15 Best TV Shows Like Shameless

Set in Chicago's South Side, "Shameless" chronicles the less-than-admirable exploits of the Gallagher family and their efforts to make it against the odds after being dealt some unfavorable cards by life. The unflinchingly crass fusion of comedy and drama allowed the series to enjoy a decade-long run on Showtime, meaning audiences got truly attached to the Gallaghers, warts and all.

Since it filled a bit of an unusual niche in the television landscape, falling somewhere between the realms of an outright sitcom and a full-on drama, few series like "Shameless" have reached the airwaves, but there are some shows that tick a lot of the same boxes. From binge-worthy dramas about families trying to cope with the pressures of everyday life to black comedies about ne'er-do-wells and petty crooks, here are 15 TV shows like "Shameless" for you to check out next.

If there was any show that could legitimately be considered a sibling to "Shameless," it would have to be "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," which was actually inspired by a nightmare. The series began way back in 2005, and though it's faced numerous multi-year hiatuses, it's still managed a very impressive 16 seasons, with another on the way.

Set in the City of Brotherly Love, "Always Sunny" centers on a group of eccentric friends who regularly gather at a South Philly bar to discuss the events of the day. Like the Gallaghers in "Shameless," these oddballs and outcasts are always in the middle of some kind of caper, scam, or scheme, which usually means they're getting into trouble. When it comes to trouble, few shows can go toe-to-toe with "Shameless" for just how insane those schemes can be, but "Always Sunny" definitely goes the distance.

Led by Danny DeVito, the cast of "Always Sunny" is a special one, with Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Kaitlin Olson combining to make one of the best ensemble casts in a comedy since "Cheers." It's rowdy, raucous, and sometimes certifiably crazy, and the rare series that seems to only get better with age.

"Designing Women" star Jean Smart made her triumphant return to the role of diva in the HBO comedy "Hacks," giving one of the best performances you'll ever see. She stars alongside newcomer Hannah Einbinder (daughter of "Saturday Night Live" alum Laraine Newman) as aging superstar comedian Deborah Vance. Long past her prime and performing in Las Vegas with a residency, Vance is on a mission to reclaim her past glory with the help of Ava Daniels (Einbinder), a fresh-faced comedy writer full of bold ideas.

The problem is that Vance and Daniels have very different views of comedy, and despite their clear affection for each other, are often at odds. And we're not talking mere disagreements: The two women engage in bitter feuds in between moments of genuine friendship, often resulting in ruthless backstabbing and vicious attacks that sometimes border on outright violence.

Like the characters on "Shameless," Vance and Daniels have no shame at all, willing to do whatever it takes to see their unique visions come to fruition. Sometimes that means stepping on their friends, and sometimes it means making self-destructive decisions that involve drugs, alcohol, and reckless sex. Over its four seasons (and counting), "Hacks" chronicles the pair's often toxic relationship — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

"Shameless" and "Better Things" both feature a family struggling under pressure. What sets them apart is that "Better Things" is much more of an earnest drama than "Shameless," with its protagonist being a single mother who just wants to do what's best for her kids. In this case, the parent is Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), and her three daughters are Frankie (Hannah Alligood), Max (Mikey Madison), and Duke (Olivia Edward).

At work, Sam is an actor, struggling with Hollywood's bitter inner workings, while at home she's in way over her head trying to corral her three kids, two of whom are teens. Each one presents their own set of problems for her: Max is a well-liked but temper-prone high schooler who always seems to be getting into trouble; Frankie is a misunderstood rebel; while Duke, the youngest of the trio, often feels overlooked.

Despite the sometimes off-the-wall antics that fuel much of the show's comedy, "Better Things" is, at its core, a family drama with a sprinkle of laughs. Because, through it all, Sam and her kids are just trying to do their best in spite of whatever craziness life throws at them. If you enjoy the family dynamic aspect of "Shameless," then you'll no doubt like "Better Things."

While some entries on this list swing towards drama, "Broad City" is a borderline madcap comedy. Like the characters in "Shameless," the two women at the heart of "Broad City" — Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer) and Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson) — are often completely oblivious to the bad decisions and poor choices they make. However, everything seems to always work out for them in the end, even when things go disastrously wrong.

In "Broad City," best friends Ilana and Abbi are trying to live the dream in New York but are barely making it. Abbi is a janitor at a gym who tells people she's a trainer to the stars while Ilana works at whatever job she can find, and usually screws it up. Their love lives are messy, too, with Ilana involved in a chaotic romance with Lincoln (Hannibal Buress) and Abbi unable to find love at all, even in her ill-advised romance with her boss (Paul W. Downs).

Critically acclaimed and beloved by audiences, "Broad City" might just be the best comedy of the 2020s, with Glazer and Jacobson proving to be one of the best comedy duos of recent years. Oh, and it also boasts one of the most satisfying TV finales ever filmed.

Not all families are related by blood. The 2025 miniseries "The Four Seasons," expanded and adapted from a 1976 film by Alan Alda, tells the story of three couples who endure a group mid-life crisis of sorts. They have known each other for decades and have a tradition of going on a group trip four times a year, but when one of them announces their divorce, it means those trips this year will be full of drama.

"Four Seasons" begins in the Spring, when Nick (Steve Carell) drops the bombshell that he's divorcing his wife Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), much to everyone's surprise — including Anne's. The announcement sends the group into turmoil, not just because it sours their vacation, but because it forces the other couples — Kate (Tina Fey) and Jack (Will Forte), and Danny (Colman Domingo) and Claude (Marco Calvani) — to confront festering problems in their own relationships.

As the year wears on, the situation gets more complicated with the addition of Ginny (Erika Henningsen), Nick's new girlfriend who is a lot younger than the rest of the group. Craziness and shenanigans result, with plenty of pathos, tragedy, and laughs, to boot.

When it comes to dysfunctional families on TV, the Gallaghers of "Shameless" might win the prize for most self-destructive behavior. But when it comes to sheer lunacy, it's hard to top the Bluths, the family of pompous prima donnas, morally bankrupt misfits, and bizarre buffoons on "Arrested Development." There's only one normal member of the family: Michael (Jason Bateman), who constantly finds himself surrounded by trouble thanks to the antics of everyone around him.

Michael's mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), is a haughty, condescending drama queen; his brother, Gob (Will Arnett), is a professional magician who can't seem to do anything right; his father, George (Jeffrey Tambor), is always involved in some hair-brained criminal scheme; while his teenage son, George Michael (Michael Cera), is completely incompetent, unable to manage the family's banana business.

"Arrested Development" embraces comedy more than "Shameless." And while it was canceled after just three seasons, it became a hit on streaming afterward, leading to two additional seasons on Netflix. Some jokes took many years to pay off, but now, thanks to streaming, you don't have to wait ages for the punchlines — in fact, it's an ideal show to binge, especially for "Shameless" fans.

A darker take on the dysfunctionality seen in "Shameless" can be found in the BBC comedy-drama "Fleabag." Written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the series is an exploration of trauma through the lens of comedy. Waller-Bridge stars as a young, unnamed woman in London whose life seems to be spiraling out of control. Her love life is a shambles, her business is in ruin, and she doesn't seem to have any clue how to improve her fortune.

Prone to flings and one night stands, Waller-Bridge's character co-owns a struggling coffee shop with her best friend, Boo (Jenny Rainsford). No matter how hard she tries, though, she always feels like nothing she does is quite good enough, especially when compared to her older sister, Claire (Sian Clifford). It feels like every time she tries to do better, things only get worse, with every decision backfiring spectacularly (and usually hilariously).

As the winner of two BAFTA awards, three Golden Globes, and six Emmys, it's not an understatement to call "Fleabag" the best show on this list. If you're a "Shameless" fan and you haven't seen it yet, you should add "Fleabag" to your watchlist ASAP.

As an animated comedy, "BoJack Horseman" might seem to have more in common with shows like "The Simpsons" or "Family Guy." But in reality, it's a dark, sometimes downright bleak sitcom much more like "Shameless," even if it does exist in a world full of humanoid animals.

Like the Gallaghers, BoJack (Will Arnett) is perpetually down on his luck. He's a former TV star from the '80s whose career is long gone. He hasn't had any real work in years, and it seems his life has become little more than one indignity after another. A deeply broken horse, BoJack is full of insecurities and even self-loathing, which he copes with through drugs, sex, and any other kind of self-destructive behavior one can imagine as he desperately attempts to pick up the shambles of his life and resurrect his career.

Though the colorful setting and anthropomorphic animals can confuse you into thinking the series is a lightweight comedy, "BoJack Horseman" might be one of the most serious shows on this list in between the chuckles. It ran for six seasons, and "BoJack Horseman" fans are still hoping for a seventh.

If "Shameless" had a prequel that explored the early days of Frank Gallagher, before his life became a complete and utter lost cause, it might look a lot like "My Name is Earl." It stars "Mallrats" and "Chasing Amy" alum Jason Lee as the sloppy, meandering Earl, a lowlife creep whose life has little meaning: He is only ever looking out for himself, and he's not afraid to break the rules — or the law — to avoid having to do any real work. 

The crux of the series is Earl's revelation in the first episode that if he doesn't change his ways, karma will come for him, and that's where "My Name is Earl" differs from "Shameless." Because, after a financial windfall, Earl endeavors to do better: He writes a list of every awful thing he's ever done and sets out to make up for each and every one of them. Of course, it's much easier said than done, and often his attempts at being a better person backfire in the most hilarious ways imaginable.

Following more than a decade in his role as the quirky, conspiracy-obsessed FBI agent Fox Mulder in "The X-Files," TV star David Duchovny made the switch to comedy-drama with "Californication." Here, he plays a different kind of oddball: Big Apple native and struggling writer Hank Moody, whose penchant for reckless sex, drugs, and alcohol has made his life a mess of epic proportions. Complicating things is his on-again/off-again relationship with Karen (Natascha McElhone), who doesn't want him to have anything to do with their daughter, Becca (Madeleine Martin).

In between relationship drama and episodes of writer's block, Moody struggles to keep everything from falling apart around him. Like most of the characters in "Shameless," he routinely makes bad decisions as he attempts to cope with it all, and we're taken along for the ride. Duchovny is great as Hank, and the supporting cast (which includes "Better Things" star Pamela Adlon) are all fantastic. "Californication" is not as talked about these days as much as it should be. If you're into "Shameless" and you're looking for something with similar vibes, you can do a lot worse than this Emmy-winning dramedy.

"Kevin Can F*** Himself" might be one of the strangest comedies ever devised, and it's one of the most underrated TV shows of recent years, too. At times it feels like a run-of-the-mill '90s sitcom, only to then morph into a dark and brooding drama about a deteriorating marriage. And that's all by design, as the series makes the unique choice to flit between the two formats depending on the scene.

When focused on Kevin (Eric Petersen), the show is filmed like a multi-camera sitcom, complete with a laugh track, all in service of goofball, slapstick comedy. In scenes revolving around Kevin's wife, Allison (Annie Murphy), it's presented as a single-camera drama, with moody lighting and slower-paced dialogue.

Essentially two shows in one, "Kevin Can F*** Himself is really all about Allison's struggle to take control of her life. Her husband Kevin is a total screw up, a loud-mouthed, borderline abusive husband who everybody seems to love. Nobody around her will take her concerns seriously. Soon, she begins her own downward spiral while fantasizing about murdering her husband.

The dysfunctional family dynamic seen in "Shameless" is on full display in "Six Feet Under," a classic HBO black comedy about a family in the undertaking business. Free-spirited Nate (Peter Krause) and his studious brother David (Michael C. Hall) are at odds over their father's mortuary business, which is bequeathed to them both upon their father's death, much to David's annoyance.

While Nate had no ambitions of taking over the business, David is resentful to have to share it, since he'd been the one running the business with their father for years. Their opposing personalities don't make things any easier, and adding another layer to the dynamic is David's desire to hide his homosexuality from his family. A wickedly funny show about love and loss, "Six Feet Under" is full of heartbreaking moments, exploring the messy nature of family life after the death of a patriarch.

Try and imagine a television show that blends the comedy-drama of "Shameless" and the criminal world of drug dealing that's the core element of "Breaking Bad," and you'll start to have an idea of what "Weeds" is all about. Mary-Louise Parker stars as Nancy Botwin, a recently widowed suburban mother who's left looking for a way to provide for her family in the wake of her husband's tragic death. She decides to turn over a new leaf and live a double life, dealing marijuana to pay the bills.

The premise may feel a touch dated — it's set in the era before legalization, after all. However, even with the general attitude towards marijuana use in the United States having drastically shifted since the show debuted back in 2005, "Weeds" is still a darn good watch today. Nancy's arc in particular is what makes the series so compelling, as the allure and power of her new criminal lifestyle become too much for her to simply walk away from.

Take the toxic family dynamics of "Shameless" and move them over to a toxic relationship and you get "You're the Worst," a black comedy from Stephen Falk, who was an executive producer on both "Orange is the New Black" and "Weeds." Debuting on FX in 2014, the series follows Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chris Geere) and Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash), two pretty unlikable people who cross paths at the wedding of Jimmy's ex-girlfriend and start an entirely unhealthy romance. Their equally unstable best friends only add fuel to the chaotic fire that their lives are fast becoming.

As this atypical love story unfolds over five seasons, "You're the Worst" manages to delve into heavier topics beyond its comically abrasive beginnings. Tackling real-life issues with a special focus on mental health in a similar fashion to "Shameless," the series perfectly blends its irreverent comedy with realistic drama. This makes it a distinctly different but very worthy follow-up to the Gallagher family's antics.

If the many members of the Gallagher family were rolled up into just one person, you'd get the titular character from "United States of Tara." More drama than comedy, the series puts Toni Collette into the role of Tara Gregson, a woman who struggles with dissociative identity disorder. After going off her meds, her many differing personalities begin to emerge, adding a unique wrinkle to her otherwise normal Midwestern life with her family. Stress triggers her other personalities, which include a booze-addled war veteran, a rebellious teenager, and a bizarre, nearly animal identity known as Gimme.

It was short-lived and has been largely forgotten at this point, but the darkly comedic "United States of Tara" had a lot going for it, especially if you're into "Shameless." Future "Captain Marvel" star Brie Larson appears in an early role as Tara's daughter, with the series also landing none other than Steven Spielberg as an executive producer. And if the surprising talent involved with "United States of Tara" isn't enough to convince you to give it a try, overwhelmingly favorable reviews and a pair of Emmy awards wins should do the trick.