Funny Show Like Marvelous Mrs Maisel
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is an award-winning Amazon series developed by Amy Sherman-Palladino that follows the debut of an accidental stand-up comedian, the titular Midge Maisel, after her husband leaves her. It's set in 1950s New York and offers all of the Sherman-Palladino staples: a strong female lead with a bite, a warm and quirky supporting cast, rapid-fire dialogue and a spotlight on the tension between family (or societal) love and obligations and the joy of following one's true calling.
It's a tough act to follow, but fans might need something similar to enjoy while awaiting Season 4. The natural impulse is to turn to Sherman-Palladino's other famous show, Gilmore Girls, but once its seven seasons and Netflix revival are over, what can fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel watch to fill the void? Here are some suggestions to keep your wit (and wardrobe) warm between seasons.
Bunheads
Bunheads, also developed by Sherman-Palladino, was a one-season wonder that aired on ABC between 2012 and 2013. It followed Michelle Simms (Sutton Foster), a Las Vegas dancer who moved to the sleepy town of Paradise after marrying a devoted groupie. Too bad the groupie died almost immediately after arriving, leaving Simms all of his fortune -- which encompassed his land, his home and the ballet studio led by his aging mother, played by Gilmore Girls veteran Kelly Bishop.
The series follows Simms' influence in the life of her young ballet students and was full of elaborate dance numbers and fabulous dialogue. Bonus point: It's a great change of airs for Sherman-Palladino from stuffy New England and urban New York to the surfer vibes of a seaside town.
Younger
Younger, also starring Sutton Foster, is the story of 40-something Liza Miller, who after a bitter divorce decides to lie on her resumé to land a job... and gets it. The lie? That she's 27. The job? Communications assistant at a large but flailing publishing house.
Fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will find the struggles of newly single, single mom Liza very familiar, and the glitz and glamour of her New York job a pleasure to watch -- if a bit unrealistic, like any Darren Star production. Bonus point: Younger has many points in common with a cancelled Sherman-Palladino series, The Return of Jezebel James.
Fleabag
Fleabag will scratch the itch of those Marvelous Mrs. Maisel fans that are aching for more stand-up comedy. Phoebe Waller-Bridge actually developed this series around her one-woman show of the same name. Fleabag follows the life of a vibrant, hilarious, charming but angry woman who struggles to keep her connections with her family alive.
While the structure of the show is a one-hour comedy with a great supporting cast, Waller-Bridge breaks the fourth wall constantly, using the audience as her partner-in-crime and confidant, which makes it incredibly fresh. A great modern follow-up to Mrs. Maisel.
Call My Agent!
Fans of Susie, Midge's agent, will love Call My Agent!, a French show about the trials and tribulations of a Parisian talent agency that is thrown into a crisis after its founder dies, leaving behind a massive fiscal mess. While it takes place in the late 2010s and it doesn't focus on the stars, the French setting, acerbic humor, show business-centered plot and fantastic cast will entertain Maisel's fans.
A great Spanish alternative on the same vein is Paquita Salas, also on Netflix -- a show about a one-woman talent agency whose mindset was stuck in the '90s, with a dwindling client base that she fights for with tooth and nail -- with hilarious results.
Lovecraft Country
Lovecraft Country tackles all the less idyllic aspects of the '50s that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel had mostly only glossed over: the racism, white supremacy and oppression that the Black population of the United States had to suffer day after day, and it does it with unapologetic flair and a wonderful horror sci-fi backdrop. Meet Atticus Finch (Jonathan Majors), a veteran from the Korean War, who returns home after his father goes missing, apparently kidnapped by the insidious and extremely white secret society of Sons of Adam. His forefather -- and now the other members of the society -- are determined to bring back the Garden of Eden, and to do this they need to spill Atticus' blood.
While the core is very different to that of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, fans curious about this period and unafraid to explore different perspectives will find it every bit as compelling. The stunning wardrobe and set design are on par with those of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's, and the female protagonists are just as complex, hilarious and heartbreaking as anything Sherman-Palladino ever created.
The Queen's Gambit
While chess champions and stand-up comedians don't have much in common -- and Beth Harmon and Midge couldn't be further apart --The Queen's Gambit's loving recreation of the '50s and '60s paired with the plot of a woman thriving in a quirky field that had been dominated by men will be right up the alley of Mrs. Maisel's fans.
The Queen's Gambit follows Beth, an orphaned girl with the mind of a chess master as she wins tournament after tournament all across the world, struggling with addiction, love and all the other pains of growing up. Beth is not as extroverted as Midge, but she's every bit as tenacious, headstrong, glamourous and sharp-tongued. Bonus point: Glamorous '50s locations from all around the world, from Moscow to Mexico D.F.
Arde Madrid: Burn Madrid Burn
Burn Madrid Burnis a Spanish thriller-comedy mini-series about Ava Gardner's (Debi Mazar) years in the Spanish capital after divorcing Frank Sinatra. Her glamorous lifestyle and weeks-long revels attracted the attention of the Franco regime, who was convinced that Gardner's house was a hotspot for communists and agitators, and planted two spies among her household staff, who were supposed to report on her.
Mostly in Spanish, Burn Madrid Burn is fantastic if you ever wondered how hard your grandparents were able to party -- or if you want to learn more about that dark period of Spanish history.
Source: https://www.cbr.com/marvelous-mrs-maisel-shows-watch-like/
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