TV Shows Like Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair

2018 • Rating 8.5 • crime, drama, comedy

Starting over isn't easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being an LAPD officer. As the force's oldest rookie, he's met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Comedy

Style: Cerebral, Gritty, Mind Bending, Surreal, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Police Chase, Los Angeles, California, Police Officer, Police Detective, Street Crime, Lapd, Police Training, Crime Investigation, Dramedy, Police Department

Time: Year 2018, 2010S, 2018-10-16

Place: United States Of America, Canada, English, Los Angeles

Cast: Nathan Fillion, Melissa O'Neil, Eric Winter, Alyssa Diaz, Mekia Cox, Richard T. Jones

2000 • Rating 8.5 • comedy

A gifted young teen tries to survive life with his dimwitted, dysfunctional family.

Genre: Comedy

Style:

Audience: General Audience

Plot: Dysfunctional Family, Sibling Relationship, Intellectually Gifted, Middle Class, Family Relationships, Social Satire, Breaking The Fourth Wall, Family, Boy Genius, Working Mom

Time: Year 2000, 2000S, 2000-01-09

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan, Christopher Masterson

2025 • Rating 8.0 • drama, action & adventure, crime

Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer with heightened abilities, is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.

Genre: Drama, Action & Adventure, Crime

Style: Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Mayor, Sequel, Superhero, Based On Comic, Lawyer, Blind, Blunt, Marvel Cinematic Universe (Mcu), Attorney, Appreciative

Time: Year 2025, 2020S, 2025-03-04

Place: United States Of America, English, New York

Cast: Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Wilson Bethel, Deborah Ann Woll, Margarita Levieva, Matthew Lillard

2008 • Rating 8.4 • crime, drama, mystery

Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the California Bureau of Investigation.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: California, Con Man, Cop, Serial Killer, Criminal Investigation, Mourning, Mysterious, Forensic Psychology, Criminal Consultant, Desperate

Time: Year 2008, 2000S, 2008-09-23

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Rockmond Dunbar, Joe Adler, Josie Loren

2004 • Rating 8.6 • drama

Dr. Gregory House, a drug-addicted, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, leads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey.

Genre: Drama

Style:

Audience: Date Night, Teens

Plot: Medicine, Drug Addiction, Misanthrophy, Hospital, Doctor, Disease, Patient, Illness, Diagnosis, Medical Drama

Time: Year 2004, 2000S, 2004-11-16

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, Odette Annable, Peter Jacobson

2005 • Rating 8.2 • drama

Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle's Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Genre: Drama

Style:

Audience: Date Night, Teens

Plot: Seattle, Washington, Trauma, Workplace, Hospital, Doctor, Medical Student, Surgical Interns, Medical Drama, Follows The Personal And Professional Lives Of A Group Of Doctors At Seattle'S Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital

Time: Year 2005, 2000S, 2005-03-27

Place: United States Of America, Canada, English

Cast: Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Caterina Scorsone, Camilla Luddington, Kevin McKidd

2026 • Rating 8.1 • comedy

J.D. & Turk scrub in together for the first time in a long time–medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has stood the test of time. Characters new and old navigate the waters of Sacred Heart with laughter, heart and some surprises along the way.

Genre: Comedy

Style:

Audience: Teens

Plot: Hospital, Bromance, Doctor, Dramedy, Medical Drama, Workplace Comedy, Dramatic, Adoring, Compassionate, Excited

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-02-25

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke

2001 • Rating 8.2 • sci-fi & fantasy, action & adventure, drama

The origins of the world’s greatest hero–from Krypton refugee Kal-el’s arrival on Earth through his tumultuous teen years to Clark Kent’s final steps toward embracing his destiny as the Man of Steel.

Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Drama

Style:

Audience: Date Night, Teens

Plot: Kansas, Usa, Superhero, Based On Comic, Alien, Super Power, Origin Story, The Origins Of The World, S Greatest Hero, From Krypton Refugee Kal-El, S Arrival On Earth Through His Tumultuous Teen Years To Clark Kent

Time: Year 2001, 2000S, 2001-10-16

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Cassidy Freeman, Justin Hartley

1999 • Rating 7.9 • crime, drama, mystery

In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Detective, Sexual Abuse, Sex Scandal, Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence, Domestic Violence, Criminal, Sex Trafficking, Interrogation, District Attorney

Time: Year 1999, 1990S, 1999-09-20

Place: United States Of America, English, New York

Cast: Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Aimé Donna Kelly, Kevin Kane

2005 • Rating 8.2 • crime, drama

Dr. Temperance Brennan and her colleagues at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab assist Special Agent Seeley Booth with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Washington Dc, Usa, Fbi, Forensic Science, Murder Investigation, Crime Investigation, Forensic Archaeology, Temperance Brennan And Her, Colleagues At The Jeffersonian'S Medico-Legal Lab Assist Special Agent Seeley Booth, With Murder Investigations When The Remains Are So Badly Decomposed, Burned Or Destroyed That The Standard Identification Methods Are Useless

Time: Year 2005, 2000S, 2005-09-13

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, John Boyd, Michaela Conlin, Tamara Taylor, T.J. Thyne

2026 • Rating 9.1 • comedy, drama

In a 21st-century constitutional monarchy, a woman who has everything but remains a commoner crosses paths with a prince who, despite his royal lineage, feels powerless—leading to a love that defies social status.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Style:

Audience: Date Night

Plot: Jealousy, Monarchy, Manipulation, Royal Family, Romance, Betrayal, Destiny, Rise To Power, Power Struggle, Fall From Grace

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-04-10

Place: South Korea, Korean

Cast: IU, Byeon Woo-seok, Steve Sanghyun Noh, Gong Seung-yeon, Yoo Su-bin, Lee Yeon

2026 • Rating 6.0 • comedy, drama

A love triangle among three adults experiencing middle-age malaise leads to one of them ending up dead.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Style: Dark

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Love Triangle, Dark Comedy, Miniseries, Middle Aged, A Love Triangle Among Three Adults Experiencing Middle-Age Malaise Leads To One Of Them Ending Up Dead

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-03-01

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Richard Jenkins, Joy Sunday, Arlan Ruf

2019 • Rating 8.3 • drama

A group of high school students navigate love and friendships in a world of drugs, sex, trauma, and social media.

Genre: Drama

Style: Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Drug Crime, Sex Scandal, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Relationship Problems, Childhood Trauma, Sex Addiction, Addiction, Love Hate Relationship, Drug Rehabilitation, Coming Of Age

Time: Year 2019, 2010S, 2019-06-16

Place: United States Of America, Israel, English

Cast: Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow

2003 • Rating 7.6 • crime, drama, action & adventure

From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has any connection to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Navy, Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, Naval Officer, Medical Examiner, Interrogation, Ex Marine, Criminal Investigation, Veteran, Virginia

Time: Year 2003, 2000S, 2003-09-23

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Katrina Law, Brian Dietzen, Rocky Carroll, Diona Reasonover

2026 • Rating 8.1 • drama, comedy

The daughter of a former Hooter's waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo is a recent college dropout and aspiring writer. Faced with a new baby, mounting pile of bills, and dwindling number of ways to pay them, Margo must find a way forward.

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Style:

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Based On Novel Or Book, Single Mother, Pro Wrestling, College Dropout, Financial Hardship, Amused, The Daughter Of A Former Hooter'S Waitress And An Ex-Pro Wrestler, Margo Is A Recent College Dropout And Aspiring Writer, Faced With A New Baby, Mounting Pile Of Bills

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-04-14

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Elle Fanning, Nick Offerman, Greg Kinnear, Thaddea Graham, Michael Angarano, Michelle Pfeiffer

2026 • Rating 7.1 • drama

With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Kayce Dutton joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region's war on violence.

Genre: Drama

Style:

Audience: Date Night, Teens

Plot: Montana, U.S. Marshal, Cowboy, Police Procedural, Based On Tv Series, With The Yellowstone Ranch Behind Him, Kayce Dutton Joins An Elite Unit Of U, Marshals, Combining His Skills As A Cowboy And Navy Seal To Bring Range Justice To Montana, Where He And His Teammates Must Balance Family

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-03-01

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Luke Grimes, Logan Marshall-Green, Arielle Kebbel, Ash Santos, Tatanka Means, Brecken Merrill

2011 • Rating 8.2 • drama

While running from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant young college-dropout, slips into a job interview with one of New York City's best legal closers, Harvey Specter. Tired of cookie-cutter law school grads, Harvey takes a gamble by hiring Mike on the spot after he recognizes his raw talent and photographic memory.

Genre: Drama

Style: Mind Bending

Audience: Date Night, Teens

Plot: Lawyer, Impostor, Law Firm, Photographic Memory, Paralegal, Corporate Law, Courtroom Drama, While Running From A Drug Deal Gone Bad, Mike Ross, A Brilliant Young College-Dropout

Time: Year 2011, 2010S, 2011-06-23

Place: United States Of America, English, New York

Cast: Gabriel Macht, Rick Hoffman, Sarah Rafferty, Amanda Schull, Dulé Hill, Katherine Heigl

2000 • Rating 7.6 • crime, drama, mystery

A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Detective, Police, Crime Scene, Las Vegas, Criminal Investigation, Forensic, Murder Investigation, Homicide Detective, Crime Investigation, Police Procedural

Time: Year 2000, 2000S, 2000-10-06

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Ted Danson, George Eads, Jorja Fox, Eric Szmanda, Robert David Hall, Wallace Langham

2023 • Rating 7.7 • sci-fi & fantasy, drama, action & adventure

After surviving Godzilla's attack on San Francisco, Cate is shaken yet again by a shocking secret. Amid monstrous threats, she embarks on a globetrotting adventure to learn the truth about her family—and the mysterious organization known as Monarch.

Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Action & Adventure

Style:

Audience: Date Night, Teens

Plot: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd), Secret Organization, Family Secrets, Family Drama, Spin Off, Kaiju, Based On Movie, 1950S, Search For Father, Godzilla

Time: Year 2023, 2020S, 2023-11-16

Place: Japan, United States Of America, English, Japanese, Spanish

Cast: Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett

1994 • Rating 8.4 • comedy

Six young people from New York City, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world, find the companionship, comfort and support they get from each other to be the perfect antidote to the pressures of life.

Genre: Comedy

Style:

Audience: Family, Teens

Plot: New York City, Roommates, Friendship, Cafe, Apartment Building, Group Of Friends, Manhattan, New York City, Sitcom, Young Adult, Searching For Love

Time: Year 1994, 1990S, 1994-09-22

Place: United States Of America, English, New York

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer

2023 • Rating 7.8 • comedy, drama

A road rage incident between two strangers — a failing contractor and an unfulfilled entrepreneur — sparks a feud that brings out their darkest impulses.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Style: Dark

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Husband Wife Relationship, Midlife Crisis, Marriage, Coercion, Anthology, Revenge, Dark Comedy, Billionaire, Los Angeles, California, East Asian Lead

Time: Year 2023, 2020S, 2023-04-06

Place: United States Of America, English, Los Angeles

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, Charles Melton, Youn Yuh-jung, Seoyeon Jang

2022 • Rating 8.2 • mystery, drama, sci-fi & fantasy

Unravel the mystery of a nightmarish town in middle America that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest – including the terrifying creatures that come out when the sun goes down.

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Style: Cerebral

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Sheriff, Small Town, Forest, Priest, Gore, Trapped, Folk Horror, City Ruin, City Nights, Supernatural Horror

Time: Year 2022, 2020S, 2022-02-20

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey, Pegah Ghafoori, Hannah Cheramy, Simon Webster

2005 • Rating 8.3 • drama, mystery, sci-fi & fantasy

When they were boys, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father raised them to be soldiers. He taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America ... and he taught them how to kill it. Now, the Winchester brothers crisscross the country in their '67 Chevy Impala, battling every kind of supernatural threat they encounter along the way.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Style: Cerebral, Dark

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Angel, Witch, Monster, Exorcism, Supernatural, Paranormal, Purgatory, Paranormal Phenomena, Apocalypse, Bromance

Time: Year 2005, 2000S, 2005-09-13

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins

2025 • Rating 8.7 • drama

The staff of Pittsburgh's Trauma Medical Center work around the clock to save lives in an overcrowded and underfunded emergency department.

Genre: Drama

Style:

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Hospital, Real Time, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Medical Drama, Medical Procedural, Drama, The Staff Of Pittsburgh'S Trauma Medical Center Work Around The Clock To Save Lives In An Overcrowded And Underfunded Emergency Department

Time: Year 2025, 2020S, 2025-01-09

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Noah Wyle, Patrick Ball, Katherine LaNasa, Supriya Ganesh, Fiona Dourif, Taylor Dearden

2013 • Rating 7.6 • drama, crime, mystery

Raymond "Red" Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, surrenders in person at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He claims that he and the FBI have the same interests: bringing down dangerous criminals and terrorists. In the last two decades, he's made a list of criminals and terrorists that matter the most but the FBI cannot find because it does not know they exist. Reddington calls this "The Blacklist". Reddington will co-operate, but insists that he will speak only to Elizabeth Keen, a rookie FBI profiler.

Genre: Drama, Crime, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Gritty, Psychological, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Fbi, Investigation, Terrorism, Criminal Mastermind, Crime Lord, Hidden Identity, Criminal Consultant, Raymond, Red, Reddington

Time: Year 2013, 2010S, 2013-09-23

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: James Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, Hisham Tawfiq, Anya Banerjee, Harry Lennix

2011 • Rating 8.2 • drama, comedy

Chicagoan Frank Gallagher is the proud single dad of six smart, industrious, independent kids, who without him would be... perhaps better off. When Frank's not at the bar spending what little money they have, he's passed out on the floor. But the kids have found ways to grow up in spite of him. They may not be like any family you know, but they make no apologies for being exactly who they are.

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Style:

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Sibling Relationship, Chicago, Illinois, Single Parent, Self Destruction, Big Family, Remake, Dysfunctional Family, Drugs, Single Father, Alcoholic Father

Time: Year 2011, 2010S, 2011-01-09

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey, Emma Kenney

2008 • Rating 8.9 • drama, crime

Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.

Genre: Drama, Crime

Style: Dark, Futuristic, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: New Mexico, Drug Dealer, Melancholy, Narcissism, Psychopath, Terminal Illness, Outlaw, Dark Comedy, Cancer, Tragedy

Time: Year 2008, 2000S, 2008-01-20

Place: United States Of America, English, German, Spanish, Future City

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, RJ Mitte, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt

2012 • Rating 8.4 • drama

An edge-of-your-seat view into the lives of everyday heroes committed to one of America's noblest professions. For the firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51, no occupation is more stressful or dangerous, yet so rewarding and exhilarating. These courageous men and women are among the elite who forge headfirst into danger when everyone else is running the other way and whose actions make the difference between life and death.

Genre: Drama

Style: Cerebral, Suspenseful

Audience: Date Night, Teens

Plot: Chicago, Illinois, Fire Brigade, Paramedic, Crime Investigation, Firefighter, An Edge-Of-Your-Seat View Into The Lives Of Everyday Heroes Committed To One Of America'S Noblest Professions, For The Firefighters, Rescue Squad And Paramedics Of Chicago Firehouse, No Occupation Is More Stressful Or Dangerous, Yet So Rewarding And Exhilarating

Time: Year 2012, 2010S, 2012-10-10

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg, Joe Miñoso, Christian Stolte, Miranda Rae Mayo, Hanako Greensmith

2009 • Rating 7.9 • comedy

The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.

Genre: Comedy

Style:

Audience: General Audience

Plot: Family Relationships, Breaking The Fourth Wall, Family, Sitcom, Blended Family, The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker Clan Is A Wonderfully Large And Blended Family, They Give Us An Honest And Often Hilarious Look Into The Sometimes Warm, Sometimes Twisted, Embrace Of The Modern Family

Time: Year 2009, 2000S, 2009-09-23

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet

2005 • Rating 8.3 • crime, drama, mystery

An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Fbi, Criminal Mastermind, Crime Investigation, Special Agent, Criminology, Police Profiling, Police Procedural, Suspenseful, An Elite Team Of Fbi Profilers Analyze The Country'S Most Twisted Criminal Minds, Anticipating Their Next Moves Before They Strike Again

Time: Year 2005, 2000S, 2005-09-22

Place: United States Of America, Canada, English

Cast: Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Adam Rodriguez, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler