The Best Rom-Coms Are Actually TV Shows — Here Are Some You Should Watch

    Watching people fall in love is perfect comfort viewing when you need a bit of a break.

    Jenna Guillaume
    by Jenna Guillaume

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    1. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

    The CW

    Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a quirky musical series that's as much a parody of rom-coms as it is a rom-com. While main character Rebecca has several love interests, one of the most refreshing things about the show is ultimately the love affair she has with herself.

    2. Jane the Virgin

    The CW

    Jane the Virgin is based on an iconic telenovela and, like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, leans into being an affectionate parody of its format. It's ridiculously over the top, but amid all the zany antics are real and raw situations and lovely relationships — romantic and otherwise.

    3. The Baker and the Beauty

    ABC

    This show is so cheesy but very wholesome and fun. Ordinary guy Daniel, who works at his family bakery, has his life turned upside down when he bumps into superstar Noa Hamilton in a restaurant and the two start dating. While the central romance is cute, it's the extended cast of characters — especially Daniel's family — that makes the show special.

    4. Lovesick

    Netflix

    Lovesick centers on Dylan, who finds out that he has chlamydia and has to contact everyone he's ever slept with just in case they have it too. What follows is a nonchronological journey through Dylan's love life that turns out to be way more romantic than the initial premise suggests.

    5. High Fidelity

    Hulu

    Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, this series is charming and clever with a killer soundtrack. The decision to change Rob, a list-obsessed owner of a record store, from a white man into a Black woman improved High Fidelity by at least 500%. Especially with Zoë Kravitz as the lead.

    6. What's Wrong With Secretary Kim

    TVN

    This Korean rom-com is about arrogant rich guy Lee Young-joon, whose world is rocked when his longtime secretary, Kim Mi-so, unexpectedly quits. The two have a long-simmering but mostly ignored attraction, plus a complicated past. They slowly get to know each other as people rather than as employer and employee, and the tension skyrockets to extremely hot levels.

    7. Gavin & Stacey

    BBC

    As the title suggests, this British show is about a couple named Gavin and Stacey — Gavin is from Essex in England, while Stacey resides in Barry in Wales. Their long-distance relationship and completely different family and friends are the setup for some very funny moments.

    8. The Mindy Project

    Fox

    Over six seasons, we follow the complicated love life of Mindy Lahiri, an OB-GYN living in New York. It's a bumpy ride at times, but also an excellent and ultimately warm series that showcases Mindy Kaling at her most relatable and charming self.

    9. Never Have I Ever

    Netflix

    Another Mindy Kaling brainchild, Never Have I Ever is partly inspired by the comedian's teen years. While there's a lot happening in main character Devi's life — including, most significantly, the grief caused by the sudden death of her father — there are also strong romantic elements and two (of course!) dreamy love interests.

    10. New Girl

    Fox

    New Girl perhaps lasted a little too long, but when it was good, it was very, very good. The on-again, off-again love story of Nick and Jess is compelling, and they have one of the all-time hottest first kisses in TV history. The relationships between the other characters are also a lot of fun.

    11. Chewing Gum

    Netflix

    Chewing Gum is a British sitcom about a woman named Tracey, who starts out the series determined to lose her virginity. What follows is a deeply weird but hilarious series of misadventures, including the unfolding of a surprisingly tender relationship with her neighbor Connor.

    12. Love Life

    HBO Max

    Love Life, like Lovesick, is an episodic look at its main character's romantic past, this time focusing on a New Yorker named Darby. While it's not quite as warm as Lovesick and all the men are mostly terrible, Anna Kendrick is, as always, a highlight.

    13. Awkward

    MTV

    Matty McKibben walked so Peter Kavinsky could run. Matty is the popular jock who is secretly soft and sweet and falls for the awkward outsider Jenna. There's a lot more happening in this teen comedy than that, but the central romance is the best part — even if Jenna can be kind of awful at times.

    14. Love

    Netflix

    Love examines — you guessed it — love through the characters of Mickey and Gus. It's pitched as more real and raw than your standard rom-com fare, and it can take a while to warm up to, but overall the series is quite endearing and highly watchable.

    15. Selfie

    ABC

    Selfie was canceled after only one season and definitely gone far, far too soon. A modern version of Pygmalion, it sees hot mess Eliza mentored by put-together (but uptight) coworker Henry. John Cho as a romantic lead is enough to make this show worth watching on its own, but the whole thing is pretty great.

    16. Younger

    TV Land

    Like many a great TV series, the longer Younger runs, the less fun it becomes. But it's still an easy and engaging show to watch. If you're unfamiliar, it's about a fortysomething divorcé, Liza, who pretends to be in her twenties in order to land a job in a publishing company. She's also torn between two very hot guys: Josh, a 26-year-old tattoo artist, and Charles, her boss.

    17. Romance Is a Bonus Book

    TVN

    This Korean series has a lot in common with Younger — it's about a divorcé, Kang Dan-i, who has to lie in order to get a job in publishing (this time, she pretends she's less qualified than she is). She also has a romance with a younger man — her best friend, Cha Eun-ho. With only 16 episodes, it's a really sweet and quick watch.

    18. Fleabag

    Amazon Prime

    Fleabag is not really a rom-com, but it's a comedy with strong romantic elements, and so brilliant it's worth mentioning anyway. If you haven't watched it yet, what are you waiting for? The Hot Priest, who shows up in Season 2, is everything everyone says he is. But the series is also a stunning exploration of friendship, family, and grief.

    19. Love, Victor

    Hulu

    Love, Victor premieres June 19 on Hulu, and if the trailer is anything to go by, it's going to be extremely adorable and great escapism. Inspired by the movie Love, Simon and the book it's based on, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, the show centers on Victor, the new kid in town, as he navigates coming out and falling in love.