From Winnie the Pooh to How I Met Your Mother, we all have a favourite show that reminds us of our friends and how our life would have been incomplete without them. Be it Sheldon and Leonard’s scientific conversations in The Big Bang Theory or Joey and Chandler’s childish antics in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, there is always an on-screen friendship that we find relatable.
As we gear up to celebrate Friendship Day on Sunday, here’s a list of shows you can binge-watch to celebrate the love and light of friendship.
The Bold Type
Joan Sloane (Katie Stevens), Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy), and Kat Eddison (Aisha Dee) push against the dated narrative of pitting ambitious young women against each other and set the tone for healthy female friendship in the workplace. Set in the fast-paced work environment of a fashion magazine called Scarlet, the show follows these best friends’ journey through relationships and professional challenges side by side.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Big Bang Theory
The evergreen sitcom captures the equation of love, laughter, laboratories and friendship like no other. Worlds collide as Penny (Kaley Cuoco), an aspiring actress-turned-waitress, moves into an apartment across the hall from the residence of two brilliant physicists, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki). Despite the scientists’ genius IQs, it is Penny who shows them how little they know of life. Leonard finds true love in Penny. Sheldon soon enters a ‘relationship agreement’ with a female companion of rival intellect, Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik). The antics of close friends Raj (Kunal Nayyar), Howard (Simon Helberg), and his wife, Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) add up to the popularity of the show.
Where to watch: Netflix
Brooklyn99
The series is filled with scenarios that make for relatable yet bone tickling comedy. Emotional moments add to the audience's love for the Nine-Nine detectives and employees. Every character is given the chance to interact and form friendships with every other character, making for a more well-rounded show. From Charles (Joe Lo Truglio) and Gina (Chelsea Peretti) to Rosa (Stephanie Beatriz) and Holt (Andre Braugher), characters who may not seem like they would fit together are allowed to have hilarious interactions with each other, keeping the show refreshing.
Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu
Elementary
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous duo Holmes and Watson are brought to life by Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu in this show. Set in Manhattan, Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), a former surgeon, enters the life of Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) as a sober companion and soon joins him on his detective adventures. From helping each other out of their past trauma to fearlessly putting the other first in fatal situations, and becoming each other’s support system, the two characters embody a platonic almost familial relationship while investigating the most gripping and mind-boggling cases.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Cable Girls
Originally titled Las Chicas Del Cable, the series centers around four very different women working as switchboard operators in 1928 Madrid, Spain.
These women unexpectedly end up forming a tight friendship with one another throughout the first season and help one another navigate through the struggles women faced during the early twentieth century. The show is centered around love, sacrifice, pain, betrayal, and the fight for freedom in a patriarchal society. Many of these themes are still relevant today, especially more critical issues on the show, such as discrimination at workplace, spousal abuse and LGBTQ+ rights.
Where to watch: Netflix
One Tree Hill
In a teen drama like One Tree Hill, romance and other elements of young adult life are always put to test by the strength of friendship, which lies at the show’s core. Half-brothers Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty) become part of each other's friend groups in Season 1, and over time, it's fascinating to observe the bonds and connections that form between the main characters. The show follows a group of friends from high school to adulthood. With its core group of characters remaining mostly unchanged for at least two-thirds of the series, One Tree Hill was able to richly develop some friendships.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, Hulu
