10 Shows Like She the People You Must See

Created by Tyler Perry and Niya Palmer, Netflix’s ‘She the People’ follows Antoinette Dunkerson (Terri J. Vaughn), a single mother who becomes Mississippi‘s first Black Lieutenant Governor. While the position has its perks, Antoinette’s greatest challenge comes from her boss, the sexist and condescending Governor Irwin Harper (Robert Craighead). In addition to asserting her confidence and proving her competence at work, she also has to manage her eccentric family, who are adjusting to public life.

Antoinette’s family includes her supportive mother, Cleo (Jo Marie Payton), and children Titus (Tré Boyd) and Lola (Drew Olivia Tillman), whom she shares with her ex-husband, Cyrus (Philip Fornah). Her cousin Shamika (Jade Novah) works as her campaign manager, while her boyfriend Basil is Antoinette’s self-appointed driver. The sharp political comedy explores prejudice against women of color, as well as the US political system at the state level. If you’re seeking more shows similar to ‘She the People,’ here is a curated list to help you pick the next binge.

10. Survivor’s Remorse (2014-2017)

Created by Mike O’Malley, ‘Survivor’s Remorse’ follows Cam Calloway (Jessie T. Usher), a rising basketball star who moves to Atlanta, Georgia, after signing a multi-million dollar pro-basketball contract. He is accompanied by his mother, Cassie (Tichina Arnold), his no-nonsense half-sister Mary Charles (Erica Ash), and his cousin and confidant Reggie Vaughn (RonReaco Lee). The sudden fame shakes up Cam’s family life and forces him to confront the challenges of overnight fame. Switching politics with sports, Antoinette in ‘She the People’ and Cam in ‘Survivor’s Remorse’ are climbing up the ladder in their respective fields, while helping their families keep up with the developments.

9. South Side (2019-2022)

Created by Sultan Salahuddin, Bashir Salahuddin, and Diallo Riddle, ‘South Side’ revolves around two best friends — Simon James (Sultan Salahuddin) and Kareme Odom (Kareme Young). Freshly graduating from community college, the young men get employed at a rent-to-own furniture store. However, possessing an entrepreneurial drive, they come up with forever new side hustles, from dealing with black market Viagra to selling popcorn on the curb, to take over the world. ‘South Side’ and ‘She the People’ both showcase the grit and determination that one needs to shine through against all odds.

8. The Good Fight (2017-2022)

Created by Robert King, Michelle King, and Phil Alden Robinson, ‘The Good Fight’ is a spin-off of the legal political drama ‘The Good Wife’ that is set a year after the latter’s season finale. It follows Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski), who is forced out of her law firm after a major financial scandal ruins the reputation of her mentee and goddaughter, Maia Rindell (Rose Leslie), and exhausts her savings. They join Diane’s former employee, Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo), at Reddick, Boseman, & Kolstad, a prestigious African American–owned firm specializing in representing individuals who wish to legally fight police brutality.

A named partner at her previous place of employment, Diane finds herself far below the career ladder. The longtime Democrat also finds herself in the middle of political upheaval in society with the introduction of Donald Trump to the White House. However, much like Antoinette in ‘She the People,’ she doubles down on her work and re-establishes her position at the top of her field.

7. BlackAF (2020)

‘BlackAF’ (stylized as ‘#blackAF’) is inspired by creator Kenya Barris’ experience of raising a family with six children while staying in a flawed marriage. Starring as a fictional version of himself, Barris shows what it is like to be part of a Black family with new money. Rashida Jones plays his wife Joya in the show, which is carried on the shoulders of the six on-screen children: popular and entitled college student Chloe (Genneya Walton), moral center and show narrator Drea (Iman Benson), difficult middle child Izzy (Scarlet Spencer), gullible Pops (Justin Claiborne), miscreant Cam (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) and the toddler Brooklyn (Richard Gardenhire Jr.). ‘BlackAF’ mirrors the issues that Niya Palmer faces in ‘She the People’ concerning her family getting used to a life of prominence.

6. Borgen (2010-2022)

Created by Adam Price, the Danish show tells the story of Birgitte Nyborg Christensen (Sidse Babett Knudsen), the first female prime minister of Denmark. A leader of the minority party, Birgitte finds herself as a compromise candidate for the role of Prime Minister at the end of a closely fought election. She wins the office and learns how to serve in the position on the job. The situation that Birgitte finds herself in and the way in which she beats the odds to lead her country make her story very relatable to that of the newly elected Lieutenant Governor in ‘She the People.’

5. The Politician (2019-2020)

From the minds of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, ‘The Politician’ tells the story of Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), a rich Santa Barbara native who has dreamt of being the POTUS from the age of seven. On the path to achieving his political ambition, Payton runs for Student Body President at Saint Sebastian High School against the popular athlete, River Barkley (David Corenswet). The experience Payton gathers from the endeavor allows him to run for a seat in the New York State Senate while a student at NYU. Payton’s journey of finding his feet in the serious world of politics brings to mind the challenges that Antoinette faces in ‘She the People.’

4. The Mayor (2017)

Created by Jeremy Bronson, ‘The Mayor’ follows Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall), a young aspiring rapper who runs for the Mayor of his hometown of Fort Grey, California, as a publicity stunt for his upcoming album. However, trouble begins when he gets elected to office for real and gets charged with transforming his beloved city. To help Courtney shoulder his newfound responsibility is his mother, Dina Rose (Yvette Nicole Brown), and his friends Valentina Barella (Lea Michele), Jermaine Leforge (Bernard David Jones), and T.K. Clifton (Marcel Spears), who becomes part of his administration.

Many parallels can be drawn between ‘The Mayor’ and ‘She the People,’ from a person of color being elected to a seat of power where many consider them to be underqualified, to their family supporting them through the transition in their work role. While Courtney’s mayoral campaign is not as serious as the lieutenant gubernatorial one run by Antoinette, it does not make the challenges that he faces any less significant.

3. Alpha House (2013-2014)

‘Alpha House,’ from the mind of ‘Doonesbury’ creator Garry Trudeau, follows three Republican Senators, Gil John Biggs (Jon Goodman), Robert Bettencourt (Clark Johnson), and Louis Laffer (Matt Malloy), who share a row house in Washington and find themselves in need of a house mate after their last fellow boarder gets taken away to prison. They welcome Andy Guzman (Mark Consuelos), a US Senator from Florida and candidate for the Oval Office, into their home.

The four go on to face the everyday challenges that come with being a lawmaker in the Upper House. While it shifts the action to Capitol Hill, ‘Alpha House’ demonstrates the functioning of the US political and administrative systems as in ‘She the People.’ More importantly, both shows refuse to take themselves very seriously, therefore ensuring that viewers do not get caught up in the legislative nitty-gritties while continuing to be informed of the work culture of public representatives.

2. Represent (2023-)

Originally titled ‘En place,’ the French political comedy ‘Represent’ by Jean-Pascal Zadi and François Uzan follows Stéphane Blé (Jean-Pascal), a youth counselor who gets elected as the President of France. Growing up in the public housing projects in Paris, Stéphane chooses all of his new staff members from the area. The administration attracts a startling number of death threats on account of him being a person of color with limited economic means, so much so that two heads of security quit their job even before Stéphane sets foot in the Élysée Palace.

Adding to the socio-political challenge facing Stéphane is his wife, Marion (Fadily Camara). She has no desire to be a politician’s wife and initially refuses to move into the President’s residence before being convinced otherwise. ‘Represent’ closely mirrors the events of ‘She the People,’ from a person of color being elected to a position of power in a place where a significant portion of the population holds conservative views. Both Antoinette and Stéphane not only face the challenge of rising up to the responsibilities of their position, but also take along their near ones on the ride.

1. Veep (2012-2019)

Created by Armando Iannucci, ‘Veep’ follows Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who, after her unsuccessful bid for the White House, becomes the Vice President of the US alongside President Stuart Hughes. The latter frequently relegates and ignores Selina, who is completely dependent on her staff for performing her duties in the initial days. ‘Veep’ can be seen as a spiritual precursor to ‘She the People’ as it captures a woman’s struggle to assert her position in the halls of political power. Selina and Antoinette both get shunned aside by their superiors, who consider them puppet heads who are simply valuable for rallying popular support. Despite taking their time, they soon come to own their roles.