When was the last time you watched a really good rom-com on TV? If the answer is ages ago, we're here to help with our hand-picked selection of the very best dramas that are worth your time. From Parisian rendezvous to late-life love affairs and unexpected pregnancies, we've found a rom-com for every mood and almost every relationship situation - and some are even better than Nobody Wants This.
From Mae Martin's impeccable performance in the semi-autobiographical series, Feel Good, to Sally Wainwright's love story for the ages, Last Tango in Halifax, there are some rom-coms that really do make you fall in love at first sight. So, sit back and relax, as these are the 10 superb TV rom-coms to watch now on ITV, Netflix, the BBC and more. Enjoy!
Feel Good
Mae Martin, who you might recognise from Wayward, is fantastic in this funny, truthful and sometimes painful semi-autobiographical love story. The series follows Mae, a stand-up comic working in Manchester, and George (Charlotte Ritchie), a middle-class woman who's only ever dated men until she meets Mae at a comedy club. Mae suffers from PTSD and has a history of substance abuse, while George experiences deep anxiety about coming out, but neither are romantic obstacles, quite the opposite. Available to watch now on Netflix.
Emily in Paris
If you've ever dreamed of moving to Paris and sharing a croissant with a good-looking Euro-stud on the steps of Montmartre, you'll enjoy Emily in Paris. Lily Collins plays the titular marketing executive who moves to Paris from Chicago and swiftly dumps her long-distance boyfriend in favour of a life of romantic complications. One of those involves her neighbour Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), who just happens to be in a relationship with her friend Camille (Camille Razat). Five series in and, happily, this rom-com is still going strong. Available to watch now on Netflix.
Lovesick
This British series never quite got the audience it deserved, but is well worth a watch. Johnny Flynn plays Dylan, a landscape gardener who, after being diagnosed with chlamydia, agrees to contact every single one of his former sexual partners to share the news. Much of the story is told in flashback, so it's not so much about one romance as several, as well as the changing attitudes and lives of Dylan and his friends. There's also the small, unresolved matter of Evie (Antonia Thomas), Dylan's friend who's engaged to someone else. We'll let you guess how that story goes. Available to watch now on ITVX.
Last Tango in Halifax
Romance isn't just for the young and Last Tango in Halifax proves it. The series makes a delightful case for raging against the dying of the light by presenting Alan (Derek Jacobi) and Celia (Anne Reid), two bereaved 70-somethings who reconnect after several decades apart. Surprised to discover they're still very much in love, their rekindled romance presents challenges but also has positive effects on their family. It's little surprise that the personal story is based on writer Sally Wainwright's own experiences: her mother reconnected with a former schoolfriend via Friends Reunited in her 70s - and the pair got married. Aw! Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
Nobody Wants This
We couldn't not include Nobody Wants This, could we? Everybody wants a bit of the romance at the centre of the hit series, which features the brilliant pairing of Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. In the fictional scenario, there are obstacles between the two stars - Brody is a progressive rabbi, while Bell is a sex-and-relationships podcaster and not Jewish. The question is, how will these two adults reconcile their cultural differences with their respective communities? A third series is, excitingly, currently in production. Available to watch on Netflix now.
Colin from Accounts
Don't be misled by the packaging of this Australian gem as it's far more romantic than the title suggests. Colin from Accounts is actually the name of a dog, specifically the one accidentally knocked over by Patrick Brammall's Gordon Crapp while ogling passer-by Ashley (co-writer and Patrick's real-life wife Harriet Dyer). Their dysfunctional romance plays over the course of two series (a third is also on the way) with their bruises and flaws taking centre stage. It’s heartfelt, relatable and funny. Available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
The Big Bang Theory
This long-running series takes the formula that made Friends work – boys and girls living across the corridor from each other and throws in a double fish-out-of-water situation. Penny (Kaley Cuoco) is a Z-grade actress working as a waitress who's highly intelligent but has very little education; Leonard is a superstar academic scientist with a show-stealing neurodivergent flatmate and no clue about how to score with women. Over an incredible 12 series and 279 episodes, we follow their romance and eventual marriage, as well as the brilliantly entertaining escapades of their friends. Available to watch now on Disney+.
Catastrophe
Within minutes of the first episode, you’ll understand why Catastrophe was the show that put both Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney on the map – as stars and co-writers. The pair pour a brutal honesty about the reality of relationships for new parents into the story of Sharon and Rob, a pair who hook up, unexpectedly get pregnant and decide it's worth giving it a shot. They pull no punches in depicting the emotional switchbacks that permeate young parenthood and the result is a series that gets everything about human nature right. Available to watch now on Netflix and Disney+.
Dreaming Whilst Black
Adjani Salmon and Ali Hughes' comedy started life as a webcast before it was hastily picked up by BBC Three and recommissioned for a second series last year. Adjani stars as Kwabena, a recruiter who shares a house with his cousin Maurice (Demmy Ladipo) and Maurice's pregnant wife Funmi (Rachel Adedeji) and dreams of being a filmmaker. As Kwabena's dreams edge closer to becoming a reality, he starts a relationship with Vanessa (Babirye Bukilwa), a girl he meets at a bus stop. Inventive and thoroughly enjoyable. Available to watch now on Disney+.
Bridgerton
We simply can't give enough praise to Bridgerton. The antidote to staid period drama, the series brings sexual yearning to the fore and feels no shame whatsoever in raiding the romance genre for classic storylines. (The bourgeois girl and the bachelor duke! The pair who go from friends to lovers!) Perhaps best of all, the show's championing of diverse casting overcame decades of fusty objections with a simple "get over it", and opened the door to fresh opportunities and fresh viewing experiences for us all. A series that's genuinely hard to beat. Available to watch now on Netflix.
