Now that the series has wrapped, you’re going to need a new roster of shows like Workin’ Moms that celebrate motherhood in all its messiness. So, here you go
All moms are working moms. You’ve heard the maxim before, and if you’re a fan of Netflix’s hit mom-com Workin’ Moms, then you’ve seen it in hilarious action too. Tackling the realities of motherhood—latch refusal, postpartum depression, mommy guilt, social isolation—the comedy series paints a portrait that is honest, fearless, and entirely covered in spilled breastmilk.
Created by Catherine Reitman, who also writes, stars, and occasionally directs, Workin’ Moms hit Canadian screens in 2017 and Netflix’s digital shelves in 2019. Since then, the series has enjoyed seven seasons tagging along with friend group Kate, Anne, Frankie, and Jenny as they juggle the chainsaws that are careers, babies, marriages, and domestic duties.
Last month, the show took its final bow, with Season 7 hitting the streaming platform in its entirety. But that doesn’t mean you have to retire your love for TV moms who not only make you laugh but reinforce that your best is good enough. Ahead is a list that’s fertile ground for filling the Workin’ Moms hole in your watch list.
Catastrophe
Stop us if you’ve heard this one: An Irish woman and an American man meet in London, get pregnant after a one-night stand, and live hilariously ever after. That’s the premise of this Amazon Original show like Workin’ Moms that stars its writers, Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan. A refreshing take on parenthood, Catastrophe appeals to those with children but also a non-child-rearing audience, thanks to its biting banter and anti-storybook romance.
I’m Sorry
Diarrhea of the mouth: a chronic condition characterized by verbal streams of consciousness, moments of foot-in-mouth syndrome, and just plain telling it like it is. Andrea Savage stars in this half-hour comedy show like Workin’ Moms about a happily married comedy writer and mother of a kindergartner who spends her day saying out loud what moms have thought since the beginning of time. She’s relatable, and funny, and often finds herself uttering the two words women say way too often: “I’m sorry.”
Good Girls
In what might be the best crime comedy you haven’t seen, a group of suburban moms turn to robbery when their bank accounts hit the red. Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, The Office’s Retta, and The DUFF’s Mae Whitman light up the screen as they take a hammer to toxic masculinity and warped archetypes. It’s been called a Breaking Bad knockoff for women, but this fun caper deserves a sub-genre all its own.
The Letdown
Life is just one long string of letdowns. But it’s the beautiful moments and little wins in between that make them livable. Alison Bell’s series, in which she also stars, illustrates just that through a humorous and optimistic lens. She plays Audrey, a new mom who’s entered the fifth dimension which is motherhood, and is trying to make sense out of a life that now requires making sure that a tiny human being makes it through the night alive. (Yeah, it’s quite the 180.)
Breeders
Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard star in this British dark comedy show like Workin’ Moms about a married couple who love their kids as much they want to kill them. The first season introduces audiences to Paul and Ally, and their two kids under seven, Ava and Luke. Season 2 picks up about five years later, the effects of their chaotic parenting style manifesting in interesting ways. Season 3 tackles the teen years, and Season 4 is eyeballing a summer release. So sit down, hit play, and hold on.
Better Things
Motherhood is magical, but raising three daughters in this modern world takes some sleight of hand. Which Sam Fox (Pamela Adlon), the working actress at the center of this empathetic portrait of single-mom-dom, does not have. Flawed but unconditional in her love, she spends each episode keenly aware that the bond between a mother and her daughter is everlasting, and yet could go tits up at any moment.
Ginny & Georgia
Dysfunction doesn’t begin to describe the dynamic between Georgia Miller, a 30-year-old mother who solves her problems with a pistol, and Ginny, her angsty and awkward 15-year-old daughter. The series begins with the two trying to put down roots in New England, but as drama would have it, Georgia’s secrets threaten to unravel their efforts—and their relationship. Though it sounds dark, the bleak moments are diluted with wisecracks that will make you LOL.
Single Parents
The joys and struggles of parenting young children get the prime-time sitcom treatment with Single Parents. Featuring a group of—you guessed it—single parents with varying backgrounds who have banded together to form their own unconventional family, the series is a charming take on raising kids and looking for love from New Girl’s Elizabeth Meriwether.
One Day at a Time
A reimagining of Norman Lear’s 1975 classic, One Day at a Time follows the exploits of a Cuban-American family who treat nothing as off-limits; meaning alcoholism, depression, and the female orgasm are all up for discussion. An intensely adored sitcom, ODAAT is a charmer whose fan base has been screaming into the void over its two cancellations. Luckily, there are 46 episodes to enjoy before you find yourself in the same state of despair.
Motherland
Welcome to the mother lode: cliquey stay-at-home mums, PTA politics, clueless dads; if it gives Mom a headache, you can bet it will be toiled over in Motherland. A British comic gem that takes on middle-class motherhood, this one pivots around the flustered Julia, who’s barely keeping it together, and her antithesis, Amanda, a walking billboard for the idiotic mantra, “Women can have it all.”
Wellmania
Though this Aussie raunch-com starring Instagram satirist Celeste Barber doesn’t necessarily tap into motherhood, it does get messy. Really messy. Not only is there vegan spew, but our resident funny lady also indulges herbs, laxatives, and good old-fashioned fecal purging all in search of better health. She’s on this wellness journey to get a green card, so she can get back to New York City to host a cookery competition show, but has no idea the quest is actually a straight shot to self-discovery.
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