4 TV shows that highlight the power of sisterhood and friendship

There’s nothing like a strong platonic bond with your girlfriends, a sisterhood that transcends DNA that will support you like no other. A friend you can call whenever, and they’ll be there to lend a shoulder to cry on, give advice, or simply listen to you vent. These relationships resonate in real life and on TV screens with some of the most heartwarming, tight-knit, and genuine friendships in classic shows like The Golden Girls. But capturing this dynamic sisterhood has become a staple format in exploring the varying ways women stick together and care for one another.

Here are four TV shows that depict the power of sisterhood and friendship.

Girlfriends

A girlfriend that’s there through thick and thin is something that can’t be quantified. In 2000, the UPN sitcom, Girlfriends graced our screens. The series followed four Black women in Los Angeles, Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross), Maya (Golden Brooks), Toni (Jill Marie Jones), and Lynn (Persia White), navigating love, career, family, and everything in between in their late-20s and early-30s. These four girlfriends depicted the highs and lows of adult friendships, from finding time for each other in busy schedules to disagreements. But what made their friendship special was the authentic nuance it captured in being a Black woman facing the world head-on with those closest to you.

Where to Watch: Netflix

The Bold Type

The Bold Type follows three 20-somethings navigating New York City who meet while working at a major women’s magazine Scarlet, which is based on real-life publication, Cosmopolitan. This sisterhood is made up of Jane Sloan (Katie Stevens), Kat Edison (Aisha Dee), and Sutton Brady (Meghann Fahy). Jane’s a writer who plays it safe and reports on women’s issues. Kat, the head of social media and branding, is vocal about her beliefs, which sometimes leads her to act before thinking things through. Sutton is an assistant who dreams of becoming a stylist for the magazine and seizes opportunity as it comes or whether she has to make it happen herself. There’s always a new crisis popping up for these three. These three often deal with career and life problems such as dating, cancer scares, job security, and more. But whether they sneak off into the fashion closet and pop Champagne while venting or scream at the top of their lungs together in the subway, their friendship is a bond that can withstand it all.

Where to Watch: Hulu

Harlem

A fresh spin on the dynamic four-friend group format, Harlem tells a romantic and humorous tale of Black Women figuring out their careers and romantic endeavors in New York City. Camille (Meagan Good), Tye (Jerrie Johnson), Quinn (Grace Byers), and Angie (Shoniqua Shandai) make up this friend group. Camille is a professor whose love life seems ripped from the pages of a romance novel. Tye is a tech genius and founder of a queer dating app but struggles with commitment. Quinn is a fashion designer always on a journey of self-discovery. Angie is an actress trying to make it on Broadway. Their friendship is one that keeps it real and doesn’t judge but embraces the parts that make each of them who they are. No matter the drama, heartbreak, or career crisis, they prioritize weekly brunches and check in to ensure their girlfriends are okay.

Where to Watch: Prime Video

The Sex Lives of College Girls

College is a world of its own, and this HBO Max original captures that dynamic through four roommates, Bela (Amrit Kaur), Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), and Leighton (Reneé Rapp), at Essex College. Bela is an aspiring comedy writer who is on a mission to party. Kimberly is a quirky small-town girl who’s slightly gullible of the real world. Whitney is a soccer player whose mother is a Senator with many eyes on her with the pressure to be perfect, and Leighton is wealthy — slightly spoiled — and secretly lesbian. As these roommates navigate freshman year, they test the waters of love, sex, and frat parties, all while juggling classes. They lean on each other and ask for advice, though ultimately falling on their faces most of the time. But they’re there to pick up the pieces with an outlandish scheme or listen whenever one needs an ear. The Essex four represent the lifelong friends we make during matriculation, the people we create lasting memories with that we’ll share with future generations.

Where to Watch: HBO Max