The highest of highs and the lowest of lows—a.k.a. your 20s.
Defined by simultaneous feelings of self-doubt and overconfidence, uncertainty and anticipation, and frustration and excitement, the decade is quite the rollercoaster ride. Thankfully, it's a ride that everyone boards—meaning there's a barrage of films, songs, books and TV shows that are all too relatable for anyone feeling the weight (or enjoying the freedom!) that comes with being a 20-something.
Among the most recent is Peacock's Everything I Know About Love, a new series inspired by Dolly Alderton's memoir of the same name. Set in a house-share in London in 2012, the show follows childhood BFFs Maggie and Birdy, along with their university pals Amara and Nell, as they navigate bad dates, career woes, loss and heartbreak—all while partying as much as possible.
As wild child Maggie, played by Emma Appleton, puts it in Everything I Know About Love's trailer, "We're in this grubby, golden phase of life that is so short-lived!"
So, whether you find yourself underwhelmed by the oft-hyped era or you do indeed believe that your 20s are the best years of your life, just know that there's something for everyone in shows like Everything I Know About Love, as well as Insecure, Please Like Me, Girls and every other series below. Read on for more!
Mindy Kaling blessed us with a hilarious, relatable and well-rounded main character when she wrote, produced and starred in The Mindy Project for five years. Centering on OB-GYN Dr. Mindy Lahiri and the lives of her quirky co-workers, the Fox-turned-Hulu series is a perfect watch for anyone obsessed with rom-coms.
Better described as a must-watch series for adults of any age, Michaela Coel's critically-acclaimed show I May Destroy You explores the question of sexual consent in contemporary life, in addition to race, gender and class.
Sure, Carrie Bradshaw and her pals were technically in their early 30s when Sex and the City began, but that doesn't make the iconic series any less relatable. A go-to for the ages, the HBO show follows sex columnist Carrie and her three friends Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda as they navigate Manhattan's dating scene.
Felicity stars Keri Russell (need we say more?) as the titular college student who's attempting to live independently for the first time—and in New York City, of all places. The best part? The show is much more realistic than most of its counterparts.
Though Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) isn't in her 20s throughout the show's first few seasons, she's certainly up to her neck in responsibilities (among them, saving the world several times). In its entirety, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a stunning examination of the trials and tribulations experienced throughout early adulthood, as well as grief, resilience, depression and compassion.
Centered on a woman known only as Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), the eponymous series is equal parts funny and emotional. By the end of the series' two-season run, you're sure to be ruminating on your own self-love process.
Inspired by the life of former Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles, The Bold Type offers a glimpse into the outrageous lives and loves of three millennial women working for a similar magazine.
Described as a comedy about an aspiring writer and her three 20-something friends living in Brooklyn, Lena Dunham's beloved HBO series doesn't sound nearly as revolutionary—or as polarizing—as it was when it premiered in 2012, but there's no denying Girls impacted the way sex and women's bodies were depicted in media. This, coupled with the archetypical characters' hilarious and relatable moments, makes it well worth a watch (and rewatch, TBH).
Yes, Broad City is another series set in New York, but Abbi (Abbi Jacobson) and Ilana (Ilana Wexler)—who are real-life BFFs—aren't your typical best friends. Instead, they do things like clean the apartment of a grown man masquerading as a baby just so they can score Lil Wayne tickets.
Everything I Know About Love will make you more grateful for your besties than ever before, as its central love story is actually the friendship between two 20-somethings, Maggie (Emma Appleton) and Birdy (Bel Powley).
An Australian dramedy, Please Like Me follows 20-something Josh (Josh Thomas), who gets dumped by his girlfriend, subsequently realizes he's gay and moves home to take care of his suicidal mom. That sounds like a lot, but that's the point.
(E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)