5 best shows like Netflix's 'One Day' for more romantic drama
Romance is officially in the air. You can watch your favorite rom-coms (ahem, "When Harry Met Sally") or you can dive into "One Day," the new limited series that recently debuted on Netflix and is the perfect show for Valentine's Day.
Where to stream 'One Day'
All 14 episodes of "One Day" are streaming on Netflix
The 14-episode series, which is based on the book by David Nicholls (which was also adapted into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess), offers a snapshot of Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew’s (Leo Woodall) relationship on the same day every year for two decades.
There’s a lot to like about "One Day," from its inventive framing device to the angsty, in-your-feelings vibe the show provides. Emma and Dex are messy, making mistakes and breaking each other’s hearts over their decades-long friendship. If you loved watching "One Day," here are a few other romantic shows to watch.
'Lovesick'
If you loved the creative framing device "One Day" uses, you should check out "Lovesick." Originally titled "Scrotal Recall," the comedy starts at a health clinic, as Dylan (Johnny Flynn) receives an STI diagnosis. When he’s advised to contact all of his previous partners to let them know that they should also get tested, he writes an alphabetical list. This is the show’s framing device: each episode centers on the relationship between Dylan and one of his exes.
The glimpse back in time lets us learn about Dylan — as well as his best friends Evie (Antonia Thomas) and Luke (Daniel Ings) — as he navigates love, heartbreak, and a whole lot of silliness.
Watch on Netflix
'Normal People'
You like angst and yearning, you say? Whoo boy, then do I have the show for you. "Normal People," an adaptation of the book by Sally Rooney, made waves when it first dropped on Hulu. The series focuses on the relationship between Marianne (Daisy Edgar Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) as both of them navigate high school in small-town Ireland and college in Dublin.
The show does a magnificent job capturing how high stakes it feels to be in love for the first time. It earned 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with BBC critic Scott Bryan saying, “It is just so brilliantly done in every single way, the way it is formed and shot, the acting and the chemistry. It feels as if you’re watching a real relationship unfold on screen.”
Watch on Hulu
'Daisy Jones and the Six'
If part of what you loved in "One Day" was watching Emma and Dex in the '80s, then I have another show that will take you back in time: "Daisy Jones and the Six." This series, which dropped last year, stretches across the '70s, complete with fantastic costumes to ogle and music you can rock out to.
Based on the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, it follows Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) as she makes her way into the music scene and teams up with Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) and his bandmates to become the biggest band in the world.
Watch on Prime Video
'High Fidelity'
Who are your top five heartbreaks? That’s the question that frames this adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel. In the show, Rob (Zoe Kravitz) attempts to cope with her No. 1 heartbreak, Mac, while also running a record shop in New York City with the help of Simon (David H. Holmes) and Cherise (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Set against the backdrop of New York City and featuring a bangin’ soundtrack, "High Fidelity" will convince you that a great playlist is the perfect way to say I love you.
Despite the fact this much-beloved show was canceled before it got a second season, Time listed it as one of “The Best TV Rom-coms of the Streaming Era.”
Watch on Hulu
'Fleabag'
There’s something so cathartic about watching characters make mistakes in their own love lives. If you find yourself looking for another story that will let you see how messy love can be, check out "Fleabag." In the first season, the titular Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) navigates her grief over the loss of her best friend with questionable life decisions. In the second season, she’s introduced to a hot priest (Andrew Scott), who challenges her in a new way.
Both seasons scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critic Alexandra Aceves of Bitch Media writing of the second season, “It's a perfect culmination to the character's journey, and a powerful comment on the way likability is currently framed as both the most essential and the least attainable trait a woman can have.”
Watch on Prime Video
