Amazon Prime’s newest original series, “Modern Love,” seems to be a huge hit currently amongst viewers. The series, based on the column that has been featured in The New York Times since 2004, tells the story of love from a different individual each episode. The TV adaptation of the column is filled with a star-studded cast, including the likes of Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey and Dev Patel.
With only eight episodes in its first season, “Modern Love” is very easy to binge, and leaves viewers wanting more. If you are one of those viewers (hi, it’s me, I’m that viewer) who watched the series in less than 48 hours and fell in love with the stories of the show, here are some suggestions that will fill the void until the second season is released.
1. This is Us
If TV series are your thing and you enjoyed the romance and familial elements present in “Modern Love,” might I suggest the smash hit (for good reason), “This is Us”? The series, created by Dan Fogelman, who has produced and wrote for films such as “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and “Tangled,” follows a family into the past, present and future.
The show centers around three siblings, who each have their own storylines. Like “Modern Love,” each episode is different from one another, but all touch on similar topics, like dating, loss and friendship. However, unlike the Amazon Prime series, “This is Us” is not based on the stories of real people. Thankfully, that does not stop the show from delivering relatable episodes that tug on your heartstrings week after week.
Filled with a star-studded cast of Milo Ventimiglia, Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore and many other wonderful actors and actresses, the series is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who watches.
2. Love Actually
Along the lines of watchable content focused on love and romance is “Love Actually.” The 2003 success of “Love Actually” is centered on the interrelated stories of several individuals living in London during the holiday season. Viewers of “Modern Love” who enjoyed the final scenes of the first season, where we see all of the stories collide, will appreciate the central idea of connection between everyday people present in the film.
The movie does not shy away from showing how love does not work out or manifest into what we hope it will, which helps it to feel a bit more realistic than some of the other romantic comedies released around the same time.
“Love Actually” features some stellar performances, 2000s rom-coms old standbys, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, as well as timeless treasures like Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. The superb cast, great soundtrack and diversity of topics related to love make it a solid choice when the mood for a romantic comedy strikes.
3. Modern Love: The Podcast
Podcasts have become all the rage today, as we as a society have gotten bored with listening to the same music over and over again. Many media companies are realizing the desire for podcasts and are capitalizing on the idea, with The New York Times being no exception.
The podcast, released out of WBUR in Boston, and hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti, takes the essays submitted to The New York Times column and allows for the stories to be consumed in a new way. Each week a different story is read by a celebrity, like Cecily Strong or Ben Platt, and then discussed by the celebrity who has read the piece and the author. The podcast is a great companion whilst working or doing other mundane tasks, like the dishes or homework, and will satisfy your desire for more “Modern Love.”
4. Humans of New York
This suggestion is a bit different from the previously mentioned content in the sense that it is an Instagram account. Now, you may be thinking, “How in the world is an Instagram account remotely related to the ‘Modern Love” series?’” And to that I would say, you must not be familiar with Humans of New York. The Instagram account, which has over 9 million followers and 5,000 posts, tells the stories of individuals in the captions of their simple photos.
The account began focusing on the stories of those in New York City, and has since covered stories in Hong Kong, Berlin, London, Rome and many other cities. Similar to “Modern Love,” the account covers stories from people of all walks of life. Some of the stories are about cute to-be-couples meeting, while others focus on hard hitting topics like the death of a spouse or a stint in a mental hospital. Those who enjoyed the variety of stories present in “Modern Love” are sure to appreciate the raw and poignant stories told on Humans of New York.
5). Modern Love: True Stories of Love, Loss and Redemption
The stories that started it all have been compiled into a book for your reading pleasure and convenience. “Modern Love, Revised and Updated: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Redemption” contains the beloved essays that have been submitted to The New York Times column over its 15 years of existence.
The book features essays written by notable individuals, like Andrew Rannells of “Girls” and “The Book of Mormon,” along with some of the essays that inspired the Amazon Prime series. Like the column, the book was edited by Daniel Jones, who has worked on the column for many years and carefully selected the best of the best essays to include in the book.
There is just something about seeing true stories of love played out that is so enjoyable and inspiring to watch. “Modern Love” does a fantastic job of encapsulating the important stories in just one episode, and while the other suggestions on this list are not all based on true stories, they also capture the essence and reality of love.
