Motherhood, self-discovery, societal setbacks, and of course, the notion of barely living above the poverty line —Maidhas it all and more. Based onStephanie Land’s memoirMaid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, the TV show follows the plight of Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young mother trying to make ends meet after cutting ties with an abusive ex. With a brutally honest tone, the show creator,Molly Smith Metzlertells a realistic, albeit melodramatic tale of a young woman in the process of reinventing herself.
Perhaps it’s the compelling storyline, or the on-screen chemistry between real-life mother and daughterAndie MacDowelland Margaret Qualley, either way, there’s something about the show that resonates with just about anyone. A seemingly short ten-episode binge later, and with no clear indication of whether there will be a second season, viewers are once again hanging in the balance. During this “will they, won’t they” period, it is not a bad idea to check out some similar material to keep theMaidfire burning. Check out these carefully curated shows likeMaidthat we’ve come up with, you’re bound to like at least one… or fifteen.
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1. Ginny & Georgia
The mother-daughter dynamics may seem slightly reversed here, as 15-year-old Ginny (Antonia Gentry) often feels like she’s taking care of her mother. Georgia (Brianne Howey), on the other hand, is a free-spirited mom of two who simply wants to keep her kids safe. Let’s rephrase that, she wants to keep her kids safe by any means necessary. So, here you have their family which on the surface looks like your run-of-the-mill nomadic unit. However, both Ginny and Georgia arekeeping some pretty scathing secretstucked away in their past, which makes for a sticky situation when Georgia’s gloomy past threatens to shake the entire foundation of their already dysfunctional family.
2. Jane the Virgin
In this satirical comedy,Jane the Virginputs a whole new spin on immaculate conception. After a freaky turn of events results in 23-year-old Jane Villanueva (Gina Rodriguez) getting artificially inseminated, her whole life goes topsy turvy. She has to balance her ambitions as a writer and her duties as a new mom, among other crazy twists and turns. The beauty of it all is how she, much like Alex, realizes that she does not have to do one without the other. It’s an interesting road of self-discovery for them both.
3. Gilmore Girls
ConsiderGilmore Girlsa pioneer when it comes to all mom-kid shows. So, while it may not be a direct parallel toMaid, the two shows are similar in more ways than one. Theseven-season dramafollows the daily life of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (Lauren GrahamandAlexis Bledel), a close-knit mother-daughter duo. It’s not so much their dynamic that makes for a good comparison, it’s the intricacies of Lorelai’s story. She got pregnant at age 16 and with Alex-level resilience, ran away and made a living working at a hotel. Her resilience as a single mom is nothing if not as commendable as what Alex displays inMaid. Did they always get it right? No, they didn’t, but they kept at it.
4. The Letdown
Motherhood is not for the frail of heart, that’s one thingMaidandThe Letdowndrive home repeatedly. The TV show itself is centered on the life of Audrey, a young woman simply trying to find her footing in the wilderness of mommyhood. Stuck in between an eccentric mother and an over-ambitious partner, she joins a mother’s group to take the edge off. If you appreciated the unromanticized notion of motherhood thatMaidis all about, thenThe Letdownis a perfect watch.
5. One Day at a Time
This one hits quite close to home, as Alex and Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) are not that different. In the show, Penelope is a veteran who’s taking a swing at a normal life while raising her kids as a single mom. Recently divorced and still very much in the throes of PTSD, she tries her best not to let her past mess with the life she’s trying to build with and for her kids. It’s no walk in the park for her financially either, so that’s another hurdle she has to jump through to keep things afloat.
6. Workin' Moms
It may be a little offbase in terms of… a lot, but there are a few nuggets in there that make this quite similar. In a nutshell, the five-season show follows the lives of four mothers who are juggling the challenges that come their way. Everything from postpartum depression to unfaithful partners and overbearing parents is present in the mix, and boy does it make for one glorious cocktail of chaos. While they are at it, the ladies manage to discover one or two things about who they are.
Slap some humor on the TV showMaidand you’ve got yourself another one calledSMILF. Yes, that’s how similar the two shows are, so you’ll definitely get thatMaidvibe. An adaptation of the short film of the same name, this TV series has the spotlight on single mom Bridgette. She’s not the most stable person in the world, emotionally or financially, but she’s determined to give her son a better life. Brace yourself for some harsh realities masked in a whole lot of dark humor.
8. Raising Dion
Though it’s a superhero TV series,Raising Dionis pretty much built on the same premise asMaid. Single Mom, check. Resilience and sacrifice, double-check. Even though Alex does not have to deal with a superhuman child, her fighting spirit mirrorsNicole’s desire to keep her son safe. As soon as Dion’s superpowers start to manifest, one thing is evident, he’s at risk of being exploited. At that point, she has one mission; to prove that a mother does not need superpowers to ensure her son’s safety.
9. Better Things
More often than not, mothers have to be everything to everyone. That’s pretty much the case with Sam (Pamela Adlon), an aspiring actress, single mom, and caring daughter. She’s caught in the balance trying to fulfill her familial duties while aspiring to be an actress in her own right. Do her goals often get muddled up? Naturally, they do, but shecontinues to forge aheadin a bid to make life a bit more bearable for her family. Does that sound familiar?
10. Raising Hope
If there’s one thing that this show proves, it’s that even a dad can be a mom. After a one-night stand with a serial killer leaves him saddled with an infant daughter, James “Jimmy” Chance (Lucas Neff) has to step up his responsibility game. The sitcom goes on to explore his journey from slacker to aspiring best dad in the world. Like a few of the other parents on this list, he often makes a mess of things, but his heart is in the right place. Alongside hisincredibly unconventional family, Jimmy navigates the trenches of fatherhood, all so he can do right by his little girl.
