Apple TV+ series Trying concluded its third season on September 2, 2022, with the fourth season set to arrive in the near future. The show centers around a couple who wants to have children, with the initial story focusing on their strained relationship before they finally become parents and have new challenges to deal with.
While Trying fans wait for season 4, they can check out several other shows that offer similar humor, drama, and focus on the relationship aspect of things. These range from anthology shows based around romance like Modern Love to parent-based sitcoms like Yes, Dear.
Breeders (2020)
Stream On Hulu
Martin Freeman is largely known for playing the very likable lead in The Hobbit series, but the actor has branched into TV in recent times. Breeders sees Freeman play the father of two, who feels the burden of parenting alongside his partner due to their rambunctious children.
Trying is about the strain that is put on a couple due to the expectations that come with becoming parents, which is similar to what goes on in Breeders. The series has the same brand of deadpan humor, and fans can see it as what the future looks like for the Trying protagonists.
Catastrophe (2015-19)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
Trying fans enjoy the dysfunctional yet loving nature of the couple’s relationship, which is taken to even greater lengths in Catastrophe. The story is about an American man whose fling with a British woman results in a pregnancy, following which he moves to the country to marry her as the pair has to adjust to their new dynamic.
Catastrophe steers a lot more toward comedic territory, with the duo’s struggles in maintaining their relationship and taking care of their new baby played up to hilarious lengths. Much like Trying, there’s a heartwarming theme of people finding the best in themselves despite life not going the way they wanted it to be.
Yes, Dear (2000)
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Yes, Dear details the dysfunctional relationship between two families, where two sisters with drastically different personalities live in close proximity. Trying shows the way people change when children are added into the mix, extending toward their loved ones.
Yes, Dear similarly goes into depth over how the sisters’ husbands have problems in being around each other due to their different approaches to parenting. It’s an altogether funny show that also depicts the way people can still be close despite having separate beliefs.
Man With A Plan (2016-20)
Stream On Paramount+
Matt LeBlanc starred in Man with a Plan as a dad who starts to work from home and takes care of the children when his wife returns to her career. The couple’s new situation and the children’s wacky personalities tie into Man with a Plan’s parent-based premise.
While Trying has a lot more dramatic elements, fans of the show will find Man with a Plan to be a lighter version of the similar theme of a couple making big life adjustments. Man with a Plan’s later seasons placed more focus on the husband and wife’s relationship, which falls more in line with Trying.
Children Ruin Everything (2022-)
Stream On The Roku Channel
Children Ruin Everything starts off at the opposite end of where Trying does, with the main characters already parents. However, much like Trying’s latest season has shown the tribulations of parenting, so does Children Ruin Everything touching on this aspect.
The premise surrounds a couple whose marriage has been entirely dependent on their kids, which leaves the pair to question who they are without the children around. It takes a humorous approach to the stresses of parenting, with Children Ruin Everything diving straight into its comedic material.
Fam (2019)
Purchase On Amazon
A lot of Vampire Diaries fans wonder where the cast is now, although Nina Dobrev was popular enough for Fam to be notable for her fans. The sitcom is about the major shake-up in the lives of engaged couple Clem and Nick when the former’s teenage sister comes to live with them.
Fam has a twist on the premise in Trying, in that the main couple isn’t against the idea of being parents but is stuck with a teenager to take care of. Trying fans will enjoy the breezy style of Fam’s episodes, with the quirky comedy taking a life of its own.
Married (2014-15)
Stream On Hulu
Married follows the Bowmans as they face difficulties in keeping their marriage exciting, while their close friends are living the single life. The Bowman children’s intervention in the parents’ attempts to spice things up also offers separate avenues for storytelling.
Married and Trying will feel similar to fans of the latter who see the couples' frustration in their relationship, which is presented in a comedic light. The personalities of the Bowmans are also reminiscent of the way Jason and Nikki are in Trying, so fans won’t need too much time to adjust to the series either.
Uncoupled (2022-)
Stream On Netflix
Uncoupled follows a newly single man divorced after being in a relationship for 17 years. His attempts to navigate the modern dating scene make up most of Uncoupled’s story, although the relationship he had with his ex is also explored in great detail.
While Uncoupled doesn’t have Trying's parent-based premise, the focus on the lead character’s romance and subsequent break-up from his ex have similar undertones to Trying. Filled with many great quotes, Uncoupled deconstructs what went wrong in the relationship and how the protagonist will deal with it.
Happy Together (2018-19)
Stream On Paramount+
Happy Together deals with what happens when a married couple is ill-equipped to take on parental roles. It follows a couple in their thirties who have to live with a rising popstar because the latter is a client of the husband’s in need of .
Trying shows the main characters making decisions that will affect them in the long run, along with them later being thrust into parenthood. While Happy Together never outright makes the couple out to be parents of the popstar, they do fall into the responsible role over time.
Modern Love (2019-21)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
There are quite a few memorable characters to follow in Modern Love, which features a stacked cast with the likes of Dev Patel, Kit Harington, Anne Hathaway, Catherine Keener, and more. It is an anthology show that looks into the various kinds of love around New York that are united by a common theme of compromise.
Trying is based around the protagonists having to make compromises for their relationship to work, with the style and tone similar to Modern Love. The anthology series takes a sensitive presentation to its proceedings, as the love stories depicted can be heavy-handed but have heartwarming overtones.
