12 Shows Like The Five-Star Weekend You Must See

Created by Bekah Brunstetter, ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ is a Peacock drama series based on the eponymous novel by Elin Hilderbrand. It follows renowned food influencer and best-selling author Hollis Shaw (Jennifer Garner) as she struggles to rebuild her life after the devastating loss of her husband. Grief exposes the cracks in her seemingly perfect world, and she also faces a complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline Shaw (Harlow Jane). Frustrated with the growing need for validation from her followers, Hollis comes up with an unusual plan to recharge. She invites women from different stages of her life to spend a weekend at her Nantucket home.

Her childhood friend Tatum McKenzie (Chloë Sevigny), college friend Dru-Ann Jones (Regina Hall), Brooke Kirtley (D’Arcy Carden), and social media follower Gigi Ling (Gemma Chan) are all invited. Hollis is forced to confront her past, including her first boyfriend, Jack (Timothy Olyphant). What starts as a simple weekend soon transforms into a chaotic mix of emotions for everyone involved. These shows, similar to ‘The Five-Star Weekend,’ poignantly explore difficult relationships, heartwarming moments, and more.

12. The Bold Type (2017-2021)

‘The Bold Type’ revolves around Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), Kat Edison (Aisha Dee), and Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy), three inseparable friends determined to make their mark while working at the global women’s magazine Scarlet in NYC. Guided by editor-in-chief Jacqueline Carlyle (Melora Hardin), they juggle demanding careers with the ups and downs of friendship, romance, and adulthood. Although each woman follows a different path and pursues her own ambitions, they continue to rely on one another as they face the pressures of both work and life. Finding their place in the world may not be as easy as they hoped.

Inspired by the life and career of Joanna Coles, the comedy-drama series is shaped by Sarah Watson’s vision. While ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ brings together characters who have been distant from each other and explores the tension between them, ‘The Bold Type’ offers a different flavor, shedding light on how familiarity in friendship can also come with its own challenges and emotional complexities.

11. The Big C (2010-2013)

‘The Big C’ is the tale of Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney), a high school teacher whose suburban life is turned upside down after she is diagnosed with cancer. Forced to confront the reality of her condition, Cathy begins looking at her family, friendships, and future in a completely different way while deciding how to face the people closest to her. Her journey is shaped by her relationship with her students, her carefree husband, Paul Jamison (Oliver Platt), her teenage son Adam Jamison (Gabriel Basso), and her brother Sean Tolkey (John Benjamin Hickey). Brought to life by Darlene Hunt, the comedy-drama series is a layered story.

Akin to ‘The Five-Star Weekend’, the show is driven by intimate character moments and emotionally charged conversations. While Hollis’ story brings old friends together to confront buried emotions and long-held truths, Cathy’s examines how a devastating diagnosis reshapes family relationships, revealing both the tensions and the love that have always existed beneath the surface.

10. Grace and Frankie (2015-2022)

‘Grace and Frankie’ chronicles the lives of Grace Hanson (Jane Fonda), a retired cosmetics mogul, and Frances Bergstein, AKA Frankie (Lily Tomlin), an artist. Their lives are thrown into turmoil after their husbands reveal they have been in a secret relationship for the past twenty years and plan to marry each other. Longtime rivals with little in common, Grace and Frankie suddenly find themselves relying on one another to adjust to an unexpected new chapter in life.

Living together for the first time, they navigate conflicts, romantic setbacks, health concerns, and business plans, leading to an unlikely friendship. With Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris at the creative helm, the comedy series delves into second chances, redemption, and the unlikely bonds that can emerge from tragic circumstances, just like ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ does. The shows include emotionally charged conversations, hidden truths, drama, humor, and unique characters.

9. Little Fires Everywhere (2020)

Based on Celeste Ng’s novel of the same name, ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ centers on Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon), whose comfortable family life begins to unravel after she opens her luxury home to artist Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) and her daughter, Pearl Warren (Lexi Underwood). Even though the two families grow closer, trust becomes increasingly fragile, and hidden secrets begin to surface. Elena and Mia soon find themselves making difficult decisions as concerns about their children deepen and tensions rise. What starts as an act of generosity gradually develops into a complicated relationship that challenges their futures.

The drama series is guided by the ideas of Liz Tigelaar. On the lines of ‘The Five-Star Weekend’, the show is a character-driven story in which strained relationships and buried secrets loom large. While the world of Hollis unfolds through a reunion of friends, Elena’s builds its emotional tension around two mothers who are forced to make difficult choices.

8. Sullivan’s Crossing (2023-)

In ‘Sullivan’s Crossing,’ the life of neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan (Morgan Kohan) takes an unexpected turn after a medical negligence lawsuit forces her to leave Boston. Hoping to find some clarity, Maggie returns to Sullivan’s Crossing, the Nova Scotia campground run by her estranged father, Harry Sullivan (Scott Patterson), a place she has long been disconnected from. As she settles back into her old surroundings, Maggie begins confronting unresolved issues from her past while trying to rebuild her relationship with her father. At the same time, her growing connection with newcomer California Jones, AKA Cal (Chad Michael Murray), brings both uncertainty and the possibility of a fresh start.

Adapted from Robyn Carr’s novel series of the same name, the romantic drama is crafted by Roma Roth. ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ and ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ focus on emotional healing, tensions, and relationships, slowly constructing complex puzzles for the characters. Both stories follow women trying to move forward through conversations and personal reflection after their lives are disrupted.

7. The Split (2018-2024)

‘The Split’ is an Abi Morgan creation that delves into the experiences of the Defoes, a family of accomplished divorce lawyers whose personal and professional lives become increasingly intertwined. Hannah Stern (Nicola Walker) leaves the family’s law firm to work for a rival firm, while her mother, Ruth Defoe (Deborah Findlay), continues to lead the family business alongside Hannah’s sisters, Nina Defoe and Rose Defoe. Away from the courtroom, Hannah also tries to balance her demanding career with her marriage to barrister Nathan Stern (Stephen Mangan). The family’s carefully maintained lives are shaken by the unexpected return of their estranged father after thirty years.

The British legal drama series explores family bonds, relationships, and the challenges of balancing love, loyalty, and ambition. Akin to ‘The Five-Star Weekend’, the show is driven by emotionally layered relationships, difficult conversations, and long-buried tensions. Rather than gathering old friends like in the case of Hollis, ‘The Split’ places one family under pressure as past decisions reshape the present, creating the same kind of dynamics between characters.

6. Tiny Beautiful Things (2023)

‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ is Liz Tigelaar’s adaptation of the book of the same name by Cheryl Strayed. The comedy-drama series chronicles the life of Clare Pierce (Kathryn Hahn), a struggling writer whose personal life is in chaos. Her marriage to Danny is falling apart, and her daughter Rae barely speaks to her. When a friend encourages her to take over an anonymous advice column, Clare doubts she has anything meaningful to offer. Yet every letter she answers draws her back to defining moments from her own life and painful experiences that continue to shape her.

Clare reflects on her past and hopes to understand both herself and the people seeking her advice. While ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ reveals the depths of its characters through the conversations they have with one another during a reunion, ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ uncovers its protagonist through the advice she gives to strangers. Both shows gradually unravel the layers of their central characters, forcing them to make difficult decisions that may make or break their futures.

5. Virgin River (2019-)

‘Virgin River’ follows Melinda Monroe, AKA Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), a nurse practitioner who leaves LA behind in search of a fresh start after a painful chapter in her life. She settles in the quiet town of Virgin River, hoping to rebuild her future. Mel becomes part of the community and begins working with the local doctors. She eventually meets bar owner Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), and their growing connection complicates her efforts to move on, while life in the small town helps her rediscover a sense of purpose.

Based on Robyn Carr’s novel series of the same name, the romantic drama series is guided by the creative vision of Sue Tenney. Whereas ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ gathers its characters for an emotionally intense and sometimes claustrophobic reunion, ‘Virgin River’ allows its relationships to develop gradually within a close-knit community. Both stories find drama and meaning in the simple moments between people, showing how human connections can reopen or heal emotional wounds.

4. Dead to Me (2019-2022)

‘Dead to Me’ explores the life of Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini), an emotionally vulnerable woman who carries painful secrets. At a grief support group, she meets Jen Harding (Christina Applegate), a real estate agent struggling to cope with the sudden death of her husband. Although the two women have very different personalities, they gradually form an unexpected friendship and become an important source of comfort for one another. Jen begins searching for the truth behind her husband’s death, and the secrets Judy has worked so hard to conceal slowly come to light, placing their growing bond under immense strain.

Crafted by Liz Feldman, the comedy-crime thriller series is a character-driven story. In ‘The Five-Star Weekend,’ emotional conflicts emerge from people revisiting their shared past, whereas ‘Dead to Me’ begins with two strangers whose lives become inseparable through grief. The two shows steadily build tension by revealing hidden layers of their characters, showing how trust can be a difficult thing to hold on to when truths threaten to tear relationships apart.

3. Sweet Magnolias (2020-)

Based on the eponymous novel series by Sherryl Woods, ‘Sweet Magnolias’ tells the story of Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), whose life is turned upside down by a difficult divorce. Working to rebuild her future and rediscover happiness, Maddie leans on the support of her lifelong friends, Dana Sue Sullivan (Brooke Elliott) and Helen Decatur (Heather Headley). Their close bond helps them face the personal and emotional challenges that arise in each of their lives, while Maddie’s fresh start becomes even more complicated when she unexpectedly finds love again.

The engaging romantic drama series is shaped by the ideas of Sheryl J. Anderson. ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ brings together women whose lives have taken them in different directions, but ‘Sweet Magnolias’ begins with an already unbreakable friendship. Both series draw much of their emotional weight from women supporting one another through life’s turning points, showing that friends can offer the strength to face even the most difficult uncertainties.

2. Big Little Lies (2017-)

‘Big Little Lies’ sheds light on the experiences of Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley), a single mother who moves with her son, Ziggy Chapman (Iain Armitage), to a wealthy coastal community in search of a fresh start. Settling into her new surroundings, Jane forms unexpected connections with Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) and Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman). Their growing friendship is soon overshadowed by hidden tensions, strained relationships, and dangerous secrets that affect the community. With the lives of the three women becoming increasingly intertwined, ordinary family conflicts give way to a chain of events that ultimately leads to a murder.

Based on Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name, the crime drama series is created by David E. Kelley and explores the consequences of secrets. Although ‘The Five-Star Weekend’ unfolds in a more intimate setting, it is spiritually linked to ‘Big Little Lies’ as both stories gradually unravel the intimate feelings and mysteries of their characters. The shows reveal how comfortable surroundings and relationships are often vulnerable in the modern day, especially due to human insecurities.

1. Firefly Lane (2021-2023)

With Maggie Friedman at the creative helm, ‘Firefly Lane’ narrates the lifelong friendship between Kate Mularkey (Sarah Chalke) and Tully Hart (Katherine Heigl), whose lives become closely intertwined after meeting as teenagers. The years pass, and the two women take different paths, experiencing career highs and personal hardships. But their friendship remains the one constant they continue to rely on. Even their strongest bond is tested as time brings unexpected challenges, and a tragic event forces both women to make difficult choices that could alter their relationship forever.

Adapted from Kristin Hannah’s eponymous novel, the drama series offers a heartfelt story. Much like ‘The Five-Star Weekend,’ the show is driven by the emotional dynamics between its central characters and moments of reckoning. The narratives combine intimate conversations with visually charming settings that blend with the emotional weight of the stories. These thematic, plot, and visual elements connect the shows on a deeper level.