There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being single, but we all get those days where you just don’t feel great about it. Maybe you’re feeling like you’re missing out, you’re a little lonely, or you’re just horny as hell and there’s no one in the immediate vicinity to scratch that itch. Either way, sometimes being single can feel pretty crappy.
Whether it’s because the relationships in these TV shows just plain suck or because the females in them make being single seem awesome, watching these shows are bound to make you feel better about being single.
- Broad City. The top spot on this list has to go to Broad City, the show where being single and hanging out with your girlfriends is seriously the best way to live. Alana and Abbi always get their kicks, sure, but it doesn’t define them – their friendship does!
- Girls. Again, another winner. The four friends dip in and out of relationships, but they’re never defined by them. Jessie, Marnie, Hannah and Shoshanna have so much fun just being with each other, and if anything, when they are actually in relationships, they look miserable.
- New Girl. Think you can’t have fun with being single? New Girl’s Jess Day makes it look super fun – even the horrific awkward dates look hilarious! If you’re feeling down about being single (or about that terrible date you went on last week), Jess is sure to brighten your outlook!
- Parks and Rec. The women of Pawnie are all different, sure, but there are some traits they have in common: they’re feisty, funny and ready to conquer the world! They enter in relationships that make them happy, but the show is in no way driven by their romantic endeavors. In and out of relationships, Leslie, Anne, April and Donna are always killin’ it.
- Bones. Ever wonder what you could achieve if you just focused on your work and stopped brooding over men? Temperance “Bones” Brennan will make you realize that being a smart, detached and focused woman is actually amazing! Oh, and she may make you wish you went into some subset of science, too.
- Orange Is The New Black. You cannot watch this without absolutely hating Larry Bloom. There’s even a part of your that’s glad Piper Chapman is in jail just so she can realize what a douche he is. Hurrah for single-dom!
- The Mindy Project. Another lady that’s killing it – single and taken – is Mindy Lahiri from The Mindy Project. While she’s always on the lookout for love, her escapades make the whole journey seem, well, like an adventure. It’s a refreshing way to frame the narrative around single life!
- The Good Wife. If there’s ever a power-house of a woman that will make you feel like men are often more of a burden than they are a blessing, it’s Alecia Florrick. This woman wants a career, but her husband seems to want to get in her way – and she’s just not having it. After she dumps his ass, and starts to navigate the relationship and her life on her own terms, she’s much happier.
- Sex and the City. We’re definitely not talking about the crappy movie. Sex and the city the TV show made female empowerment sexy when there were very few other shows doing it. Relationships are depicted as rampant with problems, and not always necessary – cue Miranda. There’s a woman for everyone in this show, so you never feel like there’s only one “right” way that you should be living your life – they’re all just as fabulous!
- Mad Men. How can Mad Men make you feel good about being single? Well, most of the relationships are horrible, and all these gals are at their best when they’re doing their own thing. Woo!
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Most of Kimmy’s life was taken by some creepy man who kept her locked in a cult for years, but the good news is that she’s stronger than that. With a bright smile, Kimmy shows you that you can overcome anything!!! (See? Her perkiness is infectious!) But seriously, Kimmy managed to come out of what could’ve been a traumatic event bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to take on the world. If she can do it, so can you.
- Game of Thrones. Very few of these marriages or love affairs ever work out. In fact, relationships are often depicted as being politically motivated, with very little love or romance involved. And oftentimes, as with Sansa and Tywin, and Sansa & Joffrey (jeez, poor Sansa), the relationships are forced and, with regards to the latter, abusive. No thanks.
