10 Best TV Shows Like Tell Me Lies

It's been a strong year for Hulu, between their continued success with shows like "Only Murders in the Building" and "The Bear," as well as new hits like "Shōgun" and "Paradise." However, one original Hulu series that may have flown under the radar of most viewers is "Tell Me Lies," a drama series that premiered back in 2022 and returned for its second season in 2024. It might be the perfect new series to binge-watch if you can't find a movie to watch on Hulu right now, but its 18 episodes might be not enough for fans.

"Tell Me Lies" stars Grace Van Patten and Jackson White as two college students who fall in and out of love over the span of eight years. Based on a 2018 novel by Carola Lovering, the series has been lauded by critics for its performances, nuanced portrayal of toxic relationships, and its modern take on romantic drama. It's also, compared to most TV shows nowadays, very explicit in its depiction of intimacy between Van Patten and White's characters. 

For fans who have been yearning for more steamy television like "Tell Me Lies," there are plenty of shows both old and new that will scratch the same itch. From its similar themes to even having some of the same cast members as "Tell Me Lies," these ten shows are the ones you should watch next while waiting for season 3 of "Tell Me Lies" to hit Hulu. 

Before "Tell Me Lies" premiered on Hulu, series lead Grace Van Patten had previously stolen scenes on another Hulu drama series, "Nine Perfect Strangers," which was released in 2021. The first season centers on nine individuals who all attend a wellness retreat in California, only to discover that nobody is who they say they are. Nicole Kidman is the series' main star as the retreat's enigmatic leader Masha, while the supporting cast includes Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, and Regina Hall in addition to Van Patten.

It might not be similar to "Tell Me Lies" in the sense that it's an ensemble thriller rather than a focused romantic drama, but for those who wanted more of the actress who plays Lucy Albright, you'll likely fall in love with Van Patten's Zoe. We at /Film hailed the series as a masterclass in acting, writing, "'Nine Perfect Strangers' is at its best when the actors are given space to breathe and blow us all away," while Van Patten herself was acclaimed for her chemistry with Shannon, who plays her character's father. 

What's even better about "Nine Perfect Strangers" is that a second season is already on the way, albeit with a completely new ensemble cast including Murray Bartlett and Annie Murphy, though sadly Van Patten won't be appearing. It might not be the most similar series to "Tell Me Lies," but since it's also on Hulu, you don't have to buy a whole new streaming service subscription to enjoy it. 

While Grace Van Patten predated "Tell Me Lies" with "Nine Perfect Strangers," her co-star Jackson White had his first lead role in a TV series with HBO's "Mrs. Fletcher." Based on a novel by Tom Perrotta, "Mrs. Fletcher" follows the sexual re-awakening of a single mother, played by Kathryn Hahn, after her son, played by White, goes off to college. The show mainly focuses on the newfound freedom of Hahn's character, but White is a surprisingly big part of the show as his own character experiences a different kind of freedom in his first year away from home.

For those looking for something as steamy as "Tell Me Lies," "Mrs. Fletcher" is way more up your alley, albeit it's a lot more comedic in its depiction of intimacy than Hulu's own romance series. It's also without a doubt one of Kathryn Hahn's best TV shows, as we at /Film wrote that her character "takes the viewer on an oddly universal journey through the most intimate parts of a character's life."

Nevertheless, those who loved seeing White in "Tell Me Lies" won't be disappointed by his character's presence, which some critics said despite ceding to the dominance of Hahn's performance, was a strong introduction for the future TV star. For a series that's a lot more focused on the struggles for intimacy of parents and middle-aged folks, it surprisingly has a lot of appeal for younger viewers. 

The easiest recommendation to make for fans of "Tell Me Lies" is "Normal People," a very similar show that premiered on Hulu in 2020 and became one of the biggest TV hits of the pandemic. Based on a best-selling novel by Sally Rooney, "Normal People" follows the ups and downs of the romance between Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) and Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones), two schoolmates who weave in and out of each other's lives through secondary school to university, and even post-graduation. 

Aside from the chance to see pre-blockbuster Mescal and Edgar-Jones (both of whom in the past year appeared in "Gladiator 2" and "Twisters," respectively), this is as good as it gets when it comes to steamy TV romance in the modern era. As characters, Connell and Marianne are as complex as they are easy to root for, and their difficulties adapting to young adulthood will feel all to relatable to those who also felt strongly about the characters in "Tell Me Lies." Whereas that show examines a clearly toxic relationship, for "Normal People" things are a lot less black and white. 

While there likely won't be a sequel series to "Normal People," the closest thing may be "Conversations with Friends," another Hulu miniseries based on a novel by Rooney. It's a similar story about complex relationships and young love, though its lack of critical success compared to "Normal People" led to the Hulu show getting pulled off streaming. For now, though, "Normal People" isn't going anywhere. 

Unlike many romantic dramas similar to "Tell Me Lies," "The Affair" had a relatively long life on TV. The Showtime drama premiered in 2014, airing for five seasons and ending in 2019. The main star is Dominic West, who plays Noah, a married man whose affair with a waitress, Alison (Ruth Wilson), leads to a mysterious death, as the series explores both sides of their illicit rendezvous, like a romantic "Rashomon," the Akira Kurosawa movie in which the truth is often mutable and ambivalent, and different people have different interpretations of the same event.

Further seasons explore the perspectives of even more characters than Noah and Alison, including their spouses Helen (Maura Tierney) and Cole (Joshua Jackson). The show was lauded by critics throughout its run, even as the romantic trysts turn violent and absurd as the series continued on. It even treads into meta territory when the final season examines West's character writing a book about his affair that gets turned into a Hollywood movie, where the truth gets blurred even more than it already has been. 

Where "The Affair" is most obviously similar to "Tell Me Lies" is in its depiction of steamy sex, albeit the show also drew controversy for its lack of an intimacy coordinator and serious claims of a hostile work environment.

"Three Women" had an odd release after Showtime dropped the completed series from their schedule in 2023, forcing Starz to pick it up and air it over a year later. It's a good thing it finally saw the light of day in 2024, as it's one of the most engaging drama miniseries in recent years. Based on a novel by Lisa Taddeo, "Three Women" follows Shailene Woodley's Gia, a writer who convinces three women (DeWanda Wise, Betty Gilpin, and Gabrielle Creevy) undergoing radical life changes to tell her their stories. 

There have been divisive reviews about "Three Women," with some calling its narrative clumsy, even while praising the performances of actors like Gilpin, who completely carries the show. Others felt that its depiction of sex and intimacy was refreshing for the modern TV landscape, even when it opts for less steamy love scenes and more uncomfortable moments where women are taken advantage of by men. But don't be alarmed, for as explicit as "Three Women" gets, it was reportedly a much safer set than "The Affair." 

In fact, the drama of "Three Women" benefited a lot from the vital production role of the intimacy coordinator, with professional Claire Warden telling /Film, "The scenes in 'Three Women' are so emotionally rich and powerful and vulnerable because the actors were given a space where they felt really cared for, respected, and that they were in control, and so they could really do the fun, risky, powerful, scary work."

"The Affair" and "Three Women" explore similar themes as "Tell Me Lies," albeit for an older generation of lovers, but "The Summer I Turned Pretty" is more familiar territory for younger adults that loved the Hulu series. Premiering on Amazon Prime Video in 2022, "The Summer I Turned Pretty" has been a runaway hit for the streaming service, based on a trilogy of novels from Jenny Han, who also created its successful TV adaptation. 

"The Summer I Turned Pretty" stars Lola Tung as Belly, a 16-year-old whose eventful summer at a family friend's beach house in Massachusetts results in her first experiences with love, heartbreak, and sex. Some criticized the show's over-reliance on Belly's voiceover monologues, while others felt that the show rises above the level of other YA romances thanks to storylines involving characters like Belly's mom Laurel, played by Jackie Chung. 

Overall, "The Summer I Turned Pretty" is a lot sweeter in tone and mild on explicit content than "Tell Me Lies," but as an examination of young love and relationships, it's the type of show that teenage viewers might get incredibly addicted to just in time for its third and final season to premiere in the summer of 2025. Hopefully, if you're watching "The Summer I Turned Pretty," you have no qualms with Taylor Swift, given that the pop star's music is featured prominently in the show's soundtrack, despite Swift not having an acting role in the series. 

On the surface, "Wilderness" might seem like a simplistic show about romance and infidelity, but it's certainly a lot more intense than a show like "Tell Me Lies." Starring "Doctor Who" veteran Jenna Coleman, "Wilderness" follows an average married couple whose lives are derailed when Coleman's Liv discovers that her husband Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is having an affair, but rather than confront him, Liv enacts her revenge by taking him on a dangerous road trip to Yosemite. 

Where "Wilderness" really differs from "Tell Me Lies" is that, compared to the Hulu series, the Amazon Prime Video miniseries is less nuanced in its portrayal of relationship issues and more just six episodes of exciting on-screen female rage. Who can resist such enticing stakes as a man being brought to justice? As explained in a review from "The Guardian," "Wilderness" was acclaimed for, above all else, being a fun and breezy series, writing, "It's not going to change the world. And that's OK. Fun is fine. Fun is rare. Fun is more than enough."

Like many of the other series on this list, "Wilderness" is based on a novel, this time by B. E. Jones, but even those who read it might be on the edge of their seats watching this thriller unfold episode by episode. It's especially a great watch if you'd like to see Coleman really let loose on a role that's much juicier than anything she got to do as the mischievous Clara Oswald in "Doctor Who." 

In a bit of detour away from romantic thrillers, "The Sex Lives of College Girls" might focus on young love and college-aged kids' first experiences with sex, but it's a lot more sitcom than brooding drama. The series follows the romantic pursuits of a group of four friends in college, played by Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Reneé Rapp, and Alyah Chanelle Scott. But don't be fooled thinking that because this show is a sitcom, it can't get explicit in its depiction of teen romance, after all, this is an HBO show.

While there's a lot to enjoy about the first season, which premiered in 2021, the second season is even better in terms of merging coming-of-age romance with brilliant comedy. Per /Film's review of the comedy's sophomore stride, "A marriage of sharp writing and excellent casting is what makes 'The Sex Lives of College Girls' such a joy as season 2 shifts gears into a more character-driven path."

Unfortunately, the show critically takes a turn for the worse in its third season, which recently aired in 2024, drawing criticism for storylines that veer into too serious territory, as well as the loss of Rapp being deeply felt as new character dynamics just aren't as good. Nevertheless, the first two seasons are good enough to satisfy fans of "Tell Me Lies" who want a new show to watch that's less intense drama and more light-hearted rom-com. 

If you liked "Tell Me Lies," we know you already love melodrama and steamy thrillers, but would you expect the best of this genre to come from ancient Greece? Well, feast your eyes on "Doctor Foster," a BBC series loosely based on the Greek play "Medea," in which the titular woman scorned seeks revenge against her unfaithful husband by murdering her own children. In "Doctor Foster," which aired for two seasons in 2015 and 2017, Suranne Jones plays the titular character, whose discovery of her husband Simon's (Bertie Carvel) affair with a young student (Jodie Comer, right before starring in her best TV show, "Killing Eve") sends her spiraling towards madness. 

For fans of "Tell Me Lies," there's a lot that's similar about "Doctor Foster," which drew some criticism for its over-reliance on tropes, but enough acclaim for its performances and strong first episode to warrant an entire watch through of the series. Plus, as it tends to be with most British series, "Doctor Foster" is only ten episodes total, with each season only consisting of five hour-long episodes each, making it an easy binge. 

"Doctor Foster" even has its own spin-off series, "Life," which aired for one season in 2020 and features Victoria Hamilton reprising her role as Belle from the previous show. Like its predecessor, "Life" was also acclaimed by critics for its portrayal of heartbreak and complex relationships. Consider it an additional recommendation if you liked both "Tell Me Lies" and "Doctor Foster"!

At this point, if you haven't watched both seasons of "Fleabag," you're missing out on perhaps one of the greatest television shows of the 21st century. Adapted to TV by Phoebe Waller-Bridge based on her one-woman show of the same name, "Fleabag" follows the life of the titular woman, whose struggles connecting with her family, navigating a chaotic love life, and managing a café after the death of her friend are only exacerbated by her own difficulty grasping reality, causing her to escape confrontation via breaking the fourth wall. 

However, it's the second season of "Fleabag," which premiered three years after the first in 2019, which elevates the show from a strong if too-short BBC dramedy about sex to a modern classic about heartbreak and grief. Andrew Scott joins as "The Priest," an unlikely friend of Waller-Bridge's foul-mouthed cafe owner that, despite his religious obligations, becomes the object of her desire. What's most incredible about "Fleabag" aside from, you know, everything, is that as much as it's a comedy, it's also an incredibly impactful and effective drama that'll have you laughing one minute, then make you feel like you've just been punched in the gut. 

If you liked "Tell Me Lies," "Fleabag" should definitely be on your watchlist of shows that are as steamy and explicit as they are relatable. Once you're finished with the show (and have stopped crying over the final scene), check out our list of shows like "Fleabag" you definitely need to see next!