Is there anything more wholesome than watching family-based TV shows? Whether they are witty sitcoms like Schitt’s Creek, or dramas like The Fosters and Big Little Lies, we just can’t get enough. Let’s take a look at 15 of the best TV shows about families.
*Streaming availability is based in the UK*
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1. Schitt’s Creek
After Johnny and his family go broke, they are forced to move to a town that they bought as a joke–Schitt’s Creek. Crammed in a motel without a penny to their names, the family are in for a huge culture shock. For laughs, tears, and an all round incredible show, this is a must-watch for sitcom lovers.
Schitt’s Creek is available to stream on Netflix.
2. Gilmore Girls
Lorelai and Rory Gilmore are the ultimate mother-daughter duo. They’re inseparable, almost acting like sisters. Living in the small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, we get to watch their mundane, yet often exciting, lives pan out. This is a go-to for anyone looking for TV shows about families.
Gilmore Girls is available to stream on Netflix.
3. Modern Family
Three modern-day families, who are all related, are living in California. Trying to deal with chaotic children and your everyday problems, these families find themselves in the most hilarious situations. If you haven’t yet watched Modern Family, what have you been doing?
Modern Family is available to stream on Disney+.
4. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
An inner-city teenager, Will Smith, is sent to live with his wealthy aunt and uncle in a Bel-Air mansion after getting into trouble in his hometown. Moving from a rough neighbourhood and falling straight into a wealthy lifestyle, everything changes for this young boy.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime.
5. Full House
Recently widowed dad Danny Tanner struggles to raise his three daughters alone, so he asks his best friend and his brother-in-law to move in. This mismatched family do their best to get by in life. For coming-of-age wholesome moments to some classic 90s slapstick humour, Full House is the perfect TV show.
Full House is available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime.
6. black-ish
This incredible sitcom follows the lives of the Johnson family, an upper-middle-class African American family who live in a predominantly white neighbourhood. Addressing issues around race, culture, and identity, this TV show about families has made a huge influence on contemporary television.
black-ish is available to stream on Disney+.
7. This Is Us
Three siblings, Kevin, Randall, and Kate, go through some horrific struggles as kids. But, now, they’re older with their own families. As we flash back and forth between the past and present day, we get a super realistic insight into what complicated family life is like. This is definitely one of our favourite TV shows about families.
This Is Us is available to stream on Disney+ and Amazon Prime.
8. The Fosters
Stef and Lena have a blended family and things get a little more complex when they foster sister and brother Callie and Jude. Navigating adolescence and making classic poor life choices as teenagers, this TV show shaped a lot of our teenage years. It perfectly encapsulates both the beauty and complexity of having a blended family.
The Fosters is available to stream on Disney+.
9. Young Sheldon
This prequel to The Big Bang Theory shows us Sheldon Cooper’s life throughout his childhood. Sheldon, as we know, is a bona fide genius who deals with the struggle of being smarter than everyone else around him. If you’re a fan of The Big Bang Theory, this TV show about families will be perfect for you.
Young Sheldon is available to stream on Channel 4 and Netflix.
10. Children Ruin Everything
Parents Astrid and James struggle to uphold their identities and personal lives as they get wrapped up in raising three children. This show highlights the realities of raising children, while keeping things lighthearted and just absolutely hilarious.
Children Ruin Everything is available to stream on Netflix.
11. Grace and Frankie
Unlikely duo Grace and Frankie used to not get a long at all, but their husbands are best friends so they learned to put up with each other. When they find out their husbands have secretly been in love for the last 20 years, they move in together to help each other move on. Everything is falling apart, and they’ve only got each other.
Grace and Frankie is available to stream on Netflix.
12. Switched At Birth
Bay and Daphne are accidentally switched at birth as babies, so they are raised by the ‘wrong’ families. When Bay takes a DNA test for a school project, everyone discovers the truth. As they navigate whether blood means family, these teenage girls begrudgingly form a bond with each other.
Switched at Birth is available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime.
13. Little Fires Everywhere
Based on the Celeste Ng novel of the same name, this show intersects the lives of two families in Shaker Heights, Ohio. The Richardsons are a picture-perfect facade of suburban life, whereas the Warrens are a little mysterious and face a lot of racial and cultural issues. As things begin to unravel, we see both of these families slowly fall apart.
Little Fires Everywhere is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
14. Arrested Development
This show follows the eccentric and dysfunctional Bluth Family after their assets are frozen. As their level-headed son tries to keep the family afloat, we see a more humorous insight into what happens when seriously intense stuff happens to a family. Arrested Development quickly became a cult favourite, making it a must-watch for TV shows about families.
Arrested Development is available to stream on Disney+ and Netflix.
15. Big Little Lies
Based on the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, this show revolves around a group of wealthy women in California. They all have seemingly perfect lives that slowly unravel as we get an insight into their dark secrets. These women become increasingly entangled with one another, flashing back between the past and present day.
Big Little Lies is available to rent/buy on Amazon Prime.
Which TV show about families will you be binge watching this summer? If you need a little more television, why not check out this article on iconic 2000s tv shows?
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