Shows Like
Shows Like Fleabag: Smart Comedies
By Jordan A. · · 7 min read
If you've watched Fleabag and you're in that post-viewing void where nothing else seems clever enough, smart enough, or brave enough to fill that gap, I get it. Phoebe Waller-Bridge created something special with those six episodes of pure comedic gold mixed with unexpected heartbreak. The fourth-wall breaks, the shameless charm, the way Fleabag could make you laugh at her terrible decisions while simultaneously breaking your heart - that's not easy to replicate. But there are shows out there that capture similar magic with their own unique spin on shows like Fleabag, and I'm here to help you find them.
What we're really looking for are shows with that same DNA: smart writing that doesn't talk down to you, characters who are flawed in deeply human ways, moments of genuine vulnerability wrapped in comedy, and usually a British or European sensibility that makes everything feel a little more sophisticated. We want shows that aren't afraid to break the format, shows where the humor comes from real character moments rather than punchlines.
Fourth-Wall Breaking Brilliance
Staged is probably the closest you'll get to that meta-comedy magic. David Tennant and Michael Sheen play fictional versions of themselves during lockdown, dealing with their abandoned stage production, their deteriorating patience with each other, and the absolute chaos of trying to work from home. The show directly addresses the audience, acknowledges its own weirdness, and uses that format to tell genuinely touching stories about friendship and creative frustration. Seasons one and two are essential.
Schitt's Creek doesn't have fourth-wall breaks, but it has something equally effective - character growth wrapped in comedy so complete that by season four you're genuinely invested in these horrible people learning to be better. The ensemble is impeccable (especially Dan Levy, though truly everyone is bringing something special), and the show understands that real comedy comes from characters you care about.
Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet has some direct-address moments but more importantly, it captures that same willingness to mix comedy with genuine stakes. Charlie Day and Danny McBride lead this comedy about a video game studio, and while it's broader than Fleabag, the character work gets surprisingly deep. The Valentine's Day episode in season one is pure television gold.
Character-Driven Vulnerability
Catastrophe with Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney absolutely gets this balance right. It starts with them having a one-night stand that results in pregnancy, and they decide to actually try to make it work. The show is brutally honest about relationships, parenting, and the way people hurt each other while also genuinely loving each other. It's funny but in a way that acknowledges how messy real life actually is.
Crashing is Phoebe Waller-Bridge's earlier project (before Fleabag), and if you haven't seen it, it's absolutely worth your time. It's rougher around the edges, more experimental, and deeply personal. She's living in a house full of weird people in East London, and the show is less about plotting and more about how these characters interact and hurt each other. It's kind of a spiritual predecessor to Fleabag's emotional depth.
Feel Good with Mae Martin is British-Canadian queer comedy-drama that builds humor from genuine, specific character moments. Mae plays a version of themselves navigating sobriety, love, and identity. It's funny but also genuinely moving, with the kind of specific dialogue that makes you go "oh god, that's exactly what it's like."
Everything Sucks was criminally underrated before it got cancelled. It's set in the 1990s at a high school where the theater kids and A/V club accidentally merge, and it has this wonderful, chaotic energy. The characters are specific and weird and you grow genuinely attached to them despite (or because of) their dysfunction.
British Wit and Sophistication
Chewing Gum with Michaela Coel is this absolutely bonkers British comedy about a religious girl from a Pentecostal church exploring sex and life and relationships. The writing is absurdist but grounded in character, and Michaela's performance is fearless. It's not quite as polished as Fleabag, but it has similar DNA in terms of using comedy to explore female sexuality and vulnerability.
Derry Girls deserves its own piece (which, full disclosure, we also have), but it absolutely belongs here too. It's set in 1990s Northern Ireland and follows a group of chaotic teenage girls navigating friendship, family, and the Troubles. It's funny without being mean, and the ensemble cast chemistry is genuinely special.
Love, Victor is technically American but it has that same emotional intelligence. It's about a gay teenager in a conservative town trying to figure out his identity while navigating school, family, and romantic feelings. It handles the comedy and drama balance really well, and it never feels preachy despite dealing with legitimately serious subjects.
Motherland is British comedy that focuses on women in their 40s navigating motherhood, careers, and friendship. It's got that same "smart people saying smart things that are also funny" vibe, and the cast of Amanda Abbington, Lucy Punch, and Diane Morgan is absolutely fantastic.
Messy, Lovable Characters
Russian Doll season one is wild - Natasha Lyonne dies and relives the same night over and over in this existential comedy-drama set in New York. It's funny and weird and sad and genuinely inventive. Season two gets more experimental and less immediately satisfying, but season one is near-perfect.
Broad City with Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer is pure chaos comedy about two best friends in New York who regularly make terrible decisions. It's absurdist and often hilarious, and while it doesn't have Fleabag's emotional complexity, it has a similar energy of "women doing dumb funny things and building a narrative around their lives together."
Atypical is about a teenager on the autism spectrum trying to navigate life and relationships while his family loses their minds. It's got genuine heart, good humor, and Keir Gilchrist is really wonderful in it. The supporting cast, especially Brigette Lundy-Paine as his sister, brings a lot of comedy gold.
I'm Sorry with Andrea Jin is adult comedy about marriage and parenting that's raunchy but also surprisingly thoughtful. It ran for only two seasons but both are strong, and Andrea Jin's comedy writing is sharp and observational.
Ensemble Chemistry and Wit
Happy Endings is technically an ABC sitcom, which sounds like it wouldn't work, but it's genuinely hilarious ensemble comedy about six friends in Chicago. The cast has incredible chemistry, the dialogue moves fast and is actually clever, and there are recurring jokes that pay off across seasons. It got cancelled too soon but those three seasons are solid.
Search Party is incredibly weird and specific about a woman becoming obsessed with her stalker. Alia Shawkat is fantastic, and the show gets progressively weirder in the best way possible. Season three in particular is experimental and genuinely inventive in a way that would make Fleabag fans appreciate the ambition.
Young Sheldon might sound like a mainstream sitcom (and it is), but don't sleep on it. Iain Armitage is genuinely charming, and the writing gets surprisingly specific about family dysfunction and grief, especially in later seasons. It's lighter than Fleabag but it has that same intelligence.
Minx is set in 1970s Los Angeles and follows a woman starting an adult magazine for women. It's funny and sexy and has really good character work across the ensemble. The writing is sharp, the period details are perfect, and there's genuine warmth between the characters.
Godless is a Netflix western with Jeff Daniels and Michelle Dockery where a woman has founded a town run entirely by women. It's not a comedy exactly, but it has great character moments, sharp dialogue, and that same sensibility of smart people in weird situations doing their best.
Only Murders in the Building with Steve Martin, Marty Short, and Selena Gomez is a comedy-mystery that really shouldn't work but absolutely does. The banter between the leads is wonderful, the mystery is actually engaging, and it understands that comedy and drama don't have to be mutually exclusive.
Find Your Next Favorite
If you're craving that specific flavor of smart, character-driven comedy with real emotional stakes, BingeNext's mood-based recommendations feature is going to save you hours of scrolling. Tell it you want shows with intelligence and heart, and it'll point you toward your next obsession.
The thing about Fleabag is that it didn't just work because Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a genius (though she is). It worked because the comedy and the emotions were completely integrated - you couldn't separate the laugh from the heartbreak. The shows I've listed here all understand that formula in different ways. Some lean more into the format experimentation, some into the character vulnerability, some into the ensemble dynamics. But they all get that the best comedy comes from caring about people.
Topics covered: comedy, british, character-driven, witty, dramedy, prime-video
About the author
Jordan A., Founder, BingeNext
Jordan A. is the founder of BingeNext and writes every guide on this site. He built the recommendation engine after one too many nights lost to the streaming menu, and he still tests every pick the hard way: by watching it.