Tamal Kundu
Created by Rachel Ramras, Hugh Davidson, and Larry Dorf, ‘The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window’ is a satirical mystery-drama series that lampoons the suspense thriller fiction in general and Joe Wright’s 2021 film ‘The Woman in the Window’ in particular. The story revolves around Anna Whitaker (Kristen Bell), a grieving mother who mixes pills and alcohol and spends her days staring out her window.
When a handsome widower moves into the house across the street with his daughter, Anna’s initial hope for a better tomorrow is dashed as she starts to think that she has seen a murder. If you have watched the series and loved it, here is a list of recommendations. You can watch most of these shows similar to ‘The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
7. Reno 911! (2003-)
Like ‘The Woman…,’ ‘Reno 911!’ is also a parody. It’s a mockumentary-style TV series that pokes fun at reality legal shows like ‘Cops.’ The narrative revolves around the staff of the fictional Reno Sheriff’s Department. All the law enforcement officers in ‘Reno 911’ are completely incompetent, which serves as the source of humor in the series. Both ‘The Woman…’ and ‘Reno 911!’ embrace the ridiculousness of their premise, even though the former is much more subtle about it.
6. Portlandia (2011-2018)
‘Portlandia’ is a sketch comedy series that largely parodies the eponymous city’s hipster culture. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein portray various oddball characters and are often joined by prominent guest stars. ‘The Woman…’ and ‘Portlandia’ represent a subdued form of comedy. While in the former, it manifests as a hilarious satire of an oversaturated pop culture trope, it takes the shape of deadpan humor in the latter.
5. Castle (2009–2016)
‘Castle’ tells the story of Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), a popular mystery fiction writer who convinces the NYPD to let him tag along with homicide detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) so he can garner material for his next book series. The sizzling chemistry between Fillion and Katic is one of the show’s biggest selling points. Like ‘The Woman…,’ ‘Castle’ approaches mystery fiction through the avenue of humor and romance. But with ‘Castle,’ the narrative is admittedly more earnest.
4. Psych (2006–2014)
‘Psych’ follows Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez), who pretends to be a psychic and works as a freelance consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department. In reality, he is a gifted detective with an eidetic memory. With the help of his best friend Gus (Dulé Hill), Shawn often solves cases that even the police fail to crack. Unlike the rest of the entries in the list, Like ‘The Woman…,’ Psych’ indulges its audience with a heavy dosage of absurd humor.
3. Only Murders in The Building (2021–)
‘Only Murders in the Building’ is a critically acclaimed mystery comedy series that revolves around an actor Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin), a financially strapped Broadway director Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), and a seemingly ordinary woman Mabel (Selena Gomez), who start a podcast together after a mysterious death. With the presence of Steve Martin and Martin Short in its cast, ‘Only Murders in The Building’ couldn’t have been anything else but comedy. Like ‘The Woman…,’ it perfectly blends humor with mystery.
2. Angie Tribeca (2016-2018)
Just as ‘The Woman…’ is a spoof of projects like ‘The Woman in the Window,’ ‘Angie Tribeca’ lampoons all those countless police procedural TV shows. The eponymous character is a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department’s elite RHCU (Really Heinous Crimes Unit). At the start of the series, she gets a new partner. As is often the case, Angie and her partner initially start rocky before inevitably becoming lovers. Both shows make fun of the ridiculous tropes associated with the respective genre.
1. The Flight Attendant (2020-)
Starring one of the queens of small screen Kaley Cuoco, ‘The Flight Attendant’ follows Cassie Bowden, a flight attendant who gets embroiled in a murder mystery after waking up one day beside her brutally murdered lover and sets off on a twisted path to prove her innocence. Like Anna, Kate struggles with her alcohol issues and suffers from memory loss. The day her lover is murdered, Kate discovers that she doesn’t recall what has happened to her.
