Television series

Dharma & Greg

Name: Dharma & Greg
Genre: Comedy, Family, Romance
Released: 1997
Cast: Jenna Elfman, Thomas Gibson, Mimi Kennedy, Susan Sullivan, Mitchell Ryan

Romantic comedy
Comedy
Light-hearted

A sitcom about opposing worlds colliding when a free-spirited yoga instructor and a buttoned-up attorney marry impulsively, then spend five seasons proving their wildly different families—and viewers—wrong. It's warm, silly, and genuinely interested in the couple beneath the setup, with real affection between its leads that makes the chaos feel earned.

TVMaze rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like sitcoms built on opposites colliding, where the comedy comes from two warm, mismatched families trying to be polite about each other.

Skip it if the humor leans on broad reactions and a bright, hectic sheen, so if you want sharp, quiet wit, this may feel too eager to please.

What it asks of you: A half-hour an episode, it runs light and quick, with each week wrapped up neatly, so it asks little more than an evening's willingness to smile along.

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

If you liked this

Frasier1993

Two sophisticated people navigate relationships and family chaos with intelligence and humor. Like Dharma & Greg, it finds genuine warmth in fish-out-of-water comedy while respecting its characters enough to make you root for them.

But Frasier is more focused on rapid-fire wordplay than heart. If you want Dharma & Greg's emotional generosity, this leans harder into pure comedy mechanics.

Will & Grace1998

Fast, joyful ensemble comedy about misfits building a family of choice. Same DNA: characters who shouldn't work as a unit discovering they're exactly what each other needed, played with infectious warmth.

But The humor is bigger and broader, the plotting more absurdist. Dharma & Greg is gentler; this swings harder for laughs at the expense of subtlety.

Perfect Strangers1986

A sitcom about two roommates learning to live together despite being complete opposites. The premise is identical to what makes Dharma & Greg sing: watching incompatible people gradually become indispensable to each other.

But It's from the '80s, so the production values and some jokes have dated noticeably. Also less romantic—the chemistry is friendship, not marriage.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Dharma & Greg

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Northern Exposure1990

Both use the collision between order and chaos as a path to growth, but Northern Exposure asks what you gain by surrendering control, while Dharma & Greg asks what you gain by trusting someone different.

A New York doctor moves to quirky Alaska and discovers that falling into the wrong life can be the right one. It's the emotional and structural inverse of Dharma & Greg: instead of opposites meeting, a straight-arrow guy learns the value of chaos and unconventionality from an eccentric community.

But It's more poignant and philosophical, less consistently funny. The tone is melancholic where Dharma & Greg is buoyant. Seasons got stranger and harder to follow.

Gilmore Girls2000

Fast-paced, genuinely funny, full of characters you want to spend time with. It has Dharma & Greg's generosity toward family eccentricity and finds humor in affection rather than contempt.

But The pace and density can feel exhausting. Some find the constant quipping artificial. It's also more focused on mother-daughter bonding than romance.

Couples Retreat2009

A romantic comedy that actually cares about its marriage and treats relationship problems with real weight beneath the humor. If you loved seeing Greg and Dharma work through actual conflict, this has substance.

But It's a movie, so inevitably shorter. Some of the humor feels dated now, and it's broader and less character-driven than a sitcom can be.

Three's Company1977

The grandfather of all 'opposites forced together' sitcoms. It shows where the DNA of shows like Dharma & Greg comes from—chaos, heart, and characters who matter to each other.

But It's genuinely dated in its gender politics and humor styles. The physical comedy can feel thin compared to character-based humor. Pacing is slower by modern standards.

Just Shoot Me!1997

An ensemble comedy with real heart, witty banter, and a workplace that feels like family. Same era as Dharma & Greg with similar sweetness underneath the jokes and genuine investment in its people.

But The ensemble structure means you see less of any one relationship develop. Fashion magazine world might feel dated or frivolous if you want grounded comedy.

NewsRadio1995

Rapid, intelligent ensemble comedy where characters genuinely like and protect each other. It has Dharma & Greg's blend of humor and actual warmth, with a cast that plays beautifully together.

But It's built on faster, quicker jokes. If you prefer Dharma & Greg's gentler pace and focus on one relationship, this might feel scattered.

Amélie2001

Both celebrate unconventional people finding love and belonging exactly as they are, without changing. Amelie is the spiritual cousin: sentimental rather than funny, but holding the same fierce belief in misfits.

A French romantic fantasy about an eccentric dreamer learning to connect with the world and with love. Gorgeously whimsical, deeply romantic, and completely convinced that strange people deserve happiness—the moral center of Dharma & Greg condensed into one film.

But It's a subtitled film with a very particular visual and tonal style. It's quieter and more melancholic than a sitcom. Some find it too precious or cloying.

Parks and Recreation2009

Like Dharma & Greg, Parks and Rec treats the central romance as the whole point and lets two fundamentally different people discover they're exactly right together. Both shows believe in showing up for people you love over years, not just episodes.

A mockumentary where an optimistic, eccentric woman working in a small-town bureaucracy finds her person—a serious, competent man who grounds her. Over seven seasons, it becomes about how people who shouldn't fit actually complete each other, with genuine love underneath everything.

But It takes two seasons to find its tone. The mockumentary format isn't for everyone. It's also longer and slower-building than a traditional sitcom.