who implicitly have each other's backs no matter the circumstances. While Sex and the City is more glamourous at times, On The Verge depicts a less flattering side of dating that is perfect to watch in tandem.
The great thing about both shows is that they place the female characters at the fore, with the men in their lives playing ancillary supporting roles, redefining stereotypes about women at home, in the workplace, and in high-profile places.
Girlfriends - Stream On Netflix
One of BET's flagship sitcoms, Girlfriends is precisely what it sounds like. A quartet of lovable best friends living in Los Angeles lean on each other through personal hardship and professional ups and downs as they pursue their dreams. The familial chemistry among Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross), Maya (Golden Brooks), Lynn (Persia White), and Toni (Jill Marie Jones) has the same compelling dynamic as that of the women in On The Verge.
Perhaps most importantly, the show chronicles the black female experience in America and the various challenges that it presents, calling to mind Yasmi's storyline as she wrestles with her identity in relation to her wealthy white friends.
Workin' Moms - Stream On Netflix
For a distinctly Canadian companion of On The Verge, tune into the CBS original series Workin' Moms. The hilarious sitcom traces the lives of four thirty-something career women trying to find happiness in a world seemingly designed for anything but.
The allure of the show comes from just how deeply flawed and messy the characters are, painting an unromanticized depiction of a domestic life that is all too real and relatable. As characters, Justine and Kate are simpatico in the way they handle their personal and professional demons with unvarnished honesty and politically incorrect aggression.
Designing Women - Stream On Hulu
Sitcoms celebrating the bonds of womanhood and the challenges of aging date back to the 1980s. One lesser-known series includes Designing Women, a funny and salient look at four professional women and their handyman running a fashion design company from their Atlanta home.
What sets this show apart from many of its ilk while still aligning with a show like On The Verge is the brilliantly written four main characters. While family members, the clash between the feminist Julia (Dixie Carter), her beauty queen sister Suzanne (Delta Burke), and their cranky divorced mother Mary Jo (Annie Potts) provides endless hilarity and a trenchant insight into what makes a family so strong.
The Golden Girls - Stream On Hulu
Created around the same time as Designing Women, The Golden Girls is a much more popular sitcom about the profound friendship among four elderly women. The show won 11 Primetime Emmys, solidifying its status as an all-time great TV show with a great representation of old age.
As four retired divorcees move in together in Florida, they share wild misadventures, tales from the past, and look forward to the future with the vigorous zeal of women half their age. As a show that honors aging and the impact of female friendship, it's a fascinating way to see how far the needle has moved in the past 30 years in relation to the progressive women in On The Verge.
Younger - Stream On Fubo
Created by Sex and the City's Darren Star, Younger is a contemporary series that speaks to the challenges of single motherhood as well as age discrimination in the workplace. Yet, with a lighthearted sitcom touch, the show is an ideal companion piece to a show like On the Verge.
Unable to find work at 40 years old, single mother Liza (Sutton Foster) gets a makeover and poses as a 26-year-old. When she's hired as a personal assistant, she finds herself competing with young competitors while trying to keep her real age a secret. Liza's storyline is reminiscent of Ell and Yasmin's, underscoring the difficulty of raising children alone and finding work after a certain age.
Girls - Stream On HBO Max
HBO's Girls is a series worthy of the attention of fans of On The Verge. The acclaimed Lena Dunham series chronicles what it's like for the millennial generation to come of age in a time defined by hipsters, social media, the craven need for fame, and risky online dating.
But, at its core, the show is about lasting female friendship at a crucially formative time, with the girls learning harsh lessons in love and earning professional triumphs in New York City. The irreverent quirkiness of the characters and offbeat whimsy of the stories make them an ideal match for On The Verge viewers.
Big Little Lies - Stream On HBO Max
Much like Dead to Me, Big Little Lies revolves around a mysterious crime. However, the nucleus of the show concentrates on the trust mounted from the profound friendships among a group of affluent women in their 40s and 50s. Themes of infidelity and domestic abuse are also closely aligned with On The Verge.
When a tragic murder is made to look like an accident, the idyllic existence of several upper-class women is shattered, putting them to the ultimate test of loyalty, trust, support, and ultimately, love. The performances are superb, the humor is biting, and the celebration of female friendship is rewardingly gratifying.