Season 2 just got here and, yes, we’re already talking about shows like Emily in Paris. But with the nature of streaming, it’s going to be binged and over with before you know it. Please, you’re telling me you’ve been waiting over a year to find out what happens between Emily (Lily Collins), Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), and Camille (Camille Razat) and you’re actually going to pace yourself between episodes? You know as well as I do that you’re going to watch all 10 new episodes of the soapy Netflix series in, like, two days max.
Frankly, you should! Despite some awards-season controversy, there’s a lot to love about this fashion-forward dramedy following an achingly American 20-something who moves to Paris for her dream job and instantly finds herself in the midst of a sexy, sordid love triangle. Just don’t think too hard about how she grows her social media following….
So yeah, it’s only natural to speed through season two the second it drops on December 22. But what to watch after? Well, here are nine TV shows like Emily in Paris (and one movie) that might just be able to hold you over until season three.
If you want to get your fix in under two hours…
The Devil Wears Prada(2006)
Obviously, The Devil Wears Prada sprinted so that Emily in Paris could traipse around France in a red beret. Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is basically a less sunny version of Emily Cooper who chose a career in the New York fashion scene over a glamorous French marketing agency. Only, instead of a Sylvie Grateau (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), Andy’s boss is Runway editor in chief Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), who is even more intimidating.
Available to rent on Amazon
If you’re digging creator Darren Star’s vibe…
Younger(2015–2021)
Emily in Paris creator Darren Star definitely has a distinct, cotton-candy style that never fails to entertain. A series on his roster that you can check out after watching Emily in Paris is Younger. In the TV Land series, which ran for seven seasons, Sutton Foster plays Liza Miller, a 40-year-old who gets a job as a publishing assistant in NYC by pretending to be in her 20s. For some reason, this lie ends up bleeding into her personal (i.e., sex) life as well.
This is also the show to choose if the friendship between Emily and Mindy Chen (Ashley Park) is your favorite aspect of Emily in Paris. Liza finds a Mindy of her own in her coworker and greatest champion Kelsey, played by Hilary Duff.
Available to watch on Hulu
Sex and the City(1998–2004)
Darren Star is also the creator of a little-known gem on HBO called Sex and the City… ever heard of it? It ran for only six seasons and spawned two movies, a prequel series, and a newly minted revival that can be streamed on HBO. No big deal.
In case you somehow aren’t aware, Sex and the City follows Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), a columnist documenting the trials and tribulations of dating in New York City, based on the sex lives of her and her best friends, Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon).
Honestly, Carrie Bradshaw’s closet may be the only one on TV that rivals Emily Cooper’s, which makes sense, given that both series share legendary costume designer, Patricia Field.
Available to watch on HBO Max
The Carrie Diaries(2013–2014)
A Sex and the City prequel of sorts, The Carrie Diaries followed a younger Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) as she navigates friendship and relationship drama in high school. Though Emily Cooper is probably closer in age to SATC Carrie than high school Carrie, her rose-colored optimism is much more on par with the protagonist of this two-season series.
Available to purchase on Amazon
One more Sex and the City recommendation…
And Just Like That…(2021–?)
Star isn’t involved in the HBO Max reboot of Sex and the City—nor are Field and Cattrall—but you might as well finish the hat trick! And Just Like That… catches up with Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda as they continue to discover new relationships, friendships, and sex positions in their 50s.
Available to watch on HBO Max
If you’re in it for the fashion and the friendships…
The Bold Type(2017–2021)
Now let’s get into shows similar to Emily in Paristhat aren’t connected to Star. The Bold Type is probably the best match on this list for Emily in Paris. The Freeform series is centered around three best friends—social media expert Kat Edison (Aisha Dee), writer Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), and fashion assistant turned stylist Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy)—as they rise through the ranks at Scarlet, explore their sexualities, and fall in and out of love. And unlike Emily, they’re actually good at their jobs…well, most of the time.
Love Life is a romantic comedy anthology series, which initially starred Anna Kendrick as a 20-something searching for love among a sea of New York City men. Season two, however, shifts focus to Marcus, who is played by The Good Place alum William Jackson Harper. Through Marcus, Love Life examines a failing marriage, navigating romance in your 30s, and all that good, messy stuff.
Available to watch on HBO Max
Bridgerton(2020–?)
It’s been a long, long year since Netflix debuted Bridgerton season one in December 2020, but we’re still not over the sexiest romance series on Netflix. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to wait until 2022 to spend any more time with the Bridgerton family in Regency-era London. Luckily, rewatching the Shondaland series never gets old…especially that one spoon scene. IYKYK.
Available to watch on Netflix
If you wish Emily in Paris was a little more grounded…
Sweetbitter(2018–2019)
Sweetbitter on Starz covers similar themes as Emily in Paris, with its story of a fresh-faced 20-something trying to make it on their own in a big, new city. Only for Tess (Ella Purnell), that city is New York and things are a lot less easygoing after she finds work at one of the city’s hottest restaurants. Still, just like Emily, Tess begins to make life-changing connections with her coworkers that broaden her horizons and make for some great TV.
Available to watch on Starz
If you just thought Emily in Paris was a good time…
The Big Leap(2021–?)
The Big Leap follows Gabby (Simone Recasner) and an eclectic group of amateur dancers hoping for their second shot at life on a reality series produced by a deliciously scheming Nick Blackburn (Scott Foley). There’s romance, feels, and killer dance numbers galore—not to mention that the scathing choreographer Monica Sullivan (Mallory Jansen) has real Sylvie Grateau energy.
On its face, the Fox dramedy doesn’t have much in common with Emily in Paris aside from a few social-media-obsessed characters, but there is an optimism to the series that matches the Netflix soap’s je ne sais quoi. And there are love triangles! Please, just watch so we can get a season two.
