Saagar Kote
Created by Micheal S. Baser and Kim Weiskopf, ‘Nine to Five’ or ‘9 to 5’ is a sitcom based on the eponymous film by director Colin Higgins. The series follows three female office workers, Doralee Rhodes Brooks (Rachel Dennison), Judy Bernly (Valerie Curtin), and Violet Newstead (Rita Moreno). They are complex women who navigate the frustrations of working in a chaotic office. Their biggest problem is their obnoxious boss, Franklin Hart (Jeffrey Tambor), along with his equally irritating assistant, Roz Keith (Jean Marsh). Each woman faces her own workplace struggles as she tries to protect her career and demand fair treatment. Violet becomes entangled in trouble after refusing Hart’s orders, while Judy unexpectedly attracts his attention after changing her appearance.
Doralee is also placed in an uncomfortable position when Hart’s hopes of securing a major deal depend on her cooperation. As the three women push back against unfair treatment, office politics, and sexism, Hart’s behavior repeatedly creates new complications in their professional lives. The three women must wage their own battles to survive and succeed. If the narrative entertained you, these shows, similar to ‘Nine to Five,’ feature workplace dynamics, friendships, and chaotic characters that will intrigue you.
8. Broad City (2014-2019)
With Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson serving as creators, ‘Broad City’ is a sitcom based on their web series of the same title. The narrative delves into the experiences of best friends Abbi Abrams (Abbi Jacobson) and Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer), two young women trying to make life work in NYC despite having limited money and even fewer sensible plans. Abbi works at a gym, where she dreams of becoming a spin instructor, whereas Ilana has a sales job. Away from work, the friends spend their time making plans, chasing entertainment, and getting themselves into situations that quickly become far more complicated than expected.
Abbi and Ilana stumble through the city together, even as their most ordinary days can turn into bizarre adventures. ‘Nine to Five’ and ‘Broad City’ find humor in the workplace and in life, navigating eccentric characters. Doralee, Judy, and Violet seek dignity at work, while Abbi and Ilana use their friendship to cope with jobs that rarely provide them the lives they want.
7. 2 Broke Girls (2011-2017)
In ‘2 Broke Girls,’ Max Black (Kat Dennings) is a waitress who unexpectedly becomes friends with Caroline Channing (Beth Behrs), a former heiress forced to work after her father’s financial downfall. The two women meet while working at a Brooklyn diner, and Caroline soon discovers that Max has a talent for baking cupcakes. With very little money between them, the pair decides to work toward opening their own cupcake business while continuing to earn a living at the diner.
Their plans are complicated by the realities of being broke and the chaos caused by their boss and colleagues. As Max and Caroline become roommates, they face many crises yet refuse to give up on the possibility of building something better. With Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cummings providing the creative vision, the sitcom is a vivid and quirky commentary on the female experience, tying it to workplace dynamics, much like ‘Nine to Five’ does through its characters.
6. Hacks (2021-2026)
‘Hacks’ is a comedy-drama series that chronicles the unlikely partnership between established comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and struggling young writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). Deborah has spent years building a successful career as a Las Vegas stand-up star, but with her residency nearing its end, she faces the possibility that her relevance is fading. Determined to keep her career alive, she brings Ava in to help refresh her material. For Ava, the job is an opportunity to establish herself, although working alongside Deborah quickly proves more complicated than expected.
The two women approach comedy and their careers from completely different perspectives, and their contrasting personalities frequently turn their professional collaboration into a source of conflict. Their increasingly complicated relationship forces both women to reconsider what they want from their careers, lives, and friendships. Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky form the creative team of this show, which places women at the center of professional conflicts, akin to ‘Nine to Five.’ The narratives also explore the struggle for respect, independence, and professional recognition.
5. Younger (2015-2021)
‘Younger’ narrates the story of Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), a single 40-year-old mother who discovers that returning to the workforce is far more difficult than she expected. Needing to support her daughter’s college education, Liza finds herself confronting a job market that favors younger candidates. After getting mistaken for someone younger, Liza decides to reinvent herself by adopting a younger identity. With the help of her best friend, Liza undergoes a makeover and secures a job, while also forming a professional friendship with a much younger colleague.
However, maintaining the deception becomes increasingly difficult as Liza’s professional and personal worlds begin colliding. The Darren Star creation is a comedy-drama series adapted from Pamela Redmond Satran’s eponymous novel. ‘Nine to Five’ and ‘Younger’ both examine women trying to establish themselves in workplaces. Violet, Judy, and Doralee fight to be treated fairly by their boss, while Liza deliberately changes how others perceive her to overcome barriers in the professional world.
4. Workin’ Moms (2017-2023)
Created by Catherine Reitman, ‘Workin’ Moms’ is a sitcom set in Toronto that follows four women whose lives become intertwined after they meet through a mothers’ support group. At the center is Kate Foster (Catherine Reitman), attempting to keep her career moving while also handling the demands of family life. Her close friend Anne Carlson (Dani Kind) offers a very different perspective on balancing family and professional life. The group also includes Jenny Matthews (Jessalyn Wanlim) and Frankie Coyne (Juno Rinaldi).
Although their personalities and circumstances differ, the women develop a friendship as they confront the everyday pressures of raising children. Their responsibilities often conflict with their personal ambitions, leaving them struggling in unexpected ways. While Doralee, Judy, and Violet in ‘Nine to Five’ find strength by joining forces against Franklin Hart, Kate, Anne, Jenny, and Frankie develop a support network that helps them cope with the competing demands of work and parenting.
3. The Mindy Project (2012-2017)
Inspired in part by creator Mindy Kaling’s own experiences, ‘The Mindy Project’ is a romantic comedy series that deals with Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling). She is a successful obstetrician-gynecologist working in NYC who remains determined to search for romance and the ideal happy ending she has always imagined. Her ambitions are complicated by the eccentric personalities surrounding her at work. Mindy’s attempts to manage her career, relationships, and friendships rarely go as planned, forcing her to navigate setbacks. Her journey offers her a life lesson that may change the way she views life itself. ‘Nine to Five’ and ‘The Mindy Project’ turn the workplace into a backdrop for something larger than just employment. The shows delve into the complexities of the female experience, while also being rib-tickling and engaging.
2. The Bold Type (2017-2021)
Set in the competitive world of New York publishing, ‘The Bold Type’ follows Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), Kat Edison (Aisha Dee), and Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy), three best friends building their careers at Scarlet, a global women’s magazine. Created by Sarah Watson and inspired by Joanna Coles’ life and career, the comedy-drama series explores professional ambitions alongside the challenges of adulthood. Under editor-in-chief Jacqueline Carlyle (Melora Hardin), the trio works together at the magazine while pursuing individual goals. Their careers are accompanied by struggles of life in NYC, often pushing them to rely on one another.
Their friendship remains central to their journey, helping them navigate setbacks and the pressures of pursuing their dreams. ‘Nine to Five’ and ‘The Bold Type’ both place ambitious women inside demanding professional environments. Doralee, Judy, and Violet form an alliance after confronting a difficult boss, while Jane, Kat, and Sutton already share a close friendship that becomes their foundation for handling professional and personal challenges.
1. Superstore (2015-2021)
Created by Justin Spitzer, ‘Superstore’ is a sitcom set inside Cloud 9, a massive St. Louis megastore where employees with wildly different personalities deal with demanding customers, bizarre store policies, and frustrations of retail work. Amy (America Ferrera), a seasoned employee, tries to keep things under control while dealing with clueless supervisor Glenn (Mark McKinney) and the demanding Dina (Lauren Ash). Their routine is disrupted further by Jonah (Ben Feldman), a new employee. From chaotic sales to tedious training sessions, the employees repeatedly find themselves caught in situations that make an ordinary shift anything but ordinary.
Despite their differences, the Cloud 9 workers support one another when circumstances become difficult. Along the lines of ‘Nine to Five,’ the show transforms the workplace into a form of community where people from different backgrounds work together to handle absurd situations. Along with the stories, the character dynamics connect the two shows on a deeper level.
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