10 TV Shows Like “Maximum Fun Guarantee” That You Should Watch Next.
I’m not sure there’s a name for this genre, but you’ll know it when you see it: I’m talking about thrillers in which women find themselves embroiled in crimes and mysteries, either completely by accident or through circumstances beyond their control. Think “The Last Thing He Told Me” or “Sharp Objects.” The genre has become so prevalent that a darkly comic version has emerged, which has become equally popular: shows that don’t necessarily parody their predecessors (though they do), but at their best combine thrills and humor. “Maximum Fun Guaranteed” is one of the latest such series, starring Tatiana Maslany as a newly single mom seeking harmless fun with a webcam model. Here are similar shows in the same vein, if you’re a fan.
Woman in the house opposite the girl in the window (2022)
Here’s a parody of detective thrillers in the same vein as Maximum Fun Guaranteed , only with a more rude humor (if the title didn’t tip you off). Kristen Bell plays Anna Whitaker, an artist and big fan of thrillers like The Woman in the Window / The Girl on the Train , who is also mourning her dead daughter. Anna’s habit of taking pills with her wine leads to highly irrational behavior, making it even harder for her to convince anyone that she saw a murder through her bedroom window—a murder she couldn’t prevent because her fear of rain kept her indoors. It’s all rather silly, by design, but often hits the mark when it comes to the cliches of this type of detective thriller.Watch The Woman in the House Across from the Girl in the Window on Netflix.
Based on a true story (2023–2024)
Here we find a happy medium between Maximum Pleasure and Only Murders in the Building , where a true crime buff and an armchair detective launch a podcast based on a series of local murders. The twist is that Ava Bartlett (Kaley Cuoco) and her husband Nathan (Chris Messina) realize they know the serial killer they’re investigating (Tom Bateman) and realize they’re sitting on a gold mine. Instead of turning him in, they make a podcast about him (they’re not supposed to be sympathetic). It takes the series a while (almost too long) to find its voice, but once it does, it becomes a compelling satire on capitalism and celebrity culture, tackling dark themes and pondering what our obsession with true crime stories really says about us. Watch Based on a True Story on Peacock .
Bad Sisters (2022–2024)
The perfectly crafted (and dark) Irish comedy Bad Sisters earned several well-deserved Emmy nominations in its first year. Writer and co-creator Sharon Horgan stars as Eva Garvey, the eldest of five sisters, including Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), married to John Paul, an abusive and withdrawn husband. When he is found dead under suspicious circumstances, down-on-his-luck insurance investigator Tom (Brian Gleeson) becomes involved. We know the sisters definitely wanted John Paul dead, but did they actually do it? Tom’s family business will go bankrupt if he has to pay the insurance premiums, so he’s determined to pin the blame on at least one of the women. Watch Bad Sisters on Apple TV.
Little Women (2022)
This highly liberating adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel strips the book down to its essentials and reimagines it for South Korea as a detective thriller. Oh In-ju (Kim Go-eun) is a money-obsessed accountant, Oh In-kyung (Nam Ji-hyun) is a morally upright journalist, and Oh In-hye (Park Ji-hoo) is a high school student with a passion for painting. The three sisters grew up poor, and each is determined to live an honest (but successful) life. This dream is complicated when In-ju’s friend and client commits suicide. Full of unexpected twists and turns, the series is more suspenseful than funny, but there’s still a touch of dark humor throughout.Watch Little Women on Netflix.
Big Little Lies (2017–)
The atmosphere here is less about rambunctious suburban moms than about wealthy and (mostly) white women going through hard times in a beautiful location. At the start of the series, five women (played by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz) find themselves embroiled in a murder investigation tied to a school fundraiser that threatens to expose their entire personal lives—and there are plenty of secrets . Given their social standing, any challenge to the status quo could lead to major drama. Watch Big Little Lies on HBO Max.
Dead to Me (2019–2022)
Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini make a great TV couple in this dark comedy about two women brought together by tragedy and lies. Applegate plays Jen Harding, a realtor whose husband is killed in a hit-and-run accident; she’s dealing with the tragedy and draws inspiration from Judy Cardellini, who maintained her cheerful disposition after her fiancé Steve died of a heart attack—which would have been easier, considering Steve is alive. Then we learn that Judy owns a storage unit with a car suspiciously similar to the one that hit Jen’s husband. That’s just part of the first episode, and the series only gets crazier from there.Watch Dead to Me on Netflix.
Good Girls (2018–2021)
Beth, Ruby, and Annie (Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman, respectively) are three mothers in suburban Michigan, all struggling financially. They’re no criminal masterminds, so they hatch a plan to rob a local grocery store to solve the problem—a store that turns out to be a front for a money-laundering operation. They steal $500,000, but the gang leader whose money they unknowingly stole wants it back. Oh, and the store manager has spotted one of their signature tattoos and threatens to blackmail them. It’s definitely not a sitcom, but it’s a solid comedy-drama with a talented cast whose characters get into increasingly deeper trouble over the course of four seasons.Watch Good Girls on Netflix .
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (2026 – )
Where are my Derry Girls fans? How to Get to Heaven is created by Irish playwright and Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee, though her earlier and deservedly beloved show won’t quite prepare you for McGee’s frantic, surreal new work. Three school friends from Belfast reunite after learning of the unexpected death of their long-lost best friend—though perhaps not; a controversial event, considering they all have secrets they hoped to bury with the possibly deceased. Now they set out to investigate a murder mystery (?), and in doing so, find themselves embroiled in a very complicated situation. The tone is wildly varied, but somehow it works, with flashes of sincerity balancing out the comedy.Watch How to Get to Heaven from Belfast on Netflix .
Suburbs (2026 – )
In this funny and loose adaptation of Tom Hanks’ 1989 film, Samira (Keke Palmer) and Rob (Jack Whitehall) return to his impossibly safe and orderly hometown. Their house is across the street from a dilapidated Victorian building that may have been the scene of a murder decades earlier—the murder of a girl who made the mistake of trying to run away. As Samira adjusts to motherhood and life in a cul-de-sac, she discovers that even the nicest neighbors (played by Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Proksch, and Kapil Talwalkar) have secrets, and she begins to suspect that her husband knows more about the missing girl than he’s letting on. Watch “Suburgatory” on Peacock .
Search team (2016–2022)
Alia Shawkat plays Dory Sif, an aimless millennial who, after seeing a missing person poster for a college friend, decides to make it her mission to find her—with the reluctant support of her friends. The series shifts focus from season to season. Initially a darkly comic take on a Nancy Drew-style detective story, it later shifts to the characters desperately trying to cover up a mostly unintentional murder, delving deeper into it with each season. It’s funny, smart, and bizarre.Watch “Search Party” on Netflix.