Netflix’s new romantic dramedy series Sex/Life has remained in the top 10 most popular titles on the platform since its premiere on June 25, 2021. Much of the appeal derives from the fantasy-fuelled blast from the past that the main character Billie Connelly (Sarah Shahi) experiences when her sexy ex-beau Brad Simon (Adam Demos) returns and crashes her domestic life as a married mother of two.
Sex/Life joins a rich tradition of television shows that explore topics around steamy romances, extramarital affairs, casual hookups, lusty fantasies, the challenges of dating, and the like.
10 Love Life (2020) – Available On HBO Max
Anna Kendrick takes center stage as Darby in season 1 of HBO Max’s original series Love Life, in which she plays a lovelorn woman named Darby Carter navigating the pitfalls of coupledom. The anthology series follows a different person each season.
The show depicts the main character’s first real meaningful romance until their last. In Darby’s case, she graduates from being an unhappy single to a part of a happy couple and a dissatisfied wife. With casual hookups, engagement parties, marital reconciliation, and more, the show has a bit for everyone on the relationship spectrum.
9 Normal People (2020) – Available On Hulu
The BBC/Hulu original series Normal People is a compelling romantic drama series in which the rocky romance between college students Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) is explored in great detail. The show is honest, accurate, and deeply affecting.
Despite being polar opposites from different social strata of their quaint Irish town, affluent academic Marianne and athletic, blue-collar Connell cannot stay away from each other. Due to the surrounding societal pressures, they keep their romance a secret as long as possible.
8 What/If (2019) – Available On Netflix
Netflix’s original anthology series What/If boasts a similar but darker premise than that of Sex/Life. Also reminiscent of Indecent Proposal, the first season imagines what it would be like if a married couple accepted an offer for the man to have a one-night stand in exchange for a large sum of money.
The hypothetical fantasy involves Sean (Blake Jenner), an EMT who is approached by venture capitalist Ann (Renee Zellweger) and offered to pay for his wife Lisa’s (Jane Levy) startup for one night together. The steamy morality play is sure to appeal to Sex/Life fans.
7 Love (2016) – Available On Netflix
Not to be confused with Gaspar Noe’s explicit film of the same name, Love is a Netflix original that lasted for three seasons from 2016 to 2018. The Judd Apatow-created rom-com series chronicles in painful detail the intimate highs and lows between characters Gus (Paul Rust) and Mickey (Gillian Jacobs).
Much of the drama comes from the conflict of Mickey being someone who struggles with several different addictions, while Gus is socially awkward and emotionally co-dependent. The two work out various romantic problems, overcome hurdles and do their best to remain in a meaningful relationship.
6 The Girlfriend Experience (2016) – Available On Hulu
Adapted from the Steven Soderbergh film of the same name, season 1 of the underrated Starz anthology series, The Girlfriend Experience, is set in the niche world of high-class escort Christine (Riley Keough), who entertains several exclusive clients in Chicago. The second and third seasons follow Erica Myles (Anna Friel) in Washington, D.C., and Iris (Julia Goldani Telles) in London.
The illicit culture of high-end escort services is charted in the show, as well as the personal issues of the three leading women. It’s a colder chaser to follow Sex/Life with.
5 Elite (2018) – Available On Netflix
Elite is like a Spanish combination of Sex/Life and Normal People. The seductive Netflix drama series from Spain follows the complex relationship between a trio of working-class students enrolled at an affluent private school. The show is sexy and electric to no end.
The three students include Samuel (Iztan Escamilla), Nadia (Mina El Hammani), and Christian (Miguel Herran), all of whom experience the pros and cons of adolescent romance, sexual awakening, and the culture clash between their upbringing and the private school elite.
4 Californication (2007) – Available On Hulu
David Duchovny gives a blistering turn as Hank Moody in Californication, a novelist beset with writer’s block who struggles with his multiple addictions. The beachy California vibe and laid-back atmosphere is the perfect antidote to Sex/Life‘s busy New York environment.
As Hank tries to get a grip on his self-destructive vices, he also attempts to reconcile his relationship with his former lover, Karen (Natasha McElhone), and become a role model for his teenage daughter, Becca (Madeleine Martin). Unfortunately, his fantasies often get the best of him.
3 The Affair (2014) – Available On Hulu
The highly-acclaimed and award-winning romantic drama The Affair takes a long, hard, exhaustive look at an extramarital relationship between a troubled novelist named Noah Solloway (Dominic West) and a restaurant waitress named Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson). As such, it can be viewed as a more adult version of Sex/Life.
Noah begins the series as a happily married father of four who meets Alison at her diner while on vacation with his family. Alison, reeling over the loss of her child, is struggling to keep her marriage afloat until she meets Noah. Less about sex, the show underscores the emotional fallout of such a high-stakes love affair.
2 Desperate Housewives (2004) – Available On Hulu
In many ways, Sex/Life‘s Billie is portrayed as a suburban housewife who is desperate for a more exciting love life. Therefore, a perfect companion piece to watch is ABC’s flagship mystery rom-com series, Desperate Housewives.
It tracks the lives of several suburban women as seen through the eyes of their deceased friend and neighbor on Wisteria Lane. Dating back 15 years, the women’s most sensitive secrets, sexual imbroglios, and intense familial struggles are depicted in both comedic and dramatic ways sure to resonate with Sex/Life fans.
1 Sex And The City (1998) – Available On Hulu
The landmark HBO series that started the erotic rom-com TV subgenre is Sex and the City, a must-see for those who enjoy Sex/Life. In addition to both being set in glitzy New York City, the fashions worn by Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her closest friends are second to none.
The show celebrates female empowerment, sexual expression, the importance of friendship, and the difficulty of finding true love, even in a city full of millions of people.
