10 Must-Watch Shows Like Sex And The City: The Ultimate List Of Fashion, Friendship, And Modern Dating Dramedies
Are you searching for a new series to fill the Cosmopolitan-sized hole left by the original *Sex and the City* and its sequel, *And Just Like That...*? As of December 21, 2025, the demand for female-led dramedies that balance fabulous fashion with the messy reality of modern dating and career ambition is higher than ever. The enduring legacy of Carrie Bradshaw, Samantha Jones, Charlotte York, and Miranda Hobbes created a blueprint for television that subsequent shows have either meticulously followed or bravely subverted. These series are not just carbon copies; they are the next generation of women navigating the complexities of life, love, and friendship in a world that is far more digitally connected and socially nuanced than 1990s Manhattan.
The best shows that capture the spirit of *Sex and the City* (SATC) fall into three categories: those that nail the high-fashion fantasy, those that offer a raw, realistic look at female bonds, and those that focus on the career hustle. We've curated the definitive list of the most current and binge-worthy successors that will have you reaching for a cocktail and calling your best friends.
The Fashion-Forward Successors: High Style and Global Cities
The original SATC was a masterclass in fashion, turning Manolo Blahniks and tutu skirts into iconic pop culture moments. These shows carry that torch, using style as a fifth character to tell a story of ambition and romance in dazzling global settings.
1. Emily in Paris (Netflix)
If your favorite part of SATC was the sheer escapism and over-the-top wardrobe, then *Emily in Paris* is your next obsession. Lily Collins stars as Emily Cooper, an American marketing executive who moves to Paris, France, for a dream job. The show is pure fantasy, trading New York brownstones for chic Parisian apartments and the Met Gala for local fashion week events.
Why it’s a match: The fashion is arguably the most direct parallel to Carrie Bradshaw's style, with Season 4 pushing Emily's looks further, incorporating Italian glamour and Twiggy-inspired suits with flat shoes, showing her evolution in European style. The show is packed with romantic entanglements involving Gabriel and Alfie, career challenges, and the central, supportive female friendships that anchor the plot.
2. The Bold Type (Hulu/Freeform)
While set in New York, *The Bold Type* offers a vibrant, modern take on the magazine world that was Carrie's professional backdrop. The series follows three best friends—Jane, Kat, and Sutton—working at the fictional global women's magazine, *Scarlet*.
Why it’s a match: This show is often called the better, more career-focused replacement for SATC. Unlike Carrie Bradshaw, who often treated her column as a side hustle, Jane, Kat, and Sutton are actively navigating the complexities of their professional lives, from editorial writing and social media management to fashion design. It captures the spirit of female support and ambition that fans crave, tackling contemporary issues like social justice, identity, and workplace politics with a fresh, feminist lens.
The Edgy, Realistic Takes: Unfiltered Dating and Friendship
SATC was groundbreaking for its frank discussions about sex and dating. These modern successors take that concept and inject a dose of raw, often uncomfortable realism, reflecting the anxieties and awkwardness of Millennial and Gen Z life.
3. Girls (Max)
Lena Dunham's *Girls* is the quintessential anti-SATC, yet it shares the same DNA. It follows Hannah Horvath and her three friends—Marnie, Jessa, and Shoshanna—as they struggle to find their footing, careers, and love in Brooklyn, New York.
Why it’s a match: The central theme is the enduring, complicated, and sometimes toxic bond of female friendship, much like the core four of SATC. However, *Girls* swaps the designer clothes and glamorous Manhattan lifestyle for a more gritty, financially-strained, and emotionally messy portrayal of young adulthood. It’s the perfect watch for those who loved the psychological depth of Carrie’s dating columns but prefer a less polished aesthetic.
4. The Sex Lives of College Girls (Max)
From co-creator Mindy Kaling, this series is the spiritual prequel to SATC, exploring the dating and sexual lives of four diverse roommates—Kimberly, Bela, Leighton, and Whitney—during their first year at Essex College in Vermont.
Why it’s a match: It’s a direct, hilarious, and honest exploration of sexual agency, dating, and friendship, but set in a collegiate environment. The show’s frank dialogue about sex, relationships, and identity formation is a clear nod to the groundbreaking nature of SATC’s column-style narration. It proves that the core questions about love and life start long before the characters hit their 30s in New York City.
The Cult Classics and Comedic Alternatives
For fans who loved the humor, the ensemble cast dynamic, and the sheer volume of episodes to binge, these shows offer a similar comfort viewing experience.
5. Broad City (Hulu/Max)
Starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, *Broad City* is a zanier, more absurdly comedic version of the New York City experience. It focuses almost entirely on the friendship between the two twenty-something women as they navigate low-wage jobs, bizarre social situations, and the constant struggle to exist in the Big Apple.
Why it’s a match: While the fashion is decidedly low-key (and often involves crop tops and backpacks), the show captures the same fun-loving, supportive core friendship dynamic as SATC. It’s a modern, hilarious exploration of female camaraderie and the often-ridiculous reality of Millennial dating in a major metropolitan area.
6. Gossip Girl (Max)
If you prefer the dramatic, wealthy, and highly stylized Manhattan setting, but with a younger, more scandalous edge, both the original (2007-2012) and the reboot (2021-2023) of *Gossip Girl* are excellent choices.
Why it’s a match: The show is saturated with high-end fashion, dramatic relationships, and the kind of New York City elite lifestyle that Charlotte York would aspire to. It replaces Carrie’s column with an anonymous, all-knowing blogger, but the focus remains on the intricate, often messy, relationships of a privileged social circle.
7. Sweet Magnolias (Netflix)
This entry is for the fans who appreciated the later-seasons focus on the emotional depth of friendship, rather than just the dating scene. *Sweet Magnolias* follows three lifelong friends—Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue—in the charming Southern town of Serenity, South Carolina.
Why it’s a match: It shifts the focus from Manhattan single life to Southern motherhood and second chances, but the emotional core is identical to SATC: the unbreakable bond between women who support each other through divorce, career pivots, and raising families. It’s proof that the power of female friendship is universal, even without a designer shoe budget.
The Enduring Influence of the Female Gaze
The true legacy of *Sex and the City* was its pioneering use of the "female gaze," which normalized women discussing their sexual desires and dating lives with unprecedented honesty. This influence is evident across all modern female-led dramedies, which continue to explore sexual agency and the evolving dynamics of relationships.
From the early 2000s, SATC paved the way for a new kind of television. It normalized dating multiple people at once and brought topics once considered taboo into the mainstream.
Whether you prefer the high-fashion fantasy of *Emily in Paris*, the career-driven realism of *The Bold Type*, or the unfiltered honesty of *Girls*, there is a show on this list ready to become your next obsession. Grab your favorite cocktail (perhaps a non-alcoholic one, as Miranda Hobbes might now prefer), settle onto your couch, and dive into the next chapter of female-centric storytelling.
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