Heartwarming, tear jerking, and charming are some of the adjectives viewers would use to describe the anthology series Modern Love, based on the eponymous New York Times column where moving stories of romantic, familial and platonic love were touched upon. The show has become quite addictive to its fans, and after binging two seasons of the romantic show, they only want more.
While a third season of the series may be far away, there are plenty of other shows that evoke the same feelings and emotions that Modern Love does. Fans have a lot to watch while waiting for their favorite anthology to return.
Love (2016-2018)
The Judd Apatow helmed series Love depicted a realistic and bittersweet nature of love between the impulsive Mickey and the awkward and clingy Gus who met by chance one hungover morning. The show explores the stages of their relationship and how it progresses, with all of love's shortcomings.
Both these characters are seriously flawed, but their bad decisions make for a pragmatic watch where one can't help but root for the messed up young couple, even when they make terrible mistakes.
This Is Us (2016-)
Known for the emotional rollercoaster ride This Is Us can be, for the uninitiated, it's a show that follows the lives and family matters of the big three Kevin, Kate, and Randall and their parents Jack and Rebecca Pearson.
The show covers the individual and intertwined stories of the family and their own families in the present day as well as the past, where stories new and old get uncovered for audiences to enjoy about the Pearson brood and their successors.
Easy (2016-2019)
Just like Modern Love charts stories of affection in New York, Easy features 25 episodes which depict the love lives of individuals in Chicago. Each episode is its own story, but some characters and narratives make a comeback in later seasons to update audiences on the impacts their decisions have made.
For instance, Andi and Kyle are a married couple that takes the big step towards opening their marriage, and there are follow-up episodes about how their marriage was faring after the fact. Lots of the stories in Easy are fictional, while some are based on true events and real people.
Sex And The City (1998-2004)
The Sarah Jessica-Parker led show wasn't all designer clothes and glamor — there were very poignant themes of friendship, betrayal, budding love, infidelity, and broken hearts galore in Sex and the City. Carrie's columns were emotional and insightful, and they carried her story forward too.
Even though the scene was from the movie, one of the most memorable moments was when Carrie rejects a regretful Big (with whom she had a toxic relationship sometimes) after he leaves her at the altar, and Charlotte, being the good friend that she was, tells him to stay away from Carrie. This is a type of dramatic and romantic moment one might find in Modern Love.
Virgin River (2019-)
Sometimes Modern Love feels like a warm, comforting blanket, and those are the exact feelings one gets from the cozy drama Virgin River. Set in the tiny fictional town of the same name, the relationships and practical complexities of the town's residents are on display.
With likable characters like Jack, Mel, Lizzie and Ricky, audiences see a younger side to the town, and with Doc, Hope, Connie, and Muriel there's something for older audiences too. Senior romance and young love are in equal measure, and this show won't disappoint.
Fleabag (2016-2019)
Fleabag may be a comedy-drama, but at its heart it is about a conflicted young woman who is starved of familial and romantic love, and her desire for love made Fleabag do the worst thing and lose the only source of selfless love that she had — Boo.
Fleabag navigates her London life in a constant search for affection, shacks up with some majorly weird characters in her journey, and finally finds it in the one person who couldn't quite give her what she wanted. The feeling of wistfulness in Fleabag is immense.
Normal People (2020)
Sally Rooney's masterpiece may not be an anthology, but it was surely structured like one. The main characters Marianne and Connell remain the focus of the series, but their love story and lives are narrated through their last few days in school, during college, and into adulthood.
They share a complicated relationship and can't help but return to each other through different stages of life. The longing and angst is acted with nuance, and one can't help but get invested in the troubled young individuals' story and the realistic moments in Normal People.
Four Weddings And A Funeral (2019-)
Based on the eponymous 1994 movie, Four Weddings and a Funeral is all about the hijinks of Maya, Craig, Ainsley, and Duffy, American friends who come together for a fantastic wedding in London.
As the title suggests, there's plenty of drama and society politics, which progresses into the four weddings too. Relationships get made and broken, friendships are tested, and the show delivers plenty of good vibes to audiences.
Friends From College (2017-2019)
For audiences who love watching a group middle-aged misfits trudge through the complexities of their love lives, this show is for them. Friends From College follows a group of Harvard alumni in their forties as they manage their own marriages and destroy the bonds between others.
This show is a lot more fast-paced than Modern Love, but the emotions that one feels in some of the episodes are replicated here well.
High Fidelity (2020)
A remake of the iconic movie, this Zoe Kravitz-starrer mixes music, angst, and a a self-obsessed record store owner and the relationship drama she goes through with men and the warm banter with her co-workers.
Viewers will come out with better lessons about love, toxic relationships, and heartbreak that Zoe's character goes through. There is drama, heart-wrenching sadness, and warm moments too, so fans of Modern Love will enjoy the show greatly.