Top 250 Tv Shows Like The Death & Life Of John F. Donovan

A list of the best tv shows similar to The Death & Life of John F. Donovan. If you liked The Death & Life of John F. Donovan then you may also like: The Wire, Abbott Elementary, The Office, 90210, 13 Reasons Why and many more great tv shows featured on this list.

The Wire

Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated.

Abbott Elementary

In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.

The Office

The everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

90210

90210 revolves around several students at the fictional West Beverly Hills High School, including new Beverly Hills residents Annie Wilson and Dixon Wilson. Their father, Harry Wilson, has returned from Kansas to his Beverly Hills childhood home with his family to care for his mother, former television and theater actress Tabitha Wilson, who has a drinking problem and clashes with his wife Debbie Wilson. Annie and Dixon struggle to adjust to their new lives while making friends and yet adhering to their parents' wishes.

13 Reasons Why

After a teenage girl's perplexing suicide, a classmate receives a series of tapes that unravel the mystery of her tragic choice.

Allen Gregory

Allen Gregory is a short-lived American animated television series that aired on Fox from October 30 to December 18, 2011. The series was created by Jonah Hill, Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul. The series was officially cancelled by Fox on January 8, 2012.

Angry Boys

Angry Boys is an Australian television mockumentary series written by and starring Chris Lilley. Continuing the mockumentary style of his previous series, the show explores the issues faced by young males in the 21st century – their influences, their pressures, their dreams and ambitions. In Angry Boys, Lilley plays multiple characters: S.mouse, an American rapper; Jen, a manipulative Japanese mother; Blake Oakfield, a champion surfer; Ruth "Gran" Sims, a guard at a juvenile detention facility; and her grandchildren, South Australian twins Daniel and Nathan Sims. The series is a co-production between the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and US cable channel HBO, with a pre-sale to BBC Three in the United Kingdom. Filmed in Melbourne, Los Angeles and Tokyo, Angry Boys premièred on 11 May 2011 at 9:00 pm on ABC1.

Bonding

A New York City grad student moonlighting as a dominatrix enlists her gay BFF from high school to be her assistant.

Chappelle's Show

Dave Chappelle's singular point of view is unleashed through a combination of laidback stand-up and street-smart sketches.

The Cool Kids

Three guy friends in a retirement community are the top dogs until they’re blown out of the water by the newest member of the community, a female rebel who’s ready to challenge their place – it’s high school with 70 somethings.

Crashing

A comedy drama that crashes straight into the lives and loves of six twenty-something adults living together as Property Guardians in a disused hospital.

Dawson's Creek

Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama that portrays the fictional lives of a close-knit group of teenagers through high school and college.

EastEnders

The everyday lives of working-class residents of Albert Square, a traditional Victorian square of terrace houses surrounding a park in the East End of London's Walford borough.

Entourage

Film star Vince Chase navigates the vapid terrain of Los Angeles with a close circle of friends and his trusty agent.

E! True Hollywood Story

E! True Hollywood Story is an American documentary series on E! that deals with famous Hollywood celebrities, movies, TV shows and also well-known public figures. Among the topics covered on the program include salacious re-tellings of Hollywood secrets, show-biz scandals, celebrity murders and mysteries, porn-star biographies, and "where-are-they-now?" investigations of former child stars. It frequently features in-depth interviews, actual courtroom footage, and dramatic reenactments. When aired on the E! network, episodes will be updated to reflect the current life or status of the subject.

The Exorcist

Follow the lives of two very different priests tackling one family’s case of terrifying demonic possession.

Faking It

A romantic comedy about two best friends who love each other -- in slightly different ways. After numerous failed attempts to become popular, the girls are mistakenly outed as lesbians, which launches them to instant celebrity status. Seduced by their newfound fame, Karma and Amy decide to keep up their romantic ruse.

Freedom Fighters: The Ray

Reporter Raymond "Ray" Terrill is investigating a group of government scientists who are developing a weapon using light, when he is attacked with a "genetic light bomb" that ends up bestowing him with light-based super powers.

The Gilded Age

It’s 1882 and the Gilded Age is in full swing when Marian Brook, a young orphaned daughter of a Southern general, moves in with her rigidly conventional aunts in New York City. With the help of Peggy Scott, an African-American woman masquerading as her maid, Marian gets caught up in the dazzling lives of her rich neighbors as she struggles to decide between adhering to the rules or forging her own path.

Grace and Frankie

Elegant, proper Grace and freewheeling, eccentric Frankie are a pair of frenemies whose lives are turned upside down - and permanently intertwined - when their husbands leave them for each other. Together, they must face starting over in their 70s in a 21st century world.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

A group of East High students countdown to the opening night of their school’s first-ever production of “High School Musical.” Showmances blossom; friendships are tested while new ones are made; rivalries flare and lives are changed forever as these young people discover the transformative power that only a high school drama club can provide.

Home Movies

TV series about the life of Brendon Small, an eight-year-old visionary who, using his friends Jason and Melissa as actors, have managed to direct over a thousand homemade films. His parents are divorced, but it doesn't feel strange since so many other kids' parents are divorced. His friend Jason actually feels upset because his parents are still together. At school, he is taught soccer by his coach John McGuirk, or as he calls him, "that weird Irish guy".

How to Get Away with Murder

A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor. They become entangled in a murder plot and will shake the entire university and change the course of their lives.

Impastor

Buddy Dobbs, a slacker on the run from a loan shark, steals a man's identity and ends up posing as a small town's new gay pastor.

Insatiable

A bullied teenager turns to beauty pageants as a way to exact her revenge, with the help of a disgraced coach who soon realizes he's in over his head.

A Little Princess

Sara Crewe is the pampered daughter of an army colonel in a Victorian London girls' school. But when her father dies, penniless, Sara becomes a skivvy in Miss Michin's school, befriended only by the scullery maid, Becky, her friends Ermengarde and Lottie, a little monkey, a lascar, and the mysterious man next door. Based upon the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Love, Victor

Victor is a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation. When it all seems too much, he reaches out to Simon to help him navigate the ups and downs of high school.

Midnight, Texas

Welcome to a place where being normal is really quite strange. In a remote Texas town no one is who they seem. From vampires and witches to psychics and hit men, Midnight is a mysterious safe haven for those who are different. As the town members fight off outside pressures from rowdy biker gangs, ever-suspicious cops and their own dangerous pasts, they band together and form a strong and unlikely family.

Nashville

Rayna Jaymes and Juliette Barnes face personal and professional challenges as they navigate their paths as artists and individuals. Surrounding them, and often complicating their lives, are their family, friends and, in some cases, lovers, as well as the up-and-coming performers and songwriters trying to get ahead in the business.

The Other Two

A former professional dancer, Brooke, and her brother Cary, an aspiring actor, try to find their place in the world while wrestling with their feelings about their 13-year-old brother Chase's sudden rise to internet fame.

Our Flag Means Death

After trading in the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede Bonnet becomes captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes change after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard. Stede and crew attempt to get their ship together and survive life on the high seas.

Penny Dreadful

Some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and iconic figures from the novel Dracula are lurking in the darkest corners of Victorian London. Penny Dreadful is a frightening psychological thriller that weaves together these classic horror origin stories into a new adult drama.

Popular

Brooke McQueen, a popular cheerleader at Jacqueline Kennedy High School, and Sam McPherson, the editor of the school paper, are polar opposites. When their single parents unexpectedly meet and get engaged, Brooke and Sam have to deal with their new situation on top of regular teenage girl problems.

Queer as Folk

Stuart Jones has got it all. He's rich, drop-dead gorgeous and always the centre of attention. He can be forgiven the arrogance because he's pretty close to perfection. His best mate Vince Tyler is funny, adorable and definitely a babe but, unlike his friend, has zero confidence in himself. Since time began, Vince has carried a torch for Stuart but his love remains firmly unrequited. They're both 29, hitting Canal Street every night, stalwarts of the scene but just starting to wonder where else their lives may be going. Then along comes Nathan Maloney. Young, wild and coming out with a vengeance, he crowbars his way into their world and once he arrives, nothing is ever the same again.

Queer As Folk

Brash humor and genuine emotion make up this original series revolving around the lives, loves, ambitions, careers and friendships of a group of gay men and women living on Liberty Avenue in contemporary Pittsburgh, PA. The show offers an unapologetic look at modern, urban gay and lesbian lives while addressing the most critical health and political issues affecting the community. Sometimes racy, sometimes sensitive and always straight to the heart.

RuPaul's Drag Race

Join RuPaul, the world's most famous drag queen, as the host, mentor and judge for the ultimate in drag queen competitions. The top drag queens in the U.S. will vie for drag stardom as RuPaul, in full glamazon drag, will reign supreme in all judging and eliminations while helping guide the contestants as they prepare for each challenge.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Amy and her friends at Grant High learn to define themselves while they navigate the perilous waters of contemporary adolescence. Between their love triangles, secrets, drama, accusations, gossip, confusion, and scandalous rumors, there's never a dull moment.

Six Feet Under

A darkly comic look at members of a dysfunctional L.A. family that run a funeral business.  When death is your business, what is your life? For the Fisher family, the world outside of their family-owned funeral home continues to be at least as challenging as--and far less predictable than--the one inside.

Sonny with a Chance

Allison "Sonny" Munroe makes the leap from the Midwest to Los Angeles to join the cast of "So Random!," the most popular sketch comedy TV show for kids and tweens. Her fellow young actors are resident teen queen Tawni, super suave Nico, gregarious funnyman Grady and quirky Zora. Now Sonny must somehow balance these new friendships while adjusting to her family's decidedly different way of life in Hollywood. Meanwhile, Sonny must also contend with heartthrob Chad Dylan Cooper, star of the rival show "MacKenzie Falls," who makes it known that he thinks his dramatic work is better than her comedy career.

Teachers

The chaotic lives, loves and drinking sessions of a group of hapless teachers. They might be qualified to teach, but they've still got a lot to learn...

When We Rise

The personal and political struggles, setbacks and triumphs of a diverse family of LGBT men and women who helped pioneer one of the last legs of the U.S. Civil Rights movement from its turbulent infancy in the 20th century to the once unfathomable successes of today. The period piece tells the history of the gay rights movement, starting with the Stonewall Riots in 1969.

Will & Grace

Will Truman and Grace Adler are best friends living in New York, and when Grace's engagement falls apart, she moves in with Will. Together, along with their friends, they go through the trials of dating, sex, relationships and their careers, butting heads at times but ultimately supporting one another while exchanging plenty of witty banter along the way.

Torchwood

The exploits a team of people whose job is to investigate the unusual, the strange and the extraterrestrial.

Dante's Cove

A young gay couple must overcome dark, mystical forces conspiring against them, starting with a vengeful 19th century witch and her cheating warlock fiance.

The Larry Sanders Show

Comic Garry Shandling draws upon his own talk show experiences to create the character of Larry Sanders, a paranoid, insecure host of a late night talk show. Larry, along with his obsequious TV sidekick Hank Kingsley and his fiercely protective producer Artie, allows Garry Shandling and his talented writers to look behind the scenes and to show us a convincing slice of behind the camera life.

Gimme Gimme Gimme

Linda La Hughes (Kathy Burke) shares a flat with Tom Farrell (James Dreyfus). Linda is overweight, loudmouthed and not particularly attractive. She thinks she's gorgeous and irrestible, however. She's also sex mad and obsessed with men. Tom is an aspiring actor. He's got an agent, but finds it difficult to get parts. He doesn't like Linda much, in spite of (or perhaps because of) the fact that they share a flat. She isn't completely comfortable with his homosexuality, perhaps because she finds it difficult to live with a man who doesn't find her sexually attractive.

Noah's Arc

Noah's Arc is an American cable television dramedy. The series, which predominantly features gay black and Latino characters, focused on many socially relevant issues, including same sex dating, same-sex marriage, same-sex parenthood, HIV and AIDS awareness, infidelity, promiscuity, homophobia, gay bashing. It ran from October 19, 2005, to October 4, 2006. After its cancellation, a film was produced entitled Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, which was released theatrically in 2008.

Undressed

MTV peek behind closed doors at the intricacies of modern relationships. Each episode features three different fictional stories and follows various characters to see what happened during their most intimate moments. No subject is too taboo.

Bob & Rose

Bob Gossage is a thirtysomething teacher who has been gay all his life. Now, however, he quite unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with a woman, Rose Cooper. Various confusions and misunderstandings ensue, with Rose's heartbroken ex-boyfriend Andy, Bob's jealous colleague Holly, and his gay-rights campaigning mother Monica all getting caught up in the mix.

Celebrity Ghost Stories

Compelling, surprising and downright spooky — celebrities share their real-life personal encounters with the paranormal in each one-hour special. From encounters with ghosts and angry spirits to haunted homes, unexplainable spells and magic, these descriptive, first person narratives from our favorite stars delivers a brand new way of experiencing the thrills and chills of the addictive world of the paranormal.

The L.A. Complex

Six young performers having been dubbed “most likely to succeed” in their hometowns now face the challenges and opportunities of a lifetime in the City of Angels.

DTLA

The relationships and sex lives of a diverse group of friends who works and lives in the vibrant community of Downtown Los Angeles.

Educating …

Educating … is a British documentary television programme produced by Twofour for Channel 4 that has run since 2011. It uses a fly on the wall format to show the everyday lives of the staff and students of various secondary schools around the UK; interspersed with interviews of those involved and featuring narration from the director and interviewer, David Clews. Filmed on location at schools in Harlow, Dewsbury, Walthamstow, Cardiff and Salford respectively, there have been six series to date: Educating Essex (2011), Educating Yorkshire (2013), Educating the East End (2014), Educating Cardiff (2015) and Educating Greater Manchester 1 & 2 (2017 and 2020).

Hunting Season

Hunting Season is an American LGBT-themed comedy-drama web series created by Jon Marcus. Following the romantic and sexual exploits of Alex and his small group of friends in New York City, the story was inspired by and largely based on the 2005–08 blog The Great Cock Hunt and the 2008 novel of the same name published by Kensington Books.

Vicious

Freddie and Stuart are an old couple who have been together for decades and bicker constantly. Their lives are turned upside down by their new upstairs neighbor Ash, who is sure to cause trouble in their mundane lives.

EastSiders

What happens after the world ends? This show explores the aftermath of infidelity on a gay couple in Silver Lake, CA.

It Could Be Worse

Jacob Gordon can't catch a break. A struggling actor with a personal life to match. His epic streak of bad luck just might change when he's cast in a Broadway musical; "The Ice Queen", opposite stage and screen royalty Veronica Bailey.

Cucumber

Original drama series from Russell T Davies exploring the passions and pitfalls of 21st century gay life, beginning with the most disastrous date night in history.

Kindergarten

Series that gets inside the hearts and minds of 23 real-life kindergarten students as they test the waters of academia for the first time.

Ackley Bridge

A new academy school in a Yorkshire mill town merges the lives and cultures of the largely divided white and Asian community

Man in an Orange Shirt

A love story in two films charts the very different challenges to happiness for Michael and Thomas in the aftermath of World War 2, and to Adam and Steve in the present day.

Special

A gay man with mild cerebral palsy decides to rewrite his identity as an accident victim and finally go after the life he wants.

After Forever

After Forever is the story of Brian and Jason, a 50-ish New York City gay couple, who have it all until they don't.

Years and Years

As Britain is rocked by unstable political, economic and technological advances, members of the Lyons family converge on one crucial night in 2019. Over the next 15 years, the twists and turns of their everyday lives are explored as we find out if this ordinary family could change the world.

Weird City

Set in the not-too-distant future, this comedy anthology explores the issues of everyday life in the metropolis of Weird — stories that can only be told through the prism of sci-fi and comedy.

Sarazanmai

After accidentally breaking a statue of the guardian god of the Asakusa district, middle school students Kazuki, Toi and Enta are transformed into kappas -creatures from japanese folklore- by Keppi, self-proclaimed prince of the Kappa Kingdom. If they want to regain their human form, they must collect the five Dishes of Hope for him, which fulfill the wishes of whoever possesses them. To do so, they will fight against the kappa-zombies and extract their "shirikodama", the mythical organ containing humans' deepest desires. Two policemen, Reo and Mabu, are the ones behind this evil scheme, turning humans into zombies as agents of the Otter Empire, enemy of the Kappa Kingdom since ancient times. In the guise of "Kappazon, Inc.", they control society by manipulating the desires of the masses for their own goals. To succeed in their mission, the boys must be connected through the "Sarazanmai", revealing their most intimate secrets in the process...

Bad Boy

Scott, a mild-mannered gay writer in Los Angeles, gets wrapped up into a world of bad boys and their crime-filled past after being adopted as their “Daddy Scott”, whether he likes it or not.

Why Women Kill

Three women living in three different decades: a housewife in the '60s, a socialite in the '80s and a lawyer in 2018, deal with infidelity in their marriages.

Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez

Via interviews with friends, players and insiders, this docuseries examines how Aaron Hernandez went from an NFL star to a convicted killer.

Hollywood

In post-World War II Hollywood, an ambitious group of aspiring actors and filmmakers will do almost anything to make their showbiz dreams come true.

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez

A boy’s brutal murder and the public trials of his guardians and social workers prompt questions about the system’s protection of vulnerable children.

Celebrity IOU

Twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott help Hollywood A-listers express their deep gratitude to the individuals who have had a major impact on their lives by surprising them with big, heartwarming home renovations that bring everyone to tears.

This Is Going to Hurt

The unvarnished truth of life as a doctor working in obstetrics and gynaecology.

It's a Sin

A chronicle of five friends during a decade in which everything changed, including the rise of AIDS.

Tiny Pretty Things

When an attack brings down the star student at an elite ballet school, her replacement enters a world of lies, betrayal -- and cutthroat competition.

Julie and the Phantoms

Teenage Julie finds her passion for music and life while helping the Phantoms -- a trio of ghostly guys -- become the band they were never able to be.

Social Distance

Shot in isolation, this tragicomic anthology series features both dark and funny takes on how people strive to stay connected while staying apart.

The Informant

1950s. Under the communist regime, a struggling actor joins the KGB as an informant to make ends meet. He quickly finds himself caught up in a dangerous web of deceit and treachery.

Heartstopper

Teens Charlie and Nick discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love in this coming-of-age series.

Ten Percent

A London talent agency’s employees must scramble to keep their star clients happy and their business afloat after the sudden death of their founder.

I Am Syd Stone

While shooting a film in a small town, a famous actor puts his personal life and career in jeopardy by starting an intense affair with another man.

The Big Leap

Follow a group of diverse, down-on-their-luck characters attempting to change their lives by participating in a potentially life-ruining reality dance show that builds to a live production of “Swan Lake.”

Further Tales of the City

Residents of 28 Barbary Lane continue to navigate human life, flawed love, and blind hope in 1980's San Francisco.

More Tales of the City

Lonely inhabitants at 28 Barbary Lane search for love and identity, turning to each other in the hope of finding happiness in San Francisco.

Interview with the Vampire

Louis de Pointe's epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality, as told to the journalist Daniel Molloy. Chafing at the limitations of life as a black man in 1900s New Orleans, Louis finds it impossible to resist the rakish Lestat De Lioncourt's offer of the ultimate escape: joining him as his vampire companion.

Boy Culture: The Series

In the continuation of Q. Allan Brocka’s 2006 fan favorite Boy Culture, Derek Magyar returns as X, who is still working hard as an escort for hire. But in 2021, he’s up against a younger generation who has gained a competitive edge on the market in the digital age. He’s also dealing with the realities of still living with Andrew (Darryl Stephens), who’s aiming to move on from their former romantic entanglements.

Wolf Pack

When a raging wildfire releases a supernatural creature, four young adults find themselves drawn together under a full moon.

Cam Boy

When Aston finds himself left to his own devices with bills to pay while his boyfriend is in New York, he turns to camming to make ends meet.

Reboot

When Hulu reboots an early 2000s family sitcom, its dysfunctional cast is forced back together and now must deal with their unresolved issues in today’s fast-changing world.

Bridesman

In the hilarious first series produced by Grindr, Jimmy Fowlie stars as Terry, the man-of-honor intent on stealing away his best friend Judith’s husband-to-be before the couple can make their vows.

Uncoupled

Michael thought his life was perfect until his husband blindsided him by walking out after 17 years. Michael has to confront two nightmares — losing his soulmate and suddenly finding himself a single gay man in his mid-40s.

Tales of the City

Mary Ann Singleton, a naïve young secretary from the mid-west, tumbles head first into the colorful world of San Francisco, where carefree chaos revolves around the funky old apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane.

Archie: The Man Who Became Cary Grant

The four-part drama series will tell the story of Cary Grant’s life, from his humble beginnings as Archie Leach in Bristol, England to the Hollywood leading man he became.

Bosé

The fascinating life of Miguel Bosé: an artist whose passion and unique personality were destined to break the mold in a Spain on the verge of change.

Fellow Travelers

Decades-long chronicle of the risky, volatile and steamy relationship between the charismatic and ambitious Hawk and the pious and idealistic Tim, two political staffers who fall in love at the height of the 1950s Lavender Scare. Through the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco culture of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, the two men’s fiery affair only intensifies despite the constant threat of being exposed and losing everything.

Glamorous

Aspiring influencer Marco lands a dream job with a makeup mogul and begins a dazzling journey of self-discovery amid work chaos and romantic challenges.

100 Years of Warner Bros.

Tracing a century of movie and TV history, these four documentary specials explore the unparalleled global impact of Warner Bros. on art, commerce, and culture.

Bodies

One victim, found dead on a London street. Four detectives, in four different time periods, must solve the mystery to protect Britain's future.

Alexander: The Making of a God

Expert interviews and gripping reenactments combine to reveal the extraordinary life of Alexander the Great and his burning desire to conquer the world.

They Both Die at the End

Based on the Novel by Adam Silvera, the show is set in the near-future where everyone receives a bureaucratic phone call notifying them at the start of their last day on Earth.

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