Television series

Cold Feet

Name: Cold Feet
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: 1998
Cast: John Thomson, Robert Bathurst, Hermione Norris, James Nesbitt, Fay Ripley

Romance
Social drama
Light-hearted

Cold Feet follows six Manchester thirty-somethings navigating love, commitment and the daily wreckage of long-term relationships. It's warmly funny without being sentimental, balancing genuine tenderness against the comedy of watching intelligent people make terrible decisions. For anyone who's ever wondered if everyone else has it figured out more than you do.

TVMaze rating

3.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy ensemble drama where the comedy comes from recognisable, bickering couples and the warmth comes from friendships that have quietly outlasted their romantic mistakes.

Skip it if you want self-contained episodes or a fast plot, since this is a slow-building, character-led saga that rewards long attention and repeats its emotional beats across many series.

What it asks of you: Nine series and fifty-nine episodes of hour-long instalments, so settle in for a long haul; it moves at a conversational pace and lets the relationships breathe between the laughs.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Friends1994

Six people in their twenties finding their way through romance and work, with the same ensemble warmth and that perfect balance of comedy and emotional honesty that Cold Feet nailed.

But Twenty-four seasons is a commitment, and the New York apartment fantasy can feel increasingly removed from real life.

This Life1996

Sharp British drama about young professionals in London, mixing workplace tension with genuine relationships. It has the same UK sensibility and refuses to make adulting look easy.

But Grittier and darker than Cold Feet—less funny, more likely to leave you unsettled.

Coupling2000

Also about thirty-somethings in relationships, with clever writing and genuine affection underneath the sex jokes. Captures that specific chaos of trying to build a life with someone.

But The humour is more relentlessly bawdy, and it hasn't aged as gracefully as Cold Feet.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Cold Feet

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

About a Boy2002

Same era, same sensibility, same British understanding that romantic relationships are just one part of a life you have to actually show up for. Both refuse easy resolutions.

A man avoiding commitment meets a boy who needs one. It's funny and genuinely moving about what grown-ups owe each other, and why running away from love never actually works.

But It's a film, not a series, so you lose that serial pleasure of living with characters. Also, it pivots on a child's pain in ways some find manipulative.

Normal People2020

A long relationship examined in intimate detail, showing how two people can love each other and still hurt each other. Serious where Cold Feet is comic, but shares its emotional truth.

But It's demanding, sometimes painful to watch, and operates at a completely different emotional pitch.

Misfits2009

Younger cast, supernatural setup, but the same talent for balancing genuine character development with laugh-out-loud comedy. British ensemble at its best.

But More anarchic and teen-focused; the tone is deliberately nasty in places Cold Feet never goes.

Motherland2016

Modern take on the ensemble relationship drama, following a group navigating parenthood, work and marriage. Sharply written and very funny about how life actually looks.

But The parenting context means it's dealing with different stakes—less about finding love, more about keeping it alive when exhausted.

Liar2017

A relationship implodes spectacularly and we see it from both sides. For Cold Feet fans who want to watch what happens when the warmth goes cold.

But It's a thriller, not a dramedy. Darker and more sinister than anything Cold Feet attempted.

Humans2015

Ensemble drama about a family and their relationships, mixing the intimate with the strange. Thoughtful about connection and what it means to be close to someone.

But Science fiction elements might feel like unnecessary complication if you're after straightforward relationship drama.

Fleabag2016

One woman's romantic chaos told with brilliant comedy and surprising depth. It knows exactly how to make you laugh and then break your heart in the same scene.

But Much smaller cast and more self-centred focus; only three seasons, so less of the ensemble feel.

Peep Show2003

Both are British ensemble stories that use comedy to tell the truth about relationships, but Peep Show looks at the underside—the jealousy, the self-delusion, the way we lie to ourselves about love.

Point-of-view comedy that gets inside people's heads. It's about friendship, attraction, failure and the gap between what we want and what we deserve—handled with real compassion underneath the cringe.

But The comedy is often uncomfortable and the two lead men are frequently awful. Also very long—nine seasons—and the tone doesn't lighten much over time.