Maid has it all: motherhood, self-discovery, societal obstacles, and, of course, the idea of barely scraping by above the poverty line. The TV drama features Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young mother attempting to make ends meet after breaking up with an abusive boyfriend. It is based on Stephanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. Molly Smith Metzler, the show’s author, offers a genuine, albeit theatrical account of a young lady in the process of recreating herself in a brutally honest tone.
Whether it’s the gripping plot or the on-screen connection between real-life mother and daughter Andie MacDowell and Margaret Qualley, there’s something about the show that appeals to almost everyone. Viewers are once again in the dark after a relatively brief ten-episode binge, with no clear indication of whether or not there will be a second season. It’s not a terrible idea to check out some similar things to keep the Maid fire burning throughout this “will they, won’t they” phase. Check out these carefully picked shows like Maid that we’ve put together; you’re sure to enjoy at least one… if not all fifteen.
Better Things
Mothers are frequently expected to be everything to everyone. Sam (Pamela Adlon), an ambitious actress, single mother, and caring daughter, is just like that. She’s torn between fulfilling her parental obligations and pursuing her dream of being an actress in her own way. Is it common for her objectives to become muddled? Naturally, they do, but she persists in her efforts to make life a little easier for her family. Is that something you’ve heard before?
Dopesick
This isn’t a mother-daughter show, but it does a good job of highlighting societal issues and how they effect the average man, or woman in this case. Alex, in the same way that he is the face of domestic workers and their daily challenges, offers a human face to a health crisis that has afflicted many. This documentary show is on the devastation caused by Purdue Pharma’s painkiller OxyContin.
Gilmore Girls
When it comes to all mom-kid sitcoms, consider Gilmore Girls a pioneer. While it isn’t a clear comparison to Maid, the two shows are comparable in a number of aspects. Lorelai and Rory Gilmore (Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel), a close-knit mother-daughter duo, are the focus of the seven-season drama. It’s the complexities of Lorelai’s story that make for a good comparison, not their dynamic. She became pregnant at the age of 16, and with Alex-like tenacity, she fled and found work at a hotel. Her strength as a single mother is admirable, but not as admirable as Alex’s in Maid. Were they always correct? They didn’t succeed, but they persisted.
As 15-year-old Ginny (Antonia Gentry) often feels like she’s taking care of her mother, the mother-daughter dynamics may appear to be slightly inverted here. Georgia (Brianne Howey) is a free-spirited mother of two who only wants to keep her children safe. Let me repeat that: she wants to keep her children safe at any costs. So, here’s their family, which appears to be a typical nomadic family on the surface. However, both Ginny and Georgia have some pretty dark secrets buried in their pasts, which creates a difficult scenario when Georgia’s bleak past threatens to shatter their already fractured family’s foundation.
Jane the Virgin
Jane the Virgin, in this satirical comedy, gives immaculate conception a whole new meaning. Jane Villanueva’s (Gina Rodriguez) life is turned upside down after a bizarre chain of events results in her being artificially inseminated. Among other insane twists and turns, she must combine her ambitions as a writer with her responsibilities as a new mother. The beauty of it all is how, like Alex, she knows that she can’t do one without the other. For them both, it’s a fascinating journey of self-discovery.
One Day at a Time
Alex and Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) are very similar, thus this one hits near to home. Penelope is a veteran who is attempting to live a regular life while raising her children as a single mother in the episode. She’s recently divorced and is suffering from PTSD, but she makes every effort not to let her past interfere with the life she’s attempting to build with and for her children. Financially, it’s no walk in the park for her, so that’s another hurdle she needs to overcome to keep things afloat.
Please Like Me
Please Like Me, although being a coming-of-age story, has one key subject in common with Maid: self-discovery. Josh (Josh Thomas) is at the center of it all, going through a stunningly realistic transition into maturity. Josh tries to discover himself within the chaos while juggling his profession, a troublesome roommate, and caring for his suicidal mother. The comedy-drama may not always make you laugh, but that’s largely because it doesn’t try to make you feel good about yourself.
Raising Dion
Despite being a superhero TV show, Raising Dion is based on the same principle as Maid. Check. I am a single mother. Double-check your tenacity and sacrifice. Despite the fact that Alex does not have to deal with a superhuman child, she shares Nicole’s desire to protect her son. As soon as Dion’s superpowers begin to appear, one thing becomes clear: he’ll be exploited. She just has one purpose at that point: to show that a mother doesn’t require superpowers to protect her son.
Raising Hope
If this show demonstrates anything, it’s that even a father can be a mother. James “Jimmy” Chance (Lucas Neff) has to raise his responsibility game when a one-night affair with a serial killer leaves him with an infant daughter. The sitcom then follows his transformation from slacker to aspiring best father in the world. He makes a mess of things, like a handful of the other parents on this list, but his heart is in the right place. Jimmy navigates the trenches of motherhood with his highly eccentric family, just so he can do right by his young baby.
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker
Talk about a nonfictional success story that began in the gutters; that’s essentially what this Netflix drama offers. Madam C.J Walker (Octavia Spencer), like Alex, was not handed the best of hands. She started off as a humble washerwoman, but the show follows her as she rises to become America’s first self-made female millionaire. How did she pull it off? Hair care products for women of color were crucial.
Shameless
There are no supermoms or dads in this one, but it doesn’t make it any less interesting than Maid. Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy) does everything but look after his six children, so they are left to fend for themselves and each other. The Gallagher kids are fighting an uphill battle of self-sufficiency and self-discovery. They always seem to keep their heads above water, even in the face of terrible poverty. However, because it’s called Shameless, expect some less-than-savory behavior.
SMILF
You may make another one called SMILF by adding some humor to the TV show Maid. Yes, the two shows are so similar that you’ll definitely get a Maid vibe. Bridgette, a single mother, is the focus of this TV series, which is based on the short film of the same name. She isn’t the most emotionally or financially secure person in the world, but she is determined to provide her son a better life. Prepare to be confronted with some hard realities camouflaged by a dark sense of humour.
The Letdown
One thing Maid and The Letdown frequently emphasize is that motherhood is not for the faint of heart. Audrey, a young lady simply trying to find her footing in the wilderness of motherhood, is the focus of the TV show. She joins a mother’s group to relieve the stress of living with an eccentric mother and an overly ambitious boyfriend. If you enjoyed Maid’s unromanticized portrayal of parenting, The Letdown is a must-see.
Unorthodox
One thing is evident from the start in Unorthodox: Esty (Shira Haas) understands she’ll never be able to find herself if she continues with her arranged marriage. Esty, like Alex, flees to the hills; the only difference is that she must leave everything and everyone she knows behind as she travels abroad. Unfortunately, the life she left behind does not want to let her off the hook.
Workin’ Moms
It’s a touch off the mark in terms of… a lot, but there are a few nuggets in there that make this quite similar. In a nutshell, the five-season drama follows the lives of four women as they navigate life’s hardships. Everything is present in the mix, from postpartum depression to unfaithful spouses and domineering parents, and boy, does it make for one beautiful mixture of turmoil. While they’re doing it, the ladies manage to learn a few things about themselves.
