Shows like BoJack Horseman don’t come around often. Although the show is animated, it’s very much intended for an adult audience. It was created by none other than Rafael Bob-Waksberg and his brilliantly creative brain. Some of the amazing voice actors in the cast include Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, and Aaron Paul. The characters in BoJack Horseman are all so intricate with so many interesting layers! There’s nothing simple or basic about this Netflix original TV show. The only unfortunate thing about the show is that it came to an end after six seasons when it most certainly deserved more seasons than that! These are some similar shows you can watch if you’re totally missing BoJack Horseman these days.
Undone
There’s a lot of darkness in Amazon Prime’s Undone, which premiered in 2019. Regardless, it still deserves a lot of recognition. The show focuses on a 28-year-old young woman named Alma who comes close to passing away in a car crash. She ends up surviving with newfound powers she never knew she could have, which enable her to manipulate her relationship with time and uncover the truth about what happened to her father. One of the major details that draws BoJack Horseman and Undone together is the fact that these shows each focus on the subject of death and the psychological effect it has on people.
F is for Family
Viewers are currently five seasons deep with F is for Family, a Netflix original show filled with a lot of sarcasm and emotional turmoil. The show is set in the 1970s and tells a story of a father who feels beyond miserable in his life. He got his girlfriend pregnant at a young age, went off to fight in the war, and now resides in the suburbs with a family he doesn’t always get along with. There’s a real resonance in how the main characters in BoJack Horseman and the main character in F is for Family spend the majority of their lives hating who they are and who they’re forced to spend time with.
Rick and Morty
Rick and Morty is a show that can be viewed on both Adult Swim and Cartoon Network. It’s about a man named Rick who slips back into his daughter’s life after going missing for 20 years. While spending time with her family, he grows particularly close with her son Morty… even though her husband isn’t a big fan of his arrival in the first place. It turns out Rick is a total wildcard who wants to use his scientific knowledge to create dangerous gadgets and go on reckless adventures with Morty. Some of the character connections here are similar to what you’d see in episodes of BoJack Horseman, particularly in having a lead with a grey morality.
Tuca and Bertie
The universe of Tuca and Bertie relates to the same universe BoJack Horseman lives in so it’s no surprise at all that these shows are connected. The creator of BoJack Horseman, Rafael Bob-Waksberg, is one of the executive producers for Tuca and Bertie. The show focuses on two bird women in their 30s who live in the same apartment complex. Even though they’re friends, there are a lot of complexities to their relationship. The complex friendships and relationships that can be seen here are showcased in pretty much every BoJack episode.
Daria
Even though Daria is a much older show, having aired from 1987 to 2002, it’s still easily comparable to BoJack Horseman. In both shows, the main characters are cynical, slightly depressed individuals who don’t know how to look on the bright side of things. Daria is a lot more monotone and straight to the point than BoJack Horseman, but if these shows were to ever have a crossover episode, it would make so much sense.
The Good Place
One of the biggest reasons The Good Place is a comparable show to BoJack Horseman is the fact that both shows explore what life after death might be like. The entire premise of A Good Place hones in on characters who think they’re in heaven but later learn that they’re in hell. In BoJack Horseman, he finds himself so deep into his addiction that he actually crosses over to the other side. He’s briefly able to interact with people in his life who’ve already died before him.
Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul is the quirky prequel to Breaking Bad and even though it’s got a lot of dark moments mixed in, plenty of the episodes remain on the lighthearted side. This is a huge reason why Better Call Saul is comparable to BoJack Horseman. Both shows feature main characters who aren’t necessarily “good” people, yet they still become people viewers want to root for somehow.
Disenchantment
Disenchantment is a Netflix original show that reminds people of BoJack Horseman because of the feisty characters who go through plenty of hardships along the path of life. In BoJack Horseman, he must overcome depression, loneliness, and addiction. In Disenchantment, the main character is named Princess Bean and she actually fights physical battles in order to survive. Both BoJack and Bean share a taste for hard liquor.
Bob’s Burgers
There is something very charming about Bob’s Burgers since the show tells the story of a tight-knit family struggling to make ends meet. The father of the family is running a shabby restaurant that doesn’t do too well in sales. He’s got a wife who loves him deeply, but she doesn’t know how to tone down her natural level of annoyingness. They have three kids who are all so different, but all contribute to the show in their own special ways. The oldest daughter, Tina, is in the midst of going through puberty and doesn’t know how to act most of the time. Their middle son, Gene, is a dorky sweetheart who has the best intentions most of the time. The youngest daughter, Louise, is a bit of a rebel. Although there aren’t family dynamics quite like this visibly present in BoJack Horseman, the shows are still similar because they both have so many heart-felt moments throughout.
Solar Opposites
Solar Opposites is another animated show geared for an adult audience, available for streaming on Hulu. The show focuses on a family of aliens who escape their foreign planet to take refuge on earth. After they land in middle America, they struggle to decide if living in the United States is better or worse than the planet they escaped from, and this more adult tone lines it up perfectly with Bojack.
Watch BoJack Horseman now on Netflix.