Naman Shrestha
Based on the 2017 eponymous novel by Sally Rooney, ‘Conversations With Friends‘ is a romantic drama series that revolves around Frances and Bobbi — two college friends living in Dublin. Despite the fact that they used to date each other, the pair don’t let it affect their friendship and continue to maintain a strong bond. However, things change when they meet Melissa and Nick, a married couple. As both the pairs start spending more time together, it ignites a secret affair between Frances and Nick, which also affects Bobbi and Melissa.
Developed by Element Pictures, the unique storyline is filled with several themes and elements, including adultery, friendship, and LGBTQ relationships. All these themes weaved into the narrative make for an enthralling watch, keeping the viewers invested in the journey of each of the main characters. If you particularly like watching dramas involving complicated relationships, you are likely to enjoy watching the listed shows as well. You can watch most of these shows like ‘Conversations With Friends’ on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu.
7. If Loving You Is Wrong (2014-2020)
Created by Tyler Perry, ‘If Loving You Is Wrong‘ is a drama series that revolves around five different couples living on the same street in the fictional community of Maxine. Beneath the surface of the seemingly perfect and happy relationships and marriages lies heartbreak and unfaithfulness as the characters indulge in adultery and harbor several secrets from each other, much like ‘Conversations With Friends.’ In addition, the characters in both shows have an affair with someone known to their partner, making the situation even more complicated.
6. The Bisexual (2018)
Created by the duo of Desiree Akhavan and Rowan Riley, ‘The Bisexual’ is a comedy-drama series that chronicles the life of Leila, who is a New Yorker living and feeling a bit lost in London. While on a break with her long-term girlfriend Sadie, Leila shares a house with an author named Gabe, who is going through his own share of relationship issues.
Leila soon starts exploring her sexuality and discovers that she might be bisexual. However, she has a tough time coming out of the closet, especially with her gay friends. Much like ‘Conversations With Friends,’ ‘The Bisexual’ also involves a bisexual character who explores their sexuality by engaging in liaisons with men, without letting their partner or friends know anything about it.
5. Trigonometry (2020)
Featuring Ariane Labed, Thalissa Teixeira, and Gary Carr, ‘Trigonometry’ is a comedy-drama series that revolves around a London couple — Gemma and Kieran — who open their apartment up to a third resident in order to make ends meet. The new resident, Ray, unexpectedly tends to make the couple’s lives much easier.
As the three spend time together and get closer, they enter a polyamorous relationship. Faced with new challenges, the trio must find a way to make the relationship work. Apart from the common theme of a love triangle, what makes the two shows similar is the complications that the involvement of a third person can bring to a relationship, be it in secret or openly.
4. Love (2016-2018)
Created by the trio of Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, and Paul Rust, ‘Love’ is a romantic comedy series that follows the ups and downs in the relationship of Mickey and Gus. The pair meet each other when Gus moves into a new apartment complex after he gets cheated on by his girlfriend. Despite all the differences in personalities, Gus and Mickey are attracted to one another, which eventually helps them explore what love really is. Although the genres of the two shows are different on the surface, the themes of cheating and falling in love all over again are what link them together.
3. Love, Victor (2020-2022)
Inspired by Greg Berlanti’s groundbreaking 2018 movie ‘Love, Simon,’ ‘Love, Victor‘ is a teen comedy-drama series created by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. Set in the same world as the film, the show’s narrative follows the journey of Victor, who is trying to find his true self while dealing with the hurdles that life throws at him.
In the process of exploring his sexual orientation and facing the challenges that come with it, he turns to Simon for help. Like ‘Love, Simon,’ the series is also based on the book ‘Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda’ by Becky Albertalli. Much like ‘Conversations With Friends,’ ‘Love, Victor’ is a coming-of-age charmer featuring LGBTQ+ characters who are figuring out what they truly want from life.
2. Heartstopper (2022-)
Based on the eponymous graphic novel by Alice Oseman, Netflix’s ‘Heartstopper‘ is a British romantic series that revolves around two teens named Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring, who are students at an all-boys school. When the two young boys are made to sit together one day, they end up becoming good friends. Soon, Nick and Charlie discover that the bond they share might be more than friendship as they begin to feel attracted to each other. What makes ‘Heartstopper’ similar to ‘Conversations With Friends’ is that their narratives consist of LGBTQ characters who start as friends but soon develop a romantic connection with each other.
1. Normal People (2020)
Also based on the eponymous novel by Sally Rooney like ‘Conversations With Friends,’ ‘Normal People‘ is a romantic drama that chronicles the relationship between Marianne and Connell. The two characters are from entirely different backgrounds, but that doesn’t stop them from falling in love with each other. Their relationship tends to mirror the relationship between Frances and Nick — both the pairs have quite a few disparities, which create several complexities in their respective relationships.
Read More: Is Conversations with Friends Based on a True Story?
