We love Sex and the City, and we don’t care how predictable that makes us. But it’s been 20 years since the show was on HBO, and we’re still relying on the series as our go-to single-girl TV fix, even when other options present themselves. We’re not saying it’s time to move on, but if (like us) you’ve seen every episode a zillion times and can repeat them all verbatim, you could probably use some new content in your rotation. Here, nine single-girl shows, both old and new, that are totally worth watching.
1. Fleabag
This is one of our favorite modern-day shows, and while it’s definitely not as light and airy as SATC, it’s got an authenticity that’s endearing. Unfortunately for the show’s main character, her BFFs aren’t exactly available to meet her for cosmopolitans (one best friend, in particular), so she turns to men instead with largely unfortunate results.
You can view Fleabag’s first six episodes on Amazon.
2. Broad City
This show also gets real, but in this case it’s a hilarious depiction of what it’s like to have a best friend in your 20s. Abby and Ilana are uncomfortably close in a way that feels familiar and probably a bit nostalgic (depending on your age). If you have limited time on your hands and aren’t yet well-versed in the world of Broad City, we suggest you watch the “The Last Supper” and “Wisdom Teeth,” two of the funniest pieces of television ever created.
You can watch Broad City on Amazon or Hulu.
3. Insecure
This show looks at the single lives of two African-American women who’ve been best friends since college, so it explores the realities of race alongside the trials, tribulations and comedies of being a single woman of a certain age.
You can watch Insecure on HBO.
4. Golden Girls
We always joke with our besties that we’ll just be killing time with our significant others in our 30s, 40s and maybe 50s, at which point they’ll start to die off and we’ll go back to being single girls living together à la the Golden Girls babes. To be honest, there are worse fates than reverting back to our 20-something selves in our 60s, 70s and beyond—the second time around, there won’t be any pregnancy scares, bad relationship choices for fear of being the only single person left standing or talk of dying alone because this time around, you know it’s your BFFs who’ll be there with you when you go. (What, too dark?)
You can watch Golden Girls on Hulu.
5. Lipstick Jungle
Directly after SATC ended, a bunch of copycats popped up. This one has nowhere near the magic of our favorite show of all time, but it is compelling television—in a diversionary way. Where SATC found nuance in its later seasons, this series wasn’t allowed to grow long enough to evade stereotypes, but it’s a good go-to if you’re looking for something to watch while hungover or otherwise under the weather.
You can watch Lipstick Jungle on Hulu.
6. Girls
This one’s rather obvious, and when it first debuted it was billed as the anti-SATC. We generally find the friendships here less desirable than those of Carrie and company, but perhaps that’s just because they’re a smidgen too realistic.
You can watch Girls on HBO.
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This post originally appeared March 13, 2017, on The Zoe Report.