This Is Us is one of the most popular drama series on television right now. Viewers can’t resist crying as they watch the latest trials and joys of the Pearson family. They want to be a part of the family. With its rich characters, brilliant writing, and unexpected plot twists, This Is Us always knows how to deliver tearjerker moments.
But it’s not the only show like this. Many TV shows center around family dramas. They make us laugh, they make us cry. They often feature a Jack Pearson-like character. If you’re craving to binge-watch another family drama like This Is Us, check out these 10 shows that will certainly fill in the void until the beloved NBC show returns.
Updated September 25th, 2020 by Hayley Mullen: It’s humanity’s urge to tell stories that connect us with others and help them understand the emotions of others that ensures the constant flow of tearjerking television shows. If you want laughter, tears, or just want to feel seen and understood, we’ve got more shows that might hit all the right buttons for you. In times of loneliness or uncertainty, these shows will remind you just how important (and complicated) love, friendship, and family can be.
15 The Fosters
One of Freeform’s most popular original series, The Fosters (2013-2018) follows the Foster family, led by interracial lesbian couple Stef and Lena, and their multi-ethnic, blended family of adopted, biological, and foster children. The series showcases love and unity during both challenging and rewarding times.
The show is similar to This Is Us because it also tackles heavy, complicated topics with a diverse family. In This Is Us, the Pearsons (a white family) adopted an African American baby, Randall (Sterling K. Brown). Randall grew up as the only African American boy in his community. The Fosters doesn’t shy away from dramatic moments that will keep you entertained, just like This Is Us.
14 Big Little Lies
If you enjoyed the drama aspect of This Is Us, then this show has everything you’re looking for, from murder to Desperate Housewives vibes, but it’s more than just suspense and intrigue. Big Little Lies’ story does touch on themes such as schoolyard scandal and divorce, but it’s the emotional aspects of the show that help it shine: the conflict between mothers and the newcomer who doesn’t quite “fit in” as well as the lies and secrets that the title suggests.
The show has a complex and engaging main cast of characters, which includes stars such as Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, and Shailene Woodley. Each of them truly brings the well-crafted script to life to create an excellent adaptation of the original Liane Moriarty novel.
13 The Village
NBC’s 2019 lineup for Spring included a new drama called The Village, which focuses on the lives and relationships of a Brooklyn apartment building’s residents. It features a wide array of characters, from veterans to nurses to social workers, and every resident has a connection to another one, pulling together the cast in a thematically satisfying way.
At its core, the show is about the lives they live and the love they put out into the world. The only downside to The Village is its unfortunate cancellation after the first season, but at least its creators were able to put it out into the world for everyone to see.
12 Good Trouble
Good Trouble is a spinoff of the previously mentioned show The Fosters, and follows siblings Callie and Mariana Foster as they take on Los Angeles as adults. Set a few years after their original show, Good Trouble finds the two sisters living in The Coterie (a communal living apartment building) while pursuing careers in law and software engineering.
The show focuses on not only their relationships with the people within The Coterie, but the engaging relationships and friendships they make through working and dating. This show does a wonderful job of portraying two characters who have grown so much taking on new challenges and developing even further.
11 Little Fires Everywhere
Little Fires Everywhere was originally a book published in 2017 by Celeste Ng, and was spotted by Reese Witherspoon before being published. Witherspoon not only chose it as one of her book club selections, but brought the script to Kerry Washington to adapt it into a miniseries for television. Witherspoon plays Elena Richardson, a mother of four teenagers living the “perfect suburban life” in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Elena decides to take in Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl, who were living in their car on Elena’s street before.
Things go wrong, however, as the show opens up to the Richardson’s house on fire with suspicions that someone from the inside burned it down. Family, drama, love, lies, and secrets are plentiful in this captivating series, which became Hulu’s most-watched drama ever within 60 days of its release.
10 Queen Sugar
Queen Sugar is another superb creation from filmmaker Ava DuVernay that debuted in 2016. The show follows three siblings whose father unexpectedly dies, leaving behind his 800-acre sugarcane farm to Charley, who had been living and working in Los Angeles with her son Micah. Because of her recent divorce, Charley decides to take Micah and move to Louisiana to run the farm.
Both the death of their father and the responsibility of the farm bring the siblings together, forever changing their lives. The third season of the show is entirely women-directed, and while the fifth season has yet to air, there are plenty of amazing, drama-filled episodes to enjoy until then.
9 The Wonder Years
In the late 1980s and early ‘90s, viewers loved the Arnold family in The Wonder Years (1988-1993). The series follows the coming-of-age story of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) in the late 1960s. Kevin looks back on his childhood, narrating his life with plenty of charm.
Viewers love that This Is Us documents the Pearson family throughout time—from when they were children and teenagers to when they’re now adults. If you want to feel nostalgic and watch another family as they grow and evolve together, The Wonder Years will make you want to go back to your adolescent years.
8 Party Of Five
Party of Five (1994-2000) was a fan-favorite in the 1990s. The family drama focuses on the true definition of love and sacrifice. It centers on a family of five siblings who must cope with the loss of both of their parents. Their oldest brother, Charlie Salinger (Matthew Fox), becomes the patriarchal figure of the family and cares for his four younger siblings.
Every episode of the series delivers a mix of drama, suspense, and heartwarming conversations. The show also tackles difficult subjects, including domestic abuse and alcohol addiction. As you watch the show, you’ll find out the Salinger family isn’t that different from the Pearson clan.
7 Brothers & Sisters
Brothers & Sisters (2006-2011) is about, well, a family of brothers and sisters. The Walker family’s patriarch suddenly dies, sending his family into a tailspin. On top of all the stress and sorrow, they find out he had a secret mistress and a child none of them knew about, especially his wife, Nora (Sally Field).
The drama centers on the now expanded Walker family and their romantic and personal lives. Just like This Is Us, the show features a large, dynamic ensemble cast. Family members fight over the family business and it seems like they can’t get along. What’s not to like?
6 Six Feet Under
HBO’s famous drama Six Feet Under (2001-2005) focuses on the dysfunctional Fisher family, owners of a California funeral home. When their father dies in the first episode, his wife and three children, including estranged brothers Nate (Peter Krause) and David (Michael C. Hall), must come to terms with their grief and running the business on their own.
Six Feet Under is darker than This Is Us, so fair warning before you start watching it. However, the drama also features love and reconnection as the family tries to grapple with their many complex issues.
5 Sex Education
Netflix’s break-out show Sex Education has gained popularity among teenagers and adults alike. High school student Otis is awkward and inexperienced when it comes to sex and relationships, but he has an abundance of practical knowledge from having a mother who is a sex therapist. Otis and fellow student Maeve team up in order to start a for-profit sex clinic to help the inept students of their school who lack… well, sex education.
Part drama and part comedy, Sex Education is a show that’s full of talented actors, sharp comedy, and genuinely helpful information on sex, biology, and relationships.
4 Friday Night Lights
Everyone loves a good show about a high school football team, right? On Friday Night Lights (2006-2011), football is the glue of the Dillon, Texas community. It’s the main focus on the lives of the players, parents, Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler), his school principal wife, Tami (Connie Britton), and their family. They eat, sleep, and breathe football, which results in some emotional and heartwarming moments.
If you love Jack and Rebecca Pearson, you’ll also fall in love with Coach and Tami Taylor. The interpersonal relationships on the show tug at your heartstrings, just like on This Is Us.
3 Shameless
Fans have connected with the super dysfunctional Gallagher family on Shameless. About to enter its 11th and final season, the Showtime drama features the Gallaghers who grew up on the wrong side of Chicago’s tracks. The neglectful patriarch, Frank (William H. Macy), spends too much time drinking, leaving his six children to fend for themselves.
Unlike This Is Us, you probably don’t want to be a part of the Gallagher family. Frank fights too much, especially with his long-suffering eldest daughter, Fiona (Emmy Rossum). However, even through the tough times, the show’s siblings still support each other, just like the Pearsons.
2 A Million Little Things
Frequently compared to This Is Us, ABC’s A Million Little Things focuses on a group of friends who are troubled after one of them, Jon (Ron Livingston), unexpectedly commits suicide. The friends have to deal with this heartbreaking loss, but they also have to uncover the mystery of Jon’s motivations for his suicide.
The friends are like their own family. A Million Little Things (now in its second season) frequently tells emotional stories about characters you can easily relate to on the drama series. You’ll connect to the storylines on friendship, family, and incredible grief.
1 Parenthood
When This Is Us first premiered in 2016, viewers were already comparing it to Parenthood (2010-2015). It was even marketed as being “the new Parenthood.” If you love the Pearsons, you’ll also love the Braverman family. The heartwarming drama portrays the true meaning of love and family.
Together, Zeek (Craig T. Nelson) and Camille (Bonnie Bedelia) Braverman have four children with families of their own. The series portrays the ups and downs the family faces as they navigate their crazy, sensitive lives. The Bravermans are a big, endearing family you wish you were a part of, just like with the Pearsons.
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