--- title: The Best TV Rom-Coms of the Streaming Era description: The seismic changes of streaming, which favors binge-friendly miniseries and shorter seasons, have helped to create a mini romantic-comedy boom. Here's what to watch. canonical: https://time.com/6254600/best-tv-rom-coms-streaming/ author: Judy Berman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-02-10T22:09:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2025-02-10T04:32:36.000Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: The 10 Best TV Rom-Coms of the Streaming Era og:description: From Heartstopper and Love Life to Catastrophe and You're the Worst, here's what to watch on Valentine's Day or any day. og:url: https://time.com/6254600/best-tv-rom-coms-streaming/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b19a09cd8df9564/698a3a4586f68ed78b6f228b/tv-rom-coms-valentines-day.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: tv-rom-coms-valentines-day og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The 10 Best TV Rom-Coms of the Streaming Era twitter:description: From Heartstopper and Love Life to Catastrophe and You're the Worst, here's what to watch on Valentine's Day or any day. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b19a09cd8df9564/698a3a4586f68ed78b6f228b/tv-rom-coms-valentines-day.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The 17 Best TV Rom-Coms of the Streaming Era by [Judy Berman](https://time.com/author/judy-berman/) and [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/) Updated: Feb 10, 2025 4:32 AM UTCPublished: Feb 10, 2023 10:09 PM UTC  Gina Rodriguez in Jane the Virgin; Kit Connor and Joe Locke in Heartstopper; Zoe Kravitz and Jake Lacy in High Fidelity Gina Rodriguez in Jane the Virgin; Kit Connor and Joe Locke in Heartstopper; Zoe Kravitz and Jake Lacy in High FidelityTIME; Netflix; Kevin Estrada—The CW/Everett; Phillip Caruso—Hulu/Everett by [Judy Berman](https://time.com/author/judy-berman/) and [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/) Updated: Feb 10, 2025 4:32 AM UTCPublished: Feb 10, 2023 10:09 PM UTC _This list was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2025._ Romantic comedy has, historically, been a tough genre for television. Boy can only meet girl (or boy, etc.), get girl, lose girl, rinse, and repeat so many times before the whole routine starts to get old—not great for an episodic medium that traditionally measures success in longevity. Which is probably why so many of TV’s classic romances, from [Sam and Diane](https://time.com/collection-post/3101498/cheers/) to [Coach and Mrs. Coach](https://time.com/3735985/kyle-chandler-netflix-bloodline-friday-night-lights/), have made up just one facet of a more expansive story. But the seismic changes of streaming, which favors binge-friendly miniseries and shorter seasons, have helped to create a mini romantic-comedy boom. From _Heartstopper_ and _Love Life_ to _Catastrophe_ and _You’re the Worst_, these are the best TV rom-coms of the streaming era (i.e., the decade or so since Netflix launched its first original series), plus more recommendations in case you run out. ## _Colin From Accounts_ (Paramount+) From real-life married couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall comes this Australian rom-com about a pair of mismatched lovers and the adorable pup who brings them together. Brammall plays Gordon, a 40-something brewpub owner and cancer survivor. Dyer’s Ashley is a messy, newly single med student more than a decade Gordon’s junior who flashes him, a stranger, causing a car crash that maims a little dog. (That’s Colin.) Their shared responsibility for the helpless canine’s injury brings them together, though there are plenty of false starts, abrupt breakups, and epic miscommunications along the way. While the premise could get cutesy, Dyer and Brammall avoid saccharine by seeding their scripts with wit, pathos, and generous helpings of raunchy humor. And, of course, the stars’ onscreen chemistry reflects their offscreen bond. **For another middle-aged microbrewer navigating singledom:** Hulu’s [_Platonic_](https://time.com/6280831/platonic-review/) ## _Nobody Wants This_ (Netflix) TV’s biggest rom-com hit in recent memory is [this banter-rich slow burn](https://time.com/7024349/nobody-wants-this-review-netflix/) about a fickle, agnostic sex podcaster who finds herself falling for a hot, surprisingly laid-back rabbi. While the faith angle adds some interesting wrinkles—what will his congregation and her listeners think?—the real draw here is the casting. Early-2000s teen-drama icons [Kristen Bell](https://time.com/4352130/kristen-bell-frozen-depression-anxiety/) and [Adam Brody](https://time.com/7098608/andrew-garfield-tim-walz-gentle-masculinity/), in the lead roles, make an irresistible couple. The equally strong supporting cast includes Justine Lupe ([_Succession_](https://time.com/tag/succession/)’s Willa), Timothy Simons ([_Veep_](https://time.com/7001796/veep-kamala-harris-david-mandel-interview/)’s Jonah), Jackie Tohn, Sherry Cola, Tovah Feldshuh, and a host of other great character actors. Critics have rightly [pointed out](https://time.com/7023404/nobody-wants-this-netflix-jewish-women/) that the show, which draws on creator Erin Foster’s own marriage to a Jewish man and conversion to the faith, perpetuates some nasty stereotypes about Jewish women. But there’s reason to believe the second season, which is expected to premiere in 2025, will benefit from an influx of new executive producers, including _Girls_ and _Single Drunk Female_ alum [Jenni Konner](https://time.com/3857893/jenni-konner-girls-rape-scene/). **For another pair of ultra-charismatic millennial leads:** Amazon’s [_Mr. & Mrs. Smith_](https://time.com/6588667/mr-and-mrs-smith-review-donald-glover/) ## _Slip_ (Roku Channel) Mae (creator [Zoe Lister-Jones](https://time.com/4797928/zoe-lister-jones-band-aid-interview/)) is sleepwalking through a comfortable but slightly boring existence with her husband, Elijah (Whitmer Thomas), when a blowout fight pushes her to cheat on him with a famous musician, Eric (Amar Chadha-Patel). What is supposed to be a one-night stand kicks off an extremely lo-fi science fiction epic, as she wakes up the next morning in a parallel universe where she is married to Eric. Her attempts to return to the life she knows—and slowly realizes she should’ve appreciated—take her through the bedrooms and lifestyles of other Bizarro World spouses. When a multiverse’s worth of romantic alternatives fails to satisfy, Mae must consider whether she, not her partners, is the real barrier to her happiness. **For another surreal comedy about a woman forced to confront her poor romantic choices:** Peacock’s [_Laid_](https://time.com/7201124/laid-review-peacock/) ## **_Never Have I Ever_** **(Netflix)** Mindy Kaling experimented with the rom-com on her TV show _The Mindy Project_, but she masters the genre with her followup _Never Have I Ever_ about a nerdy but horny teen girl ([Maitreyi Ramakrishnan](https://time.com/collection/time100-next-2021/5937731/maitreyi-ramakrishnan/)) caught up in a love triangle. Kaling captures both the awkwardness and joy of high school crushes, with a voiceover from John McEnroe that, we swear, actually makes sense once you watch. **For more high school love triangles:** Netflix’s _The Summer I Turned Pretty_ ## **_Emily in Paris_** **(Netflix)** Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that _Emily in Paris_ capitalizes on its _tres romantique_ setting. Emily (Lily Collins) ventures from Chicago to Paris for a marketing gig and has trouble adapting to the laissez-faire French lifestyle.Emily’s romantic exploits in the city of lights will scratch that rom-com itch, however cringey it is to witness her spon-con Instagram posts between her daliances. **For another heroine who infamously fell in love in Paris:** Max’s _And Just Like That_ ## **_Fleabag,_** **Season 2 (Prime Video)** Is it fair to call something as nuanced, complicated, and singular as _Fleabag_ a rom-com? Probably not, but Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s masterful _Fleabag_ is hilarious and deserves to be recommended any chance we get. The second season focuses on the Fleabag character’s forbidden crush on a hot priest ([Andrew Scott](https://time.com/6962630/ripley-review-netflix-andrew-scott/)) and finds a strangely emotional resolution despite its bonkers premise. **For more complicated women trying to hold it all together:** Netflix’s _Chewing Gum_ Stream on [Amazon Prime](https://amzn.to/3Sc0aFE). ## **_The Good Place_** **(Netflix)** _The Good Place_ is a high-concept comedy in the most traditional sense. It follows four characters in the afterlife as they try to determine whether they’re in heaven (“the good place”) or hell (“the bad place”). It’s stuffed with jokes, pop culture references, and a surprisingly nuanced deep dive into philosophy and ethics. But the beating heart of the show is the romantic potential between two of the characters, a fatefully indecisive professor (William Jackson Harper) trying to teach a self-described “trash person” (Kristen Bell) how to be moral. And what’s more romantic than spouting Kant? **For another laugh-out-loud comedy with a sweet love story:** CBC’s _Schitt’s Creek_ ## **_The Bisexual_** **(Hulu)** Like many of the best romantic comedies, [indie filmmaker](https://time.com/5357669/review-miseducation-of-cameron-post/) Desiree Akhavan’s British import _The Bisexual_ begins with a breakup. After a decade with Sadie (Maxine Peake), the significantly older girlfriend and business partner around whom she’s built her whole postcollegiate existence, Leila (Akhavan) is single for, essentially, the first time in her adult life. On her own in London, she’s free to try everything gay monogamy never allowed her the chance to do. Like dating men. Experimenting with opposite-sex partners might not sound so exotic, but for a woman whose social circle is made up of lesbians—and who’s slightly too old to have grown up steeped in Gen Z sexual fluidity—it creates some fascinating conflicts, both internal and external. **Another great rom-com about queer women:** Netflix’s _Feel Good_ Stream on [Hulu](https://fave.co/3Wsnd1p). ## **_Catastrophe_** **(Amazon)** An American guy visiting London on business has a steamy one-week stand with a local teacher, but when it’s time for him to go home, they make a clean break despite their obvious compatibility. By the time she realizes she’s pregnant, he’s an ocean away. Yet she wants to have the baby, and he decides to move to England and try to make their relationship work. The central joke of [_Catastrophe_](https://time.com/3923400/review-catastrophe-amazon/)is that these choices don’t amount to one—which isn’t to say that real challenges don’t threaten the couple over the course of four bumpy but hilarious seasons. Both approaching middle age, Rob and Sharon (played by creators [Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan](https://time.com/4290569/catastrophe-rob-delaney-sharon-horgan/)) come to family life relatively late, so each brings bad habits and baggage. But the characters’ wicked senses of humor, the genuine care they lavish on one another, and the stars’ electrifying chemistry create a durable bond; as a viewer, it’s impossible not to get invested. **For more chaotic parents who used to be cool:** FX’s [_Married_](https://time.com/2989014/review-fx-married-usa-satisfaction/) Stream on [Amazon Prime](https://amzn.to/3Y7oR9F). ## **_Heartstopper_** **(Netflix)** Alice Oseman’s beloved comic about a bullied, gay high schooler who discovers that his rugby-star crush might actually like him back springs to life in this gentle coming-of-age dramedy set at a British boys’ school. Misfit Charlie (Joe Locke) is rebounding from a secret situationship with Ben (Sebastian Croft) a closeted jock who ignores him—or worse—in public when he meets Ben’s teammate Nick ([Kit Connor](https://time.com/6227242/kit-connor-heartstopper-bisexual/)). A handsome sweetheart who isn’t afraid to have an openly gay pal, Nick quickly becomes the subject of Charlie’s daydreams. But all the time they spend together starts to pull Charlie away from his own circle of pop-culture-obsessed, predominantly LGBTQ friends. _Heartstopper_ is an absolute treat, full of delightful touches like [Olivia Colman](https://time.com/5456996/olivia-colman-the-crown-the-favourite/)’s small role as Nick’s mum and little animations that punctuate its headiest moments and call back to the scribbly intensity of the comic. **Another charming teen rom-com on Netflix:** [**_Dash & Lily_**](https://time.com/5909889/dash-lily-review-netflix/) ## **_High Fidelity_** **(Hulu)** Hulu canceled [one of its best rom-coms](https://time.com/5775365/high-fidelity-review-hulu-zoe-kravitz/) after just one season, and three years later, I’m still kind of mad about it. Even if she wasn’t the [lookalike daughter of Lisa Bonet](https://time.com/5783859/zoe-kravitz-lisa-bonet-photos/), who played one of John Cusack’s exes in the 2000 film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel _High Fidelity_, Zoë Kravitz would’ve been perfectly cast as Rob, a cool, cranky, bisexual, bohemian record store owner reviewing her “Desert Island Top 5 All-Time Most Memorable Heartbreaks” to figure out why her romances never last. As in previous tellings, music becomes our window into the personalities and worldviews of Rob and her staff—but the gender-flipped element of the story never feels arbitrary. Loving music so much that you build your life around it means something different when you’re a woman, a person of color, or a queer man like Rob’s ex turned employee Simon (David H. Holmes) than it does when you’re the straight-white-male record collector default. This _High Fidelity_ digs into that, and more, with help from a great ensemble that includes Da’Vine Joy Randolph as an aspiring musician and Jake Lacy as Rob’s straitlaced new love interest. **If you prefer jukebox musicals to rock shows:** NBC’s _Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist_ Stream on [Hulu](https://fave.co/4d4Y3Lx). ## **_Insecure_** **(HBO)** [Issa Rae](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2022/6177737/issa-rae-icons/)’s breakthrough isn’t _just_ a romantic comedy. It’s a story of friendship and ambition, a love letter to Black women and Los Angeles, and one of the very best of the last decade’s many shows about millennials fumbling their way from entry-level, paycheck-to-paycheck aimlessness to 30-something fulfillment. Still, it’s on this list for two reasons: First of all, Issa’s tortured relationship with her onetime live-in boyfriend Lawrence (Jay Ellis) constitutes a uniquely sensitive portrait of two seemingly compatible people who must discover who they are as individuals before they can attempt to build a future together. Meanwhile, [_Insecure_](https://time.com/6109253/insecure-black-hollywood/), which punctuated each episode with steamy love scenes filtered through an explicitly female perspective, was also among the sexiest TV shows of the uncensored streaming era. **Another worthwhile L.A. millennial romance:** Netflix’s [_Love_](https://time.com/4217024/love-funnier-when-the-glow-is-gone/) Stream on [HBO](https://fave.co/4aN1WTT). ## **_Jane the Virgin_** **(The CW)**  Scott Everett White—The CW Network, LLC. Though [_Jane the Virgin_](https://time.com/3545682/jane-the-virgin-is-the-keeper-of-this-fall-season/) borrows and sends up [telenovela tropes](https://time.com/6075019/the-house-of-flowers-telenovela/) more than rom-coms, the show will still scratch that romantic itch. As the title suggests, [Gina Rodriguez](https://time.com/5505437/gina-rodriguez-directing/)’s Jane is saving herself for marriage—likely to her sweet detective boyfriend Michael (Brett Dier)—but gets accidentally artificially inseminated with the sperm of a hotel magnate, Rafael (Justin Baldoni). Jane decides to keep the baby and must negotiate the complicated dynamics between the two men in her life. Let the love triangle begin. The self-aware show makes comedy hay out of its dramatic twists and turns: There are famous long-lost fathers, secret identical twins, and plots for murder, while, throughout, a self-aware narrator pokes fun at every revelation. But at its heart this is a sweet series about Jane, her mother, and her grandmother trying to make the right romantic decisions. **Another rom-com-adjacent gem from the CW’s mid-2010s renaissance:** [**_Crazy Ex-Girlfriend_**](https://time.com/4185470/crazy-ex-girlfriend-rachel-bloom-spanx-diversity-cw/) ## **_Love Life_** **Season 2 (HBO Max)** Sometimes it’s best not to judge an anthology series by its first season. _Love Life_, which chronicled the romances of a different protagonist in each season, debuted as perhaps the most anticipated original series to launch alongside the HBO Max platform. But an [initial story](https://time.com/5841541/hbo-max-originals-what-to-watch/) that cast [Anna Kendrick](https://time.com/3592456/anna-kendrick-interview/) as a plucky young woman finding herself through relationships, and breakups, in New York felt a bit too familiar. Fortunately, the series [retooled for season 2](https://time.com/6110810/love-life-season-2-review-hbo-max/) with William Jackson Harper starring as Marcus Watkins, a book editor going through a divorce. Both the novelty of a male rom-com hero, let alone one with a past, and the specificity of Marcus’ struggles with his identity and masculinity, as a bookish Black man who’s often compared to Barack Obama, make for a thoughtful arc. The presence of Jessica Williams as Marcus’ long-running will-they-or-won’t-they certainly doesn’t hurt. If only Max had taken this second outing as proof that _Love Life_ had legs, instead of canceling the show before it could return for a third. **Another fun New York rom-com with a male protagonist:** Netflix’s [_Master of None_](https://time.com/4111777/master-of-none-aziz-ansari-review/)seasons 1 and 2 Stream on [HBO Max](https://fave.co/3LvapkC). ## **_Lovesick_** **(Netflix)** This British series sets the gold standard for charming rom-com entertainment. The show centers on a hopeless romantic named Dylan (Johnny Flynn) who gets diagnosed with chlamydia and has to tell every woman he’s ever slept with. Each episode of its early run centers on a hilarious memory of a different ill-suited ex—the German one he couldn’t communicate with but claimed to have a psychic connection with; the one who wound up in the ER after a sexual exploit went awry; the one who got high on mushrooms while camping. But really they’re an excuse to follow the adventures of Dylan with his best friends, Luke (Daniel Ings) and Evie (Antonia Thomas), the latter of whom we quickly realize carries a torch for Dylan herself. Dylan and Evie’s will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic powers the show, and Luke’s commitment-phobia provides plenty of slapstick entertainment. But no one character is purely comedic or purely tragic. We learn why Luke became so cynical, and Evie gets to have plenty of fun even as she pines after Dylan. They evolve without losing their defining traits. Sadly, we may never get a fourth season of _Lovesick_ to conclude Dylan’s romantic journey, but the third offers enough closure that it still serves as a [satisfying](https://time.com/5802536/relaxing-tv-shows/), swoon-worthy tale. **For more attractive, young Britons playing the field:** Peacock’s [_Everything I Know About Love_](https://time.com/6208573/best-tv-shows-august-2022/) ## **_Starstruck_** **(HBO Max)** A regular, flailing 20-something meets a famously attractive movie actor at the club on New Year’s Eve. They spend the night together. Only the next morning does she realize who he is. And guess what? He’s a sweet guy who’s actually interested in dating her. It’s a premise straight out of fanfiction, but creator and star Rose Matafeo steers it confidently, and entertainingly, out of the realm of fantasy; in one early scene, Matafeo’s charmingly awkward Jessie exits the home of paparazzi magnet Tom (the dashing Nikesh Patel) to a crowd of photographers… who quickly conclude she’s only the cleaning lady. Although many of Jessie’s biggest obstacles echo familiar millennial-slacker-show tropes, _Starstruck_, with its high-wire setup and flair for flirtatious banter, feels much more like an updated take on the 1930s screwball comedy. **If you want more Nikesh Patel, even if it means watching a terrible reboot of a classic big-screen rom-com:** Hulu’s [_Four Weddings and a Funeral_](https://time.com/5632731/four-weddings-and-a-funeral-hulu-review/) Stream on [HBO Max](https://fave.co/3S6XXef). ## **_You’re the Worst_** **(FX)** Most rom-coms try hard to make us love the central couple as much as they love each other. Not [_You’re the Worst_](https://time.com/5563882/youre-the-worst-finale-broad-city-catastrophe/). Stephen Falk’s black comedy cast Aya Cash as Gretchen, a depressive, hard-partying music publicist who meets caustic, closed-off author Jimmy (Chris Geere) at a wedding where they’re both behaving terribly. Much to their surprise, an impulsive hookup grows into something resembling a relationship, albeit one with many false starts, breakdowns, and self-destructive benders. As in _Catastrophe_, one of the main selling points is the palpable chemistry between the leads. Also refreshing is Falk’s sly way of expressing skepticism about traditional romance narratives without lapsing into self-righteousness. Offbeat performances from Desmin Borges as Jimmy’s wounded-puppy Iraq-vet roommate and [Kether Donohue](https://time.com/4199284/kether-donohue-grease-live-youre-the-worst-interview/) as Gretchen’s possibly psychopathic bestie complete the irresistible package (which is definitely not a wedding gift). **For more terrible people in love:** Amazon’s _Mammals_ Stream on [Hulu](https://fave.co/3xZDPnK). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6254600/best-tv-rom-coms-streaming/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6254600/best-tv-rom-coms-streaming/"},"headline":"The 17 Best TV Rom-Coms of the Streaming Era","datePublished":"2023-02-10T22:09:24.000Z","dateModified":"2025-02-10T04:32:36.000Z","description":"From 'Heartstopper' and 'Love Life' to 'Catastrophe' and 'You're the Worst,' here's what to watch on Valentine's Day or any day.","url":"https://time.com/6254600/best-tv-rom-coms-streaming/","keywords":["Television","list","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b19a09cd8df9564/698a3a4586f68ed78b6f228b/tv-rom-coms-valentines-day.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Judy Berman","jobTitle":"TV Critic","url":"https://time.com/author/judy-berman/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b19a09cd8df9564/698a3a4586f68ed78b6f228b/tv-rom-coms-valentines-day.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"tv-rom-coms-valentines-day","caption":"Gina Rodriguez in Jane the Virgin; Kit Connor and Joe Locke in Heartstopper; Zoe Kravitz and Jake Lacy in High Fidelity","creditText":"TIME; Netflix; Kevin Estrada—The CW/Everett; Phillip Caruso—Hulu/Everett","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6254600/best-tv-rom-coms-streaming/","name":"The 17 Best TV Rom-Coms of the Streaming Era"}}]}] ```