One of the fears of TV viewers everywhere is one of their favorite TV shows getting prematurely canceled by the network it airs on. Happy Endings fell victim to this fate back in 2013, and its viewers are still upset by the loss. This show found its voice quickly, and was canceled after a short three seasons.
Happy Endings followed a group of six friends living in Chicago. The characters were collectively in different parts of their lives, but still were a cohesive group of friends supporting each other through fun times and hard times. Since the world will never find out more about the story of these six friends, here are ten shows to watch if you miss Happy Endings.
New Girl
This show is about as close as it gets to Happy Endings without actually being Happy Endings. New Girl is about a group of roommates living in LA. The group is in their late 20s navigating the world of jobs, dating, friendships, and growing up.
The two shows even have overlap of actors. Damon Wayans Jr. who plays Brad on Happy Endings plays Coach on New Girl. So not only will you feel a similar vibe while watching the show, you will actually get to see a familiar face.
High Maintenance
If you want a true depiction of NYC at its deepest core, High Maintenance should be the next show you watch. Fans of Happy Endings will love to see the ins and outs of NYC as well as so many of the different friendships that come and go episode by episode.
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This show follows "The Guy," a marijuana dealer who delivers his weed to his clients throughout the city. Each episode follows different clients' lives as they cross paths with The Guy. It is unique due to its revolving recurring characters and constantly varying cast, but The Guy unites everything. And despite not knowing his name, it's easy to feel as if you know him very well.
Friends
Friends proved that familiarity is the key to keeping a captive audience. It ran for ten seasons and followed friends Phoebe, Monica, Rachel, Ross, Joey, and Chandler as their lives unfolded in Manhattan. The group of friends hung out in a coffee shop during any and all hours of the day. It made life look easy, and churned out 24 episodes per season.
The show's theme song, "I'll Be There For You," is the perfect description of the show. When life isn't going well, your friends will be there by your side to help out. Nothing ever went too wrong in the show, even when Rachel and Ross had their iconic "We were on a break!" fight. Happy Endings fans will love to see another group of friends living in a different city.
How I Met Your Mother
Fans know that this show is so much more than a story of How Ted Mosby met his children's mother. How I Met Your Mother follows a group of five best friends living in Manhattan in the early 2000s. Ted, Marshall, and Lily are friends from college, Barney is the resident bachelor of the group, and Robin is the new girl in town who cements the group a five-some.
This show is so much more than a sitcom with a laugh track. It tackles everything from the death of parents to infertility to heartbreak. It also has long-standing inside jokes as well as hilarious catchphrases that played a major part in the charm of the show. Happy Endings fans will feel very at home while watching this show.
Friends From College
Just like Happy Endings, this show was canceled before its time. Although it took a bit longer to find its voice, once it did, it thrived. This show followed a friend group of six that went to college together. After living many years apart, they all end up in NYC, and all hell breaks loose. Now in their late 30s and 40s, the group has to figure out how to be in the same place again.
Sometimes old friendships can be messy. Friends from College showcases just how messy relationships can be, even when they are based in love.
Insecure
Another show based in LA, Insecure wrapped its fourth season this past June. This show follows two young Black women, Issa and her best friend Molly, as their lives progress in their late 20s-early 30s. While balancing their careers and their love lives, we see the ebb and flow of their friendship.
The character arcs in Insecure are unmatched. The growth of characters makes viewers fluctuate between loving and hating characters episode by episode, season by season. Happy Endings fans will enjoy watching this show for the friendship between Molly, Issa, and their two other hilarious friends Kelli and Tiffany. The banter between these four is on point.
Fleabag
Although lovers of Happy Endings will definitely love the humor of this show, pretty much anyone in their right mind can appreciate the masterpiece that is Fleabag. The two-season-long show follows Fleabag, the unnamed main character. She is dealing with the loss of her mother and best friend, trying to process how to function in a world without her favorite people.
The Emmy award winning show is as hilarious as it is deep. Although this isn't a show about a girl with a lot of friends, the breaking of the fourth wall makes you feel as if you are her friend, offering a completely different television experience.
Shrill
This Hulu original follows Annie and her best friend Fran, two roommates and best friends. Shrill is a show about a bigger woman who is in the midst of a lot of life changes. She is trying to make it as a writer while also dealing with parental pressures and boy problems.
Annie and Fran are great friends to each other as they navigate the rough waters of life. Happy Endings fans will love how fashionable Annie is on the show - even her worst outfits are envy-inducing!
Crashing
This show revolves around a group of people living in a disused hospital as property guardians to save a buck. They all rent there for different reasons, but their strange living situation fosters deep friendships that come off so natural you would think these people had been friends forever.
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Phoebe Waller Bridge's dark comedy shines through. Fans of Happy Endings will love this show because of its humor but also because of how easy it is to watch and feel as though you are in on the friendships portrayed. Phoebe Waller Bridge really has a way of including the viewers in the show.
Broad City
Another show about 20-somethings in a city, what could be new? Everything. Broad City is a show about two girls who could not be more different but love each other so deeply that it does not matter. Against the backdrop of New York City, Ilana and Abbi live life to the fullest turning everyday activities into adventures.
Happy Endings fans will love to see another city, but will also really enjoy the comedy and friendship of these two girls. They will also appreciate that this show comes to a conclusive close, unlike Happy Endings, which left us all wanting more!