The Best TV Shows About Friendship
When you want a dose of on-screen closeness.
Whether you're missing your best friend, feeling lonely and out of place, or simply want to feel warm fuzzies, TV shows about friendship can provide some feel-good reprieve. Since the dawn of television, some of the greatest comedy series and heartwarming dramas have been about close friends—whether they're the pals you make at the office, the buddy you've had since grade school, or the "chosen family" you make as you try to figure out what you're doing with your life.
If you like some of the greats—the aptly titled Friends, The Golden Girls, and others—this list serves as a must-watch list for you. Below are the best TV shows about friendship.
'30 Rock' (2006–2013)
Beyond the office life humor (and the weird friendships that can result), 30 Rock gives us a multitude of odd couple relationships within the SNL-like live sketch-comedy show. But the beating heart is Jack (Alec Baldwin) and Liz (Tina Fey), whose relationship is such that when they marry accidentally in one episode, it's not even that surprising.
'Absolutely Fabulous' (1992–2012)
Ab Fab, as it's sometimes referred to, is raucous. Besties Patsy (Joanna Lumley) and Edina (Jennifer Saunders) constantly outdo themselves, and each other, in bad behavior. To watch and love the show is partly to be relieved we're not them, but also to be delighted by their terrible choices.
'The Bold Type' (2017–2021)
Sort of a Sex and the City for millennials, this show revolves around young women working for a women's mag. They're BFFs who all work at the (fictional) publication Scarlet, and have a bunch of fun work and relationship problems to sort out throughout five seasons.
'Broad City' (2014–2019)
It's hard to explain exactly how modern and refreshing Broad City was when it first debuted. It captured what it was like to be broke in a city (New York, in this case), mostly confused about life, and constantly hanging around an impressively non-judgmental best friend.
'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' (2013–2021)
The police procedural has never been funnier or sweeter in this series. It follows your standard "case of the week" format, but we'd be fine if the characters simply stood around talking.
'Community' (2009–2015)
This cult classic show revolving around an eclectic study group at a fictional community college is extremely meta and has a joke every 10 seconds. But once you get used to the pace and the quirky characters, you settle into its rhythm. By the end, you'll feel like one of the group.
'Dawson's Creek' (1998–2003)
This '90s phenomenon featured some fast-talking, philosophy-spouting teens with twisty romantic entanglements—but the thing we all remember most from that show is the deep bonds between the characters. The teen drama even spawned real-life friendships (including BFFs Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps)!
'Derry Girls' (2018–2022)
This period sitcom, situated in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, doesn't sound like it would be a particularly hilarious context. But wait, because this group of friends gets into seriously funny shenanigans, it's the perfect blend of honesty and hyperbole.
'Friends' (1994–2004)
No list of TV friendships would ever be complete without Friends. It became how we spoke about ourselves in friend groups (are you a Monica or a Rachel?) and the conduit for our own romantic and platonic entanglements. Years after the series finale, we still love to watch and re-watch the best episodes.
'Gilmore Girls' (2000–2007)
Gilmore Girls characters talk a mile a minute on this show and have a lot to tell each other. The whole community is one big BFF; however, special mention goes to the mother-daughter duo Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Lorelai (Lauren Graham), who prove that you can be best friends with your mom (even when it's complicated).
'Girls' (2012–2017)
Like others on this list, the titular girls aren't particularly good at being friends with each other. For millennials (and Gen Zers introduced to the show during its recent revival), this HBO hit is particularly resonant with the post-college experience—namely, the mistakes and detours on the way to adulthood.
'The Golden Girls' (1985–1992)
There aren't enough shows depicting women as they age, and even fewer exploring the bonds between middle-aged friends. But before Grace and Frankie, there was The Golden Girls, which was so popular because we fell in love with the foursome's friendship.
'Gossip Girl'
While the romantic relationships in the original Gossip Girl became very complicated, the friend group was always dynamic. Come for the snarky banter between Blair (Leighton Meester) and Serena (Blake Lively), and stay for the chill vibes of Dan (Penn Badgley) and Nate (Chace Crawford)! (And a healthy dose of the iconic friendship between Blair and Dorota.)
'Grace and Frankie' (2015–2022)
Two middle-aged women (played by legends Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda) become unlikely best friends after their husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) leave them for each other. Throughout the show's many seasons, Grace and Frankie explore what it means to grow old gracefully, try to date, deal with medical issues, and figure out how to deal with family crap, all with a lot of wit.
'Grey's Anatomy' (2005– )
The characters have evolved and changed on this long-running show (with many original cast leaving over the years), but we'll never forget the original group of interns. The first season spawned the iconic duo of Christina (Sandra Oh) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), of course, but the whole group of doctors was particularly tight-knit.
'Harlem' (2021– )
Harlem centers around NYU alums who are now in their 30s and trying to figure out life. The series features some great guests and recurring characters (from Whoopi Goldberg to Lil Rel Howery), and is bolstered by incredible dialogue and dynamite chemistry between the core cast.
'How I Met Your Mother' (2005–2014)
This sitcom had a nice premise with a hint of mystery, as it features a dad telling his kids how he met their mother. But as his story unfolds, the actual narrative is about living in New York and generally having no idea what you're doing with your work, relationships, or life, and the friends who help along the way.
'Insecure' (2016–2021)
This Emmy-winning series about the Black female experience wouldn't be the same without its two longtime BFFs Issa (Issa Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji). What's lovely about it is that their relationship grows, changes, and even breaks without them completely losing sight of the other.
'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (2005– )
Technically the characters on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are friends, but the humor comes from how utterly horrible they are to each other. The very long-running show constantly develops new ways to punish its lovable sociopaths.
'Laverne & Shirley' (1976–1983)
This classic TV show makes the case for lifelong friendships. Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) are absolute opposites but still the best of friends, and their relationship takes them from bad jobs all the way to Hollywood. These days, it's also a fun '70s throwback.
'Living Single' (1993–1998)
With a premise that should sound quite familiar—six friends share a brownstone in Brooklyn—Living Single was groundbreaking in its portrayal of Blackness on TV. With Queen Latifah at the helm as a magazine editor looking for love, the show's a delight.
'My Brilliant Friend' (2018–2024)
This Italian coming-of-age drama covers four books in an Elena Ferrante series over four seasons. It's grand and sweeping, chronicling the relationship between two best friends from childhood to old age, trying to escape poverty and tradition in their home outside Naples. It's gorgeous, dramatic, and sometimes heartbreaking—a must-watch.
'New Girl' (2011–2018)
This show was a bit of a cultural phenomenon. Though the material was pretty classic (friends and roommates get into shenanigans, romantic and otherwise), the specificity of the characters, from Jess (Zooey Deschanel) as a bubbly and overly cheery teacher to Schmidt (Max Greenfield), the successful ladies' man with OCD, helped make it feel authentic.
'Playing House' (2014–2017)
If you missed this show when it initially aired, it's worth seeking out. It's based on the real-life friendship between the leads, Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair; Emma (St. Clair) comes home to help her BFF after Maggie (Parham) separates from her cheating husband...while pregnant with his baby.
'Scrubs' (2001–2010)
Long live J.D. (Zach Braff) and Turk (Donald Faison)! The hit '00s show set in a hospital featured romantical drama aplenty, but the true love of the show was the foursome of medical BFFs. The standout was the J.D./Turk bromance, although a case could be made for J.D. and Elliot (Sarah Chalke), who were also besties (and sometimes lovers).
'Seinfeld' (1989–1998)
The friends in the famous "Show About Nothing" weren't particularly nice to each other, but that was kind of the fun. Whether they were gathering in Jerry's (Jerry Seinfeld) apartment to complain or...going somewhere else to complain, their banter kept us coming back.
'Sex and the City' (1998–2004)
Even though plenty of shows explored female friendship before it, Sex and the City popularized the idea of the gal-pal friend group who are just as much your soulmate as any partner. The depiction wasn't perfect, but it's still a template for many women who watched and continue to rewatch.
'Sherlock' (2010–2017)
Sherlock and Watson from the iconic mystery-thriller book series have been a dynamic duo for over a century, but the modern reimagining in this series wisely leans in on their "odd couple" dynamic. The detective (Benedict Cumberbatch), a "high functioning sociopath," keeps his moral compass (Martin Freeman) around as an increasingly important aspect of his work.
'Stranger Things' (2016– )
This '80s throwback isn't just about scrunchies, questionable experiments to spy on the Soviets, and Kate Bush: It depicts, with pointed accuracy, how kids formed friendships by being left alone by their parents for hours on end. Even without the scary monsters, this sci-fi hit is relatable and heartwarming to anyone.
'Supernatural' (2005–2020)
The Winchester brothers are—fortunately for them and us—best friends who like to hunt supernatural creatures together. The fact that Supernatural lasted a whopping 15 seasons came down to the dynamic between stars and actual pals Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles.
'Will & Grace' (1998–2020)
Will & Grace was wildly ahead of its time and helped educate viewers about the LGBTQ+ community. The sweet, snarky relationship between the two title characters (played by Eric McCormack and Debra Messing) was awesome, sure, but anyone who was a fan of the show knows that Karen (Megan Mullally) and Jack (Sean Hayes) were perpetually stealing the show.
'The Wonder Years' (1988–1993)
For its time, this coming-of-age story was quite novel. It helped usher in a wealth of teen shows in the '90s (and a new appreciation for the difficulties of adolescence). But the show worked primarily because of the Arnold family and their neighbors and friends—it felt very relatable.
